the commonwealth of oceana-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ather…in…law；　and　did　all　that　he　had　said。　And　Moses　chose　able　men　out　of　all　Israel；　and　made　them　heads　over　the　people；〃　tribunes；　as　it　is　in　the　vulgar　Latin；　or　phylarchs；　that　is；　princes　of　the　tribes；　sitting　upon　twelve　thrones；　and　judging　the　twelve　tribes　of　Israel；　and　next　to　these　he　chose　rulers　of　thousands；　rulers　of　hundreds；　rulers　of　fifties；　and　rulers　of　tens；　which　were　the　steps　and　rise　of　this　commonwealth　from　its　foundation　or　root　to　its　proper　elevation　or　accomplishment　in　the　Sanhedrim；　and　the　congregation；　already　opened　in　the　preliminaries。　　　　　The　second　is　taken　out　of　Lacedaemon；　as　Lycurgus　（for　the　greater　impression　of　his　institutions　upon　the　minds　of　his　citizens）　pretended　to　have　received　the　model　of　that　commonwealth　from　the　oracle　of　Apollo　at　Delphos；　the　words　whereof　are　thus　recorded　by　Plutarch　in　the　life　of　that　famous　legislator：　〃When　thou　shalt　have　divided　the　people　into　tribes　（which　were　six）　and　oboe　（which　were　five　in　every　tribe）；　thou　shalt　constitute　the　Senate；　consisting；　with　the　two　Kings；　of　thirty　councillors；　who；　according　as　occasion　requires；　shall　cause　the　congregation　to　be　assembled　between　the　bridge　and　the　river　Gnacion；　where　the　Senate　shall　propose　to　the　people；　and　dismiss　them　without　suffering　them　to　debate。〃　The　oboe　were　lineages　into　which　every　tribe　was　divided；　and　in　each　tribe　there　was　another　division　containing　all　those　of　the　same　that　were　of　military　age；　which　being　called　the　mora；　was　subdivided　into　troops　and　companies　that　were　kept　in　perpetual　discipline　under　the　command　of　a　magistrate　called　the　polemarch。　　　　　The　third　is　taken　out　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome；　or　those　parts　of　it　which　are　comprised　in　the　first　and　second　books　of　Livy；　where　the　people；　according　to　the　institution　by　Romulus；　are　first　divided　into　thirty　curias　or　parishes；　whereof　he　elected；　by　three　out　of　each　curia；　the　Senate；　which；　from　his　reign　to　that　or　Servius　Tullius；　proposed　to　the　parishes　or　parochial　congregations；　and　these　being　called　the　Comitia　curiata；　had　the　election　of　the　kings；　the　confirmation　of　their　laws；　and　the　last　appeal　in　matters　of　judicature；　as　appears　in　the　case　of　Horatius　that　killed　his　sister；　till；　in　the　reign　of　Servius　（for　the　other　kings　kept　not　to　the　institution　of　Romulus）；　the　people　being　grown　somewhat；　the　power　of　the　Curiata　was　for　the　greater　part　translated　to　the　Centuriata　comitia　instituted　by　this　King；　which　distributed　the　people；　according　to　the　sense　of　valuation　of　their　estates；　into　six　classes；　every　one　containing　about　forty　centuries；　divided　into　youth　and　elders；　the　youth　for　field…service；　the　elders　for　the　defence　of　their　territory；　all　armed　and　under　continual　discipline；　in　which　they　assembled　both　upon　military　and　civil　occasions。　But　when　the　Senate　proposed　to　the　people；　the　horse　only；　whereof　there　were　twelve　centuries；　consisting　of　the　richest　sort　over　and　above　those　of　the　foot　enumerated；　were　called　with　the　first　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　a