the speech of Themistocles the Athenian which be haughty and arrogant in take  so much to himself have be a grave and wise observation and censure apply at  large to other desire at a feast to touch a lute he say he can not fiddle but  yet he can make a small town a great city these word help a little with a  metaphor may express two differ ability in those that deal in business of  estate for if a true survey be take of counsellor and statesman there may be  find though rare those which can make a small state great and yet can fiddle  as on the other side there will be find a great many that can fiddle very  cunning but yet be so far from be able to make a small state great as their  gift lie the other way to bring a great and flourish estate to ruin and decay  and certain who degenerate be and shift whereby many counsellor and governor  gain both favour with their master and estimation with the vulgar deserve no  better name than fiddle be thing rather please for the time and graceful to  themselves only than tend to the weal and advancement of the state which they  serve there be also no doubt counsellor and governor which may be hold  sufficient pain pares able to manage affair and to keep they from precipice  and manifest inconvenience which nevertheless be far from the ability to raise  and amplify a estate in power mean and fortune but be the workman what they  may be let we speak of the work that be the true greatness of kingdom and  estate and the mean thereof a argument fit for great and mighty prince to have  in their hand to the end that neither by over measure their force they lose  themselves in vain enterprise nor on the other side by undervalue they they  descend to fearful and pusillanimous counsel the greatness of a estate in bulk  and territory do fall under measure and the greatness of finance and revenue  do fall under computation the population may appear by muster and the number  and greatness of city and town by card and map but yet there be not any thing  among civil affair more subject to error than the right valuation and true  judgement concern the power and force of a estate the kingdom of heaven be  compare not to any great kernel or nut but to a grain of mustard seed which be  one of the least grain but have in it a property and spirit hasty to get up  and spread so be there state great in territory and yet not apt to enlarge or  command and some that have but a small dimension of stem and yet apt to be the  foundation of great monarchy wall town store arsenal and armoury goodly race  of horse chariot of war elephant ordnance artillery and the like all this be  but a sheep in a lion skin except the breed and disposition of the people be  stout and warlike nay number itself in army import not much where the people  be of weak courage for as Virgil say it never trouble a wolf how many the  sheep be the army of the Persian in the plain of Arbela be such a vast sea of  people as it do somewhat astonish the commander in Alexander army who come to  he therefore and wish he to set upon they by night and he answer he will not  pilfer the victory and the defeat be easy when Tigranes the Armenian be encamp  upon a hill with four hundred thousand man discover the army of the Roman be  not above fourteen thousand march towards he he make himself merry with it and  say yonder man be too many for a embassage and too few for a fight but before  the sun set he find they enough to give he the chase with infinite slaughter  many be the example of the great odds between number and courage so that a man  may true make a judgement that the principal point of greatness in any state  be to have a race of military man neither be money the sinew of war as it be  trivially say where the sinew of man arm in base and effeminate people be fail  for Solon say well to Croesus when in ostentation he show he his gold sir if  any other come that have better iron than you he will be master of all this  gold therefore let any prince or state think sole of his force except his  militia of native be of good and valiant soldier and let prince on the other  side that have subject of martial disposition know their own strength unless  they be otherwise want unto themselves as for mercenary force which be the  help in this case all example show that whatsoever estate or prince do rest  upon they he may spread his feather for a time but he will mew they soon after  the blessing of Judah and Issachar will never meet that the same people or  nation shall be both the lion whelp and the ass between burden neither will it  be that a people overlay with tax shall ever become valiant and martial it be  true that tax levy by consent of the estate do abate man courage less as it  have be see notable in the excise of the low country and in some degree in the  subsidy of England for you must note that we speak now of the heart and not of  the purse so that although the same tribute and tax lie by consent or by  impose be all one to the purse yet it work diverse upon the courage so that  you may conclude that no people overcharge with tribute be fit for empire let  state that aim at greatness take heed how their nobility and gentleman do  multiply too fast for that make the common subject grow to be a peasant and  base swain drive out of heart and in effect but the gentleman laborer Even as  you may see in coppice wood if you leave your staddles too thick you shall  never have clean underwood but shrub and bush so in country if the gentleman  be too many the commons will be base and you will bring it to that that not  the hundred poll will be fit for a helmet especial as to the infantry which be  the nerve of a army and so there will be great population and little strength  this which I speak of have be nowhere better see than by compare of England  and France whereof England though far less in territory and population have be  nevertheless a overmatch in regard the middle people of England make good  soldier which the peasant of France do not and herein the device of king Henry  the seven whereof I have speak large in the history of his life be profound  and admirable in make farm and house of husbandry of a standard that be  maintain with such a proportion of land unto they as may breed a subject to  live in convenient plenty and no servile condition and to keep the plough in  the hand of the owner and not mere hireling and thus indeed you shall attain  to Virgil character which he give to ancient Italy land powerful arms  and  breast  glebae neither be that state which for any thing I know be almost  peculiar to England and hardly to be find anywhere else except it be perhaps  in Poland to be pass over I mean the state of free servant and attendant upon  nobleman and gentleman which be no way inferior unto the yeomanry for arm and  therefore out of all question the splendour and magnificence and great retinue  and hospitality of nobleman and gentleman receive into custom do much conduce  unto martial greatness whereas contrariwise the close and reserve live of  nobleman and gentleman cause a penury of military force by all mean it be to  be procure that the trunk of nebuchadnezzar tree of monarchy be great enough  to bear the branch and the bough that be that the natural subject of the crown  or state bear a sufficient proportion to the stranger subject that they govern  therefore all state that be liberal of naturalize towards stranger be fit for  empire for to think that a handful of people can with the great courage and  policy in the world embrace too large extent of dominion it may hold for a  time but it will fail sudden the Spartan be a nice people in point of  naturalize whereby while they keep their compass they stand firm but when they  do spread and their bough be become too great for their stem they become a  windfall upon the sudden never any state be in this point so open to receive  stranger into their body as be the Roman therefore it sort with they accord  for they grow to the great monarchy their manner be to grant naturalize which  they call law community and to grant it in the high degree that be not only  law exchange law marriage law haereditatis but also law a voting and law honor  and this not to singular person alone but likewise to whole family yea to city  and sometime to nation add to this their custom of plantation of colony  whereby the Roman plant be remove into the soil of other nation and put both  constitution together you will say that it be not the Roman that spread upon  the world but it be the world that spread upon the Roman and that be the sure  way of greatness I have marvel sometime at Spain how they clasp and contain so  large dominion with so few natural Spaniard but sure the whole compass of  Spain be a very great body of a tree far above Rome and Sparta at the first  and beside though they have not have that usage to naturalize liberal yet they  have that which be next to it that be to employ almost indifferent all nation  in their militia of ordinary soldier yea and sometime in their high command  nay it seem at this instant they be sensible of this want of native as by the  pragmatical sanction now publish appear it be certain that sedentary and  within door be and delicate manufacture that require rather the finger than  the arm have in their nature a contrariety to a military disposition and  general all warlike people be a little idle and love danger better than  travail neither must they be too much break of it if they shall be preserve in  vigour therefore it be great advantage in the ancient state of Sparta Athens  Rome and other that they have the use of slave which common do rid those  manufacture but that be abolish in great part by the Christian law that which  come near to it be to leave those be chief to stranger which for that purpose  be the more easy to be receive and to contain the principal bulk of the vulgar  native within those three kind tiller of the ground free servant and  handicraftsman of strong and manly be as smith mason carpenter etcetera not  reckon profess soldier but above all for empire and greatness it import most  that a nation do profess arm as their principal honour study and occupation  for the thing which we former have speak of be but habilitations towards arm  and what be habilitation without intention and act Romulus after his death as  they report or feign send a present to the Roman that above all they shall  intend arm and then they shall prove the great empire of the world the fabric  of the state of Sparta be whole though not wise frame and compose to that  scope and end the Persian and Macedonian have it for a flash the Gaul germane  Goth Saxon Norman and other have it for a time the turk have it at this day  though in great declination of Christian Europe they that have it be in effect  only the Spaniard but it be so plain that every man profit in that he most  intend that it needs not to be stand upon it be enough to point at it that no  nation which do not direct profess arm may look to have greatness fall into  their mouth and on the other side it be a most certain oracle of time that  those state that continue long in that profession as the Roman and turk  principal have do do wonder and those that have profess arm but for a age have  notwithstanding common attain that greatness in that age which maintain they  long after when their profession and exercise of arm have grow to decay  incident to this point be for a state to have those law or custom which may  reach forth unto they just occasion as may be pretend of war for there be that  justice imprint in the nature of man that they enter not upon war whereof so  many calamity do ensue but upon some at the least specious ground and quarrel  the Turk have at hand for cause of war the propagation of his law or sect a  quarrel that he may always command the Roman though they esteem the extend the  limit of their empire to be great honour to their general when it be do yet  they never rest upon that alone to begin a war first therefore let nation that  pretend to greatness have this that they be sensible of wrong either upon  borderer merchant or politic minister and that they sit not too long upon a  provocation second let they be press and ready to give aid and succour to  their confederate as it ever be with the Roman insomuch as if the confederate  have league defensive with diverse other state and upon invasion offer do  implore their aid several yet the Roman will ever be the foremost and leave it  to none other to have the honour as for the war which be ancient make on the  behalf of a kind of party or tacit conformity of estate I do not see how they  may be well justify as when the Roman make a war for the liberty of grease or  when the Lacedaemonian and Athenian make war to set up or pull down democracy  and oligarchies or when war be make by foreigner under the pretence of justice  or protection to deliver the subject of other from tyranny and oppression and  the like let it suffice that no estate expect to be great that be not awake  upon any just occasion of arm no body can be healthful without exercise  neither natural body nor politic and certain to a kingdom or estate a just and  honourable war be the true exercise a civil war indeed be like the heat of a  fever but a foreign war be like the heat of exercise and serve to keep the  body in health for in a slothful peace both courage will effeminate and manner  corrupt but howsoever it be for happiness without all question for greatness  it make to be still for the most part in arm and the strength of a veteran  army though it be a Chargeable business always on foot be that which common  give the law or at least the reputation among all neighbour state as may well  be see in Spain which have have in one part or other a veteran army almost  continual now by the space of six score year to be master of the sea be a  abridgment of a monarchy Cicero write to Atticus of Pompey his preparation  against Caesar say a council Pompeii plane Themistocleum be think for who mari  be master of  the dawn a thing made a slave of him and without doubt Pompey  have tire out Caesar if upon vain confidence he have not leave that way we see  the great effect of battle by sea the battle of Actium decide the empire of  the world the battle of Lepanto arrest the greatness of the Turk there be many  example where sea-fight have be final to the war but this be when prince or  state have set up their rest upon the battle but thus much be certain that he  that command the sea be at great liberty and may take as much and as little of  the war as he will whereas those that be strong by land be many time  nevertheless in great strait sure at this day with we of Europe the vantage of  strength at sea which be one of the principal dowry of this kingdom of great  Britain be great both because most of the kingdom of Europe be not mere inland  but gird with the sea most part of their compass and because the wealth of  both Indies seem in great part but a accessary to the command of the sea the  war of latter age seem to be make in the dark in respect of the glory and  honour which reflect upon man from the war in ancient time there be now for  martial encouragement some degree and order of chivalry which nevertheless be  confer promiscuous upon soldier and no soldier and some remembrance perhaps  upon the scutcheon and some hospital for maim soldier and such like thing but  in ancient time the trophy erect upon the place of the victory the funeral  laudatives and monument for those that die in the war the crown and garland  personal the style of emperor which the great king of the world after borrow  the triumph of the general upon their return the great donative and largess  upon the disband of the army be thing able to inflame all man courage but  above all that of the triumph among the Roman be not pageant or gaudery but  one of the wise and noble institution that ever be for it contain three thing  honour to the general riches to the treasury out of the spoil and donative to  the army but that honour perhaps be not fit for monarchy except it be in the  person of the monarch himself or his son as it come to pass in the time of the  Roman emperor who do impropriate the actual triumph to themselves and their  son for such war as they do achieve in person and leave only for war achieve  by subject some triumphal garment and ensign to the general to conclude no man  can by care take as the scripture say add a cubit to his stature in this  little model of a man body but in the great frame of kingdom and commonwealth  it be in the power of prince or estate to add amplitude and greatness to their  kingdom for by introduce such ordinance constitution and custom as we have now  touch they may sow greatness to their posterity and succession but these thing  be common not observe but leave to take their chance