The commonwealth of Venice in their armory have this inscription: “Happy is that city which in time of peace thinks of war.”

Burton presents this as a notable civic maxim rather than as his own aphorism, attributing it to an inscription displayed in the Venetian state armory. In The Anatomy of Melancholy he frequently buttresses arguments with exempla, sententiae, and reported inscriptions from classical and contemporary polities. Here Venice functions as a model of prudent statecraft: a maritime republic famed (in early modern English imagination) for disciplined governance and military readiness. The remark appears in Burton’s discussion of public policy and the management of commonwealths, where he catalogs precepts about security, preparation, and the prevention of calamity by foresight.

The saying argues that peace is not maintained by complacency but by preparedness. A city that “thinks of war” during peace—training, provisioning, fortifying, and planning—reduces the likelihood of being surprised, coerced, or invaded. The paradox is deliberate: the best way to preserve tranquility is to anticipate conflict before it arrives. In Burton’s hands, the maxim also fits a broader moral-psychological theme: prudent anticipation (rather than wishful ease) is a remedy against collective vulnerability. It endorses vigilance and institutional memory, implying that prosperity and safety depend on disciplined foresight, not merely on present calm.