But Rome perished through her
native inequality, which how it inveterated the bosoms of the
Senate and the people each against other, and even to death, has
been shown at large.
"Look well to it, my lords, for if there be a contradiction
or inequality in your commonwealth, it must fall; but if it has
neither of these, it has no principle of mortality. Do not think
me impudent; if this be truth, I shall commit a gross
indiscretion in concealing it. Sure I am that Machiavel is for
the immortality of a commonwealth upon far weaker principles. 'If
a commonwealth,' says he, 'were so happy as to be provided often
with men, that, when she is swerving from her principles, should
reduce her to her institution, she would be immortal.' But a
commonwealth, as we have demonstrated, swerves not from her
principles, but by and through her institution; if she brought no
bias into the world with her, her course for any internal cause
must be straightforward, as we see is that of Venice. She cannot
turn to the right hand nor to the left, but by some rub, which is
not an internal, but external, cause: against such she can be no
way fortified but through her situation, as is Venice, or through
her militia, as was Rome, by which examples a commonwealth may be
secure of those also.
Pages:
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369