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CHAP. XXX.
Princes and Republicks that are truly magnificent, do not make their Leagues and Alliances with Money, but by their virtue, reputation, and force.
THe Romans were besieged in the Capitol, and though they were in expectation of relief from V••ii and Camillus, yet Famine constraining them, they proposed a par∣ley with the French, and were to pay a certain Sum of Money for their liberty; The Arti∣cles were sign'd, all things concluded, and Commissioners sent in to receive the Money, when on a sudden Camillus appears with his Army, as if fortune had done it (says Livy). Ut Romani auro redempti non viverent. That it might not be said the Romans had ever been ransom'd: Which point is not only observable in this place, but in the whole progress of the affairs of that Commonwealth, where it may be seen that they never got Town, nor never made Peace with their Money; whatever they did, was bravely, and with their Arms, which I think is more than can be said of any other State in the world. One of the great marks of the puissance of this Commonwealth, was the manner of her living with her Neighbors. When things are so managed in a Government, that the Neighbors purchase its amity, and make themselves its Pensioners; 'tis a certain sign of the potency of that Government: But when the Neighbors on the contrary receive Money from it, 'tis as infallible a sign of its weakness. If one reads the Roman History, he shall find the Massilians, the Edui, the Rhodians, Hiero of Syracuse, and Massi••issa, as they were Neigh∣bors, so they were Tributaries to the Romans, contributing to their expences, and Taxes as there was occasion, without expectation of any other recompence, but protection. Where a Prince or Commonwealth is weak, it is otherwise, as it appeared by our own City of Florence, which in former times when it was in its greatest reputation, paid annual stipends to most of the little Governments in Romania, besides what was received by the Perugians, Castellans, and all their other Neighbors; whereas had it been strong, and well Armed, it would have been quite otherwise, and all the rest would have given Flo∣rence Money for her protection. Nor were the Florentines singular in this case, the Vene∣tians did the same, and so did the King of France, who notwithstanding the greatness of his Kingdom, was tributary to the Swizzers, and the King of England, which proceeded from his having disarmed the people, and preferring a present opportunity of squeezing them, and avoiding an imaginary danger, before the doing those things that might have secured his State, and made it happy for ever; which practice though for some time it may produce quiet and repose, yet the end is troubles, and losses, and ruine without remedy.
It would be too tedious to recount how often the Florentines, the Venetians, and the Kingdom of France have bought off their Wars, and submitted to such dishonorable terms, as the Romans could never be brought to but once. It would be too tedious to recount how many Towns the Florentines, and the Venetians have brought with their Mony, which have been the occasion of great disorders afterwards, and prov'd that what is gotten by gold, is not to be kept with iron.
This point of generosity, and this manner of living the Romans observed very pun∣ctually whilst they were free; but after they fell under the Government of Emperors, and those Emperors grew bad, they began to degenerate too, and prefer the shadow before the Sun. They began to be Pensionaries first to the Parthians, then to the Germans, and by degrees to all their Neighbors, which was the first step to the ruine of that great Empire; and ••ll these inconveniences proceeded from the disarming of the people, and neglecting to train them up to Military Discipline, from whence a greater mischief does arise; and that is, That the nearer the Enemy approaches, the weaker, and more unable he finds you; and therefore not being strong enough of your self to repel the Enemy from your borders, you are forced to pay tribute to your Neighbors to undertake it for you; which being to be raised and extorted from your Subjects, renders them more feeble and impotent. By which means it happens sometimes that those States which are in this condition, may per∣haps make some little resistance upon the Frontiers, but if the Enemy passes that, all is gone without remedy. But all this is disorderly, and unnatural; for as nature in all ani∣mals has fortified the vital and principal, and not extream parts of the body, because the body can subsist without the one, but not without the other. So 'tis in all Governments, the heart and center is to be fortified, rather than the Frontiers: But this was very ill observed by the Florentines, for whenever an Enemy had past our borders, and took his way towards the City, there was no body in a condition to oppose him. It was the same