r be dallyed and
flattered withall, or else be quite crusht; for they revenge themselves
of small dammages; but of great ones they are not able; so that when
wrong is done to any man, it ought so to be done, that it need fear no
return of revenge again. But in lieu of Colonies, by maintaining
soldiers there, the expence is great; for the whole revenues of that
State are to be spent in the keeping of it; so the conquest proves but a
loss to him that hath got it, and endammages him rather; for it hurts
that whole State to remove the army from place to place, of which
annoyance every one hath a feeling, and so becomes enemie to thee; as
they are enemies, I wis, who are outraged by thee in their own houses,
whensoever they are able to do thee mischief. Every way then is this
guard unprofitable. Besides, he that is in a different Province, (as it
is said) should make himself Head and defender of his less powerfull
neighbors, and devise alwaies to weaken those that are more mighty
therein, and take care that upon no chance there enter not any foreiner
as mighty as himself; for it will alwaies come to pass, that they shall
be brought in by those that are discontented, either upon ambition, or
fear; as the Etolians brought the Romans into Greece; and they were
brought into every countrey they came, by the Natives; and the course of
the matter is, that so soon as a powerfull Stranger enters a countrey,
all those that are the less powerfull there, cleave to him, provoked by
an envy they beare him that is more mighty than they; so that for these
of the weaker sort, he may easily gain them without any pains: for
presently all of them together very willingly make one lump with that he
hath gotten: He hath only to beware that these increase not their
strengths, nor their authorities, and so he shall easily be able by his
own forces, and their assistances, to take down those that are mighty,
and remain himself absolute arbitre of that Countrey. And he that playes
not well this part, shall quickly lose what he hath gotten; and while he
holds it, shall find therein a great many troubles and vexations. The
Romans in the Provinces they seiz'd on, observed well these points, sent
colonies thither, entertained the weaker sort, without augmenting any
thing their power, abated the forces of those that were mighty, and
permitted not any powerfull forreiner to gain too much reputation there.
And I will content my self only with the countrey of Gr