the commonwealth of oceana-第68节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　GRATA　PATRIA　　　　　Piae　et　Perpetuae　Memorie

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D。D。

　　　　　　　　OLPHAUS　MEGALETOR

LORD　ARCHON；　AND　SOLE　LEGISLATOR

　　　　　OF

　　　　　OCEANA

　　　　　PATER　PATRIAE


　Invincible　in　the　Field　　　　　The　Greatest　of　Captains　　Inviolable　in　his　Faith　　　　　The　Best　of　Princes　　Unfeigned　in　his　Zeal　　　　　　　The　Happiest　of　Legislators　　Immortal　in　his　Fame　　　　　　　　The　Most　Sincere　of　Christians

　Who　setting　the　Kingdoms　of　Earth　at　Liberty；　　Took　the　Kingdom　of　the　Heavens　by　Violence。

　Anno　AEtat。　suoe　116　　　　　　　Hujus　Reipub。　50



DESCRIPTION　OF　OCEANA


　　　　OCEANA　is　saluted　by　the　panegyrist　after　this　manner：　〃O　the　most　blessed　and　fortunate　of　all　countries；　Oceana！　how　deservedly　has　nature　with　the　bounties　of　heaven　and　earth　endued　thee！　Thy　ever　fruitful　womb　not　closed　with　ice　nor　dissolved　by　the　raging　star；　where　Ceres　and　Bacchus　are　perpetual　twins：　thy　woods　are　not　the　harbor　of　devouring　beasts；　nor　thy　continual　verdure　the　ambush　of　serpents；　but　the　food　of　innumerable　herds　and　flocks　presenting　thee；　their　shepherdess；　with　distended　dugs　or　golden　fleeces。　The　wings　of　thy　night　involve　thee　not　in　the　horror　of　darkness；　but　have　still　some　white　feather；　and　thy　day　is　（that　for　which　we　esteem　life）　the　longest。〃　But　this　ecstasy　of　Pliny；　as　is　observed　by　Bertius；　seems　to　allude　as　well　to　Marpesia　and　Panopea；　now　provinces　of　this　commonwealth；　as　to　Oceana　itself。　　　　　To　speak　of　the　people　in　each　of　these　countries。　This　of　Oceana；　for　so　soft　a　one；　is　the　most　martial　in　the　whole　world。　〃Let　States　that　aim　at　greatness；〃　says　Verulamius；　〃take　heed　how　their　nobility　and　gentlemen　multiply　too　fast；　for　that　makes　the　common　subject　grow　to　be　a　peasant　and　base　swain　driven　out　of　heart；　and　in　effect　but　a　gentleman's　laborer；　just　as　you　may　see　in　coppice　woods；　if　you　leave　the　staddels　too　thick；　you　shall　never　have　clean　underwood；　but　shrubs　and　bushes；　so　in　countries；　if　the　gentlemen　be　too　many；　the　commons　will　be　base；　and　you　will　bring　it　to　that　at　last；　that　not　the　hundreth　poll　will　be　fit　for　a　helmet；　specially　as　to　the　infantry；　which　is　the　nerve　of　an　army；　and　so　there　will　be　great　population　and　little　strength。　This　of　which　I　speak　has　been　nowhere　better　seen　than　by　comparing　of　Oceana　and　France；　whereof　Oceana；　though　far　less　in　territory　and　population；　has　been　nevertheless　an　overmatch；　in　regard　the　middle　people　of　Oceana　make　good　solders；　which　the　peasants　in　France　do　not。〃　In　which　words　Verulamius；　as　Machiavel　has　done　before　him；　harps　much　upon　a　string　which　he　has　not　perfectly　tuned；　and　that　is；　the　balance　of　dominion　or　property；　as　it　follows　more　plainly；　in　his　praise　〃of　the　profound　and　admirable　device　of　Panurgus；　King　of　Oceana；　in　making　farms　and　houses　of　husbandry　of　a　standard；　that　is；　maintained　with　such　a　proportion　of　land　to　them　as　may　breed　a　subject　to　live　in　convenient　plenty；　and　no　servile　condition；　and　to　keep　the　plough　in　the　hands　of　the　owners；　and　not　mere　hirelings。　And　thus；　indeed；〃　says　he；　〃you　shall　attain　to　Virgil's　character　which　he　gives　of　ancient　Italy。〃　But　the　tillage；　bringing　up　a　good　soldiery；　brings　up　a　good　commonwealth；　which　the　author　in　the　praise　of　Panurgus　did　not　mind；　nor　Panurgus　in　deserving　that　praise；　for　where　the　owner　of　the　plough　comes　to　have　the　sword；　too；　he　will　use　it　in　defence　of　his　own；　whence　it　has　happened　that　the　people　of　Oceana；　in　proportion　to　their　property；　have　been　always　free。　And　the　genius　of　this　nation　has　ever　had　some　resemblance　with　that　of　ancient　Italy；　which　was　wholly　addicted　to　commonwealths；　and　where　Rome　came　to　make　the　greatest　account　of　her　rustic　tribes；　and　to　call　her　consuls　from　the　plough；　for　in　the　way　of　parliaments；　which　was　the　government　of　this　realm；　men　of　country　lives　have　been　still　intrusted　with　the　greatest　affairs；　and　the　people　have　constantly　had　an　aversion　to　the　ways　of　the　court。　Ambition；　loving　to　be　gay　and　to　fawn；　has　been　a　gallantry　looked　upon　as　having　something　in　it　of　the　livery；　and　husbandry；　or　the　country　way　of　life；　though　of　a　grosser　spinning；　as　the　best　stuff　of　a　commonwealth；　according　to　Aristotle；　such　a　one　being　the　most　obstinate　assertress　of　her　liberty　and　the　least　subject　to　innovation　or　turbulency。　Wherefore　till　the　foundations；　as　will　be　hereafter　shown；　were　removed；　this　people　was　observed　to　be　the　least　subject　to　shakings　and　turbulency　of　any；　whereas　commonwealths；　upon　which　the　city　life　has　had　the　stronger　influence；　as　Athens；　have　seldom　or　never　been　quiet；　but　at　the　best　are　found　to　have　injured　their　own　business　by　overdoing　it。　Whence　the　urban　tribes　of　Rome；　consisting　of　the　Turba　forensis；　and　libertines　that　had　received　their　freedom　by　manumission；　were　of　no　reputation　in　comparison　of　the　rustics。　It　is　true　that　with　Venice　it　may　seem　to　be　otherwise；　in　regard　the　gentlemen　（for　so　are　all　such　called　as　have　a　right　to　that　government）　are　wholly　addicted　to　the　city　life；　but　then　the　Turba　forensis；　the　secretaries；　Cittadini；　with　the　rest　of　the　populace；　are　wholly　excluded。　Otherwise　a　commonwealth　consisting　but　of　one　city　would　doubtless　be　stormy；　in　regard　that　ambition　would　be　every　man's　trade；　but　where　it　consists　of　a　country；　the　plough　in　the　hands　of　the　owner　finds　him　a　better　calling；　and　produces　the　most　innocent　and　steady　genius　of　a　commonwealth；　such　as　is　that　of　Oceana。　　　　　Marpesia；　being　the　northern　part　of　the　same　island；　is　the　dry…nurse　of　a　populous　and　hardy　nation；　but　where　the　staddels　have　been　formerly　too　thick；　whence　their　courage　answered　not　their　hardiness；　except　in　the　nobility；　who　govern　much　after　the　manner　of　Poland；　but　that　the　King　was　not　elective　till　the　people　received　their　liberty；　the　yoke　of　the　nobility　being　broken　by　the　commonwealth　of　Oceana；　which　in　grateful　return　is　thereby　provided　with　an　inexhaustible　magazine　of　auxiliaries。　　　　　Panopea；　the　soft　mother　of　a　slothful　and　pusillanimous　people；　is　a　neighbor　island；　anciently　subjected　by　the　arms　of　Oceana；　since　almost　depopulated　for　shaking　the　yoke；　and　at　length　replanted　with　a　new　race。　But；　through　what　virtues　of　the　soil　or　vice　of　the　air　soever　it　be；　they　come　still　to　degenerate。　Wherefore　seeing　it　is　neither　likely　to　yield　men　fit　for　arms；　nor　necessary　it　should；　it　had　been　the　interest　of　Oceana　so　to　have　disposed　of　this　province；　being　both　rich　in　the　nature　of　the　soil；　and　full　of　commodious　ports　for　trade；　that　it　might　have　been　ordered　for　the　best　in　relation　to　her　purse；　which　in　my　opinion；　if　it　had　been　thought　upon　in　time；　might　have　been　best　done　by　planting　it　with　Jews；　allowing　them　their　own　rites　and　laws；　for　that　would　have　brought　them　suddenly　from　all　parts　of　the　world；　and　in　sufficient　numbers。　And　though　the　Jews　be　now　altogether　for　merchandise；　yet　in　the　land　of　Canaan　（except　since　their　exile　from　whence　they　have　not　been　landlords）　they　were　altogether　for　agriculture；　and　there　is　no　cause　why　a　man　should　doubt；　but　having　a　fruitful　country　and　excellent　ports；　too；　they　would　be　good　at　both。　Panopea；　well　peopled；　would　be　worth　a　matter　of　？；000；000　dry…rents；　that　is；　besides　the　advantage　of　the　agriculture　and　trade；　which；　with　a　nation　of　that　industry；　come　at　least　to　as　much　more。　Wherefore　Panopea；　being　farmed　out　to　the　Jews　and　their　heirs　forever；　for　the　pay　of　a　provincial　army　to　protect　them　during　the　term　of　seven　years；　and　for　？；000；000　annual　revenue　from　that　time　forward；　besides　the　customs；　which　would　pay　the　provincial　army；　would　have　been　a　bargain　of　such　advantage；　both　to　them　and　this　commonwealth；　as　is　not　to　be　found　otherwise　by　either。　To　receive　the　Jews　after　any　other　manner　into　a　commonwealth　were　to　maim　it；　for　they　of　all　nations　never　incorporate；　but　taking　up　the　room　of　a　limb；　are　of　no　use　office　to　the　body；　while　they　suck　the　nourishment　which　would　sustain　a　natural　and　useful　member。　　　　　If　Panopea　had　been　so　disposed　of；　that　knapsack；　with　the　Marpesian　auxiliary；　had　been　an　inestimable　treasure；　the　situation　of　these　countries　being　islands　（as　appears　by　Venice　how　advantageous　such　a　one　is　to　the　like　government）　seems　to　have　been　designed　by　God　for　a　commonwealth。　And　yet　that；　through　the　straitness　of　the　place　and　defect　of　proper　arms；　can　be　no　more　than　a　commonwealth　for　preservation；　whereas　this；　reduced　to　the　like　government；　is　a　commonwealth　for　increase；　and　upon　the　mightiest　foundation　that　any　has　been　laid　from　the　beginning　of　the　world　to　this　day。

　　　　〃Illam　arcta　capiens　Neptunus　compede　stringit：　　　　　　Hanc　autem　glaucis　captus　complectitur　ulnis。〃

　　　　The　sea　gives　law　to　the　growth　of　Venice；　but　the　growth　of　Oceana　gives　law　to　the　sea。　　　　　These　countries；　having　been　anciently　distinct　and　hostile　kingdoms；　came　by　Morpheus　the　Marpesian；　who　succeeded　by　hereditary　right　to　the　crown　of　Oceana；　not　only　to　be　joined　under　one　head；　but　to　be　cast；　as　it　were　by　a　charm；　into　that　profound　sleep；　which；　broken　at　length　by　the　trumpet　of　civil　war；　has　produced　those　effects　that　have　give