For in the state of nature
everyone strives, for bare liberty's sake, to defend himself to the
utmost of his power, and expects no other reward of warlike virtue but
his own independence. But, in the civil state, all the citizens together
are to be considered as a man in the state of nature; and, therefore,
when all fight on behalf of that state, all are defending themselves,
and engaged on their own business. But counsellors, judges, magistrates,
and the like, are engaged more on others' business than on their own;
and so it is but fair to pay them for their time. Besides, in war, there
can be no greater or more honourable inducement to victory than the idea
of liberty. But if, on the contrary, a certain portion of the citizens
be designated as soldiers, on which account it will be necessary to
award them a fixed pay, the king will, of necessity, distinguish them
above the rest (as we showed. Sec. 12) -- that is, will distinguish men
who are acquainted only with the arts of war, and, in time of peace,
from excess of leisure, become debauched, and, finally, from poverty,
meditate nothing but rapine, civil discord, and wars. And so we can
affirm, that a monarchy of this sort is, in fact, a state of war, and in
it only the soldiery enjoy liberty, but the rest are slaves.
23. Our remarks about the admission of foreigners (Chap. VI. Sec. 32) I
believe to be obvious. Besides, no one can doubt that the king's
blood-relations should be at a distance from him, and occupied, not by
warlike, but by peaceful business, whence they may get credit and the
dominion quiet.
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