the commonwealth of oceana-第72章

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uin　from　the　rise　of　them。　Israel　and　Athens　died；　not　natural；　but　violent　deaths；　in　which　manner　the　world　itself　is　to　die。　We　are　speaking　of　those　causes　of　dissolution　which　are　natural　to　government；　and　they　are　but　two；　either　contradiction　or　inequality。　If　a　commonwealth　be　a　contradiction；　she　must　needs　destroy　herself；　and　if　she　be　unequal；　it　tends　to　strife；　and　strife　to　ruin。　By　the　former　of　these　fell　Lacedaemon；　by　the　latter　Rome。　Lacedaemon　being　made　altogether　for　war；　and　yet　not　for　increase；　her　natural　progress　became　her　natural　dissolution；　and　the　building　of　her　own　victorious　hand　too　heavy　for　her　foundation；　so　that　she　fell；　indeed；　by　her　own　weight。　But　Rome　perished　through　her　native　inequality；　which　how　it　inveterated　the　bosoms　of　the　Senate　and　the　people　each　against　other；　and　even　to　death；　has　been　shown　at　large。　　　　　〃Look　well　to　it；　my　lords；　for　if　there　be　a　contradiction　or　inequality　in　your　commonwealth；　it　must　fall；　but　if　it　has　neither　of　these；　it　has　no　principle　of　mortality。　Do　not　think　me　impudent；　if　this　be　truth；　I　shall　commit　a　gross　indiscretion　in　concealing　it。　Sure　I　am　that　Machiavel　is　for　the　immortality　of　a　commonwealth　upon　far　weaker　principles。　'If　a　commonwealth；'　says　he；　'were　so　happy　as　to　be　provided　often　with　men；　that；　when　she　is　swerving　from　her　principles；　should　reduce　her　to　her　institution；　she　would　be　immortal。'　But　a　commonwealth；　as　we　have　demonstrated；　swerves　not　from　her　principles；　but　by　and　through　her　institution；　if　she　brought　no　bias　into　the　world　with　her；　her　course　for　any　internal　cause　must　be　straightforward；　as　we　see　is　that　of　Venice。　She　cannot　turn　to　the　right　hand　nor　to　the　left；　but　by　some　rub；　which　is　not　an　internal；　but　external；　cause：　against　such　she　can　be　no　way　fortified　but　through　her　situation；　as　is　Venice；　or　through　her　militia；　as　was　Rome；　by　which　examples　a　commonwealth　may　be　secure　of　those　also。　Think　me　not　vain；　for　I　cannot　conceal　my　opinion　here；　a　commonwealth　that　is　rightly　instituted　can　never　swerve；　nor　one　that　is　not　rightly　instituted　be　secured　from　swerving　by　reduction　to　her　first　principles；　wherefore　it　is　no　less　apparent　in　this　place　that　Machiavel　understood　not　a　commonwealth　as　to　the　whole　piece；　than　where　having　told　you　that　a　tribune；　or　any　other　citizen　of　Rome；　might　propose　a　law　to　the　people；　and　debate　it　with　them；　he　adds；　'this　order　was　good　while　the　people　were　good；　but　when　the　people　became　evil；　it　became　most　pernicious。'　As　if　this　order　（through　which；　with　the　like；　the　people　most　apparently　became　evil）　could　ever　have　been　good；　or　that　the　people　or　the　commonwealth　could　ever　have　become　good；　by　being　reduced　to　such　principles　as　were　the　original　of　their　evil。　　　　　〃The　disease　of　Rome　was；　as　has　been　shown；　from　the　native　inequality　of　her　balance；　and　no　otherwise　from　the　empire　of　the　world；　than　as；　this　falling　into　one　scale；　that　of　the　nobility　（an　evil　in　such　a　fabric　inevitable）　kicked　out　the　people。　Wherefore　a　man　that　could　have　made　her　to　throw　away　the　empire　of　the　world；　might　in　that　have　reduced　her　to　her　principles；　and　yet　have　been　so　far　from　rendering　her　immortal　that；　going　no　further；　he　should　never　have　cured　her。　But　your　commonwealth　is　founded　upon　an　equal　agrarian；　and　if　the　earth　be　given　to　the　sons　of　men；　this　balance　is　the　balance　of　justice；　such　a　one　as　in　having　due　regard　to　the　different　industry　of　different　men；　yet　faithfully　judges　the　poor'　And　the　king　that　faithfully　judges　the　poor；　his　throne　shall　be　established　forever；；　much　more　the　commonwealth；　seeing　that　equality；　which　is　the　necessary　dissolution　of　monarchy；　is　the　generation；　the　very　life　and　soul；　of　a　commonwealth。　And　now；　if　ever；　I　may　be　excusable；　seeing　my　assertion；　that　the　throne　of　a　commonwealth　may　be　established　forever；　is　consonant　to　the　holy　Scriptures。　　　　　〃The　balance　of　a　commonwealth　that　is　equal　is　of　such　a　nature　that　whatever　falls　into　her　empire　must　fall　equally；　and　if　the　whole　earth　falls　into　your　scales；　it　must　fall　equally；　and　so　you　may　be　a　greater　people　and　yet　not　swerve　from　your　principles　one　hair。　Nay；　you　will　be　so　far　from　that　that　you　must　bring　the　world　in　such　a　case　to　your　balance；　even　to　the　balance　of　justice。　But　hearken；　my　lords；　are　we　on　earth；　do　we　see　the　sun；　or　are　we　visiting　those　shady　places　which　are　feigned　by　the　poets？

　　　　〃'Continuo　auditoe　voces；　vagitus　et　ingens。'

These　Gothic　empires　that　are　yet　in　the　world；　were　at　the　first；　though　they　had　legs　of　their　own；　but　a　heavy　and　unwieldy　burden；　but　their　foundations　being　now　broken；　the　iron　of　them　enters　even　into　the　souls　of　the　oppressed；　and　hear　the　voice　of　their　comforters：　'My　father　hath　chastised　you　with　whips；　but　I　will　chastise　you　with　scorpions。'　Hearken；　I　say；　if　thy　brother　cries　to　thee　in　affliction；　wilt　thou　not　hear　him？　This　is　a　commonwealth　of　the　fabric　that　has　an　open　ear　and　a　public　concern；　she　is　not　made　for　herself　only；　but　given　as　a　magistrate　of　God　to　mankind；　for　the　vindication　of　common　right　and　the　law　of　nature。　Wherefore　says　Cicero　of　the　like；　that　of　the　Romans；　'We　have　rather　undertaken　the　patronage　than　the　empire　of　the　world。'　If　you；　not　regarding　this　example；　like　some　other　nations　that　are　upon　the　point　to　smart　for　it；　shall；　having　attained　to　your　own　liberty；　bear　the　sword　of　your　common　magistracy　in　vain；　sit　still　and　fold　your　arms；　or；　which　is　worse；　let　out　the　blood　of　your　people　to　tyrants；　to　be　shed　in　the　defence　of　their　yokes　like　water；　and　so　not　only　turn　the　grace　of　God　into　wantonness；　but　his　justice　into　wormwood：　I　say　if　you　do　thus；　you　are　not　now　making　a　commonwealth；　but　heaping　coals　of　fire　upon　your　own　heads。　A　commonwealth　of　this　make　is　a　minister　of　God　upon　earth；　to　the　end　that　the　world　may　be　governed　with　righteousness。　For　which　cause　（that　I　may　come　at　length　to　our　present　business）　the　orders　last　rehearsed　are　buds　of　empire；　such　as　with　the　blessing　of　God　may　spread　the　arms　of　your　commonwealth；　like　a　holy　asylum；　to　the　distressed　world；　and　give　the　earth　her　sabbath　of　years；　or　rest　from　her　labors；　under　the　shadow　of　your　wings。　It　is　upon　this　point　where　the　writings　of　Machiavel；　having　for　the　rest　excelled　all　other　authors；　come　as　far　to　excel　themselves。　　　　　〃Commonwealths；　says　he；　have　had　three　ways　of　propagating　themselves：　One　after　the　manner　of　monarchies；　by　imposing　the　yoke；　which　was　the　way　of　Athens；　and；　toward　the　latter　times；　of　Lacedaemon；　another　by　equal　leagues；　which　is　the　way　of　Switzerland　（I　shall　add　of　Holland；　though　since　his　time）；　a　third　by　unequal　leagues；　which；　to　the　shame　of　the　world；　was　never　practised；　nay；　nor　so　much　as　seen　or　minded；　by　any　other　commonwealth　but　that　only　of　Rome。　They　will　each　of　them；　either　for　caution　or　imitation；　be　worthy　to　be　well　weighed；　which　is　the　proper　work　of　this　place。　Athens　and　Lacedaemon　have　been　the　occasion　of　great　scandal　to　the　world；　in　two；　or　at　least　one　of　two　regards：　the　first；　their　emulation；　which　involved　Greece　i