the commonwealth of oceana-第66节

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the　latter　end　of　the　second；　the　army　was　disbanded；　but　the　taxes　continued　at　？0；000　a　month；　for　three　years　and　a　half。　By　which　means　a　piece　of　artillery　was　planted；　and　a　portion　of　land　to　the　value　of　？0　a　year　purchased　for　the　maintenance　of　the　games；　and　of　the　prize　arms　forever；　in　each　hundred。　　　　　With　the　eleventh　year　of　the　commonwealth；　the　term　of　the　excise；　allotted　for　the　maintenance　of　the　Senate　and　the　people　and　for　the　raising　of　a　public　revenue；　expired。　By　which　time　the　Exchequer；　over　and　above　the　annual　salaries；　amounting　to　？00；000　accumulating　every　year　out　of　？；000；000　income；　？00；000　in　banco；　brought　it　with　a　product　of　the　sum；　rising　to　about　？；000；000　in　the　whole：　whereby　at　several　times　they　had　purchased　to　the　Senate　and　the　people　？00；000　per　annum　solid　revenue；　which；　besides　the　lands　held　in　Panopea；　together　with　the　perquisites　of　either　province；　was　held　sufficient　for　a　public　revenue。　Nevertheless；　taxes　being　now　wholly　taken　off；　the　excise；　of　no　great　burden　（and　many　specious　advantages　not　vainly　proposed　in　the　heightening　of　the　public　revenue）；　was　very　cheerfully　established　by　the　Senate　and　the　people；　for　the　term　of　ten　years　longer；　and　the　same　course　being　taken；　the　public　revenue　was　found　in　the　one…and…twentieth　year　of　the　commonwealth　to　be　worth　？；000；000　in　good　land。　Whereupon　the　excise　was　so　abolished　for　the　present；　as　withal　resolved　to　be　the　best；　the　most　fruitful　and　easy　way　of　raising　taxes；　according　to　future　exigencies。　　　　　But　the　revenue　being　now　such　as　was　able　to　be　a　yearly　purchaser；　gave　a　jealousy　that　by　this　means　the　balance　of　the　commonwealth；　consisting　in　private　fortunes；　might　be　eaten　out；　whence　this　year　is　famous　for　that　law　whereby　the　Senate　and　the　people；　forbidding　any　further　purchase　of　lands　to　the　public　within　the　dominions　of　Oceana　and　the　adjacent　provinces；　put　the　agrarian　upon　the　commonwealth　herself。　These　increases　are　things　which　men　addicted　to　monarchy　deride　as　impossible；　whereby　they　unwarily　urge　a　strong　argument　against　that　which　they　would　defend。　For　having　their　eyes　fixed　upon　the　pomp　and　expense；　by　which　not　only　every　child　of　a　king；　being　a　prince；　exhausts　his　father's　coffers；　but　favorites　and　servile　spirits；　devoted　to　the　flattery　of　those　princes；　grow　insolent　and　profuse；　returning　a　fit　gratitude　to　their　masters；　whom；　while　they　hold　it　honorable　to　deceive；　they　suck　and　keep　eternally　poor：　it　follows　that　they　do　not　see　how　it　should　be　possible　for　a　commonwealth　to　clothe　herself　in　purple；　and　thrive　so　strangely　upon　that　which　would　make　a　prince's　hair　grow　through　his　hood；　and　not　afford　him　bread。　As　if　it　were　a　miracle　that　a　careless　and　prodigal　man　should　bring　？0；000　a　year　to　nothing；　or　that　an　industrious　and　frugal　man　brings　a　little　to　？0；000　a　year。　But　the　fruit　of　one　man's　industry　and　frugality　can　never　be　like　that　of　a　commonwealth；　first；　because　the　greatness　of　the　increase　follows　the　greatness　of　the　stock　or　principal；　and；　secondly；　because　a　frugal　father　is　for　the　most　part　succeeded　by　a　lavish　son；　whereas　a　commonwealth　is　her　own　heir。　　　　　This　year　a　part　was　proposed　by　the　Right　Honorable　Aureus　de　Woolsack　in　the　tribe　of　Pecus；　first　commissioner　of　the　Treasury；　to　the　Council　of　State；　which　soon　after　passed　the　ballot　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　by　which　the　lands　of　the　public　revenue；　amounting　to　？；000；000；　were　equally　divided　into　？；000　lots；　entered　by　their　names　and　parcels　into　a　lot…book　preserved　in　the　Exchequer。　And　if　any　orphan；　being　a　maid；　should　cast　her　estate　into　the　Exchequer　for　？；400；　the　Treasury　was　bound　by　the　law　to　pay　her　quarterly　？00　a　year；　free　from　taxes；　for　her　life；　and　to　assign　her　a　lot　for　her　security；　if　she　married；　her　husband　was　neither　to　take　out　the　principal　without　her　consent　（acknowledged　by　herself　to　one　of　the　commissioners　of　the　Treasury；　who；　according　as　he　found　it

to　be　free；　or　forced；　was　to　allow　or　disallow　of　it）；　nor　any　other　way　engage　it　than　to　her　proper　use。　But　if　the　principal　were　taken　out；　the　Treasury　was　not　bound　to　repay　any　more　of　it　than　？；000；　nor　might　that　be　repaid　at　any　time；　save　within　the　first　year　of　her　marriage：　the　like　was　to　be　done　by　a　half　or　quarter　lot　respectively。　　　　　This　was　found　to　be　a　great　charity　to　the　weaker　sex；　and　as　some　say；　who　are　more　skilful　in　the　like　affairs　than　myself；　of　good　profit　to　the　commonwealth。　　　　　Now　began　the　native　spleen　of　Oceana　to　be　much　purged；　and　men　not　to　affect　sullenness　and　pedantism。　The　elders　could　remember　that　they　had　been　youths。　Wit　and　gallantry　were　so　far　from　being　thought　crimes　in　themselves；　that　care　was　taken　to　preserve　their　innocence。　For　which　cause　it　was　proposed　to　the　Council　for　Religion　by　the　Right　Honorable　Cadiscus　de　Clero；　in　the　tribe　of　Stamnum；　first　censor；　that　such　women　as；　living　in　gallantry　and　view　about　the　town；　were　of　evil　fame；　and　could　not　show　that　they　were　maintained　by　their　own　estates　or　industry。　or　such　as；　having　estates　of　their　own；　were　yet　wasteful　in　'their　way　of　life；　and　of　ill…example　to　others；　should　be　obnoxious　to　the　animadversion　of　the　Council　of　Religion；　or　of　the　censors：　in　which　the　proceeding　should　be　after　this　manner。　Notice　should　be　first　given　of　the　scandal　to　the　party　offending；　in　private：　if　there　were　no　amendment　within　the　space　of　six　months；　she　should　be　summoned　and　rebuked　before　the　said　Council　or　censors；　and；　if　after　other　six　months　it　were　found　that　neither　this　availed；　she　should　be　censored　not　to　appear　at　any　public　meetings；　games；　or　recreations；　upon　penalty　of　being　taken　up　by　the　doorkeepers　or　guards　of　the　Senate；　and　by　them　to　be　detained；　till　for　every　such　offence　？　were　duly　paid　for　her　enlargement。　　　　　Furthermore；　if　any　common　strumpet　should　be　found　or　any　scurrility　or　profaneness　represented　at　either　of　the　theatres；　the　prelates　for　every　such　offence　should　be　fined　？0　by　the　said　Council；　and　the　poet；　for　every　such　offence　on　his　part；　should　be　whipped。　This　law　relates　to　another；　which　was　also　enacted　the　same　year　upon　this　occasion。　　　　　The　youth　and　wits　of　the　Academy　having　put　the　business　so　home　in　the　defence　of　comedies　that　the　provosts　had　nothing　but　the　consequences　provided　against　by　the　foregoing　law　to　object；　prevailed　so　far　that　two　of　the　provosts　of　the　Council　of　State　joined　in　a　proposition；　which　after　much　ado　came　to　a　law；　whereby　？00；000　was　allotted　for　the　building　of　two　theatres　on　each　side　of　the　piazza　of　the　halo：　and　two　annual　magistrates　called　prelates；　chosen　out　of　the　knights；　were　added　to　the　tropic；　the　one　called　the　prelate　of　the　buskin；　for　inspection　of　the　tragic　scene　called　Melpomene；　and　the　other　the　prelate　of　the　sock；　for　the　comic　called　Thalia；　which　magistrates　had　each　？00　a　year　allowed　out　of　the　profits　of　the　theatres；　the　rest；　except　？00　a　year　to　four　poets；　payable　into　the　Exchequer。　A　poet　laureate　created　in　one　of　these　theatres　by　the　strategus；　receives　a　wreath　of　？00　in　gold；　paid　out　of　the　said　profits。　But　no　man　is　capable　of　this　creation　that　had　not　two　parts　in　three　of　the　suffrages　at　the　Academy；　assembled　after　six　weeks'　warning　and　upon　that　occasion。　　　　　These　things　among　us　are　sure　enough　to　be　censured；　but　not　know　the　nature　of　a　commonwealth；　that　they　are　free；　and　yet　to　curb　the　genius　in　a　lawful　recreation　to　which　they　are　naturally　is　to　tell　a　tale　of　a　tub。　I　have　heard　the　Protestant　ministers　in　France；　by　men　that　were　wise　and　of　their　own　profession；　much　blamed　in　that　they　forbade　dancing；　a　recreation　to　which　the　genius　of　that　air　is　so　inclining　that　they　lost　many　who　would　not　lose　that：　nor　do　they　less　than　blame　the　former　determination　of　rashness；　who　now　gently　connive　at　that　which　they　had　so　roughly　forbidden。　These　sports　in　Oceana　are　so　governed；　that　they　are　pleasing　for　private　diversion；　and　profitable　to　the　public：　for　the　theatres　soon　defrayed　their　own　charge；　and　now　bring　in　a　good　revenue。　All　this　is　so　far　from　the　detriment　of　virtue；　that　it　is　to　the　improvement　of　it；　seeing　women　that　heretofore　made　havoc　of　their　honor　that　they　might　have　their　pleasures　are　now　incapable　of　their　pleasures　if　they　lose　their　honor。　　　　　About　the　one…and…fortieth　year　of　the　commonwealth；　the　censors；　according　to　their　annual　custom；　reported　the　pillar　of　Nilus；　by　which　it　was　found　that　the　people　were　increased　very　near　one…third。　Whereupon　the　Council　of　War　was　appointed　by　the　Senate　to　bring　in　a　state　of　war；　and　the　treasurers　the　state　of　the　Treasury。　The　state　of　war；　or　the　pay　and　charge　of　an　army；　was　soon　after　exhibited　by　the　Council　in　this　account：

THE　FIELD　PAY　OF　A　PARLIAMENTARY　ARMY

The　lord　strategus；　marching　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　？0；000　Polemarches　　　　　General　of　the　horse。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2；000　　　　　Lieutenant…general。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2；000　　　　　General　of　the　artillery。。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；000　　　　　Commissary…general。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；000　　　　　Major…general。。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；000　　　　　Quartermaster…gener