heir lords to foreign princes, there will never (especially in a
country of which there is no other profit to be made) be want of such
merchants and drovers, while you must be the market where they are to
receive their second payment.

"Nor can the aristocracy there be dissolved but by your means, in
relation whereto you are provided with your provincial orb; which, being
proportioned to the measure of the nation that you have vindicated or
conquered, will easily hold it: for there is not a people in the
world more difficult to be held than the Marpesians, which, though by
themselves it be ascribed to their own nature, is truly to be attributed
to that of their country. Nevertheless, you having 9,000 men upon the
continual guard of it, that, threatened by any sudden insurrection, have
places of retreat, and an army of 40,000 men upon a day's warning ready
to march to their rescue, it is not to be rationally shown which way
they can possibly slip out of your hands. And if a man should think that
upon a province more remote and divided by the sea, you have not the
like hold, he has not so well considered your wings as your talons,
your shipping being of such a nature as makes the descent of your armies
almost of equal facility in any country, so that what you take you hold,
both because your militia, being already populous, will be of great
growth in itself, and also through your confederates, by whom in taking
and holding you are still more enabled to do both.

"Nor shall you easier hold than the people under your empire or
patronage may be held. My lords, I would not go to the door to see
whether it be close shut; this is no underhand dealing, nor a game at
which he shall have any advantage against you who sees your cards, but,
on the contrary the advantage shall be your own: for with 18,000 men
(which number I put, because it circulates your orb by the annual change
of 6,000) having established your matters in the order shown, you will,
be able to hold the greatest province; and 18,000 men, allowing them
greater pay than any prince ever gave, will not stand the province in
L1,000,000 revenue; in consideration whereof, they shall have their
own estates free to themselves, and be governed by their own laws and
magistrates; which, if the revenue of the province be in dry-rent (as
there may be some that are four times as big as Oceana) L40,000,000,
will bring it with that of industry, to speak with the least, to twice
the