the commonwealth of oceana-第43章

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orian　power　in　general；　and　the　use　of　it　（because　it　must　needs　be　of　difficult　digestion　to　such　as；　puking　still　at　ancient　prudence；　show　themselves　to　be　in　the　nursery　of　mother…wit）；　it　is　no　less　than　necessary　to　say　something。　And；　first；　in　a　commonwealth　that　is　not　wrought　up；　or　perfected；　this　power　will　be　of　very　frequent；　if　not　continual；　use；　wherefore　it　is　said　more　than　once；　upon　defects　of　the　government；　in　the　book　of　Judges；　'that　in　those　days　there　was　no　king　in　Israel。'　Nor　has　the　translator；　though　for　'no　king；　he　should　have　said　'no　judge；'　abused　you　so　much；　seeing　that　the　Dictator　（and　such　was　the　Judge　of　Israel）　or　the　dictatorian　power　being　in　a　single　person；　so　little　differs　from　monarchy；　which　followed　in　that；　that　from　the　same　cause　there　has　been　no　other　effect　in　any　commonwealth：　as　in　Rome　was　manifest　by　Sylla　and　Caesar；　who　to　make　themselves　absolute　or　sovereign；　had　no　more　to　do　than　to　prolong　their　magistracy；　for　the　dictatorian　power　was　reputed　divine；　and　therefore　irresistible。　　　　　〃Nevertheless；　so　it　is；　that　without　this　power；　which　is　so　dangerous；　and　subject　to　introduce　monarchy；　a　commonwealth　cannot　be　safe　from　falling　into　the　like　dissolution；　unless　you　have　an　expedient　in　this　case　of　your　own；　and　bound　up　by　your　providence　from　recoiling。　Expedients　in　some　cases　you　must　not　only　have；　but　be　beholden　for　them　to　such　whom　you　must　trust　at　a　pinch；　when　you　have　not　leisure　to　stand　with　them　for　security；　which　will　be　a　thousand　times　more　dangerous。　And　there　can　never　be　a　commonwealth　otherwise　than　by　the　order　in　debate　wrought　up　to　that　perfection；　but　this　necessity　must　sometimes　happen　in　regard　of　her　natural　slowness　and　openness；　and　the　suddenness　of　assaults　that　may　be　made　upon　her；　as　also　the　secrecy　which　in　some　cases　may　be　of　absolute　necessity　to　her　affairs。　Whence　Machiavel　concludes　it　positively；　that　a　commonwealth　unprovided　of　such　a　refuge；　must　fall　to　ruin；　for　her　course　is　either　broken　by　the　blow　in　one　of　those　cases；　or　by　herself；　while　it　startles　her　out　of　her　orders。　And　indeed　a　commonwealth　is　like　a　greyhound；　which；　having　once　coasted；　will　never　after　run　fair；　but　grow　slothful；　and　when　it　comes　to　make　a　common　practice　of　taking　nearer　ways　than　its　orders；　it　is　dissolved：　for　the　being　of　a　commonwealth　consists　in　its　orders。　Wherefore　at　this　list　you　will　be　exposed　to　danger；　if　you　have　not　provided　beforehand　for　the　safety　of　your　resort　in　the　like　cases：　nor　is　it　sufficient　that　your　resort　be　safe；　unless　it　be　as　secret　and　quick；　for　if　it　be　slow　or　open；　your　former　inconveniences　are　not　remedied。　　　　　〃Now　for　our　imitation　in　this　part；　there　is　nothing　in　experience　like　that　of　the　Council　of　Ten　in　Venice；　the　benefit　whereof　would　be　too　long　to　be　shown　in　the　whole　piece；　and　therefore　I　shall　take　but　a　pattern　out　of　Janotti。　In　the　war；　says　he；　which　the　Venetians　had　with　Florence　in　Casentin；　the　Florentines；　finding　a　necessity　in　their　affairs　far　from　any　other　inclination　in　themselves　to　ask　their　peace；　sent　ambassadors　about　it　to　Venice；　where　they　were　no　sooner　heard；　than　the　bargain　was　struck　up　by　the　Council　of　Ten：　and　everybody　admiring　（seeing　this　commonwealth　stood　upon　the　higher　ground）　what　should　be　the　reason　of　such　haste；　the　council　upon　the　return　of　the　ambassadors　imparted　letters　to　the　Senate；　whereby　it　appeared　that　the　Turks　had　newly　launched　a　formidable　fleet　against　their　State；　which；　had　it　been　understood　by　the　Florentines；　it　was　well　enough　known　they　would　have　made　no　peace。　Wherefore　the　service　of　the　Ten　was　highly　applauded　by　the　Senate；　and　celebrated　by　the　Venetians。　Whereby　may　appear　not　only　in　part　what　use　there　is　of　dictatorian　power　in　that　government；　but　that　it　is　assumed　at　the　discretion　of　that　Council；　whereas　in　this　of　Oceana　it　is　not　otherwise　intrusted　than　when　the　Senate；　in　the　election　of　nine　knights…extraordinary；　gives　at　once　the　commission；　and　takes　security　in　a　balance；　added　to　the　Council　of　War；　though　securer　before　by　the　tribunes　of　the　people　than　that　of　Venice；　which　yet　never　incurred　jealousy；　for　if　the　younger　nobility　have　been　often　girding　at　it；　that　happened　not　so　much　through　the　apprehension　of　danger　in　it　to　the　commonwealth；　as　through　the　awe　of　it　upon　themselves。　Wherefore　the　graver　have　doubtlessly　shown　their　prudence　in　the　law　whereby　the　magistracy　of　these　councillors　being　to　last　till'　their　successors　be　created；　the　council　is　established。〃

　　　　The　instructions　of　the　councils　for　their　matter　being　shown；　it　remains　that　I　show　the　instructions　for　the　manner　of　their　proceeding；　as　they　follow　in　　　　　　The　twentieth　order；　〃Containing　the　method　of　debates　to　be　observed　by　the　magistrates　and　the　councils　successively　in　order　to　a　decree　of　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　magistrates　of　the　signory；　as　councillors　of　this　commonwealth；　shall　take　into　their　consideration　all　matters　of　state　or　of　government；　and；　having　right　to　propose　in　any　council；　may；　any　one　or　more　of　them；　propose　what　business　he　or　they　please　in　that　council　to　which　it　most　properly　belongs。　And；　that　the　councils　may　be　held　to　their　duty；　the　said　magistrates　are　superintendents　and　inspectors　of　the　same；　with　right　to　propose　to　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　censors　have　equal　power　with　these　magistrates；　but　in　relation　to　the　Council　of　Religion　only。　　　　　〃Any　two　of　the　three　provosts　in　every　council　may　propose　to；　and　are　the　more　peculiar　proposers　of；　the　same　council；　to　the　end　that　there　be　not　only　an　inspection　and　superintendency　of　business　in　general；　but　that　every　work　be　also　committed　to　a　peculiar　hand。　　　　　〃Any　one　or　more　of　the　magistrates；　or　any　two　of　the　provosts　respectively　having　proposed；　the　council　shall　debate　the　business　so　proposed；　to　which　they　of　the　third　region　that　are　willing　shall　speak　first　in　their　order；　they　of　the　second；　next；　and　they　of　the　first；　last；　and　the　opinions　of　those　that　proposed　or　spoke；　as　they　shall　be　thought　the　most　considerable　by　the　council；　shall　be　taken　by　the　secretary　of　the　same　in　writing；　and　each　of　them　signed　with　the　name　of　the　author。　　　　　〃The　opinions　being　thus　prepared；　any　magistrate　of　the　signory；　the　censors；　or　any　two　of　the　provosts　of　that　council；　upon　this　occasion　may　assemble　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　Senate　being　assembled；　the　opinions　（for　example；　if　they　be　four）　shall　be　read　in　their　order；　that　is；　according　to　the　order　or　dignity　of　the　magistrates　or　councillors　by　which　they　were　signed。　And　being　read；　if　any　of　the　council　introducing　them　will　speak；　they；　as　best　acquainted　with　the　business；　shall　have　precedence；　and　after　them　the　senators　shall　speak　according　to　their　regions；　beginning　by　the　third　first；　and　so　continuing　till　every　man　that　will　has　spoken；　and　when　the　opinions　have　been　sufficiently　debated；　they　shall　be　put　all　together　to　the　ballot　after　this　manner：　　　　　〃Four　secretaries；　carrying　each　of　them　one　of　the　opinions　in　one　hand；　with　a　white　box　in　the　other；　and　each　following　the　other；　according　to　the　order　o