the commonwealth of oceana-第62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！



　　　　〃Whereas　his　Highness　and　the　Council；　in　the　framing　of　the　model　promulgated；　have　not　had　any　private　interest　or　ambition　but　the　fear　of　God　and　the　good　of　this　people　before　their　eyes；　and　it　remains　their　desire　that　this　great　work　may　be　carried　on　accordingly。　This　present　greeting　is　to　inform　the　good　people　of　this　land；　that　as　the　Council　of　Prytans　sat　during　the　framing　of　the　model；　to　receive　from　time　to　time　such　propositions　as　should　be　offered　by　any　wise…hearted　or　public…spirited　man；　toward　the　institution　of　a　well…ordered　commonwealth；　so　the　said　Council　is　to　sit　as　formerly　in　the　great　hall　of　the　Pantheon　during　promulgation　（which　is　to　continue　for　the　space　of　three　months）　to　receive；　weigh；　and；　as　there　shall　be　occasion；　transmit　to　the　Council　of　Legislators；　all　such　objections　as　shall　be　made　against　the　said　model；　whether　in　the　whole　or　in　any　part。　Wherefore　that　nothing　be　done　rashly　or　without　the　consent　of　the　people；　such；　of　what　party　soever；　with　whom　there　may　remain　any　doubts　or　difficulties；　are　desired　with　all　convenient　speed　to　address　themselves　to　the　said　prytans；　where；　if　such　objections；　doubts；　or　difficulties　receive　solution　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　auditory；　they　shall　have　public　thanks；　but　if　the　said　objections；　doubts；　or　difficulties　receive　no　solution　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　auditory；　then　the　model　promulgated　shall　be　reviewed；　and　the　party　that　was　the　occasion　of　the　review；　shall　receive　public　thanks；　together　with　the　best　horse　in　his　Highness's　stable；　and　be　one　of　the　Council　of　Legislators。　And　so　God　have　you　in　his　keeping。〃

　　　　I　should　now　write　the　same　Council　of　the　Prytans；　but　for　two　reasons：　the　one；　that　having　had　but　a　small　time　for　that　which　is　already　done；　I　am　over…labored；　the　other；　that　there　may　be　new　objections。　Wherefore；　if　my　reader　has　any　such　as　to　the　model；　I　entreat　him　to　address　himself　by　way　of　oration；　as　it　were；　to　the　prytans；　that　when　this　rough　draught　comes　to　be　a　work；　his　speech　being　faithfully　inserted　in　this　place；　may　give　or　receive　correction　to　amendment；　for　what　is　written　will　be　weighed。　But　conversation；　in　these　days；　is　a　game　at　which　they　are　best　provided　that　have　light　gold；　it　is　like　the　sport　of　women　that　make　flowers　of　straws；　which　must　be　stuck　up　but　may　not　be　touched。　Nor；　which　is　worse；　is　this　the　fault　of　conversation　only：　but　to　the　examiner　I　say　if　to　invent　method　and　teach　an　art　be　all　one；　let　him　show　that　this　method　is　not　truly　invented；　or　this　art　is　faithfully　taught。　　　　　I　cannot　conclude　a　circle　（and　such　is　this　commonwealth）　without　turning　the　end　into　the　beginning。　The　time　of　promulgation　being　expired；　the　surveyors　were　sent　down；　who　having　in　due　season　made　report　that　their　work　was　perfect；　the　orators　followed；　under　the　administration　of　which　officers　and　magistrates　the　commonwealth　was　ratified　and　established　by　the　whole　body　of　the　people；　in　their　parochial；　hundred；　and　county　assemblies。　And　the　orators　being；　by　virtue　of　their　scrolls　or　lots；　members　of　their　respective　tribes；　were　elected　each　the　first　knight　of　the　third　list；　or　galaxy；　wherefore；　having　at　their　return　assisted　the　Archon　in　putting　the　Senate　and　the　people　or　prerogative　into　motion；　they　abdicated　the　magistracy　both　of　orators　and　legislators。


Part　IV

THE　COROLLARY


FOR　the　rest　（says　Plutarch；　closing　up　the　story　of　Lycurgus）　when　he　saw　that　his　government　had　taken　root；　and　was　in　the　very　plantation　strong　enough　to　stand　by　itself；　he　conceived　such　a　delight　within　him；　as　God　is　described　by　Plato　to　have　done　when　he　had　finished　the　creation　of　the　world；　and　saw　his　own　orbs　move　below　him：　for　in　the　art　of　man　（being　the　imitation　of　nature；　which　is　the　art　of　God）　there　is　nothing　so　like　the　first　call　of　beautiful　order　out　of　chaos　and　confusion；　as　the　architecture　of　a　well…ordered　commonwealth。　Wherefore　Lycurgus；　seeing　in　effect　that　his　orders　were　good；　fell　into　deep　contemplation　how　he　might　render　them；　so　far　as　could　be　effected　by　human　providence；　unalterable　and　immortal。　To　which　end　he　assembled　the　people；　and　remonstrated　to　them：　That　for　aught　he　could　perceive；　their　policy　was　already　such；　and　so　well　established；　as　was　sufficient　to　entail　upon　them　and　theirs　all　that　virtue　and　felicity　whereof　human　life　is　capable：　nevertheless　that　there　being　another　thing　of　greater　concern　than　all　the　rest；　whereof　he　was　not　yet　provided　to　give　them　a　perfect　account；　nor　could　till　he　had　consulted　the　oracle　of　Apollo；　he　desired　that　they　would　observe　his　laws　without　any　change　or　alteration　whatsoever　till　his　return　from　Delphos；　to　which　all　the　people　cheerfully　and　unanimously　engaged　themselves　by　promise；　desiring　him　that　he　would　make　as　much　haste　as　he　could。　But　Lycurgus；　before　he　went；　began　with　the　kings　and　the　senators；　and　thence　taking　the　whole　people　in　order；　made　them　all　swear　to　that　which　they　had　promised；　and　then　took　his　journey。　Being　arrived　at　Delphos；　he　sacrificed　to　Apollo；　and　afterward　inquired　if　the　policy　which　he　had　established　was　good　and　sufficient　for　a　virtuous　and　happy　life？　　　　　By　the　way；　it　has　been　a　maxim　with　legislators　not　to　give　checks　to　the　present　superstition；　but　to　make　the　best　use　of　it；　as　that　which　is　always　the　most　powerful　with　the　people；　otherwise；　though　Plutarch；　being　a　priest；　was　interested　in　the　cause；　there　is　nothing　plainer　than　Cicero；　in　his　book　〃De　Divinatione〃　has　made　it；　that　there　was　never　any　such　thing　as　an　oracle；　except　in　the　cunning　of　the　priests。　But　to　be　civil　to　the　author；　the　god　answered　to　Lycurgus　that　his　policy　was　exquisite；　and　that　his　city；　holding　to　the　strict　observation　of　his　form　of　government；　should　attain　to　the　height　of　fame　and　glory。　Which　oracle　Lycurgus　causing　to　be　written；　failed　not　of　transmitting　to　his　Lacedaemon。　This　done；　that　his　citizens　might　be　forever　inviolably　bound　by　their　oath；　that　they　would　alter　nothing　till　his　return；　he　took　so　firm　a　resolution　to　die　in　the　place；　that　from　thenceforward；　receiving　no　manner　of　food；　he　soon　after　performed　it　accordingly。　Nor　was　he　deceived　in　the　consequence；　for　his　city　became　the　first　in　glory　and　excellency　of　government　in　the　whole　world。　And　so　much　for　Lycurgus；　according　to　Plutarch。　　　　　My　Lord　Archon；　when　he　beheld　not　only　the　rapture　of　motion；　but　of　joy　and　harmony；　into　which　his　spheres　（without　any　manner　of　obstruction　or　interfering；　but　as　if　it　had　been　naturally）　were　cast；　conceived　not　less　of　exultation　in　his　spirit；　but　saw　no　more　necessity　or　reason　why　he　should　administer　an　oath　to　the　Senate　and　the　people　that　they　would　observe　his　institutions；　than　to　a　man　in　perfect　health　and　felicity　of　constitution　that　he　would　not　kill　himself。　Nevertheless　whereas　Christianity；　though　it　forbids　violent　hands；　consists　no　less　in　self…denial　than　any　other　religion；　he　resolved　that　all　unreasonable　desires　should　die　upon　the　spot；　to　which　end　that　no　manner　of　food　might　be　left　to　ambition；　he　entered　into　the　Senate　with　a　unanimous　applause；　and　having　spoken　of　his　government　as　Lycurgus　did　when　he　assembled　the　people；　he　abdicated　the　magistracy　of　Archon。　The　Senate；　as　struck　with　astonishment；　continued　silent；　men　upon　so　sudden　an　accident　being　altogether　unprovided　of　what　to　say；　till　the　Archon　withdrawing；　and　being　almost　at　the　door；　divers　of　the　knights　flew　from　their　places；　offering　as　it　were　to　lay　violent　hands　on　him；　while　he　escaping；　left　the　Senate　with　the　tears　in　their　eyes；　of　children　that　had　lost　their　father　and　to　rid　himself　of　all　further　importunity；　retired　to　a　country　house　of　his；　being　remote；　and　very　private；　insomuch　that　no　man　could　tell　for　some　time　what　was　become　of　him。　　　　　Thus　the　law…maker　happened　to　be　the　first　object　and　reflection　of　the　law　made；　for　as　liberty　of　all　things　is　the　most　welcome　to　a　people；　so　is　there　nothing　more　abhorrent　from　their　nature　than　ingratitude。　We；　accusing　the　Roman　people　of　this　crime　against　some　of　their　greatest　benefactors；　as　Camillus；　heap　mistake　upon　mistake；　for　being　not　so　competent　judges　of　what　belongs　to　liberty　as　they　were；　we　take　upon　us　to　be　more　competent　judges　of　virtue。　And　whereas　virtue；　for　being　a　vulgar　thing　among　them；　was　of　no　less　rate　than　jewels　are　with　such　as　wear　the　most；　we　are　selling　this　precious　stone；　which　we　have　ignorantly　raked　out　of　the　Roman　ruins；　at　such　a　rate　as　the　Switzers　did　that　which　they　took　in　the　baggage　of　Charles　of　Burgundy。　For　that　Camillus　had　stood　more　firm　against　the　ruin　of　Rome　than　her　capitol；　was　acknowledged；　but　on　the　other　side；　that　he　stood　as　firm　for　the　patricians　against　the　liberty　of　the　people；　was　as　plain；　wherefore　he　never　wanted　those　of　the　people　that　would　die　at　his　foot　in　the　field；　nor　that　would　withstand　him　to　his　beard　in　the　city。　An　example　in　which　they　that　think　Camillus　had　wrong；　neither　do　themselves　right；　nor　the　people　of　Rome；　who　in　this　signify　no　less　than　that　they　had　a　scorn　of　slavery　beyond　the　fear　of　rui