security; which will be a thousand times more dangerous. And
there can never be a commonwealth otherwise than by the order in
debate wrought up to that perfection; but this necessity must
sometimes happen in regard of her natural slowness and openness,
and the suddenness of assaults that may be made upon her, as also
the secrecy which in some cases may be of absolute necessity to
her affairs. Whence Machiavel concludes it positively, that a
commonwealth unprovided of such a refuge, must fall to ruin; for
her course is either broken by the blow in one of those cases, or
by herself, while it startles her out of her orders. And indeed a
commonwealth is like a greyhound, which, having once coasted,
will never after run fair, but grow slothful; and when it comes
to make a common practice of taking nearer ways than its orders,
it is dissolved: for the being of a commonwealth consists in its
orders. Wherefore at this list you will be exposed to danger, if
you have not provided beforehand for the safety of your resort in
the like cases: nor is it sufficient that your resort be safe,
unless it be as secret and quick; for if it be slow or open, your
former inconveniences are not remedied.

"Now for our imitation in this part, there is nothing in
experience like that of the Council of Ten in Venice; the benefit
whereof would be too long to be shown in the whole piece, and
therefore I shall take but a pattern out of Janotti. In the war,
says he, which the Venetians had with Florence in Casentin, the
Florentines, finding a necessity in their affairs far from any
other inclination in themselves to ask their peace, sent
ambassadors about it to Venice, where they were no sooner heard,
than the bargain was struck up by the Council of Ten: and
everybody admiring (seeing this commonwealth stood upon the