"this lord to build forts, and provide himfelf with "arms, under pretence of preventing the inroads "of the Tartars. This little depending fovereign, 66 finding he was now in a condition to be trouble"fome, began to infist upon terms, and threaten"ed upon every occafion to unite with the Tartars: upon which the prime minifter, who began to be "in pain about his head, propofed a match betwixt "his master, and the only daughter of this tribu"tary lord, which he had the good luck to bring "to pafs; and from that time valued himself as "author of a most glorious union, which indeed "was grown of abfolute neceffity by his corrup "tion." This paffage, cited literally from an old hiftory of Sarmatia, I thought fit to fet down on purpose to perplex little fmattering remarkers, and put them upon the hunt for an application. No. 20. Thursday, December 21. 1710. I -pugnacem fcirent fapiente minorem. AM very much at a lofs how to proceed upon the fubject intended in this paper, which a new incident hath led me to engage in. The fubject I mean, is that of foldiers and the army; but being a matter wholly out of my trade, I fhall handle it in as cautious a manner as I am able. It is certain, that the art of war hath fuffered great changes almoft in every age and country of the world; however, there are fome maxims relating to it, that will be eternal truths, and which every reasonable man must allow. In the early times of Greece and Rome, the armies of thofe ftates were compofed of their VOL. II. citizen: F f citizens, who took no pay, because the quarrel was their own; and therefore the war was ufually decided in one campaign; or, if it lafted longer, yet in winter the foldiers returned to their feveral callings, and were not diftinguished from the reft of the people. The Gothic governments in Europe, although they were of military inftitution, yet obferved almoft the fame method. I fhall inftance only here in England: Thofe who held lands in capite of the King, were obliged to attend him in his wars with a certain number of men, who all held lands from them at eafy rents on that condition. These fought without pay; and, when the fervice was over, returned again to their farms. It is recorded of William Rufus, that being abfent in Normandy, and engaged in a war with his brother, he ordered twenty thoufand men to be raised, and fent over from hence to fupply his army; but having ftruck up a peace before they were embarked, he gave them leave to difbind, upon condition they would pay him ten fhillings a man, which amounted to a mighty fum in thofe days. Confider a kingdom as a great family, whereof the prince is the father, and it will appear plainly, that mercenary troops are only fervants armed, either to awe the children at home, or elfe to defend from invaders the family, who are otherwife employed, and chufe to contribute out of their stock for paying their defenders, rather than leave their affairs to be neglected in their abfence. The art of making foldiery a trade, and keeping armies in pay, feems in Europe to have had two originals: the first was ufurpation; when popular men destroyed the liberties of their country, and feized the power into their own hands, which they were forced to maintain by hiring guards to bridle the people. Such were anciently the tyrants in moft of the fmall ftates of Greece; and fuch were thofe in feveral parts parts of Italy about three or four centuries ago, as Machiavel informs us. The other original of mercenary armies feems to have rifen from larger kingdoms, or commonwealths, which had fubdued provinces at a distance, and were forced to maintain troops upon them to prevent infurrections from the natives. Of this fort were Macedon, Carthage, and Rome of old; Venice and Holland at this day, as well as moft kingdoms of Europe. So that mercenary forces in a free state, whether monarchy or commonwealth, feem only neceffary either for preferving their conquefts, (which in fuch governments it is not prudent to extend too far), or elfe for maintaing war at a distance. ་ In this laft, which at prefent is our most import-ant cafe, there are certain maxims, that all wife governments have obferved? The first I fhall mention is, That no private man fhould have a commiffion to be general for life, let his merit and fervices be ever fo great. Or, if a prince be unadvisedly brought to offer fuch a commiffion in one hand, let him (to fave time and blood) deliver up his crown with the other. The Romans, in the height and perfection of their government, ufually fent out one of the new confuls to be general against their moft formidable enemy, and recalled the old one; who often returned before the next election, and, according as he had merit, was fent to command in fome other part; which perhaps was continued to him for a fecond, and fometimes a third year. But if Paulus Æmilius, or Scipio himfelf, had prefumed to move the fenate to continue their commiffions for life, they would certainly have fallen a facrifice to the jealoufy of the people. Cæfar indeed (between whom and a certain general, fome of late, with much difcretion, have made a parallel) had his command in Gaul continued to him for five years; and was afterwards made perpetual dictator, that is to fay, Ff2 general general for life; which gave him the power and the will of utterly destroying the Roman liberty. But in his time the Romans were very much degenerated, and great corruptions had crept into their morals and difcipline. However, we fee there ftill were fome remains of a noble fpirit among them; for when Cæfar fent to be chofen conful, notwithstanding his abfence, they decreed he should come in perfon, give up his command, and petere more majorum. It is not impoffible, but a general may defire fuch a commiffion out of inadvertency, at the inftigation of his friends, or perhaps of his enemies; or merely for the benefit and honour of it, without intending any fuch dreadful confequences; and in that cafe a wife prince or ftate may barely refufe it without fhewing any marks of their difpleafure. But the requeft in its own nature is highly criminal, and ought to be entered fo upon record, to terrify others in time to come from venturing to make it. Another maxim to be obferved by a free ftate engaged in war, is, to keep the military power in abfolute fubjection to the civil, nor ever fuffer the former to influence or interfere with the latter. A general and his army are fervants, hired by the civil power to act, as they are directed from thence, and with a commiffion large or limited, as the adminiftration fhall think fit; for which they are largely paid in profit and honour. The whole fyftem by which armies are governed, is quite alien from the peaceful inftitutions of ftates at home; and if the rewards be so inviting as to tempt a fenator to take a poft in the army, whilft he is there on his duty, he ought to confider himself in no other capacity. I know not any fort of men so apt as fol diers are to reprimand those who prefume to interfere in what relates to their trade. When they hear any of us, in a coffeehouse, wondering that fuch a victory was not purfued; complaining that fuch fuch a town coft more men and money than it was worth to take it; or that fuch an opportunity was loft of fighting the enemy; they prefently reprove us, and often with juftice enough, for meddling in matters out of our fphere; and clearly convince us of our mistakes by terms of art that none of us understand. Nor do we efcape fo; for they reflect with the utmoft contempt on our ignorance; that we, who fit at home in eafe and fecurity, never ftirring from our fire-fides, fhould pretend, from books and general reafon, to argue upon military affairs; which after all, if we may judge from the fhare of intellectuals in fome who are faid to excel that way, is not fo very profound, or difficult a fcience. But if there be any weight in what they offer, as perhaps there may be a great deal, furely thefe gentlemen have a much weaker pretence to concern themselves in matters of the cabinet, which are always either far above, or much befide their capacities. Soldiers may as well pretend to prefcribe rules for trade, to determine points in philofopy, to be moderators in an affembly of divines, or direct in a court of justice, as to mifplace their talent in examining affairs of ftate, especially in what relates to the choice of minifters, who are never fo likely to be ill chofen as when approved by them. It would be endlefs to fhew, how pernicious all fteps of this nature have been in many parts and ages of the world. I fhall only produce two at prefent; one in Rome, the other in England. The firft is of Cæfar: when he came to the city with his foldiers to fettle the ministry, there was an end of their liberty for ever. The fecond was in the great rebellion against K. Charles I. The King and both houfes were agreed upon the terms of a peace; but the officers of the army, as Ludlow relates it, fet a guard upon the house of Commons, took a lift of the members, and kept all by force out of the house, except thofe who were for bring Ff3 ing |