
with him. Sometimes a War is entered upon, because the Enemy is too strong, and
sometimes because he is too weak. Sometimes our Neighbours want the Things which
we have, or have the Things which we want; and we both fight, till they take
ours or give us theirs. It is a very justifiable Cause of War to invade a
Country after the People have been wasted by Famine, destroyed by Pestilence, or
embroiled by Factions amongst themselves. It is justifiable to enter into a War
against our nearest Ally, when one of his Towns lies convenient for us, or a
Territory of Land, that would render our Dominions round and compact. If a
Prince send Forces into a Nation, where the People are poor and ignorant, he may
lawfully put half of them to Death, and make Slaves of the rest, in order to
civilize and reduce them from their barbarous Way of Living. It is a very
kingly, honourable, and frequent Practice, when one Prince desires the
Assistance of another to secure him against an Invasion, that the Assistant,
when he hath driven out the Invader, should seize on the Dominions himself, and
kill, imprison or banish the Prince he came to relieve. Allyance by Blood or
Marriage, is a sufficient Cause of War between Princes; and the nearer the
Kindred is, the greater is their Disposition to quarrel: Poor Nations are
hungry, and rich Nations are proud; and Pride and Hunger will ever be at
Variance. For these Reasons, the Trade of a Soldier is held the most honourable
of all others: Because a Soldier is a Yahoo hired to kill in cold Blood as many
of his own Species, who have never offended him, as possibly he can.
    There is likewise a Kind of beggarly Princes in Europe, not able to make War
by themselves, who hire out their Troops to richer Nations for so much a Day to
each Man; of which they keep three Fourths to themselves, and it is the best
Part of their Maintenance; such are those in many Northern Parts of Europe.
    What you have told me, (said my Master) upon the Subject of War, doth indeed
discover most admirably the Effects of that Reason you pretend to: However, it
is happy that the Shame is greater than the Danger; and that Nature hath left
you utterly uncapable of doing much Mischief: For your Mouths lying flat with
your Faces, you can hardly bite each other to any Purpose, unless by Consent.
Then, as to the Claws upon your Feet before and behind, they are so short and
tender, that
