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contribute to render it altogether impossible that they who take

the field should maintain themselves at their own expense。 Those

two causes are; the progress of manufactures; and the improvement

in the art of war。

     Though a husbandman should be employed in an expedition;

provided it begins after seed…time and ends before harvest; the

interruption of his business will not always occasion any

considerable diminution of his revenue。 Without the intervention

of his labour; nature does herself the greater part of the work

which remains to be done。 But the moment that an artificer; a

smith; a carpenter; or a weaver; for example; quits his

workhouse; the sole source of his revenue is completely dried up。

Nature does nothing for him; he does all for himself。 When he

takes the field; therefore; in defence of the public; as he has

no revenue to maintain himself; he must necessarily be maintained

by the public。 But in a country of which a great part of the

inhabitants are artificers and manufacturers; a great part of the

people who go to war must be drawn from those classes; and must

therefore be maintained by the public as long as they are

employed in its service。

     When the art of war; too; has gradually grown up to be a

very intricate and complicated science; when the event of war

ceases to be determined; as in the first ages of society; by a

single irregular skirmish or battle; but when the contest is

generally spun out through several different campaigns; each of

which lasts during the greater part of the year; it becomes

universally necessary that the public should maintain those who

serve the public in war; at least while they are employed in that

service。 Whatever in time of peace might be the ordinary

occupation of those who go to war; so very tedious and expensive

a service would otherwise be far too heavy a burden upon them。

After the second Persian war; accordingly; the armies of Athens

seem to have been generally composed of mercenary troops;

consisting; indeed; partly of citizens; but partly too of

foreigners; and all of them equally hired and paid at the expense

of the state。 From the time of the siege of Veii; the armies of

Rome received pay for their service during the time which they

remained in the field。 Under the feudal governments the military

service both of the great lords and of their immediate dependants

was; after a certain period; universally exchanged for a payment

in money; which was employed to maintain those who served in

their stead。

     The number of those who can go to war; in proportion to the

whole number of the people; is necessarily much smaller in a

civilised than in a rude state of society。 In a civilised

society; as the soldiers are maintained altogether by the labour

of those who are not soldiers; the number of the former can never

exceed what the latter can maintain; over and above maintaining;

in a manner suitable to their respective stations; both

themselves and the other officers of government and law whom they

are obliged to maintain。 In the little agrarian states of ancient

Greece; a fourth or a fifth part of the whole body of the people

considered themselves as soldiers; and would sometimes; it is

said; take a field。 Among the civilised nations of modern Europe;

it is commonly computed that not more than one…hundredth part of

the inhabitants in any country can be employed as soldiers

without ruin to the country which pays the expenses of their

service。

     The expense of preparing the army for the field seems not to

have become considerable in any nation till long after that of

maintaining it in the field had devolved entirely upon the

sovereign or commonwealth。 In all the different republics of

ancient Greece; to learn his military exercises was a necessary

part of education imposed by the state upon every free citizen。

In every city there seems to have been a public field; in which;

under the protection of the public magistrate; the young people

were taught their different exercises by different masters。 In

this very simple institution consisted the whole expense which

any Grecian state seems ever to have been at in preparing its

citizens for war。 In ancient Rome the exercises of the Campus

Martius answered the same purpose with those of the Gymnasium in

ancient Greece。 Under the feudal governments; the many public

ordinances that the citizens of every district should practise

archery as well as several other military exercises were intended

for promoting the same purpose; but do not seem to have promoted

it so well。 Either from want of interest in the officers

entrusted with the execution of those ordinances; or from some

other cause; they appear to have been universally neglected; and

in the progress of all those governments; military exercises seem

to have gone gradually into disuse among the great body of the

people。

     In the republics of ancient Greece and Rome; during the

whole period of their existence; and under the feudal governments

for a considerable time after their first establishment; the

trade of a soldier was not a separate; distinct trade; which

constituted the sole or principal occupation of a particular

class of citizens。 Every subject of the state; whatever might be

the ordinary trade or occupation by which he gained his

livelihood; considered himself; upon all ordinary occasions; as

fit likewise to exercise the trade of a soldier; and upon many

extraordinary occasions as bound to exercise it。

     The art of war; however; as it is certainly the noblest of

all arts; so in the progress of improvement it necessarily

becomes one of the most complicated among them。 The state of the

mechanical; as well as of some other arts; with which it is

necessarily connected; determines the degree of perfection to

which it is capable of being carried at any particular time。 But

in order to carry it to this degree of perfection; it is

necessary that it should become the sole or principal occupation

of a particular class of citizens; and the division of labour is

as necessary for the improvement of this; as of every other art。

Into other arts the division of labour is naturally introduced by

the prudence of individuals; who find that they promote their

private interest better by confining themselves to a particular

trade than by exercising a great number。 But it is the wisdom of

the state only which can render the trade of a soldier a

particular trade separate and distinct from all others。 A private

citizen who; in time of profound peace; and without any

particular encouragement from the public; should spend the

greater part of his time in military exercises; might; no doubt;

both improve himself very much in them; and amuse himself very

well; but he certainly would not promote his own interest。 It is

the wisdom of the state only which can render it for his interest

to give up the greater part of his time to this peculiar

occupation: and states have not always had this wisdom; even when

their circumstances had become such that the preservation of

their existence required that they should have it。

     A shepherd has a great deal of leisure; a husbandman; in the

rude state of husbandry; has some; an artificer or manufacturer

has none at all。 The first may; without any loss; employ a great

deal of his time in martial exercises; the second may employ some

part of it; but the last cannot employ a single hour in them

without some loss; and his attention to his own interest

naturally leads him to neglect them altogether。 These

improvements in husbandry too; which the progress of arts and

manufactures necessarily introduces; leave the husbandman as

little leisure as the artificer。 Military exercises come to be as

much neglected by the inhabitants of the country as by those of

the town; and the great body of the people becomes altogether

unwarlike。 That wealth; at the same time; which always follows

the improvements of agriculture and manufactures; and which in

reality is no more than the accumulated produce of those

improvements; provokes the invasion of all their neighbours。 An

industrious; and upon that account a wealthy nation; is of all

nations the most likely to be attacked; and unless the state

takes some new measures for the public defence; the natural

habits of the people render them altogether incapable of

defending themselves。

     In these circumstances there seem to be but two methods by

which the state can make any tolerable provision for the public

defence。

     It may either; first; by means of a very rigorous police;

and in spite of the whole bent of the interest; genius; and

inclinations of the people; enforce the practice of military

exercises; and oblige either all the citizens of the military

age; or a certain number of them; to join in some measure the

trade of a soldier to whatever other trade or profession they may

happen to carry on。

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