the commonwealth of oceana-第19章

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arliament：　nevertheless　the　parliaments　of　the　Teutons　and　of　the　Neustrians　consisted；　as　has　been　shown；　of　the　King；　lords；　and　commons；　wherefore　this；　under　an　old　name；　was　a　new　thing　a　parliament　consisting　of　a　single　assembly　elected　by　the　people；　and　invested　with　the　whole　power　of　the　government；　without　any　covenants；　conditions；　or　orders　whatsoever。　So　new　a　thing；　that　neither　ancient　nor　modern　prudence　can　show　any　avowed　example　of　the　like。　And　there　is　scarce　anything　that　seems　to　me　so　strange　as　that　（whereas　there　was　nothing　more　familiar　with　these　councillors　than　to　bring　the　Scripture　to　the　house）　there　should　not　be　a　man　of　them　that　so　much　as　offered　to　bring　the　house　to　the　Scripture；　wherein；　as　has　been　shown；　is　contained　that　original；　whereof　all　the　rest　of　the　commonwealths　seem　to　be　copies。　Certainly　if　Leviathan　（who　is　surer　of　nothing　than　that　a　popular　commonwealth　consists　but　of　one　council）　transcribed　his　doctrine　out　of　this　assembly；　for　him　to　except　against　Aristotle　and　Cicero　for　writing　out　of　their　own　commonwealths　was　not　so　fair　play；　or　if　the　Parliament　transcribed　out　of　him；　it　had　been　an　honor　better　due　to　Moses。　But　where　one　of　them　should　have　an　example　but　from　the　other；　I　cannot　imagine；　there　being　nothing　of　this　kind　that　I　can　find　in　story；　but　the　oligarchy　of　Athens；　the　Thirty　Tyrants　of　the　same；　and　the　Roman　Decemvirs。　　　　　For　the　oligarchy；　Thucydides　tells　us；　that　it　was　a　Senate　or　council　of　400；　pretending　to　a　balancing　council　of　the　people　consisting　of　5；000；　but　not　producing　them；　wherein　you　have　the　definition　of　an　oligarchy；　which　is　a　single　council　both　debating　and　resolving；　dividing　and　choosing；　and　what　that　must　come　to　was　shown　by　the　example　of　the　girls；　and　is　apparent　by　the　experience　of　all　times；　wherefore　the　thirty　set　up　by　the　Lacedaemonians　（when　they　had　conquered　Athens）　are　called　tyrants　by　all　authors；　Leviathan　only　excepted；　who　will　have　them　against　all　the　world　to　have　been　an　aristocracy；　but　for　what　reason　I　cannot　imagine；　these　also；　as　void　of　any　balance；　having　been　void　of　that　which　is　essential　to　every　commonwealth；　whether　aristocratical　or　popular；　except　he　be　pleased　with　them；　because　that；　according　to　the　testimony　of　Xenophon；　they　killed　more　men　in　eight　months　than　the　Lacedaemonians　had　done　in　ten　years；　〃oppressing　the　people　（to　use　Sir　Walter　Raleigh's　words）　with　all　base　and　intolerable　slavery。〃　　　　　The　usurped　government　of　the　Decemvirs　in　Rome　was　of　the　same　kind。　Wherefore　in　the　fear　of　God　let　Christian　legislators　（setting　the　pattern　given　in　the　Mount　on　the　one　side；　and　these　execrable　examples　on　the　other）　know　the　right　hand　from　the　left；　and　so　much　the　rather；　because　those　things　which　do　not　conduce　to　the　good　of　the　governed　are　fallacious；　if　they　appear　to　be　good　for　the　governors。　God；　in　chastising　a　people；　is　accustomed　to　burn　his　rod。　The　empire　of　these　oligarchies　was　not　so　violent　as　short；　nor　did　they　fall　upon　the　people；　but　in　their　own　immediate　ruin。　A　council　without　a　balance　is　not　a　commonwealth；　but　an　oligarchy；　and　every　oligarchy；　except　it　be　put　to　the　defence　of　its　wickedness　or　power　against　some　outward　danger；　is　factious。　Wherefore　the　errors　of　the　people　being　from　their　governors　（which　maxim　in　the　politics　bearing　a　sufficient　testimony　to　itself；　is　also　proved　by　Machiavel）；　if　the　people　of　Oceana　have　been　factious；　the　cause　is　apparent；　but　what　remedy？　　　　　In　answer　to　this　question；　I　come　now　to　the　army；　of　which　the　most　victorious　captain　and　incomparable　patriot；　Olphaus　Megaletor；　was　now　general；　who　being　a　much　greater　master　of　that　art　whereof　I　have　made　a　rough　draught　in　these　preliminaries；　had　such　sad　reflections　upon　the　ways　and　proceedings　of　the　Parliament　as　cast　him　upon　books　and　all　other　means　of　diversion；　among　which　he　happened　on　this　place　of　Machiavel：　〃Thrice　happy　is　that　people　which　chances　to　have　a　man　able　to　give　them　such　a　government　at　once；　as　without　alteration　may　secure　them　of　their　liberties；　seeing　it　was　certain　that　Lacedaemon；　in　observing　the　laws　of　Lycurgus；　continued　about　800　years　without　any　dangerous　tumult　or　corruption。〃　My　lord　general　（as　it　is　said　of　Themistocles；　that　he　could　not　sleep　for　the　glory　obtained　by　Miltiades　at　the　battle　of　Marathon）　took　so　new　and　deep　an　impression　at　these　words　of　the　much　greater　glory　of　Lycurgus；　that；　being　on　this　side　assaulted　with　the　emulation　of　his　illustrious　object；　and　on　the　other　with　the　misery　of　the　nation；　which　seemed　（as　it　were　ruined　by　his　victory）　to　cast　itself　at　his　feet；　he　was　almost　wholly　deprived　of　his　natural　rest；　till　the　debate　he　had　within　himself　came　to　a　firm　resolution；　that　the　greatest　advantages　of　a　commonwealth　are；　first；　that　the　legislator　should　be　one　man；　and；　secondly；　that　the　government　should　be　made　all　together；　or　at　once。　For　the　first；　it　is　certain；　says　Machiavel；　that　a　commonwealth　is　seldom　or　never　well　turned　or　constituted；　except　it　has　been　the　work　of　one　man；　for　which　cause　a　wise　legislator；　and　one　whose　mind　is　firmly　set；　not　upon　private　but　the　public　interest；　not　upon　his　posterity　but　upon　his　country；　may　justly　endeavor　to　get　the　sovereign　power　into　his　own　hands；　nor　shall　any　man　that　is　master　of　reason　blame　such　extraordinary　means　as　in　that　case　will　be　necessary；　the　end　proving　no　other　than　the　constitution　of　a　well…ordered　commonwealth。　　　　　The　reason　of　this　is　demonstrable；　for　the　ordinary　means　not　failing；　the　commonwealth　has　no　need　of　a　legislator；　but　the　ordinary　means　failing；　there　is　no　recourse　to　be　had　but　to　such　as　are　extraordinary。　And；　whereas　a　book　or　a　building　has　not　been　known　to　attain　to　its　perfection　if　it　has　not　had　a　sole　author　or　architect；　a　commonwealth；　as　to　the　fabric　of　it；　is　of　the　like　nature。　And　thus　it　may　be　made　at　once；　in　which　there　be　great　advantages；　for　a　commonwealth　made　at　once；　takes　security　at　the　same　time　it　lends　money；　and　trusts　not　itself　to　the　faith　of　men；　but　launches　immediately　forth　into　the　empire　of　laws；　and；　being　set　straight；　brings　the　manners　of　its　citizens　to　its　rule；　whence　followed　that　uprightness　which　was　in　Lacedaemon。　But　manners　that　are　rooted　in　men；　bow　the　tenderness　of　a　commonwealth　coming　up　by　twigs　to　their；　bent；　whence　followed　the　obliquity　that　was　in　Rome；　and　those　perpetual　repairs　by　the　consuls'　axes；　and　tribunes'　hammers；　which　could　never　finish　that　commonwealth　but　in　destruction。　　　　　My　lord　general　being　clear　in　these　points；　and　of　the　necessity　of　some　other　course　than　would　be　thought　upon　by　the　Parliament；　appointed　a　meeting　of　the　army；　where　he　spoke　his　sense　agreeable　to　these　preliminaries　with　such　success　to　the　soldiery；　that　the　Parliament　was　soon　after　deposed；　had　he　himself；　in　the　great　hall　of　the　Pantheon　or　palace　of　justice；　situated　in　Emporium；　the　capital　city；　was　created　by　the　universal　suffrage　of　the　army；　Lord　Archon；　or　sole　legislator　of　Oceana；　upon　which　theatre　you　have；　to　conclude　this　piece；　a　person　introduced；　whose　fame　shal