Tales of a Grandfather Fourth Series Author:Walter Scott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: TALES OF A GRANDFATHER. CHAPTER I. The most Patriotic States have been generally the most Ambitious — Aggressions of Rome upon the Independence of Foreign ... more »Nations — Gaul — its Description and Inhabitants — Their Religion — The Order of Druids — The Military Character of the Gauls — They invade Italy — and Greece — Their vicinity dangerous to Rome — Ccesar appointed General in Gaul — Resolution of the Helvetians to emigrate — The difficulties of their Route — Ccesar blocks vp the Passage between Geneva and Mount Jura — Pursues the Helvetians as far as the Arar, and destroys their Rear-guard — At last, totally defeats them — The Germans cross the Rhine to invade Gaul — Their Character, Genius, and Manner's — The Roman Soldiers mutiny, but are pacified by Ceesar's Address — Cccsar defeats Ariovistus and the. Germans — Conquest of Gaul by Cesar. The love of power is deeply impressed on mankind, whether they have a political existence in the relation of states and empires, or remain in their individual capacity. Even in those strict republics, where individuals find it most difficult to raise themselves to superior stations, whether by address, eloquence, or any other influential superiority, the desire to add to the power which may be enjoyed and wielded by the public at large, is more strongly S LOVE OF CONQUEST UNJUSTIFIABLE. felt by each person, exactly in proportion to his own exclusion from individual authority ; and the reason is plain, because the poorest and most humble citizen beholds himself, in idea, enriched with a portion of the fame and power acquired by the state, and considers himself as a gajner in the good fortune of the commonwealth. It thus follows, that, for a time at least, the love of the republic supersedes the plans which men entertain under oth...« less