tion, and the feebleness of weapons compared with those
of modern days, much longer periods of time would be required for
the rise of any nation, and also a longer period before her descent
began. Yet the vast empire of Alexander lasted hardly a day after
he expired, and the Grecian cities maintained their greatness but
a century and a half; while Great Britain, France, and Germany
have been great nations for nearly a thousand years.

Why have they endured longer than the others?

The answer is hard to find; because many causes, and some of them
obscure, have contributed to the result. But, as we observe the
kind of constitution and the mode of life of long-lived people,
in order to ascertain what kind of constitution and mode of life
conduce to longevity in people, so perhaps we may logically do
the same with nations.

Observing the constitution and mode of life of the British, French,
and German nations, we are struck at once with the fact that those
peoples have been by constitution active, ambitious, intelligent,
and brave; and that they have observed in their national life a
skilfully balanced relation between the arts of peace and the arts
of war; neglecting neither and allowing neither to wax great at the
expense of the other. In all those countries the _first_ aim has
been protection from both external attack and internal disorder.
Protection from external attack has been gained by military force
and highly trained diplomacy; protection from internal disorder
has been gained _first_ by military force, and _second_ by wise
laws, just courts, and the encouragement of religion and of those
arts and sciences that lead to comfort and happiness in living.

China may attract the attention of some as an instance of longevity;
but is China a nation in the usual meaning of the word? Certainly,
she is not a great nation. It is true that no other nation has
actually conquered her of late; but this has been largely by reason
of her remoteness from the active world, and because other nations
imposed their will upon her, without meeting any resistance that
required the use of war to overcome. And even China has not lived
a wholly peaceful life, despite the non-military character of her
people. Her whole history was one of wars, like that of other nations,
until the middle of the fourteenth century of our era. Since then,
she has had four wars, in all of which she has been whipped: one in
the seventeenth century when the c