the custom of Venice by her proveditori,
or checks upon her commanders-in-chief, may seem to be of greater
prudence; but in this part of our government neither Venice nor any
nation that makes use of mercenary forces is for our instruction. A
mercenary army, with a standing general, is like the fatal sister that
spins; but proper forces, with an annual magistrate, are like her that
cuts the thread. Their interests are quite contrary, and yet you have a
better proveditor than the Venetian, another strategus sitting with an
army standing by him; whereupon that which is marching, if there were
any probability it should, would find as little possibility that it
could recoil, as a foreign enemy to invade you. These things considered,
a war will appear to be of a contrary nature to that of all other
reckonings, inasmuch as of this you must never look to have a good
account if you be strict in imposing checks. Let a council of huntsmen,
assembled beforehand, tell you which way the stag shall run, where you
shall cast about at the fault, and how you shall ride to be in at the
chase all the day; but these may as well do that, as a council of war
direct a general. The hours that have painted wings, and of different
colors, are his council; he must be like the eye that makes not the
scene, but has it so soon as it changes. That in many counsellors there
is strength, is spoken of civil administrations; as to those that are
military, there is nothing more certain than that in many counsellors
there is weakness. Joint commissions in military affairs, are like
hunting your hounds in their couples. In the Attic War Cleomenes and
Demaratus, Kings of Lacedaemon, being thus coupled, tugged one against
another; and while they should have joined against the Persian, were the
cause of the common calamity, whereupon that commonwealth took better
counsel, and made a law whereby from henceforth there went at once but
one of her kings to battle.

"'The Fidenati being in rebellion, and having slain the colony of the
Romans, four tribunes with consular power were created by the people of
Rome, whereof one being left for the guard of the city, the other three
were sent against the Fidenati, who, through the division that happened
among them, brought nothing home but dishonor, whereupon the Romans
created the Dictator, and Livy gives his judgment in these words: "The
three tribunes with consular power were a lesson how useless in war
is the joint co