the commonwealth of oceana-第33节

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be　perused　by　the　provosts　themselves；　they　shall　distribute　them　as　they　please　to　be　read　by　the　gentlemen　of　the　Academy；　who；　finding　anything　in　them　material；　will　find　matter　of　discourse；　or　if　they　happen　upon　a　business　that　requires　privacy；　return　it　with　a　note　upon　it　to　a　provost。　And　the　provosts　by　the　secretaries　attending　shall　cause　such　notes　out　of　discourses　or　letters　to　be　taken　as　they　please；　to　the　end　that　they　may　propose；　as　occasion　serves；　what　any　two　of　them　shall　think　fit　out　of　their　notes　so　taken　to　their　respective　councils；　to　the　end　that　not　only　the　ear　of　the　commonwealth　be　open　to　all；　but　that　men　of　such　education　being　in　her　eve；　she　may　upon　emergent　elections　or　occasions　be　always　provided　of　her　choice　of　fit　persons。　　　　　〃Every　council　being　adorned　with　a　state　for　the　signory；　shall　be　attended　by　two　secretaries；　two　doorkeepers；　and　two　messengers…in…ordinary；　and　have　power　to　command　more　upon　emergencies；　as　occasion　requires。　And　the　Academy　shall　be　attended　with　two　secretaries；　two　messengers；　and　two　doorkeepers；　this　with　the　other　councils　being　provided　with　their　further　conveniences　at　the　charge　of　the　State。　　　　　〃But　whereas　it　is　incident　to　commonwealths；　upon　emergencies　requiring　extraordinary　speed　or　secrecy；　either　through　their　natural　delays　or　unnatural　haste；　to　incur　equal　danger；　while　holding　to　the　slow　pace　of　their　orders；　they　come　not　in　time　to　defend　themselves　from　some　sudden　blow；　or　breaking　them　for　the　greater　speed；　they　but　haste　to　their　own　destruction；　if　the　Senate　shall　at　any　time　make　election　of　nine　knights…extraordinary；　to　be　added　to　the　Council　of　War；　as　a　juncta　for　the　term　of　three　months；　the　Council　of　War　with　the　juncta　so　added；　is　for　the　term　of　the　same　Dictator　of　Oceana；　having　power　to　levy　men　and　money；　to　make　war　and　peace；　as　also　to　enact　laws；　which　shall　be　good　for　the　space　of　one　year　（if　they　be　not　sooner　repealed　by　the　Senate　and　the　people）　and　for　no　longer　time；　except　they　be　confirmed　by　the　Senate　and　the　people。　And　the　whole　administration　of　the　commonwealth　for　the　term　of　the　said　three　months　shall　be　in　the　Dictator；　provided　that　the　Dictator　shall　have　no　power　to　do　anything　that　tends　not　to　his　proper　end　and　institution；　but　all　to　the　preservation　of　the　commonwealth　as　it　is　established；　and　for　the　sudden　restitution　of　the　same　to　the　natural　channel　and　common　course　of　government。　And　all　acts；　orders；　decrees；　or　laws　of　the　Council　of　War　with　the　junota　being　thus　created；　shall　be　signed；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃DICTATOR　OCEANAE。〃

　　　　This　order　of　instructions　to　the　councils　being　（as　in　a　matter　of　that　nature　is　requisite）　very　large；　I　have　used　my　best　skill　to　abbreviate　it　in　such　manner　as　might　show　no　more　of　it　than　is　necessary　to　the　understanding　of　the　whole；　though　as　to　the　parts；　or　further　duties　of　the　councils；　I　have　omitted　many　things　of　singular　use　in　a　commonwealth。　But　it　was　discoursed　at　the　council　by　the　Archon　in　this　manner：

〃MY　LORDS；　THE　LEGISLATORS：　　　　　〃Your　councils；　except　the　Dictator　only；　are　proper　and　native　springs　and　sources；　you　see；　which　（hanging　a　few　sticks　and　straws；　that；　as　less　considerable；　would　otherwise　be　more　troublesome；　upon　the　banks　of　their　peculiar　channels）　derive　the　full　stream　of　business　into　the　Senate；　so　pure；　and　so　far　from　the　possibility　of　being　troubled　or　stained　（as　will　Undeniably　appear　by　the　course　contained　in　the　ensuing　order）　with　any　kind　of　private　interest　or　partiality；　that　it　shall　never　be　possible　for　any　assembly　hearkening　to　the　advice　or　information　of　this　or　that　worthy　member　（either　instructed　upon　his　pillow；　or　while　he　was　making　himself　ready；　or　by　the　petition　or　ticket　which　he　received　at　the　door）　to　have　half　the　security　in　his　faith；　or　advantage　by　his　wisdom；　such　a　Senate　or　council　being；　through　the　uncertainty　of　the　winds；　like　a　wave　of　the　sea。　Nor　shall　it　otherwise　mend　the　matter　by　flowing　up　into　dry　ditches；　or　referring　businesses　to　be　better　examined　by　committees；　than　to　go　further　about　with　it　to　less　purpose；　if　it　does　not　ebb　back　again　with　the　more　mud　in　it。　For　in　a　case　referred　to　an　occasional　committee；　of　which　any　member　that　is　desirous　may　get　himself　named；　and　to　which　nobody　will　come　but　either　for　the　sake　of　his　friend　or　his　own　interest；　it　fares　little　better　as　to　the　information　of　the　Senate；　than　if　it　had　been　referred　to　the　parties。　Wherefore　the　Athenians　being　distributed　into　four　tribes；　out　of　which　by　equal　numbers　they　annually　chose　400　men；　called　the　Senate　of　the　Bean；　because　the　ballot　at　their　election　was　performed　by　the　use　of　beans；　divided　them　by　fifties　into　eight　parts。　And　every　fifty　in　their　turn；　for　one…eighth　part　of　the　year；　was　a　council　apart　called　the　Prytans。　　　　　〃The　Prytans　in　their　distinct　council　receiving　all　comers；　and　giving　ear　to　every　man　that　had　anything　to　propose　concerning　the　commonwealth；　had　power　to　debate　and　prepare　all　the　businesses　that　were　to　be　introduced　into　the　Senate。　The　Achaeans　had　ten　selected　magistrates　called　the　demiurgs；　constituting　a　council　apart　called　the　synarchy；　which；　with　the　strategus；　prepared　all　the　business　that　was　introduced　into　their　Senate。　But　both　the　Senate　of　the　Athenians；　and　that　of　the　Achaeans；　would　have　wondered　if　a　man　had　told　them　that　they　were　to　receive　all　comers　and　discourses；　to　the　end　that　they　might　refer　them　afterward　to　the　Prytans　or　the　synarchy；　much　less　to　an　occasional　committee；　exposed　to　the　catch　that　catch　may　of　the　parties　interested。　And　yet　Venice　in　this；　as　in　most　of　her　orders；　excels　them　all　by　the　constitution　of　her　councils；　that　of　the　College；　and　the　other　of　the　Dieci；　or　Council　of　Ten。　The　course　of　the　College　is　exactly　described　in　the　ensuing　order：　and　for　that　of　the　Dieci；　it　so　little　differs　from　what　it　has　bestowed　upon　Our　Dictator；　that　I　need　not　make　any　particular　description　of　it。　But　to　dictatorian　power　in　general；　and　the　use　of　it　（because　it　must　needs　be　of　difficult　digestion　to　such　as；　puking　still　at　ancient　prudence；　show　themselves　to　be　in　the　nursery　of　mother…wit）；　it　is　no　less　than　necessary　to　say　something。　And；　first；　in　a　commonwealth　that　is　not　wrought　up；　or　perfected；　this　power　will　be　of　very　frequent；　if　not　continual；　use；　wherefore　it　is　said　more　than　once；　upon　defects　of　the　government；　in　the　book　of　Judges；　'that　in　those　days　there　was　no　king　in　Israel。'　Nor　has　the　translator；　though　for　'no　king；　he　should　have　said　'no　judge；'　abused　you　so　much；　seeing　that　the　Dictator　（and　such　was　the　Judge　of　Israel）　or　the　dictatorian　power　being　in　a　single　person；　so　little　differs　from　monarchy；　which　followed　in　that；　that　from　the　same　cause　there　has　been　no　other　effect　in　any　commonwealth：　as　in　Rome　was　manifest　by　Sylla　and　Caesar；　who　to　make　themselves　absolute　or　sovereign；　had　no　more　to　do　than　to　prolong　their　magistracy；　for　the　dictatorian　power　was　reputed　divine；　and　therefore　irresistible。　　　　　〃Nevertheless；　so　it　is；　that　without　this　power；　which　is　so　dangerous；　and　subject　to　introduce　monarchy；　a　commonwealth　cannot　be　safe　from　falling　into　the　like　dissolution；　unless　you　have　an　expedient　in　this　case　of　your　own；　and　bound　up　by　your　providence　from　recoiling。　Expedients　in　some　cases　you　must　not　only　have；　but　be　beholden　for　them　to　such　whom　you　must　trust　at　a　pinch；　when　you　have　not　leisure　to　stand　with　them　for　security；　which　will　be　a　thousand　times　more　dangerous。　And　there　can　never　be　a　commonwealth　otherwise　than　by　the　order　in　debate　wrought　up　to　that　perfection；　but　this　necessity　must　sometimes　happen　in　regard　of　her　natural　slowness　and　openness；　and　the　suddenness　of　assaults　that　may　be　made　upon　her；　as　also　the　secrecy　which　in　some　cases　may　be　of　absolute　necessity　to　her　affairs。　Whence　Machiavel　concludes　it　positively；　that　a　commonwealth　unprovided　of　such　a　refuge；　must　fall　to　ruin；　for　her　course　is　either　broken　by　the　blow　in　one　of　those　cases；　or　by　herself；　while　it　startles　her　out　of　her　orders。　And　indeed　a　commonwealth　is　like　a　greyhound；　which；　having　once　coasted；　will　never　after　run　fair；　but　grow　slothful；　and　when　it　comes　to　make　a　common　practice　of　taking　nearer　ways　than　its　orders；　it　is　dissolved：　for　the　being　of　a　commonwealth　consists　in　its　orders。　Wherefore　at　this　list　you　will　be　exposed　to　danger；　if　you　have　not　provided　beforehand　for　the　safety　of　your　resort　in　the　like　cases：　nor　is　it　sufficient　that　your　resort　be　safe；　unless　it　be　as　secret　and　quick；　for　if　it　be　slow　or　open；　your　former　inconveniences　are　not　remedied。　　　　　〃Now　for　our　imitation　in　this　part；　there　is　nothing　in　experience　like　that　of　the　Council　of　Ten　in　Venice；　the　benefit　whereof　would　be　too　long　to　be　shown　in　the　whole　piece；　and　therefore　I　shall　take　but　a　pattern　out　of　Janotti。　In　the　war；　says　he；　which　the　Venetians　had　with　Florence　in　Casentin；　the　Florentines；　finding　a　necessity　in　their　affairs　far　from　any　other　inclination　in　themselves　to　ask　their　peace；　sent　ambassadors　about　it　t