the commonwealth of oceana-第21章

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ve；　and　fortified　by　the　people　of　Israel　electing　a　king。　To　which　I　say　that　the　action　of　the　people　therein　expressed　is　a　full　answer　to　the　objection　of　that　example；　for　the　monarchy　neither　grew　upon　them；　nor　could；　by　reason　of　the　agrarian；　possibly　have　invaded　them；　if　they　had　not　pulled　it　upon　themselves　by　the　election　of　a　king。　Which　being　an　accident；　the　like　whereof　is　not　to　be　found　in　any　other　people　so　planted；　nor　in　this　till；　as　it　is　manifest；　they　were　given　up　by　God　to　infatuation　（for　says　he　to　Samuel；　'They　have　not　rejected　thee；　but　they　have　rejected　me；　that　I　should　not　reign　over　them；）；　has　something　in　it　which　is　apparent；　by　what　went　before；　to　have　been　besides　the　course　of　nature；　and　by　what　followed。　　　　　〃For　the　King　having　no　other　foundation　than　the　calamities　of　the　people；　so　often　beaten　by　their　enemies；　that　despairing　of　themselves　they　were　contented　with　any　change；　if　he　had　peace　as　in　the　days　of　Solomon；　left　but　a　slippery　throne　to　his　successor；　as　appeared　by　Rehoboam。　And　the　agrarian；　notwithstanding　the　monarchy　thus　introduced；　so　faithfully　preserved　the　root　of　that　commonwealth；　that　it　shot　forth　oftener　and　by　intervals　continued　longer　than　any　other　government；　as　may　be　computed　from　the　institution　of　the　same　by　Joshua；　1；465　years　before　Christ；　to　the　total　dissolution　of　it；　which　happened　in　the　reign　of　the　emperor　Adrian；　135　years　after　the　incarnation。　A　people　planted　upon　an　equal　agrarian；　and　holding　to　it；　if　they　part　with　their　liberty；　must　do　it　upon　good…will；　and　make　but　a　bad　title　of　their　bounty。　As　to　instance　yet　further　in　that　which　is　proposed　by　the　present　order　to　this　nation；　the　standard　whereof　is　at　？；000　a　year；　the　whole　territory　of　Oceana　being　divided　by　this　proportion；　amounts　to　5；000　lots。　So　the　lands　of　Oceana　being　thus　distributed；　and　bound　to　this　distribution；　can　never　fall　to　fewer　than　5；000　proprietors。　But　5；000　proprietors　so　seized　will　not　agree　to　break　the　agrarian；　for　that　were　to　agree　to　rob　one　another；　nor　to　bring　in　a　king；　because　they　must　maintain　him；　and　can　have　no　benefit　by　him；　nor　to　exclude　the　people；　because　they　can　have　as　little　by　that；　and　must　spoil　their　militia。　So　the　commonwealth　continuing　upon　the　balance　proposed；　though　it　should　come　into　5；000　hands；　can　never　alter；　and　that　it　should　ever　come　into　5；000　hands　is　as　improbable　as　anything　in　the　world　that　is　not　altogether　impossible。　　　　　〃My　lord's　other　considerations　are　more　private；　as　that；　this　order　destroys　families；　which　is　as　if　one　should　lay　the　ruin　of　some　ancient　castle　to　the　herbs　which　usually　grow　out　of　them；　the　destruction　of　those　families　being　that　indeed　which　naturally　produced　this　order。　For　we　do　not　now　argue　for　that　which　we　would　have；　but　for　that　which　we　are　already　possessed　of；　as　would　appear　if　a　note　were　but　taken　of　all　such　as　have　at　this　day　above　？；000　a　year　in　Oceana。　If　my　lord　should　grant　（and　I　will　put　it　with　the　most）　that　they　who　are　proprietors　in　land；　exceeding　this　proportion；　exceed　not　300；　with　what　brow　can　the　interest　of　so　few　be　balanced　with　that　of　the　whole　nation？　or　rather；　what　interest　have　they　to　put　in　such　a　balance？　they　would　live　as　they　had　been　accustomed　to　do；　who　hinders　them？　they　would　enjoy　their　estates；　who　touches　them？　they　would　dispose　of　what　they　have　according　to　the　interest　of　their　families；　it　is　that　which　we　desire。　A　man　has　one　son；　let　him　be　called；　would　he　enjoy　his　father's　estate？　it　is　his；　his　son's；　and　his　son's　son's　after　him。　A　man　has　five　sons；　let　them　be　called；　would　they　enjoy　their　father's　estate？　It　is　divided　among　them；　for　we　have　four　votes　for　one　in　the　same　family；　and　therefore　this　must　be　the　interest　of　the　family；　or　the　family　knows　not　its　own　interest。　If　a　man　shall　dispute　otherwise；　he　must　draw　his　arguments　from　custom　and　from　greatness；　which　was　the　interest　of　the　monarchy；　not　of　the　family；　and　we　are　now　a　commonwealth。　If　the　monarchy　could　not　bear　with　such　divisions　because　they　tendered　to　a　commonwealth；　neither　can　a　commonwealth　connive　at　such　accumulations　because　they　tend　to　a　monarchy。　If　the　monarchy　might　make　bold　with　so　many　for　the　good　of　one；　we　may　make　bold　with　one　for　the　good　of　so　many；　nay；　for　the　good　of　all。　　　　　〃My　lords；　it　comes　into　my　mind；　that　which　upon　occasion　of　the　variety　of　parties　enumerated　in　our　late　civil　wars；　was　said　by　a　friend　of　mine　coming　home　from　his　travels；　about　the　latter　end　of　these　troubles；　that　he　admired　how　it　came　to　pass；　that　younger　brothers；　especially　being　so　many　more　in　number　than　their　elder　did　not　unite　as　one　man　against　a　tyranny；　the　like　whereof　has　not　been　exercised　in　any　other　nation。　And　truly；　when　I　consider　that　our　countrymen　are　none　of　the　worst…natured；　I　must　confess　I　marvel　much　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　we　should　use　our　children　as　we　do　our　puppies　　take　one；　lay　it　in　the　lap；　feed　it　with　every　good　bit；　and　drown　five；　nay；　yet　worse；　forasmuch　as　the　puppies　are　once　drowned；　whereas　the　children　are　left　perpetually　drowning。　Really；　my　lords；　it　is　a　flinty　custom！　and　all　this　for　his　cruel　ambition；　that　would　raise　himself　a　pillar　a　golden　pillar　for　his　monument；　though　he　has　children；　his　own　reviving　flesh；　and　a　kind　of　immortality。　And　this　is　that　interest　of　a　family；　for　which　we　are　to　think　ill　of　a　government　that　will　not　endure　it。　But　quiet　ourselves；　the　land　through　which　the　river　Nilus　wanders　in　one　stream；　is　barren；　but　where　it　parts　into　seven；　it　multiplies　its　fertile　shores　by　distributing；　yet　keeping　and　improving；　such　a　propriety　and　nutrition；　as　is　a　prudent　agrarian　to　a　well…ordered　commonwealth。　　　　　〃Nor　（to　come　to　the　fifth　assertion）　is　a　political　body　rendered　any　fitter　for　industry　by　having　one　gouty　and　another　withered　leg；　than　a　natural。　It　tends　not　to　the　improvement　of　merchandise　that　there　be　some　who　have　no　need　of　their　trading；　and　others　that　are　not　able　to　follow　it。　If　confinement　discourages　industry；　an　estate　in　money　is　not　confined；　and　lest　industry　should　want　whereupon　to　work；　land　is　not　engrossed　or　entailed　upon　any　man；　but　remains　at　its　devotion。　I　wonder　whence　the　computation　can　arise；　that　this　should　discourage　industry。　Two　thousand　pounds　a　year　a　man　may　enjoy　in　Oceana；　as　much　in　Panopea；　？00　in　Marpesia；　there　be　other　plantations；　and　the　commonwealth　will　have　more。　Who　knows　how　far　the　arms　of　our　agrarian　may　extend　themselves？　and　whether　he　that　might　have　left　a　pillar；　may　not　leave　a　temple　of　many　pillars　to　his　more　pious　memory？　Where　there　is　some　measure　in　riches；　a　man　may　be　rich；　but　if　you　will　have　them　to　be　infinite；　there　will　be　no　end　of　starving　himself；　and　wanting　what　he　has：　and　what　pains　does　such　a　one　take　to　be　poor　Furthermore；　if　a　man　shall　think　that　there　may　be　an　industry　less　greasy　or　more　noble；　and　so　cast　his　thoughts　upon　the　commonwealth；　he　will　have　leisure　for　her　and　she　riches　and　honors　for　him；　his　sweat　shall　smell　like　Alexander's。　My　Lord　Philautus　is　a　young　man　who；　enjoying　his　？0；000　a　year；　may　keep　a　noble　house　in　the　old　way；　and　have　homely　guests；　and　having　but　two；　by　the　means　proposed；　may　take　the　upper　hand　of　his　great　ancestors；　with　reverence　to　whom；　I　may　say；　there　has　not　been　one　of　them　would　have　disputed　his　place　with　a　Roman　consul。　　　　　〃My　lord；　do　not　break　my　heart；　the　nobility　shall　go　to　no　other　ploughs　than　those　which　we　call　our　consuls。　But；　says　he；　it　having　been　so　with　Lacedaemon；　that　neither　the　city　nor　the　citizens　were　capable　of　increase；　a　blow　was　given　by　that　agrarian；　which　ruined　both。　And　what　are　we　concerned　with　that　agrarian；　or　that　blow　while　our　citizens　and　our　city　（and　that　by　our　agrarian）　are　both　capable　of　increase？　The　Spartan；　if　he　made　a　conquest；　had　no　citizens　to　hold　it；　the　Oceaner　will　have　enow。　The　Spartan　could　have　no　trade；　the　Oceaner　may　have　all。　The　agrarian　in　Laconia；　that　it　might　bind　on　knapsacks；　forbidding　all　other　arts　but　that　of　war；　could　not　make　an　army　of　above　30；000　citizens。　The　agrarian　in　Oceana；　without　interruption　of　traffic；　provides　us　in　the　fifth　part　of　the　youth　an　annual　source　or　fresh　spring　of　100；000；　besides　our　provincial　auxiliaries；　out　of　which　to　draw　marching　armies；　and　as　many　elders；　not　feeble；　but　men　most　of　them　in　the　flower　of　their　age；　and　in　arms　for　the　defence　of　our　territories。　The　agrarian　in　Laconia　banished　money；　this　multiplies　it；　that　allowed　a　matter　of　twenty　or　thirty　acres　to　a　man；　this　2；000　or　3；000；　there　is　no　comparison　between　them。　And　yet　I　differ　so　much　from　my　lord；　or　his　opinion　that　the　agrarian　was　the　ruin　of　Lacedaemon；　that　I　hold　it　no　less　than　demonstrable　to　have　been　her　main　support。　For　if；　banishing　all　other　diversions；　it　could　not　make　an　army　of　above　30；000；　then；　letting　in　all　other　diversions；　it　must　have　broken　that　army。　Wherefore　Lysander；　bringing　in　the　golden　spoils　of　Athens；　irrevocably　ruined　that　commonwealth；　and　is　a　warning　to　us；　that　in　giving　encouragement　to　industry；　we　also　remember　that　covetousness　is　the　root　of　all　evil。　And　our　agrarian　can　never　be　the　cause　of　those　seditions　threatened　by　my　lord；　but　is　the　proper　cure　of　them；　as　Lucan　notes　well　in　the　state　of　Rome　before　the　civil　wars；　which　happened　through　the　want　of　such　an　antidote。　　　　　〃Why　then　are　we　mistaken；　as　if　we　intended　not　equal　advantages　in　our　commonwealth　to　either　sex；　because　we　would　not　have　women's　fortunes　consist　in　that　metal　which　exposes　them　to　cutpurses？　If　a　man　cuts　my　purse　I　may　have　him　by　the　heels　or　by　the　neck　for　it；　whereas　a　man　may　cut　a　woman's　purse；　and　have　her　for　his　pains　in　fetters。　How　brutish；　and　much　more　than　brutish；　is　that　commonwealth　which　prefers　the　earth　before　the　fruits　of　the　womb？　If　the　people　be　her　treasure；　the　staff　by　which　she　is　sustained　and　comforted；　with　what　justice　can　she　suffer　them；　by　whom　she　is　most　enriched；　to　be　for　that　cause　the　most　impoverished？　And　yet　we　see　the　gifts　of　God；　and　the　bounties　of　heaven　in　fruitful　families；　through　this　wretched　custom　of　marrying　for　money；　become　their　insupportable　grief　and　poverty。　Nor　falls　this　so　heavy　upon　the　lower　sort；　being　better　able　to　shift　for　themselves；　as　upon　the　nobility　or　gentry。　For　what　avails　it　in　this　case；　from　whence　their　veins　have　derived　their　blood；　while　they　shall　see　the　tallow　of　a　chandler　sooner　converted　into　that　beauty　which　is　required　in　a　bride？　I　appeal；　whether　my　Lord　Philautus　or　myself　be　the　advocate　of　nobility；　against　which；　in　the　case　proposed　by　me；　there　would　be　nothing　to　hold　the　balance。　And　why　is　a　woman；　if　she　may　have　but　？；500；　undone？　If　she　be　unmarried；　what　nobleman　allows　his　daughter　in　that　case　a　greater　revenue　than　so　much　money　may　command？　And　if　she　marry；　no　nobleman　can　give　his　daughter　a　greater　portion　than　she　has。　Who　is　hurt　in　this　case？　　nay；　who　is　not　benefited？　If　the　agrarian　gives　us　the　sweat　of　our　brows　without　diminution；　if　it　prepares　our　table；　if　it　makes　our　cup　to　overflow；　and　above