liquorish after his blood; and a
horse-quarter in regard of the distribution of his whole land to tenants
for life, upon condition of continual service, or as often as they shall
be commanded at their own charge by timars, being a word which they
say signifies benefices, that it shall save me a labor of opening the
government.

But the fame of Mahomet and his prudence is especially founded in this,
that whereas the Roman monarchy, except that of Israel, was the most
imperfect, the Turkish is the most perfect that ever was. Which
happened in that the Roman (as the Israelitish of the Sanhedrim and
the congregation) had a mixture of the Senate and the people; and the
Turkish is pure. And that this was pure, and the other mixed, happened
not through the wisdom of the legislators, but the different genius of
the nations; the people of the Eastern parts, except the Israelites,
which is to be attributed to their agrarian, having been such as scarce
ever knew any other condition than that of slavery; and these of the
Wester having ever had such a relish of liberty, as through what despair
soever could never be brought to stand still while the yoke was putting
on their necks, but by being fed with some hopes of reserving to
themselves some part of their freedom.

Wherefore Julius Caesar (saith Suetonius) contented himself in naming
half the magistrates, to leave the rest to the suffrage of the people.
And Maecenas, though he would not have Augustus to give the people their
liberty, would not have him take it quite away. Whence this empire,
being neither hawk nor buzzard, made a flight accordingly; and the
prince being perpetually tossed (having the avarice of the soldiery on
this hand to satisfy upon the people, and the Senate and the people on
the other to be defended from the soldiery), seldom died any other
death than by one horn of this dilemma, as is noted more at large by
Machiavel.

But the Pretorian bands, those bestial executioners of their captain's
tyranny upon others, and of their own upon him, having continued from
the time of Augustus, were by Constantine the Great (incensed against
them for taking part with his adversary Maxentius) removed from their
strong garrison which they held in Rome, and distributed into divers
provinces. The benefices of the soldiers that were hitherto held for
life and upon duty, were by this prince made hereditary, so that
the whole foundation whereupon this empire was first built be