where there was formerly an infurrection, there is now a wilderness.

It has been a queftion often agitated without folution, why thofe northern regions are now fo thinly peopled, which formerly overwhelmed with their armies the Roman empire. The queftion fupposes what I believe is not true, that they had once more inhabitants than they could maintain, and overflowed only because they were full.

This is to eftimate the manners of all countries and ages by our own. Migration, while the state of life was unfettled, and there was little communication of intelligence between diftant places, was, among the wilder nations of Europe, capricious and cafual. An adventurous projector heard of a fertile coaft unoccupied, and led out a colony; a chief of renown for bravery called the young men together, and led them out to try what fortune would prefent. When Cæfar

was in Gaul, he found the Helvetians preparing to go they knew not whither, and put a ftop to their motions. They fettled again in their own country, where they were fo far from wanting room, that they had accumulated three years provifion for their march.

The religion of the North was military; if they could not find enemies, it was their duty to make them: they travelled in quest of danger, and willingly took the chance of Empire or Death. If their troops were numerous, the countries from which they were collected are of vast extent, and without much exuberance of people great armies may be raised where every man is a foldier. But their true numbers were never known. Those who were conquered by them are their hiftorians, and shame may have excited them to fay, that they were overwhelmed with multitudes. To count is a modern practice, the ancient

method

method was to guess, and when numbers are gueffed they are always magnified.

Thus England has for several years been filled with the atchievements of feventy thoufand Highlanders employed in America. I have heard from an English officer, not much inclined to favour them, that their behaviour deferved a very high degree of military praise; but their number has been much exaggerated. One of the minif ters told me, that feventy thousand men could not have been found in all the Highlands, and that more than twelve thousand never took the field. Thofe that went to the American war, went to deftruction. Of the old Highland regiment, confifting of twelve hundred, only feventy-fix furvived to fee their country again.

hela

The Gothick fwarms have at least been multiplied with equal liberality. That they bore no great proportion to the inhabitants, in whofe countries they fettled, is plain from

the

the paucity of northern words now found

F

in the provincial languages. Their coun try was not deserted for want of room, because it was covered with forefts of vast extent; and the firft effect of plenitude of inhabitants is the deftruction of wood. As the Europeans fpread over America, the lands are gradually laid naked.

I would not be understood to fay, that neceflity had never any part in their expeditions. A nation, whofe agriculture is fcanty or unskilful, may be driven out by famine. A nation of hunters may have exhaufted their game., Ionly affirm that the northern regions were not, when their ir ruptions fubdued the Romans, overpeopled with regard to their real extent of territory, and power of fertility. In a country fully inhabited, however afterwards laid wafte, evident marks will remain of its former populousness. But of Scandinavia and Germany, nothing is known-but that as we

trace

trace their ftate upwards into antiquity, their woods were greater, and their culti vated ground was lefs!

1

That causes very different from want of room may produce a general disposition to feek another country is apparent: from the prefent conduct of the Highlanders, who are in fome places ready to threaten a total feceffion. The numbers which have already gone, though like other numbers they may be magnified, are very great, and fuch as, if they had gone together and agreed upon any certain fettlement, might have founded an independent government in the depths of the western continent. Nor are they only the lowest and most indigent; many men of confiderable wealth have taken with them their train of labourers and dependants; and if they continue the feudal scheme of polity, may establish new clans in the other hemifphere.

That