NUMA AND LYCURGUS. 167

Lycurgus, that, after the Romans deserted the doctrine and discipline of Nuraa, their empire grew and their power increased so much ; whereas so soon as the Lace- demonians fell from the institutions of Lycurgus, they sank from the highest to the lowest state, and, after for- feiting their supremacy over the rest of Greece, were themselves in danger of absolute extirpation. Thus much, meantime, was peculiarly signal and almost divine in the circumstances of Numa, that he was an alien, and yet courted to come and accept a kingdom, the frame of which though he entirely altered, yet he performed it by mere persuasion, and ruled a city that as yet had scarce become one city, without recurring to arms or any vio- lence (such as Lycurgus used, supporting himself by the aid of the nobler citizens against the commonalty), but, by mere force of wisdom and justice, established union

and harmony amongst all.