followed by the Romans until they passed beyond the confines of Italy,
and began to reduce foreign kingdoms and States to provinces: as plainly
appears in the fact that Capua was the first city to which they sent a
prætor, and him from no motive of ambition, but at the request of the
Capuans themselves who, living at variance with one another, thought it
necessary to have a Roman citizen in their town who might restore unity
and good order among them. Influenced by this example, and urged by the
same need, the people of Antium were the next to ask that they too might
have a prætor given them; touching which request and in connection with
which new method of governing, Titus Livius observes, "_that not the
arms only but also the laws of Rome now began to exert an influence;_"
showing how much the course thus followed by the Romans promoted the
growth of their authority.

For those cities, more especially, which have been used to freedom or
to be governed by their own citizens, rest far better satisfied with a
government which they do not see, even though it involve something of
oppression, than with one which standing constantly before their eyes,
seems every day to reproach them with the disgrace of servitude. And
to the prince there is another advantage in this method of government,
namely, that as the judges and magistrates who administer the laws civil
and criminal within these cities, are not under his control, no decision
of theirs can throw responsibility or discredit upon him; so that he
thus escapes many occasions of calumny and hatred. Of the truth whereof,
besides the ancient instances which might be noted, we have a recent
example here in Italy. For Genoa, as every one knows, has many times
been occupied by the French king, who always, until lately, sent thither
a French governor to rule in his name. Recently, however, not from
choice but of necessity, he has permitted the town to be self-governed
under a Genoese ruler; and any one who had to decide which of these two