: Essays 165
17. If you see rival nations rejoicing at the prospect
 of your disunion with your provinces, and endeavoring
 to promote it; if they translate, publish,
and applaud all the complaints of your discontented
colonists, at the same time privately stimulating you
to severer measures, let not that offend you. Why
should it, since you all mean the same thing?
18. If any colony should at their own charge erect
a fortress to secure their port against the fleets of a
foreign enemy, get your governor to betray that fortress
 into your hands. Never think of paying what it
costs the country, for that would look at least like
some regard for justice; but turn it into a citadel to
awe the inhabitants and curb their commerce. If
they should have lodged in such fortress the very
arms they bought and used to aid you in your conquests,
 seize them all; it will provoke, like ingratitude
 added to robbery. One admirable effect of
these operations will be to discourage every other
colony from erecting such defences, and so their and
your enemies may more easily invade them, to the
great disgrace of your government, and, of course,
the furtherance of your project.
19. Send armies into their country under pretence
of protecting the inhabitants; but, instead of garrisoning
 the forts on their frontiers with those troops
to prevent incursions, demolish those forts and order
the troops into the heart of the country, that the
savages may be encouraged to attack the frontiers,
treated as the result of the too great lenity of Great Britain! By the
aid of this short and benevolent rule, judgment was ever wisely predetermined;
 to the shutting out redress on the one hand, and enforcing
every rigor of punishment on the other.

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