yS Of the Advancement of Learning. Lie. 11^ 



Hot fo feafible, purfued his enterprize upon Naples, which he accomphfht 

 with wonderful facility and felicity. Certainly wars made upon Nati- 

 ons far off, have this advantage, that they are to fight with thofe who 

 are not praftifcd in the difciplineandArmsof the AggrefTor: but in a 

 war made upon Borderers, the cafe is otherwife. Befides the preparati- 

 on for fuch an expedition is commonly better appointed ; and the ter- 

 ror to the enemy from fuch a bold and confident enterprize, the grea- 

 ter. Neither can there ufually be made, by the enemy to whom the 

 war is brought fo far off, any retaliation or reciprocal invafion, which 

 in a war upon borderers often falls out. But the chief point is, that ia 

 (libduing a neighbour ftate, the eledion of advantages is brought to a 

 ftreight j but in a foreign expedition,a man may turn the race of the war 

 at pleafure, thither, where military difcipline is moft weakned 5 or 

 the ftrength of the Nation much wafted and worn 5 or Civil difcords are 

 fealbnably on foot 3 or fuch like opportunities prefent themfelves. 

 § The fecofid precept is, that the motives of war be juji:, and Religious i 

 %ff'^'^' and Honourable ; andPlaufible : for that begets alacrity, as well in the 

 Bacon de Souldicts that fight, as in the people that afford pay : it draws on and 

 jure Belli procureth aids ; and hath many other advantages befides. Amongft 

 Hifp*. the juft grounds of war, that is moft favourable, which is undertakeri 

 for the extirpation qf Tyrants 5 under whom the people J oofe their 

 courage, and are caft down without heart and vigour, as in the fight of 

 Ovid. Aleditfa: which kind of heroick Afts, procured Hercules a divinity a- 

 Met.ix. tnongft the Gods. ..Certainly it was a point of Religion amongft the 

 Cora-'^'' Romans, with valour and (peed, to aid and fuccour their confederates 

 raent. and allies, that Were any Way diftreffed. So juft vindiftive wars have 

 for moft part been profperous j fo the war againft jBr»/«f and CaJJiuf^ 

 tacit. ^or th^ revenge oi'C<efars death , of Severm for the death of Pertinax 5 

 Herodian. of Junius Brutus for the revenge qf the death of Lucreti a : and in a word, 

 *'^* whofoever relieve and revenge the calamities and injuries of men, bear 



arms under Terfeus, 

 Fra.Ba- § The third precept is, that in the undertaking of any war, a true ejii- 



conut fu- fffateof the forces betaken j and that it be rightly weighed whether the 

 enterprife may be compaft and accompliftit , left vaft and endlefi de- 

 figns be purfued. For amongji the Gorgons, by which war is represen- 

 ted, Perfeus wifely undertook her only, that was mortal 5 and did not 

 fet his mind upon impoffibilities. Thus far the fable inftrufts touching 

 thofe things that fall in deliberation, about the undertaking of a war; 

 the reft pertain to the war it felf. 



^ In war thofe three gifts of the Cods do-moji avail, fb as commonly 

 they govern, and lead fortune after them : for Perfeus received fpeed, 

 from Mercury j concealing of his Counfels, from Orcus , and Providence 

 from Pallas. Neither is it without an Allegory, and that moft prudent, 

 that thofe wings of fpeed in difpatch of affairs (for quicknefs in war is of 

 fpecial importance) were faftened unto his heels, and not unto his Arm- 

 holes ; to his feet, and not to his (houlders j becaufe celerity is required, 

 not fo much in thefirft aggreffionsand preparations 5 as in the purfiiit 

 and the fuccours that fecond the firft aflaults ; for there is no errors ia 

 war more frequent, than that profecution, and fubfidiary forces, fail to 

 anfwcr the alacrity of thefirfl onfcts. Now the Helmet of Piute, which 

 hath power to make men inyifible, is plain in the Moral ; for thcfecret' 



ing 



