IT is unknown to no Body that reads Historys, that the Romans had seven Kings in their Infancy, most of them Elected, and six of them good Princes, who did cultivate them with Religion, Virtue, Arts and Arms according to their Mode: but the seventh was a Usurper, Tarquin the Proud, a Man naturally Wicked, but necessitated by his Usurpation to continue a Tyrant, because all Persons or Powers must maintain such Wrongs by a standng Army, which turns the best Gover-ments that can be to the worst.

But his Own and his Wives insupportable Humor, with his Sons barbarous Rape of the fair and vertuous Lus [...]coelia; gave the icensed Romans a unanimous Courage to revolt from him, and Kingly Government together.

But though their attempts was successful, it was hardly maintained against their Neighbours the Latins, and especially against P [...]rsenna King of the Hetourians, who Armed for Tarquin, (though they could find nothing Love­ly in him,) because they did not like such a president for deposing of Kings.

But the Romans I find (in the ninth Chapter and first Book of Florus) did submit to the Model and Persons of Brutus and Colla-tine the Husband of Lucretia) whom they first obeyed as Consuls or Annual Kings: but the People removed Collatine (because aliened to Tarquin) and chose Valerius Publicola in his place, in whose Consulship it was ordained, that there should be Appeals from the Sentences of the Consuls to the People, which made the Government an absolute Common wealth; and this seemed alasting Foundation of Liberty, and their continual Wars with their Neighbours kept them at Unity longer than so great a Common-wealth could otherwise have been; for the Grecian and Italian Common-wealths subsisted by their smalness. Venice is an Aristocracy, or Tyranny of the Nobility, and the States of Holland are so little accountable to their People, and so great Taxers even of Tra­vellers on their necessary occasions, that they may be called so too. But to come to the sirstr Buds of disorders, in the only considerable Common-wealth that ever was, except the Carthaginian. Florus his first Book and two and twentieth Chapter begins with their Armies, who presuming on Liberty, stoned their General Posthumus, for disappointing them of a Booty he had promised, and another time when they might have vanquished the Enemy under their General Apius Claudius they refused to Fight.

And in the same Chapter is mentioned; that one Valeron having animated the People against their Consul, they all refused to be involved for Souldiers, and broke the Rods carried before the Consul, as well as his Commands, this Chapter farther says, that they grew so hardy as to send into Banishment the most excellent of the nobility whom they believed opposite to their unbridled desires, and Coriolanus would have obliged them to till the Earth, for which they banished him: but he was able to besiege Rome for this, and had Ruin'd their Government, had not Intercession prevailed.

Camillius was also banished by them, because they pretended that he had not made an equal partition of the spoils of the Veens, Conquered by him between the Army and People.

Though this gallant and honest man, Armed afterward at their intercession against the Gauls, possest at Rome, and sav'd them from Ruine by beating them out, and then without Revenge lived and died peaceably amongst them. And this pregnant Chapter tells us of two vehement Contests between the Senate and People which Past the Bounds of Reason and Equity, for the Sedition was so great, that the People abandoned their Houses and threatned to make a Desart of the Town, and bury it in its Ruines.

The three and twentieth Chapter, first Book, mentions a Civil discord, but on a more Just occasion against Usurers, which was appeased by an Oration.

The four and twentieth Chapter and first Book, tells us of an other Sedition, caused by the Usurpation of the Decemury, chief Citizens, Commanded by the people to contract the Greek Laws into twelve Tables, but these Fa­vorites of the people were so insolent, when they had executed their Commission, to continue their Authority, and so far to Tyrannise: that Appius one of their number attempted to Ravish a noble Maid, procur'd an unjust Sentence to pass against her, and caused her to be draged as a Slave, till her Father Virginius tore her from them, killed her in the Street, and than found a party strong enough, to subdue and imprison that insolent Magistrate.

The twentieth fifth Chapter, first Book, mentions a Sedition of the people, about Marriage into the Familys of Senators, and Cammilus tribune of the people was the Author of that Tumult.

The twenty sixth Chapter, first Book mentions another Commotion about admittance to Dignities equally with the Nobles, which they extorted from the Senate.

They caused Spurius Cassius to be Murdered on a bare suspition of affecting Royalty.

They also destroyed Metius on the same distrust meerly for being liberal to themselves.

And for Manlius who had defended the Capital for them against the Gaules: they for a punishment of his Pride precipitated from the top of the Rock: which he had preferved, as the last stake of his ingrateful People, and these were the Diseases of this infant Commonwealth, all in the first Book of Florus whilst Italy was scarce yet seb­dued.

But all this while the Comunes (being Warlike, well Arm'd and disciplined.) prospered in their VVars though slowly, for they were five hundred years in subduing Italy.

But their next quarel being with the great Cathaginian Common-VVealth, those effiminate Affricans were worst­ed by Sea and Land, and justled out of Sicily, Sardinia, and almost all Spain, till the great Hannibal General of the Carthaginians, entertaining great Bodys of Gaules and Spanish Horse, beat them in four set Battails, and had ruin'd them, if his factious Common-wealth had not retarded his supplys, to pursue his Victory whilst the Romans were dejected, but they recovered and beat his supplys, and then invading Affrick, Hannibal was forced to ship his Foot and leave his Victorious Horse, and was beaten in Affrick, and Carthage subdued.

So that Affrica fell into their Hands, as easily as the Effeminate Asiatiques afterwards did, so that the Conquest of those two parts of the World in two hundred years, (with some pieces in Europe was not so strange as Florus would have it) for Alexander the great, did almost the same in ten years.

But I pretend not to VVrite their History, but only for a Hint that there great VVars kept the more united at Home.

For to return to my Undertaking, the thirteenth Chapter of the third Book of Florus, tells us plainly, that the Power of the Tribunes of the People, was the sourse and cause of the Seditions of the Multitude.

For they being well designed as Orators and Advocates for their Preservation, sought to increase their Authority, and Favour, by proposing plausible Laws in their behalf,

• 1. As for the dividing of Lands and Inheritances for their Use.
• 2. The giving away Corn to the poorer Citizens.
• 3. And the reducing of Causes Publick and Private to their Judicature.

All these had shews of Justice, for what could seem more equitable, then that the People, slould recover their Original Rights from the incroachment of the Senators.

And that they injoying the Government of Provinces, the Knights might sustain their Dignities, by the [Page 3]Profits of Causes and Judgments yet these things (says my Author) tended to the Ruin of the Common-Wealth, for it seems that the transferring the Judicature, soon brought the Publick Tribute or Revenue to nothing, and the charging the Corn of the Poor on the publick Treasure, and wasted that also, and (as Florus sayeth) weak­ned the very Nerves of the Common-Wealth, and how (says he) could one give back to the People; their ancient Lands, without Ruining those who possest them, and who were a part of the People also, and injoyed those Lands as the Inheritances of their Ancestors, by proscription of time.

And now the fourteenth Chapter of the third Book, tells us of Tiberius Bracchus an eioquent and graceful Tri­bune of the People, who mounted the Tribunal, and proposed a Law to pass by Votes of the People, for taking away Lands from the owners, (and by three Comissioners than appointed) to give them to such Levellers as most wanted them, the Nobility, the owners, and some of his Fellow Tribunes opposed him.

But he caus'd Eneus Octaivus his Fellow Tribune, to be thrown of the Tribunal, threatned him with Death and made him quit his Office, but though he prevailed then.

He Mounted another day, and then the Nobility and Owners fell to Blows with him, made him flye to the Capi­tal, where touching his Head to move the People to defend him, one Scipio Nasica animated the people against him, with pretence that he wanted a Diadem, upon which supposition his expected Protectors turned his immediate de­stroyers, for they gave him no Audience before they killed him.

In the next Chapter his Brother Caius Gracchus pursued the same hopes, with larger promises to the Peo­ple.

But one of the Tribunes opposed him, and they first killed his Friends, and the Consul Opinius Massacred him.

The sixteenth Chapter third Book, tells us that notwithstanding this Aprielus Saturninus supported by the Ge­neral Marius, always an Enemy of the Nobility renewed the quarrel of the Gracchi, Marius caused Annius the Compeditor of Saturninus to be publickly Murdered, they forcibly substituted a new Tribune another Gracchus, a mean Man: but Saturninus forced the Senate to pass the Laws of the Gracchi, threatning to deprive the Opposers the use of Fire and Water.

This Saturninus continued his Usurpation three years, was chosen Consul, caused his Collogue Caius Memmius to be Murdered, to substitute one Glaucias an instrument of his Civility in his Room, but the Senate at last was so Ivi­tated at his Outrages and Marius forsaking him, and Bandying against him their Forces, made him flye to the Capitol, but beleaguering him there, and cutting off his Water, he Capitulated, Submitted, and seemed Penitent, and was admitted into the Senate House, where the people (whose Laws he had asserted) broke in forcibly upon him, and after an assault with Cudgels, and other Instruments of Indignation, they Tore and Cut him to pieces.

But at last the Laws of the Gracchi were established, by new Violencies, the power of the Senate abated, and that of the Knights so exalted, tbat they had the Lives and Fortunes of the Senate, People, and Nobility at their despose: seized the publick Revenues, and all Italy fell into Rebellion, which the Romans at last with much Blood and hazard quenched, as appears in the 17th and 18th Chapters of the third Book, and it also appears, tbat these Divisions between Senate and Tribunes gave Courage to the very Slaves to Rebel against their Masters, in the following Chapter.

And this was the natural Corruption and Club-Law of this Free-Comman-wealth, mixt Government, where my Lords, the People could never agree with their own Trustees, longer than their Common Enemies obliged them, but these were the beginnings of their Miseries, the People had Liberty, and a free Common-wealth was designed to preserve property, but I fear that in any great Kingdome or Empire it does necessarily destroy it.

For now in the 21 Chapter of the third Book of Florus Marius a Popular General of high Reputation, assisted by Sulpitious the Tribune of the People procured his own Election by them, to go fight Mitridates, though Sylla had the Commission, and was succesfully imployed before him by the general Votes of the Senate.

But Sylla not able to indure this injury, returns with his Army and enters Rome with Fire and Sword, Slaughters and pro [...]ribes Marius his Party and he hardly escaped in the Disguise of a Slave.

But Cinna and Octavius being Consuls, they divided, one being for Marius and his Party, and the other for Sylla and the Senate, but though both were Arm'd, Cinna was chaced away to the banished.

But Marius returning out of Africk, his Party flocked to him breaks open Prisons, and making up an Army, Marches to Ostia and sacks it, his Army then enters Rome, and spilt more Blood (says my Author) of the Sena­tors and chief of the Citizens, than was shed at the Sack of Carthage.

But Sylla returns again by long Marches from Asia, was again Victorious. Young Marius and his dispairing Party in Rome commit new slaughters, not sparing the Temples.

Sylla returns and perseveres in Cruel Slaughters, when the War was ended, they were numberless whose Throats were Cut in the Town, till Fursidius told Sylla, that he must leave some alive to be Commanded, Sylla then made a Roll of two thousand of the flower of Senators and Knights, which with several sorts of tor­turing Deaths finished the Cruelry at Rome, but not in other miserable Cities of Italy.

Spain had also a share of this Confusion, in a long War under Sertorius, proscribed by Sylla.

The next ill effect of this Dissention, was Catalines Conspiracy, to have burnt Rome, who was hardly destroy­ed in a great Battel after the Discovery.

Notwithstanding the Romans Victory over the Usurping Cataline, which seemed to have resetled their Common-wealth by the good Conduct of Cicero, the wise and Eloquent Consul, Cato and other bold Senators, yet the World was grown so weary of their weak and factious Government, with the bloody mischiefs it produced, that there was a continued succession of Usurpers on it.

For the second Chapter of the fourth Book of Florus, tells us, That Pompey, Caesar and Crassus, uniting them­selves together did so over-awe the Jealous Senate and People of Rome, that without any Bloodshed, they Govern­ed as three Princes, for ten years together, but Crassus being slain in the Parthian War, and Julia the Daughter of Caesar, and Wife of Pompey, dying also, the Link of the Triumvirat was broken and Caesar and Pompey, who both aimed at Soveraign Power, were now to dispute for the great Stake of the World together, Caesar had fewer Nations, and less numerous Forces to follow him, but having made only the difficult Conquest of Gaul and Ger­many [Page 4]for the Romans; he knew those Nations united to his invincible Courage, Conduct and Fortune might give a bold Defiance, to all the rest of the World, his success answerred his expectation, for he beat Pompeys Lieu­tenant in Spain and subdu'd it, drove him and the Senate together out of Italy; and at Pharsalia made the Victo­rious Pompey fly his Fury, and by his personal Valour got more difficult Victories of his Warlike Enemy in Africk and Spain, and returned Triumphant to Rome.

But Brutus and Cassius ambitious to restore their Common-wealth, cut down Caesar, the greatest and gallantest Usurper that ever lived in the Senate, and Pompey being Dead before him, one would have thought that the Common-wealth of Rome must have been restored.

But the dead Caesar had more Friends than the living Senate. The People of Rome were grown so weary of the Miseries of their own exorbitant Power, that Brutus and Cassius were forced to fly from Rome, to other Nations, to raise an Army to recover their last Common-wealth.

But the Major part of the Romans fought against them and their Old Government, and beat them under their Conduct of Augustus Caesar and Anthony, and so ended this prodigious Common-wealth.

Augustus Anthony, and Lepidus, afterwards set up a most Bloody Triumvirat, destroying by Proscripti­on all the adverse Faction, and all that had Power or Wealth to hurt them; and Augustus was the Cruellest of the three, whilst he could lay the Faults upon his Colleagues; but when he prevailed upon them both, and became sole Emperour; He prov'd a Wise, Just and Merciful Prince; which is a Note to me that the Absolute Government of many Interests or Rulers in an Aristocracy, is a greater Ty­ranny and Oppression then single Persons commonly are.

But some wicked Emperours succeeded, and at last the Armies Usurped upon them, sold and mur­dered them at Pleasure till their Variety of Elections brought the Empire to decay; but the great Constantine Victorious over them all (though he advanced Christianity) quite Ruined the Empire, by dividing it into Ea­stern and Western.

By all which it appears, That Elective Empires, Usurping Powers, and Factious Common-wealths, will be Governed and ruined by their or Forraign Armies; which makes the World affect Hereditary Crowns.

And now I shall add some brief Comments of my own, on this Historical Pamphlet, or Epitomy of the Roman Government When they threw off Kings, they made the most careful Provision against Oppression and Cruelty; that a most Ingenious People could do; for they chose two Consuls, lest one should Usurp or Tyranize; and lest time should give them too much power to Combine together; they made a yearly Relation or Change of those two chief Magistrates and yet farther, to serve all on that side, they made Appeals from their Sentences to the People as the supream Power.

But they could not make such an Annual Rotation or Alteration in the whole Body of the Senate or Council of State, for if that Power be not fixed in known wise Persons improved by Practice and Experi­ence, no Treaties of War and Peace could go on, no private Leagues of weaker Nations against a strong­er; or Intelligence from Forrain Counsels could be had; for it cannot be thought where Mens Lives and Fortunes depends upon Secrecy; that they will trust new Ministers of State every year; who come in igno­rant of the past Correspondances and Transactions, nor can the Executive power of a Nation, betray Se­crets by giving a publick Account to the Legislative power; and if the Romans had not Lodg'd the Su­pream Power, and last Appeals to themselves, they had set up an Aristocracy, or Confederacy of many interressed Families, with their Kindred, Friends and Relation to them. But they did not consider that the poorest sort of the people is the greatest number, and that they must necessarily turn Levellers for two weighty Reasons.

The first is because they want what other Men have: And the other, because none can Usurp their Government but Rich men.

And therefore all Industrious men, that have gotten Estates must be taken down, to the de­struction of all Traffick and Industry, for who will Labour for others to take their gains from them.

This having been the practise of the Roman Common-wealth, and the reasons seeming apparent, that all great Nations replenishment with poor People will doe the same by themselves or Trustees, I must Con­clude as I began, with deploring the Insufficiency with most or all Governments, and wishing we may all agree to strengthen our old fabrick, since we may be knocked on the Head, in the pulling it down▪ but shall never agree on a new Building though Our potent Enemies should let us alone.

And this was too evident in Our own Government in 1641. where the Lords and Commons de­posed the King, the peoples Trustees the Commons deposed the Lords House, and then deposed of men▪ Lives and Fortunes by their Votes, as a perpetual standing Aristocratical Tyranny despising the Last fo [...] a Triennial Succession of Parliaments as much as the other Laws of the Land, till after many years sitting they were first Weeded and then Rooted out by their own Army; by which it appears, that the Peoples Trustees can destroy Liberty and Poverty, as well as the People themselves, the more to confirm the Imperfection of all Governments, when once the Rule of the Law is broken.

This Popular Army Governed as the Romans Army did, and used the Name of a Common-wealth somtimes, but were setled in nothing but their own Divisions, till the Major part of them, and the peo­ple agreed to return to the ancient Law and Government of the Nation.