the commonwealth of oceana-第74章

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than　was　true；　that　he　had　Greece　in　fetters；　being　overcome　by　Flaminius；　had　his　kingdom　restored　to　him；　upon　condition　that　he　should　immediately　set　all　the　cities　which　he　held　in　Greece　and　in　Asia　at　liberty；　and　that　he　should　not　make　war　out　of　Macedon　but　by　leave　of　the　Senate　of　Rome；　which　Philip　（having　no　other　way　to　save　anything）　agreed　should　be　done　accordingly。　　　　　〃The　Grecians　being　at　this　time　assembled　at　the　isthmian　games；　where　the　concourse　was　mighty　great；　a　crier；　appointed　to　the　office　by　Flaminius；　was　heard　among　them　proclaiming　all　Greece　to　be　free；　to　which　the　people　being　amazed　at　so　hopeless　a　thing；　gave　little　credit；　till　they　received　such　testimony　of　the　truth　as　put　it　past　all　doubt；　whereupon　they　fell　immediately　on　running　to　the　proconsul　with　flowers　and　garlands；　and　such　violent　expressions　of　their　admiration　and　joy；　as；　if　Flaminius；　a　young　man；　about　thirty…three；　had　not　also　been　very　strong；　he　must　have　died　of　no　other　death　than　their　kindness；　while　everyone　striving　to　touch　his　hand；　they　bore　him　up　and　down　the　field　with　an　unruly　throng；　full　of　such　ejaculations　as　these：　How　is　there　a　people　in　the　world；　that　at　their　own　charge；　at　their　own　peril；　will　fight　for　the　liberty　of　another？　Did　they　live　at　the　next　door　to　the　fire？　Or　what　kind　of　men　are　these；　whose　business　it　is　to　pass　the　seas；　that　the　world　may　be　governed　with　righteousness？　The　cities　of　Greece　and　of　Asia　shake　off　their　iron　fetters　at　the　voice　of　a　crier　was　it　madness　to　imagine　such　a　thing；　and　is　it　done？　O　virtue！　O　felicity！　O　fame！　　　　　〃In　this　example　your　lordships　have　a　donation　of　liberty　or　of　Italian　right　to　a　people；　by　restitution　to　what　they　had　formerly　enjoyed；　and　some　particular　men；　families　or　cities；　according　to　their　merit　of　the　Romans；　if　not　upon　this；　yet　upon　the　like　occasions；　were　gratified　with　Latinity。〃　But　Philip's　share　by　this　means　did　not　please　him；　wherefore　the　league　was　broken　by　his　son　Perseus；　and　the　Macedonians　thereupon　for　the　second　time　conquered　by　AEmilius　Paulus；　their　King　taken；　and　they　some　time　after　the　victory　summoned　to　the　tribunal　of　the　general；　where；　remembering　how　little　hope　they　ought　to　have　of　pardon；　they　expected　some　dreadful　sentence：　when　AEmilius；　in　the　first　place；　declared　the　Macedonians　to　be　free；　in　the　full　possession　of　their　lands；　goods；　and　laws；　with　right　to　elect　annual　magistrates；　yielding　and　paying　to　the　people　of　Rome　one…half　of　the　tribute　which　they　were　accustomed　to　pay　to　their　own　kings。　This　done　he　went　on；　making　so　skilful　a　division　of　the　country　in　order　to　the　methodizing　of　the　people；　and　casting　them　into　the　form　of　popular　government；　that　the　Macedonians；　being　first　surprised　with　the　virtue　of　the　Romans；　began　now　to　alter　the　scene　of　their　admiration；　that　a　stranger　should　do　such　things　for　them　in　their　own　country；　and　with　such　facility　as　they　had　never　so　much　as　once　imagined　to　be　possible。　Nor　was　this　all；　for　AEmilius；　as　if　not　dictating　to　conquered　enemies；　but　to　some　well…deserving　friends；　gave　them　in　the　last　place　laws　so　suitable；　and　contrived　with　such　care　and　prudence；　that　long　use　and　experience　（the　only　correctness　of　works　of　this　nature）　could　never　find　a　fault　in　them。　　　　　〃In　this　example　you　have　a　donation　of　liberty；　or　of　Italian　right；　to　a　people　that　had　not　tasted　of　it　before；　but　were　now　taught　how　to　use　it。　　　　　〃My　lords；　the　royalists　should　compare　what　we　are　doing；　and　we　what　hitherto　we　have　done　for　them；　with　this　example。　It　is　a　shame　that　while　we　are　boasting　up　ourselves　above　all　others；　we　should　yet　be　so　far　from　imitating　such　examples　as　these；　that　we　do　not　so　much　as　understand　that　if　government　be　the　parent　of　manners；　where　there　are　no　heroic　virtues；　there　is　no　heroic　government。　　　　　〃But　the　Macedonians　rebelling；　at　the　name　of　a　false　Philip；　the　third　time　against　the　Romans；　were　by　them　judged　incapable　of　liberty；　and　reduced　by　Metellus　to　a　province。　　　　　〃Now　whereas　it　remains　that　I　explain　the　nature　of　a　province；　I　shall　rather　choose　that　of　Sicily；　because；　having　been　the　first　which　the　Romans　made；　the　descriptions　of　the　rest　relate　to　it。　　　　　〃'We　have　so　received　the　Sicilian　cities　into　amity；'　says　Cicero；　'that　they　enjoy　their　ancient　laws；　and　upon　no　other　condition　than　of　the　same　obedience　to　the　people　of　Rome；　which　they　formerly　yielded　to　their　own　princes　or　superiors。'　So　the　Sicilians；　whereas　they　had　been　parcelled　out　to　divers　princes；　and　into　divers　states　（the　cause　of　perpetual　wars；　whereby；　hewing　one　another　down；　they　became　sacrifices　to　the　ambition　of　their　neighbors；　or　of　some　invader）；　were　now　received　at　the　old　rate　into　a　new　protection　which　could　hold　them；　and　in　which　no　enemy　durst　touch　them；　nor　was　it　possible；　as　the　case　then　stood；　for　the　Sicilians　to　receive；　or　for　the　Romans　to　give　more。　　　　　〃A　Roman　province　is　defined　by　Sigonius　as　a　region　having　provincial　right。　Provincial　right　in　general　was　to　be　governed　by　a　Roman　praetor；　or　consul；　in　matters　at　least　of　state；　and　of　the　militia；　and　by　a　quaeStor；　whose　office　it　was　to　receive　the　public　revenue。　Provincial　right　in　particular　was　different；　according　to　the　different　leagues　or　agreements　between　the　commonwealth；　and　the　people　reduced　into　a　province。　'Siculi　hoc　jure　sunt；　ut　quod　civis　cum　cive　agat；　domi　certet　suis　legibus；　quod　siculus　cum　siculo　non　ejusdem　civitatis；　ut　de　eo　proetor　judices；　ex　P。　Rupilii　decreto；　sortiatur。　Quod　privatus　a　populo　petit；　aut　populus　a　privato；　senatus　ex　aliqua　civitate；　qui　judicet；　datur；　cui　alternoe　civitates　rejectoe　sunt。　Quod　vivis　Romanus　a　siculo　petit；　siculus　judex　datur　quod　siculus　a　cive　Romano；　civis　Romanus　datur。　Coeterarum　rerum　selecti　judices　ex　civium　Romanorum　conventu　proponi　solent。　Inter　aratores　et　decumanos　lege　frumentaria；　quam　Hieronicam　appellant；　judicia　fiunt。'　Because　the　rest　would　oblige　me　to　a　discourse　too　large　for　this　place；　it　shall　suffice　that　I　have　showed　you　how　it　was　in　Sicily。　　　　　〃My　lords；　upon　the　fabric　of　your　provincial　orb　I　shall　not　hold　you；　because　it　is　sufficiently　described　in　the　order；　and　I　cannot　believe　that　you　think　it　inferior　to　the　way　of　a　praetor　and　a　quaestor。　But　whereas　the　provincial　way　of　the　Roman　Commonwealth　was　that　whereby　it　held　the　empire　of　the　world；　and　your　orbs　are　intended　to　be　capable　at　least　of　the　like　use；　there　may　arise　many　controversies；　as　whether　such　a　course　be　lawful；　whether　it　be　feasible；　and；　seeing　that　the　Romans　were　ruined　upon　that　point；　whether　it　would　not　be　to　the　destruction　of　the　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　the　first：　if　the　empire　of　a　commonwealth　be　an　occasion　to　ask　whether　it　be　lawful　for　a　commonwealth　to　aspire　to　the　empire　of　the　world；　it　is　to　ask　whether　it　be　lawful　for　it　to　do　its　duty；　or　to　put　the　world　into　a　better　condition　than　it　was　before。　　　　　〃And　to　ask　whether　this　be　feasible；　is　to　ask　why　the　Oceaner；　being　under　the　like　administration　of　government；　may　not　do　as　much　with　200　men　as　the　Roman　did　with　100；　for　comparing