WITH the multiplication of the fpecies the difficulty of diftribution of territory increases. This circumftance muft, in all early ages of landed appropriation, have produced great commotions among the people. To prevent encroachment and ufurpation, it became neceffary to diftinguish poffeffions accurately, and to fix their boundaries by landmarks. These objects we accordingly find to have employed the attention of all the antient lawgivers and founders of states of whom we have any history worthy of credit. Romulus made an equal divifion of the lands among the citizens. Numa Pompi lius, who appears to have been a wife legiflator, found that the divifion of land was an object that required his particular regard; and as, in a state growing in strength and increasing in population, it was impoffible to allot a portion of land to every citizen fufficient for his maintenance, he divided all the lands into diftricts, to which he gave the name of Pagus, and over each of them appointed governors and overfeers. He He altered the former divifions of the people, and distributed them into claffes, according to their arts and profeffions. He encouraged trades and manual arts, and distinguished the artificers from the labourers of the ground *. The first Incas of Peru employed themselves in dividing and diftributing the lands among their fubjects †. It may be made matter of wonder, how any individuals of the human fpecies could uniformly have arrived at the poffeffion of fo transcendent a power as kings enjoy over fo many warlike: and high-fpirited nations as Europe at this day prefents to our view. It was not by any public contract or agreement between a king and his fubjects.. what fascinating charm, then, did individuals in By *Plutarch's Life of Numa.. Hift. des Incas, p. 48.. 188. ferior in native powers and abilities to multitudes of their fpecies in fubjection to their cominands, rife into fuch high and paramount distinction? It may be anfwered, By gradual steps founded in the customs of primitive fociety. Acts of power confiftent with usage, and naturally flowing from it, clafh not with the fentiments of the people. Fears of the unhappy confequences of arbitrary rule alarm not their unfufpicious minds. Apprehenfions in regard to perfonal fafety and political liberty, are not entertained from a contemplation of future evils. These are difcovered only when the abuses of power are felt to counteract the natural fprings of human action. At that critical period, falutary restraints and limitations necessary for the preservation of the public welfare are, in free states, imposed on the fovereign by the people; whofe fpirit, rifing indignant against tyranny, will not fuffer itself to be crushed by arbitrary rule: whereas in thofe regions of the earth where the people are endued with a more pliant and and paffive difpofition, and are not so strongly impressed with a sense of the rights of nature, their liberties have uniformly fallen a facrifice to the poffeffors of exorbitant power. "EVERY foot of land in the Mogul empire ❝is understood to belong to him; and even the ❝ fortunes of individuals he disposes of and diftri"butes at pleasure. He is heir to all his fub❝jects, and leaves to the widow and family "whatever portion of the effects of the dead he " is pleased to bestow on them THE principle of natural equality, which neither tyranny nor injustice can totally eradicate from the human breast, is borne down by the weight of defpotic power, raised through a series of ages upon the bafis of the primitive custom of distribution of food in times of primeval fimplicity. * Sir Thomas Roe's Journal and Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury. |