, and was armed. Sparta viii.C. Many other citees have been
disarmed, and have remained free, lesse then xl. For as moche as citees
have nede of defence, and when thei have no defence of their owne, thei
hire straungers, and the straunges defence, shall hurte moche soner the
common weale, then their owne: bicause thei be moche easier to be
corrupted, and a citezein that becommeth mightie, maie moche soner
usurpe, and more easely bryng his purpose to passe, where the people bee
disarmed, that he seketh to oppresse: besides this, a citee ought to
feare a greate deale more, twoo enemies then one. Thesame citee that
useth straungers power, feareth at one instant the straunger, whiche it
hireth, and the Citezein: and whether this feare ought to be, remember
thesame, whiche I rehearsed a little a fore of Frances Sforza. That
citee, whiche useth her own proper power, feareth no man, other then
onely her owne Citezein. But for all the reasons that maie bee saied,
this shall serve me, that never any ordeined any common weale, or
Kyngdome, that would not thinke, that thei theim selves, that inhabite
thesame, should with their sweardes defende it.

And if the Venicians had been so wise in this, as in all their other
orders, thei should have made a new Monarchie in the world, whom so
moche the more deserve blame, havyng been armed of their first giver of
lawes: for havyng no dominion on the lande, thei wer armed on the sea,
where thei made their warre vertuously, and with weapons in their
handes, increased their countrie. But when thei were driven to make
warre on the lande, to defende Vicenza, where thei ought to have sent
one of their citezens, to have fought on the lande, thei hired for their
capitain, the Marques of Mantua: this was thesame foolishe acte, whiche
cut of their legges, from climyng into heaven, and from enlargyng their
dominion: and if thei did it, bicause thei beleved that as thei knewe,
how to make warre on the Sea, so thei mistrusted theim selves, to make
it on the lande, it was a mistruste not wise: for as moche as more
easely, a capitain of the sea, whiche is used to fight with the windes,
with the water, and with men, shall become a Capitaine of the lande,
where he shall fight with men onely, then a capitaine of the lande, to
become a capitain of the sea. The Romanies knowyng how to fight on the
lande, and on the sea, commyng to warre, with the Carthaginens, whiche
were mightie on the sea, hired not Grekes, o