the Minister of State takes his pastime 16. THE Complaint that the Wisdom of all these latter times in Princes Affairs consists rather in fine deliverys and shiftings of Dangers or Mischiefs when they are near than in solid and grounded courses to keep them off is a Complaint in the Streets of Aristocratical Monarchy and not to be remedy'd because the Nobility being not broken Chap. X the King is in danger and the Nobility being broken the Monarchy is ruin'd 17. AN Absurdity in the form of the Government as that in a Monarchy there may be two Monarchs shoots out into a mischief in the Administration or som wickedness in the Reason of State as in ROMULUS'S killing of REMUS and the monstrous Associations of the Roman Emperors 18. USURPATION of Government is a Surfeit that converts the best Arts into the worst Nemo unquam imperium flagitio acquisitum bonis artibus exercuit 19. AS in the privation of Virtue and in Beggery men are Sharks or Robbers and the reason of their way of living is quite contrary to those of Thrift so in the privation of Government as in Anarchy Oligarchy or Tyranny that which is Reason of State with them is directly opposit to that which is truly so whence are all those black Maxims set down by som Politicians particularly MACCHIAVEL in his Prince and which are condemn'd to the fire even by them who if they liv'd otherwise might blow their fingers 20. WHERE the Government from a true Foundation rises up into proper Superstructures or Form the Reason of State is right and streight but give our Politician peace when you please if your House stands awry your Props do not stand upright 21. TAKE a Jugler and commend his Tricks never so much yet if in so doing you shew his Tricks you spoil him which has bin and is to be confess'd of MACCHIAVEL 22. CORRUPTION in Government is to be read and consider'd in MACCHIAVEL as Diseases in a man's Body are to be read and consider'd in HIPPOCRATES 23. NEITHER HIPPOCRATES nor MACCHIAVEL introduc'd Diseases into man's Body nor Corruption into Government which were before their times and seeing they do but discover them it must be confest that so much as they have don tends not to the increase but the cure of them which is the truth of these two Authors POLITICAL APHORISMS Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Terent. 1. THE Errors and Sufferings of the People are from their Governors 2. WHEN the Foundation of a Government coms to be chang'd and the Governors change not the Superstructures accordingly the People becom miserable 3. THE Monarchy of England was not a Government by Arms but a Government by Laws tho imperfect or ineffectual Laws 4. THE later Governments in England since the death of the King have bin Governments by Arms. 5. THE People cannot see but they can feel 6. THE People having felt the difference between a Government by Laws and a Government by Arms will always desire the Government by Laws and abhor that of Arms. 7. WHERE the Spirit of the People is impatient of a Government by Arms and desirous of a Government by Laws there the spirit of the People is not unfit to be trusted with their Liberty 8. THE spirit of the People of England not trusted with their Liberty drives at the restitution of Monarchy by Blood and Violence 9. THE Spirit of the People of England trusted with their Liberty if the Form be sufficient can never set up a King and if the Form be insufficient as a Parlament with a Council in the intervals or two Assemblys coordinat will set up a King without Blood or Violence 10. TO light upon a good Man may be in Chance but to be sure of an Assembly of good Men is not in Prudence 11. WHERE the Security is no more than personal there may be a good Monarch but can be no good Commonwealth 12. THE necessary Action or Use of each thing is from the nature of the Form 13. WHERE the Security is in the Persons the Government makes good men evil where the Security is in the Form the Government makes evil men good 14. ASSEMBLYS legitimatly elected by the People are that only Party which can govern without an Army 15. NOT the Party which cannot govern without an Army but the Party which can govern without an Army is the refin'd Party as to this intent and purpose truly refin'd that is by Popular Election according to the Precept of MOSES and the Rule of Scripture Take ye wise men and understanding and known among your Tribes and I will make them Rulers over you 16. THE People are deceiv'd by Names but not by Things 17. WHERE there is a well order'd Commonwealth the People are generally satisfy'd 18. WHERE the People are generally dissatisfy'd there is no Commonwealth 19. THE Partys in England declaring for a Commonwealth hold every one of them somthing that is inconsistent with a Common-wealth 20. TO hold that the Government may be manag'd by a few or by a Party is inconsistent with a Commonwealth except in a Situation like that of Venice 21. TO hold that there can be any National Religion or Ministry without public Indowment and Inspection of the Magistracy or any Government without a National Religion or Ministry is inconsistent with a Commonwealth 22. TO hold that there may be Liberty and not Liberty of Conscience is inconsistent with a Commonwealth that has the Liberty of her own Conscience or that is not Popish 23. WHERE Civil Liberty is intire it includes Liberty of Conscience 24. WHERE Liberty of Conscience is intire it includes Civil Liberty 25. EITHER Liberty of Conscience can have no security at all or under Popular Government it must have the greatest security 26. TO hold that a Government may be introduc'd by a little at once is to wave Prudence and commit things to Chance 27. TO hold that the Wisdom of God in the formation of a House or of a Government gos not universally upon natural Principles is inconsistent with Scripture 28. TO hold that the Wisdom of Man in the formation of a House or of a Government may go upon supernatural Principles is inconsistent with a Commonwealth and as if one should say God ordain'd the Temple therfore it was not built by Masons he ordain'd the Snuffers therfore they were not made by a Smith 29. TO hold that Hirelings as they are term'd by som or an indow'd Ministry ought to be remov'd out of the Church is inconsistent with a Commonwealth 30. NATURE is of GOD. 31. SOM part in every Religion is natural 32. A UNIVERSAL Effect demonstrats a universal Cause 33. A UNIVERSAL Cause is not so much natural as it is Nature it self 34. EVERY man either to his terror or consolation has som sense of Religion 35. MAN may rather be defin'd a religious than a rational Creature in regard that in other Creatures there may be somthing of Reason but there
most of his Materials are pleas'd to bestow on them there being no mention of the name of Scot in any Authentic Writer till four hundred years after CHRIST No we shall no more envy these old Heroes to them than their placing the Red Lion in the dexter Point of their Escucheon But tho we might in justice reject them as fabulous and monkish yet since they themselves acknowlege them and they equally make against them we shall run them over like genuin History The first of this blessed Race was FERGUS first General and afterward got himself made King but no sooner cast away on the Coast of Ireland but a Contention arises about the validity of their Oath to him and Uncles are appointed to succede which argues it Elective so FERITHARIS Brother to FERGUS is King but his Nephew forms a Conspiracy against him forces him to resign and fly to the Iles where he dy'd FERITHARIS dying soon after was suspected to be poison'd After him coms in MAIN FERGUS'S second Son who with his Son DORNADILLA reign'd quietly fifty seven years But REUTHER his Son not being of age the People make his Uncle NOTHAT take the Government but he misruling REUTHER by the help of one DOUAL rais'd a Party against him and beheads him makes himself King with the indignation of the People that he was not elected so that by the Kindred of NOTHAT he is fought taken and displac'd but afterwards makes a Party and regainâ— His Son THEREUS was too young so that his Brother RHEUTHA succeeded but after seventeen years was glad to resign Well THEREUS reigns but after six years declines to such Leudness that they force him to fly and govern by a Prorex After his Death JOSINA his Brother and his Son FINAN are Kings and quietly dy so BUT then coms DURST one who slays all the Nobility at a Banquet and is by the People slain After his Death the validity of the Oath to FERGUS is call'd in question and the elective Power vindicated but at length EVEN his Brother is admitted who tho he rul'd valiantly and well yet he had GILLUS a Bastard Son Vafer Regni cupidus The next of the Line are Twins DOCHAM and DORGAL Sons of DURST they while they disputed about priority of Age are by the artifice of GILLUS slain in a Tumult who makes a strong Party and seizing of a Hold says he was made Supervisor by his Father and so becoms King cuts off all the Race of DURST but is after forc'd out of the Kingdom and taken by EVEN the Second his Successor who was chosen by the People and by him put to death in Ireland After EVEN coms EDER after EDER his Son EVEN the Third who for making a Law that the Nobility should have the enjoyment of all new marry'd Women before they were touch'd by their Husbands was doom'd to Prison during his Life and there strangl'd His Successor was his Kinsman METELLAN after whom was elected CARATAC whom his Brother CORBRET succeded But then came DARDAN whom the Lords made to take on him the Government by reason of the Nonage of CORBRET'S Son who for his Leudness was taken by the People and beheaded AFTER him CORBRET the Second whose Son LUCTAC for his Leudness was by the People put to death then was elected MOGALD who following his vitious Predecessors steps found his Death like theirs violent HIS Son CONAR one of the Conspirators against him succeded but misgoverning was clapt in Prison and there dy'd ETHODIUS his Sister's Son succeded who was slain in the night in his Chamber by his Piper HIS Son being a Minor SATRAEL his Brother was accepted who seeking to place the Succession in his own Line grew so hateful to the People that not daring to com abroad he was strangl'd in the night by his own Servants which made way for the youngest Brother DONALD who outdid the others Vices by contrary Virtues and had a happy Reign of one and twenty years ETHODIUS the Second Son of the first of that name was next a dull inactive Prince Familiarium tumultu occisus HIS Son ATHIRCO promis'd fair but deceiv'd their expectations with most horrid Leudness and at length vitiated the Daughters of NATHALOCK a Nobleman and caus'd them to be whipt before his eys but seeing himself surrounded by Conspirators eluded their Fury with his own Sword his Brother and Children being forc'd to fly to the Picts NATHALOCK turning his Injury into Ambition made himself King and govern'd answerably for he made most of the Nobility to be strangl'd under pretence of calling them to Council and was after slain by his own Servants AFTER his Death ATHIRCO'S Children were call'd back and FINDOC his Son being of excellent hopes accepted who made good what his Youth promis'd he beat in sundry Battels DONALD the Ilander who seeing he could not prevail by force sent two as Renegados to the King who being not accepted conspire with his Brother by whose means one of them slew him with a Spear when he was hunting HIS Brother DONALD succedes the youngest of the three who about to revenge his Brother's Death hears the Ilander is enter'd Marray whom he incountring with inequal Forces is taken Prisoner with thirty of the Nobility and whether of Grief or his Wounds dy's in Prison THE Ilander that had before usurp'd the Name now assum'd the Power the Nobles by reason of their kindred Prisoners being over-aw'd This man wanting nothing of an exquisit Tyrant was aster twelve years Butcherys slain by CRATHLINTH Son of FINDOC who under a disguise found Address and Opportunity The brave Tyrannicid was universally accepted and gave no cause of Repentance his Reign is famous for a War begun between the Scots and Picts about a Dog as that between the Trojans and Italians for a white Hart and the defection of CARAUSIUS from DIOCLESIAN which happen'd in his time HIS Kinsman FINCORMAC succeded worthy of memory for little but the Piety of the Culdys an Order of religious Men of that time overborn by others succeding He being dead three Sons of his three Brothers contended for the Crown ROMACH as the eldest strengthen'd by his Alliance with the Picts with their assistance seiz'd on it forcing others to fly but proving cruel the Nobility conspir'd and slew him ANGUSIAN another Pretender succedes who being assail'd by NECTHAM King of the Picts who came to revenge ROMACH routed his Army in a pitcht Battel but NECTHAM coming again he was routed and both he and NECTHAM slain FETHELMAC the third Pretender came next who beating the Picts and wasting their Fields HERGUST when he saw there could be no advantage by the Sword suborn'd two Picts to murder him who drawing to conspiracy the Piper that lay in his Chamber as the manner was then he at the appointed time admitted them and there slew him THE next was EVGEN Son of FINCORMAC who was slain in a Battel with the Picts to the almost extirpation and banishment of the
better Proveditor than the Venetian another Strategus sitting with an Army standing by him wherupon that which is marching if there were any probability it should would find as little possibility that it could recoil as a foren Enemy to invade you These things consider'd a War will appear to be of a contrary nature to that of all other reckonings inasmuch as of this you must never look to have a good account if you be strict in imposing checks Let a Council of Huntsmen assembl'd beforehand tell you which way the Stag shall run where you shall cast about at the fault and how you shall ride to be in at the chase all the day but these may as well do that as a Council of War direct a General The hours that have painted wings and of different colors are his Council he must be like the Ey that makes not the Scene but has it so soon as it changes That in many Counsillors there is strength is spoken of Civil Administrations as to those that are military there is nothing more certain than that in many Counsillors there is weakness Joint Commissions in military affairs are like hunting your Hounds in their Couples In the Attic War CLEOMENES and DEMARATUS Kings of Lacedemon being thus coupl'd tug'd one against another and while they should have join'd against the Persian were the cause of the common calamity wherupon that Commonwealth took better Counsil and made a Law wherby from thenceforth there went at once but one of her Kings to Battel THE Fidenati being in rebellion and having slain the Colony of the Romans four Tribuns with Consular Power were created by the People of Rome wherof one being left for the guard of the City the other three were sent against the Fidenati who thro the division that happen'd among them brought nothing home but Dishonor wherupon the Romans created the Dictator and LIVY gives his Judgment in these words * * Tres Tribuni potestate Consulari documento fuêre quà m plurium imperium bello inutile esset tendendo ad sua quisque consilia cum alii aliud videretur aperuerunt ad occasionem locum hosti The three Tribuns with Consular Power were a lesson how useless in War is the joint Command of several Generals for each following his own Counsils while they all differ'd in their opinions gave by this opportunity an advantage to the Enemy When the Consuls QUINTIUS and AGRIPPA were sent against the AEQUI AGRIPPA for this reason refus'd to go with his Collegue saying * * Saluberrimum in administratione magnarum rerum summam imperii apud unum esse That in the administration of great Actions it was most safe that the chief Command should be lodg'd in one Person And if the Ruin of modern Armys were well consider'd most of it would be found to have faln upon this point it being in this case far safer to trust to any one Man of common Prudence than to any two or more together of the greatest Parts The Consuls indeed being equal in Power while one was present with the Senat and the other in the Field with the Army made a good Balance and this with us is exactly follow'd by the Election of a new Strategus upon the march of the old one THE seven and twentieth Order wherby the Elders in case of Invasion are oblig'd to equal duty with the Youth and each upon their own charge is sutable to Reason for every Man defends his own Estate and to our Copy as in the War with the Samnits and Tuscans ††Senatus justitium indici delectum omnis generis hominum haberi jussit nec ingenui modo juniores Sacramento adacti sunt sed seniorum etiam cohortes factae The Senat order'd a Vacation to be proclaim'd and a Levy to be made of all sorts of Persons And not only the Freemen and Youths were listed but Cohorts of the old Men were likewise form'd This Nation of all others is the least obnoxious to Invasion Oceana says a French Politician is a Beast that cannot be devour'd but by her self nevertheless that Government is not perfect which is not provided at all points and in this ad Triarios res rediit the Elders being such as in a martial State must be Veterans the Commonwealth invaded gathers strength like ANTAEUS by her fall while the whole number of the Elders consisting of five hundred thousand and the Youth of as many being brought up according to the Order give twelve successive Battels each Battel consisting of eighty thousand Men half Elders and half Youth And the Commonwealth whose Constitution can be no stranger to any of those Virtues which are to be acquir'd in human life grows familiar with Death ere she dys If the hand of God be upon her for her Transgressions she shall mourn for her Sins and ly in the dust for her Iniquitys without losing her Manhood Si fractus illabatur orbis Impavidam ferient ruinae THE remaining part being the Constitution of the Provincial Orb is partly Civil or consisting of the Elders and partly Military or consisting of the Youth The Civil part of the provincial Orb is directed by 28. Order Constitution of the Civil part of the Provincial Orb. THE twenty eighth ORDER wherby the Council of a Province being constituted of twelve Knights divided by four into three Regions for their term and revolution conformable to the Parlament is perpetuated by the annual election at the Tropic of four Knights being triennial Magistrats out of the Region of the Senat whose term expires and of one Knight out of the same Region to be Strategus or General of the Province which Magistracy is annual The Strategus or Magistrat thus chosen shall be as well President of the Provincial Council with power to propose to the same as General of the Army The Council for the rest shall elect weekly Provosts having any two of them also right to propose after the manner of the Senatorian Councils of Oceana And wheras all Provincial Councils are Members of the Council of State they may and ought to keep diligent correspondence with the same which is to be don after this manner Any Opinion or Opinions legitimatly propos'd and debated at a Provincial Council being therupon sign'd by the Strategus or any two of the Provosts may be transmitted to the Council of State in Oceana and the Council of State proceding upon the same in their natural course whether by their own Power if it be a matter within their Instructions or by Authority of the Senat therupon consulted if it be a matter of State which is not in their Instructions or by Authority of the Senat and Command of the People if it be a matter of Law as for the Levys of Men or Mony upon common use and safety shall return such Answers Advice or Orders as in any of the ways mention'd shall be determin'd upon the case The Provincial Councils of
The like for the Auxiliarys And this upon pain in the case of failure of what the People of Oceana to whom the Cognizance of Peculat or Crimes of this nature is properly appertaining shall adjudg or decree UPON these three last Orders the ARCHON seem'd to be haranguing at the head of his Army in this manner My Dear Lords and Excellent Patriots A GOVERNMENT of this make is a Commonwealth for Increase Of those for Preservation the Inconveniences and Frailtys have bin shewn Their Roots are narrow such as do not run have no Fibers their tops weak and dangerously expos'd to the weather except you chance to find one as Venice planted in a Flowerpot and if she grows she grows top-heavy and falls too But you cannot plant an Oak in a Flowerpot she must have Earth for her Root and Heaven for her Branches Imperium Oceano famam quae terminet astris ROME was said to be broken by her own weight but poetically For that weight by which she was pretended to be ruin'd was supported in her Emperors by a far slighter Foundation And in the common experience of good Architecture there is nothing more known than that Buildings stand the firmer and the longer for their own weight nor ever swerve thro any other internal cause than that their Materials are corruptible But the People never dy nor as a political Body are subject to any other Corruption than that which derives from their Government Unless a Man will deny the Chain of Causes in which he denys God he must also acknowlege the Chain of Effects wherfore there can be no effect in Nature that is not from the first Cause and those successive Links of the Chain without which it could not have bin Now except a Man can shew the contrary in a Commonwealth if there be no cause of Corruption in the first make of it there can never be any such Effect Let no Man's Superstitition impose Profaneness upon this Assertion for as Man is sinful but yet the Universe is perfect so may the Citizen be sinful and yet the Commonwealth be perfect And as Man seeing the World is perfect can never commit any such Sin as shall render it imperfect or bring it to a natural dissolution so the Citizen where the Common-wealth is perfect can never commit any such Crime as will render it imperfect or bring it to a natural dissolution To com to experience Venice notwithstanding we have found fom flaws in it is the only Commonwealth in the Make wherof no man can find a cause of dissolution for which reason we behold her tho she consists of men that are not without sin at this day with one thousand Years upon her back yet for any internal cause as young as fresh and free from decay or any appearance of it as she was born but whatever in nature is not sensible of decay by the course of a thousand Years is capable of the whole Age of Nature by which Calculation for any check that I am able to give my self a Commonwealth rightly order'd may for any internal causes be as immortal or longliv'd as the World But if this be true those Commonwealths that are naturally fall'n must have deriv'd their Ruin from the rise of them Israel and Athens dy'd not natural but violent deaths in which manner the World it self is to dy We are speaking of those causes of Dissolution which are natural to Government and they are but two either Contradiction or Inequality If a Commonwealth be a Contradiction she must needs destroy her self and if she be inequal it tends to strife and strife to ruin By the former of these fell Lacedemon by the latter Rome Lacedemon being made altogether for War and yet not for Increase her natural Progress became her natural Dissolution and the building of her own victorious Hand too heavy for her Foundation so that she fell indeed by her own weight But Rome perish'd thro her native Inequality which how it inveterated the Bosoms of the Senat and the People each against other and even to death has bin shewn at large LOOK well to it my Lords for if there be a contradiction or inequality in your Commonwealth it must fall but if it has neither of these it has no principle of Mortality Do not think me impudent if this be truth I should commit a gross indiscretion in concealing it Sure I am that MACCHIAVEL is for the immortality of a Commonwealth upon far weaker Principles If a Commonwealth Disc â— 3. c. 22. b. 3. c. 29. says he were so happy as to be provided often with men that when she is swerving from her Principles should reduce her to her Institution she would be immortal But a Commonwealth as we have demonstrated swerves not from her Principles but by and thro her Institution if she brought no Biass into the world with her her course for any internal Cause must be streight forward as we see is that of Venice She cannot turn to the right hand nor to the left but by som rub which is not an internal but external cause against such she can be no way fortify'd but thro her Situation as is Venice or thro her Militia as was Rome by which Examples a Commonwealth may be secure of those also Think me not vain for I cannot conceal my opinion here a Commonwealth that is rightly instituted can never swerve nor one that is not rightly instituted be secur'd from swerving by reduction to her first Principles Wherfore it is no less apparent in this place that MACCHIAVEL understood not a Commonwealth as to the whole piece than where having told you That a Tribun or any other Citizen Disc B. 1. c. 18. of Rome might propose a Law to the People and debate it with them he adds this Order was good while the People were good but when the People became evil it became most pernicious As if this Order thro which with the like the People most apparently became evil could ever have bin good or that the People or the Common-wealth could ever have becom good by being reduc'd to such Principles as were the Original of their Evil. The Disease of Rome was as has bin shewn from the native inequality of her Balance and no otherwise from the Empire of the World than as this falling into one Scale that of the Nobility an evil in such a Fabric inevitable kick'd out the People Wherfore a Man that could have made her to throw away the Empire of the World might in that have reduc'd her to her Principles and yet have bin so far from rendring her immortal that going no further he should never have cur'd her But your Commonwealth is founded upon an equal Agrarian and if the Earth be given to the Sons of men this Balance is the Balance of Justice such a one as in having due regard to the different Industry of different men yet faithfully judges the Poor And Prov. 29. 14.