the commonwealth of oceana-第50节

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！


themselves　at　the　rendezvous　of　Oceana　to　the　strategus；　it　is　in　his　power　to　take　on　such　and　so　many　of　them　as　shall　be　agreed　by　the　polemarchs；　and　to　send　back　an　equal　number　of　the　stratiots。　　　　　〃And　for　the　better　managing　of　the　proper　forces　of　this　nation；　the　lord　strategus；　by　appointment　of　the　Council　of　War；　and　out　of　such　levies　as　they　shall　have　made　in　either　or　both　of　the　provinces　to　that　end；　shall　receive　auxiliaries　by　sea　or　elsewhere　at　some　certain　place；　not　exceeding　his　proper　arms　in　number。　　　　　〃And　whosoever　shall　refuse　any　one　of　his　three　essays；　except　upon　cause　shown；　he　be　dispensed　withal　by　the　phylarch；　or；　if　the　phylarch　be　not　assembled；　by　the　censors　of　his　tribe；　shall　be　deemed　a　helot　or　public　servant；　shall　pay　a　fifth　part　of　his　yearly　revenue；　besides　all　other　taxes；　to　the　commonwealth　for　his　protection；　and　be　incapable　of　bearing　any　magistracy　except　such　as　is　proper　to　the　law。　Nevertheless　if　a　man　has　but　two　sons；　the　lord　lieutenant　shall　not　suffer　above　one　of　them　to　come　to　the　Urn　at　one　election　of　the　second　essay；　and　though　he　has　above　two　sons；　there　shall　not　come　above　half　the　brothers　at　one　election；　and　if　a　man　has　but　one　son；　he　shall　not　come　to　the　urn　at　all　without　the　consent　of　his　parents；　or　his　guardians；　nor　shall　it　be　any　reproach　to　him　or　impediment　to　his　bearing　of　magistracy〃　　　　　This　order；　with　relation　to　foreign　expeditions；　will　be　proved　and　explained　together　with　　　　　　The　twenty…seventh　order；　〃Providing；　in　case　of　invasion　apprehended；　that　the　lords　high　sheriffs　of　the　tribes；　upon　commands　received　from　the　Parliament　or　the　Dictator；　distribute　the　bands　of　the　elders　into　divisions；　after　the　nature　of　the　essays　of　the　youth；　and　that　the　second　division　or　essay　of　the　elders；　being　made　and　consisting　of　30；000　foot　and　10；000　horse；　be　ready　to　march　with　the　second　essay　of　the　youth；　and　be　brought　also　by　the　conductors　to　the　strategus。　　　　　〃The　second　essay　of　the　elders　and　youth　being　marched　out　of　their　tribes；　the　lords　high　sheriffs　and　lieutenants　shall　have　the　remaining　part　of　the　annual　bands　both　of　elders　and　youth　in　readiness；　which；　if　the　beacons　be　fired；　shall　march　to　the　rendezvous　to　be　in　that　case　appointed　by　the　Parliament　or　the　Dictator：　And　the　beacons　being　fired；　the　curiata　comitia；　or　parochial　congregations；　shall　elect　a　fourth　both　of　elders　and　youth　to　be　immediately　upon　the　guard　of　the　tribes；　and　dividing　themselves　as　aforesaid；　to　march　also　in　their　divisions　according　to　orders；　which　method　in　case　of　extremity　shall　proceed　to　the　election　of　a　third；　or　the　levy　of　a　second；　or　of　the　last　man　in　the　nation；　by　the　power　of　the　lords　high　sheriffs；　to　the　end　that　the　commonwealth　in　her　utmost　pressure　may　show　her　trust　that　God　in　his　justice　will　remember　mercy；　by　humbling　herself；　and　yet　preserving　her　courage；　discipline；　and　constancy；　even　to　the　last　drop　of　her　blood　and　the　utmost　farthing。　　　　　〃The　services　performed　by　the　youth；　or　by　the　elders；　in　case　of　invasion；　and　according　to　this　order；　shall　be　at　their　proper　cost　and　charges　that　are　any　ways　able　to　endure　it；　but　if　there　be　such　as　are　known　in　their　parishes　to　be　so　indigent　that　they　cannot　march　out　of　their　tribes；　nor　undergo　the　burden　in　this　case　incumbent；　then　the　congregations　of　their　parishes　shall　furnish　them　with　sufficient　sums　of　money　to　be　repaid　upon　the　certificate　of　the　same　by　the　Parliament　when　the　action　shall　be　over。　And　of　that　which　is　respectively　enjoined　by　this　order；　any　tribe；　parish；　magistrate；　or　person　that　shall　fail；　is　to　answer　for　it；　at　the　Council　of　War；　as　a　deserter　of　his　country。〃

　　　　The　Archon；　being　the　greatest　captain　of　his　own；　if　not　of　any　age；　added　much　to　the　glory　of　this　commonwealth；　by　interweaving　the　militia　with　more　art　and　lustre　than　any　legislator　from　or　before　the　time　of　Servius　Tullius；　who　constituted　the　Roman　militia。　But　as　the　bones　or　skeleton　of　a　man；　though　the　greatest　part　of　his　beauty　be　contained　in　their　proportion　or　symmetry；　yet　shown　without　flesh　are　a　spectacle　that　is　rather　horrid　than　entertaining；　so　without　discourses　are　the　orders　of　a　commonwealth；　which；　if　she　goes　forth　in　that　manner；　may　complain　of　her　friends　that　they　stand　mute　and　staring　upon　her。　Wherefore　this　order　was　thus　fleshed　by　the　Lord　Archon：

〃MY　LORDS：　　　　　〃Diogenes　seeing　a　young　fellow　drunk；　told　him　that　his　father　was　drunk　when　he　begot　him。　For　this；　in　natural　generation；　I　must　confess　I　see　no　reason；　but　in　the　political　it　is　right。　The　vices　of　the　people　are　from　their　governors；　those　of　their　governors　from　their　laws　or　orders；　and　those　of　their　laws　or　orders　from　their　legislators。　Whatever　was　in　the　womb　imperfect；　as　to　her　proper　work；　comes　very　rarely　or　never　at　all　to　perfection　afterward；　and　the　formation　of　a　citizen　in　the　womb　of　the　commonwealth　is　his　education。　　　　　〃Education　by　the　first　of　the　foregoing　orders　is　of　six　kinds：　at　the　school；　in　the　mechanics；　at　the　universities；　at　the　inns　of　court　or　chancery；　in　travels；　and　in　military　discipline；　some　of　which　I　shall　but　touch；　and　some　I　shall　handle　more　at　large。　　　　　〃That　which　is　proposed　for　the　erecting　and　endowing　of　schools　throughout　the　tribes；　capable　of　all　the　children　of　the　same；　and　able　to　give　to　the　poor　the　education　of　theirs　gratis；　is　only　matter　of　direction　in　case　of　very　great　charity；　as　easing　the　needy　of　the　charge　of　their　children　from　the　ninth　to　the　fifteenth　year　of　their　age；　during　which　time　their　work　cannot　be　profitable；　and　restoring　them　when　they　may　be　of　use；　furnished　with　tools　whereof　there　are　advantages　to　be　made　in　every　work；　seeing　he　that　can　read　and　use　his　pen　has　some　convenience　by　it　in　the　meanest　vocation。　And　it　cannot　be　conceived　but　that　which　comes；　though　in　small　parcels；　to　the　advantage　of　every　man　in　his　vocation；　must　amount　to　the　advantage　of　every　vocation；　and　so　to　that　of　the　whole　commonwealth。　Wherefore　this　is　commended　to　the　charity　of　every　wise…hearted　and　well…minded　man；　to　be　done　in　time；　and　as　God　shall　stir　him　up　or　enable　him；　there　being　such　provision　already　in　the　case　as　may　give　us　leave　to　proceed　without　obstruction。　　　　　〃Parents；　under　animadversion　of　the　censors；　are　to　dispose　of　their　children　at　the　fifteenth　year　of　their　age　to　something；　but　what；　is　left；　according　to　their　abilities　or　inclination；　at　their　own　choice。　This；　with　the　multitude；　must　be　to　the　mechanics；　that　is　to　say　to　agriculture　or　husbandry；　to　manufactures；　or　to　merchandise。　　　　　〃Agriculture　is　the　bread　of　the　nation；　we　are　hung　upon　it　by　the　teeth；　it　is　a　mighty　nursery　of　strength；　the　best　army；　and　the　most　assured　knapsack；　it　is　managed　with　the　least　turbulent　or　ambitious；　and　the　most　innocent　hands　of　all　other　arts。　Wherefore　I　am　of　Aristotle's　opinion；　that　a　commonwealth　of　husbandmen　　and　such　is　ours　　must　be　the　best　of　all　others。　Certainly　my　lords；　you　have　no　measure　of　what　ought　to　be；　but　what　can　be；　done　for　the　encouragement　of　this　profession。　I　could　wish　I　were　husband　good　enough　to　direct　something　to　this　end；　but　racking　of　rents　is　a　vile　thing　in　the　richer　sort；　an　uncharitable　one　to　the　poorer；　a　perfect　mark　of　slavery；　and　nips　your　commonwealth　in　the　fairest　blossom。　On　the　other　side；　if　there　should　be　too　much　ease　given　in　this　kind；　it　would　occasion　sloth；　and　so　destroy　industry；　the　principal　nerve　of　a　commonwealth。　But　if　aught　might　be　done　to　hold　the　balance　even　between　these　two；　it　would　be　a　work　in　this　nation　equal　to　that　for　which　Fabius　was　surnamed　Maximus　by　the　Romans。　　　　　〃In　manufactures　and　merchandise　the　Hollander　has　gotten　the　start　of　us；　but　at　the　long　run　it　will　be　found　that　a　people　working　upon　a　foreign　commodity　does　but　farm　the　manufacture；　and　that　it　is　really　entailed　upon　them　only　where　the　growth　of　it　is　native；　as　also　that　it　is　one　thing　to　have　the　carriage　of　other　men's　goods；　and　another　for　a　man　to　bring　his　own　to　the　best　market。　Wherefore　（nature　having　provided　encouragement　for　these　arts　in　this　nation　above　all　others；　where；　the　people　growing；　they　of　necessity　must　also　increase）　it　cannot　but　establish　them　upon　a　far　more　sure　and　effectual　foundation　than　that　of　the　Hollanders。　But　these　educations　are　in　order　to　the　first　things　or　necessities　of　nature；　as　husbandry　to　the　food；　manufacture　to　the　clothing；　and　merchandise　to　the　purse　of　the　commonwealth。　　　　　〃There　be　other　things　in　nature；　which　being　second　as　to　their　order；　for　their　dignity　and　value　are　first；　and　such　to　which　the　other　are　but　accommodations；　of　this　sort　are　especially　these：　religion；　justice；　courage；　and　wisdom。　　　　　〃The　education　that　answers　to　religion　in　our　government　is　that　of　the　universities。　Moses；　the　divine　legislator；　was　not　only　skilful　in　all　the　learning　of　the　Egyptians；　but　took　also　into　the　fabric　of　his　commonwealth　the　learning　of　the　Midianites　in　the　advice　of　Jethro；　and　his　foundation　of　a　university　laid　in　the　tabernacle；　and　finished　in　the　Temple；　became　that　pinnacle　f