Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/263

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E have observed that the countries subdued by a despotic monarch, ought to be feodary. Historians exhaust themselves in extolling the generosity of those conquerors who restored to the throne the princes they had vanquished. Extremely generous then were the Romans, who made kings in all parts, in order to have instruments of slavery. A proceeding of that kind is absolutely necessary. If the conqueror intends to preserve the conquered country, neither the governors he sends will be able to contain the subjects within duty, nor he himself the governors. He will be obliged to strip his ancient patrimony of troops, in order to secure the new. All the miseries of the two nations will be common; the civil war of one will communicate itself to the other. On the contrary if the conqueror restores the legitimate prince to the throne; he will have a necessary ally, by the junction of whose forces, his own will be augmented. We have a recent instance of what has been here said in Shah Nadir, who conquered the Mogul, seized his treasures, and left him the possession of Indostan. Rh