Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/136

98 chools, is by no means of Gothic invention, but hath place in nature and reaon, and eems very well to agree with the entiments of mot legilators: for, not to mention the everal republics of this compoition in Gaul and Germany, decribed by Cæar and Tacitus, Polybius tells us, the bet government is that which conits of three forms, regno, optimatium, et populi imperio. Such was that of Sparta in its primitive intitution by Lycurgus, who, oberving the depravations to which every one of thee was ubject, compounded his cheme out of all; o that it was made up of reges, eniores, et populus. Such alo was the tate of Rome, under its conuls; and uch, at Carthage, was the power in the lat reort: they had their kings, enate, and people. A limited and divided power eems to have been the mot ancient and inherent principle, both of the Greeks and Italians, in matters of government. The difference between the Grecian monarchies and Italian republics was not very great. The power of thoe Grecian princes, who came to the iege of Troy, was much of a ize with that of the kings of Sparta, the archon of Athens, the uffetes at Carthage, and the conuls at Rome. Theeus etablihed at Athens rather a mixed monarchy than a popular tate, aigning to himelf the guardianhip of the laws, and the chief command in war. This intitution continued during the eries of kings to the death of Codrus, from whom Solon was decended, who, finding the people engaged in two violent factions, of the poor and the rich, and in great confuion, refuing the monarchy which was offered him, choe rather to call the government after another model, wherein he made due proviion for ettling the balance of power, chooing a enate of four hundred,