the commonwealth of oceana-第14章

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s　of　good　houses；　mettled　fellows；　and　such　as　were　knowing　in　the　feats　of　arms　about　them；　they　who　were　longer　followed　with　so　dangerous　a　train；　escaped　not　such　punishments　as　made　them　take　up。　　　　　Henceforth　the　country　lives　and　great　tables　of　the　nobility；　which　no　longer　nourished　veins　that　would　bleed　for　them；　were　fruitless　and　loathsome　till　they　changed　the　air；　and　of　princes　became　courtiers；　where　their　revenues；　never　to　have　been　exhausted　by　beef　and　mutton；　were　found　narrow；　whence　followed　racking　of　rents；　and　at　length　sale　of　lands；　the　riddance　through　the　statute　of　alienations　being　rendered　far　more　quick　and　facile　than　formerly　it　had　been　through　the　new　invention　of　entails。　　　　　To　this　it　happened　that　Coraunus；　the　successor　of　that　King；　dissolving　the　abbeys；　brought；　with　the　declining　state　of　the　nobility；　so　vast　a　prey　to　the　industry　of　the　people；　that　the　balance　of　the　commonwealth　was　too　apparently　in　the　popular　party　to　be　unseen　by　the　wise　Council　of　Queen　Parthenia；　who；　converting　her　reign　through　the　perpetual　love　tricks　that　passed　between　her　and　her　people　into　a　kind　of　romance；　wholly　neglected　the　nobility。　And　by　these　degrees　came　the　House　of　Commons　to　raise　that　head；　which　since　has　been　so　high　and　formidable　to　their　princes　that　they　have　looked　pale　upon　those　assemblies。　Nor　was　there　anything　now　wanting　to　the　destruction　of　the　throne；　but　that　the　people；　not　apt　to　see　their　own　strength；　should　be　put　to　feel　it；　when　a　prince；　as　stiff　in　disputes　as　the　nerve　of　monarchy　was　grown　slack；　received　that　unhappy　encouragement　from　his　clergy　which　became　his　utter　ruin；　while　trusting　more　to　their　logic　than　the　rough　philosophy　of　his　Parliament；　it　came　to　an　irreparable　breach；　for　the　house　of　peers；　which　alone　had　stood　in　this　gap；　now　sinking　down　between　the　King　and　the　commons；　showed　that　Crassus　was　dead　and　the　isthmus　broken。　But　a　monarchy；　divested　of　its　nobility；　has　no　refuge　under　heaven　but　an　army。　Wherefore　the　dissolution　of　this　government　caused　the　war；　not　the　war　the　dissolution　of　this　government。　　　　　Of　the　King's　success　with　his　arms　it　is　not　necessary　to　give　any　further　account　than　that　they　proved　as　ineffectual　as　his　nobility；　but　without　a　nobility　or　an　army　（as　has　been　shown）　there　can　be　no　monarchy。　Wherefore　what　is　there　in　nature　that　can　arise　out　of　these　ashes　but　a　popular　government；　or　a　new　monarchy　to　be　erected　by　the　victorious　army？　　　　　To　erect　a　monarchy；　be　it　never　so　new；　unless　like　Leviathan　you　can　hang　it；　as　the　country…fellow　speaks；　by　geometry　（for　what　else　is　it　to　say；　that　every　other　man　must　give　up　his　will　to　the　will　of　this　one　man　without　any　other　foundation？）；　it　must　stand　upon　old　principles　　that　is；　upon　a　nobility　or　an　army　planted　on　a　due　balance　of　dominion。　Aut　viam　inveniam　aut　faciam；　was　an　adage　of　Caesar；　and　there　is　no　standing　for　a　monarchy　unless　it　finds　this　balance；　or　makes　it。　If　it　finds　it；　the　work　is　done　to　its　hand；　for；　where　there　is　inequality　of　estates；　there　must　be　inequality　of　power；　and　where　there　is　inequality　of　power；　there　can　be　no　commonwealth。　To　make　it；　the　sword　must　extirpate　out　of　dominion　all　other　roots　of　power；　and　plant　an　army　upon　that　ground。　An　army　may　be　planted　nationally　or　provincially。　To　plant　it　nationally；　it　must　be　in　one　of　the　four　ways　mentioned；　that　is；　either　monarchically　in　part；　as　the　Roman　beneficiarii；　or　monarchically；　in　the　whole；　as　the　Turkish　Timariots；　aristocratically　that　is；　by　earls　and　barons；　as　the　Neustrians　were　planted　by　Turbo；　or　democratically；　that　is；　by　equal　lots；　as　the　Israelitish　army　in　the　land　of　Canaan　by　Joshua。　In　every　one　of　these　ways　there　must　not　only　be　confiscations；　but　confiscations　to　such　a　proportion　as　may　answer　to　the　work　intended。　　　　　Confiscation　of　a　people　that　never　fought　against　you；　but　whose　arms　you　have　borne；　and　in　which　you　have　been　victorious；　and　this　upon　premeditation　and　in　cold　blood；　I　should　have　thought　to　be　against　any　example　in　human　nature；　but　for　those　alleged　by　Machiavel　of　Agathocles；　and　Oliveretto　di　Fermo；　the　former　whereof　being　captain…general　of　the　Syracusans；　upon　a　day　assembled　the　Senate　and　the　people；　as　if　he　had　something　to　communicate　with　them；　when　at　a　sign　given　he　cut　the　senators　in　pieces　to　a　man；　and　all　the　richest　of　the　people；　by　which　means　he　came　to　be　king。　The　proceedings　of　Oliveretto；　in　making　himself　Prince　of　Fermo；　were　somewhat　different　in　circumstances；　but　of　the　same　nature。　Nevertheless　Catiline；　who　had　a　spirit　equal　to　any　of　these　in　his　intended　mischief；　could　never　bring　the　like　to　pass　in　Rome。　The　head　of　a　small　commonwealth；　such　a　one　as　was　that　of　Syracuse　or　Fermo；　is　easily　brought　to　the　block；　but　that　a　populous　nation；　such　as　Rome；　had　not　such　a　one；　was　the　grief　of　Nero。　If　Sylvia　or　Caesar　attained　to　be　princes；　it　was　by　civil　war；　and　such　civil　war　as　yielded　rich　spoils；　there　being　a　vast　nobility　to　be　confiscated；　which　also　was　the　case　in　Oceana；　when　it　yielded　earth　by　earldoms；　and　baronies　to　the　Neustrian　for　the　plantation　of　his　new　potentates。　Where　a　conqueror　finds　the　riches　of　a　land　in　the　hands　of　the　few；　the　forfeitures　are　easy；　and　amount　to　vast　advantage；　but　where　the　people　have　equal　shares；　the　confiscation　of　many　comes　to　little；　and　is　not　only　dangerous　but　fruitless。　　　　　The　Romans；　in　one　of　their　defeats　of　the　Volsci；　found　among　the　captives　certain　Tusculans；　who；　upon　examination；　confessed　that　the　arms　they　bore　were　by　command　of　their　State；　whereupon　information　being　given　to　the　Senate　by　the　general　Camillus；　he　was　forthwith　commanded　to　march　against　Tusculum　which　doing　accordingly；　he　found　the　Tusculan　fields　full　of　husbandmen；　that　stirred　not　otherwise　from　the　plough　than　to　furnish　his　army　with　all　kinds　of　accommodations　and　victuals。　Drawing　near　to　the　city；　he　saw　the　gates　wide　open；　the　magistrates　coming　out　in　their　gowns　to　salute　and　bid　him　welcome；　entering；　the　shops　were　all　at　work；　and　open；　the　streets　sounded　with　the　noise　of　schoolboys　at　their　books；　there　was　no　face　of　war。　Whereupon　Camillus；　causing　the　Senate　to　assemble；　told　them；　that　though　the　art　was　understood；　yet　had　they　at　length　found　out　the　true　arms　whereby　the　Romans　were　most　undoubtedly　to　be　conquered；　for　which　cause　he　would　not　anticipate　the　Senate；　to　which　he　desired　them　forthwith　to　send；　which　they　did　accordingly；　and　their　dictator　with　the　rest　of　their　ambassadors　being　found　by　the　Roman　senators　as　they　went　into　the　house　standing　sadly　at　the　door　were　sent　for　in　as　friends；　and　not　as　enemies；　where　the　dictator　having　said；　〃If　we　have　offended；　the　fault　was　not　so　great　as　is　our　penitence　and　your　virtue；〃　the　Senate　gave　them　peace　forthwith；　and　soon　after　made　the　Tusculans　citizens　of　Rome。　　　　　But　putting　the　case；　of　which　the　world　is　not　able　to　show　an　example；　that　the　forfeiture　of　a　populous　nation；　not　conquered；　but　friends；　and　in　cool　blood；　might　be　taken；　your　army　must　be　planted　in　one　of　the　ways　mentioned。　To　plant　it　in　the　way　of　absolute　monarchy；　that　is；　upon　feuds　for　life；　such　as　the　Timars；　a　country　as　large　and　fruitful　as　that　of　Greece；　would　afford　you　but　16；000　Timariots；　for　that　is　the　most　the　Turk　（being　the　best　husband　that　ever　was　of　this　kind）　makes　of　it　at　this　day：　and　if　Oceana；　which　is　less　in　fruitfulness　by　one…half；　and　in　extent　by　three　parts；　should　have　no　greater　a　force；　whoever　breaks　her　in　one　battle；　may　be　sure　she　shall　never　rise；　for　such　（as　was　noted　by　Machiavel）　is　the　nature　of　the　Turkish　monarchy；　if　you　break　it　in　two　battles；　you　have　destroyed　its　whole　militia；　and　the　rest　being　all　slaves；　you　hold　it　without　any　further　resistance。　Wherefore　the　erection　of　an　absolute　monarchy　in　Oceana；　or　in　any　other　country　that　is　no　larger；　without　making　it　a　certain　prey　to　the　first　invader　is　altogether　impossible。　　　　　To　plant　by　halves；　as　the　Roman　emperors　did　their　beneficiaries；　or　military　colonies；　it　must　be　either　for　life；　and　this　an　army　of　Oceaners　in　the