But you may observe, that whereas the consuls elected
the military tribunes, and raised commanded men out of the
veterans at their own discretion, our polemarchs, or field
officers, are elected by the scrutiny of the Council of War, and
our veterans not otherwise taken on than as volunteers, and with
the consent of the polemarchs, which may serve for the removal of
certain scruples which might otherwise be incident in this place,
though without encouragement by the Roman way of proceeding, much
less by that which is proposed. But whereas the Roman legions in
all amounted not in one army to above 30,000 men, or little more,
you have here 40,000; and whereas they added auxiliaries, it is
in this regard that Marpesia will be a greater revenue to you
than if you had the Indies; for whereas heretofore she has
yielded you nothing but her native thistles, in ploughing out the
rankness of her aristocracy by your agrarian, you will find her
an inexhaustible magazine of men, and to her own advantage, who
will make a far better account by the arms than by the pins of
Poland. Wherefore as a consular army consisted of about an equal
number of auxiliaries added to their legions by their Latin or
Italian associates, you may add to a parliamentary army an equal
number of Marpesians or Panopeans, as that colony shall hereafter
be able to supply you, by which means the commonwealth will be
able to go forth to battle with 80,000 men.
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