the commonwealth of oceana-第13章

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s　more；　and　sometimes　fewer；　but　commonly　about　200　or　250；　containing　in　them　a　matter　of　60；000　feuda　militum；　or　knights'　fees；　whereof　some　28；000　were　in　the　clergy。　　　　　It　is　ill…luck　that　no　man　can　tell　what　the　land　of　a　knight's　fee；　reckoned　in　some　writs　at　？0　a　year；　and　in　others　at　？0；　was　certainly　worth；　for　by　such　a　help　we　might　have　exactly　demonstrated　the　balance　of　this　government。　But；　says　Coke；　it　contained　twelve　plough…lands；　and　that　was　thought　to　be　the　most　certain　account。　But　this　again　is　extremely　uncertain；　for　one　plough　out　of　some　land　that　was　fruitful　might　work　more　than　ten　out　of　some　other　that　was　barren。　Nevertheless；　seeing　it　appears　by　Bracton；　that　of　earldoms　and　baronies　it　was　wont　to　be　said　that　the　whole　kingdom　was　composed；　as　also　that　these；　consisting　of　60；000　knights'　fees；　furnished　60；000　men　for　the　King's　service；　being　the　whole　militia　of　this　monarchy；　it　cannot　be　imagined　that　the　vavasories　or　freeholds　in　the　people　amounted　to　any　considerable　proportion。　Wherefore　the　balance　and　foundation　of　this　government　were　in　the　60；000　knights'　fees；　and　these　being　possessed　by　the　250　lords；　it　was　a　government　of　the　few；　or　of　the　nobility；　wherein　the　people　might　also　assemble；　but　could　have　no　more　than　a　mere　name。　And　the　clergy；　holding　a　third　of　the　whole　nation；　as　is　plain　by　the　Parliament…roll；　it　is　an　absurdity　（seeing　the　clergy　of　France　came　first　through　their　riches　to　be　a　state　of　that　kingdom）　to　acknowledge　the　people　to　have　been　a　state　of　this　realm；　and　not　to　allow　it　to　the　clergy；　who　were　so　much　more　weighty　in　the　balance；　which　is　that　of　all　other　whence　a　state　or　order　in　a　government　is　denominated。　Wherefore　this　monarchy　consisted　of　the　King；　and　of　the　three　ordines　regni；　or　estates；　the　lords　spiritual　and　temporal；　and　the　commons；　it　consisted　of　these；　I　say；　as　to　the　balance；　though；　during　the　reign　of　some　of　these　kings；　not　as　to　the　administration。　　　　　For　the　ambition　of　Turbo；　and　some　of　those　that　more　immediately　succeeded　him；　to　be　absolute　princes；　strove　against　the　nature　of　their　foundation；　and；　inasmuch　as　he　had　divided　almost　the　whole　realm　among　his　Neustrians；　with　some　encouragement　for　a　while。　But　the　Neustrians；　while　they　were　but　foreign　plants；　having　no　security　against　the　natives；　but　in　growing　up　by　their　princes'　sides；　were　no　sooner　well　rooted　in　their　vast　dominions　than　they　came　up　according　to　the　infallible　consequence　of　the　balance　domestic；　and；　contracting　the　national　interest　of　the　baronage；　grew　as　fierce　in　the　vindication　of　the　ancient　rights　and　liberties　of　the　same；　as　if　they　had　been　always　natives：　whence；　the　kings　being　as　obstinate　on　the　one　side　for　their　absolute　power；　as　these　on　the　other　for　their　immunities；　grew　certain　wars；　which　took　their　denomination　from　the　barons。　　　　　This　fire　about　the　middle　of　the　reign　of　Adoxus　began　to　break　out。　And　whereas　the　predecessors　of　this　King　had　divers　times　been　forced　to　summon　councils　resembling　those　of　the　Teutons；　to　which　the　lords　only　that　were　barons　by　dominion　and　tenure　had　hitherto　repaired；　Adoxus；　seeing　the　effects　of　such　dominion；　began　first　not　to　call　such　as　were　barons　by　writ　（for　that　was　according　to　the　practice　of　ancient　times）；　but　to　call　such　by　writs　as　were　otherwise　no　barons；　by　which　means；　striving　to　avoid　the　consequence　of　the　balance；　in　coming　unwillingly　to　set　the　government　straight；　he　was　the　first　that　set　it　awry。　For　the　barons　in　his　reign；　and　his　successors；　having　vindicated　their　ancient　authority；　restored　the　Parliament　with　all　the　rights　and　privileges　of　the　same；　saving　that　from　thenceforth　the　kings　had　found　out　a　way　whereby　to　help　themselves　against　the　mighty　by　creatures　of　their　own；　and　such　as　had　no　other　support　but　by　their　favor。。　By　which　means　this　government；　being　indeed　the　masterpiece　of　modern　prudence；　has　been　cried　up　to　the　skies；　as　the　only　invention　whereby　at　once　to　maintain　the　sovereignty　of　a　prince　and　the　liberty　of　the　people。　Whereas；　indeed；　it　has　been　no　other　than　a　wrestling…match；　wherein　the　nobility；　as　they　have　been　stronger；　have　thrown　the　King；　or　the　King；　if　he　has　been　stronger；　has　thrown　the　nobility；　or　the　King；　where　he　has　had　a　nobility；　and　could　bring　them　to　his　party　has　thrown　the　people；　as　in　France　and　Spain；　or　the　people；　where　they　have　had　no　nobility；　or　could　get　them　to　be　of　their　party；　have　thrown　the　King；　as　in　Holland；　and　of　later　times　in　Oceana。　　　　　But　they　came　not　to　this　strength；　but　by　such　approaches　and　degrees　as　remain　to　be　further　opened。　For　whereas　the　barons　by　writ；　as　the　sixty…four　abbots　and　thirty…six　priors　that　were　so　called；　were　but　pro　temp　ore；　Dicotome；　being　the　twelfth　king　from　the　Conquest；　began　to　make　barons　by　letters…patent；　with　the　addition　of　honorary　pensions　for　the　maintenance　of　their　dignities　to　them　and　their　heirs；　so　that　they　were　hands　in　the　King's　purse　and　had　no　shoulders　for　his　throne。　Of　these；　when　the　house　of　peers　came　once　to　be　full；　as　will　be　seen　hereafter；　there　was　nothing　more　empty。　But　for　the　present；　the　throne　having　other　supports；　they　did　not　hurt　that　so　much　as　they　did　the　King；　for　the　old　barons；　taking　Dicotome's　prodigality　to　such　creatures　so　ill　that　they　deposed　him；　got　the　trick　of　it；　and　never　gave　over　setting　up　and　pulling　down　their　kings　according　to　their　various　interests；　and　that　faction　of　the　White　and　Red；　into　which　they　have　been　thenceforth　divided；　till　Panurgus；　the　eighteenth　king　from　the　Conquest；　was　more　by　their　favor　than　his　right　advanced　to　the　crown。　This　King；　through　his　natural　subtlety；　reflecting　at　once　upon　the　greatness　of　their　power；　and　the　inconstancy　of　their　favor；　began　to　find　another　flaw　in　this　kind　of　government；　which　is　also　noted　by　Machiavel　namely；　that　a　throne　supported　by　a　nobility　is　not　so　hard　to　be　ascended　as　kept　warm。　Wherefore　his　secret　jealousy；　lest　the　dissension　of　the　nobility；　as　it　brought　him　in　might　throw　him　out；　made　him　travel　in　ways　undiscovered　by　them；　to　ends　as　little　foreseen　by　himself；　while　to　establish　his　own　safety；　he；　by　mixing　water　with　their　wine；　first　began　to　open　those　sluices　that　have　since　overwhelmed　not　the　King　only；　but　the　throne。　For　whereas　a　nobility　strikes　not　at　the　throne；　without　which　they　cannot　subsist；　but　at　some　king　that　they　do　not　like；　popular　power　strikes　through　the　King　at　the　throne；　as　that　which　is　incompatible　with　it。　Now　that　Panurgus；　in　abating　the　power　of　the　nobility；　was　the　cause　whence　it　came　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　people；　appears　by　those　several　statutes　that　were　made　in　his　reign；　as　that　for　population；　those　against　retainers；　and　that　for　alienations。　　　　　By　the　statute　of　population；　all　houses　of　husbandry　that　were　used　with　twenty　acres　of　ground　and　upward；　were　to　be　maintained　and　kept　up　forever　with　a　competent　proportion　of　land　laid　to　them；　and　in　no　wise；　as　appears　by　a　subsequent　statute；　to　be　severed。　By　which　means　the　houses　being　kept　up；　did　of　necessity　enforce　dwellers；　and　the　proportion　of　land　to　be　tilled　being　kept　up；　did　of　necessity　enforce　the　dweller　not　to　be　a　beggar　or　cottager；　but　a　man　of　some　substance；　that　might　keep　hinds　and　servants　and　set　the　plough　a…going。　This　did　mightily　concern；　says　the　historian　of　that　prince；　the　might　and　manhood　of　the　kingdom；　and　in　effect　amortize　a　great　part　of　the　lands　to　the　hold　and　possession　of　the　yeomanry　or　middle　people；　who　living　not　in　a　servile　or　indigent　fashion；　were　much　unlinked　from　dependence　upon　their　lords；　and　living　in　a　free　and　plentiful　manner；　became　a　more　excellent　infantry；　but　such　a　one　upon　which　the　lords　had　so　little　power；　that　from　henceforth　they　may　be　computed　to　have　been　disarmed。　　　　　And　as　they　had　lost　their　infantry　after　this　manner；　so　their　cavalry　and　commanders　were　cut　off　by　the　statute　of　retainers；　for　whereas　it　was　the　custom　of　the　nobility　to　have　younger　brothers　of　good　houses；　mettled　fellows；　and　such　as　were　knowing　in　the　feats　of　arms　about　them；　they　wh