the commonwealth of oceana-第54章

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he　Romans；　whose　rustic　tribes；　extending　themselves　from　the　river　Arno　to　the　Vulturnus；　that　is；　from　Fesulae　or　Florence　to　Capua；　invented　a　way　of　representative　by　lots：　the　tribe　upon　which　the　first　fell　being　the　prerogative；　and　some　two　or　three　more　that　had　the　rest；　the　jure　vocatoe。　These　gave　the　suffrage　of　the　commonwealth　in　two　meetings；　the　prerogative　at　the　first　assembly；　and　the　jure　vocatoe　at　a　second。　　　　　〃Now　to　make　the　parallel：　all　the　inconveniences　that　you　have　observed　in　these　assemblies　are　shut　out；　and　all　the　conveniences　taken　into　your　prerogative。　For　first；　it　is　that　for　which　Athens；　shaking　off　the　blame　of　Xenophon　and　Polybius；　came　to　deserve　the　praise　of　Thucydides；　a　representative。　　And；　secondly；　not；　as　I　suspect　in　that　of　Athens；　and　is　past　suspicion　in　this　of　Rome；　by　lot；　but　by　suffrage；　as　was　also　the　late　House　of　Commons；　by　which　means　in　your　prerogatives　all　the　tribes　of　Oceana　are　jure　vocatoe；　and　if　a　man　shall　except　against　the　paucity　of　the　standing　number；　it　is　a　wheel；　which　in　the　revolution　of　a　few　years　turns　every　hand　that　is　fit；　or　fits　every　hand　that　it　turns　to　the　public　work。　Moreover；　I　am　deceived　if；　upon　due　consideration；　it　does　not　fetch　your　tribes；　with　greater　equality　and　ease　to　themselves　and　to　the　government；　from　the　frontiers　of　Marpesia；　than　Rome　ever　brought　any　one　of　hers　out　of　her　pomoeria；　or　the　nearest　parts　of　her　adjoining　territories。　To　this　you　may　add；　that　whereas　a　commonwealth；　which　in　regard　of　the　people　is　not　of　facility　in　execution；　were　sure　enough　in　this　nation　to　be　cast　off　through　impatience；　your　musters　and　galaxies　are　given　to　the　people；　as　milk　to　babes；　whereby　when　they　are　brought　up　through　four　days'　election　in　a　whole　year　（one　at　the　parish；　one　at　the　hundred；　and　two　at　the　tribe）　to　their　strongest　meat；　it　is　of　no　harder　digestion　than　to　give　their　negative　or　affirmative　as　they　see　cause。　There　be　gallant　men　among　us　that　laugh　at　such　an　appeal　or　umpire；　but　I　refer　it　whether　you　be　more　inclining　to　pardon　them　or　me；　who　I　confess　have　been　this　day　laughing　at　a　sober　man；　but　without　meaning　him　any　harm；　and　that　is　Petrus　Cunaeus；　where　speaking　of　the　nature　of　the　people；　he　says；　'that　taking　them　apart；　they　are　very　simple；　but　yet　in　their　assemblies　they　see　and　know　something：；　and　so　runs　away　without　troubling　himself　with　what　that　something　is。　Whereas　the　people；　taken　apart；　are　but　so　many　private　interests；　but　if　you　take　them　together；　they　are　the　public　interest。　　　　　〃The　public　interest　of　a　commonwealth；　as　has　been　shown；　is　nearest　that　of　mankind；　and　that　of　mankind　is　right　reason；　but　with　aristocracy　（whose　reason　or　interest；　when　they　are　all　together；　as　appeared　by　the　patricians；　is　but　that　of　a　party）　it　is　quite　contrary：　for　as；　taken　apart；　they　are　far　wiser　than　the　people　considered　in　that　manner；　so；　being　put　together；　they　are　such　fools；　who　by　deposing　the　people；　as　did　those　of　Rome；　will　saw　off　the　branch　whereupon　they　sit；　or　rather　destroy　the　root　of　their　own　greatness。　Wherefore　Machiavel；　following　Aristotle；　and　yet　going　before　him；　may　well　assert；　'that　the　people　are　wiser　and　more　constant　in　their　resolutions　than　a　prince：'　which　is　the　prerogative　of　popular　government　for　wisdom。　And　hence　it　is　that　the　prerogative　of　your　commonwealth；　as　for　wisdom　so　for　power；　is　in　the　people；　which　（though　I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　Roman　prerogative　was　so　called　a　proerogando；　because　their　suffrage　was　first　asked）　gives　the　denomination　to　your　prerogative　tribe。〃

　　　　The　elections；　whether　annual　or　triennial；　being　shown　by　the　twenty…second；　that　which　comes　in　the　next　place　to　be　considered　is　　　　　　The　twenty…third　order；　〃Showing　the　power；　function；　and　manner　of　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　tribe。　　　　　〃The　power　or　function　of　the　prerogative　is　of　two　parts：　the　one　of　result；　in　which　it　is　the　legislative；　power；　the　other　of　judicature；　in　which　regard　it　is　the　highest　court；　and　the　last　appeal　in　this　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　the　former　part　（the　people　by　this　constitution　being　not　obliged　by　any　law　that　is　not　of　their　own　making　or　confirmation；　by　the　result　of　the　prerogative；　their　equal　representative）　it　shall　not　be　lawful　for　the　Senate　to　require　obedience　from　the　people；　nor　for　the　people　to　give　obedience　to　the　Senate　in　or　by　any　law　that　has　not　been　promulgated；　or　printed　and　published　for　the　space　of　six　weeks；　and　afterward　proposed　by　the　authority　of　the　Senate　to　the　prerogative　tribe；　and　resolved　by　the　major　vote　of　the　same　in　the　affirmative。　Nor　shall　the　Senate　have　any　power　to　levy　war；　men；　or　money；　otherwise　than　by　the　consent　of　the　people　so　given；　or　by　a　law　so　enacted；　except　in　cases　of　exigence；　in　which　it　is　agreed　that　the　power；　both　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　shall　be　in　the　dictator　so　qualified；　and　for　such　a　term　of　time；　as　is　according　to　that　constitution　already　prescribed。　While　a　law　is　in　promulgation；　the　censors　shall　animadvert　upon　the　Senate；　and　the　tribunes　upon　the　people；　that　there　be　no　laying　of　heads　together；　no　conventicles　or　canvassing　to　carry　on　or　oppose　anything；　but　that　all　may　be　done　in　a　free　and　open　way。　　　　　〃For　the　latter　part　of　the　power　of　the　prerogative；　or　that　whereby　they　are　the　supreme　judicatory　of　this　nation；　and　of　the　provinces　of　the　same；　the　cognizances　of　crimes　against　the　majesty　of　the　people；　such　as　high　treason；　as　also　of　peculation；　that　is；　robbery　of　the　treasury；　or　defraudation　of　the　commonwealth；　appertains　to　this　tribe。　And　if　any　person　or　persons；　provincials　or　citizens；　shall　appeal　to　the　people；　it　belongs　to　the　prerogative　to　judge　and　determine　the　case；　provided　that　if　the　appeal　be　from　any　court　of　justice　in　this　nation　or　the　provinces；　the　appellant　shall　first　deposit　？00　in　the　court　from　which　he　appeals；　to　be　forfeited　to　the　same　if　he　be　cast　in　his　suit　by　the　people。　But　the　power　of　the　Council　of　War　being　the　expedition　of　this　commonwealth；　and　the　martial　law　of　the　strategus　in　the　field；　are　those　only　from　which　there　shall　lie　no　appeal　to　the　people。　　　　　〃The　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　in　case　of　a　proposition　is　to　be　thus　ordered：　The　magistrates；　proposing　by　authority　of　the　Senate；　shall　rehearse　the　whole　matter；　and　expound　it　to　the　people；　which　done；　they　shall　put　the　whole　together　to　the　suffrage；　with　three　boxes；　the　negative；　the　affirmative；　and　the　non…sincere；　and　the　suffrage　being　returned　to　the　tribunes；　and　numbered　in　the　presence　of　the　proposers。　If　the　major　vote　be　in　the　non…sincere；　the　proposer　shall　desist；　and　the　Senate　shall　resume　the　debate。　If　the　major　vote　be　in　the　negative；　the　proposers　shall　desist；　and　the　Senate；　too。　But　if　the　major　vote　be　in　the　affirmative；　then　the　tribe　is　clear　and　the　proposers　shall　begin　and　put　the　whole　matter；　with　the　negative　and　the　affirmative　（leaving　out　the　non…sincere）　by　clauses；　and　the　suffrages　being　taken　and　numbered　by　the　tribunes　in　the　presence　of　the　proposers；　shall　be　written　and　reported　by　the　tribunes　of　the　Sen