which was composed of twenty-eight members, founded their chief policy in espousing the side of the kings, when the people were grasping at too much power; and, on the other hand, the interest of the people, whenever the kings attempted to carry their authority too far.

The senators consisted of those who had aided Lycurgus in his designs, as well as of several of the citizens remarkable for their private virtues; but none were eligible till sixty years of age. They were continued for life, except upon any notorious crime; and this, as it prevented the inconveniencies of too frequent a change, so it was a lasting reward to the old, and a noble incentive to the young. They formed the supreme court of judicature; and, though there lay an ap peal from them to the people, yet, as they were convened only at the pleasure of the senate, and as the senators were not responsible for any wrong judgment, their decrees gene rally passed without an appeal.

Indeed, for several ages, such was the caution, and such the integrity, of this tribunal, that none seemed desirous of seeking farther justice, and both parties acquiesced in their de crees. However, the great power of which the senate was thus possessed, was, about a century afterwards, tempered, by the erection of a superior court, called the court of the ephori; which consisted of but five in number, elected annually into office. They were chosen from the people, and had a power of arresting and imprisoning the persons even of their kings, if they acted unbecoming their station.

The people, also, had a nominal share in the government. They had their assemblies, consisting of citizens only; and also their great convention, of all persons who were free, of the state. But this power of convening, was but a mere matter of form; as the senate alone was permitted to call them together, and as it was in the option of that body to dismiss them at pleasure. The subject of deliberation, also, was to be of their proposal; while the people, denied the privilege of debating or discussing, could only reject or ratify, with laconic decision. To keep them still more helpless, they were left out of all offices of the state, and were considered merely as machines, which their wiser fellow-citiz ns were to conduct and employ.

So small a degree of power granted to the people, might be apt to destroy these institutions, in their infancy: but, to reconcile them to the change, Lycurgus boldly resolved to give them a share in those lands, of which, by the increasing riches of some, and the dissipation of others, they had been deprived. One of the most refined strokes in this philoso

pher's legislation, seems to have been, to keep the people in plenty and dependence. The majority of the people were, at that time, so poor, that they were destitute of every kind of property; whilst a small number of individuals were possessed of all the lands and the wealth of the country. In or der, therefore, to banish the insolence, the fraud, and the luxu ry, of the one, as well as the misery, the repining, and the factious despair, of the others, he persuaded the majority, and forced the rest, to give up all their lands to the commonwealth, and to make a new division of them, that they might all live together in perfect equality. Thus, all the sensual goods of life, were equally distributed among the gover nors and the governed; and superior merit alone conferred superior distinction.

Lycurgus accordingly divided all the lands of Laconia into thirty thousand parts, and those of Sparta into nine thou sand; and these he portioned out to the respective inhabitants of each district. Each portion was sufficient to maintain a family, in that frugal manner he proposed; and, though the kings had a larger share assigned them, to support their dig nity, yet their tables had rather an air of decency and compe tency, than of superfluity or profusion.

It is said, that, some years after, as Lycurgus was returning from a long journey, observing how equally the corn was divided, in all parts of the country, he was heard to observe, smiling on those next him, Does not Laconia look like an estate, which several brothers have been dividing amongst them.

But it would have answered no permanent purpose, to divide the lands, if the money were still suffered to accumulate. To prevent, therefore, every other distinction, but that of merit, he resolved to level down all fortune to one standard. He did not, indeed, strip those possessed of gold or silver, of their property; but, what was equivalent, he cried down its value, and suffered nothing but iron money to pass, in exchange for every commodity. This coin also he made so heavy, and fixed at so low a rate, that a cart and two oxen were required to carry home a sum of ten minas, or about twenty pounds English; and a whole house was necessary to keep it in.

This iron money had no currency among any other of the Grecian states; who, so far from esteeming it, treated it with the utmost contempt and ridicule. From the neglect of foreigners, the Spartans themselves began to despise it; so that money was at last brought into disuse, and few troubled themselves with more than was barely sufficient to supply their necessities. Thus, not only riches, but their attendant train of avarice. fraud, rapine, and luxury, were banished from this

simple state; and the people found, in ignorance of riches, a happy substitute for the want of those refinements they bestow. But these institutions were not thought sufficient to prevent that tendency which mankind have to private excess. A third regulation was therefore made, commanding that all meals should be in public. He ordained, that all the men, without distinction, should eat in one common hall; and, lest stran. gers should attempt to corrupt his citizens by their example, a law was expressly made against their continuance in the city. By these means, frugality was not only necessary, but the use of riches was, at once, abolished. Every man sent monthly his provisions to the common stock, with a little money, for other contingent expenses. These consisted of one bushel of flour, eight measures of wine, five pounds of cheese, and two pounds and a half of figs.

The tables consisted of fifteen persons each; where none could be admitted but by the consent of the whole company. Every one, without exception of persons, was obliged to be at the common meal; and a long time after, when Agis returned from a successful expedition, he was punished and reprimanded, for having eaten with his queen, in private. The very children eat of these meals; and were carried thither, as to a school of temperance and wisdom.

At these homely repasts, no rude or immoral conversation was permitted; no loquacious disputes or ostentatious talking. Each endeavoured to express his sentiments with the utmost perspicuity and conciseness: wit was admitted, to season the banquet, and secrecy to give it security. As soon as a young man came into the room, the oldest man in company used to say to him, pointing to the door, "Nothing spoken here must that way."

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Black broth was their favourite dish. Of what ingredients, it was made, is not known; but they used no flesh in their entertainments. It probably resembled those lenten soups, which are still in use on the continent. Dionysius, the tyrant, found their fare very unpalatable; but, as the cook asserted, the broth was nothing, without the seasoning of fatigue and hunger.

An injunction so rigorous, which thus cut off all the delicacies and refinements of luxury, was by no means pleasing to the rich; who took every occasion to insult the lawgiver. upon his new regulations. The tumults they excited were frequent; and, in one of these, a young fellow, whose name was Alexander, struck out one of Lycurgus's eyes. But he had the majority of the people on his side; who, provoked at the

outrage, delivered the young man into his hands, to treat him with all proper severity.

Lycurgus, instead of testifying any brutal resentment, won over his aggressor by all the arts of affability and tenderness; till, at last, from being one of the proudest and most turbulent men of Sparta, he became an example of wisdom and moderation, and a useful assistant to Lycurgus, in promoting his new institutions.

Thus, undaunted by opposition, and steady in his designs, he went on to make a thorough reformation in the manners of his countrymen. (As the education of the youth was one of the most important objects of a legislator's care, he took care to instil such early principles, that children should, in a manner, be born with a sense of order and discipline. His grand principle was, that children were properly the possession of the state, and belonged to the community, more than to their parents. To this end, he made it the mother's duty, to use such diet and exercise, as might fit her to produce a vigorous and healthy offspring.

As, during this period, all institutions were tinctured with the savageness of the times, it is not wonderful that Lycurgus ordained, that all such children, as, upon a public view, were deemed deformed or weakly, and unfitted for a future life of vigour and fatigue, should be exposed to perish in a cavern near mount Taygetus. This was considered as a public punishment upon the mother; and it was thought the readiest way to lighten the state of future incumbrance.

Those infants that were born without any capital defects, were adopted as children of the state, and delivered to their parents, to be nursed with severity and hardship. From their tenderest age, they were accustomed to make no choice in their eating, nor to be afraid in the dark, or when left alone; not to be peevish or fretful; to walk barefoot, to lie hard at nights, to wear the same clothes winter and summer, and to fear nothing from their equals.

At the age of seven years, they were taken from their pa rents, and delivered over to the classes, for a public education. Their discipline, there, was little else than an apprenticeship to hardship, self-denial, and obedience. In these classes, one of the boys, more advanced and experienced than the rest, presided, as captain, to govern and chastise the refractory. Their very sports and exercises were regulated according to the exactest discipline, and made up of labour and fatigue. They went barefoot, with their heads shaved, and fought with one another naked.

While they were at table, it was usual for the masters to

instruct the boys, by asking them questions concerning the nature of moral actions, or the different merits of the most noted men of the time. The boys were obliged to give a quick and ready answer, which was to be accompanied with their reasons in the concisest manner; for a Spartan's language was as sparing, as his money was ponderous and bulky. All ostentatious learning was banished from this simple commonwealth: their only study was to obey; their only pride was to suffer hardship. Every art was practised, to harden them against adventitious danger. There was yearly a custom of whipping them, at the altar of Diana; and the boy that bore this punishment with the greatest fortitude, came off victorious.

This was inflicted publicly, before the eyes of their parents, and in the presence of the whole city; and many were known to expire under the severity of the discipline, without uttering a single groan. Even their own fathers, when they saw them covered with blood and wounds, and ready to expire, exhorted them to persevere, to the end, with constancy and resolution. Plutarch, who says that he has seen several children expire under this cruel treatment, tells us of one, who having stolen a fox, and hid it under his coat, chose rather to let it tear his very bowels, than discover the theft.

Every institution tended to harden the body, and shai pen the mind for war. In order to prepare them for stratagems and sudden incursions, the boys were permitted to steal from each other; but, if they were caught in the fact, they were punished, for their want of dexterity. Such a permission, therefore, was little better than a prohibition of theft; since the punishment followed, as at present, in case of detection. By this institution, negligence in the possessor was made justly liable to the loss of the possessions, a consideration which has not been sufficiently attended to by subsequent legislators.

At twelve years old, the boys were removed into other classes, of a more advanced kind. There, in order to crush the seeds of vice, which, at that time, began to appear, their labour and discipline were increased with their age. They had their instructer from among the men, called Padonomus; and, under him, the Irens; young men, selected from their own body, to exercise over them a more constant and immediate command. They had now their skirmishes between parties, and their mock fights, between larger bodies. In these, they often fought with hands, feet, teeth, and nails, with such obstinacy, that it was common to see them lose their eyes, and often their lives, before the fray determined. Such, was the constant discipline of their minority, which lasted till the