the commonwealth of oceana-第84章

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ey　must　have　decreed　it　from　themselves　（such　an　example　for　which　there　was　never　any　experience；　nor　can　there　be　any　reason）；　or　holding　it；　it　must　have　done　in　their　hands　as　well　every　wit　as　in　any　other。　Furthermore；　they　must　have　removed　the　government　from　a　foundation　that　apparently　would　hold；　to　set　it　upon　another　which　apparently　would　not　hold；　which　things　if　they　could　not　come　to　pass；　the　Senate　and　the　people　consisting　wholly　of　royalists；　much　less　by　a　parcel　of　them　elected。　But　if　the　fear　of　the　Senate　and　of　the　people　derived　from　a　party　without；　such　a　one　as　would　not　be　elected；　nor　engage　themselves　to　the　commonwealth　by　an　oath；　this　again　must　be　so　large；　as　would　go　quite　contrary　to　their　own　interest；　they　being　as　free　and　as　fully　estated　in　their　liberty　as　any　other；　or　so　narrow　that　they　could　do　no　hurt；　while　the　people　being　in　arms；　and　at　the　beck　of　the　strategus；　every　tribe　would　at　any　time　make　a　better　army　than　such　a　party；　and　there　being　no　parties　at　home；　fears　from　abroad　would　vanish。　But　seeing　it　was　otherwise　determined　by　the　Senate　and　the　people；　the　best　course　was　to　take　that　which　they　held　the　safest；　in　which；　with　his　humble　thanks　for　their　great　bounty；　he　was　resolved　to　serve　them　with　all　duty　and　obedience。　　　　　A　very　short　time　after　the　royalists；　now　equal　citizens；　made　good　the　Archon's　judgment；　there　being　no　other　that　found　anything　near　so　great　a　sweet　in　the　government。　For　he　who　has　not　been　acquainted　with　affliction；　says　Seneca；　knows　but　half　the　things　of　this　world。　　　　　Moreover　they　saw　plainly；　that　to　restore　the　ancient　government　they　must　cast　up　their　estates　into　the　hands　of　300　men；　wherefore　in　case　the　Senate　and　the　prerogative；　consisting　of　1；300　men；　had　been　all　royalists；　there　must　of　necessity　have　been；　and　be　forever；　1；000　against　this　or　any　such　vote。　But　the　Senate；　being　informed　by　the　signory　that　the　Archon　had　accepted　of　his　dignity　and　office；　caused　a　third　chair　to　be　set　for　his　Highness；　between　those　of　the　strategus　and　the　orator　in　the　house；　the　like　at　every　council；　to　which　he　repaired；　not　of　necessity；　but　at　his　pleasure；　being　the　best；　and　as　Argus　not　vainly　said；　the　greatest　prince　in　the　world；　for　in　the　pomp　of　his　court　he　was　not　inferior　to　any；　and　in　the　field　he　was　followed　with　a　force　that　was　formidable　to　all。　Nor　was　there　a　cause　in　the　nature　of　this　constitution　to　put　him　to　the　charge　of　guards；　to　spoil　his　stomach　or　his　sleep：　insomuch；　as　being　handsomely　disputed　by　the　wits　of　the　academy；　whether　my　Lord　Archon；　if　he　had　been　ambitious；　could　have　made　himself　so　great；　it　was　carried　clear　in　the　negative；　not　only　for　the　reasons　drawn　from　the　present　balance；　which　was　popular；　but　putting　the　case　the　balance　had　been　monarchical。　For　there　be　some　nations；　whereof　this　is　one；　that　will　bear　a　prince　in　a　commonwealth　far　higher　than　it　is　possible　for　them　to　bear　a　monarch。　Spain　looked　upon　the　Prince　of　Orange　as　her　most　formidable　enemy；　but　if　ever　there　be　a　monarch　in　Holland；　he　will　be　the　Spaniard's　best　friend。　For　whereas　a　prince　in　a　commonwealth　derives　his　greatness　from　the　root　of　the　people；　a　monarch　derives　his　from　one　of　those　balances　which　nip　them　in　the　root；　by　which　means　the　Low　Countries　under　a　monarch　were　poor　and　inconsiderable；　but　in　bearing　a　prince　could　grow　to　a　miraculous　height；　and　give　the　glory　of　his　actions　by　far　the　upper　hand　of　the　greatest　king　in　Christendom。　There　are　kings　in　Europe；　to　whom　a　king　of　Oceana　would　be　put　a　petit　companion。　But　the　Prince　of　this　commonwealth　is　the　terror　and　judge　of　them　all。　　　　　That　which　my　Lord　Archon　now　minded　most　was　the　agrarian；　upon　which　debate　he　incessantly　thrust　the　Senate　and　the　Council　of　State；　to　the　end　it　might　be　planted　upon　some　firm　root；　as　the　main　point　and　basis　of　perpetuity　to　the　commonwealth。　　　　　And　these　are　some　of　the　most　remarkable　passages　that　happened　in　the　first　year　of　this　government。　About　the　latter　end　of　the　second；　the　army　was　disbanded；　but　the　taxes　continued　at　？0；000　a　month；　for　three　years　and　a　half。　By　which　means　a　piece　of　artillery　was　planted；　and　a　portion　of　land　to　the　value　of　？0　a　year　purchased　for　the　maintenance　of　the　games；　and　of　the　prize　arms　forever；　in　each　hundred。　　　　　With　the　eleventh　year　of　the　commonwealth；　the　term　of　the　excise；　allotted　for　the　maintenance　of　the　Senate　and　the　people　and　for　the　raising　of　a　public　revenue；　expired。　By　which　time　the　Exchequer；　over　and　above　the　annual　salaries；　amounting　to　？00；000　accumulating　every　year　out　of　？；000；000　income；　？00；000　in　banco；　brought　it　with　a　product　of　the　sum；　rising　to　about　？；000；000　in　the　whole：　whereby　at　several　times　they　had　purchased　to　the　Senate　and　the　people　？00；000　per　annum　solid　revenue；　which；　besides　the　lands　held　in　Panopea；　together　with　the　perquisites　of　either　province；　was　held　sufficient　for　a　public　revenue。　Nevertheless；　taxes　being　now　wholly　taken　off；　the　excise；　of　no　great　burden　（and　many　specious　advantages　not　vainly　proposed　in　the　heightening　of　the　public　revenue）；　was　very　cheerfully　established　by　the　Senate　and　the　people；　for　the　term　of　ten　years　longer；　and　the　same　course　being　taken；　the　public　revenue　was　found　in　the　one…and…twentieth　year　of　the　commonwealth　to　be　worth　？；000；000　in　good　land。　Whereupon　the　excise　was　so　abolished　for　the　present；　as　withal　resolved　to　be　the　best；　the　most　fruitful　and　easy　way　of　raising　taxes；　according　to　future　exigencies。　　　　　But　the　revenue　being　now　such　as　was　able　to　be　a　yearly　purchaser；　gave　a　jealousy　that　by　this　means　the　balance　of　the　commonwealth；　consisting　in　private　fortunes；　might　be　eaten　out；　whence　this　year　is　famous　for　that　law　whereby　the　Senate　and　the　people；　forbidding　any　further　purchase　of　lands　to　the　public　within　the　dominions　of　Oceana　and　the　adjacent　provinces；　put　the　agrarian　upon　the　commonwealth　herself。　These　increases　are　things　which　men　addicted　to　monarchy　deride　as　impossible；　whereby　they　unwarily　urge　a　strong　argument　against　that　which　they　would　defend。　For　having　their　eyes　fixed　upon　the　pomp　and　expense；　by　which　not　only　every　child　of　a　king；　being　a　prince；　exhausts　his　father's　coffers；　but　favorites　and　servile　spirits；　devoted　to　the　flattery　of　those　princes；　grow　insolent　and　profuse；　returning　a　fit　gratitude　to　their　masters；　whom；　while　they　hold　it　honorable　to　deceive；　they　suck　and　keep　eternally　poor：　it　follows　that　they　do　not　see　how　it　should　be　possible　for　a　commonwealth　to　clothe　herself　in　purple；　and　thrive　so　strangely　upon　that　which　would　make　a　prince's　hair　grow　through　his　hood；　and　not　afford　him　bread。　As　if　it　were　a　miracle　that　a　careless　and　prodigal　man　should　bring　？0；000　a　year　to　nothing；　or　that　an　industrious　and　frugal　man　brings　a　little　to　？0；000　a　year。　But　the　fruit　of　one　man's　industry　and　frugality　can　never　be　like　that　of　a　commonwealth；　first；　because　the　greatness　of　the　increase　follows　the　greatness　of　the　stock　or　principal；　and；　secondly；　because　a　frugal　father　is　for　the　most　part　succeeded　by　a　lav