the commonwealth of oceana-第14章

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t　classes　of　the　foot　to　the　suffrage；　or　if　these　accorded　not；　then　the　second　classes　were　called　to　them；　but　seldom　or　never　any　of　the　rest。　Wherefore　the　people；　after　the　expulsion　of　the　kings；　growing　impatient　of　this　inequality；　rested　not　till　they　had　reduced　the　suffrage　as　it　had　been　in　the　Comitia　curiato　to　the　whole　people　again；　but　in　another　way；　that　is　to　say；　by　the　Comitia　tributa；　which　thereupon　were　instituted；　being　a　council　where　the　people　in　exigencies　made　laws　without　the　Senate；　which　laws　were　called　plebiscita。　This　Council　is　that　in　regard　whereof　Cicero　and　other　great　wits　so　frequently　inveigh　against　the　people；　and　sometimes　even　Livy　as　at　the　first　institution　of　it。　To　say　the　truth；　it　was　a　kind　of　anarchy；　whereof　the　people　could　not　be　excusable；　if　there　had　not；　through　the　courses　taken　by　the　Senate；　been　otherwise　a　necessity　that　they　must　have　seen　the　commonwealth　run　into　oligarchy。　　　　　The　manner　how　the　Comitia　curiata；　centuriata　or　tributa　were　called；　during　the　time　of　the　commonwealth；　to　the　suffrage；　was　by　lot：　the　curia；　century；　or　tribe；　whereon　the　first　lot　fell；　being　styled　principium；　or　the　prerogative；　and　the　other　curioe；　centuries　or　tribes；　whereon　the　second；　third；　and　fourth　lots；　etc。；　fell；　the　jure　vocatoe。　From　henceforth　not　the　first　classes；　as　in　the　times　of　Servius；　but　the　prerogative；　whether　curia；　century；　or　tribe；　came　first　to　the　suffrage；　whose　vote　was　called　omen　proerogativum；　and　seldom　failed　to　be　leading　to　the　rest　of　the　tribes。　The　jure　vocatoe；　in　the　order　of　their　lots；　came　next：　the　manner　of　giving　suffrage　was；　by　casting　wooden　tablets；　marked　for　the　affirmative　or　the　negative；　into　certain　urns　standing　upon　a　scaffold；　as　they　marched　over　it　in　files；　which　for　the　resemblance　it　bore　was　called　the　bridge。　The　candidate；　or　competitor；　who　had　most　suffrages　in　a　curia；　century；　or　tribe；　was　said　to　have　that　curia；　century；　or　tribe；　and　he　who　had　most　of　the　curioe；　centuries；　or　tribes；　carried　the　magistracy。　　　　　These　three　places　being　premised；　as　such　upon　which　there　will　be　frequent　reflection；　I　come　to　the　narrative；　divided　into　two　parts；　the　first　containing　the　institution；　the　second　the　constitution　of　the　commonwealth；　in　each　whereof　I　shall　distinguish　the　orders；　as　those　which　contain　the　whole　model；　from　the　rest　of　the　discourse；　which　tends　only　to　the　explanation　or　proof　of　them。　　　　　In　the　institution　or　building　of　a　commonwealth；　the　first　work；　as　that　of　builders；　can　be　no　other　than　fitting　and　distributing　the　materials。　　　　　The　materials　of　a　commonwealth　are　the　people；　and　the　people　of　Oceana　were　distributed　by　casting　them　into　certain　divisions；　regarding　their　quality；　their　age；　their　wealth；　and　the　places　of　their　residence　or　habitation；　which　was　done　by　the　ensuing　orders。　　　　　The　first　order　〃distributes　the　people　into　freemen　or　citizens　and　servants；　while　such；　for　if　they　attain　to　liberty；　that　is；　to　live　of　themselves；　they　are　freemen　or　citizens。〃　　　　　This　order　needs　no　proof；　in　regard　of　the　nature　of　servitude；　which　is　inconsistent　with　freedom；　or　participation　of　government　in　a　commonwealth。　　　　　The　second　order　〃distributes　citizens　into　youth　and　elders　（such　as　are　from　eighteen　years　of　age　to　thirty；　being　accounted　youth；　and　such　as　are　of　thirty　and　upward；　elders）；　and　establishes　that　the　youth　shall　be　the　marching　armies；　and　the　elders　the　standing　garrisons　of　this　nation。〃　　　　　　　A　commonwealth；　whose　arms　are　in　the　hands　of　her　servants；　had　need　be　situated；　as　is　elegantly　said　of　Venice　by　Contarini；　out　of　the　reach　of　their　clutches；　witness　the　danger　run　by　that　of　Carthage　in　the　rebellion　of　Spendius　and　Matho。　But　though　a　city；　if　one　swallow　makes　a　summer；　may　thus　chance　to　be　safe；　yet　shall　it　never　be　great；　for　if　Carthage　or　Venice　acquired　any　fame　in　their　arms；　it　is　known　to　have　happened　through　the　mere　virtue　of　their　captains；　and　not　of　their　orders；　wherefore　Israel；　Lacedaemon；　and　Rome　entailed　their　arms　upon　the　prime　of　their　citizens；　divided；　at　least　in　Lacedaemon　and　Rome；　into　youth　and　elders：　the　youth　for　the　field；　and　the　elders　for　defence　of　the　territory。　　　　　The　third　order　〃distributes　the　citizens　into　horse　and　foot；　by　the　sense　or　valuation　of　their　estates；　they　who　have　above　？00　a　year　in　lands；　goods；　or　moneys；　being　obliged　to　be　of　the　horse；　and　they　who　have　under　that　sum　to　be　of　the　foot。　But　if　a　man　has　prodigally　wasted　and　spent　his　patrimony；　he　is　neither　capable　of　magistracy；　office；　or　suffrage　in　the　commonwealth。〃　　　　　Citizens　are　not　only　to　defend　the　commonwealth；　but　according　to　their　abilities；　as　the　Romans　under　Servius　Tullius　（regard　had　to　their　estates）；　were　some　enrolled　in　the　horse　centuries；　and　others　of　the　foot；　with　arms　enjoined　accordingly；　nor　could　it　be　otherwise　in　the　rest　of　the　commonwealths；　though　out　of　historical　remains；　that　are　so　much　darker；　it　be　not　so　clearly　probable。　And　the　necessary　prerogative　to　be　given　by　a　commonwealth　to　estates；　is　in　some　measure　in　the　nature　of　industry；　and　the　use　of　it　to　the　public。　〃The　Roman　people；〃　says　Julius　Exuperantius；　〃were　divided　into　classes；　and　taxed　according　to　the　value　of　their　estates。　All　that　were　worth　the　sums　appointed　were　employed　in　the　wars；　for　they　most　eagerly　contend　for　the　victory；　who　fight　for　liberty　in　defence　of　their　country　and　possessions。　But　the　poorer　sort　were　polled　only　for　their　heads　（which　was　all　they　had）　and　kept　in　garrison　at　home　in　time　of　war；　for　these　might　betray　the　armies　for　bread；　by　reason　of　their　poverty；　which　is　the　reason　that　Marius；　to　whom　the　care　of　the　government　ought　not　to　have　been　committed；　was　the　first　that　led　them　into　the　field；〃　and　his　success　was　accordingly。　There　is　a　mean　in　things；　as　exorbitant　riches　overthrow　the　balance　of　a　commonwealth；　so　extreme　poverty　cannot　hold　it；　nor　is　by　any　means　to　be　trusted　with　it。　The　clause　in　the　order　concerning　the　prodigal　is　Athenian；　and　a　very　laudable　one；　for　he　that　could　not　live　upon　his　patrimony；　if　he　comes　to　touch　the　public　money；　makes　a　commonwealth　bankrupt。　　　　　The　fourth　order　〃distributes　the　people　according　to　the　places　of　their　habitation；　into　parishes；　hundreds；　and　tribes。〃　　　　　For　except　the　people　be　methodically　distributed；　they　cannot　be　methodically　collected；　but　the　being　of　a　commonwealth　consists　in　the　methodical　collection　of　the　people：　wherefore　you　have　the　Israelitish　divisions　into　rulers　of　thousands；　of　hundreds；　of　fifties；　and　of　tens；　and　of　the　whole　commonwealth　into　tribes：　the　Laconic　into　oboe；　moras；　and　tribes；　the　Roman　into　tribes；　centuries；　and　classes；　and　something　there　must　of　necessity　be　in　every　government　of　the　like　nature；　as　that　in　the　late　monarchy　　by　counties。　But　this　being　the　only　institution　in　Oceana；　except　that　of　the　agrarian；　which　required　any　charge　or　included　any　difficulty；　engages　me　to　a　more　particular　description　of　the　manner　how　it　was　performed；　as　follows：　　　　　A　thousand　surveyors；　commissioned　and　instructed　by　the　Lord　Archon　and　the　Council；　being　divided　into　two　equal　numbers；　each　under　the　inspection　of　two　surveyors…general；　were　distributed　into　the　northern　and　southern　parts　of　the　territory；　divided　by　the　river　Hemisua；　the　whole　whereof　contains　about　10；000　parishes；　some　ten　of　those　being　assigned　to　each　surveyor；　for　as　to　this　matter　there　needed　no　great　exactness；　it　tending　only　by　showing　whither　everyone　was　to；　begin；　to　the　more　orderly　carrying　repair　and　whereabout　to　on　of　the　work；　the　nature　of　their　instructions　otherwise　regarding　rather　the　number　of　the　inhabitants　than　of　the　parishes。　The　surveyors；　therefore；　being　every　one　furnished　with　a　convenient　proportion　of　urns；　balls；　and　balloting…boxes　　in　the　use　whereof　they　had　been　formerly　exercised　　and　now　arriving　each　at　his　respective　parish；　being　with　the　people　by　teaching　them　their　first　lesson；　which　was　the　ballot；　and　though　they　found　them　in　the　beginning　somewhat　froward；　as　at　toys；　with　which；　while　they　were　in　expectation　of　greater　matters　from　a　Council　of　legislators；　they　conceived　themselves　to　be　abused；　they　came　within　a　little　while　to　think　them　pretty　sport；　and　at　length　such　as　might　very　soberly　be　used　in　good　earnest；　whereupon　the　surveyors　began　the　institution　included　in　　　　　　The　first　order；　requiring　〃That　upon　the　first　Monday　next　ensuing　the　last　of　December　the　bigger　bell　in　every　parish　throughout　the　nation　be　rung　at　eight　of　the　clock　in　the　morning；　and　continue　ringing　for　the　space　of　one　hour；　and　that　all　the　elders　of　the　parish　respectively　repair　to　the　church　before　the　bell　has　done　ringing；　where；　dividing　themselves　into　two　equal　numbers；　or　as　near　equal　as　may　be；　they　shall　take　their　places　according　to　their　dignities；　if　they　be　of　divers　qualities；　and　according　to　their　seniority；　if　they　be　of　the　same；　the　one　half　on　the　one　side；　and　the　other　half　on　the　other；　in　the　body　of　the　church；　which　done；　they　shall　make　oath　to　the　overseers　of　the　parish　for　the　time　being　（instead　of　these　the　surveyors　were　to　officiate　at　the　institution；　or　first　assembly）　by　holding　up　their　hands；　to　make　a　fair　election　according　to　the　laws　of　the　ballot；　as　they　are　hereafter　explained；　of　such　persons；　amounting　to　a　fifth　part　of　their　whole　number；　to　be　their　deputies；　and　to　exercise　their　power　in　manner　hereafter　explained；　as　they　shall　think　in　their　consciences　to　be　fittest　for　that　trust；　and　will　acquit　themselves　of　it　to　the　best　advantage　of　the　commonwealth。　And　oath　being　thus　made；　they　shall　proceed　to　election；　if　the　elders　of　the　parish　amount　to　1；000　by　the　ballot　of　the　tribe；　as　it　is　in　due　place　explained；　and　if　the　elders　of　the　parish　amount　to　fifty　or　upward；　but　within　the　number　of　1；000；　by　the　ballot　of　the　hundred；　as　it　is　in　due　place　explained。　But；　if　the　elders　amount　not　to　fifty；　then　they　shall　proceed　to　the　ballot　of　the　parish；　as　it　is　in　this　place　and　after　this　manner　explained。　　　　　〃The　two　overseers　for　the　time　being　shall　seat　themselves　at　the　upper　end　of　the　middle　alley；　with　a　table　before　them；　their　faces　being　toward　the　congregation；　and　the　constable　for　the　time　being　shall　set　an　urn　before　the　table；　into　which　he　shall　put　so　many　balls　as　there　be　elders　present；　whereof　there　shall　be　one　that　is　gilded；　the　rest　being　white；　and　when　the　constable　has　shaken　the　urn；　sufficiently　to　mix　the　balls；　the　overseers　shall　call　the　elders　to　the　urn；　who　from　each　side　of　the　church　shall　come　up　the　middle　alley　in　two　files；　every　man　passing　by　the　urn；　and　drawing　out　one　ball；　which；　if　it　be　silver；　he　shall　cast　into　a　bowl　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　urn；　and　return　by　the　outward　alley　on　his　side　to　his　place。　But　he　who　draws　the　golden　ball　is　the　proposer；　and　shall　be　seated　between　the　overseers；　where　he　shall　begin　in　what　order　he　pleases；　and　name　such　as；　upon　his　oath　already　taken；　he　conceives　fittest　to　be　chosen；　one　by　one；　to　the　elders；　and　the　party　named　shall　withdraw　while　the　congregation　is