B.VIII. Of the Advancement of Learning. .289 



which for that purpole are to be allured, or at leaft the more eafily to 

 be received. The vulgar Natives ^Q\)\d confift of three ions of meni 

 that is, o^TiUen of Ground •■, Free-fervants^ Sind Handji-crafis-men of 

 ikrongand Alanly ^rtf, as Smiths, Mafons, Carpenters,(>c. not reck- 

 oning profefFed Souldiers, 



6 But above all, for the Grcatncfj of Empircy it impoTts mo(t^ that 

 a Nation doprofefs Arms as their glory. Principal ftudy,andchiefeft Ho- 

 nour. For the things which we formerly have fpoken of^ are but 

 Habilitatiotts towards Arms j and to what purpofe is Habilitation with- 

 out endeavour to produce it into AB? Romuhts, after his death, (as liv.Ub.i.v.c 

 they report or feign) ye«^ aprefent to the Romans, that above all they ''• 

 fhould intend Arras, and then thcyjiwuld pr^ove the greatest Empire of 

 the World. The whole Fabrick of the ^/4/etf/5'/),ir^^, was, induitri- 

 oufly (though not fo wifely) composed and built to that Ccopc and end. 

 The Pe'r^ans and Alucedonians had the fame ulagCjbut not fo conftant 

 and Jafting. The Britans, Galls , Germans , Goths , Saxons , Nor^ 

 mans, (fox a flafh of time) gave themfelves chiefly to Arms. The Ttirl{s 

 not a little inftigated thereto by their Law, retain the fame difcipline. 

 at this day, ("though as it is now praftifed J with great declination of 

 their Militia. Of Chriftian Europe they that retain and profels it 

 are in effeft only the Spaniards. But it is fo liquid and raanifeft, that 

 every manprofiteth tftoti, in that he moil intendcth, that it needs not to 

 be ftood upon. It is enough to point at it , That no Nation tohich doth 

 notprofefs Arms , and pra&ife Military Arts, malting it their principal 

 Jiudy and occupation, may ever hope to have any notable greatnej^ of Em~ 

 pire,jall into their months : and on the other lide, it is a moft certain 

 Oracle of time, That thofe Nations that have continued long in the pro- 

 fejfion andfiudj of Arms (as the Romans and Turl{s principally have done^ 

 for the propagation of Empire,) rporl^rconders. Nay thofe that have flou- 

 ri(htforthe glory of Arms, but for the fpace only ofoneage^ have 

 commonly attain'd thatGreatnefs of Dominion, in that oneagejWhich 

 maintained them long after, when their profeffion and exercife of 

 Arms hath grown to decay. 



7 Incident to this Precept is ; for a fiat e to havefuch latvs and cujloms 

 which may readily reach forth unto themJuH occafions, or at leafl preten- 

 ces of taking Arms. For thejre is that apprehenlion of Juftice imprint- 

 ed in the nature of men, that they enter not upon Jf^r/ ("whereof ib 

 many calamities do enfue) but upon (bme.at the leaft fpecious grounds 

 and Quarrels. The Turk hath at hand for caufe of war the Propaga- 

 tion ot his law and feft 5 a quarrel that he may always command.The 

 Romans though they Q^Qemedtht extending of the Limits of their Em- 

 fire, to be great honour to their Generals, when it was done, yet 

 for that caufe alone, to Propagate their bounds, they never undertook 

 a war. Therefore let a nation that pretends to Greatnefs, and afpires 

 to Empire, have this condition, that they have a quick and lively 

 fenle of any wrongs either upon Borderers, Merchants, or publick 

 Minitters 5 and that they fit not too long upon the firft provocation. 

 Again^..QX. them be preft,and Adiive to fend Aids and Succours to their 

 Allies and confederates , as it ever was with the Roviavs : infomuch 



Oo aj 



