the commonwealth of oceana-第62章

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；　the　plastic　art　of　government。　But　it　is　as　frequent　as　sad　in　experience　（whether　through　negligence；　or；　which　in　the　consequence　is　all　one　or　worse；　over…fondness　in　the　domestic　performance　of　this　duty）　that　innumerable　children　come　to　owe　their　utter　perdition　to　their　own　parents；　in　each　of　which　the　commonwealth　loses　a　citizen。　　　　　Wherefore　the　laws　of　a　government；　how　wholesome　soever　in　themselves；　are　such　as；　if　men　by　a　congruity　in　their　education　be　not　bred　to　find　a　relish　in　them；　they　will　be　sure　to　loathe　and　detest。　The　education　therefore　of　a　man's　own　children　is　not　wholly　to　be　committed　or　trusted　to　himself。　You　find　in　Livy　the　children　of　Brutus；　having　been　bred　under　monarchy；　and　used　to　a　court　life；　making　faces　at　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome：　〃A　king　（say　they）　is　a　man　with　whom　you　may　prevail　when　you　have　need　there　should　be　law；　or　when　you　have　need　there　should　be　no　law；　he　has　favors　in　the　right；　and　he　frowns　not　in　the　wrong　place；　he　knows　his　friends　from　his　enemies。　But　laws　are　deaf；　inexorable　things；　such　as　make　no　difference　between　a　gentleman　and　an　ordinary　fellow；　a　man　can　never　be　merry　for　them；　for　to　trust　altogether　to　his　own　innocence　is　a　sad　life。〃　Unhappy　wantons！　Scipio；　on　the　other　side；　when　he　was　but　a　boy　（about　two　or　three　and　twenty）；　being　informed　that　certain　patricians　of　Roman　gentlemen；　through　a　qualm　upon　the　defeat　which　Hannibal　had　given　them　at　Cannae；　were　laying　their　heads　together　and　contriving　their　flight　with　the　transportation　of　their　goods　out　of　Rome；　drew　his　sword；　and　setting　himself　at　the　door　of　the　chamber　where　they　were　at　council；　protested　〃that　who　did　not　immediately　swear　not　to　desert　the　commonwealth；　he　would　make　his　soul　to　desert　his　body。〃　Let　men　argue　as　they　please　for　monarchy；　or　against　a　commonwealth；　the　world　shall　never　see　any　man　so　sottish　or　wicked　as　in　cool　blood　to　prefer　the　education　of　the　sons　of　Brutus　before　that　of　Scipio；　and　of　this　mould；　except　a　Melius　or　a　Manlius；　was　the　whole　youth　of　that　commonwealth；　though　not　ordinarily　so　well　cast。　　　　　Now　the　health　of　a　government　and　the　education　of　the　youth　being　of　the　same　pulse；　no　wonder　if　it　has　been　the　constant　practice　of　well…ordered　commonwealths　to　commit　the　care　and　feeling　of　it　to　public　magistrates。　A　duty　that　was　performed　in　such　a　manner　by　the　Areopagites；　as　is　elegantly　praised　by　Isocrates。　〃the　Athenians　（says　he）　write　not　their　laws　upon　dead　walls；　nor　content　themselves　with　having　ordained　punishments　for　crimes；　but　provide　in　such　a　way；　by　the　education　of　their　youth；　that　there　be　no　crimes　for　punishment。〃　He　speaks　of　those　laws　which　regarded　manners；　not　of　those　orders　which　concerned　the　administration　of　the　commonwealth；　lest　you　should　think　he　contradicts　Xenophon　and　Polybius。　The　children　of　Lacedaemon；　at　the　seventh　year　of　their　age；　were　delivered　to　the　poedonomi；　or　schoolmasters；　not　mercenary；　but　magistrates　of　the　commonwealth；　to　which　they　were　accountable　for　their　charge；　and　by　these　at　the　age　of　fourteen　they　were　presented　to　other　magistrates　called　the　beidioei；　having　the　inspection　of　the　games　and　exercises；　among　which　that　of　the　platanista　was　famous；　a　kind　of　fight　in　squadrons；　but　somewhat　too　fierce。　When　they　came　to　be　of　military　age　they　were　listed　of　the　mora；　and　so　continued　in　readiness　for　public　service　under　the　discipline　of　the　polemarchs。　But　the　Roman　education　and　discipline　by　the　centuries　and　classes　is　that　to　which　the　Commonwealth　of　Oceana　has　had　a　more　particular　regard　in　her　three　essays；　being　certain　degrees　by　which　the　youth　commence　as　it　were　in　arms　for　magistracy；　as　appears　by　　　　　　The　twenty…sixth　order；　instituting；　〃That　if　a　parent　has　but　one　son；　the　education　of　that　one　son　shall　be　wholly　at　the　disposition　of　that　parent。　But　whereas　there　be　free　schools　erected　and　endowed；　or　to　be　erected　and　endowed　in　every　tribe　of　this　nation；　to　a　sufficient　proportion　for　the　education　of　the　children　of　the　same　（which　schools；　to　the　end　there　be　no　detriment　or　hindrance　to　the　scholars　upon　case　of　removing　from　one　to　another；　are　every　of　them　to　be　governed　by　the　strict　inspection　of　the　censors　of　the　tribes；　both　upon　the　schoolmaster's　manner　of　life　and　teaching；　and　the　proficiency　of　the　children；　after　the　rules　and　method　of　that　in　Hiera）　if　a　parent　has　more　sons　than　one；　the　censors　of　the　tribes　shall　animadvert　upon　and　punish　him　that　sends　not　his　sons　within　the　ninth　year　of　their　age　to　some　one　of　the　schools　of　a　tribe；　there　to　be　kept　and　taught；　if　he　be　able；　at　his　own　charges；　and　if　he　be　not　able；　gratis；　till　they　arrive　at　the　age　of　fifteen　years。　And　a　parent　may　expect　of　his　sons　at　the　fifteenth　year　of　their　age；　according　to　his　choice　or　ability；　whether　it　be　to　service　in　the　way　of　apprentices　to　some　trade　or　otherwise；　or　to　further　study；　as　by　sending　them　to　the　inns　of　court；　of　chancery；　or　to　one　of　the　universities　of　this　nation。　But　he　that　takes　not　upon　him　one　of　the　professions　proper　to　some　of　those　places；　shall　not　continue　longer　in　any　of　them　than　till　he　has　attained　to　the　age　of　eighteen　years；　and　every　man　having　not　at　the　age　of　eighteen　years　taken　upon　him；　or　addicted　himself　to　the　profession　of　the　law；　theology；　or　physic；　and　being　no　servant；　shall　be　capable　of　the　essays　of　the　youth；　and　no　other　person　whatsoever；　except　a　man；　having　taken　upon　him　such　a　profession；　happens　to　lay　it　by　ere　he　arrives　at　three　or　four　and　twenty　years　of　age；　and　be　admitted　to　this　capacity　by　the　respective。　Phylarchs　being　satisfied　that　he　kept　not　out　so　long　with　any　design　to　evade　the　service　of　the　commonwealth；　but；　that　being　no　sooner　at　his　own　disposal；　it　was　no　sooner　in　his　choice　to　come　in。　And　if　any　youth　or　other　person　of　this　nation　have　a　desire　to　travel　into　foreign　countries　upon　occasion　of　business；　delight；　or　further　improvement　of　his　education；　the　same　shall　be　lawful　for　him　upon　a　pass　obtained　from　the　censors　in　Parliament；　putting　a　convenient　limit　to　the　time；　and　recommending　him　to　the　ambassadors　by　whom　he　shall　be　assisted；　and　to　whom　he　shall　yield　honor　and　obedience　in　their　respective　residences。　Every　youth　at　his　return　from　his　travel　is　to　present　the　censors　with　a　paper　of　his　own　writing；　containing　the　interest　of　state　or　form　of　government　of　the　countries；　or　some　one　of　the　countries；　where　he　has　been；　and　if　it　he　good；　the　censors　shall　cause　it　to　be　printed　and　published；　prefixing　a　line　in　commendation　of　the　author。　　　　　〃Every　Wednesday　next　ensuing　the　last　of　December；　the　whole　youth　of　every　parish；　that　is　to　say；　every　man　（not　excepted　by　the　foregoing　part　of　the　order）；　being　from　eighteen　years　of　age　to　thirty；　shall　repair　at　the　sound　of　the　bell　to　their　respective　church；　and　being　there　assembled　in　presence　of　the　overseers；　who　are　to　govern　the　ballot；　and　the　constable　who　is　to　officiate　at　the　urn；　shall；　after　the　manner　of　the　elders；　elect　every　fifth　man　of　their　whole　number　（provided　that　they　choose　not　above　one　of　two　brothers　a