ans, and by the
oligarchs to introduce the Lacedaemonians. In peace there would have
been neither the pretext nor the wish to make such an invitation; but
in war, with an alliance always at the command of either faction for
the hurt of their adversaries and their own corresponding advantage,
opportunities for bringing in the foreigner were never wanting to the
revolutionary parties. The sufferings which revolution entailed upon
the cities were many and terrible, such as have occurred and always will
occur, as long as the nature of mankind remains the same; though in a
severer or milder form, and varying in their symptoms, according to the
variety of the particular cases. In peace and prosperity, states and
individuals have better sentiments, because they do not find themselves
suddenly confronted with imperious necessities; but war takes away the
easy supply of daily wants, and so proves a rough master, that brings
most men's characters to a level with their fortunes. Revolution thus
ran its course from city to city, and the places which it arrived at
last, from having heard what had been done before, carried to a still
greater excess the refinement of their inventions, as manifested in the
cunning of their enterprises and the atrocity of their reprisals. Words
had to change their ordinary meaning and to take that which was now
given them. Reckless audacity came to be considered the courage of a
loyal ally; prudent hesitation, specious cowardice; moderation was held
to be a cloak for unmanliness; ability to see all sides of a question,
inaptness to act on any. Frantic violence became the attribute of
manliness; cautious plotting, a justifiable means of self-defence. The
advocate of extreme measures was always trustworthy; his opponent a
man to be suspected. To succeed in a plot was to have a shrewd head, to
divine a plot a still shrewder; but to try to provide against having
to do either was to break up your party and to be afraid of your
adversaries. In fine, to forestall an intending criminal, or to suggest
the idea of a crime where it was wanting, was equally commended until
even blood became a weaker tie than party, from the superior readiness
of those united by the latter to dare everything without reserve;
for such associations had not in view the blessings derivable from
established institutions but were formed by ambition for their
overthrow; and the confidence of their members in each other rested
less on any re