the commonwealth of oceana-第50章

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te　the　magistracy；　which　they　had　not　the　courage　to　defend。　　　　　〃The　Consuls；　though　they　conceived　themselves　to　be　roughly　handled；　made　this　soft　answer。　'Fathers　conscript；　that　you　may　please　to　take　notice　it　was　foretold　some　horrid　sedition　is　at　hand；　we　shall　only　desire　that　they　whose　valor　in　this　place　is　so　great；　may　stand　by　us　to　see　how　we　behave　ourselves；　and　then　be　as　resolute　in　your　commands　as　you　will；　your　fatherhoods　may　know　if　we　be　wanting　in　the　performance。'　　　　　〃At　this　some　of　the　hot　young　noblemen　returned　with　the　Consuls　to　the　tribunal；　before　which　the　people　were　yet　standing；　and　the　Consuls　having　generally　required　names　in　vain；　to　put　it　to　something；　required　the　name　of　one　that　was　in　their　eye　particularly；　on　whom；　when　he　moved　not；　they　commanded　a　lictor　to　lay　hands；　but　the　people；　thronging　about　the　party　summoned；　forbade　the　lictor；　who　durst　not　touch　him；　at　which　the　hotspurs　that　came　with　the　consuls；　enraged　by　the　affront；　descended　from　the　throne　to　the　aid　of　the　lictor；　from　whom　in　so　doing　they　turned　the　indignation　of　the　people　upon　themselves　with　such　heat　that　the　Consuls　interposing；　thought　fit；　by　remitting　the　assembly；　to　appease　the　tumult；　in　which；　nevertheless；　there　had　been　nothing　but　noise。　Nor　was　there　less　in　the　Senate；　being　suddenly　rallied　upon　this　occasion；　where　they　that　received　the　repulse；　with　others　whose　heads　were　as　addled　as　their　own；　fell　upon　the　business　as　if　it　had　been　to　be　determined　by　clamor　till　the　Consuls；　upbraiding　the　Senate　that　it　differed　not　from　the　market…place；　reduced　the　house　to　orders。　　　　　〃And　the　fathers；　having　been　consulted　accordingly；　there　were　three　opinions：　Publius　Virginius　conceived　that　the　consideration　to　be　had　upon　the　matter　in　question；　or　aid　of　the　indebted　and　imprisoned　people；　was　not　to　be　further　extended　than　to　such　as　had　engaged　upon　the　promise　made　by　Servilius；　Titus　Largius；　that　it　was　no　time　to　think　it　enough；　if　men's　merits　were　acknowledged；　while　the　whole　people；　sunk　under　the　weight　of　their　debts；　could　not　emerge　without　some　common　aid；　which　to　restrain；　by　putting　some　into　a　better　condition　than　others；　would　rather　more　inflame　the　discord　than　extinguish　it；　Appius　Claudius　（still　upon　the　old　haunt）　would　have　it　that　the　people　were　rather　wanton　than　fierce；　it　was　not　oppression　that　necessitated；　but　their　power　that　invited　them　to　these　freaks；　the　empire　of　the　Consuls　since　the　appeal　to　the　people　（whereby　a　plebeian　might　ask　his　fellows　if　he　were　a　thief）　being　but　a　mere　scarecrow。　'Go　to；'　says　he；　'let　us　create　the　dictator；　from　whom　there　is　no　appeal；　and　then　let　me　see　more　of　this　work；　or　him　that　shall　forbid　my　lictor。'　　　　　〃The　advice　of　Appius　was　abhorred　by　many；　and　to　introduce　a　general　recision　of　debts　with　Largius；　was　to　violate　all　faith；　that　of　Virginius；　as　the　most　moderate；　would　have　passed　best；　but　that　there　were　private　interests；　that　constant　bane　of　the　public；　which　withstood　it。　So　they　concluded　with　Appius；　who　also　had　been　dictator；　if　the　Consuls　and　some　of　the　graver　sort　had　not　thought　it　altogether　unseasonable；　at　a　time　when　the　Volsci　and　the　Sabines　were　up　again；　to　venture　so　far　upon　alienation　of　the　people：　for　which　cause　Valerius；　being　descended　from　the　Publicolas；　the　most　popular　family；　as　also　in　his　own　person　of　a　mild　nature；　was　rather　trusted　with　so　rigid　a　magistracy。　Whence　it　happened　that　the　people；　though　they　knew　well　enough　against　whom　the　Dictator　was　created；　feared　nothing　from　Valerius；　but　upon　a　new　promise　made　to　the　same　effect　with　that　of　Servilius；　hoped　better　another　time；　and　throwing　away　all　disputes；　gave　their　names　roundly；　went　out；　and；　to　be　brief；　came　home　again　as　victorious　as　in　the　former　action；　the　Dictator　entering　the　city　in　triumph。　Nevertheless；　when　he　came　to　press　the　Senate　to　make　good　his　promise；　and　do　something　for　the　ease　of　the　people；　they　regarded　him　no　more　as　to　that　point　than　they　had　done　Servilius。　Whereupon　the　Dictator；　in　disdain　to　be　made　a　stale；　abdicated　his　magistracy；　and　went　home。　Here；　then；　was　a　victorious　army　without　a　captain；　and　a　Senate　pulling　it　by　the　beard　in　their　gowns。　What　is　it　（if　you　have　read　the　story；　for　there　is　not　such　another）　that　must　follow？　Can　any　man　imagine　that　such　only　should　be　the　opportunity　upon　which　this　people　could　run　away？　　　　　〃Alas；　poor　men；　the　AEqui　and　the　Volsci　and　the　Sabines　were　nothing；　but　the　fathers　invincible！　There　they　sat；　some　300　of　them　armed　all　in　robes；　and　thundering　with　their　tongues；　without　any　hopes　in　the　earth　to　reduce　them　to　any　tolerable　conditions。　Wherefore；　not　thinking　it　convenient　to　abide　long　so　near　them；　away　marches　the　army；　and　encamps　in　the　fields。　This　retreat　of　the　people　is　called　the　secession　of　Mount　Aventin；　where　they　lodged；　very　sad　at　their　condition；　but　not　letting　fall　so　much　as　a　word　of　murmur　against　the　fathers。　The　Senate　by　this　time　were　great　lords；　had　the　whole　city　to　themselves；　but　certain　neighbors　were　upon　the　way　that　might　come　to　speak　with　them；　not　asking　leave　of　the　porter。　Wherefore　their　minds　became　troubled；　and　an　orator　was　posted　to　the　people　to　make　as　good　conditions　with　them　as　he　could；　but；　whatever　the　terms　were；　to　bring　them　home；　and　with　all　speed。　And　here　it　was　covenanted　between　the　Senate　and　the　people；　that　these　should　have　magistrates　of　their　own　election；　called　the　tribunes；　upon　which　they　returned。　　　　　〃To　hold　you　no　longer；　the　Senate　having　done　this　upon　necessity；　made　frequent　attempts　to　retract　it　again；　while　the　tribunes；　on　the　other　side；　to　defend　what　they　had　got；　instituted　their　Tributa　Comitia；　or　council　of　the　people；　where　they　came　in　time；　and；　as　disputes　increased；　to　make　laws　without　the　authority　of　the　Senate；　called　plebiscita。　Now　to　conclude　in　the　point　at　which　I　drive：　such　were　the　steps　whereby　the　people　of　Rome　came　to　assume　debate；　nor　is　it　in　art　or　nature　to　debar　a　people　of　the　like　effect；　where　there　is　the　like　cause。　For　Romulus；　having　in　the　election　of　his　Senate　squared　out　a　nobility　for　the　support　of　a　throne；　by　making　that　of　the　patricians　a　distinct　and　hereditary　order；　planted　the　commonwealth　upon　two　contrary　interests　or　roots；　which；　shooting　forth；　in　time　produced　two　commonwealths；　the　one　oligarchical　in　the　nobility；　the　other　a　mere　anarchy　of　the　people；　and　ever　after　caused　a　perpetual　feud　and　enmity　between　the　Senate　and　the　people；　even　to　death。　　　　　〃There　is　not　a　more　noble　or　useful　question　in　the　politics　than　that　which　is　started　by　Machiavel；　whether　means　were　to　be　found　whereby　the　enmity　that　was　between　the　Senate　and　the　people　of　Rome　could　have　been　removed？　Nor　is　there　any　other　in　which　we；　on　the　present　occasion；　are　so　much　concerned；　particularly　in　relation　to　this　author；　forasmuch　as　his　judgment　in　the　determination　of　the　question　standing；　our　commonwealth　falls。　And　he　that　will　erect　a　commonwealth　against　the　judgment　of　Machiavel；　is　obliged　to　give　such　reasons　for　his　enterprise　as　must　not　g