hods followed
by Camillus, and the words spoken by him to encourage his soldiers to
face their enemy, will perceive that these words and methods could never
have been used with an army which had not been trained and disciplined
in time of peace as well as of war. For no captain can trust to
untrained soldiers or look for good service at their hands; nay, though
he were another Hannibal, with such troops his defeat were certain.
For, as a captain cannot be present everywhere while a battle is being
fought, unless he have taken all measures beforehand to render his men
of the same temper as himself, and have made sure that they perfectly
understand his orders and arrangements, he will inevitably be destroyed.

When a city therefore is armed and trained as Rome was, and when its
citizens have daily opportunity, both singly and together, to make
trial of their valour and learn what fortune can effect, it will always
happen, that at all times, and whether circumstances be adverse or
favourable, they will remain of unaltered courage and preserve the same
noble bearing. But when its citizens are unpractised in arms, and trust
not to their own valour but wholly to the arbitration of Fortune, they
will change their temper as she changes, and offer always the same
example of behaviour as was given by the Venetians.

CHAPTER XXXII.--_Of the methods which some have used to make Peace
impossible_.

The towns of Caere and Velitrae, two of her own colonies, revolted from
Rome in expectation of being protected by the Latins. But the Latins
being routed and all hopes of help from that quarter at an end, many
of the townsmen recommended that envoys should be sent to Rome to make
their peace with the senate. This proposal, however, was defeated by
those who had been the prime movers of the revolt, who, fearing that the
whole punishment might fall on their heads, to put a stop to any talk of
an adjustment, incited the multitude to take up arms and make a foray
into the Roman territory.

And, in truth, when it is desired that a prince or people should banish
from their minds every thought of reconciliation, there is no surer or
more effectual plan than to incite them to inflict grave wrong on him
with whom you would not have them be reconciled; for, then, the fear of
that punishment which they will seem to themselves to have deserved,
will always keep them apart. At the close of the first war waged by
the Romans against Carthage, th