the commonwealth of oceana-第35章

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ff　the　branch　whereupon　they　sit；　or　rather　destroy　the　root　of　their　own　greatness。　Wherefore　Machiavel；　following　Aristotle；　and　yet　going　before　him；　may　well　assert；　'that　the　people　are　wiser　and　more　constant　in　their　resolutions　than　a　prince：'　which　is　the　prerogative　of　popular　government　for　wisdom。　And　hence　it　is　that　the　prerogative　of　your　commonwealth；　as　for　wisdom　so　for　power；　is　in　the　people；　which　（though　I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　Roman　prerogative　was　so　called　a　proerogando；　because　their　suffrage　was　first　asked）　gives　the　denomination　to　your　prerogative　tribe。〃

　　　　The　elections；　whether　annual　or　triennial；　being　shown　by　the　twenty…second；　that　which　comes　in　the　next　place　to　be　considered　is　　　　　　The　twenty…third　order；　〃Showing　the　power；　function；　and　manner　of　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　tribe。　　　　　〃The　power　or　function　of　the　prerogative　is　of　two　parts：　the　one　of　result；　in　which　it　is　the　legislative；　power；　the　other　of　judicature；　in　which　regard　it　is　the　highest　court；　and　the　last　appeal　in　this　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　the　former　part　（the　people　by　this　constitution　being　not　obliged　by　any　law　that　is　not　of　their　own　making　or　confirmation；　by　the　result　of　the　prerogative；　their　equal　representative）　it　shall　not　be　lawful　for　the　Senate　to　require　obedience　from　the　people；　nor　for　the　people　to　give　obedience　to　the　Senate　in　or　by　any　law　that　has　not　been　promulgated；　or　printed　and　published　for　the　space　of　six　weeks；　and　afterward　proposed　by　the　authority　of　the　Senate　to　the　prerogative　tribe；　and　resolved　by　the　major　vote　of　the　same　in　the　affirmative。　Nor　shall　the　Senate　have　any　power　to　levy　war；　men；　or　money；　otherwise　than　by　the　consent　of　the　people　so　given；　or　by　a　law　so　enacted；　except　in　cases　of　exigence；　in　which　it　is　agreed　that　the　power；　both　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　shall　be　in　the　dictator　so　qualified；　and　for　such　a　term　of　time；　as　is　according　to　that　constitution　already　prescribed。　While　a　law　is　in　promulgation；　the　censors　shall　animadvert　upon　the　Senate；　and　the　tribunes　upon　the　people；　that　there　be　no　laying　of　heads　together；　no　conventicles　or　canvassing　to　carry　on　or　oppose　anything；　but　that　all　may　be　done　in　a　free　and　open　way。　　　　　〃For　the　latter　part　of　the　power　of　the　prerogative；　or　that　whereby　they　are　the　supreme　judicatory　of　this　nation；　and　of　the　provinces　of　the　same；　the　cognizances　of　crimes　against　the　majesty　of　the　people；　such　as　high　treason；　as　also　of　peculation；　that　is；　robbery　of　the　treasury；　or　defraudation　of　the　commonwealth；　appertains　to　this　tribe。　And　if　any　person　or　persons；　provincials　or　citizens；　shall　appeal　to　the　people；　it　belongs　to　the　prerogative　to　judge　and　determine　the　case；　provided　that　if　the　appeal　be　from　any　court　of　justice　in　this　nation　or　the　provinces；　the　appellant　shall　first　deposit　？00　in　the　court　from　which　he　appeals；　to　be　forfeited　to　the　same　if　he　be　cast　in　his　suit　by　the　people。　But　the　power　of　the　Council　of　War　being　the　expedition　of　this　commonwealth；　and　the　martial　law　of　the　strategus　in　the　field；　are　those　only　from　which　there　shall　lie　no　appeal　to　the　people。　　　　　〃The　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　in　case　of　a　proposition　is　to　be　thus　ordered：　The　magistrates；　proposing　by　authority　of　the　Senate；　shall　rehearse　the　whole　matter；　and　expound　it　to　the　people；　which　done；　they　shall　put　the　whole　together　to　the　suffrage；　with　three　boxes；　the　negative；　the　affirmative；　and　the　non…sincere；　and　the　suffrage　being　returned　to　the　tribunes；　and　numbered　in　the　presence　of　the　proposers。　If　the　major　vote　be　in　the　non…sincere；　the　proposer　shall　desist；　and　the　Senate　shall　resume　the　debate。　If　the　major　vote　be　in　the　negative；　the　proposers　shall　desist；　and　the　Senate；　too。　But　if　the　major　vote　be　in　the　affirmative；　then　the　tribe　is　clear　and　the　proposers　shall　begin　and　put　the　whole　matter；　with　the　negative　and　the　affirmative　（leaving　out　the　non…sincere）　by　clauses；　and　the　suffrages　being　taken　and　numbered　by　the　tribunes　in　the　presence　of　the　proposers；　shall　be　written　and　reported　by　the　tribunes　of　the　Senate。　And　that　which　is　proposed　by　the　authority　of　the　Senate；　and　confirmed　by　the　command　of　the　people；　is　the　law　of　Oceana。　　　　　〃The　proceeding　of　the　prerogative　in　a　case　of　judicature　is　to　be　thus　ordered：　The　tribunes　being　auditors　of　all　causes　appertaining　to　the　cognizance　of　the　people；　shall　have　notice　of　the　suit　or　trial；　whether　of　appeal　or　otherwise；　that　is　to　be　commenced；　and　if　any　one　of　them　shall　accept　of　the　same；　it　appertains　to　him　to　introduce　it。　A　cause　being　introduced；　and　the　people　mustered　or　assembled　for　the　decision　of　the　same；　the　tribunes　are　presidents　of　the　court；　having　power　to　keep　it　to　orders；　and　shall　be　seated　upon　a　scaffold　erected　in　the　middle　of　the　tribe。　Upon　the　right　hand　shall　stand　a　seat　or　large　pulpit　assigned　to　the　plaintiff　or　the　accuser；　and；　upon　the　left；　another　for　the　defendant；　each　if　they　please　with　his　counsel。　And　the　tribunes　（being　attended　upon　such　occasions　with　so　many　ballotins；　secretaries；　doorkeepers；　and　messengers　of　the　Senate　as　shall　be　requisite）　one　of　them　shall　turn　up　a　glass　of　the　nature　of　an　hour…glass；　but　such　a　one　as　is　to　be　of　an　hour　and　a　half's　running；　which　being　turned　up；　the　party　or　counsel　on　the　right　hand　may　begin　to　speak　to　the　people。　If　there　be　papers　to　be　read；　or　witnesses　to　be　examined；　the　officer　shall　lay　the　glass　sideways　till　the　papers　be　read　and　the　witnesses　examined；　and　then　turn　it　up　again；　and　so　long　as　the　glass　is　running；　the　party　on　the　right　hand　has　liberty　to　speak；　and　no　longer。　The　party　on　the　right　hand　having　had　his　time；　the　like　shall　be　done　in　every　respect　for　the　party　on　the　left。　And　the　cause　being　thus　heard；　the　tribunes　shall　put　the　question　to　the　tribe　with　a　white；　a　black；　and　a　red　box　（or　non…sincere）；　whether　guilty　or　not　guilty。　And　if　the　suffrage　being　taken；　the　major　vote　be　in　the　non…sincere；　the　cause　shall　be　reheard　upon　the　next　juridicial　day　following；　and　put　to　the　question　in　the　same　manner。　If　the　major　vote　comes　the　second　time　in　the　non…sincere；　the　cause　shall　be　heard　again　upon　the　third　day；　but　at　the　third　hearing　the　question　shall　be　put　without　the　non…sincere。　Upon　the　first　of　the　three　days　in　which　the　major　vote　comes　in　the　white　box；　the　party　accused　is　absolved；　and　upon　the　first　of　them　in　which　it　comes　in　the　black　box；　the　party　accused　is　condemned。　The　party　accused　being　condemned；　the　tribunes　（if　the　case　be　criminal）　shall　put　with　the　white　and　the　black　box　these　questions；　or　such　of　them　as；　regard　had　to　the　case；　they　shall　conceive　most　proper：

　1。　Whether　he　shall　have　a　writ　of　ease；　　2。　Whether　he　shall　be　fined　so　much　or　so　much；　　3。　Whether　he　shall　be　confiscated；　　4。　Whether　he　shall　be　rendered　incapable　of　magistracy；　　5。　Whether　he　shall　be　banished；　　6。　Whether　he　shall　be　put　to　death。

　　　　〃These；　or　any　three　of　these　questions；　whether　simple　or　such　as　shall　be　thought　fitly　mixed；　being　put　by　the　tribunes；　that　which　has　most　above　half　the　votes　in　the　black　box　is　the　sentence　of　the　people；　which　the　troop　of　the　third　class　is　to　see　executed　accordingly。　　　　　〃But　whereas　by　the　constitution　of　this　commonwealth　it　may　appear　that　neither　the　propositions　of　the　Senate　nor　the　judicature　of　the　people　will　be　so　frequent　as　to　hold　the　prerogative　in　continual　employment；　the　Senate；　a　main　part　of　whose　office　it　is　to　teach　and　instruct　the　people；　shall　duly　（if　they　have　no　greater　affairs　to　divert　them）　cause　an　oration　to　be　made　to　the　prerogative　by　some　knight　or　magistrate　of　the　Senate；　to　be　chosen　out　of　the　ablest　men；　and　from　time　to　time　appointed　by　the　orator　of　the　house；　in　the　great　hall　of　the　Pantheon；　while　the　Parliament　resides　in　the　town；　or　in　some　grove　or　sweet　place　in　the　field；　while　the　Parliament　for　the　heat　of　the　year　shall　reside　in　the　country；　upon　every　Tuesday；　morning　or　afternoon。　　　　　〃And　the　orator　appointed　for　the　time　to　this　office　shall　first　repeat　the　orders　of　the　commonwealth　with　all　possible　brevity；　and　then；　making　choice　of　one　or　some　part　of　it；　discourse　thereof　to　the　people。　An　oration　or　discourse　of　this　nature；　being　afterward　perused　by　the　Council　of　State；　may　as　they　see　cause　be　printed　and　published。〃

　　　　The　Archon's　comment　upon　the　order　I　find　to　have　been　of　this　sense：

〃MY　LORDS：　　　　　〃To　crave　pardon　for　a　word　or　two　in　further　explanation　of　what　was　read；　I　shall　briefly　show　how　the　constitution　of　this　tribe　or　assembly　answers　to　their　function；　and　how　their　function；　which　is　of　two　parts；　the　former　in　the　result　or　legislative　power；　the　latter　in　the　supreme　judicature　of　the　commonwealth；　answers　to　their　constitution。　Machiavel　has　a　discourse；　where　he　puts　the　question；　'Whether　the　guard　of　liberty　may　with　more　security　be　committed　to　the　nobility　or　to　the　people？'　Which　doubt　of　his　arises　through　the　want　of　explaining　his　terms；　for　the　guard　of　liberty　can　signify　nothing　else　but　the　result　of　the　commonwealth；　so　that　to　say　that　the　guard　of　liberty　may　be　committed　to　the　nobility；　is　to　say　that　the　result　may　be　committed　to　the　Senate；　in　which　case　the　people　signify　nothing。　　　　　〃Now　to　show　it　was　a　mistake　to　affirm　it　to　have　been　thus　in　Lacedaemon；　sufficient　has　been　spoken；　and　whereas　he　will　have　it　to　be　so　in　Venice　also：　'They；'　says　Contarini；　'in　whom　resides　the　supreme　power　of　the　whole　commonwealth；　and　of　the　laws；　and　upon　whose　orders　depends　the　authority　as　well　of　the　Senate　as　of　all　the　other　magistrates；　is　the　Great　Council。'　It　is　institutively　in　the　Great　Council；　by　the　judgment　of　all　that　know　that　commonwealth；　though；　for　the　reasons　shown；　it　be　sometimes　exercised　by　the　Senate。　Nor　need　I　run　over　the　commonwealths　in　this　place　for　the　proof　of　a　thing　so　doubtless；　and　such　as　has　been　already　made　so　apparent；　as　that　the　result　of　each　was　in　the　popular　part　of　it。　The　popular　part　of　yours；　or　the　prerogative　tribe；　consists　of　seven　deputies　（whereof　three　are　of　the　horse）　annually　elected　out　of　every　tribe　of　Oceana；　which　being　fifty；　amounts　to　150　horse　and　200　foot。　And　the　prerogative　consisting　of　three　of　these　lists；　consists　of　450　horse　and　600　foot；　besides　those　of　the　provinces　to　be　hereafter　mentioned；　by　which　means　the　overbalance　in　the　suffrage　remaining　to　the　foot　by　150　votes；　you　have　to　the　support　of　a　true　and　natural　aristocracy　the　deepest　root　of　a　democracy　that　has　been　ever　planted。　　　　　〃Wherefore　there　is　nothing　in　art　or　nature　better　qualified　for　the　result　than　this　assembly。　it　is　noted　out　of　Cicero　by　Machiavel；　'That　the　people；　though　they　are　not　so　prone　to　find　out　truth　of　themselves　as　to　follow　custom　or　run　into　error　yet　if　they　be　shown　truth；　they　not　only　acknowledge　and　embrace　it　very　suddenly；　but　are　the　most　constant　and　faithful　guardians　and　conservators　of　it。'　it　is　your　duty　and　office；　whereto　you　are　also　qualified　by　the　orders　of　this　commonwealth；　to　have　the　people　as　you　have　your　hawks　and　greyhounds；　in　leashes　and　sl