the commonwealth of oceana-第24部分

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or　affection　of　her　husband　shall　bequeath　to　her；　to　be　divided　in　the　first　generation；　wherein　it　is　divisible　according　as　has　been　shown。　　　　　〃Secondly；　for　lands　lying　and　being　within　the　territories　of　Marpesia；　the　agrarian　shall　hold　in　all　parts　as　it　is　established　in　Oceana；　except　only　in　the　standard　or　proportion　of　estates　in　land；　which　shall　be　set　for　Marpesia；　at　？00。　And；　　　　　〃Thirdly；　for　Panopea；　the　agrarian　shall　hold　in　all　parts；　as　in　Oceana。　And　whosoever　possessing　above　the　proportion　allowed　by　these　laws；　shall　be　lawfully　convicted　of　the　same；　shall　forfeit　the　overplus　to　the　use　of　the　State。〃　　　　　Agrarian　laws　of　all　others　have　ever　been　the　greatest　bugbears；　and　so　in　the　institution　were　these；　at　which　time　it　was　ridiculous　to　see　how　strange　a　fear　appeared　in　everybody　of　that　which；　being　good　for　all；　could　hurt　nobody。　But　instead　of　the　proof　of　this　order；　I　shall　out　of　those　many　debates　that　happened　ere　it　could　be　passed；　insert　two　speeches　that　were　made　at　the　Council　of　legislators；　the　first　by　the　Right　Honorable　Philautus　de　Garbo；　a　young　man；　being　heir…apparent　to　a　very　noble　family；　and　one　of　the　councillors；　who　expressed　himself　as　follows：

　〃May　it　please　your　Highness；　my　Lord　Archon　of　Oceana。　　　　　〃If　I　did　not；　to　my　capacity；　know　from　how　profound　a　councillor　I　dissent；　it　would　certainly　be　no　hard　task　to　make　it　as　light　as　the　day。　First；　that　an　agrarian　is　altogether　unnecessary；　secondly；　that　it　is　dangerous　to　a　commonwealth；　thirdly；　that　it　is　insufficient　to　keep　out　monarchy；　fourthly；　that　it　ruins　families；　fifthly；　that　it　destroys　industry；　and　last　of　all；　that　though　it　were　indeed　of　any　good　use；　it　will　be　a　matter　of　such　difficulty　to　introduce　in　this　nation；　and　so　to　settle　that　it　may　be　lasting；　as　is　altogether　invincible。　　　　　〃First；　that　an　agrarian　is　unnecessary　to　a　commonwealth；　what　clearer　testimony　can　there　be　than　that　the　commonwealths　which　are　our　contemporaries　（Venice；　to　which　your　Highness　gives　the　upper　hand　of　all　antiquity；　being　one）　have　no　such　thing？　And　there　can　be　no　reason　why　they　have　it　not；　seeing　it　is　in　the　sovereign　power　at　any　time　to　establish　such　an　order；　but　that　they　need　it　not；　wherefore　no　wonder　if　Aristotle；　who　pretends　to　be　a　good　commonwealths　man；　has　long　since　derided　Phaleas；　to　whom　it　was　attributed　by　the　Greeks；　for　his　invention。　　　　　〃Secondly；　that　an　agrarian　is　dangerous　to　a　commonwealth　is　affirmed　upon　no　slight　authority　seeing　Machiavel　is　positive　that　it　was　the　dissension　which　happened　about　the　agrarian　that　caused　the　destruction　of　Rome；　nor　do　I　think　that　it　did　much　better　in　Lacedaemon；　as　I　shall　show　anon。　　　　　〃Thirdly；　that　it　is　insufficient　to　keep　out　monarchy　cannot　without　impiety　be　denied；　the　holy　Scriptures　bearing　witness　that　the　Commonwealth　of　Israel；　notwithstanding　her　agrarian；　submitted　her　neck　to　the　arbitrary　yoke　of　her　princes。　　　　　〃Fourthly；　therefore；　to　come　to　my　next　assertion；　that　it　is　destructive　to　families：　this　also　is　so　apparent；　that　it　needs　pity　rather　than　proof。　Why　alas；　do　you　bind　a　nobility　（which　no　generation　shall　deny　to　have　been　the　first　that　freely　sacrificed　their　blood　to　the　ancient　liberties　of　this　people）　on　an　unholy　altar？　Why　are　the　people　taught　that　their　liberty；　which；　except　our　noble　ancestors　had　been　born；　must　have　long　since　been　buried；　cannot　now　be　born　except　we　be　buried？　A　commonwealth　should　have　the　innocence　of　the　dove。　Let　us　leave　this　purchase　of　her　birth　to　the　serpent；　which　eats　itself　out　of　the　womb　of　its　mother。　　　　　〃Fifthly　but　it　may　be　said；　perhaps；　that　we　are　fallen　from　our　first　love；　become　proud　and　idle。　It　is　certain；　my　lords；　that　the　hand　of　God　is　not　upon　us　for　nothing。　But　take　heed　how　you　admit　of　such　assaults　and　sallies　upon　men's　estates；　as　may　slacken　the　nerve　of　labor；　and　give　others　also　reason　to　believe　that　their　sweat　is　vain；　or　else；　whatsoever　be　pretended；　your　agrarian　（which　is　my　fifth　assertion）　must　indeed　destroy　industry。　For；　that　so　it　did　in　Lacedaemon　is　most　apparent；　as　also　that　it　could　do　no　otherwise；　where　every　man　having　his　forty　quarters　of　barley；　with　wine　proportionable；　supplied　him　out　of　his　own　lot　by　his　laborer　or　helot；　and　being　confined　in　that　to　the　scantling　above　which　he　might　not　live；　there　was　not　any　such　thing　as　a　trade；　or　other　art；　except　that　of　war；　in　exercise。　Wherefore　a　Spartan；　if　he　were　not　in　arms；　must　sit　and　play　with　his　Angers；　whence　ensued　perpetual　war；　and；　the　estate　of　the　city　being　as　little　capable　of　increase　as　that　of　the　citizens；　her　inevitable　ruin。　Now　what　better　ends　you　can　propose　to　yourselves　in　the　like　ways；　I　do　not　so　well　see　as　I　perceive　that　there　may　be　worse；　for　Lacedaemon　yet　was　free　from　civil　war：　but　if　you　employ　your　citizens　no　better　than　she　did；　I　cannot　promise　you　that　you　shall　fare　so　well；　because　they　are　still　desirous　of　war　that　hope　that　it　may　be　profitable　to　them；　and　the　strongest　security　you　can　give　of　peace；　is　to　make　it　gainful。　Otherwise　men　will　rather　choose　that　whereby　they　may　break　your　laws；　than　that　whereby　your　laws　may　break　them。　Which　I　speak　not　so　much　in　relation　to　the　nobility　or　such　as　would　be　holding；　as　to　the　people　or　them　that　would　be　getting；　the　passion　in　these　being　so　much　the　stronger；　as　a　man's　felicity　is　weaker　in　the　fruition　of　things；　than　in　their　prosecution　and　increase。　　　　　〃Truly；　my　lords；　it　is　my　fear；　that　by　taking　of　more　hands；　and　the　best　from　industry；　you　will　farther　endamage　it；　than　can　be　repaired　by　laying　on　a　few；　and　the　worst；　while　the　nobility　must　be　forced　to　send　their　sons　to　the　plough；　and；　as　if　this　were　not　enough；　to　marry　their　daughters　also　to　farmers。　　　　　〃Sixthly；　but　I　do　not　see　（to　come　to　the　last　point）　how　it　is　possible　that　this　thing　should　be　brought　about；　to　your　good　I　mean；　though　it　may　to　the　destruction　of　many。　For　that　the　agrarian　of　Israel；　or　that　of　Lacedaemon；　might　stand；　is　no　such　miracle；　the　lands；　without　any　consideration　of　the　former　proprietor；　being　surveyed　and　cast　into　equal　lots；　which　could　neither　be　bought；　nor　sold；　nor　multiplied：　so　that　they　knew　whereabout　to　have　a　man。　But　in　this　nation　no　such　division　can　be　introduced；　the　lands　being　already　in　the　hands　of　proprietors；　and　such　whose　estates　lie　very　rarely　together；　but　mixed　one　with　another　being　also　of　tenures　in　nature　so　different；　that　as　there　is　no　experience　that　an　agrarian　was　ever　introduced　in　such　a　case；　so　there　is　no　appearance　how　or　reason　why　it　should：　but　that　which　is　against　reason　and　experience　is　impossible。〃

　　　　The　case　of　my　Lord　Philautus　was　the　most　concerned　in　the　whole　nation；　for　he　had　four　younger　brothers；　his　father　being　yet　living；　to　whom　he　was　heir　of　？0；000　a　year。　Wherefore　being　a　man　both　of　good　parts　and　esteem；　his　words　wrought　both　upon　men's　reason　and　passions；　and　had　borne　a　stroke　at　the　head　of　the　business；　if　my　Lord　Archon　had　not　interposed　the　buckler　in　this　oration：

　〃MY　LORDS；　THE　LEGISLATORS　OF　OCEANA：　　　　　〃My　Lord　Philautus　has　made　a　thing　which　is　easy　to　seem　hard；　if　the　thanks　were　due　to　his　eloquence；　it　would　be　worthy　of　less　praise　than　that　he　owes　it　to　his　merit；　and　the　love　he　has　most　deservedly　purchased　of　all　men：　nor　is　it　rationally　to　be　feared　that　he　who　is　so　much　beforehand　in　his　private；　should　be　in　arrear　in　his　public；　capacity。　Wherefore；　my　lord's　tenderness　throughout　his　speech　arising　from　no　other　principle　than　his　solicitude　lest　the　agrarian　should　be　hurtful　to　his　country；　it　is　no　less　than　my　duty　to　give　the　best　satisfaction　I　am　able　to　so　good　a　patriot；　taking　every　one　of　his　doubts　in　the　order　proposed。　And；　　　　　〃First；　whereas　my　lord；　upon　observation　of　the　modern　commonwealths；　is　of　opinion　that　an　agrarian　is　not　necessary：　it　must　be　confessed　that　at　the　first　sight　of　them　there　is　some　appearance　favoring　his　assertion；　but　upon　accidents　of　no　precedent　to　us。　For　the　commonwealths　of　Switzerland　and　Holland；　I　mean　of　those　leagues；　being　situated　in　countries　not　alluring　the　inhabitants　to　wantonness；　but　obliging　them　to　universal　industry；　have　an　implicit　agrarian　in　the　nature　of　them：　and　being　not　obnoxious　to　a　growing　nobility　（which；　as　long　as　their　former　monarchies　had　spread　the　wing　over　them；　could　either　not　at　all　be　hatched；　or　was　soon　broken）　are　of　no　example　to　us；　whose　experience　in　this　point　has　been　to　the　contrary。　But　what　if　even　in　these　governments　there　be　indeed　an　explicit　agrarian？　For　when　the　law　commands　an　equal　or　near　equal　distribution　of　a　man's　estate　in　land　among　his　children；　as　it　is　done　in　those　countries；　a　nobility　cannot　grow；　and　so　there　needs　no　agrarian；　or　rather　there　is　one。　And　for　the　growth　of　the　nobility　in　Venice　（if　so　it　be；　for　Machiavel　observes　in　that　republic；　as　a　cause　of　it；　a　great　mediocrity　of　estates）　it　is　not　a　point　that　she　is　to　fear；　but　might　study；　seeing　she　consists　of　nothing　else　but　nobility；　by　which；　whatever　their　estates　suck　from　the　people；　especially　if　it　comes