conquest desirable, except to strengthen themselves and weaken the
enemy. Hence it follows, that those who are impoverished by victory or
debilitated by conquest, must either have gone beyond, or fallen short
of, the end for which wars are made. A republic or a prince is enriched
by the victories he obtains, when the enemy is crushed and possession
is retained of the plunder and ransom. Victory is injurious when the foe
escapes, or when the soldiers appropriate the booty and ransom. In such
a case, losses are unfortunate, and conquests still more so; for the
vanquished suffers the injuries inflicted by the enemy, and the victor
those occasioned by his friends, which being less justifiable, must
cause the greater pain, particularly from a consideration of his being
thus compelled to oppress his people by an increased burden of taxation.
A ruler possessing any degree of humanity, cannot rejoice in a victory
that afflicts his subjects. The victories of the ancient and well
organized republics, enabled them to fill their treasuries with gold and
silver won from their enemies, to distribute gratuities to the people,
reduce taxation, and by games and solemn festivals, disseminate
universal joy. But the victories obtained in the times of which we
speak, first emptied the treasury, and then impoverished the people,
without giving the victorious party security from the enemy. This arose
entirely from the disorders inherent in their mode of warfare; for the
vanquished soldiery, divesting themselves of their accoutrements, and
being neither slain nor detained prisoners, only deferred a renewed
attack on the conqueror, till their leader had furnished them with arms
and horses. Besides this, both ransom and booty being appropriated
by the troops, the victorious princes could not make use of them for
raising fresh forces, but were compelled to draw the necessary means
from their subjects' purses, and this was the only result of victory
experienced by the people, except that it diminished the ruler's
reluctance to such a course, and made him less particular about his mode