ither to trade
or to carry on any art.

Under such circumstances the number of the inhabitants of that State
could never much increase. For as all our actions imitate nature, and it
is neither natural nor possible that a puny stem should carry a great
branch, so a small republic cannot assume control over cities or
countries stronger than herself; or, doing so, will resemble the
tree whose boughs being greater than its trunk, are supported with
difficulty, and snapped by every gust of wind. As it proved with Sparta.
For after she had spread her dominion over all the cities of Greece, no
sooner did Thebes rebel than all the others rebelled likewise, and the
trunk was left stripped of its boughs. But this could not have happened
with Rome, whose stem was mighty enough to bear any branch with ease.

It was, therefore, by adding to her population, and by, adopting certain
other methods presently to be noticed, that Rome became so great and
powerful. And this is well expressed by Titus Livius, in the words,
"_Crescit interea Roma Albae ruinis_."

CHAPTER IV.--_That Commonwealths have followed three Methods for
extending their Power_.

Any one who has read ancient history with attention, must have observed
that three methods have been used by republics for extending their
power. One of these, followed by the old Etruscans, is to form a
confederation of many States, wherein none has precedence over the
rest in authority or rank, and each allows the others to share its
acquisitions; as do the States of the Swiss League in our days, and as
the Achaians and Etolians did in Greece in earlier times. And because
the Etruscans were opposed to the Romans in many wars, that I may give a
clearer notion of this method of theirs, I shall enlarge a little in my
account of the Etruscan people.

In Italy, before the Romans became supreme, the Etruscans were very
powerful, both by sea and land; and although we have no separate history
of their affairs, we have some slight records left us of them, and some
indications of their greatness. We know, for instance, that they planted
a colony, to which they gave the name of Hadria, on the coast of the
upper sea; which colony became so renowned that it lent its name to the
sea itself, which to this day by the Latins is called the Hadriatic. We
know, too, that their arms were obeyed from the Tiber to the foot of
the mountains which enclose the greater part of the Italian peninsula;
although,