Page:Selected Orations Swedish Academy 1792.djvu/65

Rh valour, which, on the field of Marathon, and on the shore of Salamis, enabled a handful of men to vanquish armies numerous beyond the experience or the belief of modern times.

the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, was the inevitable consequence of its extravagant ambition, who can question ? But why have not those acute reasoners, who pretend to trace events to their causes, shewn, whence proceeded the destruction of those states, on whose ruin Rome raised her Collosean greatness ? Was it luxury and elegant learning which destroyed the Sabines, the citizens of Veji, the Volscians, and the Latins : or did not their own weakness abandon their destiny to the chance of war ? Imperious Rome herself had, more than once, nearly seen falsified her real, or pretended dreams of eternity. these events literature had not any, or at most a very flight connection. To elegant occupations Sparta paid little attention ; nay, if destitute of poets and orators, Athens would have fallen like Sybaris, Capua, and unlettered Carthage. Had Rome erected her vast monarchy, without subjecting Greece; in all probability, Rome would have been little acquainted with polite learning ; but, most certainly, her power, like that of Persia and Macedon, must have declined. But should the influence of elegant learning be allowed to have been injurious to ancient states ; at prefent, however, it cannot be considered in that light. This, the history and constitution of modern governments will sufficiently evince.

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