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SCIENCES IN CONNEXION WITH THE STATE, 207constitutions and codes of laws now became subjects frequently treated of;they could hardly have much practicalinfluence, since the days were past in which new lawgiverscould have appearedin Greece. Of many works composedin those times, none have come down to us but the twotreatises of Plato.These, especially that of the republic, areintelligible only to those who comprehend and bear alwaysin mind, that the Greeks regarded a state as a moral person,which governs itself, and cannot be swayed by any impulse1from a higher power, nor be governed by another.Thenit is no longer difficult to explain the close and indissolubleunion between morals and politics, a union which modernwriters have so frequently called in question.During the days of the freedom of Greece, almost everygrand question connected with theoretical or practical philosophy, was made the object of inquiry and discussion.The later writers may perhaps have answered them differently and with greater acuteness but to the earliest ;belongsthe great merit of having presented to the reflecting mind,the objectsafter which they should strive.The relations ofthe later systems of Grecian philosophy to the earlier ones,show how far the Stoic system was allied to the Cynic, theEpicurean to the Cyrenaic, that of the later sceptics to thatof Pyrrho and the Eleatic school,these subjects we leaveto be explained by some writer, who is capable of giving, nota voluminous, but succinct and spirited account of the efforts made among the Greeks by the understanding,as employed on subjects of philosophy.If the relations of philosophy to the political institutionsmust be estimated by its reaction on them, the reverse is insome measure true of the science of history. This stands inconnexion with the state, inasmuch as it is the result of thechanges and destinies of the state. It is true, that historywas not long limited amongthe Greeks to their own nation.As there was free intercourse with foreigners, accounts andtraditions respectingtheir origin, manners, and revolutionsbecame common. But every thing proceeded from thehistory of their native country this ; always remained the1We would here especially refer to the fallowing excellent treatise. J. I/.G. de Geer. Diatribe in PoMces Platonicse Principia. Trajecti ad Rhenum,1 810.