Now concerning the Extent of their _Power_ and _Jurisdiction_, he brings in _Ambiorix_, King of the _Eburones_, giving an account of it, _lib._ 5. _cap._ 8. "The Constitution of our Government is such (says he) that the People have no less Power and Authority over me than I have over the People. _Non minus habet in me juris multitudo, quam ipse in multitudinem._" Which Form of Government, _Plato, Aristotle, Polybius_ and _Cicero_ have for this Reason determined to be the _best_ and _most Excellent_: "Because (says _Plato_) shou'd Kingly Government be left without a Bridle, when it has attained to supreme Power, as if it stood upon a slippery Place, it easily falls into Tyranny: And therefore it ought to be restrained as with a Curb, by the Authority of the Nobles; and such chosen men as the People have empower'd to that End and Purpose." * * * * * CHAP. II. _Probable Conjectures concerning the_ ancient Language _of the_ Gauls. In this Place it seems proper to handle a Question much disputed and canvass'd by Learned Men; _viz._ What was the Language of the Gauls in those old Times? For as to what belongs to their Religion, Laws, and the Customs of the People, _Caesar_, as I said before, has at large given us an account. In the first place we ought to take notice, that _Caesar_, in the Beginning of his Commentaries, where he divides the Gauls into Three Nations, the _Belgae_, the _Aquitanae_, and the _Celtae_, tells us they all differ'd, not only in their _Customs_, but in their _Language_ [Footnote: [Greek: all enious micron parallattontas tais glottais]]: Which also _Strabo_ confirms, _lib._ 4. where he says they were not [Greek: homolhottous], of one Language, but a little differing in their Languages. And the same thing _Ammianus Marcellinus_ testifies in his 15th Book. But what many Learned Men (especially of our own Country) have maintain'd, _viz._ That the _Gauls_ commonly used the _Greek Tongue_, may be refuted by this single Instance which _Caesar_ takes notice of _lib._ 5. _cap._ 12. That when _Q. Cicero_ was besieged in his Camp, he dispatched Letters written in the _Greek_ Language, "_Lest (if they were intercepted) his Designs shou'd be discover'd by the_ Gauls." But to this some object, what _Strabo_ writes, _lib._ 4. _viz._ "That all Sorts of good Literature (and especially that of the _Greek Language_) flourish'd at _Marseilles_ to such a degree, that the _Gauls_, by the Example of the _Massilians_, were mightily delighted with the _Greek_ Tongue, insomuch that they began to write their very Bargains and Contracts in it." Now to this there is a short and ready Reply: For, in the first place, if the _Gauls_ learnt _Greek_ by the Example of the _Massilians_, 'tis plain, 'twas none of their Mother-tongue. Secondly, _Strabo_ in the same place clearly shows us, that the Fashion of writing their Contracts in _Greek_ began but in his Time, when all _Gallia_ was in Subjection to the _Romans_.