OF TRUE GREATNESS OF KINGDOMS 73 



the sinews of men's arms, in base and effeminate people, 

 are failing. For Solon said well to Croesus (when in 

 ostentation he shewed him his gold), ' Sir, if any other 

 come that hath better iron than you, he will be master of 

 all this gold.' Therefore let any prince or state think 

 soberly of his forces, except his militia of natives be of 

 good and valiant soldiers. And let princes, on the other 

 side, that have subjects of martial disposition, know their 

 own strength ; unless they be otherwise wanting unto 

 themselves. As for mercenary forces (which is the help 

 in this case), all examples shew that whatsoever estate or 

 prince doth rest upon them, he may spread his feathers 

 for a time, but he will mew them soon after. 



The blessing of Judah and Issachar will never meet ; 

 ' that the same people or nation should be both the lion's 

 whelp and the ass between burthens ' ; neither will it be, 

 that a people overlaid with taxes should ever become 

 valiant and martial. It is true that taxes levied by consent 

 of the estate do abate men's courage less : as it hath been 

 seen notably in the excises of the Low Countries ; and, in 

 some degree, in the subsidies of England. For you must 

 note that we speak now of the heart and not of the purse. 

 So that although the same tribute and tax, laid by consent 

 or by imposing, be all one to the purse, yet it works 

 diversely upon the courage. So that you may conclude, 

 that no people over-charged with tribute is fit for empire. 



Let states that aim at greatness, take heed how their 

 nobility and gentlemen do multiply too fast. For that 

 maketh the common subject grow to be a peasant and base 

 swain, driven out of heart, and in effect but the gentle- 

 man's labourer. Even as you may see in coppice woods ; 

 if you leave your staddles too thick, you shall never have 

 clean underwood, but shrubs and bushes. So in countries, 

 if the gentlemen be too many, the commons will be base ; 

 and you will bring it to that, that not the hundred poll 

 will be fit for an helmet ; especially as to the infantry, 

 which is the nerve of an army ; and so there will be great 

 population and little strength. This which I speak of 

 hath been no where better seen than by comparing of 



