the commonwealth of oceana-第34章

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　our　brows　without　diminution；　if　it　prepares　our　table；　if　it　makes　our　cup　to　overflow；　and　above　all　this；　in　providing　for　our　children；　anoints　our　heads　with　that　oil　which　takes　away　the　greatest　of　worldly　cares；　what　man；　that　is　not　besotted　with　a　covetousness　as　vain　as　endless；　can　imagine　such　a　constitution　to　be　his　poverty？　Seeing　where　no　woman　can　be　considerable　for　her　portion；　no　portion　will　be　considerable　with　a　woman；　and　so　his　children　will　not　only　find　better　preferments　without　his　brokage；　but　more　freedom　of　their　own　affections。　〃We　are　wonderful　severe　in　laws；　that　they　shall　not　marry　without　our　consent；　as　if　it　were　care　and　tenderness　over　them；　but　is　it　not　lest　we　should　not　have　the　other　？；000　with　this　son；　or　the　other　？00　a　year　more　in　jointure　for　that　daughter？　These；　when　we　are　crossed　in　them；　are　the　sins　for　which　we　water　our　couch　with　tears；　but　not　of　penitence。　Seeing　whereas　it　is　a　mischief　beyond　any　that　we　can　do　to　our　enemies；　we　persist　to　make　nothing　of　breaking　the　affection　of　our　children。　But　there　is　in　this　agrarian　a　homage　to　pure　and　spotless　love；　the　consequence　whereof　I　will　not　give　for　all　your　romances。　An　alderman　makes　not　his　daughter　a　countess　till　he　has　given　her　？0；000；　nor　a　romance　a　considerable　mistress　till　she　be　a　princess；　these　are　characters　of　bastard　love。　But　if　our　agrarian　excludes　ambition　and　covetousness；　we　shall　at　length　have　the　care　of　our　own　breed；　in　which　we　have　been　curious　as　to　our　dogs　and　horses。　The　marriage…bed　will　be　truly　legitimate；　and　the　race　of　the　commonwealth　not　spurious。　〃But　（impar　magnanimis　ausis；　imparque　dolori）　I　am　hurled　from　all　my　hopes　by　my　lord's　last　assertion　of　impossibility；　that　the　root　from　whence　we　imagine　these　fruits　should　be　planted　or　thrive　in　this　soil。　And　why？　Because　of　the　mixture　of　estates　and　variety　of　tenures。　Nevertheless；　there　is　yet　extant　in　the　Exchequer　an　old　survey　of　the　whole　nation；　wherefore　such　a　thing　is　not　impossible。　Now　if　a　new　survey　were　taken　at　the　present　rates；　and　the　law　made　that　no　man　should　hold　hereafter　above　so　much　land　as　is　valued　therein　at　？；000　a　year；　it　would　amount　to　a　good　and　sufficient　agrarian。　It　is　true　that　there　would　remain　some　difficulty　in　the　different　kind　of　rents；　and　that　it　is　a　matter　requiring　not　only　more　leisure　than　we　have；　but　an　authority　which　may　be　better　able　to　bow　men　to　a　more　general　consent　than　is　to　be　wrought　out　of　them　by　such　as　are　in　our　capacity。　Wherefore　as　to　the　manner；　it　is　necessary　that　we　refer　it　to　the　Parliament；　but　as　to　the　matter；　they　cannot　otherwise　fix　their　government　upon　the　right　balance。　　　　　〃I　shall　conclude　with　a　few　words　to　some　parts　of　the　order；　which　my　lord　has　omitted。　As　first　to　the　consequences　of　the　agrarian　to　be　settled　in　Marpesia；　which　irreparably　breaks　the　aristocracy　of　that　nation；　being　of　such　a　nature；　as　standing；　it　is　not　possible　that　you　should　govern。　For　while　the　people　of　that　country　are　little　better　than　the　cattle　of　the　nobility；　you　must　not　wonder　if；　according　as　these　can　make　their　markets　with　foreign　princes；　you　find　those　to　be　driven　upon　your　grounds。　And　if　you　be　so　tender；　now　you　have　it　in　your　power；　as　not　to　hold　a　hand　upon　them　that　may　prevent　the　slaughter　which　must　otherwise　ensue　in　like　cases；　the　blood　will　lie　at　your　door。　But　in　holding　such　a　hand　upon　them；　you　may　settle　the　agrarian；　and　in　settling　the　agrarian；　you　give　that　people　not　only　liberty；　but　lands；　which　makes　your　protection　necessary　to　their　security；　and　their　contribution　due　to　your　protection；　as　to　their　own　safety。　　　　　〃For　the　agrarian　of　Panopea；　it　allowing　such　proportions　of　so　good　land；　men　that　conceive　themselves　straitened　by　this　in　Oceana；　will　begin　there　to　let　themselves　forth；　where　every　citizen　will　in　time　have　his　villa。　And　there　is　no　question；　but　the　improvement　of　that　country　by　this　means　must　be　far　greater　than　it　has　been　in　the　best　of　former　times。　〃I　have　no　more　to　say；　but　that　in　those　ancient　and　heroic　ages　（when　men　thought　that　to　be　necessary　which　was　virtuous）　the　nobility　of　Athens；　having　the　people　so　much　engaged　in　their　debt　that　there　remained　no　other　question　among　these　than　which　of　those　should　be　king；　no　sooner　heard　Solon　speak　than　they　quitted　their　debts；　and　restored　the　commonwealth；　which　ever　after　held　a　solemn　and　annual　feast　called　the　Sisacthia；　or　Recision；　in　memory　of　that　action。　Nor　is　this　example　the　phoenix；　for　at　the　institution　by　Lycurgus；　the　nobility　having　estates　（as　ours　here）　in　the　lands　of　Laconia；　upon　no　other　valuable　consideration　than　the　commonwealth　proposed　by　him；　threw　them　up　to　be　parcelled　by　his　agrarian。　But　now　when　no　man　is　desired　to　throw　up　a　farthing　of　his　money；　or　a　shovelful　of　his　earth；　and　that　all　we　can　do　is　but　to　make　a　virtue　of　necessity；　we　are　disputing　whether　we　should　have　peace　or　war。　For　peace　you　cannot　have　without　some　government；　nor　any　government　without　the　proper　balance。　Wherefore　if　you　will　not　fix　this　which　you　have；　the　rest　is　blood；　for　without　blood　you　can　bring　in　no　other。〃

　　　　By　these　speeches　made　at　the　institution　of　the　agrarian　you　may　perceive　what　were　the　grounds　of　it。　The　next　is　　　　　　The　fourteenth　order；　〃Constituting　the　ballot　of　Venice；　as　it　is　fitted　by　several　alterations；　and　appointed　to　every　assembly；　to　be　the　constant　and　only　way　of　giving　suffrage　in　this　commonwealth；　according　to　the　following　scheme。〃　　　　　I　shall　endeavor　by　the　following　figure　to　demonstrate　the　manner　of　the　Venetian　ballot　（a　thing　as　difficult　in　discourse　or　writing；　as　facile　in　practice）　according　to　the　use　of　it　in　Oceana。　The　whole　figure　represents　the　Senate；　containing；　as　to　the　house　or　form　of　sitting；　a　square　and　a　half；　the　tribunal　at　the　upper　end　being　ascended　by　four　steps。　On　the　uppermost　of　these　sit　the　magistrates　that　constitute　the　signory　of　the　commonwealth；　that　is　to　say；　A　the　strategus；　B　the　orator；　C　the　three　commissioners　of　the　great　seal；　D　the　three　commissioners　of　the　Treasury；　whereof　one；　E；　exercises　for　the　present　the　office　of　a　censor　at　the　middle　urn；　F　To　the　two　upper　steps　of　the　tribunal　answer　G；　G…G；　G；　the　two　long　benches　next　the　wall　on　each　side　of　the　house；　the　outwardmost　of　which　are　equal　in　height　to　the　uppermost　step；　and　the　innermost　equal　in　height　to　the　next。　Of　these　four　benches　consists　the　first　seal；　as　the　second　seat　consists　in　like　manner　of　those　four　benches　H；　H…H；　H；　which　being　next　the　floor；　are　equal　in　height　to　the　two　nethermost　steps　of　the　throne。　So　the　whole　house　is　distributed　into　two　seats；　each　consisting　of　four　benches。　　　　　This　distribution　causes　not　only　the　greater　conveniency；　as　will　be　shown；　to　the　senators　in　the　exercise　of　their　function　at　the　ballot；　but　a　greater　grace　to　the　aspect　of　the　Senate。　In　the　middle　of　the　outward　benches　stand　I；　12　the　chairs　of　the　censors；　those　being　their　ordinary　places；　though　upon　occasion　of　the　ballot　they　descend；　and　sit　where　they　are　shown　by　K；　K　at　each　of　the　outward　urns