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the commonwealth of oceana-第85章

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e stock or principal; and; secondly; because a frugal father is for the most part succeeded by a lavish son; whereas a commonwealth is her own heir。     This year a part was proposed by the Right Honorable Aureus de Woolsack in the tribe of Pecus; first commissioner of the Treasury; to the Council of State; which soon after passed the ballot of the Senate and the people; by which the lands of the public revenue; amounting to ?;000;000; were equally divided into ?;000 lots; entered by their names and parcels into a lot…book preserved in the Exchequer。 And if any orphan; being a maid; should cast her estate into the Exchequer for ?;400; the Treasury was bound by the law to pay her quarterly ?00 a year; free from taxes; for her life; and to assign her a lot for her security; if she married; her husband was neither to take out the principal without her consent (acknowledged by herself to one of the commissioners of the Treasury; who; according as he found it

to be free; or forced; was to allow or disallow of it); nor any other way engage it than to her proper use。 But if the principal were taken out; the Treasury was not bound to repay any more of it than ?;000; nor might that be repaid at any time; save within the first year of her marriage: the like was to be done by a half or quarter lot respectively。     This was found to be a great charity to the weaker sex; and as some say; who are more skilful in the like affairs than myself; of good profit to the commonwealth。     Now began the native spleen of Oceana to be much purged; and men not to affect sullenness and pedantism。 The elders could remember that they had been youths。 Wit and gallantry were so far from being thought crimes in themselves; that care was taken to preserve their innocence。 For which cause it was proposed to the Council for Religion by the Right Honorable Cadiscus de Clero; in the tribe of Stamnum; first censor; that such women as; living in gallantry and view about the town; were of evil fame; and could not show that they were maintained by their own estates or industry。 or such as; having estates of their own; were yet wasteful in 'their way of life; and of ill…example to others; should be obnoxious to the animadversion of the Council of Religion; or of the censors: in which the proceeding should be after this manner。 Notice should be first given of the scandal to the party offending; in private: if there were no amendment within the space of six months; she should be summoned and rebuked before the said Council or censors; and; if after other six months it were found that neither this availed; she should be censored not to appear at any public meetings; games; or recreations; upon penalty of being taken up by the doorkeepers or guards of the Senate; and by them to be detained; till for every such offence ? were duly paid for her enlargement。     Furthermore; if any common strumpet should be found or any scurrility or profaneness represented at either of the theatres; the prelates for every such offence should be fined ?0 by the said Council; and the poet; for every such offence on his part; should be whipped。 This law relates to another; which was also enacted the same year upon this occasion。     The youth and wits of the Academy having put the business so home in the defence of comedies that the provosts had nothing but the consequences provided against by the foregoing law to object; prevailed so far that two of the provosts of the Council of State joined in a proposition; which after much ado came to a law; whereby ?00;000 was allotted for the building of two theatres on each side of the piazza of the halo: and two annual magistrates called prelates; chosen out of the knights; were added to the tropic; the one called the prelate of the buskin; for inspection of the tragic scene called Melpomene; and the other the prelate of the sock; for the comic called Thalia; which magistrates had each ?00 a year allowed out of the profits of the theatres; the rest; except ?00 a year to four poets; payable into the Exchequer。 A poet laureate created in one of these theatres by the strategus; receives a wreath of ?00 in gold; paid out of the said profits。 But no man is capable of this creation that had not two parts in three of the suffrages at the Academy; assembled after six weeks' warning and upon that occasion。     These things among us are sure enough to be censured; but not know the nature of a commonwealth; that they are free; and yet to curb the genius in a lawful recreation to which they are naturally is to tell a tale of a tub。 I have heard the Protestant ministers in France; by men that were wise and of their own profession; much blamed in that they forbade dancing; a recreation to which the genius of that air is so inclining that they lost many who would not lose that: nor do they less than blame the former determination of rashness; who now gently connive at that which they had so roughly forbidden。 These sports in Oceana are so governed; that they are pleasing for private diversion; and profitable to the public: for the theatres soon defrayed their own charge; and now bring in a good revenue。 All this is so far from the detriment of virtue; that it is to the improvement of it; seeing women that heretofore made havoc of their honor that they might have their pleasures are now incapable of their pleasures if they lose their honor。     About the one…and…fortieth year of the commonwealth; the censors; according to their annual custom; reported the pillar of Nilus; by which it was found that the people were increased very near one…third。 Whereupon the Council of War was appointed by the Senate to bring in a state of war; and the treasurers the state of the Treasury。 The state of war; or the pay and charge of an army; was soon after exhibited by the Council in this account:

THE FIELD PAY OF A PARLIAMENTARY ARMY

The lord strategus; marching                ?0;000 Polemarches     General of the horse。。。                   2;000     Lieutenant…general。。。                     2;000     General of the artillery。。。。              1;000     Commissary…general。。。                     1;000     Major…general。。。。                         1;000     Quartermaster…general。。。                  1;000 Two adjutants to the major…general。。。         1;000 Forty colonels。。。。。                          40;000 100 captains of horse; at ?00 a man。。。      50;000 300 captains of foot; at ?00 a man。。。       90;000 100 cornets; at ?00 a man。。。。               10;000 300 ensigns; at ?0 a man。。。。                15;000 800 Quartermasters; Sergeants; Trumpeters;     Drummers;                                20;000 10;000 horse; at 2s 6d per day each。。。      470;000 30;000 foot; at 1s per day each。。。。         500;000 Chirurgeons。。。                                  400 40;000 auxiliaries; amounting to within a     little as much。。。                     1;100;000 The charge of mounting 20;000 horse。。       300;000 The train of artillery; holding a 3d to     the whole                               900;000

        Sum total                        ?;514;400


    Arms and ammunition are not reckoned; as those which are furnished out of the store or arsenal of Emporium: nor wastage; as that which 
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