s
and catastrophes."[78]

The history of Egypt tells the same tale; "Civil discord," he says,
"existed there under various forms. The country itself was often divided
into several kingdoms; and, even when united, we observe a great
conflict of interests between the agricultural province of Upper Egypt,
and the commercial and manufacturing province of the Lower: as, indeed,
a similar clashing of interests is often to be noticed in modern states.
In the period immediately preceding the Persian conquest, the caste of
warriors, or the whole class of nobility, were decidedly opposed to the
monarchs, because they imagined them to promote too much the power of
the priesthood;"--in other words, their national downfall was not owing
directly to an external cause, but to an internal collision of parties
and interests;--"in the same way," continues the author I am quoting,
"as the history of India presents a similar rivalry or political
hostility between the Brahmins and the caste of the Cshatriyas. In the
reign of Psammatichus, the disaffection of the native nobility obliged
this prince to take Greek soldiers into his pay; and thus at length was
the defence of Egypt entrusted to an army of foreign mercenaries." He
adds, which is apposite to my purpose, for I suppose he is speaking of
civilized nations, "In general, states and kingdoms, before they succumb
to a foreign conqueror, are, if not outwardly and visibly, yet secretly
and internally, undermined."

So much on the connexion between the civilization of a state and its
overthrow from internal causes, or, what may be called, its succumbing
to a natural death. I will only add, that I am but attempting to set
down general rules, to which there may be exceptions, explicable or not.
For instance, Venice is one of the most civilized states of the middle
age; but, by a system of jealous and odious tyranny, it continued to
maintain its ground without revolution, when revolutions were frequent
in the other Italian cities; yet the very necessity of so severe a
despotism shows us what would have happened there, if natural causes had
been left to work unimpeded.

7.

I feel I owe you, Gentlemen, an apology for the time I have consumed in
an abstract discussion; it is drawing to an end, but it still requires
the notice of two questions, on which, however, I have not much to say,
even if I would. First, can a civilized state become barbarian in course
of years? and secondly, can a b