is conquered. Only the conqueror is to take special care that they grow
not too strong, nor be entrusted with too much authority, and then he
can easily with his own forces and their assistance keep down the
greatness of his neighbours, and make himself absolute arbiter in that
province." Here is the old maxim, "Divide and conquer." To gain an entry
some pretence is advisable. Machiavelli speaks with approval of a
certain potentate who always made religion a pretence. Having entered a
vigorous policy must be pursued. We read--"He who usurps the government
of any State is to execute and put in practice all the cruelties which
he thinks material at once." Cromwell rises before us.

"A prince," says Machiavelli, "is not to regard the scandal of being
cruel if thereby he keeps his subjects in their allegiance." "For," he
is cautioned, "whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it
commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself; because
whenever the citizens are disposed to revolt they betake themselves, of
course, to that blessed name of Liberty, and the laws of their
ancestors, which no length of time nor kind usage whatever will be able
to eradicate." An alternative to utter destruction is flattery and
indulgence. "Men are either to be flattered and indulged or utterly
destroyed." We think of the titles and the bribes. Again, "A town that
has been anciently free cannot more easily be kept in subjection than by
employing its own citizens." We think of the place-hunter, the King's
visit, the "loyal" address. To make the conquest secure we read: "When a
prince conquers a new State and annexes it as a member to his old, then
it is necessary your subjects be disarmed, all but such as appeared for
you in the conquest, and they are to be mollified by degrees and
brought into such a condition of laziness and effeminacy that in time
your whole strength may devolve upon your own natural militia." We think
of the Arms Acts and our weakened people. But while one-half is disarmed