the commonwealth of oceana-第30节

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boxes；　for　unless　we　will　be　below　the　politics　of　an　ordinary；　there　is　no　such　bar　to　cogging。　it　is　known　to　his　lordship　that　our　game　is　most　at　a　throw；　and　that　every　cast　of　our　dice　is　in　our　suffrages；　nor　will　he　deny　that　partiality　in　a　suffrage　is　downright　cogging。　　　　　If　the　Venetian　boxes　be　the　most　sovereign　of　all　remedies　against　this　same　cogging；　is　it　not　a　strange　thing　that　they　should　be　thrown　first　into　the　fire　by　a　fair　gamester？　Men　are　naturally　subject　to　all　kinds　of　passions；　some　you　have　that　are　not　able　to　withstand　the　brow　of　an　enemy；　and　others　that　make　nothing　of　this；　are　less　proof　against　that　of　a　friend。　So　that　if　your　suffrage　be　barefaced；　I　dare　say　you　shall　not　have　one　fair　cast　in　twenty。　But　whatever　a　man's　fortune　be　at　the　box；　he　neither　knows　whom　to　thank；　nor　whom　to　challenge。　Wherefore　（that　my　lord　may　have　a　charitable　opinion　of　the　choice　affection　which　I　confess　to　have；　above　all　other　beauties；　for　that　of　incomparable　Venice）　there　is　in　this　way　of　suffrage　no　less　than　a　demonstration　that　it　is　the　most　pure；　and　the　purity　of　the　suffrage　in　a　popular　government　is　the　health；　if　not　the　life　of　it；　seeing　the　soul　is　not　otherwise　breathed　into　the　sovereign　power　than　by　the　suffrage　of　the　people。　Wherefore　no　wonder　if　Postellus　be　of　opinion　that　this　use　of　the　ball　is　the　very　same　with　that　of　the　bean　in　Athens；　or　that　others；　by　the　text　concerning　Eldad　and　Medad；　derive　it　from　the　Commonwealth　of　Israel。　There　is　another　thing；　though　not　so　material　to　us；　that　my　lord　will　excuse　me　if　I　be　not　willing　to　yield；　which　is；　that　Venice　subsists　only　by　her　situation。　it　is　true　that　a　man　in　time　of　war　may　be　more　secure　from　his　enemies　by　being　in　a　citadel；　but　not　from　his　diseases；　wherefore　the　first　cause；　if　he　lives　long；　is　his　good　constitution；　without　which　his　citadel　were　to　little　purpose；　and　it　is　not　otherwise　with　Venice。〃

　　　　With　this　speech　of　the　Archon　I　conclude　the　proof　of　the　agrarian　and　the　ballot；　being　the　fundamental　laws　of　this　commonwealth；　and　come　now　from　the　centre　to　the　circumferences　or　orbs；　whereof　some　have　been　already　shown；　as　how　the　parishes　annually　pour　themselves　into　the　hundreds；　the　hundreds　into　the　tribes；　and　the　tribes　into　the　galaxies；　the　annual　galaxy　of　every　tribe　consisting　of　two　knights　and　seven　deputies；　whereof　the　knights　constitute　the　Senate；　the　deputies；　the　prerogative　tribe；　commonly　called　the　people；　and　the　Senate　and　people　constitute　the　sovereign　power　or　Parliament　of　Oceana。　Whereof　to　show　what　the　Parliament　is；　I　must　first　open　the　Senate；　and　then　the　prerogative　tribe。　　　　　To　begin　with　the　Senate；　of　which　（as　a　man　is　differently　represented　by　a　picture　drawer　and　by　an　anatomist）　I　shall　first　discover　the　face　or　aspect；　and　then　the　parts；　with　the　use　of　them。　Every　Monday　morning　in　the　summer　at　seven；　and　in　the　winter　at　eight；　the　great　bell　in　the　clock…house　at　the　Pantheon　begins；　and　continues　ringing　for　the　space　of　one　hour；　in　which　time　the　magistrates　of　the　Senate；　being　attended　according　to　their　quality；　with　a　respective　number　of　the　ballotins；　doorkeepers；　and　messengers；　and　having　the　ensigns　of　their　magistracies　borne　before　them；　as　the　sword　before　the　strategus；　the　mace　before　the　orator；　a　mace　with　the　seal　before　the　commissioners　of　the　chancery；　the　like　with　the　purse　before　the　commissioners　of　the　treasury；　and　a　silver　wand；　like　those　in　use　with　the　universities；　before　each　of　the　censors；　being　chancellors　of　the　same。　These；　with　the　knights；　in　all　300；　assemble　in　the　house　or　hall　of　the　Senate。　　　　　The　house　or　hall　of　the　Senate　being　situated　in　the　Pantheon　or　palace　of　justice；　is　a　room　consisting　of　a　square　and　a　half。　In　the　middle　of　the　lower　end　is　the　door；　at　the　upper　end　hangs　a　rich　state　overshadowing　the　greater　part　of　a　large　throne；　or　half…pace　of　two　stages；　the　first　ascended　by　two　steps　from　the　floor；　and　the　second　about　the　middle　rising　two　steps　higher。　Upon　this　stand　two　chairs；　in　that　on　the　right　hand　sits　the　strategus；　in　the　other　the　orator　adorned　with　scarlet　robes；　after　the　fashion　that　was　used　by　the　dukes　in　the　aristocracy。　At　the　right　end　of　the　upper　stage　stand　three　chairs；　in　which　the　three　commissioners　of　the　seal　are　placed；　and　at　the　other　end　sit　the　three　commissioners　of　the　treasury；　every　one　in　a　robe　or　habit　like　that　of　the　earls。　Of　these　magistrates　of　this　upper　stage　consists　the　signory。　At　either　end　of　the　lower　stage　stands　a　little　table；　to　which　the　secretaries　of　the　Senate　are　set　with　their　tufted　sleeves　in　the　habit　of　civil　lawyers。　To　the　four　steps；　whereby　the　two　stages　of　the　throne　are　ascended；　answer　four　long　benches；　which　successively　deriving　from　every　one　of　the　steps；　continue　their　respective　height；　and　extend　themselves　by　the　side　walls　toward　the　lower　end　of　the　house；　every　bench　being　divided　by　numeral　characters　into　the　thirty…seven　parts　or　places。　Upon　the　upper　benches　sit　the　censors　in　the　robes　of　barons；　the　first　in　the　middle　of　the　right　hand　bench；　and　the　second　directly　opposite　to　him　on　the　other　side。　Upon　the　rest　of　the　benches　sit　the　knights；　who；　if　they　be　called　to　the　urns；　distributing　themselves　by　the　figures；　come　in　equal　files；　either　by　the　first　seat；　which　consists　of　the　two　upper　benches　on　either　side；　or　by　the　second　seat；　consisting　of　the　two　lower　benches　on　either　side；　beginning　also　at　the　upper　or　at　the　lower　ends　of　the　same；　according　to　the　lot　whereby　they　are　called；　for　which　end　the　benches　are　open；　and　ascended　at　either　end　with　easy　stairs　and　large　passages。　　　　　The　rest　of　the　ballot　is　conformable　to　that　of　the　tribe；　the　censors　of　the　house　sitting　at　the　side　urn；　and　the　youngest　magistrate　of　the　signory　at　the　middle；　the　urns　being　placed　before　the　throne；　and　prepared　according　to　the　number　of　the　magistrates　to　be　at　that　time　chosen　by　the　rules　already　given　to　the　censors　of　the　tribes。　But　before　the　benches　of　the　knights　on　either　side　stands　one　being　shorter；　and　at　the　upper　end　of　this　sit　the　two　tribunes　of　the　horse。　At　the　upper　end　of　the　other　the　two　tribunes　of　the　foot　in　their　arms；　the　rest　of　the　benches　being　covered　by　the　judges　of　the　land　in　their　robes。　But　these　magistrates　have　no　suffrage；　nor　the　tribunes；　though　they　derive　their　presence　in　the　Senate　from　the　Romans；　nor　the　judges；　though　they　derive　theirs　from　the　ancient　Senate　of　Oceana。　Every　Monday　this　assembly　sits　of　course；　at　other　times；　if　there　be　occasion；　any　magistrate　of　the　house；　by　giving　order　for　the　bell；　or　by　his　lictor　or　ensign…bearer；　calls　a　senate。　And　every　magistrate　or　knight　during　his　session　has　the　title；　place；　and　honor　of　a　duke；　earl；　baron；　or　knight　respectively　And　every　one　that　has　borne　the　same　magistracy　by　his　third　session；　has　his　respective　place　and　title　during　the　term　of　his　life；　which　is　all　the　honor　conferred　by　this　commonwealth；　except　upon　the　master　of　the　ceremonies；　the　master　of　the　horse；　and　the　king　of　the　heralds；　who　are　knights　by　their　places。　And　thus　you　have　the　face　of　the　Senate；　in　which　there　is　scarce　any　feature　that　is　not　Roman　or　Venetian；　nor　do　the　horns　of　the　crescent　extend　themselves　much　unlike　those　of　the　Sanhedrim；　on　either　hand　of　the　prince；　and　of　the　father　of　that　Senate。　But　upon　beauty；　in　which　every　man　has　his　fancy；　we　will　not　otherwise　philosophize　than　to　remember　that　there　is　something　more　than　decency　in　the　robe　of　a　judge；　that　would　not　be　well　spared　from　the　bench；　and　that　the　gravest　magistrate　to　whom　you　can　commit　the　sword　of　justice；　will　find　a　quickness　in　the　spurs　of　honor；　which；　if　they　be　not　laid　to　virtue；　will　lay　themselves　to　that　which　may　rout　a　commonwealth。　　　　　To　come　from　the　face　of　the　Senate　to　the　constitution　and　use　of　the　parts：　it　is　contained　in　the　peculiar　orders。　And　the　orders　which　are　peculiar　to　the　Senate；　are　either　of　election　or　instruction。　　　　　Elections　in　the　Senate　are　of　three　sorts：　annual；　biennial；　and　extraordinary。　　　　　Annual　elections　are　performed　by　the　schedule　called　the　tropic；　and　the　tropic　consists　of　two　parts：　the　one　containing　the　magistrates；　and　the　other　the　councils　to　be　yearly　elected。　The　schedule　or　tropic　of　the　magistrates　is　as　follows　in　　　　　　The　fifteenth　order　requiring；　〃That　upon　every　Monday　next　ensuing　the　last　of　March；　the　knights　of　the　annual　galaxies　taking　their　places　in　the　Senate；　be　called　the　third　region　of　the　same；　and　that　the　house　having　dismissed　the　first　region；　and　received　the　third；　proceed　to　election　of　the　magistrates　contained　in　the　first　part　of　the　tropic；　by　the　ensuing　schedule：

The　lord　strategus；　The　lord　orator；　the　first　censor；　The　second　censor；　　　　　Annual　magistrates；

The　third　commissioner　of　the　seal；　The　third　commissioner　of　the　Treasury；　　　　　Triennal　magistrates。


〃The　annual　magistrates　（provided　that　no　one　man　bears　above　one　of　those　honors　during　the　term　of　one　session）　may　be　elected　out　of　any　region。　But　the　triennial　magistrates　may　not　be　elected　out　of　any　o