the commonwealth of oceana-第4章

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　ruler；　from　those　principles　of　power；　which；　balanced　upon　earthly　trash；　exclude　the　heavenly　treasures　of　virtue；　and　that　influence　of　it　upon　government　which　is　authority。　We　have　wandered　the　earth　to　find　out　the　balance　of　power；　but　to　find　out　that　of　authority　we　must　ascend；　as　I　said；　nearer　heaven；　or　to　the　image　of　God；　which　is　the　soul　of　man。　　　　　The　soul　of　man　（whose　life　or　motion　is　perpetual　contemplation　or　thought）　is　the　mistress　of　two　potent　rivals；　the　one　reason；　the　other　passion；　that　are　in　continual　suit；　and；　according　as　she　gives　up　her　will　to　these　or　either　of　them；　is　the　felicity　or　misery　which　man　partakes　in　this　mortal　life。　　　　　For；　as　whatever　was　passion　in　the　contemplation　of　a　man；　being　brought　forth　by　his　will　into　action；　is　vice　and　the　bondage　of　sin；　so　whatever　was　reason　in　the　contemplation　of　a　man；　being　brought　forth　by　his　will　into　action；　is　virtue　and　the　freedom　of　soul。　　　　　Again；　as　those　actions　of　a　man　that　were　sin　acquire　to　himself　repentance　or　shame；　and　affect　others　with　scorn　or　pity；　so　those　actions　of　a　man　that　are　virtue　acquire　to　himself　honor；　and　upon　others　authority。　　　　　Now　government　is　no　other　than　the　soul　of　a　nation　or　city：　wherefore　that　which　was　reason　in　the　debate　of　a　commonwealth　being　brought　forth　by　the　result；　must　be　virtue；　and　forasmuch　as　the　soul　of　a　city　or　nation　is　the　sovereign　power；　her　virtue　must　be　law。　But　the　government　whose　law　is　virtue；　and　whose　virtue　is　law；　is　the　same　whose　empire　is　authority；　and　whose　authority　is　empire。　　　　　Again；　if　the　liberty　of　a　man　consists　in　the　empire　of　his　reason；　the　absence　whereof　would　betray　him　to　the　bondage　of　his　passions；　then　the　liberty　of　a　commonwealth　consists　in　the　empire　of　her　laws；　the　absence　whereof　would　betray　her　to　the　lust　of　tyrants。　And　these　I　conceive　to　be　the　principles　upon　which　Aristotle　and　Livy　（injuriously　accused　by　Leviathan　for　not　writing　out　of　nature）　have　grounded　their　assertion；　〃that　a　commonwealth　is　an　empire　of　laws　and　not　of　men。〃　But　they　must　not　carry　it　so。　〃For；〃　says　he；　〃the　liberty　whereof　there　is　so　frequent　and　honorable　mention　in　the　histories　and　philosophy　of　the　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　and　the　writings　and　discourses　of　those　that　from　them　have　received　all　their　learning　in　the　politics；　is　not　the　liberty　of　particular　men；　but　the　liberty　of　the　commonwealth。〃　He　might　as　well　have　said　that　the　estates　of　particular　men　in　a　commonwealth　are　not　the　riches　of　particular　men；　but　the　riches　of　the　commonwealth；　for　equality　of　estates　causes　equality　of　power；　and　equality　of　power　is　the　liberty；　not　only　of　the　commonwealth；　but　of　every　man。　　　　　But　sure　a　man　would　never　be　thus　irreverent　with　the　greatest　authors；　and　positive　against　all　antiquity　without　some　certain　demonstration　of　truth　　and　what　is　it？　Why；　〃there　is　written　on　the　turrets　of　the　city　of　Lucca　in　great　characters　at　this　day　the　word　LIBERTAS；　yet　no　man　can　thence　infer　that　a　particular　man　has　more　liberty　or　immunity　from　the　service　of　the　commonwealth　there　than　in　Constantinople。　Whether　a　commonwealth　be　monarchical　or　popular　the　freedom　is　the　same。〃　The　mountain　has　brought　forth；　and　we　have　a　little　equivocation！　For　to　say　that　a　Lucchese　has　no　more　liberty　or　immunIty　from　the　laws　of　Lucca　than　a　Turk　has　from　those　of　Constantinople；　and　to　say　that　a　Lucchese　has　no　more　liberty　or　immunity　by　the　laws　of　Lucca；　than　a　Turk　has　by　those　of　Constantinople；　are　pretty　different　speeches。　The　first　may　be　said　of　all　governments　alike；　the　second　scarce　of　any　two；　much　less　of　these；　seeing　it　is　known　that；　whereas　the　greatest　Bashaw　is　a　tenant；　as　well　of　his　head　as　of　his　estate；　at　the　will　of　his　lord；　the　meanest　Lucchese　that　has　land　is　a　freeholder　of　both；　and　not　to　be　controlled　but　by　the　law；　and　that　framed　by　every　private　man　to　no　other　end　（or　they　may　thank　themselves）　than　to　protect　the　liberty　of　every　private　man；　which　by　that　means　comes　to　be　the　liberty　of　the　commonwealth。　　　　　But　seeing　they　that　make　the　laws　in　commonwealths　are　but　men；　the　main　question　seems　to　be；　how　a　commonwealth　comes　to　be　an　empire　of　laws；　and　not　of　men？　or　how　the　debate　or　result　of　a　commonwealth　is　so　sure　to　be　according　to　reason；　seeing　they　who　debate；　and　they　who　resolve；　be　but　men？　〃And　as　often　as　reason　is　against　a　man；　so　often　will　a　man　be　against　reason。〃　　　　　This　is　thought　to　be　a　shrewd　saying；　but　will　do　no　harm；　for　be　it　so　that　reason　is　nothing　but　interest；　there　be　divers　interests；　and　so　divers　reasons。　　　　　As　first；　there　is　private　reason；　which　is　the　interest　of　a　private　man。　　　　　Secondly；　there　is　reason　of　state；　which　is　the　interest　（or　error；　as　was　said　by　Solomon）　of　the　ruler　or　rulers；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　prince；　of　the　nobility；　or　of　the　people。　　　　　Thirdly　there　is　that　reason；　which　is　the　interest　of　mankind；　or　of　the　whole。　〃Now　if　we　see　even　in　those　natural　agents　that　want　sense；　that　as　in　themselves　they　have　a　law　which　directs　them　in　the　means　whereby　they　tend　to　their　own　perfection；　so　likewise　that　another　law　there　is；　which　touches　them　as　they　are　sociable　parts　united　into　one　body；　a　law　which　binds　them　each　to　serve　to　others'　good；　and　all　to　prefer　the　good　of　the　whole；　before　whatsoever　their　own　particular；　as　when　stones；　or　heavy　things；　forsake　their　ordinary　wont　or　centre；　and　fly　upward；　as　if　they　heard　themselves　commanded　to　let　go　the　good　they　privately　wish；　and　to　relieve　the　present　distress　of　nature　in　common。〃　There　is　a　common　right；　law　of　nature；　or　interest　of　the　whole；　which　is　more　excellent；　and　so　acknowledged　to　be　by　the　agents　themselves；　than　the　right　or　interest　of　the　parts　only。　〃Wherefore；　though　it　may　be　truly　said　that　the　creatures　are　naturally　carried　forth　to　their　proper　utility　or　profit；　that　ought　not　to　be　taken　in　too　general　a　sense；　seeing　divers　of　them　abstain　from　their　own　profit；　either　in　regard　of　those　of　the　same　kind；　or　at　least　of　their　young。〃　　　　　Mankind　then　must　either　be　less　just　than　the　creature；　or　acknowledge　also　his　common　interest　to　be　common　right。　And　if　reason　be　nothing　else　but　interest；　and　the　interest　of　mankind　be　the　right　interest；　then　the　reason　of　mankind　must　be　right　reason。　Now　compute　well；　for　if　the　interest　of　popular　government　come　the　nearest　to　the　interest　of　mankind；　then　the　reason　of　popular　government　must　come　the　nearest　to　right　reason。　　　　　But　it　may　be　said　that　the　difficulty　remains　yet；　for　be　the　interest　of　popular　government　right　reason；　a　man　does　not　look　upon　reason　as　it　is　right　or　wrong　in　itself；　but　as　it　makes　for　him　or　against　him。　Wherefore；　unless　you　can　show　such　orders　of　a　government　as；　like　those　of　God　in　nature；　shall　be　able　to　constrain　this　or　that　creature　to　shake　off　that　inclination　which　is　more　peculiar　to　it；　and　take　up　that　which　regards　the　common　good　or　interest；　all　this　is　to　no　more　end　than　to　persuade　every　man　in　a　popular　government　not　to　carve　himself　of　that　which　he　desires　most；　but　to　be　mannerly　at　the　public　table；　and　give　the　best　from　himself　to　decency　and　the　common　interest。　But　that　such　orders　may　be　established　as　may；　nay　must；　give　the　upper　hand　in　all　cases　to　common　right　or　interest；　notwithstanding　the　nearness　of　that　which　sticks　to　every　man　in　private；　and　this　in　a　way　of　equal　certainty　and　facility；　is　known　even　to　girls；　being　no　other　than　those　that　are　of　common　practice　with　them　in　divers　cases。　For　example；　two　of　them　have　a　cake　yet　undivided；　which　was　given　between　them：　that　each　of　them　therefore　might　have　that　which　is　due；　〃Divide；〃　says　one　to　the　other；　〃and　I　will　choose；　or　let　me　divide；　and　you　shall　choose。〃　If　this　be　but　once　agreed　upon；　it　is　enough；　for　the　divident；　dividing　unequally；　loses；　in　regard　that　the　other　takes　the　better　half。　Wherefore　she　divides　equally；　and　so　both　have　right。　〃Oh；　the　depth　of　the　wisdom　of　God。〃　And　yet　〃by　the　mouths　of　babes　and　sucklings　has　He　set　forth　His　strength；〃　that　which　great　philosophers　are　disputing　upon　in　vain　is　brought　to　light