the commonwealth of oceana-第47章

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o　be　democracy；　though　I　do　not　deny　but　in　Lacedaemon；　the　paucity　of　the　senators　considered；　it　might　be　called　oligarchy；　in　comparison　of　Athens；　or；　if　we　look　on　their　continuance　for　life；　though　they　had　been　more；　aristocracy。　　　　　〃The　Senate　of　Rome　（whose　fame　has　been　heard　to　thunder　in　the　eloquence　of　my　Lord　Dolabella　d'Enyo）　consisting　of　300；　was；　in　regard　of　the　number；　less　oligarchical　than　that　of　Lacedaemon；　but　more　in　regard　of　the　patricians；　who；　having　an　hereditary　capacity　of　the　same；　were　not　elected　to　that　honor　by　the　people；　but；　being　conscribed　by　the　censors；　enjoyed　it　for　life。　Wherefore　these；　if　they　had　their　wills；　would　have　resolved　as　well　as　debated；　which　set　the　people　at　such　variance　with　them　as　dissolved　the　commonwealth；　whereas　if　the　people　had　enjoyed　the　result；　that　about　the　agrarian；　as　well　as　all　other　strife；　must　of　necessity　have　ceased。　　　　　〃The　Senates　of　Switzerland　and　Holland　（as　I　have　learnt　of　my　Lords　Alpester　and　Glaucus）；　being　bound　up　（like　the　sheaf　of　arrows　which　the　latter　gives）　by　leagues；　lie　like　those　in　their　quivers；　but　arrows；　when　they　come　to　be　drawn；　fly　from　this　way　and　from　that；　and　I　am　contented　that　these　concerned　us　not。　　　　　〃That　of　Venice　（by　the　faithful　testimony　of　my　most　excellent　Lord　Linceus　de　Stella）　has　obliged　a　world；　sufficiently　punished　by　its　own　blindness　and　ingratitude；　to　repent　and　be　wiser：　for　whereas　a　commonwealth　in　which　there　is　no　senate；　or　where　the　senate　is　corrupt；　cannot　stand；　the　great　Council　of　Venice；　like　the　statue　of　Nilus；　leans　upon　an　urn　or　waterpot；　which　pours　forth　the　Senate　in　so　pure　and　perpetual　a　stream；　as　being　unable　to　stagnate；　is　forever　incapable　of　corruption。　The　fuller　description　of　this　Senate　is　contained　in　that　of　Oceana；　and　that　of　Oceana　in　the　foregoing　orders。　To　every　one　of　which；　because　something　has　been　already　said；　I　shall　not　speak　in　particular。　But　in　general；　your　Senate；　and　the　other　assembly；　or　the　prerogative；　as　I　shall　show　in　due　place；　are　perpetual；　not　as　lakes　or　puddles；　but　as　the　rivers　of　Eden；　and　are　beds　made；　as　you　have　seen；　to　receive　the　whole　people；　by　a　due　and　faithful　vicissitude；　into　their　current。　They　are　not；　as　in　the　late　way；　alternate。　Alternate　life　in　government　is　the　alternate　death　of　it。　　　　　〃This　was　the　Gothic　work；　whereby　the　former　government　（which　was　not　only　a　ship；　but　a　gust；　too）　could　never　open　her　sails；　but　in　danger　to　overset　herself；　neither　could　make　any　voyage　nor　lie　safe　in　her　own　harbor。　The　wars　of　later　ages；　says　Verulamius；　seem　to　be　made　in　the　dark；　in　respect　of　the　glory　and　honor　which　reflected　on　men　from　the　wars　in　ancient　times。　Their　shipping　of　this　sort　Was　for　voyages；　ours　dare　not　launch；　nor　lies　it　safe　at　home。　Your　Gothic　politicians　seem　to　me　rather　to　have　invented　some　new　ammunition　or　gunpowder；　in　their　King　and　Parliament；　than　government。　For　what　is　become　of　the　princes　（a　kind　of　people）　in　Germany？　　blown　up。　Where　are　the　estates；　or　the　power　of　the　people　in　France？　　blown　up。　Where　is　that　of　the　people　in　Arragon；　and　the　rest　of　the　Spanish　kingdoms？　　blown　up。　On　the　other　side；　where　is　the　King　of　Spain's　power　in　Holland？　　blown　up。　Where　is　that　of　the　Austrian　princes　in　Switzerland？　　blown　up。　This　perpetual　peevishness　and　jealousy；　under　the　alternate　empire　of　the　prince　and　of　the　people；　are　obnoxious　to　every　spark。　Nor　shall　any　man　show　a　reason　that　will　be　holding　in　prudence；　why　the　people　of　Oceana　have　blown　up　their　King；　but　that　their　kings　did　not　first　blow　up　them。　The　rest　is　discourse　for　ladies。　Wherefore　your　parliaments　are　not　henceforth　to　come　out　of　the　bag　of　AEolus；　but　by　your　galaxies；　to　be　the　perpetual　food　of　the　fire　of　Vesta。　　　　　〃Your　galaxies；　which　divide　the　house　into　so　many　regions；　are　three；　one　of　which　constituting　the　third　region　is　annually　chosen；　but　for　the　term　of　three　years；　which　causes　the　house　（having　at　once　blossoms；　fruit　half　ripe；　and　others　dropping　off　in　full　maturity）　to　resemble　an　orange　tree；　such　as　is　at　the　same　time　an　education　or　spring；　and　a　harvest；　too；　for　the　people　have　made　a　very　ill…choice　in　the　man；　who　is　not　easily　capable　of　the　perfect　knowledge　in　one　year　of　the　senatorian　orders；　which　knowledge；　allowing　him　for　the　first　to　have　been　a　novice；　brings　him　the　second　year　to　practise；　and　time　enough。　For　at　this　rate　you　must　always　have　200　knowing　men　in　the　government。　And　thus　the　vicissitude　of　your　senators　is　not　perceivable　in　the　steadiness　and　perpetuity　of　your　Senate；　which；　like　that　of　Venice；　being　always　changing；　is　forever　the　same。　And　though　other　politicians　have　not　so　well　imitated　their　patter；　there　is　nothing　more　obvious　in　nature；　seeing　a　man　who　wears　the　same　flesh　but　a　short　time；　is　nevertheless　the　same　man；　and　of　the　same　genius；　and　whence　is　this　but　from　the　constancy　of　nature；　in　holding　a　man　to　her　orders？　Wherefore　keep　also　to　your　orders。　But　this　is　a　mean　request；　your　orders　will　be　worth　little　if　they　do　not　hold　you　to　them；　wherefore　embark。　They　are　like　a　ship；　if　you　be　once　aboard；　you　do　not　carry　them；　but　they　you；　and　see　how　Venice　stands　to　her　tackling：　you　will　no　more　forsake　them　than　you　will　leap　into　the　sea。　　　　　〃But　they　are　very　many　and　difficult。　O　my　Lords；　what　seaman　casts　away　his　card　because　it　has　four…and…twenty　points　of　the　compass？　and　yet　those　are　very　near　as　many　and　as　difficult　as　the　orders　in　the　whole　circumference　of　your　commonwealth。　Consider；　how　have　we　been　tossed　with　every　wind　of　doctrine；　lost　by　the　glib　tongues　of　your　demagogues　and　grandees　in　our　own　havens？　A　company　of　fiddlers　that　have　disturbed　your　rest　for　your　groat；　？；000　to　one；　？；000　a　year　to　another；　has　been　nothing。　And　for　what？　Is　there　one　of　them　that　yet　knows　what　a　commonwealth　is？　And　are　you　yet　afraid　of　such　a　government　in　which　these　shall　not　dare　to　scrape　for　fear　of　the　statute？　Themistocles　could　not　fiddle；　but　could　make　of　a　small　city　a　great　commonwealth：　these　have　fiddled；　and　for　your　money；　till　they　have　brought　a　great　commonwealth　to　a　small　city。　　　　　〃It　grieves　me；　while　I　consider　how；　and　from　what　causes；　imaginary　difficulties　will　be　aggravated；　that　the　foregoing　orders　are　not　capable　of　any　greater　clearness　in　discourse　or　writing；　but　if　a　man　should　make　a　book；　describing　every　trick　and　passage；　it　would　fare　no　otherwise　with　a　game　at　cards；　and　this　is　no　more；　if　a　man　plays　upon　the　square。　'There　is　a　great　difference；'　says　Verulamius；　'between　a　cunning　man　and　a　wise　man　（between　a　demagogue　and　a　legislator）；　not　only　in　point　of　honesty；　but　in　point　of　ability　as　there　be　that　can　pack　the　cards；　and　yet　cannot　play　well；　so　there　be　some　that　are　good　in　canvasses　and　fractions；　that　are　otherwise　weak　men。'　Allow　me　but　these　orders；　and　let　them　come　with　their　cards　in　their　sleeves；　or　pack　if　they　can。　'Again；'　says　he；　'it　is　one　thing　to　understand　persons；　and　another　to　understand　matters；　for　many　are　perfect　in　men's　humors　that　are　not　greatly　capable　of　the　real　part　of　busi