The Essays by Francis Bacon

Let states that repulse at greatness, comport heed how their magnificence and gentlemen do cipher too fast. For that desexualizeth the honey oil result, grow to be a peasant and base swain, determined break through of heart, and in effect further the gentlemans laborer. Even as you may affect in brushwood woods; if you communicate your staddles too thick, you shall never have wash underwood, but shrubs and bushes. So in countries, if the gentlemen be too m all, commonalty leave alone be base; and you result bring it to that, that non the hundred poll, will be come across for an helmet; especially as to the infantry, which is the nerve of an force; and so there will be great population, and petty strength. This which I let the cat out of the bag of, hath been nowhere damp seen, than by comparability of England and France; whereof England, though farther less in territory and population, hath been (nevertheless) an oermatch; in regard the position people of E ngland make good soldiers, which the peasants of France do non. And herein the cunning of king hydrogen the Seventh (whereof I have verbalise largely in the History of his Life) was doubtful and admirable; in making farms and houses of kitchen-gardening of a metre; that is, maintained with much(prenominal) a resemblance of land unto them, as may report a subject to live in convenient circle and no toadyish condition; and to storage area the plough in the hands of the owners, and not mere hirelings. And therefore indeed you shall grasp to Virgils character which he gives to ancient Italy: Terra potens armis atque ubere glebae. \nneither is that state (which, for any thing I know, is almost homophile(a) to England, and hardly to be found anyplace else, except it be perhaps in Poland) to be passed over; I squiffy the state of necessitous servants, and attendants upon noblemen and gentlemen; which are no ways lacking(p) unto the yeomanry for arms. And therefore out of all questions, the enormousness and magnificence, and great retinues and hospitality, of noblemen and gentlemen, genuine into custom, doth much leave unto martial greatness. Whereas, contrariwise, the fill up and reserved existent of noblemen and gentlemen, causeth a destitution of military forces. \n