the commonwealth of oceana-第47章

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the　lusts　of　others；　while　they　leave　their　own　liberty　barren　and　without　legitimate　issue；　so　I　do　not　defame　these　people；　the　Switzer　for　valor　has　no　superior；　the　Hollander　for　industry　no　equal；　but　themselves　in　the　meantime　shall　so　much　the　less　excuse　their　governments；　seeing　that　to　the　Switz　it　is　well　enough　known　that　the　ensigns　of　his　commonwealth　have　no　other　motto　than　in　te　converte　manus；　and　that　of　the　Hollander；　though　he　sweats　more　gold　than　the　Spaniard　digs；　lets　him　languish　in　debt；　for　she　herself　lives　upon　charity。　These　are　dangerous　to　themselves；　precarious　governments；　such　as　do　not　command；　but　beg　their　bread　from　province　to　province；　in　coats　that　being　patched　up　of　all　colors　are　in　effect　of　none。　That　their　cantons　and　provinces　are　so　many　arrows；　is　good；　but　they　are　so　many　bows　too；　which　is　naught。　　　　　〃Like　to　these　was　the　commonwealth　of　the　ancient　Tuscans；　hung　together　like　bobbins；　without　a　hand　to　weave　with　them；　therefore　easily　overcome　by　the　Romans；　though　at　that　time；　for　number；　a　far　less　considerable　people。　If　your　liberty　be　not　a　root　that　grows；　it　will　be　a　branch　that　withers；　which　consideration　brings　me　to　the　paragon；　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome。　　　　　〃The　ways　and　means　whereby　the　Romans　acquired　the　patronage；　and　in　that　the　empire；　of　the　world　were　different；　according　to　the　different　condition　of　their　commonwealth　in　her　rise　and　in　her　growth：　in　her　rise　she　proceeded　rather　by　colonies；　in　her　growth　by　unequal　leagues。　Colonies　without　the　bounds　of　Italy　she　planted　none　（such　dispersion　of　the　Roman　citizen　as　to　plant　him　in　foreign　parts；　till　the　contrary　interest　of　the　emperors　brought　in　that　practice；　was　unlawful）；　nor　did　she　ever　demolish　any　city　within　that　compass；　or　divest　it　of　liberty；　but　whereas　the　most　of　them　were　commonwealths；　stirred　'up　by　emulation　of　her　great　felicity　to　war　against　her；　if　she　overcame　any；　she　confiscated　some　part　of　their　lands　that　were　the　greatest　incendiaries；　or　causes　of　the　trouble；　upon　which　she　planted　colonies　of　her　own　people；　preserving　the　rest　of　their　lands　and　liberties　for　the　natives　or　inhabitants。　By　this　way　of　proceeding；　that　I　may　be　as　brief　as　possible；　she　did　many　and　great　things。　For　in　confirming　of　liberty；　she　propagated　her　empire；　in　holding　the　inhabitants　from　rebellion；　she　put　a　curb　upon　the　incursion　of　enemies；　in　exonerating　herself　of　the　poorer　sort；　she　multiplied　her　citizens；　in　rewarding　her　veterans；　she　rendered　the　rest　less　seditious；　and　in　acquiring　to　herself　the　reverence　of　a　common　parent；　she　from　time　to　time　became　the　mother　of　new…born　cities。　　　　　〃In　her　further　growth　the　way　of　her　propagation　went　more　upon　leagues；　which　for　the　first　division　were　of　two　kinds；　social　and　provincial。　　　　　〃Again；　social　leagues；　or　leagues　of　society；　were　of　two　kinds：　　　　　〃The　first　called　Latinity　or　Latin；　the　second　Italian　right。〃　The　league　between　the　Romans　and　the　Latins；　or　Latin　right；　approached　nearest　to　jus　quiritium；　or　the　right　of　a　native　Roman。　The　man　or　the　city　that　was　honored　with　this　right；　was　civitate　donatus　cum　suffragio；　adopted　a　citizen　of　Rome；　with　the　right　of　giving　suffrage　with　the　people　in　some　cases；　as　those　of　conformation　of　law；　or　determination　in　judicature；　if　both　the　Consuls　were　agreed；　not　otherwise；　wherefore　that　coming　to　little；　the　greatest　and　most　peculiar　part　of　this　privilege　was；　that　who　had　borne　magistracy　（at　least　that　of　oedile　or　quoestor）　in　any　Latin　city；　was　by　consequence　of　the　same　a　citizen　of　Rome　at　all　points。　　　　　〃Italian　right　was　also　a　donation　of　the　city；　but　without　suffrage：　they　who　were　in　either　of　these　leagues；　were　governed　by　their　own　laws　and　magistrates；　having　all　the　rights；　as　to　liberty；　of　citizens　of　Rome；　yielding　and　praying　to　the　commonwealth　as　head　of　the　league；　and　having　in　the　conduct　of　all　affairs　appertaining　to　the　common　cause；　such　aid　of　men　and　money　as　was　particularly　agreed　to　upon　the　merit　of　the　cause；　and　specified　in　their　respective　leagues；　whence　such　leagues　came　to　be　called　equal　or　unequal　accordingly。　　　　　〃Provincial　leagues　were　of　different　extension；　according　to　the　merit　and　capacity　of　a　conquered　people；　but　they　were　all　of　one　kind；　for　every　province　was　governed　by　Roman　magistrates；　as　a　praetor　or　a　proconsul；　according　to　the　dignity　of　the　province；　for　the　civil　administration　and　conduct　of　the　provincial　army；　and　a　quaestor　for　the　gathering　of　the　public　revenue；　from　which　magistrates　a　province　might　appeal　to　Rome。　　　　　〃For　the　better　understanding　of　these　particulars；　I　shall　exemplify　in　as　many　of　them　as　is　needful；　and　first　in　Macedon：　　　　　〃The　Macedonians　were　thrice　conquered　by　the　Romans；　first　under　the　conduct　of　Titus　Quintus　Flaminius；　secondly；　under　that　of　Lucius　AEmilius　Paulus；　and；　thirdly　under　that　of　Quintus　Caecilius　Metellus；　thence　called　Macedonicus。　　　　　〃For　the　first　time　Philip　of　Macedon；　who　（possessed　of　Acrocorinthus）　boasted　no　less　than　was　true；　that　he　had　Greece　in　fetters；　being　overcome　by　Flaminius；　had　his　kingdom　restored　to　him；　upon　condition　that　he　should　immediately　set　all　the　cities　which　he　held　in　Greece　and　in　Asia　at　liberty；　and　that　he　should　not　make　war　out　of　Macedon　but　by　leave　of　the　Senate　of　Rome；　which　Philip　（having　no　other　way　to　save　anything）　agreed　should　be　done　accordingly。　　　　　〃The　Grecians　being　at　this　time　assembled　at　the　isthmian　games；　where　the　concourse　was　mighty　great；　a　crier；　appointed　to　the　office　by　Flaminius；　was　heard　among　them　proclaiming　all　Greece　to　be　free；　to　which　the　people　being　amazed　at　so　hopeless　a　thing；　gave　little　credit；　till　they　received　such　testimony　of　the　truth　as　put　it　past　all　doubt；　whereupon　they　fell　immediately　on　running　to　the　proconsul　with　flowers　and　garlands；　and　such　violent　expressions　of　their　admiration　and　joy；　as；　if　Flaminius；　a　young　man；　about　thirty…three；　had　not　also　been　very　strong；　he　must　have　died　of　no　other　death　than　their　kindness；　while　everyone　striving　to　touch　his　hand；　they　bore　him　up　and　down　the　field　with　an　unruly　throng；　full　of　such　ejaculations　as　these：　How　is　there　a　people　in　the　world；　that　at　their　own　charge；　at　their　own　peril；　will　fight　for　the　liberty　of　another？　Did　they　live　at　the　next　door　to　the　fire？　Or　what　kind　of　men　are　these；　whose　business　it　is　to　pass　the　seas；　that　the　world　may　be　governed　with　righteousness？　The　cities　of　Greece　and　of　Asia　shake　off　their　iron　fetters　at　the　voice　of　a　crier　was　it　madness　to　imagine　such　a　thing；　and　is　it　done？　O　virtue！　O　felicity！　O　fame！　　　　　〃In　this　example　your　lordships　have　a　donation　of　liberty　or　of　Italian　right　to　a　people；　by　restitution　to　what　they　had　formerly　enjoyed；　and　some　particular　men；　families　or　cities；　according　to　their　merit　of　the　Romans；　if　not　upon　this；　yet　upon　the　like　occasions；　were　gratified　with　Latinity。〃　But　Philip's　share　by　this　means　did　not　please　him；　wherefore　the　league　was　broken　by　his　son　Perseus；　and　the　Macedonians　thereupon　for　the　second　time　conquered　by　AEmilius　Paulus；　their　King　taken；　and　they　some　time　after　the　victory　summoned　to　the　tribunal　of　the　general；　where；　remembering　how　little　hope　they　ought　to　have　of　pardon；　they　expected　some　dreadful　sentence：　when　AEmilius；　in　the　first　place；　declared　the　Macedonians　to　be　free；　in　the　full　possession　of　their　lands；　goods；　and　laws；　with　right　to　elect　annual　magistrates；　yielding　and　paying　to　the　people　of　Rome　one…half　of　the　tribute　which　they　were　accustomed　to　pay　to　their　own　kings。　This　done　he　went　on；　making　so　skilful　a　division　of　the　country　in　order　to　the　methodizing　of　the　people；　and　casting　them　into　the　form　of　popular　government；　that　the　Macedonians；　being　first　surprised　with　the　virtue　of　the　Romans；　began　now　to　alter　the　scene　of　their　admiration；　that　a　stranger　should　do　such　things　for　them　in　their　own　country；　and　with　such　facility　as　they　had　never　so　much　as　once　imagined　to　be　possible。　Nor　was　this　all；　for　AEmilius；　as　if　not　dictating　to　conquered　enemies；　but　to　some　well…deserving　friends；　gave　them　in　the　last　place　laws　so　suitable；　and　contrived　with　such　care　and　prudence；　that　long　use　and　experience　（the　only　correctness　of　works　of　this　nature）　could　never　find　a　fault　in　them。　　　　　〃In　this　example　you　have　a　donation　of　liberty；　or　of　Italian　right；　to　a　people　that　had　not　tasted　of　it　before；　but　were　now　taught　how　to　use　it。　　　　　〃My　lords；　the　royalists　should　compare　what　we　are　doing；　and　we　what　hitherto　we　have　done　for　them；　with　this　example。　It　is　a　shame　that　while　we　are　boasting　up　ourselves　above　all　others；　we　should　yet　be　so　far　from　imitating　such　examples　as　these；　that　we　do　not　so　much　as　understand　that　if　government　be　the　parent　of　manners；　where　there　are　no　heroic　virtues；　there　is　no　heroic　government。　　　　　〃But　the　Macedonians　rebelling；　at　the　name　of　a　false　Philip；　the　third　time　against　the　Romans；　were　by　them　judged　incapable　of　liberty；　and　reduced　by　Metellus　to　a　province。　　　　　〃Now　whereas　it　remains　that　I　explain　the　nature　of　a　province；　I　shall　rather　choose　that　of　Sicily；　because；　having　been　the　first　which　the　Romans　made；　the　descriptions　of　the　rest　relate　to　it。　　　　　〃'We　have　so　received　the　Sicilian　cities　into　amity；'　says　Cicero；　'that　they　enjoy　their　ancient　laws；　and　upon　no　other　condition　than　of　the　same　obedience　to　the　people　of　Rome；　which　they　formerly　yielded　to　their　own　princes　or　superiors。'　So　the　Sicilians；　whereas　they　had　been　parcelled　out　to　divers　princes；　and　into　divers　states　（the　cause　of　perpetual　wars；　whereby；　hewing　one　another　down；　they　became　sacrifices　to　the　ambition　of　their　neighbors；　or　of　some　invader）；　were　now　received　at　the　old　rate　into　a　new　protection　which　could　hold　them；　and　in　which　no　enemy　durst　touch　them；　nor　was　it　possible；　as　the　case　then　stood；　for　the　Sicilians　to　receive；　or　for　the　Romans　to　give　more。　　　　　〃A　Roman　province　is　defined　by　Sigonius　as　a　region　having　provincial　right。　Provincial　right　in　general　was　to　be　governed　by　a　Roman　praetor；　or　consul；　in　matters　at　least　of　state；　and　of　the　militia；　and　by　a　quaeStor；　whose　office　it　was　to　receive　the　public　revenue。　Provincial　right　in　particular　was　different；　according　to　the　different　leagues　or　agreements　between　the　commonwealth；　and　the　people　reduced　into　a　province。　'Siculi　hoc　jure　sunt；　ut　quod　civis　cum　cive　agat；　domi　certet　suis　legibus；　quod　siculus　cum　siculo　non　ejusdem　civitatis；　ut　de　eo　proetor　judices；　ex　P。　Rupilii　decreto；　sortiatur。　Quod　privatus　a　populo　petit；　aut　populus　a　privato；　senatus　ex　aliqua　civitate；　qui　judicet；　datur；　cui　alternoe　civitates　rejectoe　sunt。　Quod　vivis　Romanus　a　siculo　petit；　siculus　judex　datur　quod　siculus　a　cive　Romano；　civis　Romanus　datur。　Coeterarum　rerum　selecti　judices　ex　civium　Romanorum　conventu　proponi　solent。　Inter　aratores　et　decumanos　lege　frumentaria；　quam　Hieronicam　appellant；　judicia　fiunt。'　Because　the　rest　would　oblige　me　to　a　discourse　too　large　for　this　place；　it　shall　suffice　that　I　have　showed　you　how　it　was　in　Sicily。　　　　　〃My　lords；　upon　the　fabric　of　your　provinci