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48 ANNUAL REGISTER most cultivated. His love of pleasure was merit with the fair sex; and women, who, can even in republic can draw to them the suffrages and attention of men, have the highest importance in generate times. The ladies of his age, were charmed with the prospect of having a dictator, whom they might subdue by their attractions. In vain did the genius of Cato watch for some time to sustain the liberty of his country. It was unequal to content with that of Caesar. Of what avail were the eloquence, the philosophy, and the virtue of this republican, when opposed by a man, who had the address to debauch the wife of every citizen whose interest he meant to engage; who, possessing an enthusiasm for glory, wept, because, a the age of thirty, he had not conquered the world like Alexander; and who, with the haughty temper of a despot, was more desirous to be the first man in a village, than the second in Rome? Caesar had the good fortune to exist in times of trouble and civil commotions, when the minds of men are put into a ferment, when opportunities of great actions are frequent, when talents are every thing, and those, who can only boast of their virtues, are nothing. If he had lived an hundred years sooner, he would have been no more than an obscure villain, and, instead of giving laws to the world, would not have been able to produce any confusion in it. I will here be bold enough to advance an idea, which may appear paradoxical to those who weakly judge men from what they atchieve, and not from the principle, which leads them to act. Nature formed, in the fame mould, Caesar Mahomet, Cromwell, and Kouli Khan. They all of them united to genius, that profound policy which renders it so powerful. They all of them had an evident superiority over those whom they were surrounded; they were conscious of this superiority, and they made others conscious of it. They were all of them born subjects, and became fortunate usurpers. Had Caesar been placed in Perfia, he would have made the conquest of India; in Arabia, he would have been the founder of a new religion; in London, he would have stabbed his sovereign, or have procured his assassination under the sanction of the laws. He reigned with glory over men whom he had reduced to be slaves; and, under one aspect, he is to be considered as a hero, under another, as a monster. But it would be unfortunate, indeed, for society, if the possession of superior talents, gave individuals a right to trouble its repose. Usurpers, accordingly have flatterers, but no friends; strangers respect them; their subjects complain and submit; it is in their own families that humanity finds her avengers. Caesar was assassinated by his son, Mahomet was poisoned by his wife, Kouli Khan was massacred by his nephew, and Cromwell only died in his bed because his son Richard was a philosopher. Caesar, the tyrant of his country; Caesar, who destroyed the agents of his crimes, if they failed in address; Caesar, in fine, the husband of every wife, and the wife of every husband; has been accounted a great man by the mob of writers. But it is only the philosopher, who knows how to mark the 5 [[Page 49]] For the YEAR 1772. 49 the barrier between celebrity and greatness. The talents of his singular man, and the good fortune, which constantly attend him till the moment of his assassination, have concealed the enormity of his actions. Because the successors of Caesar adopted his name, we must not conclude, that they regarded him as a hero; they only considered him as the founder of monarchy. This name was not the symbol of greatness of mind, but of power. The sovereigns of Rome were afraid to assume the title of KING, because it had too much meaning, in the opinion of the people. they adopted that of Caesar, which had no meaning; and thus the Caesars became greater than kings. Besides, the sovereigns of Rome assumed the name of Augustus, and we cannot possible imagine, that, by doing so, they proposed to do homage to the memory of that detestable prince? Could that accomplished philosopher who succeeded Antoninus, take Octavius Cepais for the model of his conduct? What relation is there between the sublime foul of a sovereign, the disciple of Zeno, and the atrocious mind of a tyrant, whose destructive policy had made despicable slaves of those Romans, whose fathers he had butchered? Had he any occasion for the name of Augustus? Had he not that of Marcus Aurelius? I respect highly genius and talents; but, if Caesar should arise in any of our modern republics, I would advise its magistrates to lead him to the gibbet. If such a man should appear in monarchy like that of France, it would be prudent to confine him in the Bastille. He VOL.XV. should receive no protection but under an absolute government; and there he might rise to be an excellent despot. --- An account of a native of Taiti, (an island in the South Seas) who accompanied M. de Bouganville to France, in the year 1769. This islander, whose name is Aotourou, on the first appearance of the French ships, April 5, 1768, before they came to anchor, had the courage to go on board the Etoile, and staid there all night, without discovering the least uneasiness: and when the commodore was under fail, April 15, after being entertained with the utmost hospitality, the whole time of his stay, by Ereti, the chief of the district, and all his people, that worthy chief, taking Aotourou by the hand, presented him to M. De Bouganville and his officers, as one of his friends, who was desirous to go the voyage, and whom he therefore entrusted with those who were also his friends, recommending him to them with the greatest tenderness and concern. Ereti then embraced them all, and held them some moments in his arms, shedding tears, and appearing much affected at their departure. After this, he took his leave, and returned to his wives, who were all this time weeping in his great canoe, which he had sent on board laden with refreshments. In it was likewise a very beautiful girl, who Aotourou went to embrace. He gave her three pearls which he had in his ears, kissed her once more, and, notwithstanding the tears of his young wife, or mistresses, he tore him- E
