第 2 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9322
  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。