The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

204 OF A WAR WITH SPAIN.
being grown great, to the terror of the Lacedae- fencing-school, that never ward till the blow be
monians, did impose upon them a necessity of a past: "; Ut barbari pugiles dimicare solent, ita vos
war: but the causes that went abroad in speech bellurn geritis cum Philippo: ex his enim is, qui
were these, &c." Sulpitius Galba, consul, when ictus est, ictui semper inhaeret; quod si eum alibi
he persuaded the Romans to a preventive war, verberes, illo manus transfert; ictumn autein dewith the later Philip, King of Macedon, in regard pellere, aut prospicere, neque scit neque vult."
of the great preparations which Philip had then "A6 s country fellows use to do when they play at
on foot, and his designs to ruin some of the wasters, such a kind of war do you, Athenians,
confederates of the Romans, confidently saith, make with Philip; for with them he that gets a
that they who took that for an offensive war, un- blow straight falleth to ward, when the blow is
derstood not the state of the question., Ignorare passed; and if you strike him in another place,
videmini mihi, Quirites, non, utrum bellum an thither goes his hand likewise: but to put by, or
pacem habeatis, vos consuli, neque enim liberum foresee a blow, they neither have the skill, nor the
id vobis permittet Philippus, qui terra marique will."
ingens bellu-n molitur, sed utrum in Macedoniam Clinias the Candian, in Plato, speaks despelegiones transportetis, an hostem in Italiam rately and wildly, as if there were no such thing
recipiatis." ", Ye seem to me, ye Romans, not to as peace between nations; but that every nation
understand, that the consultation before you is not, expects but his advantage to war upon another.
whether you shall have war or peace, for Philip But yet in that excess of speech there is thus
will take order you shall be no choosers, who much that may have a civil construction; namely,
prepareth a mighty war both by land and sea, but that every state ought to stand upon its guard, and
whether you shall transport the war into Macedon, rather prevent than be prevented. His words are,
or receive it into Italy." Antiochus, when he' "Quam rem fere vocant pacem, nudum et inane
incited Prusias, King of Bithynia, at that time in nomen est; revera autem omnibus, adversus omleague with the Romans, to join with him in war nes civitates, bellum sempiternum perdurat."
against them, setteth before him a just fear of the "6 That which men for the most part call peace, is
overspreading greatness of the Romans comparing but a naked and empty name; but the truth is,
it to a fire that continually took, and spread from that there is ever between all estates a secret war."
kingdom to kingdom: "LVenire Romanos ad I know well this speech is the objection and not
omnia regna tollenda, ut nullum usquam orbis the decision, and that it is after refuted; but yet,
terrarum nisi Romanurnm imperium esset; Philip- as I said before, it bears thus much of truth, that
pum et Nabin expugnatos, se tertium peti; ut if that general malignity, and predisposition to
quisque proximus ab oppresso sit, per omnes velut war, which he untruly figureth to be in all nations,
continens incendium pervasurum:" ",That the be produced and extended to a just fear of being
Romans came to pull down all kingdoms, and to oppressed, then it is no more a true peace, but a
make the state of Rome a universal monarchy; name of a peace.
that Philip and Nabis were already ruinated, and As for the opinion of Iphicrates the Athenian,
now was his turn to be assailed; so that, as every it demands not so much towards a war as a just
state lay next to the other that was oppressed, so fear, but rather cometh near the opinion of
the fire perpetually grazed." Wherein it is well Clinias; as if there were ever amongst nations a
to be noted, that towards ambitious states, which brooding of a war, and that there is no sure league
are noted to aspire to great monarchies, and to seek but impuissance to do hurt. For he, in the treaty
upon all occasions to enlarge their dominions, of peace with the Lacediemonians, speaketh plain
"' crescunt argumenta justi metus;" all particular language; telling them, there could be no. true
fears do grow and multiply out of the contempla- and secure peace, except the Lacedumnlonians
tion of the general courses and practice of such yielded to those things, which being granted, it
states. Therefore, in deliberations of war against would be no longer in their power to hurt the
the Turk, it hath been often, with great judgment, Athenians, though they would: and to say truth,
maintained, that Christian princes and states have if one mark it well, this was in all memory the
always a sufficient ground of invasive war against main piece of wisdom, in strong and prudent
the enemy; not for cause of religion, but upon a counsels, to be in perpetual watch, that the states
just fear; forasmuch as it is a fundamental law about them should neither by approach, nor by
in the Turkish empire, that they may, without any increase of dominion, nor by ruining confederates,
other provocation, make war upon Christendom nor by blocking of trade, nor by any the like
for the propagation of their law; so that there means, have it in their power to hurt or annoy the
lieth upon the Christians a perpetual fear of a states they serve; and whensoever any such cause
war, hanging over their heads, from them; and did but appear, straightways to buy it out with a
therefore they may at all times, as they think good, war, and never take up peace at credit and upon
be upon the prevention. Demosthenes exposeth to interest. It is so memorable, as it is yet as fresh
scorn wars which are not preventive, comparing as if it were done yesterday, how that triumvirate
those that make them to country fellows in a of kings, Henry the Eighth of England, Francis