the commonwealth of oceana-第37部分

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　I　shall　show　in　due　place；　are　perpetual；　not　as　lakes　or　puddles；　but　as　the　rivers　of　Eden；　and　are　beds　made；　as　you　have　seen；　to　receive　the　whole　people；　by　a　due　and　faithful　vicissitude；　into　their　current。　They　are　not；　as　in　the　late　way；　alternate。　Alternate　life　in　government　is　the　alternate　death　of　it。　　　　　〃This　was　the　Gothic　work；　whereby　the　former　government　（which　was　not　only　a　ship；　but　a　gust；　too）　could　never　open　her　sails；　but　in　danger　to　overset　herself；　neither　could　make　any　voyage　nor　lie　safe　in　her　own　harbor。　The　wars　of　later　ages；　says　Verulamius；　seem　to　be　made　in　the　dark；　in　respect　of　the　glory　and　honor　which　reflected　on　men　from　the　wars　in　ancient　times。　Their　shipping　of　this　sort　Was　for　voyages；　ours　dare　not　launch；　nor　lies　it　safe　at　home。　Your　Gothic　politicians　seem　to　me　rather　to　have　invented　some　new　ammunition　or　gunpowder；　in　their　King　and　Parliament；　than　government。　For　what　is　become　of　the　princes　（a　kind　of　people）　in　Germany？　　blown　up。　Where　are　the　estates；　or　the　power　of　the　people　in　France？　　blown　up。　Where　is　that　of　the　people　in　Arragon；　and　the　rest　of　the　Spanish　kingdoms？　　blown　up。　On　the　other　side；　where　is　the　King　of　Spain's　power　in　Holland？　　blown　up。　Where　is　that　of　the　Austrian　princes　in　Switzerland？　　blown　up。　This　perpetual　peevishness　and　jealousy；　under　the　alternate　empire　of　the　prince　and　of　the　people；　are　obnoxious　to　every　spark。　Nor　shall　any　man　show　a　reason　that　will　be　holding　in　prudence；　why　the　people　of　Oceana　have　blown　up　their　King；　but　that　their　kings　did　not　first　blow　up　them。　The　rest　is　discourse　for　ladies。　Wherefore　your　parliaments　are　not　henceforth　to　come　out　of　the　bag　of　AEolus；　but　by　your　galaxies；　to　be　the　perpetual　food　of　the　fire　of　Vesta。　　　　　〃Your　galaxies；　which　divide　the　house　into　so　many　regions；　are　three；　one　of　which　constituting　the　third　region　is　annually　chosen；　but　for　the　term　of　three　years；　which　causes　the　house　（having　at　once　blossoms；　fruit　half　ripe；　and　others　dropping　off　in　full　maturity）　to　resemble　an　orange　tree；　such　as　is　at　the　same　time　an　education　or　spring；　and　a　harvest；　too；　for　the　people　have　made　a　very　ill…choice　in　the　man；　who　is　not　easily　capable　of　the　perfect　knowledge　in　one　year　of　the　senatorian　orders；　which　knowledge；　allowing　him　for　the　first　to　have　been　a　novice；　brings　him　the　second　year　to　practise；　and　time　enough。　For　at　this　rate　you　must　always　have　200　knowing　men　in　the　government。　And　thus　the　vicissitude　of　your　senators　is　not　perceivable　in　the　steadiness　and　perpetuity　of　your　Senate；　which；　like　that　of　Venice；　being　always　changing；　is　forever　the　same。　And　though　other　politicians　have　not　so　well　imitated　their　patter；　there　is　nothing　more　obvious　in　nature；　seeing　a　man　who　wears　the　same　flesh　but　a　short　time；　is　nevertheless　the　same　man；　and　of　the　same　genius；　and　whence　is　this　but　from　the　constancy　of　nature；　in　holding　a　man　to　her　orders？　Wherefore　keep　also　to　your　orders。　But　this　is　a　mean　request；　your　orders　will　be　worth　little　if　they　do　not　hold　you　to　them；　wherefore　embark。　They　are　like　a　ship；　if　you　be　once　aboard；　you　do　not　carry　them；　but　they　you；　and　see　how　Venice　stands　to　her　tackling：　you　will　no　more　forsake　them　than　you　will　leap　into　the　sea。　　　　　〃But　they　are　very　many　and　difficult。　O　my　Lords；　what　seaman　casts　away　his　card　because　it　has　four…and…twenty　points　of　the　compass？　and　yet　those　are　very　near　as　many　and　as　difficult　as　the　orders　in　the　whole　circumference　of　your　commonwealth。　Consider；　how　have　we　been　tossed　with　every　wind　of　doctrine；　lost　by　the　glib　tongues　of　your　demagogues　and　grandees　in　our　own　havens？　A　company　of　fiddlers　that　have　disturbed　your　rest　for　your　groat；　？；000　to　one；　？；000　a　year　to　another；　has　been　nothing。　And　for　what？　Is　there　one　of　them　that　yet　knows　what　a　commonwealth　is？　And　are　you　yet　afraid　of　such　a　government　in　which　these　shall　not　dare　to　scrape　for　fear　of　the　statute？　Themistocles　could　not　fiddle；　but　could　make　of　a　small　city　a　great　commonwealth：　these　have　fiddled；　and　for　your　money；　till　they　have　brought　a　great　commonwealth　to　a　small　city。　　　　　〃It　grieves　me；　while　I　consider　how；　and　from　what　causes；　imaginary　difficulties　will　be　aggravated；　that　the　foregoing　orders　are　not　capable　of　any　greater　clearness　in　discourse　or　writing；　but　if　a　man　should　make　a　book；　describing　every　trick　and　passage；　it　would　fare　no　otherwise　with　a　game　at　cards；　and　this　is　no　more；　if　a　man　plays　upon　the　square。　'There　is　a　great　difference；'　says　Verulamius；　'between　a　cunning　man　and　a　wise　man　（between　a　demagogue　and　a　legislator）；　not　only　in　point　of　honesty；　but　in　point　of　ability　as　there　be　that　can　pack　the　cards；　and　yet　cannot　play　well；　so　there　be　some　that　are　good　in　canvasses　and　fractions；　that　are　otherwise　weak　men。'　Allow　me　but　these　orders；　and　let　them　come　with　their　cards　in　their　sleeves；　or　pack　if　they　can。　'Again；'　says　he；　'it　is　one　thing　to　understand　persons；　and　another　to　understand　matters；　for　many　are　perfect　in　men's　humors　that　are　not　greatly　capable　of　the　real　part　of　business；　which　is　the　constitution　of　one　that　has　studied　men　more　than　books。　But　there　is　nothing　more　hurtful　in　a　State　than　that　cunning　men　should　pass　for　wise。'　His　words　are　an　oracle。　As　Dionysius；　when　he　could　no　longer　exercise　his　tyranny　among　men；　turned　schoolmaster；　that　he　might　exercise　it　among　boys。　Allow　me　but　these　orders；　and　your　grandees；　so　well　skilled　in　the　baits　and　palates　of　men；　shall　turn　rat…catchers。　　　　　〃And　whereas　'councils　（as　is　discreetly　observed　by　the　same　author　in　his　time）　are　at　this　day；　in　most　places；　but　familiar　meetings　（somewhat　like　the　Academy　of　our　provosts）；　where　matters　are　rather　talked　on　than　debated；　and　run　too　swift　to　order　an　act　of　council；'　give　me　my　orders；　and　see　if　I　have　not　puzzled　your　demagogues。　　　　　〃It　is　not　so　much　my　desire　to　return　upon　haunts；　as　theirs　that　will　not　be　satisfied；　wherefore　if；　notwithstanding　what　was　said　of　dividing　and　choosing　in　our　preliminary　discourses；　men　will　yet　be　returning　to　the　question；　Why　the　Senate　must　be　a　council　apart　（though　even　in　Athens；　where　it　was　of　no　other　constitution　than　the　popular　assembly；　the　distinction　of　it　from　the　other　was　never　held　less　than　necessary）　this　may　be　added　to　the　former　reasons；　that　if　the　aristocracy　be　not　for　the　debate；　it　is　for　nothing；　but　if　it　be　for　debate；　it　must　have　convenience　for　it；　and　what　convenience　is　there　for　debate　in　a　crowd；　where　there　is　nothing　but　jostling；　treading　upon　one　another；　and　stirring　of　blood；　than　which　in　this　case　there　is　nothing　more　dangerous？　Truly；　it　was　not　ill　said　of　my　Lord　Epimonus；　that　Venice　plays　her　game；　as　it　were；　at　billiards　or　nine…holes；　and　so　may　your　lordships；　unless　your　ribs　be　so　strong　that　you　think　better　of　football：　for　such　sport　is　debate　in　a　popular　assembly　as；　notwithstanding　the　distinction　of　the　Senate；　was　the　destruction　of　Athens。〃　　　　　This　speech　concluded　the　debate　which　happened　at　the　institution　of　the　Senate。　The　next　assembly　is　that　of　the　people　or　prerogative　tribe。　　　　　The　face；　or　mien；　of　the　prerogative　tribe　for　the　arms；　the　horses；　and　the　discipline；　but　more　especially　for　the　select　men；　is　that　of　a　very　noble　regiment；　or　rather　of　two；　the　one　of　horse；　divided　into　three　troops　（besides　that　of　the　provinces；　which　will　be　shown　hereafter）；　with　their　captains；　cornets；　and　two　tribunes　of　the　horse　at　the　head　of　them；　the　other　of　foot　in　three　companies　（beside　that　of　the　provinces）；　with　their　captains；　ensigns；　and　two　tribunes　of　the　foot　at　the　head　of　them。　The　first　troop　is　called　the　Phoenix；　the　second　the　Pelican；　and　the　third　the　Swallow。　The　first　company　the　Cypress；　the　second　the　Myrtle；　and　the　third　the　Spray。　Of　these　again　（not　without　a　near　resemblance　of　the　Roman　division　of　a　tribe）　the　Phoenix　and　the　Cypress　constitute　the　first　class；　the　Pelican　and　the　Myrtle　the　second；　and　the　Swallow　with　the　Spray　the　third；　renewed　every　spring　by　　　　　　The　one…and…twentieth　order；　〃Directing；　that　upon　every　Monday　next　ensuing　the　last　of　March；　the　deputies　of　the　annual　galaxy　arriving　at　the　pavilion　in　the　halo；　and　electing　one　captain　and　one　cornet　of　the　Swallow　（triennial　officers）　by　and　out　of　the　cavalry　at　the　horse　urn；　according　to　the　rules　contained　in　the　ballot　of　the　hundred；　and　one　captain　with　one　ensign　of　the　Spray　（triennial　officers）　by　and　out　of　the　infantry　at　the　foot　urn；　after　the　same　way　of　balloting；　constitute　and　become　the　third　classes　of　the　prerogative　tribe。〃　　　　　Seven　deputies　are　annually　returned　by　every　tribe；　whereof　three　are　horse　and　four　are　foot；　and　there　be　fifty　tribes：　so　the　Swallow　must　consist　of　150　horse；　the　Spray　of　200　foot。　And　the　rest　of　the　classes　being　two；　each　of　them　in　number　equal；　the　whole　prerogative　（beside　the　provinces；　that　is；　the　knights　and　deputies　of　Marpesia　and　Panopea）　must　consist　of　1；050　deputies。　And　these　troops　and　companies　may　as　well　be　called　centuries　as　those　of　the　Romans；　for　the　Romans　related　not；　in　so　na