them; that through fear of the fine they might avoid
being enrolled, as they were then obliged to do neither the one nor the
other. The same spirit of legislation prevailed with respect to their
bearing arms and their gymnastic exercises; for the poor are excused if
they have no arms, but the rich are fined; the same method takes place
if they do not attend their gymnastic exercises, there is no penalty on
one, but there is on the other: the consequence of which is, that the
fear of this penalty induces the rich to keep the one and attend the
other, while the poor do neither. These are the deceitful contrivances
of oligarchical legislators.

The contrary prevails in a democracy; for there they make the poor a
proper allowance for attending the assemblies and the courts, but give
the rich nothing for doing it: whence it is evident, that if any one
would properly blend these customs together, they must extend both the
pay and the fine to every member of the community, and then every one
would share in it, whereas part only now do. The citizens of a free
state ought to [1297b] consist of those only who bear arms: with respect
to their census it is not easy to determine exactly what it ought to be,
but the rule that should direct upon this subject should be to make it
as extensive as possible, so that those who are enrolled in it make up
a greater part of the people than those who are not; for those who are
poor, although they partake not of the offices of the state, are willing
to live quiet, provided that no one disturbs them in their property: but
this is not an easy matter; for it may not always happen, that those who
are at the head of public affairs are of a humane behaviour. In time
of war the poor are accustomed to show no alacrity without they have
provisions found them; when they have, then indeed they are willing to
fight.

In some governments the power is vested not only in those who bear arms,
but also in those who have borne them. Among the Malienses the state was
composed of these latter only, for all the officers were soldiers who
had served their time. And the first states in Greece which succeeded
those where kingly power was established, were governed by the military.
First of all the horse, for at that time the strength and excellence of
the army depended on the horse, for as to the heavy-armed foot they were
useless without proper discipline; but the art of tactics was not known
to the ancients, for w