So are there states, great in territory, and yet not apt to enlarge or command; and some that have but a small dimension of stem, and yet apt to be the foundations of great monarchies.
有些国家疆域辽阔,却无力扩展或统御;有些国家根基虽小,却能够成为大国的基础。
— Francis Bacon · Essays · Of the True Greatness Of Kingdoms And Estates —