“If this method does not succeed with them, then they sow seeds of contention among their enemies, and animate the prince’s brother, or some of the nobility, to aspire to the crown.  If they cannot disunite them by domestic broils, then they engage their neighbours against them, and make them set on foot some old pretensions, which are never wanting to princes when they have occasion for them.  These they plentifully supply with money, though but very sparingly with any auxiliary troops; for they are so tender of their own people that they would not willingly exchange one of them, even with the prince of their enemies’ country.

“But as they keep their gold and silver only for such an occasion, so, when that offers itself, they easily part with it; since it would be no convenience to them, though they should reserve nothing of it to themselves.  For besides the wealth that they have among them at home, they have a vast treasure abroad; many nations round about them being deep in their debt:  so that they hire soldiers from all places for carrying on their wars; but chiefly from the Zapolets, who live five hundred miles east of Utopia.  They are a rude, wild, and fierce nation, who delight in the woods and rocks, among which they were born and bred up.  They are hardened both against heat, cold, and labour, and know nothing of the delicacies of life.  They do not apply themselves to agriculture, nor do they care either for their houses or their clothes:  cattle is all that they look after; and for the greatest part they live either by hunting or upon rapine; and are made, as it were, only for war.  They watch all opportunities of engaging in it, and very readily embrace such as are offered them.  Great numbers of them will frequently go out, and offer themselves for a very low pay, to serve any that will employ them:  they know none of the arts of life, but those that lead to the taking it away; they serve those that hire them, both with much courage and great fidelity; but will not engage to serve for any determined time, and agree upon such terms, that the next day they may go over to the enemies of those whom they serve if they offer them a greater encouragement; and will, perhaps, return to them the day after that upon a higher advance of their pay.  There are few wars in which they make not a considerable part of the armies of both sides:  so it often falls out that they who are related, and were hired in the same country, and so have lived long and familiarly together, forgetting both their relations and former friendship, kill one another upon no other consideration than that of being hired to it for a little money by princes of different interests; and such a regard have they for money that they are easily wrought on by the difference of one penny a day to change sides.  So entirely does their avarice influence them; and yet this money, which they value so highly, is of little use to them; for what they purchase thus with their blood they quickly waste on luxury, which among them is but of a poor and miserable form.