the commonwealth of oceana-第44章

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s　in　one　hand；　with　a　white　box　in　the　other；　and　each　following　the　other；　according　to　the　order　of　the　opinions；　shall　present　his　box；　naming　the　author　of　his　opinion　to　every　senator；　and　one　secretary　or　ballotin　with　a　green　box　shall　follow　the　four　white　ones；　and　one　secretary　or　ballotin　with　a　red　box　shall　follow　the　green　one；　and　every　senator　shall　put　one　ball　into　some　one　of　these　six　boxes。　The　suffrage　being　gathered　and　opened　before　the　signory；　if　the　red　box　or　non…sincere　had　above　half　the　suffrages；　the　opinions　shall　be　all　cast　out；　for　the　major　part　of　the　house　is　not　clear　in　the　business。　If　no　one　of　the　four　opinions　had　above　half　the　suffrages　in　the　affirmative；　that　which　had　fewest　shall　be　cast　out；　and　the　other　three　shall　be　balloted　again。　If　no　one　of　the　three　had　above　half；　that　which　had　fewest　shall　be　cast　out；　and　the　other　two　shall　ballot　again。　If　neither　of　the　two　had　above　half；　that　which　had　fewest　shall　be　cast　out；　and　the　remaining　opinion　shall　be　balloted　again。　And　if　the　remaining　opinion　has　not　above　half；　it　shall　also　be　cast　out。　But　the　first　of　the　opinions　that　arrives　at　most　above　half　in　the　affirmative；　is　the　decree　of　the　Senate。　The　opinions　being　all　of　them　cast　out　by　the　non…sincere；　may　be　reviewed；　if　occasion　permits；　by　the　council；　and　brought　in　again。　If　they　be　cast　out　by　the　negative；　the　case　being　of　advice　only；　the　house　approves　not；　and　there　is　an　end　of　it：　the　case　being　necessary；　and　admitting　delay；　the　council　is　to　think　again　upon　the　business；　and　to　bring　in　new　opinions；　but　the　case　being　necessary；　and　not　admitting　delay；　the　Senate　immediately　electing　the　juncta　shall　create　the　Dictator。　'And　let　the　Dictator；'　as　the　Roman　saying　is；　'take　care　that　the　commonwealth　receives　no　harm。'〃　　　　　This　in　case　the　debate　concludes　not　in　a　decree。　But　if　a　decree　be　passed；　it　is　either　in　matter　of　state　or　government　according　to　law　enacted　already；　and　then　it　is　good　without　going　any　further。　or　it　is　in　matter　of　law　to　be　enacted；　repealed；　or　amended；　and　then　the　decree　of　the　Senate；　especially　if　it　be　for　a　war；　or　for　a　levy　of　men　or　money；　is　invalid；　without　the　result　of　the　commonwealth；　which　is　in　the　prerogative　tribe；　or　representative　of　the　people。　　　　　〃The　Senate　having　prepared　a　decree　to　be　proposed　to　the　people；　shall　appoint　their　proposers；　and　no　other　may　propose　for　the　Senate　to　the　people　but　the　magistrates　of　the　house；　that　is　to　say；　the　three　commissioners　of　the　seal；　or　any　two　of　them；　the　three　of　the　Treasury；　or　any　two　of　them；　or　the　two　censors。　　　　　〃The　Senate　having　appointed　their　proposers；　shall　require　of　the　tribunes　a　muster　of　the　people　at　a　set　time　and　place：　and　the　tribunes　or　any　two　of　them　having　mustered　the　people　accordingly；　the　proposers　shall　propose　the　sense　or　decree　of　the　Senate　by　clauses　to　the　people。　And　that　which　is　proposed　by　the　authority　of　the　Senate；　and　resolved　by　the　command　of　the　people；　is　the　law　of　Oceana。〃　To　this　order；　implicitly　containing　the　sum　very　near　of　the　whole　civil　part　of　the　commonwealth；　my　Lord　Archon　spoke　thus　in　council：

　〃MY　DEAR　LORDS：　　　　　〃There　is　a　saying；　that　a　man　must　cut　his　coat　according　to　his　cloth。　When　I　consider　what　God　has　allowed　or　furnished　to　our　present　work；　I　am　amazed。　You　would　have　a　popular　government；　he　has　weighed　it　to　you　in　the　present　balance；　as　I　may　say；　to　a　drachm；　you　have　no　more　to　do　but　to　fix　it。　For　the　superstructures　of　such　a　government　they　require　a　good　aristocracy：　and　you　have；　or　have　had　a　nobility　or　gentry　the　best　studied；　and　the　best　writers；　at　least　next　that　of　Italy；　in　the　whole　world；　nor　have　they　been　inferior；　when　so　exercised；　in　the　leading　of　armies。　But　the　people　are　the　main　body　of　a　commonwealth；　show　me　from　the　treasuries　of　the　snow　（as　it　is　in　Job）　to　the　burning　zone　a　people　whose　shoulder　so　universally　and　so　exactly　fits　the　corselet。　Nevertheless；　it　were　convenient　to　be　well　provided　with　auxiliaries。　There　is　Marpesia；　through　her　fruitfulness；　inexhaustible　of　men；　and　men　through　her　barrenness　not　only　enured　to　hardship；　but　in　your　arms。　It　may　be　said　that　Venice；　excepting　only　that　she　takes　not　in　the　people；　is　the　most　incomparable　situation　of　a　commonwealth。　You　are　Venice；　taking　in　your　people　and　your　auxiliaries　too。　My　lords；　the　children　of　Israel　were　makers　of　brick　before　they　were　builders　of　a　commonwealth；　but　our　brick　is　made；　our　mortar　tempered；　the　cedars　of　Lebanon　are　hewed　and　squared　to　our　hands。　Has　this　been　the　work　of　man？　Or　is　it　in　man　to　withstand　this　work？　'Shall　he　that　contends　with　the　Almighty　instruct　him？　He　that　reproves　God；　let　him　answer　it。'　For　our　parts；　everything　is　so　laid　that　when　we　come　to　have　use　of　it；　it　is　the　next　at　hand；　and　unless　we　can　conceive　that　God　and　nature　do　anything　in　vain；　there　is　no　more　for　us　to　do　but　to　despatch。　The　piece　which　we　have　reached　to　us　in　the　foregoing　orders；　is　the　aristocracy。　Athens；　as　has　been　shown；　was　plainly　lost　through　the　want　of　a　good　aristocracy。　　　　　〃But　the　sufficiency　of　an　aristocracy　goes　demonstrably　upon　the　hand　of　the　nobility　or　gentry；　for　that　the　politics　can　be　mastered　without　study；　or　that　the　people　can　have　leisure　to　study；　is　a　vain　imagination；　and　what　kind　of　aristocracy　divines　and　lawyers　would　make；　let　their　incurable　running　upon　their　own　narrow　bias　and　their　perpetual　invectives　against　Machiavel　（though　in　some　places　justly　reprovable；　yet　the　only　politician；　and　incomparable　patron　of　the　people）　serve　for　instruction。　I　will　stand　no　more　to　the　judgment　of　lawyers　and　divines　in　this　work；　than　to　that　of　so　many　other　tradesmen；　but　if　this　model　chances　to　wander　abroad；　I　recommend　it　to　the　Roman　speculativi　（the　most　complete　gentlemen　of　this　age）　for　their　censure；　or　with　my　Lord　Epimonus　his　leave；　send　300　or　400　copies　to　your　agent　at　Venice　to　be　presented　to　the　magistrates　there；　and　when　they　have　considered　them；　to　be　proposed　to　the　debate　of　the　Senate；　the　most　competent　judges　under　heaven；　who；　though　they　have　great　affairs；　will　not　refuse　to　return　you　the　oracle　of　their　ballot。　The　councillors　of　princes　I　will　not　trust；　they　are　but　journeymen。　The　wisdom　of　these　later　times　in　princes'　affairs　（says　Verulamius）　is　rather　fine　deliveries　and　shiftings　of　dangers　when　they　be　near；　than　solid　and　grounded　courses　to　keep　them　off。　Their　councillors　do　not　derive　their　proceedings　from　any　sound　root　of　government　that　may　contain　the　demonstration；　and　assure　the　success　of　them；　but　are　expedient…mongers；　givers　of　themselves　to　help　a　lame　dog　over　a　stile；　else　how　comes　it　to　pass　that　the　fame　of　Cardinal　Richelieu　has　been　like　thunder；　whereof　we　hear　the　noise；　but　can　make　no　demonstration　of　the　reason？　But　to　return：　if　neither　the　people；　nor　divines　and　lawyers；　can　be　the　aristocracy　of　a　nation；　there　remains　only　the　nobility；　in　which　style；　to　avoid　further　repetition；　I　shall　understand　the　gentry　also；　as　the　French　do　by　the　word　noblesse。　　　　　〃Now　to　treat　of　the　nobility　in　such　sort　as