the commonwealth of oceana-第49章

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these；　but；　being　carried　away　by　vainglorious　men　（that；　as　Overbury　says；　void　more　than　they　drink）；　swim　down　the　stream；　as　did　Athens；　the　most　prating　of　these　dames；　when　that　same　ranting　fellow　Alcibiades　fell　a…demagoguing　for　the　Silician　War。　　　　　〃But　whereas　debate；　by　the　authority　and　experience　of　Lacedaemon　and　Venice；　is　not　to　be　committed　to　the　people　in　a　well…ordered　government；　it　may　be　said　that　the　order　specified　is　but　a　slight　bar　in　a　matter　of　like　danger；　for　so　much　as　an　oath；　if　there　be　no　recourse　upon　the　breach　of　it；　is　a　weak　tie　for　such　hands　as　have　the　sword　in　them；　wherefore　what　should　hinder　the　people　of　Oceana；　if　they　happen　not　to　regard　an　oath　from　assuming　debate；　and　making　themselves　as　much　an　anarchy　as　those　of　Athens？　To　which　I　answer；　Take　the　common　sort　in　a　private　capacity；　and；　except　they　be　injured；　you　shall　find　them　to　have　a　bashfulness　in　the　presence　of　the　better　sort；　or　wiser　men；　acknowledging　their　abilities　by　attention；　and　accounting　it　no　mean　honor　to　receive　respect　from　them；　but　if　they　be　injured　by　them；　they　hate　them；　and　the　more　for　being　wise　or　great；　because　that　makes　it　the　greater　injury。　Nor　refrain　they　in　this　case　from　any　kind　of　intemperance　of　speech；　if　of　action。　It　is　no　otherwise　with　a　people　in　their　political　capacity；　you　shall　never　find　that　they　have　assumed　debate　for　itself；　but　for　something　else。　Wherefore　in　Lacedaemon　where　there　was；　and　in　Venice　where　there　is；　nothing　else　for　which　they　should　assume　it；　they　have　never　shown　so　much　as　an　inclination　to　it。　　　　　〃Nor　was　there　any　appearance　of　such　a　desire　in　the　people　of　Rome　（who　from　the　time　of　Romulus　had　been　very　well　contented　with　the　power　of　result　either　in　the　parochial　assemblies；　as　it　was　settled　upon　them　by　him；　or　in　the　meetings　of　the　hundreds；　as　it　was　altered　in　their　regard　for　the　worse　by　Servius　Tullius）　till　news　was　brought；　some　fifteen　years　after　the　exile　of　Tarquin；　their　late　King　（during　which　time　the　Senate　had　governed　pretty　well）；　that　he　was　dead　at　the　Court　of　Aristodemus　the　tyrant　of　Cumae。　Whereupon　the　patricians；　or　nobility；　began　to　let　out　the　hitherto　dissembled　venom　which　is　inherent　in　the　root　of　oligarchy　and　fell　immediately　upon　injuring　the　people　beyond　all　moderation。　For　whereas　the　people　had　served　both　gallantly　and　contentedly　in　arms　upon　their　own　charges；　and；　though　joint　purchasers　by　their　swords　of　the　conquered　lands；　had　not　participated　in　the　same　to　above　two　acres　a　man　（the　rest　being　secretly　usurped　by　the　patricians）；　they；　through　the　meanness　of　their　support　and　the　greatness　of　their　expense；　being　generally　indebted；　no　sooner　returned　home　with　victory　to　lay　down　their　arms；　than　they　were　snatched　up　by　their　creditors；　the　nobility；　to　cram　jails。　Whereupon；　but　with　the　greatest　modesty　that　was　ever　known　in　the　like　case；　they　first　fell　upon　debate；　affirming　'That　they　were　oppressed　and　captivated　at　home；　while　abroad　they　fought　for　liberty　and　empire；　and　that　the　freedom　of　the　common　people　was　safer　in　time　of　war　than　peace；　among　their　enemies　than　their　fellow…citizens。'　It　is　true　that　when　they　could　not　get　the　Senate；　through　fear；　as　was　pretended　by　the　patricians；　to　assemble　and　take　their　grievances　into　consideration；　they　grew　so　much　the　warmer；　that　it　was　glad　to　meet；　where　Appius　Claudius；　a　fierce　spirit；　was　of　opinion　that　recourse　should　be　had　to　consular　power；　whereby　some　of　the　brands　of　sedition　being　taken　off；　the　flame　might　be　extinguished。　Servilius；　being　of　another　temper；　thought　it　better　and　safer　to　try　if　the　people　might　be　bowed　than　broken。　　　　　〃But　this　debate　was　interrupted　by　tumultuous　news　of　the　near　approach　of　the　Volsci；　a　case　in　which　the　Senate　had　no　recourse　but　to　the　people；　who；　contrary　to　their　former　custom　upon　the　like　occasions；　would　not　stir　a　foot；　but　fell　a…laughing；　and　saying；　'Let　them　fight　that　have　something　to　fight　for。'　The　Senate　that　had　purses；　and　could　not　sing　so　well　before　the　thief；　being　in　a　great　perplexity；　found　no　possible　way　out　of　it　but　to　beseech　Servilius；　one　of　a　genius　well　known　to　be　popular；　that　he　would　accept　of　the　consulship；　and　make　some　such　use　of　it　as　might　be　helpful　to　the　patrician　interest。　Servilius；　accepting　of　the　offer；　and　making　use　of　his　interest　with　the　people；　persuaded　them　to　hope　well　of　the　good　intention　of　the　fathers；　whom　it　would　little　beseem　to　be　forced　to　those　things　which　would　lose　their　grace；　and　that　in　view　of　the　enemy；　if　they　came　not　freely；　and　withal　published　an　edict；　that　no　man　should　withhold　a　citizen　of　Rome　by　imprisonment　from　giving　his　name　（for　that　was　the　way；　as　I　shall　have　opportunity　hereafter　to　show　more　at　large；　whereby　they　drew　out　their　armies）；　nor　to　seize　or　sell　any　man's　goods　or　children　that　were　in　the　camp。　Whereupon　the　people　with　a　mighty　concourse　immediately　took　arms；　marched　forth；　and　（which　to　them　was　as　easy　as　to　be　put　into　the　humor；　and　that；　as　appears　in　this　place；　was　not　hard）　totally　defeated　the　Volsci　first；　then　the　Sabines　（for　the　neighboring　nations；　hoping　to　have　had　a　good　bargain　of　the　discord　in　Rome；　were　up　in　arms　on　all　sides）；　and　after　the　Sabines　the　Aurunci。　Whence　returning；　victorious　in　three　battles　they　expected　no　less　than　that　the　Senate　would　have　made　good　their　words；　when　Appius　Claudius；　the　other　Consul；　of　his　innate　pride；　and　that　he　might　frustrate　the　faith　of　his　colleague；　caused　the　soldiers　（who　being　set　at　liberty；　had　behaved　themselves　with　such　valor）　to　be　restored　at　their　return　to　their　creditors　and　their　jails。　　　　　〃Great　resort　upon　this　was　made　by　the　people　to　Servilius；　showing　him　their　wounds；　calling　him　to　witness　how　they　had　behaved　themselves；　and　minding　him　of　his　promise。　Poor　Servilius　was　sorry；　but　so　overawed　with　the　headiness　of　his　colleague；　and　the　obstinacy　of　the　whole　faction　of　the　nobility；　that；　not　daring　to　do　anything　either　way；　he　lost　both　parties；　the　fathers　conceiving　that　he　was　ambitious；　and　the　people　that　he　was　false；　while　the　Consul　Claudius；　continuing　to　countenance　such　as　daily　seized　and　imprisoned　some　of　the　indebted　people；　had　still　new　and　dangerous　controversies　with　them；　insomuch　that　the　commonwealth　was　torn　with　horrid　division；　and　the　people　（because　they　found　it　not　so　safe　or　so　effectual　in　public）　minded　nothing　but　laying　their　heads　together　in　private　conventicles。　For　this　Aulus　Virginius　and　Titus　Vetusius；　the　new　Consuls；　were　reproved　by　the　Senate　as　slothful；　and　upbraided　with　the　virtue　of　Appius　Claudius。　Whereupon　the　Consuls　having　desired　the　Senate　that　they　might　know　their　pleasure；　showed　afterward　their　readiness　to　obey　it；　by　summoning　the　people　according　to　command；　and　requiring　names　whereby　to　draw　forth　an　army　for　diversion；　but　no　man　would　answer。　Report　hereof　being　made　to　the　Senate；　the　younger　sort　of　the　fathers　grew　so　hot　with　the　Consuls　that　they　desired　them　to　abdicate　the　magistracy；　which　they　had　not　the　courage　to　defend。　　　　　〃The　Consuls；　though　they　conceived