In a despotic government the power is communicated entire to the person entrusted with it.
The vizir himself is the despotic prince; and each particular officer is the vizir. In
monarchies the power is less immediately applied, being tempered by the
monarch as he gives it.
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He makes such a distribution of his authority as never to communicate a part of it
without reserving a greater share to himself.
Hence in monarchies the governors of towns are not so dependent on
the governor of the province as not to be still more so on the prince;
and the private officers or military bodies are not so far subject to
their general as not to owe still a greater subjection to their
sovereign.
In most monarchies it has been wisely regulated that those who have
an extensive command should not belong to any military corps; so that as
they have no authority but through the prince's pleasure, and as they
may be employed or not, they are in some measure in the service, and in
some measure out of it.
This is incompatible with a despotic government. For if those who
are not actually employed were still invested with privileges and
titles, the consequence must be that there would be men in the state who
might be said to be great of themselves; a thing directly opposite to
the nature of this government.
Were the governor of a town independent of the pasha, expedients
would be daily necessary to make them agree; which is highly absurd in a
despotic state. Besides, if a particular governor should refuse to obey,
how could the other answer for his province with his head?
In this kind of government, authority must ever be wavering; nor is
that of the lowest magistrate more steady than that of the despotic
prince. Under moderate governments, the law is prudent in all its
parts, and perfectly well known, so that even the pettiest magistrates
are capable of following it. But in a despotic state, where the prince's
will is the law, though the prince were wise, yet how could the
magistrate follow a will he does not know? He must certainly follow his
own.
Again, as the law is only the prince's will, and as the prince can
only will what he knows, the consequence is that there are an infinite
number of people who must will for him, and make their wills keep pace
with his. In fine, as the law is the momentary will of the prince, it is
necessary that those who will for him should follow his sudden manner of
willing.
