some cases you must not only have, but be beholden for
them to such whom you must trust at a pinch, when you have not leisure
to stand with them for security; which will be a thousand times more
dangerous. And there can never be a commonwealth otherwise than by the
order in debate wrought up to that perfection; but this necessity must
sometimes happen in regard of her natural slowness and openness, and the
suddenness of assaults that may be made upon her, as also the secrecy
which in some cases may be of absolute necessity to her affairs. Whence
Machiavel concludes it positively, that a commonwealth unprovided of
such a refuge, must fall to ruin; for her course is either broken by the
blow in one of those cases, or by herself, while it startles her out of
her orders. And indeed a commonwealth is like a greyhound, which, having
once coasted, will never after run fair, but grow slothful; and when it
comes to make a common practice of taking nearer ways than its orders,
it is dissolved: for the being of a commonwealth consists in its orders.
Wherefore at this list you will be exposed to danger, if you have not
provided beforehand for the safety of your resort in the like cases: nor
is it sufficient that your resort be safe, unless it be as secret and
quick; for if it be slow or open, your former inconveniences are not
remedied.

"Now for our imitation in this part, there is nothing in experience like
that of the Council of Ten in Venice; the benefit whereof would be too
long to be shown in the whole piece, and therefore I shall take but a
pattern out of Janotti. In the war, says he, which the Venetians had
with Florence in Casentin, the Florentines, finding a necessity in their
affairs far from any other inclination in themselves to ask their peace,
sent ambassadors about it to Venice, where they were no sooner heard,
than the bargain was struck up by the Council of Ten: and everybody
admiring (seeing this commonwealth stood upon the higher ground) what
should be the reason of such haste, the council upon the return of the
ambassadors imparted letters to the Senate, whereby it appeared that the
Turks had newly launched a formidable fleet against their State, which,
had it been understood by the Florentines, it was well enough known they
would have made no peace. Wherefore the service of the Ten was highly
applauded by the Senate, and celebrated by the Venetians. Whereby may
appear not only in part what use there is of dicta