caused earthquakes, nor could they ever be obtained by the people; or
being obtained, be observed by the nobility, who not only preserved
their prey, but growing vastly rich upon it, bought the people by
degrees quite out of those shares that had been conferred upon them.
This the Gracchi coming too late to perceive found the balance of the
commonwealth to be lost; but putting the people (when they had least
force) by forcible means upon the recovery of it, did ill, seeing
it neither could nor did tend to any more than to show them by worse
effects that what the wisdom of their leaders had discovered was true.
For quite contrary to what has happened in Oceana, where, the balance
falling to the people, they have overthrown the nobility, that nobility
of Rome, under the conduct of Sylla, overthrew the people and the
commonwealth; seeing Sylla first introduced that new balance which was
the foundation of the succeeding monarchy, in the plantation of military
colonies, instituted by his distribution of the conquered lands, not now
of enemies, but of citizens, to forty-seven legions of his soldiers;
so that how he came to be perpetual dictator, or other magistrates to
succeed him in like power, is no miracle.

These military colonies (in which manner succeeding emperors continued,
as Augustus by the distribution of the veterans, whereby he had overcome
Brutus and Cassius to plant their soldiery) consisted of such as I
conceive were they that are called milites beneficiarii; in regard that
the tenure of their lands was by way of benefices, that is, for life,
and upon condition of duty or service in the war upon their own
charge. These benefices Alexander Severus granted to the heirs of the
incumbents, but upon the same conditions. And such was the dominion by
which the Roman emperors gave their balance. But to the beneficiaries,
as was no less than necessary for the safety of the prince, a matter of
8,000 by the example of Augustus were added, which departed not from
his sides, but were his perpetual guard, called Pretorian bands; though
these, according to the incurable flaw already observed in this kind of
government, became the most frequent butchers of their lords that are
to be found in story. Thus far the Roman monarchy is much the same with
that at this day in Turkey, consisting of a camp and a horse-quarter; a
camp in regard of the Spahis and Janizaries, the perpetual guard of the
prince, except they also chance to be