LiB.VIil. Of the Advancement of Learning. 287 



2 7he blejJingofjHdah and Ijfdchar \v\\\ never meet. That the fame 

 Tribe or Nation Jfjo/tld be both the Lions rvhe/p, and the Ajs between Bnr- Gen. XIDL 

 dens't neither will it be that a people overlaid with Taxes ^ Jlwtild ever 

 become Valiant^ and Martial. It is true that Taxes levied by publick 

 conlent of the eftate do deprefs and abate mens courage lels-, as a man 

 may plainly (eein the Tributes of the Low-countries, which they call 

 Excifes 5 and in fome degree in thofe contributions which they call 

 Subjidies in England. For you muft note that we fpeak now of the 

 Heart and not of the Purfe; fo that although the fame Tribute con-; 

 ferr'd by consent or imposed by command, be all one to the pur(e5yet 

 it works diverfly upon the courage : Therefore (et down this too as a 

 Principle, That no People overchargd with Tribute^ is Jit for Etftpire. 



5 Letjiates and kjngdonts that aim at Greatnefs by all means take 

 heed how the Nobility^ and Grandees, and that thofe which we call 

 Centle-men, multiply too faft •■, for that makes the common fubjeSt 

 grow to be a Peafant and Bafe fwain driven out of heart, and in effedi 

 nothing ehe but the Noble mans Bond-flaves and Labourers. Eveti 

 as you may fee in Coppice- woodji/j/^w leave yourjiuddles too thick,, you 

 Jliall never have clean underwood, hutfirubs and bujlies : So in a coun- 

 treyjif the Ni?/'////;' be too many, xh&ComntonsyNWl be bale and heart- 

 left, and you will bring it to that, that not the hundredth Pole will 

 be fit for an Helmet , elpecially as to the Infantry, which is the nerve 

 of an Army 5 and fo there will be great Population and little ftrength. 

 This which I fpeak of,hath been in no Nation more clearly confirmed 

 fhan in the examples of England and France, whereof £»^/«»£/,though 

 fer inferiour in Territory and Population, hath been neverthelels al- 

 ways an overmatch in Arms ; in regard the middle-people of England 

 make good Souldiers , which the Peafants of France do not. And 

 herein the devife of Hewr^ the Seventh King of England (wheieoflhiye Hiftor.Hcn." 

 fpoken largely in the Hiftory of his life) was profound and admira- vii. 

 ble, in making Farms and Houfes of Hulbandry ofaftandard; that 

 is,maintain'd with fuch a Proportion ofland unto them, as may breed 

 a (iibjeft to live in convenient plenty, and to keep the Plough in the 

 hands of the Owners, orat leaftulu-frudluary, and not hirelings and 

 Mercenaries 5 and thus a Countrey (hall merit that Character where. 

 by Virgil expieffes ancient Italy, 



Terra potens Arms, atque ubere Cleba. JSn.i. 



Neither is that ftate which is almoft peculiar to England, (and for a- 

 ny thing I know, hardly to be found any Vk^here elfe, except it be per- 

 haps in Poland^ to be pafled over 5 I mean the ftate of Free-fervants 

 and Attendants upon Noblemen and Gentle-men ; of which fort, e- 

 ven they of inferiour condition, do no ways yield unto the Teaman' 

 rj, ^Qx Infantry. And thereforcout of all queftion the Magnificence 

 and that Hofpitable (plendor, the Houfliold fervants, and great Re- 

 tinues of Noble men and Gentle-men, receiv'd into cuftom in Eng" 

 land, doth much conduce unto Martial Greatnefs : whereas on the 

 other fide, the clofe, referved and contracted living of Noble men, 

 caufeth a Penury of Military Forces, 



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