ESSAYS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



Incident to this point is, for a state to have those laws or customs, 

 which may reach forth unto them just occasions, as may be pretended, 

 of war For there is that justice imprinted in the nature of men, that 

 they enter not upon wars, whereof so many calamities do ensue, but 

 upon some, at the least specious, grounds and quarrels, the iuik 

 hath at hand, for cause of war, the propagation of his law or sect ; a 

 quarrel that he may always command. The Romans, though they 

 esteemed the extending the limits of their empire to be great honour 

 to their generals, when it was done : yet they never rested upon that 

 alone to begin a war. First therefore, let nations that pretend to 

 greatness have this, that they may be sensible of wrongs, either upon 

 borderers, merchants, or politic ministers ; and that they sit not too 

 long upon a provocation. Secondly, let them be prest, and ready to 

 give aids and succours to their confederates ; as it ever was with the 

 Romans : insomuch as if the confederate had leagues defensive with 

 divers other states, and, upon invasion offered, did implore their aids 

 severally, yet the Romans would ever be the foremost, and leave it to 

 none other to have the honour. As for the wars, which were anciently 

 made on the behalf of a kind of party, or tacit conformity of estate, I 

 do not see how they may be well justified ; as when the Romans made 

 a war for the liberty of Grajcia ; or when the Lacedaemonians and 

 Athenians made wars, to set up or pull down democracies and oligar 

 chies ; or when wars were made by foreigners, under the pretence of 

 justice or protection, to deliver the subjects of others from tyranny 

 and oppression ; and the like. Let it suffice, that no estate expect to 

 be great, that is not awake upon any just occasion of arming. 



No body can be healthful without exercise, neither natural body 

 nor politic : and certainly, to a kingdom or estate, a just and honour 

 able war is the true exercise. A civil war, indeed, is like the heat of 

 a fever ; but a foreign war is like the heat of exercise, and serveth to 

 keep the body in health. For in a slothful peace, both courages will 

 effeminate, and manners corrupt. But howsoever it be for happiness, 

 without all question, for greatness it maketh, to be still, for the most 

 part, in arms : and the strength of a veteran arrny, though it be a 

 chargeable business, always on foot, is that which commonly giveth 

 the law, or at least the reputation amongst all neighbour states, as may 

 well be seen in Spain ; which hath had, in one part or other, a veteran 

 army, almost continually, now by the space of six-score years. 



To be master of the sea, is an abridgement of a monarchy. Cicero 

 writing to Atticus, of Pompey his preparation against Caesar, saith, 

 &quot; Consilium Pompeii plane Themistocleum est ; putat enim, qui inari 

 potitur, cum rcrum potiri.&quot; And without doubt Pompey had tired out 

 Cujsar, if upon vain confidence he had not left that way. We see the 

 great effects of battles by SCR. The battle of Actium decided the em 

 pire of the world. The battle of Lcpanto arrested the greatness of the 

 Turk. There be many examples, where sea fights have been final to 

 the war ; but this is, when princes or states have set up their rest upon 

 the battles. Hut this much is certain ; that he that commands the sea 

 is at great liberty, and may take as much and as little of the war as ho 



