the commonwealth of oceana-第29章

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ntry　also；　as　the　French　do　by　the　word　noblesse。　　　　　〃Now　to　treat　of　the　nobility　in　such　sort　as　may　be　less　obnoxious　to　mistake；　it　will　be　convenient；　and　answerable　to　the　present　occasion；　that　I　divide　my　discourse　into　four　parts：　　　　　〃The　first　treating　of　nobility；　and　the　kinds　of　it；　　　　　〃The　second；　of　their　capacity　of　the　Senate；　　　　　〃The　third。　of　the　divers　kinds　of　senates；　　　　　〃The　fourth；　of　the　Senate；　according　to　the　foregoing　orders。　　　　　〃Nobility　may　be　defined　divers　ways；　for　it　is　either　ancient　riches；　or　ancient　virtue；　or　a　title　conferred　by　a　prince　or　a　commonwealth。　　　　　〃Nobility　of　the　first　kind　may　be　subdivided　into　two　others；　such　as　hold　an　overbalance　in　dominion　or　property　to　the　whole　people；　or　such　as　hold　not　an　overbalance。　in　the　former　case；　a　nobility　（such　was　the　Gothic；　of　which　sufficient　has　been　spoken）　is　incompatible　with　popular　government；　for　to　popular　government　it　is　essential　that　power　should　be　in　the　people；　but　the　overbalance　of　a　nobility　in　dominion　draws　the　power　to　themselves。　Wherefore　in　this　sense　it　is　that　Machiavel　is　to　be　understood；　where　he　says；　that　these　are　pernicious　in　a　commonwealth；　and　of　France；　Spain；　and　Italy；　that　they　are　nations　which　for　this　cause　are　the　corruption　of　the　world：　for　otherwise　nobility　may；　according　to　his　definition　（which　is；　'that　they　are　such　as　live　upon　their　own　revenues　in　plenty；　without　engagement　either　to　the　tilling　of　their　lands；　or　other　work　for　their　livelihood　'）；　hold　an　underbalance　to　the　people；　in　which　case　they　are　not　only　safe；　but　necessary　to　the　natural　mixture　of　a　well…ordered　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　how　else　can　you　have　a　commonwealth　that　is　not　altogether　mechanic？　or　what　comparison　is　there　of　such　commonwealths　as　are；　or　come　nearest　to　mechanic　　for　example；　Athens；　Switzerland；　Holland；　to　Lacedaemon；　Rome；　and　Venice；　plumed　with　their　aristocracies？　Your　mechanics；　till　they　have　first　feathered　their　nests；　like　the　fowls　of　the　air　whose　whole　employment　is　to　seek　their　food；　are　so　busied　in　their　private　concernments　that　they　have　neither　leisure　to　study　the　public；　nor　are　safely　to　be　trusted　with　it；　because　a　man　is　not　faithfully　embarked　in　this　kind　of　ship；　if　he　has　no　share　in　the　freight。　But　if　his　share　be　such　as　gives　him　leisure　by　his　private　advantage　to　reflect　upon　that　of　the　public；　what　other　name　is　there　for　this　sort　of　men；　being　a　leur　aise；　but　（as　Machiavel　you　see　calls　them）　nobility？　Especially　when　their　families　come　to　be　such　as　are　noted　for　their　services　done　to　the　commonwealth；　and　so　take　into　their　ancient　riches　ancient　virtue；　which　is　the　second　definition　of　nobility；　but　such　a　one　as　is　scarce　possible　in　nature　without　the　former。　'For　as　the　baggage；'　says　Verulamius；　'is　to　an　army；　so　are　riches　to　virtue；　they　cannot　be　spared　nor　left　behind；　though　they　be　impediments；　such　as　not　only　hinder　the　march；　but　sometimes　through　the　care　of　them　lose　or　disturb　the　victory。'　Of　this　latter　sort　is　the　nobility　of　Oceana；　the　best　of　all　others　because　they；　having　no　stamp　whence　to　derive　their　price；　can　have　it　no　otherwise　than　by　their　intrinsic　value。　The　third　definition　of　nobility；　is　a　title；　honor；　or　distinction　from　the　people；　conferred　or　allowed　by　the　prince　or　the　commonwealth。　And　this　may　be　two　ways；　either　without　any　stamp　or　privilege；　as　in　Oceana；　or　with　such　privileges　as　are　inconsiderable；　as　in　Athens　after　the　battle　of　Plataea；　whence　the　nobility　had　no　right；　as　such；　but　to　religious　offices；　or　inspection　of　the　public　games；　to　which　they　were　also　to　be　elected　by　the　people；　or　with　privileges；　and　those　considerable　ones；　as　the　nobility　in　Athens　before　the　battle　of　Plataea；　and　the　patricians　in　Rome　each　of　which　had　right；　or　claimed　it；　to　the　Senate　and　all　the　magistracies；　wherein　for　some　time　they　only　by　their　stamp　were　current。　　　　　〃But　to　begin　higher；　and　to　speak　more　at　large　of　nobility　in　their　several　capacities　of　the　Senate。　The　phylarchs；　or　princes　of　the　tribes　of　Israel；　were　the　most　renowned；　or；　as　the　Latin；　the　most　noble　of　the　congregation；　whereof　by　hereditary　right　they　had　the　leading　and　judging。　The　patriarchs；　or　princes　of　families；　according　as　they　declared　their　pedigrees；　had　the　like　right　as　to　their　families；　but　neither　in　these　nor　the　former　was　there　any　hereditary　right　to　the　Sanhedrim：　though　there　be　little　question　but　the　wise　men　and　understanding；　and　known　among　their　tribes；　which　the　people　took　or　elected　into　those　or　other　magistracies；　and　whom　Moses　made　rulers　over　them；　must　have　been　of　these；　seeing　they　could　not　choose　but　be　the　most　known　among　the　tribes；　and　were　likeliest　by　the　advantages　of　education　to　be　the　most　wise　and　understanding。　　　　　〃Solon　having　found　the　Athenians　neither　locally　nor　genealogically；　but　by　their　different　ways　of　life；　divided　into　four　tribes　　that　is；　into　the　soldiery；　the　tradesmen；　the　husbandmen；　and　the　goatherds　　instituted　a　new　distribution　of　them；　according　to　the　sense　or　valuation　of　their　estates；　into　four　classes：　the　first；　second；　and　third　consisting　of　such　as　were　proprietors　in　land；　distinguished　by　the　rate　of　their　freeholds；　with　that　stamp　upon　them；　which　making　them　capable　of　adding　honor　to　their　riches；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　Senate；　and　all　the　magistracies；　excluded　the　fourth；　being　the　body　of　the　people；　and　far　greater　in　number　than　the　former　three；　from　all　other　right；　as　to　those　capacities；　except　the　election　of　these；　who　by　this　means　became　an　hereditary　aristocracy　or　senatorian　order　of　nobility。　This　was　that　course　which　came　afterward　to　be　the　destruction　of　Rome；　and　had　now　ruined　Athens。　The　nobility；　according　to　the　inevitable　nature　of　such　a　one；　having　laid　the　plot　how　to　divest　the　people　of　the　result；　and　so　to　draw　the　whole　power　of　the　commonwealth　to　themselves；　which　in　all　likelihood　they　had　done；　if　the　people；　coming　by　mere　chance　to　be　victorious　in　the　battle　of　Plataea；　and　famous　for　defending　Greece　against　the　Persians；　had　not　returned　with　such　courage　as　irresistibly　broke　the　classes；　to　which　of　old　they　had　borne　a　white　tooth；　brought　the　nobility　to　equal　terms；　and　the　Senate　with　the　magistracies　to　be　common　to　both；　the　magistracies　by　suffrage；　and　the　Senate　（which　was　the　mischief　of　it；　as　I　shall　show　anon　in　that　constitution）　by　lot　only。〃　The　Lacedaemonians　were　in　the　manner；　and　for　the　same　cause　with　the　Venetians　at　this　day；　no　other　than　a　nobility　even　according　to　the　definition　given　of　nobility　by　Machiavel；　for　they　neither　exercised　any　trade；　nor　labored　their　lands　or　lots；　which　was　done　by　their　helots：　wherefore　some　nobility　may　be　far　from　pernicious　in　a　commonwealth　by　Machiavel's　own　testimony；　who　is　an　admirer　of　this；　though　the　servants　thereof　were　more　in　number　than　the　citizens。　To　these　servants　I　hold　the　answer　of　Lycurgus　when　he　bade　him　who　asked　why　he　did　not　admit　the　people　to　the　government　of　his　commonwealth；　to　go　home　and　admit　his　servants　to　the　government　of　his　family…to　relate：　for　neither　were　the　Lacedaemonians　servants；　nor；　further；　capable　of　the　government；　unless；　whereas　the　congregation　had　the　result；　be　should　have　given　them　the　debate　also；　every　one　of　these　that　attained　to　sixty　years　of　age；　and　the　major　vote　of　the　congregation；　being　equally　capable　of　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　nobility　of　Rome；　and　their　capacity　of　the　Senate；　I　have　already　described　by　that　of　Athens　before　the　battle　of　Plataea；　saving　only　that　the　Athenian　was　never　eligible　into　the　Senate　without　the　suffrage　of　the　people　till　the　introduction　of　the　lot；　but　the　Roman　nobility　ever：　for　the　patricians　were　elected　into　the　Senate　by　the　kings；　by　the　consuls；　or　the　censors；　or　if　a　plebeian　happened　to　be　conscribed；　he　and　his　posterity　became　patricians。　Nor；　though　the　people　had　many　disputes　with　the　nobility；　did　this　ever　come　in　controversy；　which；　if　there　had　been　nothing　else；　might　in　my　judgment　have　been　enough　to　overturn　that　commonwealth。　　　　　〃The　Venetian　nobility；　but　that　they　are　richer；　and　not　military；　resemble　at　all　other　points　the　Lacedaemonian；　as　I　have　already　shown。　These　Machiavel　excepts　from　his　rule；　by　saying　that　their　estates　are　rather　personal　than　real；　or　of　any　great　revenue　in　land；　which　comes　to　our　account；　and　shows　that　a　nobility　or　party　of　the　nobility；　not　overbalancing　in　dominion；　is　not　dangerous；　but　of　necessary　use　in　every　commonwealth；　provided　it　be　rightly　ordered；　for　if　it　be　so　ordered　as　was　that　of　Rome；　though　they　do　not　overbalance　at　the　beginning；　as　they　did　not　there；　it　will　not　be　long　ere　they　do；　as　is　clear　both　in　reason　and　experience　toward　the　latter　end。　That　the　nobility　only　be　capable　of　the　Senate　is　there　only　not　dangerous；　where　there　be　no　other　citizens；　as　in　this　government　and　that　of　Lacedaemon。　　　　　〃The　nobility　of　Holland　and　Switzerland；　though　but　few；　have　privileges　not　only　distinct　from　the　people；　but　so　great　that　in　some　sovereignties　they　have　a　negative　voice；　an　example　which　I　am　far　from　commending；　being　such　as　（if　those　governments　were　not　cantonized；　divided；　and　subdivided　into　many　petty　sovereignties　that　balance　one　another；　and　in　which　the　nobility；　except　they　had　a　prince　at　the　head　of　them；　can　never　join　to　make　work）　would　be　the　most　dangerous　that　ever　was；　but　the　Gothic；　of　which　it　favors。　For　in　ancient　commonwealths　you　shall　never　find　a　nobility　to　have　had　a　negative　but　by　the　poll；　which；　the　people　being　far　more　in　number；　came　to　nothing；　whereas　these　have　it；　be　they　never　so　few　by　their　stamp　or　order。　　　　　〃Ours　of　Oceana　have　nothing　else　but　their　education　and　their　leisure　for　the　public；　furnished　by　their　ease　and　competent　riches：　and　their　intrinsic　value；　which；　according　as　it　comes　to　hold　weight　in　the　judgment　or　suffrage　of　the　people；　is　their　only　way　to　honor　and　preferment。　Wherefore　I　would　have　your　lordships　to　look　upon　your　children　as　such；　who；　if　they　come　to　shake　off　some　part　of　their　baggage；　shall　make　the　more　quick　and　glorious　march；　for　it　was　nothing　else　but　the　baggage；　sordidly　plundered　by　the　nobility　of　Rome；　that　lost　the　victory　of　the　whole　world　in　the　midst　of　her　triumph。　　　　　〃Having　followed　the　nobility　thus　close；　they　bring　us；　according　to　their　natural　course　and　divers　kinds；　to　the　divers　constitutions　of　the　Senate。　　　　　〃That　of　Israel　（as　was　shown　by　my　right　noble　Lord　Phosphorus　de　Auge；　in　the　opening　of　the　commonwealth）　consisted　of　seventy　elders；　elected　at　first　by　the　people。　But　whereas　they　were　for　life；　they　ever　after　（though　without　any　divine　precept　for　it）　substituted　their　successors　by　ordination；　which　ceremony　was　most　usually　performed　by　imposition　of　hands；　and　by　this　means　a　commonwealth　of　as　popular　institution　as　can　be　found　became；　as　it　is　accounted　by　Josephus；　aristocratical。　From　this　ordination　derives　that　which　was　introduced　by　the　Apostles　into　the　Christian　Church；　for　which　cause　I　think　it　is　that　the　Presbyterians　would　have　the　government　of　the　Church　to　be　aristocratical；　t