Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

A DISCOURSE

OF THE

ORIGINAL AND FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE

OF

NATURAL, ARBITRARY, NECESSARY, AND UNNATURAL WAR.

THE ordinary theme and argument of history is war; which may be defined the exercise of violence under sovereign command against withstanders; force, authority, and resistance, being the essential parts thereof. Violence limited by authority is sufficiently distinguished from robbery, and the like outrages; yet consisting in relation towards others, it necessarily requires a supposition of resistance; whereby the force of war becomes different from the violence inflicted upon slaves, or yielding malefactors. As for arms, discipline, and whatsoever else belongeth to the making of war prosperous, they are only considerable in their degree of perfection; since naked savages fighting disorderly with stones, by appointment of their commanders, may truly and absolutely be said to war. Nevertheless, it is true, that as the beasts are armed with fierce teeth, paws, horns, and other bodily instruments, of much advantage against unweaponed men: so hath reason taught man to strengthen his hand with such offensive arms, as no creature else can well avoid, or possibly resist. And it might seem happy if the sword, the arrow, the gun, with many terrible engines of death, could be wholly employed in the exercise of that lordly rule which the Lord of all hath given to mankind over the rest of living things. But since in human reason there hath no means been found of holding all mankind at peace within itself; it is needful that against

the wit and subtlety of man we oppose, not only the brute force of our bodies, (wherein many beasts exceed us,) but, helping our strength with art and wisdom, strive to excel our enemies in those points wherein man is excellent over other creatures.

The necessity of war, which among human actions is the most lawless, hath some kind of affinity and near resemblance with the necessity of law: for there were no use either of war or of law, if every man had prudence to conceive how much of right were due both to and from himself; and were withal so punctually just as to perform what he knows requisite, and to rest contented with his own: but seeing our conveyances of land cannot be made so strong by any skill of lawyers, without multiplicity of clauses and provisos, that it may be secure from contentions, avarice, and the malice of false seeming justice; it is not to be wondered that the great charter, whereby God bestowed the whole earth upon Adam a, and confirmed it unto the sons of Noah, being as brief in words, as large in effect, hath bred much quarrel of interpretation.

Surely, howsoever the letter of that donation may be unregarded by the most of men; yet the sense thereof is so imprinted in their hearts, and so passionately embraced by their greedy desires, as if every one laid claim for himself unto that which was conferred upon all.

This appeared in the Gauls falling upon Italy under their captain Brennus, who told the Roman ambassador plainly, "That prevalent arms were as good as any title; "and that valiant men might account to be their own that these wanting land

66

as much as they could get "wherewith to sustain their people, and the Tatienses hav"ing more than enough, it was their meaning to take what "they needed by strong hand, if it were not yielded quietly."

[ocr errors]

Now if it be well affirmed by lawyers, that there is no taking of possession more just than in vacuum venire, to enter upon land uninhabited, (as our countrymen have lately

" Gen. i. 28.

done in the Summer Islands;) then may it be inferred, that this demand of the Gauls held more of reason than could be discerned at the first view.

For if the title of occupiers be good in land unpeopled, why should it be bad accounted in a country peopled over thinly? Should one family, or one thousand, hold possession of all the southern undiscovered continent, because they had seated themselves in Nova Guiana, or about the straits of Magellan? Why might not then the like be done in Afric, in Europe, and in Asia? If these were most absurd to imagine, let then any man's wisdom determine, by lessening the territory, and increasing the number of inhabitants, what proportion is requisite to the peopling of a region in such manner, that the land shall neither be too narrow for those whom it feedeth, nor capable of a greater multitude? Until this can be concluded and agreed upon, one main and fundamental cause of the most grievous war that can be imagined is not like to be taken from the earth.

It was perhaps enough in reason, to succour with victuals and other helps a vast multitude compelled by necessity to seek a new seat, or to direct them to a country able to receive them. But what shall persuade a mighty nation to travel so far by land or sea, over mountains, deserts, and great rivers, with their wives and children, when they are (or think themselves) powerful enough to serve themselves nearer hand, and enforce others unto the labour of such a journey. I have briefly shewed in another work, that the miseries accompanying this kind of war are most extreme: forasmuch as the invaders cannot otherwise be satisfied than by rooting out or expelling the nation upon whom they fall.

And although the uncertainty of the tenure by which all worldly things are held ministers very unpleasant meditation; yet it is most certain, that within 1,200 years last past, all, or the most part of kingdoms to us known, have truly felt the calamities of such forcible transplantations; being either overwhelmed by new colonies that fell upon them, or driven,

b Gen. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 2.

as one wave is driven by another, to seek new seats, having lost their own.

Our western parts of Europe, indeed, have great cause to rejoice, and give praise to God, for that we have been free above 600 years from such inundations as were those of the Goths and Vandals; yea, from such as were those of our own ancestors, the Saxons, Danes, and Normans: but howsoever we have, together with the feeling, lost the memory of such wretchedness as our forefathers endured by those wars; (of all others the most cruel ;) yet are there few kingdoms in all Asia that have not been ruined by such overflowing multitudes within the same space of these last 600 years.

It were an endless labour. to tell how the Turks and Tartars, falling like locusts upon that quarter of the world, having spoiled everywhere, and in most places eaten up all by the roots, consuming (together with the princes formerly reigning, and a world of people) the very names, language, and memory of former times. Suffice it, that when any country is overlaid by the multitude which live upon it, there is a natural necessity compelling it to disburden itself, and lay the load upon others, by right or wrong; for (to omit the danger of pestilence, often visiting them which live in throngs) there is no misery that urgeth men so violently unto desperate courses and contempt of death, as the torments and threats of famine: wherefore the war that is grounded upon this general remediless necessity may be termed the general and remediless, or necessary

war.

Against which, that our country is better provided, as may be shewed hereafter, than any civil nation to us known, we ought to hold it a great blessing of God, and carefully retain the advantages he hath given us.

Besides, this remediless, or necessary war, which is not frequent, there is a war voluntary and customable, unto which the offended party is not compelled: and this customary war, which troubleth all the world, giveth little respite or breathing-time of peace, and doth usually borrow

pretence from the necessity, to make itself appear more honest; for covetous ambition thinking all too little which at present it hath, supposeth itself to stand in need of all which it hath not.

Wherefore if two bordering princes have their territories meeting in an open campaign, the more mighty will continually seek occasion to extend his limits to the further border thereof.

If they be divided by mountains, they will fight for the mastery of the passage of the tops, and finally for the towns that stand upon the roots.

If rivers run between them, they contend for the bridges; and think themselves not well assured, until they have fortified the further bank.

Yea, the sea itself must be very broad, barren of fish, and void of little islands interjacent, else will it yield plentiful argument of quarrel to the kingdoms which it serveth: all this proceeds from desire of having; and such desire from fear of want.

Hereunto may be added, that in these arbitrary wars, there is commonly to be found some small measure of necessity, though it seldom be observed; perhaps, because it extendeth not so far as to become public: for where many younger sons, of younger brothers, have neither lands nor means to uphold themselves; and where many men of trade, or useful profession, know not how to bestow themselves for lack of employ, there can it not be avoided, but that the whole body of the state (howsoever otherwise healthfully disposed) should suffer anguish by the grievance of these ill-affected members.

It sufficeth not that the country hath wherewith to sustain even more than lives upon it, if means be wanting whereby to drive convenient participation of the general store into a great number of well deservers.

In such cases there will be complaining, commiseration, and finally murmur, (as men are apt to lay the blame of those evils whereof they know not the ground upon public misgoRALEGH, MISC. WORKS.

[ocr errors]
« ПредишнаНапред »