the commonwealth of oceana-第31章

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　　4。　The　Third　Commissioner　of　the　Treasury；　　　　　5。　The　First　Censor；　　　　　6。　The　Second　Censor；

this　list　or　schedule　consists　of　six　magistracies；　and　to　every　magistracy　there　are　to　be　four　competitors；　that　is；　in　all　four…and…twenty　competitors　proposed　to　the　house。　They　that　are　to　propose　the　competitors　are　called　electors；　and　no　elector　can　propose　above　one　competitor：　wherefore　for　the　proposing　of　four…and…twenty　competitors　you　must　have　four…and…twenty　electors；　and　whereas　the　ballot　consists　of　a　lot　and　of　a　suffrage；　the　lot　is　for　no　other　use　than　for　the　designation　of　electors；　and　he　that　draws　a　gold　ball　at　the　middle　urn　is　an　elector。　Now；　as　to　have　four…and…twenty　competitors　proposed；　you　must　have　four…and…twenty　electors　made；　so　to　have　four…and…twenty　electors　made　by　lot；　you　must　have　four…and…twenty　gold　balls　in　the　middle　urn；　and　these　（because　otherwise　it　would　be　no　lot）　mixed　with　a　competent　number　of　blanks；　or　silver　balls。　Wherefore　to　the　four…and…twenty　gold　balls　cast　six…and…twenty　silver　ones；　and　those　（reckoning　the　blanks　with　the　prizes）　make　fifty　balls　in　the　middle　urn。　This　done　（because　no　man　can　come　to　the　middle　urn　that　has　not　first　drawn　a　gold　ball　at　one　of　the　side　urns）　and　to　be　sure　that　the　prizes　or　gold　balls　in　this　urn　be　all　drawn；　there　must　come　to　it　fifty　persons；　therefore　there　must　be　in　each　of　the　side　urns　five…and…twenty　gold　balls；　which　in　both　come　to　fifty；　and　to　the　end　that　every　senator　may　have　his　lot；　the　gold　balls　in　the　side　urns　are　to　be　made　up　with　blanks　equal　to　the　number　of　the　ballotants　at　either　urn；　for　example；　the　house　consisting　of　300　senators；　there　must　be　in　each　of　the　side　urns　125　blanks　and　twenty…five　prizes；　which　come　in　both　the　side　urns　to　300　balls。　This　is　the　whole　mystery　of　preparing　the　urns；　which　the　censors　having　skill　to　do　accordingly；　the　rest　of　the　ballot；　whether　the　parties　balloting　understand　it　or　not　must　of　necessary　consequence　come　right；　and　they　can　neither　be　out；　nor　fall　into　any　confusion　in　the　exercise　of　this　art。　　　　　But　the　ballot；　as　I　said；　is　of　two　parts；　lot　and　suffrage；　or　the　proposition　and　result。　The　lot　determines　who　shall　propose　the　competitors；　and　the　result　of　the　Senate；　which　of　the　competitors　shall　be　the　magistrates。　The　whole；　to　begin　with　the　lot；　proceeds　in　this　manner：　　　　　The　first　secretary　with　an　audible　voice　reads　first　the　list　of　the　magistrates　to　be　chosen　for　the　day；　then　the　oath　for　fair　election；　at　which　the　senators　hold　up　their　hands；　which　done；　another　secretary　presents　a　little　urn　to　the　strategus；　in　which　are　four　balls；　each　of　them　having　one　of　these　four　inscriptions：　〃First　seat　at　the　upper　end；〃　〃First　seat　at　the　lower　end；〃　〃Second　seat　at　the　upper　end；〃　〃Second　seat　at　the　lower　end。〃　And　look　which　of　them　the　strategus　draws；　the　secretary　pronouncing　the　inscription　with　a　loud　voice；　the　seat　so　called　comes　accordingly　to　the　urns：　this　in　the　figure　is　the　second　seat　at　the　upper　end。　The　manner　of　their　coming　to　the　side　urns　is　in　double　files；　that　being　two　holes　in　the　cover　of　each　side　urn；　by　which　means　two　may　draw　at　once。　The　senators　therefore　S；　S…S；　S　are　coming　from　the　upper　end　of　their　seats　H；　H…H；　H　to　the　side　urns　L；　L。　The　senators　T　T…T　are　drawing。　The　senator　V　has　drawn　a　gold　ball　at　his　side　urn；　and　is　going　to　the　middle　urn　F；　where　the　senator　W；　having　done　the　like　at　the　other　side　urn；　is　already　drawing。　But　the　senators　X；　X…X；　X　having　drawn　blanks　at　their　side　urns；　and　thrown　them　into　the　bowls　Y　Y　standing　at　the　feet　of　the　urns；　are　marching　by　the　lower　end　into　their　seats　again；　the　senator　a　having　done　the　like　at　the　middle　urn；　is　also　throwing　his　blank　into　the　bowl　b　and　marching　to　his　seat　again：　for　a　man　by　a　prize　at　a　side　urn　gains　no　more　than　right　to　come　to　the　middle　urn；　where；　if　he　draws　a　blank；　his　fortune　at　the　side　urn　comes　to　nothing　at　all；　wherefore　he　also　returns　to　his　place。　But　the　senator　C　has　had　a　prize　at　the　middle　urn；　where　the　commissioner；　having　viewed　his　ball；　and　found　the　mark　to　be　right；　he　marches　up　the　steps　to　the　seat　of　the　electors；　which　is　the　form　d　set　across　the　tribunal；　where　he　places　himself；　according　as　he　was　drawn；　with　the　other　electors　e；　e；　e　drawn　before　him。　These　are　not　to　look　back；　but　sit　with　their　faces　toward　the　signory　or　state；　till　their　number　amount　to　that　of　the　magistrates　to　be　that　day　chosen；　which　for　the　present；　as　was　shown；　are　six：　wherefore　six　electors　being　made；　they　are　reckoned　according　as　they　were　drawn：　first；　second；　third；　fourth；　fifth；　sixth；　in　their　order；　and　the　first　six　that　are　chosen　are　the　first　order　of　electors。　　　　　The　first　order　of　electors　being　made；　are　conducted　by　a　secretary；　with　a　copy　of　the　list　to　be　chosen；　out　of　the　Senate；　and　into　a　committee　or　council…chamber；　being　neither　suffered　by　the　way；　nor　in　their　room　（till　the　ballot　be　ended）；　to　have　conference　with　any　but　themselves；　wherefore　the　secretary；　having　given　them　their　oath　that　they　shall　make　election　according　to　the　law　and　their　conscience；　delivers　them　the　list；　and　seats　himself　at　the　lower　end　of　the　table　with　his　pen　and　paper；　while　another　secretary　keeps　the　door。　　　　　By　such　time　as　the　first　order　of　electors　are　thus　seated；　the　second　order　of　electors　is　drawn；　who；　with　a　second　copy　of　the　same　list；　are　conducted　into　another　committee…chamber；　by　other　secretaries　performing　the　same　office　with　the　former。　　　　　The　like　exactly　is　done　by　the　third　and　by　the　fourth　orders　（or　hands；　as　the　Venetians　call　them）　of　electors；　by　which　means　you　have　the　four…and…twenty　electors　divided　according　to　the　four　copies　of　the　same　list；　by　six；　into　four　hands　or　orders；　and　every　one　of　these　orders　names　one　competitor　to　every　magistracy　in　the　list；　that　is　to　say；　the　first　elector　names　to　the　first　magistracy；　the　second　elector　to　the　second　magistracy；　and　so　forth。　But　though　the　electors；　as　has　been　shown；　are　chosen　by　mere　lot；　yet　the　competitors　by　them　named　are　not　chosen　by　any　lot；　but　by　the　suffrage　of　the　whole　order　for　example；　the　first　elector　in　the　first　order　proposes　a　name　to　be　strategus；　which　name　is　balloted　by　himself　and　the　other　five　electors；　and　if　the　name　so　balloted　attain　not　to　above　half　the　suffrages；　it　is　laid　aside；　and　the　first　elector　names　another　to　the　same　magistracy　and　so　in　case　this　also　fails；　another；　till　one　he　has　named；　whether　it　be　himself；　or　some　other；　has　attained　to　above　half　the　suffrages　in　the　affirmative；　and　the　name　so　attaining　to　above　half　the　suffrages　in　the　affirmative　is　written　to　the　first　magistracy　in　the　list　by　the　secretary　which　being　done；　the　second　elector　of　the　first　order；　names　to　'the　second　magistracy　till　one　of　his　nomination　be　chosen　to　the　same。　The　like　is　done　by　the　rest　of　the　electors　of　the　first　order；　till　one　competitor　be　chosen；　and　written　to　every　magistracy　in　their　list。　Now　the　second；　third；　and　fourth　orders　of　electors　doing　exactly　after　the　same　manner；　it　comes　to　pass　that　one　competitor　to　every　magistracy　being　chosen　in　each　order；　there　be　in　all　four　competitors　chosen　to　every　magistracy。　　　　　If　any　controversy　arises　in　an　order　of　electors；　one　of　the　censors　（these　being　at　this　game　the　groom…porters）　is　advertised　by　the　secretary　who　brings　him　in；　and　the　electors　disputing　are　bound　to　acquiesce　in　his　sentence。　For　which　cause　it　is　that　the　censors　do　not　ballot　at　the　urns；　the　signory　also　abstains；　lest　it　should　deform　the　house：　wherefore　the　blanks　in　the　side　urns　are　by　so　many　the　fewer。　And　so　much　for　the　lot；　which　is　of　the　greater　art　but　less　consequence；　because　it　concerns　proposition　only：　but　all　（except　the　tribunes　and　the　judges；　which　being　but　assistants　have　no　suffrage）　are　to　ballot　at　the　result；　to　which　I　now　come。　　　　　The　four　orders　of　electors　having　perfected　their　lists；　the　face　of　the　house　is　changed：　for　the　urns　are　taken　away；　and　every　senator　and　magistrate　is　seated　in　his　proper　place；　saving　the　electors；　who；　having　g