# CHAPTER XLI.—_That our Country is to be defended by Honour or by Dishonour; and in either way is well defended._

The consuls together with the whole Roman army fell, as I have related,
into the hands of the Samnites, who imposed on them the most
ignominious terms, insisting that they should be stripped of their
arms, and pass under the yoke before they were allowed to return to
Rome. The consuls being astounded by the harshness of these conditions
and the whole army overwhelmed with dismay, Lucius Lentulus, the Roman
lieutenant, stood forward and said, that in his opinion they ought to
decline no course whereby their country might be saved; and that as the
very existence of Rome depended on the preservation of her army, that
army must be saved at any sacrifice, for whether the means be
honourable or ignominious, all is well done that is done for the
defence of our country. And he said that were her army preserved, Rome,
in course of time, might wipe out the disgrace; but if her army were
destroyed, however gloriously it might perish, Rome and her freedom
would perish with it. In the event his counsel was followed.

Now this incident deserves to be noted and pondered over by every
citizen who is called on to advise his country; for when the entire
safety of our country is at stake, no consideration of what is just or
unjust, merciful or cruel, praiseworthy or shameful, must intervene. On
the contrary, every other consideration being set aside, that course
alone must be taken which preserves the existence of the country and
maintains its liberty. And this course we find followed by the people
of France, both in their words and in their actions, with the view of
supporting the dignity of their king and the integrity of their
kingdom; for there is no remark they listen to with more impatience
than that this or the other course is disgraceful to the king. For
their king, they say, can incur no disgrace by any resolve he may take,
whether it turn out well or ill; and whether it succeed or fail, all
maintain that he has acted as a king should.