: Essays 165 
17. If you see rival nations rejoicing at the pros- 
pect of your disunion with your provinces, and en- 
deavoring 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 fort- 
ress 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 con- 
quests, seize them all; it will provoke, like ingrati- 
tude 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 garri- 
soning 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 pre- 
determined; to the shutting out redress on the one hand, and enforcing 
every rigor of punishment on the other. 
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