CHAP. IV.
Why the Kingdom of Darius conquered by Alexander remained with his Successors after his Death.
In considering the difficulties which have been Experienced in preserving a state newly conquered, it might seem surprising that Alexander the Great, having in a few years made himself master of Asia, and dying before he had time to take possession of it, the whole country had not revolted. In fact, his successors maintained themselves in it, and in its preservation experienced no other difficulty than that which their own particular ambition excited among them.
To which I answer, that all the principalities of which any traces remain to us in history have been governed iii two different ways; either by an absolute prince to whom all the rest are slaves, to whom, as ministers and from favour, he delegates the privilege of assisting him to govern his kingdom; or else by a prince and nobles: these last do not govern through the princess favour, but solely by a right inherent in the seniority of their ancestors. They have also particular states and sub-
