the commonwealth of oceana-第60章

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ry　class　was　divided；　as　has　been　more　than　once　shown；　into　centuries；　and　every　century　was　equally　divided　into　youth　and　elders；　the　youth　for　foreign　service；　and　the　elders　for　the　guard　of　the　territory。　In　the　first　class　were　about　eighteen　centuries　of　horse；　being　those　which；　by　the　institution　of　Servius；　were　first　called　to　the　suffrage　in　the　centurial　assemblies。　But　the　delectus；　or　levy　of　an　army；　which　is　the　present　business；　proceeded；　according　to　Polybius；　in　this　manner：　　　　　〃Upon　a　war　decreed；　the　Consuls　elected　four…and…twenty　military　tribunes　or　colonels；　whereof　ten；　being　such　as　had　merited　their　tenth　stipend；　were　younger　officers。　The　tribunes　being　chosen；　the　Consuls　appointed　a　day　to　the　tribes；　when　those　in　them　of　military　age　were　to　appear　at　the　capitol。　The　day　being　come；　and　the　youth　assembled　accordingly；　the　Consuls　ascended　their　tribunal；　and　the　younger　tribunes　were　straight　divided　into　four　parts　after　this　manner：　four　were　assigned　to　the　first　legion　（a　legion　at　the　most　consisted　of　6；000　foot　and　300　horse）；　three　to　the　second；　four　to　the　third；　and　three　to　the　fourth。　The　younger　tribunes　being　thus　distributed；　two　of　the　elder　were　assigned　to　the　first　legion；　three　to　the　second；　two　to　the　third；　and　three　to　the　fourth；　and　the　officers　of　each　legion　thus　assigned；　having　drawn　the　tribes　by　lot；　and　being　seated　according　to　their　divisions　at　a　convenient　distance　from　each　other；　the　tribe　of　the　first　lot　was　called；　whereupon　they　that　were　of　it　knowing　the　business；　and　being　prepared；　presently　bolted　out　four　of　their　number；　in　the　choice　whereof　such　care　was　taken　that　they　offered　none　that　was　not　a　citizen；　no　citizen　that　was　not　of　the　youth；　no　youth　that　was　not　of　some　one　of　the　five　classes；　nor　any　one　of　the　five　classes　that　was　not　expert　at　his　exercises。　Moreover；　they　used　such　diligence　in　matching　them　for　age　and　stature；　that　the　officers　of　the　legion；　except　they　happened　to　be　acquainted　with　the　youth　so　bolted；　were　forced　to　put　themselves　upon　fortune；　while　they　of　the　first　legion　chose　one；　they　of　the　second　the　next；　they　of　the　third　another　and　the　fourth　youth　fell　to　the　last　legion；　and　thus　was　the　election　（the　legions　and　the　tribes　varying　according　to　their　lots）　carried　on　till　the　foot　were　complete。　　　　　〃The　like　course　with　little　alteration　was　taken　by　the　horse　officers　till　the　horse　also　were　complete。　This　was　called　giving　of　names；　which　the　children　of　Israel　did　also　by　lot；　and　if　any　man　refused　to　give　his　name；　he　was　sold　for　a　slave；　or　his　estate　confiscated　to　the　commonwealth。　'When　Marcus　Curius　the　Consul　was　forced　to　make　a　sudden　levy；　and　none　of　the　youth　would　give　in　their　names；　all　the　tribes　being　put　to　the　lot；　he　commanded　the　first　name　drawn　out　of　the　urn　of　the　Pollian　tribe　（which　happened　to　come　first）　to　be　called；　but　the　youth　not　answering；　he　ordered　his　goods　to　be　sold；　which　was　conformable　to　the　law　in　Israel；　according　to　which　Saul　took　a　yoke　of　oxen；　and　hewed　them　in　pieces；　and　sent　them　throughout　the　tribes；　saying；　'Whosoever　comes　not　forth　to　battle　after　Saul　and　Samuel；　so　shall　it　be　done　to　his　oxen。'　By　which　you　may　observe　also　that　they　who　had　no　cattle　were　not　of　the　militia　in　Israel。　But　the　age　of　the　Roman　youth　by　the　Tullian　law　determined　at　thirty；　and　by　the　law　（though　it　should　seem　by　Machiavel　and　others　that　this　was　not　well　observed）　a　man　could　not　stand　for　magistracy　till　he　was　miles　emeritus；　or　had　fulfilled　the　full　term　of　his　militia；　which　was　complete　in　his　tenth　stipend　or　service；　nor　was　he　afterward　obliged　under　any　penalty　to　give　his　name；　except　the　commonwealth　were　invaded；　in　which　case　the　elders　were　as　well　obliged　as　the　youth。　The　Consul　might　also　levy　milites　evocatos；　or　soldiers；　commanded　men　out　of　such　as　had　served　their　turn；　and　this　at　his　discretion。　The　legions　being　thus　complete；　were　divided　by　two　to　each　consul；　and　in　these　no　man　had　right　to　serve　but　a　Roman　citizen；　now　because　two　legions　made　but　a　small　army；　the　Romans　added　to　every　one　of　their　arms　an　equal　number　of　foot；　and　a　double　number　of　horse　levied　among　their　Latin　or　Italian　associates；　so　a　consular　army；　with　the　legions　and　auxiliaries；　amounted　to　about　30；000；　and　whereas　they　commonly　levied　two　such　armies　together；　these　being　joined　made　about　60；000。　　　　　〃The　steps　whereby　our　militia　follows　the　greatest　captain；　are　the　three　essays；　the　first；　elected　by　a　fifth　man　in　the　parishes；　and　amounting　in　the　whole　to　100；000；　choose　their　officers　at　the　hundreds；　where　they　fall　also　to　their　games　or　exercises；　invited　by　handsome　prizes；　such　as　for　themselves　and　the　honor　of　them　will　be　coveted；　such　as　will　render　the　hundred　a　place　of　sports；　and　exercise　of　arms　all　the　year　long；　such　as　in　the　space　of　ten　years　will　equip　30；000　men　horse　and　foot；　with　such　arms　for　their　forge；　proof；　and　beauty；　as　（notwithstanding　the　argyraspides；　or　silver　shields　of　Alexander's　guards）　were　never　worn　by　so　many；　such　as　will　present　marks　of　virtue　and　direction　to　your　general　or　strategus　in　the　distribution　of　his　army；　which　doubles　the　value　of　them　to　the　proprietors；　who　are　bound　to　wear　them；　and　eases　the　commonwealth　of　so　much　charge；　so　many　being　armed　already。　　　　　〃But　here　will　be　the　objection　now。　How　shall　such　a　revenue　be　compassed？　Fifty　pounds　a　year　in　every　hundred　is　a　great　deal；　not　so　easily　raised；　men　will　not　part　with　their　money；　nor　would　the　sum；　as　it　is　proposed　by　the　order　of　Pompey；　rise　in　many　years。　These　are　difficulties　that　fit　our　genius　exactly；　and　yet　？；000　in　each　hundred；　once　levied；　establishes　the　revenue　forever。　Now　the　hundreds　one　with　another　are　worth　？0；000　a　year　dry…rent；　over　and　above　personal　estates；　which　bring　it　to　twice　the　value；　so　that　a　twentieth　part　of　one　year's　revenue　of　the　hundred　does　it。　if　you　cannot　afford　this　while　you　pay　taxes；　though　from　henceforth　they　will　be　but　small　ones；　do　it　when　you　pay　none。　if　it　be　then　too　much　for　one　year；　do　it　in　two；　if　it　be　too　much　for　two　years；　do　it　in　four。　What　husbands　have　we　hitherto　been？　what　is　become　of　greater　sums？　My　lords；　if　you　should　thus　cast　your　bread　upon　the　waters；　after　many　days　you　shall　find　it；　stand　not　huckling　when　you　are　offered　corn　and　your　money　again　in　the　mouth　of　the　sack。　　　　　〃But　to　proceed：　the　first　essay　being　officered　at　the　hundreds；　and　mustered　at　the　tribes　（where　they　are　entertained　with　other　sports；　which　will　be　very　fine　ones）；　proceeds　to　the　election　of　the　second　essay；　or　standing　army　of　this　nation；　consisting　of　30；000　foot　and　10；000　horse；　and　these；　upon　a　war　decreed；　being　delivered　at　the　rendezvous　of　Oceana　to　the　strategus；　are　the　third　essay；　which　answers　to　the　Roman　legions。　But　you　may　observe；　that　whereas　the　consuls　elected　the　military　tribunes；　and　raised　commanded　men　out　of　the　veterans　at　their　own　discretion；　our　polemarchs；　or　field　officers；　are　elected　by　the　scrutiny　of　the　Council　of　War；　and　our　veterans　not　otherwise　taken　on　than　as　volunteers；　and　with　the　consent　of　the　polemarchs；　which　may　serve　for　the　removal　of　certain　scruples　which　might　otherwise　be　incident　in　this　place；　though　without　encouragement　by　the　Roman　way　of　proceeding；　much　less　by　that　which　is　proposed。　But　whereas　the　Roman　legions　in　all　amounted　not　in　one　army　to　above　30；000　men；　or　little　more；　you　have　here　40；000；　and　whereas　they　added　auxiliaries；　it　is　in　this　regard　that　Marpesia　will　be　a　greater　revenue　to　you　than　if　you　had　the　Indies；　for　whereas　heretofore　she　has　yielded　you　nothing　but　her　native　thistles；　in　ploughing　out　the　rankness　of　her　aristocracy　by　your　agrarian；　you　will　find　her　an　inexhaustible　magazine　of　men；　and　to　her　own　advantage；　who　will　make　a　far　better　account　by　the　arms　than　by　the　pins　of　Poland。　Wherefore　as　a　consular　army　consisted　of　about　an　equal　number　of　auxiliaries　added　to　their　legions　by　their　Latin　or　Italian　associates；　you　may　add　to　a　parliamentary　army　an　equal　number　of　Marpesians　or　Panopeans；　as　that　colony　shall　here