28. Besides, paid soldiers, that are accustomed to military discipline,
and can support cold and hunger, are likely to despise a crowd of
citizens as very inferior for storming towns or fighting pitched
battles. But that my dominion is, therefore, more unhappy or less
durable, no one of sound mind will affirm. But, on the contrary,
everyone that judges things fairly will admit, that that dominion is the
most durable of all, which can content itself with preserving what it
has got, without coveting what belongs to others, and strives,
therefore, most eagerly by every means to avoid war and preserve peace.
29. But I admit that the counsels of such a dominion can hardly be
concealed. But everyone will also admit with me that it is far better
for the right counsels of a dominion to be known to its enemies, than
for the evil secrets of tyrants to be concealed from the citizens. They
who can treat secretly of the affairs of a dominion have it absolutely
under their authority, and, as they plot against the enemy in time of
war, so do they against the citizens in time of peace. Now that this
secrecy is often serviceable to a dominion, no one can deny; but that
without it the said dominion cannot subsist, no one will ever prove.
But, on the contrary, to entrust affairs of state absolutely to any man
is quite incompatible with the maintenance of liberty; and so it is
folly to choose to avoid a small loss by means of the greatest of evils.
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