10.17. 17. The same Subject continued.
We have observed that the countries
subdued by a despotic monarch ought to be held by a vassal. Historians
are very lavish of their praises of the generosity of those conquerors
who restored the princes to the throne whom they had vanquished.
Extremely generous then were the Romans, who made such a number of
kings, in order to have instruments of slavery.
[23]
A proceeding of that
kind is absolutely necessary. If the conqueror intends to preserve the
country which he has subdued, neither the governors he sends will be
able to contain the subjects within duty, nor he himself the governors.
He will be obliged to strip his ancient patrimony of troops, in order to
secure his new dominions. The miseries of each nation will be common to
both; civil broils will spread themselves from one to the other. On the
contrary, if the conqueror restores the legitimate prince to the throne,
he will of course have an ally; by the junction of whose forces his own
power will be augmented. We have a recent instance of this in Shah
Nadir, who conquered the Mogul, seized his treasures, and left him in
possession of Hindostan.
Footnotes
[23]
Tacitus, "Life of Agricola," 14.
