Book XIX.
Chap. 27.to espouse its cause; while it is liable to be attacked by those who have nothing to hope from it.
All the passions being unrestrained, hatred, envy, jealousy, and an ambitious desire of riches and honors, appear in their full extent: were it otherwise, the state would be in the condition of a man weakened by sickness, who is without passions, because he is without strength.
The hatred which arises between the two parties will always subsist, because it will always be impotent.
These parties being composed of freemen, if the one becomes too powerful for the other, as a consequence of liberty, this other is depressed; while the citizens take the weaker side, with the same readiness as the hands lend their assistance to remove the infirmities and disorders of the body.
Every individual is independent, and being commonly led by caprice and humour, frequently changes parties; he abandons one where he lest all his friends, to unite himself to another in which he finds all his enemies: so that in this nation it frequently happens that the people forget the laws of friendship, as well as those of hatred.
The sovereign is here in the same case with a private person, and against the ordinary maxims of prudence, is frequently obliged to give his confidence to those who have most offended him: and to disgrace the men who have best served him; he does that by necessity which other princes do by choice.
As we are afraid of being deprived of the blessing we already enjoy, and which may be disguised and misrepresented to us; and as fear always enlarges
