from agriculture and that which
comes from manufactures. For all love to gather riches and to add to
their possessions when their enjoyment of them is not likely to be
disturbed. And hence it happens that the citizens of such States
vie with one another in whatever tends to promote public or private
well-being; in both of which, consequently, there is a wonderful growth.

But the contrary of all this takes place in those countries which live
in servitude, and the more oppressive their servitude, the more they
fall short of the good which all desire. And the hardest of all hard
servitudes is that wherein one commonwealth is subjected to another.
First, because it is more lasting, and there is less hope to escape from
it; and, second, because every commonwealth seeks to add to its own
strength by weakening and enfeebling all beside. A prince who gets the
better of you will not treat you after this fashion, unless he be a
barbarian like those eastern despots who lay countries waste and
destroy the labours of civilization; but if influenced by the ordinary
promptings of humanity, will, as a rule, regard all his subject States
with equal favour, and suffer them to pursue their usual employments,
and retain almost all their ancient institutions, so that if they
flourish not as free States might, they do not dwindle as States that
are enslaved; by which I mean enslaved by a stranger, for of that other
slavery to which they may be reduced by one of their own citizens, I
have already spoken.

Whoever, therefore, shall well consider what has been said above, will
not be astonished at the power possessed by the Samnites while they were
still free, nor at the weakness into which they fell when they were
subjugated. Of which change in their fortunes Livius often reminds us,
and particularly in connection with the war with Hannibal, where he
relates that the Samnites, being ill-treated by a Roman legion quartered
at Nola, sent legates to Hannibal to ask his aid; who in laying their
case before him told him, that with their own soldiers and captains they
had fought single handed against the Romans for a hundred years, and had
more than once withstood two consuls and two consular armies; but had
now fallen so low, that they were scarce able to defend themselves
against one poor legion.

CHAPTER III.--_That Rome became great by destroying the Cities which lay
round about her, and by readily admitting strangers to the rights of
Ci