344 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [bOOK VIIL 



handicraftsmen, used to the strong masculine arts; such as 

 smithery, masonry, carpentry, &c., without including tho 

 soldiery. 



But above all, it is most conducive to the greatness of 

 empire, for a nation to profess the skill of arms as its prin- 

 cipal glory and most honourable employ; for the things 

 hitherto spoken of are but preparatory to the use of arms; 

 and to what end this preparation, if the thing itselt be not 

 reduced to action ? Romulas, as the story goes, left it in 

 charge to his people at his death, that of all things they 

 should cultivate the art of war, as that which would make 

 their city the head of the world. ^ The whole frame and 

 structure of the Spartan government tended, with more dili- 

 gence, indeed, than prudence, only to make its inhabitants 

 warriors. Such was also the practice of the Persians and 

 Macedonians, though not so constant and lasting. The Bii- 

 tons, Gauls, Germans, Goths, Saxons, and Normans, for some 

 time also principally cultivated military arts. The Turks 

 did the same, being not a little excited thereto by their law, 

 and still continue the discipline, notwithstanding their sol- 

 di<3iy be now on its decline. Of all Christian Europe, the 

 only nation that still retains and professes this discipline is 

 the S[)anish. But it is so plain, that every one advances 

 farthest in what he studies most, as to require no enforcing. 

 It is sufficient to intimate, that unless a nation professedly 

 studies and practises arms and military discipline, so as to 

 make them a principal business, it must not expect that any 

 remarkable greatness of empire will come of its own accord. 

 On the contrary, it is the most certain oracle of time, that 

 those nations which have longest continued in the study and 

 profession of arms, as the Romans and the Turks have prin- 

 cipally done, make the most surprising progress in enlarging 

 the bounds ot empire. And again, those nations which have 

 flourished, though but for a single age, in military glory, yet 

 during that time have obtained such a greatness of empire 

 as has remained with them long after, when their martial 

 discipline was slackened. 



It bears some relation to the foregoing precept, that " *i 

 state should have such laws and customs as may rondily 

 administer just cau.kis, or at least i)ietoxts, ci taking wuif 

 • Livy, V. 37. 



