For there
is no passion, that is not sometimes overpowered, by a stronger contrary
one; for we frequently see the fear of death overpowered by the greed
for another's property. Men, who are running away in panic fear from the
enemy, can be stopped by the fear of nothing else, but throw themselves
into rivers, or rush into fire, to escape the enemy's steel. In whatever
degree, therefore, a commonwealth is rightly ordered, and its laws well
made; yet in the extreme difficulties of a dominion, when all, as
sometimes happens, are seized by a sort of panic terror, all, without
regard to the future or the laws, approve only that which their actual
fear suggests, all turn towards the man who is renowned for his
victories, and set him free from the laws, and (establishing thereby the
worst of precedents), continue him in command, and entrust to his
fidelity all affairs of state: and this was, in fact, the cause of the
destruction of the Roman dominion. But to answer this objection, I say,
first, that in a rightly constituted republic such terror does not arise
but from a due cause. And so such terror and consequent confusion can be
attributed to no cause avoidable by human foresight. In the next place,
it is to be observed, that in a republic such as we have above
described, it is impossible (Chap. VIII. Secs. 9, 25) for this or that
man so to distinguish himself by the report of his virtue, as to turn
towards himself the attention of all, but he must have many rivals
favoured by others.
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