Though Rome had Romulus for her first founder, and as a daughter owed
him her being and nurture, nevertheless, when the institutions of
Romulus were seen by Heaven to be insufficient for so great a State,
the Roman senate were moved to choose Numa Pompilius as his successor,
that he might look to all matters which Romulus had neglected. He
finding the people fierce and turbulent, and desiring with the help of
the peaceful arts to bring them to order and obedience, called in the
aid of religion as essential to the maintenance of civil society, and
gave it such a form, that for many ages God was nowhere so much feared
as in that republic. The effect of this was to render easy any
enterprise in which the senate or great men of Rome thought fit to
engage. And whosoever pays heed to an infinity of actions performed,
sometimes by the Roman people collectively, often by single citizens,
will see, that esteeming the power of God beyond that of man, they
dreaded far more to violate their oath than to transgress the laws; as
is clearly shown by the examples of Scipio and of Manlius Torquatus.
For after the defeat of the Romans by Hannibal at Cannæ, many citizens
meeting together, resolved, in their terror and dismay, to abandon
Italy and seek refuge in Sicily. But Scipio, getting word of this, went
among them, and menacing them with his naked sword, made them swear
never to abandon their country. Again, when Lucius Manlius was accused
by the tribune Marcus Pomponius, before the day fixed for trial, Titus
Manlius, afterwards named Torquatus, son to Lucius, went to seek this
Marcus, and threatening him with death if he did not withdraw the
charge against his father, compelled him to swear compliance; and he,
through fear, having sworn, kept his oath. In the first of these two
instances, therefore, citizens whom love of their country and its laws
could not have retained in Italy, were kept there by the oath forced
upon them; and in the second, the tribune Marcus, to keep his oath,
laid aside the hatred he bore the father, and overlooked the injury
done him by the son, and his own dishonour. And this from no other
cause than the religion which Numa had impressed upon this city.
And it will be plain to any one who carefully studies Roman History,
how much religion helped in disciplining the army, in uniting the
people, in keeping good men good, and putting bad men to shame; so that
had it to be decided to which prince, Romulus or Numa, Rome owed the
greater debt, I think the balance must turn in favour of Numa; for when
religion is once established you may readily bring in arms; but where
you have arms without religion it is not easy afterwards to bring in
religion. We see, too, that while Romulus in order to create a senate,
and to establish his other ordinances civil and military, needed no
support from Divine authority, this was very necessary to Numa, who
feigned to have intercourse with a Nymph by whose advice he was guided
in counselling the people. And this, because desiring to introduce in
Rome new and untried institutions, he feared that his own authority
might not effect his end. Nor, indeed, has any attempt ever been made
to introduce unusual laws among a people, without resorting to Divine
authority, since without such sanction they never would have been
accepted. For the wise recognize many things to be good which do not
bear such reasons on the face of them as command their acceptance by
others; wherefore, wise men who would obviate these difficulties, have
recourse to Divine aid. Thus did Lycurgus, thus Solon, and thus have
done many besides who have had the same end in view.
The Romans, accordingly, admiring the prudence and virtues of Numa,
assented to all the measures which he recommended. This, however, is to
be said, that the circumstance of these times being deeply tinctured
with religious feeling, and of the men with whom he had to deal being
rude and ignorant, gave Numa better facility to carry out his plans, as
enabling him to mould his subjects readily to any new impression. And,
doubtless, he who should seek at the present day to form a new
commonwealth, would find the task easier among a race of simple
mountaineers, than among the dwellers in cities where society is
corrupt; as the sculptor can more easily carve a fair statue from a
rough block, than from the block which has been badly shaped out by
another. But taking all this into account, I maintain that the religion
introduced by Numa was one of the chief causes of the prosperity of
Rome, since it gave rise to good ordinances, which in turn brought with
them good fortune, and with good fortune, happy issues to whatsoever
was undertaken.
And as the observance of the ordinances of religion is the cause of the
greatness of a State, so their neglect is the occasion of its decline;
since a kingdom without the fear of God must either fall to pieces, or
must be maintained by the fear of some prince who supplies that
influence not supplied by religion. But since the lives of princes are
short, the life of this prince, also, and with it his influence, must
soon come to an end; whence it happens that a kingdom which rests
wholly on the qualities of its prince, lasts for a brief time only;
because these qualities, terminating with his life, are rarely renewed
in his successor. For as Dante wisely says:—
“Seldom through the boughs
Doth human worth renew itself; for such
The will of Him who gives it, that to Him
We may ascribe it.”[1]
[1] Rade volta risurge per li rami
L’umana probitate: e questo vuole
Quei che la dà, perchè da lui si chiami.
_Purg_. vii. 121-123.]
It follows, therefore, that the safety of a commonwealth or kingdom
lies, not in its having a ruler who governs it prudently while he
lives, but in having one who so orders things, that when he dies, the
State may still maintain itself. And though it be easier to impose new
institutions or a new faith on rude and simple men, it is not therefore
impossible to persuade their adoption by men who are civilized, and who
do not think themselves rude. The people of Florence do not esteem
themselves rude or ignorant, and yet were persuaded by the Friar
Girolamo Savonarola that he spoke with God. Whether in this he said
truth or no, I take not on me to pronounce, since of so great a man we
must speak with reverence; but this I do say, that very many believed
him without having witnessed anything extraordinary to warrant their
belief; his life, his doctrines, the matter whereof he treated, being
sufficient to enlist their faith.
Let no man, therefore, lose heart from thinking that he cannot do what
others have done before him; for, as I said in my Preface, men are
born, and live, and die, always in accordance with the same rules.