the commonwealth of oceana- 第7部分

dorned　with　some　one　of　the　greater　magistracies；　as　Savi　di　mare；　Savi　di　terra　ferma；　Savi　Grandi；　counsellors；　those　of　the　decemvirate　or　dictatorian　council；　the　aurogatori；　or　censors；　which　require　no　vacation　or　interval。　Wherefore　if　this　in　Venice；　or　that　in　Lacedaemon；　where　the　kings　were　hereditary；　and　the　Senators　（though　elected　by　the　people）　for　life；　cause　no　inequality　（which　is　hard　to　be　conceived）　in　a　commonwealth　for　preservation；　or　such　a　one　as　consists　of　a　few　citizens；　yet　is　it　manifest　that　it　would　cause　a　very　great　one　in　a　commonwealth　for　increase；　or　consisting　of　the　many；　which；　by　engrossing　the　magistracies　in　a　few　hands；　would　be　obstructed　in　their　rotation。　　　　　But　there　be　who　say　（and　think　it　a　strong　objection）　that；　let　a　commonwealth　be　as　equal　as　you　can　imagine；　two　or　three　men　when　all　is　done　will　govern　it；　and　there　is　that　in　it　which；　notwithstanding　the　pretended　sufficiency　of　a　popular　State；　amounts　to　a　plain　confession　of　the　imbecility　of　that　policy；　and　of　the　prerogative　of　monarchy；　forasmuch　as　popular　governments　in　difficult　cases　have　had　recourse　to　dictatorian　power；　as　in　Rome。　　　　　To　which　I　answer；　that　as　truth　is　a　spark　to　which　objections　are　like　bellows；　so　in　this　respect　our　commonwealth　shines；　for　the　eminence　acquired　by　suffrage　of　the　people　in　a　commonwealth；　especially　if　it　be　popular　and　equal；　can　be　ascended　by　no　other　steps　than　the　universal　acknowledgment　of　virtue：　and　where　men　excel　in　virtue；　the　commonwealth　is　stupid　and　unjust；　if　accordingly　they　do　not　excel　in　authority。　Wherefore　this　is　both　the　advantage　of　virtue；　which　has　her　due　encouragement；　and　of　the　commonwealth；　which　has　her　due　services。　These　are　the　philosophers　which　Plato　would　have　to　be　princes；　the　princes　which　Solomon　would　have　to　be　mounted；　and　their　steeds　are　those　of　authority；　not　empire；　or；　if　they　be　buckled　to　the　chariot　of　empire；　as　that　of　the　dictatorian　power；　like　the　chariot　of　the　sun；　it　is　glorious　for　terms　and　vacations　or　intervals。　And　as　a　commonwealth　is　a　government　of　laws　and　not　of　men；　so　is　this　the　principality　of　virtue；　and　not　of　man；　if　that　fail　or　set　in　one；　it　rises　in　another　who　is　created　his　immediate　successor。　And　this　takes　away　that　vanity　from　under　the　sun；　which　is　an　error　proceeding　more　or　less　from　all　other　rulers　under　heaven　but　an　equal　commonwealth。　　　　　These　things　considered；　it　will　be　convenient　in　this　place　to　speak　a　word　to　such　as　go　about　to　insinuate　to　the　nobility　or　gentry　a　fear　of　the　people；　or　to　the　people　a　fear　of　the　nobility　or　gentry；　as　if　their　interests　were　destructive　to　each　other。　When　indeed　an　army　may　as　well　consist　of　soldiers　without　officers；　or　of　officers　without　soldiers；　as　a　commonwealth；　especially　such　a　one　as　is　capable　of　greatness；　of　a　people　without　a　gentry；　or　of　a　gentry　without　a　people。　Wherefore　this；　though　not　always　so　intended；　as　may　appear　by　Machiavel；　who　else　would　be　guilty；　is　a　pernicious　error。　There　is　something　first　in　the　making　of　a　commonwealth；　then　in　the　governing　of　it；　and　last　of　all　in　the　leading　of　its　armies；　which；　though　there　be　great　divines；　great　lawyers；　great　men　in　all　professions；　seems　to　be　peculiar　only　to　the　genius　of　a　gentleman。　　　　　For　so　it　is　in　the　universal　series　of　story；　that　if　any　man　has　founded　a　commonwealth；　he　was　first　a　gentleman。　Moses　had　his　education　by　the　daughter　of　Pharaoh；　Theseus　and　Solon；　of　noble　birth；　were　held　by　the　Athenians　worthy　to　be　kings；　Lycurgus　was　of　the　royal　blood；　Romulus　and　Numa　princes；　Brutus　and　Publicola　patricians；　the　Gracchi；　that　lost　their　lives　for　the　people　of　Rome　and　the　restitution　of　that　commonwealth；　were　the　sons　of　a　father　adored　with　two　triumphs；　and　of　Cornelia　the　daughter　of　Scipio；　who　being　demanded　in　marriage　by　King　Ptolemy；　disdained　to　become　the　Queen　of　Egypt。　And　the　most　renowned　Olphaus　Megaletor；　sole　legislator；　as　you　will　see　anon；　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Oceana；　was　derived　from　a　noble　family；　nor　will　it　be　any　occasion　of　scruple　in　this　case；　that　Leviathan　affirms　the　politics　to　be　no　ancienter　than　his　book　〃De　Cive。〃　Such　also　as　have　got　any　fame　in　the　civil　government　of　a　commonwealth；　or　by　the　leading　of　its　armies；　have　been　gentlemen；　for　so　in　all　other　respects　were　those　plebeian　magistrates　elected　by　the　people　of　Rome；　being　of　known　descents　and　of　equal　virtues；　except　only　that　they　were　excluded　from　the　name　by　the　usurpation　of　the　patricians。　Holland；　through　this　defect　at　home；　has　borrowed　princes　for　generals；　and　gentlemen　of　divers　nations　for　commanders：　and　the　Switzers；　if　they　have　any　defect　in　this　kind；　rather　lend　their　people　to　the　colors　of　other　princes；　than　make　that　noble　use　of　them　at　home　which　should　assert　the　liberty　of　mankind。　For　where　there　is　not　a　nobility　to　hearten　the　people；　they　are　slothful；　regardless　of　the　world；　and　of　the　public　interest　of　liberty；　as　even　those　of　Rome　had　been　without　their　gentry：　wherefore　let　the　people　embrace　the　gentry　in　peace；　as　the　light　of　their　eyes；　and　in　war；　as　the　trophy　of　their　arms；　and　if　Cornelia　disdained　to　be　Queen　of　Egypt；　if　a　Roman　consul　looked　down　from　his　tribunal　upon　the　greatest　king；　let　the　nobility　love　and　cherish　the　people　that　afford　them　a　throne　so　much　higher　in　a　commonwealth；　in　the　acknowledgment　of　their　virtue；　than　the　crowns　of　monarchs。　　　　　But　if　the　equality　of　a　commonwealth　consist　in　the　equality　first　of　the　agrarian；　and　next　of　the　rotation；　then　the　inequality　of　a　commonwealth　must　consist　in　the　absence　or　inequality　of　the　agrarian；　or　of　the　rotation；　or　of　both。　　　　　Israel　and　Lacedaemon；　which　commonwealths　（as　the　people　of　this；　in　Josephus；　claims　kindred　of　that）　have　great　resemblance；　were　each　of　them　equal　in　their　agrarian；　and　unequal　in　their　rotation；　especially　Israel；　where　the　Sanhedrim；　or　Senate；　first　elected　by　the　people；　as　appears　by　the　words　of　Moses；　took　upon　them　ever　after；　without　any　precept　of　God；　to　substitute　their　successors　by　ordination；　which　having　been　there　of　civil　use；　as　excommunication；　community　of　goods；　and　other　customs　of　the　Essenes；　who　were　many　of　them　converted；　came　afterward　to　be　introduced　into　the　Christian　Church。　And　the　election　of　the　judge；　suffes；　or　dictator；　was　irregular；　both　for　the　occasion；　the　term；　and　the　vacation　of　that　magistracy。　As　you　find　in　the　book　of　Judges；　where　it　is　often　repeated；　that　in　those　days　there　was　no　king　in　Israel　　that　is；　no　judge；　and　in　the　first　of　Samuel；　where　Eli　judged　Israel　forty　years；　and　Samuel；　all　his　life。　In　Lacedaemon　the　election　of　the　Senate　being　by　suffrage　of　the　people；　though　for　life；　was　not　altogether　so　unequal；　yet　the　hereditary　right　of　kings；　were　it　not　for　the　agrarian；　had　ruined　her。　　　　　Athens　and　Rome　were　unequal　as　to　their　agrarian；　that　of　Athens　being　infirm；　and　this　of　Rome　none　at　all；　for　if　it　were　more　anciently　carried　it　was　never　observed。　Whence；　by　the　time　of　Tiberius　Gracchus；　the　nobility　had　almost　eaten　the　people　quite　out　of　their　lands；　which　they　held　in　the　occupation　of　tenants　and　servants；　whereupon　the　remedy　being　too　late；　and　too　vehemently　applied；　that　commonwealth　was　ruined。　　　　　These　also　were　unequal　in　their　rotation；　but　in　a　contrary　manner。　Athens；　in　regard　that　the　Senate　（chosen　at　once　by　lot；　not　by　suffrage；　and　changed　every　year；　not　in　part；　but　in　the　whole）　consisted　not　of　the　natural　aristocracy；　nor　sitting　long　enough　to　understand　or　to　be　perfect　in　their　office；　had　no　sufficient　authority　to　restrain　the　people　from　that　perpetual　turbulence　in　the　end；　which　was　their　ruin；　notwithstanding　the　efforts　of　Nicias；　who　did　all　a　man　could　do　to　help　it。　But　as　Athens；　by　the　headiness　of　the　people；　so　Rome　fell　by　the　ambition　of　the　nobility；　through　the　want　of　an　equal　rotation；　which；　if　the　people　had　got　into　the　Senate；　and　timely　into　the　magistracies　（whereof　the　former　was　always　usurped　by　the　patricians；　and　the　latter　for　the　most　part）　they　had　both　carried　and　held　their　agrarian；　and　that　had　rendered　that　commonwealth　immovable。　　　　　But　let　a　commonwealth　be　equal　or　unequal；　it　must　consist；　as　has　been　shown　by　reason　and　all　experience；　of　the　three　general　orders；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　Senate　debating　and　proposing；　of　the　people　resolving；　and　of　the　magistracy　executing。　Wherefore　I　can　never　wonder　enough　at　Leviathan；　who；　without　any　reason　or　example；　will　have　it　that　a　commonwealth　consists　of　a　single　person；　or　of　a　single　assembly；　nor　can　I　sufficiently　pity　those　〃thousand　gentlemen；　whose　minds；　which　otherwise　would　have　wavered；　he　has　framed　（as　is　affirmed　by　himself）　in　to　a　conscientious　obedience　（for　so　he　is　pleased　to　call　it）　of　such　a　government。〃　　　　　But　to　finish　this　part　of　the　discourse；　which　I　intend　for　as　complete　an　epitome　of　ancient　prudence；　and　in　that　of　the　whole　art　of　politics；　as　I　am　able　to　frame　in　so　short　a　time：　　　　　The　two　first　orders；　that　is　to　say；　the　Senate　and　the　people；　are　legislative；　whereunto　answers　that　part　of　this　science　which　by　politicians　is　entitled　〃of　laws；〃　and　the　third　order　is　executive；　to　which　answers　that　part　of　the　same　science　which　is　styled　〃of　the　frame　and　course　of　courts　or　judicatories。〃　A　word　to　each　of　these　will　be　necessary。　　　　　And　first　for　laws：　they　are　either　ecclesiastical　or　civil；　such　as　concern　religion　or　government。　　　　　Laws；　ecclesiastical；　or　such　as　concern　religion；　according　to　the　universal　course　of　ancient　prudence；　are　in　the　power　of　the　magistrate；　but；　according　to　the　common　practice　of　modern　prudence；　since　the　papacy；　torn　out　of　his　hands。　　　　　But；　as　a　government　pretending　to　liberty；　and　yet　suppressing　liberty　of　conscience　（which；　because　religion　not　according　to　a　man's　conscience　can　to　him　be　none　at　all；　is　the　main）　must　be　a　contradiction；　so　a　man　that；　pleading　for　the　liberty　of　private　conscience；　refuses　liberty　to　the　national　conscience；　must　be　absurd。　　　　　A　commonwealth　is　nothing　else　but　the　national　conscience。　And　if　the　conviction　of　a　man's　private　conscience　produce