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32 their personal qualities, opportunity had in vain presented itself.

It was consequently necessary that Moses should find the Israelites slaves in Egypt, oppressed by the Egyptians, in order to dispose them to follow him and shake off their bondage. It was necessary that Romulus should not be brought up in Alba, but should be exposed at his birth, to become king of Rome and founder of that empire. It was necessary that Cyrus should find the Persians discontented with the empite of the Medes, and the Medes grown effeminate by a long peace. Theseus could not have shewn his courage if he had not found the Athenians dispersed. These Opportunities furnished those men with the means of success, and their talents profited by an occasion which rendered their several countries for ever illustrious, and at the same time founded their prosperity on a stable basis.

They who become princes by means similar to those of these great personages, acquire a sovereignty with much difficulty, but they preserve it without trouble. The difficulties they experience arise, in part, from thechanges which they are obliged to introduce to establish their government and fix it on a firm foundation.. Now nothing is more difficult or more dangerous to execute, nor is there any thing, the success of which is more doubtful, than the introduction of new laws. He who