[Footnote86:Seeanexcellentdissertationontheoriginandmigrationsofnations，intheMemoiresdel\'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。xviii。p。48—71。Itisseldomthattheantiquarianandthephilosopheraresohappilyblended。]

　　Wars，andtheadministrationofpublicaffairs，aretheprincipalsubjectsofhistory；butthenumberofpersonsinterestedinthesebusyscenesisverydifferent，accordingtothedifferentconditionofmankind。Ingreatmonarchies，millionsofobedientsubjectspursuetheirusefuloccupationsinpeaceandobscurity。Theattentionofthewriter，aswellasofthereader，issolelyconfinedtoacourt，acapital，aregulararmy，andthedistrictswhichhappentobetheoccasionalsceneofmilitaryoperations。Butastateoffreedomandbarbarism，theseasonofcivilcommotions，orthesituationofpettyrepublics，^87raisesalmosteverymemberofthecommunityintoaction，andconsequentlyintonotice。Theirregulardivisions，andtherestlessmotions，ofthepeopleofGermany，dazzleourimagination，andseemtomultiplytheirnumbers。Theprofuseenumerationofkings，ofwarriors，ofarmiesandnations，inclinesustoforgetthatthesameobjectsarecontinuallyrepeatedunderavarietyofappellations，andthatthemostsplendidappellationshavebeenfrequentlylavishedonthemostinconsiderableobjects。

　　[Footnote87:ShouldwesuspectthatAthenscontainedonly21，000

　　citizens，andSpartanomorethan39，000?SeeHumeandWallaceonthenumberofmankindinancientandmoderntimes。

　　Note:Thisnumber，thoughtoopositivelystated，isprobablynotfarwrong，asanaverageestimate。OnthesubjectofAthenianpopulation，seeSt。Croix，Acad。desInscrip。xlviii。

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