Power is measured by resistance. Upon such a scale, if it were applied
with skill, the _relations_ of greatness in Rome to the greatest of
all that has gone before her, and has yet come after her, would first be
adequately revealed. The youngest reader will know that the grandest forms
in which the _collective_ might of the human race has manifested
itself, are the four monarchies. Four times have the distributive forces
of nations gathered themselves, under the strong compression of the sword,
into mighty aggregates--denominated _Universal Empires_, or Monarchies.
These are noticed in the Holy Scriptures; and it is upon _their_ warrant
that men have supposed no fifth monarchy or universal empire possible in
an earthly sense; but that, whenever such an empire arises, it will have
Christ for its head; in other words, that no fifth _monarchia_ can take
place until Christianity shall have swallowed up all other forms of
religion, and shall have gathered the whole family of man into one fold
under one all-conquering Shepherd. Hence [Footnote: This we mention,
because a great error has been sometimes committed in exposing _their_
error, that consisted, not in supposing that for a fifth time men were to
be gathered under one sceptre, and that sceptre wielded by Jesus Christ,
but in supposing that this great era had then arrived, or that with no
deeper moral revolution men could be fitted for that yoke.] the fanatics
of 1650, who proclaimed Jesus for their king, and who did sincerely
anticipate his near advent in great power, and under some personal
manifestation, were usually styled _Fifth-Monarchists_.

However, waiving the question (interesting enough in itself)--Whether upon
earthly principles a fifth universal empire could by possibility arise in
the present condition of knowledge for man individually, and of
organization for man in general--this question waived, and confining
ourselves to the comparison of those four monarchies which actually have
existed,--of the Assyrian or earliest, we may remark, that it found men in