perpetual guard of the prince, except they also chance to be
liquorish after his blood; and a horse-quarter in regard of the
distribution of his whole land to tenants for life, upon
condition of continual service, or as often as they shall be
commanded at their own charge by timars, being a word which they
say signifies benefices, that it shall save me a labor of opening
the government.

But the fame of Mahomet and his prudence is especially
founded in this, that whereas the Roman monarchy, except that of
Israel, was the most imperfect, the Turkish is the most perfect
that ever was. Which happened in that the Roman (as the
Israelitish of the Sanhedrim and the congregation) had a mixture
of the Senate and the people; and the Turkish is pure. And that
this was pure, and the other mixed, happened not through the
wisdom of the legislators, but the different genius of the
nations; the people of the Eastern parts, except the Israelites,
which is to be attributed to their agrarian, having been such as
scarce ever knew any other condition than that of slavery; and
these of the Wester having ever had such a relish of liberty, as
through what despair soever could never be brought to stand still
while the yoke was putting on their necks, but by being fed with
some hopes of reserving to themselves some part of their freedom.

Wherefore Julius Caesar (saith Suetonius) contented himself
in naming half the magistrates, to leave the rest to the suffrage
of the people. And Maecenas, though he would not have Augustus to
give the people their liberty, would not have him take it quite
away. Whence this empire, being neither hawk nor buzzard, made a
flight accordingly; and the prince being perpetually tossed