the commonwealth of oceana-第73章

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ese　had　as　good　pull　two　or　three　of　his　fellows　out　of　their　great　chairs　as　wrong　him　or　meddle　with　him；　he　has　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　men；　that　when　you　say　the　word；　shall　sell　themselves　to　their　shirts　for　him；　and　die　at　his　foot。　His　pillow　is　of　down；　and　his　grave　shall　be　as　soft；　over　which　they　that　are　alive　shall　wring　their　hands。　And　to　come　to　your　fatherhoods；　most　truly　so　called；　as　being　the　loving　parents　of　the　people；　truly　you　do　not　know　what　a　feeling　they　have　of　your　kindness；　seeing　you　are　so　bound　up；　that　if　there　comes　any　harm；　they　may　thank　themselves。　And；　alas！　poor　souls；　they　see　that　they　are　given　to　be　of　so　many　minds；　that　though　they　always　mean　well；　yet　if　there　comes　any　good；　they　may　thank　them　that　teach　them　better。　Wherefore　there　was　never　such　a　thing　as　this　invented；　they　do　verily　believe　that　it　is　no　other　than　the　same　which　they　always　had　in　their　very　heads；　if　they　could　have　but　told　how　to　bring　it　out。　As　now　for　a　sample：　my　lords　the　proposers　had　no　sooner　said　your　minds；　than　they　found　it　to　be　that　which　heart　could　wish。　And　your　fatherhoods　may　comfort　yourselves；　that　there　is　not　a　people　in　the　world　more　willing　to　learn　what　is　for　their　own　good；　nor　more　apt　to　see　it；　when　you　have　showed　it　them。　Wherefore　they　do　love　you　as　they　do　their　own　selves；　honor　you　as　fathers；　resolve　to　give　you　as　it　were　obedience　forever；　and　so　thanking　you　for　your　most　good　and　excellent　laws；　they　do　pray　for　you　as　the　very　worthies　of　the　land；　right　honorable　lords　and　fathers　assembled　in　Parliament。〃

　　　　Argus　came　off　beyond　his　own　expectation；　for　thinking　right；　and　speaking　as　he　thought；　it　was　apparent　by　the　house　and　the　thanks　they　gave　him；　that　they　esteemed　him　to　be　absolutely　of　the　best　sort　of　orators；　upon　which　having　a　mind　that　till　then　misgave　him；　he　became　very　crounse；　and　much　delighted　with　that　which　might　go　down　the　next　week　in　print　to　his　wife　and　neighbors。　Livy　makes　the　Roman　tribunes　to　speak　in　the　same　style　with　the　consuls；　which　could　not　be；　and　therefore　for　aught　in　him　to　the　contrary；　Volero　and　Canuleius　might　have　spoken　in　no　better　style　than　Argus。　However；　they　were　not　created　the　first　year　of　the　commonwealth；　and　the　tribunes　of　Oceana　are　since　become　better　orators　than　were　needful。　But　the　laws　being　enacted；　had　the　preamble　annexed；　and　were　delivered　to　Bronchus；　who　loved　nothing　in　the　earth　so　much　as　to　go　staring　and　bellowing　up　and　down　the　town；　like　a　stag　in　a　forest；　as　he　now　did；　with　his　fraternity　in　their　coats…of…arms；　and　I　know　not　how　many　trumpets；　proclaiming　the　act　of　parliament；　when；　meeting　my　Lord　Archon；　whom　from　a　retreat　that　was　without　affectation；　as　being　for　devotion　only　and　to　implore　a　blessing　by　prayer　and　fasting　upon　his　labors；　now　newly　arrived　in　town；　the　herald　of　the　tribe　of　Bestia　set　up　his　throat；　and　having　chanted　out　his　lesson；　passed　as　haughtily　by　him　as　if　his　own　had　been　the　better　office；　which　in　this　place　was　very　well　taken；　though　Bronchus　for　his　high　mind　happened　afterward　upon　some　disasters；　too　long　to　tell；　that　spoiled　much　of　his　embroidery。　　　　　My　Lord　Archon's　arrival　being　known；　the　signory；　accompanied　by　the　tribunes；　repaired　to　him；　with　the　news　he　had　already　heard　by　the　herald；　to　which　my　lord　strategus　added　that　his　highness　could　not　doubt　upon　the　demonstrations　given；　but　the　minds　of　men　were　firm　in　the　opinion　that　he　could　be　no　seeker　of　himself　in　the　way　of　earthly　pomp　and　glory；　and　that　the　gratitude　of　the　Senate　and　the　people　could　not　therefore　be　understood　to　have　any　such　reflection　upon　him。　But　so　it　was；　that　in　regard　of　dangers　abroad；　and　parties　at　home；　they　durst　not　trust　themselves　without　a　standing　army；　nor　a　standing　army　in　any　man's　hands　but　those　of　his　highness。　　　　　The　Archon　made　answer；　that　he　ever　expected　this　would　be　the　sense　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　and　this　being　their　sense；　he　should　have　been　sorry　they　had　made　choice　of　any　other　than　himself　for　a　standing　general；　first；　because　it　could　not　have　been　more　to　their　own　safety；　and　secondly　because　so　long　as　they　should　have　need　of　a　standing　army；　'his　work　was；　not　done；　that　he　would　not　dispute　against　the　judgment　of　the　Senate　and　the　people；　nor　ought　that　to　be。　Nevertheless；　he　made　little　doubt　but　experience　would　show　every　party　their　own　interest　in　this　government；　and　that　better　improved　than　they　could　expect　from　any　other；　that　men's　animosities　should　overbalance　their　interest　for　any　time　was　impossible；　that　humor　could　never　be　lasting；　nor　through　the　constitution　of　the　government　of　any　effect　at　the　first　charge。　For　supposing　the　worst；　and　that　the　people　had　chosen　no　other　into　the　Senate　and　the　prerogative　than　royalists；　a　matter　of　1；400　men　must　have　taken　their　oaths　at　their　election；　with　an　intention　to　go　quite　contrary　not　only　to　their　oaths　so　taken；　but　to　their　own　interest；　for　being　estated　in　the　sovereign　power；　they　must　have　decreed　it　from　themselves　（such　an　example　for　which　there　was　never　any　experience；　nor　can　there　be　any　reason）；　or　holding　it；　it　must　have　done　in　their　hands　as　well　every　wit　as　in　any　other。　Furthermore；　they　must　have　removed　the　government　from　a　foundation　that　apparently　would　hold；　to　set　it　upon　another　which　apparently　would　not　hold；　which　things　if　they　could　not　come　to　pass；　the　Senate　and　the　people　consisting　wholly　of　royalists；　much　less　by　a　parcel　of　them　elected。　But　if　the　fear　of　the　Senate　and　of　the　people　derived　from　a　party　without；　such　a　one　as　would　not　be　elected；　nor　engage　themselves　to　the　commonwealth　by　an　oath；　this　again　must　be　so　large；　as　would　go　quite　contrary　to　their　own　interest；　they　being　as　free　and　as　fully　estated　in　their　liberty　as　any　other；　or　so　narrow　that　they　could　do　no　hurt；　while　the　people　being　in　arms；　and　at　the　beck　of　the　strategus；　every　tribe　would　at　any　time　make　a　better　army　than　such　a　party；　and　there　being　no　parties　at　home；　fears　from　abroad　would　vanish。　But　seeing　it　was　otherwise　determined　by　the　Senate　and　the　people；　the　best　course　was　to　take　that　which　they　held　the　safest；　in　which；　with　his　humble　thanks　for　their　great　bounty；　he　was　resolved　to　serve　them　with　all　duty　and　obedience。　　　　　A　very　short　time　after　the　royalists；　now　equal　citizens；　made　good　the　Archon's　judgment；　there　being　no　other　that　found　anything　near　so　great　a　sweet　in　the　government。　For　he　who　has　not　been　acquainted　with　affliction；　says　Seneca；　knows　but　half　the　things　of　this　world。　　　　　Moreover　they　saw　plainly；　that　to　restore　the　ancient　government　they　must　cast　up　their　estates　into　the　hands　of　300　men；　wherefore　in　case　the　Senate　and　the　prerogative；　consisting　of　1；300　men；　had　been　all　royalists；　there　must　of　necessity　have　been；　and　be　forever；　1；000　against　this　or　any　such　vote。　But　the　Senate；　being　informed　by　the　signory　that　the　Archon　had　accepted　of　his　dignity　and　office；　caused　a　third　chair　to　be　set　for　his　Highness；　between　those　of　the　strategus　and　the　orator　in　the　house；　the　like　at　every　council；　to　which　he　repaired；　not　of　necessity；　but　at　his　pleasure；　being　the　best；　and　as　Argus　not　vainly　said；　the　greatest　prince　in　the　world；　for　in　the　pomp　of　his　court　he　was　not　inferior　to　any；　and　in　the　field　he　was　followed　with　a　force　that　was　formidable　to　all。　Nor　was　there　a　cause　in　the　nature　of　this　constitution　to　put　him　to　the　charge　of　guards；　to　spoil　his　stomach　or　his　sleep：　insomuch；　as　being　handsomely　disputed　by　the　wits　of　the　academy；　whether　my　Lord　Archon；　if　he　had　been　ambitious；　could　have　made　himself　so　great；　it　was　carried　clear　in　the　negative；　not　only　for　the　reasons　drawn　from　the　present　balance；　which　was　popular；　but　putting　the　case　the　balance　had　been　monarchical。　For　there　be　some　nations；　whereof　this　is　one；　that　will　bear　a　prince　in　a　commonwealth　far　higher　than　it　is　possible　for　them　to　bear　a　monarch。　Spain　looked　upon　the　Prince　of　Orange　as　her　most　formidable　enemy；　but　if　ever　there　be　a　monarch　in　Holland；　he　will　be　the　Spaniard's　best　friend。