Page:Proofs of the Enquiry into Homer's Life and Writings.pdf/35

 Rh The Greeks had no well digested Body of Laws, or Plan of a civil Constitution before Onomacritus. So Aristotle, in the first Book of his Politics:

“ was the first Man who became skilful in framing a Policy.” And the same Philosopher in the second Book says, that ‘the ancient Laws were extremely simple and barbarous: For the Greeks of old went constantly armed, and bought and sold their Wives one Tribe from another; and that all the Remains of the ancient legal Establishments up and down Greece are throughly simple, and adapted to rude uncivilized Manners.'

and honest Sentiments for the most part produce fit Words to express them: ‘Even Tiberius, says Tacitus, the great Dissembler, who at other times was lockt up and collected within himself, whose Words seemed to come from him as it were struggling for Utterance, spoke with great Ease and Fluency, whenever he thought fit to be merciful, and pardon a Criminal.’

early Authors in any Country commonly write in the plain ingenuous Style of their first Simplicity; which is one great Reason why Rh