“When they felt their numbers were sufficient to form a body politic, they closed the avenue to participation to all those who might come there to live in the future…It was possible for this system to arise and maintain itself without any disturbance, because when it was born, whoever then lived in Venice was made part of the government, so that no one could complain; those who later came there to live found the government fixed and limited, but they had no motive or opportunity to cause a disturbance. There was no motive because nothing of theirs had been taken away; there was no opportunity because those who ruled kept them in check and did not use them in matters through which they might acquire authority.”
- Machiavelli [Discourses, I.6]
“A country that has no mines of its own must undoubtedly draw its gold and silver from foreign countries in the same manner as one that has no vineyards of its own must draw its wines…a country which has the wherewithal to buy gold and silver will …
