Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/13

Rh through private enmity; ome, for the money they had lent, by the hands of the borrower. Every kind of death, every dreadful act, was perpetrated. Fathers lew their children; ome were dragged from altars, ome were butchered at them; numbers, immered in temples, were tarved. The contagion pread through the whole extent of Greece: factions raged in every city; the licentious many contending for the Athenians, and the apiring few for the Lacedæmonians. The conequence was, editions in cities, with all their numerous and tragical incidents. Such things ever will be, ays Thucidydes, o long as human nature continues the ame. But if this nervous hitorian had known a balance of three powers, he would not have pronounced the ditemper o incurable, but would have added—o long as parties in cities remain unbalanced. He adds—Words lot their ignification: brutal rahnes was fortitude; prudence, cowardice; modety, effeminacy; and being wie in every thing, to be good for nothing: the hot temper was manly valour; calm deliberation, plauible knavery; he who boiled with indignation, was trutworthy; and he who preumed to contradict, was ever upected. Connexion of blood was les regarded than tranient acquaintance: aociations were not formed for mutual advantage, conitent with law, but for rapine againt all law: trut was only communication of guilt: revenge was more valued, than never to have uffered an injury: juries