OF A WAR WITH SPAIN. 24-7 



petual fear of a war, hanging over their heads, from 

 them ; and therefore they may at all times, as they 

 think good, be upon the prevention. Demosthenes 

 exposeth to scorn wars which are not preventive, 

 comparing those that make them to country fellows 

 in a fencing-school, that never ward till the blow be 

 past : &quot; Ut barbaw pugiles dimicare solent, ita vos 

 &quot; bellum geritis cum Philippo : ex his enim is, qui 

 &quot; ictus est, ictui semper inhaeret : quod si eum alibi 

 &quot; verberes, illo manus transfer! ; ictum autem de- 

 &quot; pellere, aut prospicere, neque scit neque vult.&quot; 

 &quot; As country fellows use to do when they play at 

 &quot; wasters, such a kind of war do you, Athenians, 

 &quot; make with Philip ; for with them he that gets a 

 &quot; blow straight falleth to ward when the blow is 

 &quot; passed ; and if you strike him in another place, 

 &quot; thither goes his hand likewise : but to put by, or 

 &quot; foresee a blow, they neither have the skill, nor the 

 &quot; will.&quot; 



Clinias the Candian, in Plato, speaks desperately 

 and wildly, as if there were no such thing as peace 

 between nations ; but that every nation expects but 

 his advantage to war upon another. But yet in that 

 excess of speech there is thus much that may have a 

 civil construction ; namely, that every state ought to 

 stand upon its guard, and rather prevent than be 

 prevented. His words are &quot; Quam rem fere vocant 

 &quot; pacem, nudum et inane nomen est ; revera autem 

 u omnibus, ad versus omnes civitates, bellum sempi- 

 &quot; ternum perdurat.&quot; &quot; That which men for the 

 &quot; most part call peace, is but a naked and empty 



