"Hinc usura vorax, rapidumque in tempore fœnus, This same "multis utile bellum," is an assured and infallible sign of a state disposed to seditions and troubles; and if this poverty and broken estate in the better sort be joined with a want and necessity in the mean people, the danger is imminent and great for the rebellions of the belly are the worst. As for discontentments, they are in the politic body like to humours in the natural, which are apt to gather a preternatural heat and to inflame; and let no prince measure the danger of them by this, whether they be just or unjust: for that were to imagine people to be too reasonable, who do often spurn at their own good; nor yet by this, whether the griefs whereupon they rise be in fact great or small; for they are the most dangerous discontentments where the fear is greater than the feeling: "Dolendi modus, timendi non item:"m besides, in great oppressions, the same things that provoke the patience, do withal mate the courage; but in fears it is not so; neither let any prince or state be secure concerning discontentments, because they have been often, or have been long, and yet no peril hath ensued for as it is true that every vapour or fume doth not turn into a storm, so it is nevertheless true that storms, though they blow over divers times, yet may fall at last; and, as the Spanish proverb noteth well, "The cord breaketh at the last by the weakest pull." The causes and motives of seditions are, innovation in religion, taxes, alteration of laws and customs, breaking of privileges, general oppression, advancement of unworthy persons, strangers, dearths, disbanded soldiers, factions grown desperate; and whatsoever in offending people joineth and knitteth them in a common cause. For the remedies, there may be some general preservatives, whereof we will speak: as for the just cure, it must answer to the particular disease; and so be left to counsel rather than rule. "Hence devouring usury, and interest accumulating in lapse of time,--hence shaken credit, and warfare, profitable to the many.' "Warfare profitable to the many." "To grief there is a limit, not so to fear." • This is similar to the proverb now in common use: feather that breaks the back of the camel." ""Tis the last ་་ An's Bięk samody, or prevention, is to remove, by all means Ok, that material cause of sedition whereof we spake, vaca is, want and poverty in the estate:P to which purpose gievs^), the opening and well-balancing of trade; the cherishing of manufactures; the banishing of idleness; the repressing of wasto and excess, by sumptuary laws ; the improvement an husbanding of the soil; the regulating of prices of things von lible 2 the moderating of taxes and tributes, and the Generally, it is to be foreseen that the population of a Kingdom (especially if it be not mown down by wars) do rod exceed the stock of the kingdom which should maintain {hn་་་ ་ sither is the population to be reckoned only by pondor 2 Pe a smaller number, that spend more and earn ho went out an estate sooner than a greater number that Lower and gather more: therefore the multiplying of dality and other degrees of quality, in an over proportion common people, doth speedily bring a state to necesnic which likewise an overgrown clergy, for they olding to the stock; and, in like manner, when more data plan preferments can take off. butu pemembered, that, forasmuch as the dam sababu mud be upon the foreigners (for whatmalede gubio e somewhere lost), there be but Manga which you wait welleth unto another; the 07466up paddouă se, the manufacture; and the ་་ ་་། ་་ w that of show three wheels go, wealth Hipag w And is cometà many times to moteChaul auquel pas" that the work and jo pencaback than the material and enricheth Jugny help cake prophet toe in dovry, they have been their principle, a state more as is notably seen in the Low Countrymen, who have the best mines" above ground in the world. Above all things, good policy is to be used, that the treasure and monies in a state be not gathered into few hands; for, otherwise, a state may have a great stock, and yet starve: and money is like muck, not good except it be spread. This is done chiefly by suppressing, or, at least, keeping a strait hand upon the devouring trades of usury, engrossing great pasturages, and the like. For removing discontentments, or, at least, the danger cf them, there is in every state (as we know) two portions of subjects, the nobles and the commonalty. When one of these is discontent, the danger is not great; for common people are of slow motion, if they be not excited by the greater sort; and the greater sort are of small strength, except the multitude be apt and ready to move of themselves: then is the danger, when the greater sort do but wait for the troubling of the waters amongst the meaner, that then they may declare themselves. The poets feign that the rest of the gods would have bound Jupiter; which he hearing of, by the counsel of Pallas, sent for Briareus, with his hundred hands, to come in to his aid : an emblem, no doubt, to show how safe it is for monarchs to make sure of the goodwill of common people. To give moderate liberty for griefs and discontentments to evaporate (so it be without too great insolency or bravery), is a safe way: for he that turneth the humours back, and maketh the wound bleed inwards, endangereth malign ulcers and pernicious imposthumations. The part of Epimetheus might well become Prometheus, " He alludes to the manufactures of the Low Countries. Like manure. The myth of Pandora's box, which is here referred to, is relatec in the "Works and Days" of Hesiod. Epimetheus was the personifica tion of "Afterthought," while his brother Prometheus represented "Forethought," or prudence. It was not Epimetheus that opened the box, but Pandora-" All-gift," whom, contrary to the advice of his brother, he had received at the hands of Mercury, and had made his wife. In their house stood a closed jar, which they were forbidden to open. Till her arrival, this had been kept untouched; but her curiosity prompting her to open the lid, all the evils hitherto unknown to man flew out and spread over the earth, and she only shut it down in time to prevent the escape of Hope. 14 vision against them. Epimetheus, when griefs and evils flew in the case of discontentinents, for there is not a better proabroad, at last shut the lid, and kept Hope in the bottom of the vessel. Certainly, the politic and artificial nourishing and is one of the best antidotes against the poison of discontentproceeding, when it can hold men's hearts by hopes, when it ments: and it is a certain sign of a wise government and cannot by satisfaction; and when it can handle things in such entertaining of hopes, and carrying manner as no evil shall appear so men from hopes to hopes. peremptory but that it hath some outlet of hope; which is the less hard to do, because both particular persons and factions are apt enough to flatter themselves, or at least to brave that which they believe not. or tis houd whereunto discontented persons may resort, and Also the foresight and prevention, that there be no likely known, but an excellent a fit head to be one that under whom they may join, is a point of caution. I understand hath greatness and reputation, that hath confidence with the discontented party, and upon whom they turn their eyes, and that is thought discontented in his own particular: which kand of persons are either to be won and reconciled to the Micty and that in a fest and true manner; or to be fronted wad some other of the same party that may oppose them, and so divide the reputation. Generally, the dividing and browking of all tàctions and combinations that are adverse to The synd sexing them at distance, or, at least, distrust pa de pelate ceny it those that hold with the proceeding of is not one of the worst remedies; for it the me be full of discord and faction, and those that are witty and sharp speeches, which Het it be entire and united. I have noted, that some leave Gillen tom princess, have given fire to seditions. Cæsar dol hum clk infinito hurt in that speech-" Sylla nescivit Hieta's now potuit diotare;” for it did utterly cut off that Mylla did woh know his buttons, and so he could not dictate." City battributed by Sidobonius to Julius Cesar. It is a play on Athu Lake" distans" which means either to dietate," or "to act Aku tibabu.", asuunding to the context. As this saying was tu hi a tothadisu au Mylla's ignorance, and to imply that by but he was unuda bu maintain his power, it was concluded kattinti people, plock Cloth, who was an elegant scholar, feeling b hope which men had entertained, that he would at one time or other give over his dictatorship. Galb undid himself by that speech, "Legi a se militem, non emi ;"a for it put the soldiers out of hope of the donative. Probus, likewise, by that speech, "Si vixero, non opus erit amplius Romano imperio militibus;" a speech of great despair for the soldiers, and many the like. Surely princes had need in tender matters and ticklish times to beware what they say, especially in these short speeches, which fly abroad like darts, and are thought to be shot out of their secret intentions; for as for large discourses, they are flat things, and not so much noted. Lastly, let princes, against all events, not be without some great person, one or rather more, of military valour, near unto them, for the repressing of seditions in their beginnings; for without that, there useth to be more trepidation in court upon the first breaking out of troubles than were fit; and the state runneth the danger of that which Tacitus saith; Atque is habitus animorum fuit, ut pessimum facinus auderent pauci, plures vellent, omnes paterentur:" but let such military persons be assured, and well reputed of, rather than factious and popular; holding also good correspondence with the other great men in the state, or else the remedy is worse than the disease. XVI.-OF ATHEISM. I HAD rather believe all the fables in the legend,a and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is himself subject to no such inability, did not intend speedily to yield the reins of power. a "That soldiers were levied by him, not bought." "If I live, there shall no longer be need of soldiers in the Roman empire.' "And such was the state of feeling, that a few dared to perpetrate the worst of crimes; more wished to do so,--all submitted to it.' He probably alludes to the legends or miraculous stories of the saints, such as walking with their heads off, preaching to the fishes, sailing over the sea on a cloak, &c. &c. This is the book that contains the Jewish traditions, and the |