,320 OF THE TRUE GREATNESS OF BRITAIN. 



and mighty, but about the head and fountain of 

 it was shallow and weak ; and therefore advised 

 them to assail and invade the main of Sparta, know 

 ing they should there find weak resistance either of 

 towns or in the field : of towns, because upon confi 

 dence of their greatness they fortified not upon 

 tjie main; in the field, because their people was 

 exhaust by garrisons and services far off. Which 

 counsel proved sound, to the astonishment of all 

 Graecia at that time. 



For the third, concerning the proportion of the 

 military forces of a state to the amplitude of empire, 

 it cannot be better demonstrated than by the two 

 first examples which we produced of the weakness 

 of large territory, if they be compared within them 

 selves according to difference of time. For Persia 

 at a time was strengthened with large territory, 

 and at another time weakened ; and so was Rome. 

 For while they flourished in arms, the largeness of 

 territory was a strength to them, and added forces, 

 added treasures, added reputation : but when they 

 decayed in arms, then greatness became a burden. 

 For their protecting forces did corrupt, supplant, 

 and enervate the natural and proper forces of all 

 their provinces, which relied and depended upon the 

 succours and directions of the state above. And 

 when that waxed impotent and slothful, then the 

 whole state laboured with her own magnitude, and 

 in the end fell with her own weight. And that, no 

 question, was the reason of the strange inundations 

 of people which both from the east and north-west 



