THE IMPERFECTION Of most Governments, Taken out of the EPITOME of the ROMAN HISTORY: Written by Lucius Annaeus Florus.  
Where it plainly appears that the Liberty of the most Flourishing Commonwealth of the Romans destroyed all Property, and its own Government turned to Levelling, Discord and Confusion, till it brought in the Government it most hated.  
With a Reason or two added why, all Great and Free Commonwealths will be subject to the same.  Written by Roger Trusty. 
To all my Country Men whose only Love of their Nation, inclines them to a Commonwealth; I would but show all Powers equally frail.  
GENTLEMEN,  
I Had no Design to cry down Liberty, nor disparage Commonwealths. I love no coercive power in Church or State, more than is necessary for preservation of the public ●eace, but I presume you would not incline your Nation in Blood and Rapine on a mistake; especially when the Major part of our own three Kingdoms are like to differ from you, and too hundred thousand French in Arms, are neglecting their other advantages on Christen●ome, to incorporate themselves in your Common wealth, by yoar own Fire-sides with your ●ives and Daughter's when you Rebel. I suppose those Jealousies will be more insupportable to you than your present ones, when you have Read here what you may find in Florus; 〈◊〉 not, I must conclude you are more inclined to bring in Popery than I could wish you, for ●our supposed unerring Government.  
I would have many Readers, and therefore have contracted a Subject fit for a volume to a twopenny Pamphlet, which can be but half an hours trouble to any man, if ●●y endeavours do you and my Country a kindness, I have the only End aimed at, by  
Your humble Servant, Roger Trusty.  
IT is unknown to no Body that reads Histories, 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 Goverments that can be to the worst.  
But his Own and his Wives insupportable Humour, with his Sons barbarous Rape of the fair and virtuous 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 precedent 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 Commonwealth could otherwise have been; for the Grecian and Italian Commonwealths subsisted by their smallness. 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 Commonwealth that ever was, except the Carthaginian. Florus his first Book and two and twentieth Chapter gins 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 Apias 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 Soldiers, 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 Ruined 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, possessed at Rome, and saved them from Ruin 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 threatened to make a Desert of the Town, and bury it in its Ruins.  
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 Favourites of the people were so insolent, when they had executed their Commission, to continue their Authority, and so far to Tyrannize: that Appius one of their number attempted to Ravish a noble Maid, procured 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 Families 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 suspicion of affecting Royalty.  
They also destroyed Metius on the same distrust merely for being liberal to themselves.  
And for Manlius who had defended the Capital for them against the Gauls: they for a punishment of his Pride precipitated from the top of the Rock: which he had preserved, 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 communes (being Warlike, well Armed and disciplined.) prospered in their Wars though slowly, for they were five hundred years in subduing Italy.  
But their next quarrel being with the great Cathaginian Commonwealth, those effeminate Africans 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 bodies of Gauls and Spanish Horse, beat them in four set Battles, and had ruined them, if his factious Commonwealth had not retarded his supplies, to pursue his Victory whilst the Romans were dejected, but they recovered and beat his supplies, and then invading Africa, Hannibal was forced to ship his Foot and leave his Victorious Horse, and was beaten in Africa, and Carthage subdued.  
So that Africa 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 Writ their History, but only for a Hint that there great Wars 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 source 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 Public and Private to their Judicature.   
All these had shows of Justice, for what could seem more equitable, then that the People, slould recover their Original Rights from the encroachment of the Senators.  
And that they enjoying the Government of Provinces, the Knights might sustain their Dignities, by the Profits of Causes and Judgements yet these things (says my Author) tended to the Ruin of the Commonwealth, for it seems that the transferring the Judicature, soon brought the Public Tribute or Revenue to nothing, and the charging the Corn of the Poor on the public Treasure, and wasted that also, and (as Florus sayeth) weakened the very Nerves of the Commonwealth, and how (says he) could one give back to the People; their ancient Lands, without Ruining those who possessed them, and who were a part of the People also, and enjoyed 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 Commissioners 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 caused Eneus Octaivus his Fellow Tribune, to be thrown of the Tribunal, threatened 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 fly 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 Gracchis, Marius caused Annius the Compeditor of Saturninus to be publicly Murdered, they forcibly substituted a new Tribune another Gracchus, a mean Man: but Saturninus forced the Senate to pass the Laws of the Gracchis, threatening 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 fly 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 Gracchis were established, by new Violences, 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 public 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, mixed Government, where my Lords, the People could never agree with their own trusties, longer than their Common Enemies obliged them, but these were the beginnings of their Miseries, the People had Liberty, and a free Commonwealth was designed to preserve property, but I fear that in any great Kingdom 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 successfully employed before him by the general Votes of the Senate.  
But Sylla not able to endure 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 Armed, Cinna was chased away to the banished.  
But Marius returning out of afric, 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 despairing 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 Dissension, was Catiline's Conspiracy, to have burnt Rome, who was hardly destroyed in a great Battle after the Discovery.  
Notwithstanding the Romans Victory over the Usurping Catiline, which seemed to have resettled their Commonwealth 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 Triumvirate was broken and Caesar and Pompey, who both aimed at Sovereign 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 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 Pompey's Lieutenant in Spain and subdued 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 afric and Spain, and returned Triumphant to Rome.  
But Brutus and Cassius ambitious to restore their Commonwealth, 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 Commonwealth 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 Commonwealth.  
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 Commonwealth.  
Augustus Anthony, and Lepidus, afterwards set up a most Bloody Triumvirate, destroying by Proscription all the adverse Faction, and all that had Power or Wealth to hurt them; and Augustus was the Cruelest of the three, whilst he could lay the Faults upon his Colleagues; but when he prevailed upon them both, and became sole Emperor; He proved 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 Emperors 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 Commonwealths, will be Governed and ruined by their or Foreign Armies; which makes the World affect Hereditary Crowns.  
And now I shall add some brief Comments of my own, on this Historical Pamphlet, or Epitome 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 Tyrannise; 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 supreme 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 Foreign Counsels could be had; for it cannot be thought where men's 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 public Account to the Legislative power; and if the Romans had not Lodged the Supreme 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 Traffic and Industry, for who will Labour for others to take their gains from them.  
This having been the practice of the Roman Commonwealth, and the reasons seeming apparent, that all great Nations replenishment with poor People will do the same by themselves or trusties, 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 fabric, 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 people's trusties 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 People's trusties 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 Commonwealth sometimes, but were settled 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.  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed for Langley Curtiss.