the commonwealth of oceana-第47章

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that　there　was　not　any　considerable　one　of　such　a　Constitution　but　Carthage；　till　this　in　our　days　of　Venice。　　　　　〃For　to　begin　with　Israel；　it　consisted　of　the　twelve　tribes；　locally　spread　or　quartered　throughout　the　whole　territory；　and　these　being　called　together　by　trumpets；　constituted　the　Church　or　assembly　of　the　people。　The　vastness　of　this　weight；　as　also　the　slowness　thence　unavoidable；　became　a　great　cause　（as　has　been　shown　at　large　by　my　Lord　Phosphorus）　of　the　breaking　that　commonwealth；　notwithstanding　that　the　Temple；　and　those　religious　ceremonies　for　which　the　people　were　at　least　annually　obliged　to　repair　thither；　were　no　small　ligament　of　the　tribes；　otherwise　but　slightly　tacked　together。　　　　　〃Athens　consisted　of　four　tribes；　taking　in　the　whole　people；　both　of　the　city　and　of　the　territory；　not　so　gathered　by　Theseus　into　one　town；　as　to　exclude　the　country；　but　to　the　end　that　there　might　be　some　capital　of　the　commonwealth：　though　true　it　be；　that　the　congregation；　consisting　of　the　inhabitants　within　the　walls；　was　sufficient　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　without　those　of　the　country。　These　also　being　exceeding　numerous；　became　burdensome　to　themselves　and　dangerous　to　the　commonwealth；　the　more　for　their　ill…education；　as　is　observed　by　Xenophon　and　Polybius；　who　compare　them　to　mariners　that　in　a　calm　are　perpetually　disputing　and　swaggering　one　with　another；　and　never　lay　their　hands　to　the　common　tackling　or　safety　till　they　be　all　endangered　by　some　storm。　Which　caused　Thucydides；　when　he　saw　this　people　through　the　purchase　of　their　misery　become　so　much　wiser　as　to　reduce　their　Comitia　or　assemblies　to　5；000；　to　say　in　his　eighth　book：　'And　now；　at　least　in　my　time；　the　Athenians　seem　to　have　ordered　their　State　aright；　consisting　of　a　moderate　tempor　both　of　the　few　（by　which　he　means　the　Senate　of　the　Bean）　and　of　the　many；'　or　the　5；000。　And　he　does　not　only　give　you　his　judgment；　but　the　best　proof　of　it；　for　'this；'　says　he；　'was　the　first　thing　that；　after　so　many　misfortunes　past；　made　the　city　again　to　raise　her　head。'　The　place　I　would　desire　your　lordships　to　note；　as　the　first　example　that　I　find；　or　think　is　to　be　found；　of　a　popular　assembly　by　way　of　representative。　　　　　〃Lacedaemon　consisted　of　30；000　citizens　dispersed　throughout　Laconia；　one　of　the　greatest　provinces　in　all　Greece；　and　divided；　as　by　some　authors　is　probable；　into　six　tribes。　Of　the　whole　body　of　these；　being　gathered；　consisted　the　great　Church　or　assembly；　which　had　the　legislative　power；　the　little　church；　gathered　sometimes　for　matters　of　concern　within　the　city；　consisted　of　the　Spartans　only。　These　happened；　like　that　of　Venice；　to　be　good　constitutions　of　a　congregation；　but　from　an　ill…cause　the　infirmity　of　a　commonwealth；　which　through　her　paucity　was　oligarchical。　　　　　'Wherefore；　go　which　way　you　will；　it　should　seem　that　without　a　representative　of　the　people；　your　commonwealth；　consisting　of　a　whole　nation；　can　never　avoid　falling　either　into　oligarchy　or　confusion。　　　　　〃This　was　seen　by　the　Romans；　whose　rustic　tribes；　extending　themselves　from　the　river　Arno　to　the　Vulturnus；　that　is；　from　Fesulae　or　Florence　to　Capua；　invented　a　way　of　representative　by　lots：　the　tribe　upon　which　the　first　fell　being　the　prerogative；　and　some　two　or　three　more　that　had　the　rest；　the　jure　vocatoe。　These　gave　the　suffrage　of　the　commonwealth　in　two　meetings；　the　prerogative　at　the　first　assembly；　and　the　jure　vocatoe　at　a　second。　　　　　〃Now　to　make　the　parallel：　all　the　inconveniences　that　you　have　observed　in　these　assemblies　are　shut　out；　and　all　the　conveniences　taken　into　your　prerogative。　For　first；　it　is　that　for　which　Athens；　shaking　off　the　blame　of　Xenophon　and　Polybius；　came　to　deserve　the　praise　of　Thucydides；　a　representative。　　And；　secondly；　not；　as　I　suspect　in　that　of　Athens；　and　is　past　suspicion　in　this　of　Rome；　by　lot；　but　by　suffrage；　as　was　also　the　late　House　of　Commons；　by　which　means　in　your　prerogatives　all　the　tribes　of　Oceana　are　jure　vocatoe；　and　if　a　man　shall　except　against　the　paucity　of　the　standing　number；　it　is　a　wheel；　which　in　the　revolution　of　a　few　years　turns　every　hand　that　is　fit；　or　fits　every　hand　that　it　turns　to　the　public　work。　Moreover；　I　am　deceived　if；　upon　due　consideration；　it　does　not　fetch　your　tribes；　with　greater　equality　and　ease　to　themselves　and　to　the　government；　from　the　frontiers　of　Marpesia；　than　Rome　ever　brought　any　one　of　hers　out　of　her　pomoeria；　or　the　nearest　parts　of　her　adjoining　territories。　To　this　you　may　add；　that　whereas　a　commonwealth；　which　in　regard　of　the　people　is　not　of　facility　in　execution；　were　sure　enough　in　this　nation　to　be　cast　off　through　impatience；　your　musters　and　galaxies　are　given　to　the　people；　as　milk　to　babes；　whereby　when　they　are　brought　up　through　four　days'　election　in　a　whole　year　（one　at　the　parish；　one　at　the　hundred；　and　two　at　the　tribe）　to　their　strongest　meat；　it　is　of　no　harder　digestion　than　to　give　their　negative　or　affirmative　as　they　see　cause。　There　be　gallant　men　among　us　that　laugh　at　such　an　appeal　or　umpire；　but　I　refer　it　whether　you　be　more　inclining　to　pardon　them　or　me；　who　I　confess　have　been　this　day　laughing　at　a　sober　man；　but　without　meaning　him　any　harm；　and　that　is　Petrus　Cunaeus；　where　speaking　of　the　nature　of　the　people；　he　says；　'that　taking　them　apart；　they　are　very　simple；　but　yet　in　their　assemblies　they　see　and　know　something：；　and　so　runs　away　without　troubling　himself　with　what　that　something　is。　Whereas　the　people；　taken　apart；　are　but　so　many　private　interests；　but　if　you　take　them　together；　they　are　the　public　interest。　　　　　〃The　public　interest　of　a　commonwealth；　as　has　been　shown；　is　nearest　that　of　mankind；　and　that　of　mankind　is　right　reason；　but　with　aristocracy　（whose　reason　or　interest；　when　they　are　all　together；　as　appeared　by　the　patricians；　is　but　that　of　a　party）　it　is　quite　contrary：　for　as；　taken　apart；　they　are　far　wiser　than　the　people　considered　in　that　manner；　so；　being　put　together；　they　are　such　fools；　who　by　deposing　the　people；　as　did　those　of　Rome；　will　saw　off　the　branch　whereupon　they　sit；　or　rather　destroy　the　root　of　their　own　greatness。　Wherefore　Machiavel；　following　Aristotle；　and　yet　going　before　him；　may　well　assert；　'that　the　people　are　wiser　and　more　constant　in　their　resolutions　than　a　prince：'　which　is　the　prerogative　of　popular　government　for　wisdom。　And　hence　it　is　that　the　prerogative　of　your　commonwealth；　as　for　wisdom　so　for　power；　is　in　the　people；　which　（though　I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　Roman　prerogative　was　so　called　a　proerogando；　because　their　suffrage　was　first　asked）　gives　the　denomination　to　your　prerogative　tribe。〃

　　　　The　elections；　whether　annual　or　triennial；　being　shown　by　the　twenty…second；　that　which　comes　in　the　next　place　to　be　considered　is　　　　　　The　twenty…third　order；　〃Showing　the　power；　function；　and　manner　of　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　tribe。　　　　　〃The　power　or　function　of　the　prerogative　is　of　two　parts：　the　one　of　result；　in　which　it　is　the　legislative；　power；　the　other　of　judicature；　in　which　regard　it　is　the　highest　court；　and　the　last　appeal　in　this　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　the　former　part　（the　people　by　this　constitution　being　not　obliged　by　any　law　that　is　not　of　their　own　making　or　confirmation；　by　the　result　of　the　prerogative；　their　equal　representative）　it　shall　not　be　lawful　for　the　Senate　to　require　obedience　from　the　people；　nor　for　the　people　to　give　obedience　to　the　Senate　in　or　by　any　law　that　has　not　been　promulgated；　or　printed　and　published　for　the　space　of　six　weeks；　and　afterward　proposed　by　the　authority　of　the　Senate　to　the　prerogative　tribe；　and　resolved　by　the　major　vote　of　the　same　in　the　affirmative。　Nor　shall　the　Senate　have　any　power　to　levy　war；　men；　or　money；　otherwise　than　by　the　consent　of　the　people　so　given；　or　by　a　law　so　enacted；　except　in　cases　of　exigence；　in　which　it　is　agreed　that　the　power；　both　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　shall　be　in　the　dictator　so　qualified；　and　for　such　a　term　of　time；　as　is　according　to　that　constitution　already　prescribed。　While　a　law　is　in　promulgation；　the　censors　shall　animadvert　upon　the　Senate；　and　the　tribunes　upon　the　people；　that　there　be　no　laying