For as to the case which often arises, where a
king is chosen on account of war, that is, because war is much more
happily conducted by kings, it is manifest folly, I say, that men should
choose slavery in time of peace for the sake of better fortune in war;
if, indeed, peace can be conceived of in a dominion, where merely for
the sake of war the highest authority is transferred to one man, who is,
therefore, best able to show his worth and the importance to everyone of
his single self in time of war; whereas, on the contrary, democracy has
this advantage, that its excellence is greater in peace than in war.
However, for whatever reason a king is chosen, he cannot by himself, as
we said just now, know what will be to the interest of the dominion: but
for this purpose, as we showed in the last section, will need many
citizens for his counsellors. And as we cannot at all suppose, that any
opinion can be conceived about a matter proposed for discussion, which
can have escaped the notice of so large a number of men, it follows,
that no opinion can be conceived tending to the people's welfare,
besides all the opinions of this council, which are submitted to the
king. And so, since the people's welfare is the highest law, or the
king's utmost right, it follows, that the king's utmost right is but to
choose one of the opinions offered by the council, not to decree
anything, or offer any opinion contrary to the mind of all the council
at once (Chap.
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