the commonwealth of oceana-第51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！


the　people。　Wherefore　a　man　that　could　have　made　her　to　throw　away　the　empire　of　the　world；　might　in　that　have　reduced　her　to　her　principles；　and　yet　have　been　so　far　from　rendering　her　immortal　that；　going　no　further；　he　should　never　have　cured　her。　But　your　commonwealth　is　founded　upon　an　equal　agrarian；　and　if　the　earth　be　given　to　the　sons　of　men；　this　balance　is　the　balance　of　justice；　such　a　one　as　in　having　due　regard　to　the　different　industry　of　different　men；　yet　faithfully　judges　the　poor'　And　the　king　that　faithfully　judges　the　poor；　his　throne　shall　be　established　forever；；　much　more　the　commonwealth；　seeing　that　equality；　which　is　the　necessary　dissolution　of　monarchy；　is　the　generation；　the　very　life　and　soul；　of　a　commonwealth。　And　now；　if　ever；　I　may　be　excusable；　seeing　my　assertion；　that　the　throne　of　a　commonwealth　may　be　established　forever；　is　consonant　to　the　holy　Scriptures。　　　　　〃The　balance　of　a　commonwealth　that　is　equal　is　of　such　a　nature　that　whatever　falls　into　her　empire　must　fall　equally；　and　if　the　whole　earth　falls　into　your　scales；　it　must　fall　equally；　and　so　you　may　be　a　greater　people　and　yet　not　swerve　from　your　principles　one　hair。　Nay；　you　will　be　so　far　from　that　that　you　must　bring　the　world　in　such　a　case　to　your　balance；　even　to　the　balance　of　justice。　But　hearken；　my　lords；　are　we　on　earth；　do　we　see　the　sun；　or　are　we　visiting　those　shady　places　which　are　feigned　by　the　poets？

　　　　〃'Continuo　auditoe　voces；　vagitus　et　ingens。'

These　Gothic　empires　that　are　yet　in　the　world；　were　at　the　first；　though　they　had　legs　of　their　own；　but　a　heavy　and　unwieldy　burden；　but　their　foundations　being　now　broken；　the　iron　of　them　enters　even　into　the　souls　of　the　oppressed；　and　hear　the　voice　of　their　comforters：　'My　father　hath　chastised　you　with　whips；　but　I　will　chastise　you　with　scorpions。'　Hearken；　I　say；　if　thy　brother　cries　to　thee　in　affliction；　wilt　thou　not　hear　him？　This　is　a　commonwealth　of　the　fabric　that　has　an　open　ear　and　a　public　concern；　she　is　not　made　for　herself　only；　but　given　as　a　magistrate　of　God　to　mankind；　for　the　vindication　of　common　right　and　the　law　of　nature。　Wherefore　says　Cicero　of　the　like；　that　of　the　Romans；　'We　have　rather　undertaken　the　patronage　than　the　empire　of　the　world。'　If　you；　not　regarding　this　example；　like　some　other　nations　that　are　upon　the　point　to　smart　for　it；　shall；　having　attained　to　your　own　liberty；　bear　the　sword　of　your　common　magistracy　in　vain；　sit　still　and　fold　your　arms；　or；　which　is　worse；　let　out　the　blood　of　your　people　to　tyrants；　to　be　shed　in　the　defence　of　their　yokes　like　water；　and　so　not　only　turn　the　grace　of　God　into　wantonness；　but　his　justice　into　wormwood：　I　say　if　you　do　thus；　you　are　not　now　making　a　commonwealth；　but　heaping　coals　of　fire　upon　your　own　heads。　A　commonwealth　of　this　make　is　a　minister　of　God　upon　earth；　to　the　end　that　the　world　may　be　governed　with　righteousness。　For　which　cause　（that　I　may　come　at　length　to　our　present　business）　the　orders　last　rehearsed　are　buds　of　empire；　such　as　with　the　blessing　of　God　may　spread　the　arms　of　your　commonwealth；　like　a　holy　asylum；　to　the　distressed　world；　and　give　the　earth　her　sabbath　of　years；　or　rest　from　her　labors；　under　the　shadow　of　your　wings。　It　is　upon　this　point　where　the　writings　of　Machiavel；　having　for　the　rest　excelled　all　other　authors；　come　as　far　to　excel　themselves。　　　　　〃Commonwealths；　says　he；　have　had　three　ways　of　propagating　themselves：　One　after　the　manner　of　monarchies；　by　imposing　the　yoke；　which　was　the　way　of　Athens；　and；　toward　the　latter　times；　of　Lacedaemon；　another　by　equal　leagues；　which　is　the　way　of　Switzerland　（I　shall　add　of　Holland；　though　since　his　time）；　a　third　by　unequal　leagues；　which；　to　the　shame　of　the　world；　was　never　practised；　nay；　nor　so　much　as　seen　or　minded；　by　any　other　commonwealth　but　that　only　of　Rome。　They　will　each　of　them；　either　for　caution　or　imitation；　be　worthy　to　be　well　weighed；　which　is　the　proper　work　of　this　place。　Athens　and　Lacedaemon　have　been　the　occasion　of　great　scandal　to　the　world；　in　two；　or　at　least　one　of　two　regards：　the　first；　their　emulation；　which　involved　Greece　in　perpetual　wars；　the　second；　their　way　of　propagation；　which　by　imposing　yokes　upon　others；　was　plainly　contradictory　to　their　own　principles。　　　　　〃For　the　first：　governments；　be　they　of　what　kind　soever；　if　they　be　planted　too　close；　are　like　trees；　that　impatient　in　their　growth　to　have　it　hindered；　eat　out　one　another。　It　was　not　unknown　to　these　in　speculation；　or；　if　you　read　the　story　of　Agesilaus；　in　action；　that　either　of　them　with　30；000　men　might　have　mastered　the　East；　and　certainly；　if　the　one　had　not　stood　in　the　other's　light；　Alexander　had　come　too　late　to　that　end；　which　was　the　means　（and　would　be　if　they　were　to　live　again）　of　ruin；　at　least　to　one　of　them；　wherefore　with　any　man　that　understands　the　nature　of　government　this　is　excusable。　So　it　was　between　Oceana　and　Marpesia；　so　it　is　between　France　and　Spain；　though　less　excusable；　and　so　it　ever　will　be　in　the　like　cases。　But　to　come　to　the　second　occasion　of　scandal　by　them　given；　which　was　in　the　way　of　their　propagation；　it　is　not　excusable；　for　they　brought　their　confederates　under　bondage；　by　which　means　Athens　gave　occasion　of　the　Peloponnesian　War；　the　wound　of　which　she　died　stinking；　when　Lacedaemon；　taking　the　same　infection　from　her　carcass；　soon　followed。　　　　　〃Wherefore；　my　lords；　let　these　be　warnings　to　you　not　to　make　that　liberty　which　God　has　given　you　a　snare　to　others　in　practising　this　kind　of　enlargement　to　yourselves。　　　　　〃The　second　way　of　propagation　or　enlargement　used　by　commonwealths　is　that　of　Switzerland　and　Holland；　equal　leagues；　this；　though　it　be　not　otherwise　mischievous；　is　useless　to　the　world；　and　dangerous　to　themselves：　useless　to　the　world；　for　as　the　former　governments　were　storks；　these　are　blocks；　have　no　sense　of　honor；　or　concern　in　the　sufferings　of　others。　But　as　the　AEtolians；　a　state　of　the　like　fabric；　were　reproached　by　Philip　of　Macedon　to　prostitute　themselves；　by　letting　out　their　arms　to　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　uneq