roy the little people, but made an alliance with them?"

[Footnote 119: When Paoli makes the Romans have dealings with the great
king of Assyria, we may well say, as Mrs. Shandy said of Socrates, "He
had been dead a hundred years ago."--ED.]

He made no observations upon this beautiful piece of history. It was
easy to see his allusion to his own nation and ours.

When the General related this piece of history to me, I was negligent
enough not to ask him what little people he meant. As the story made a
strong impression upon me, upon my return to Britain I searched a
variety of books to try if I could find it, but in vain. I therefore
took the liberty in one of my letters to Paoli, to beg he would let me
know it. He told me the little people was the Jews, that the story was
related by several ancient authours, but that I would find it told with
most precision and energy in the eighth chapter of the first book of the
Maccabees.

The first book of the Maccabees, though not received into the Protestant
canon, is allowed by all the learned to be an authentick history. I have
read Paoli's favourite story with much satisfaction, and, as in several
circumstances, it very well applies to Great Britain and Corsica, is
told with great eloquence, and furnishes a fine model for an alliance, I
shall make no apology for transcribing the most interesting verses.

"Now Judas had heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were mighty
and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined
themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto
them.

"And that they were men of great valour. It was told him also of their
wars and noble acts which they had done amongst the Galatians, and how
they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute.

"And what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the
mines of the silver and gold which are there.

"And that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place,
though it were very far from them.

"It was told him besides, how they destroyed and brought under their
dominion, all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them.

"But with their friends, and such as relied upon them, they kept amity:
and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and near, insomuch as all
that heard of their name were afraid of them:

"Also, that whom they would help to a kingdom, those reign; and whom
again they would, they displace: fi