the commonwealth of oceana-第58章

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e　Macedonians　thereupon　for　the　second　time　conquered　by　AEmilius　Paulus；　their　King　taken；　and　they　some　time　after　the　victory　summoned　to　the　tribunal　of　the　general；　where；　remembering　how　little　hope　they　ought　to　have　of　pardon；　they　expected　some　dreadful　sentence：　when　AEmilius；　in　the　first　place；　declared　the　Macedonians　to　be　free；　in　the　full　possession　of　their　lands；　goods；　and　laws；　with　right　to　elect　annual　magistrates；　yielding　and　paying　to　the　people　of　Rome　one…half　of　the　tribute　which　they　were　accustomed　to　pay　to　their　own　kings。　This　done　he　went　on；　making　so　skilful　a　division　of　the　country　in　order　to　the　methodizing　of　the　people；　and　casting　them　into　the　form　of　popular　government；　that　the　Macedonians；　being　first　surprised　with　the　virtue　of　the　Romans；　began　now　to　alter　the　scene　of　their　admiration；　that　a　stranger　should　do　such　things　for　them　in　their　own　country；　and　with　such　facility　as　they　had　never　so　much　as　once　imagined　to　be　possible。　Nor　was　this　all；　for　AEmilius；　as　if　not　dictating　to　conquered　enemies；　but　to　some　well…deserving　friends；　gave　them　in　the　last　place　laws　so　suitable；　and　contrived　with　such　care　and　prudence；　that　long　use　and　experience　（the　only　correctness　of　works　of　this　nature）　could　never　find　a　fault　in　them。　　　　　〃In　this　example　you　have　a　donation　of　liberty；　or　of　Italian　right；　to　a　people　that　had　not　tasted　of　it　before；　but　were　now　taught　how　to　use　it。　　　　　〃My　lords；　the　royalists　should　compare　what　we　are　doing；　and　we　what　hitherto　we　have　done　for　them；　with　this　example。　It　is　a　shame　that　while　we　are　boasting　up　ourselves　above　all　others；　we　should　yet　be　so　far　from　imitating　such　examples　as　these；　that　we　do　not　so　much　as　understand　that　if　government　be　the　parent　of　manners；　where　there　are　no　heroic　virtues；　there　is　no　heroic　government。　　　　　〃But　the　Macedonians　rebelling；　at　the　name　of　a　false　Philip；　the　third　time　against　the　Romans；　were　by　them　judged　incapable　of　liberty；　and　reduced　by　Metellus　to　a　province。　　　　　〃Now　whereas　it　remains　that　I　explain　the　nature　of　a　province；　I　shall　rather　choose　that　of　Sicily；　because；　having　been　the　first　which　the　Romans　made；　the　descriptions　of　the　rest　relate　to　it。　　　　　〃'We　have　so　received　the　Sicilian　cities　into　amity；'　says　Cicero；　'that　they　enjoy　their　ancient　laws；　and　upon　no　other　condition　than　of　the　same　obedience　to　the　people　of　Rome；　which　they　formerly　yielded　to　their　own　princes　or　superiors。'　So　the　Sicilians；　whereas　they　had　been　parcelled　out　to　divers　princes；　and　into　divers　states　（the　cause　of　perpetual　wars；　whereby；　hewing　one　another　down；　they　became　sacrifices　to　the　ambition　of　their　neighbors；　or　of　some　invader）；　were　now　received　at　the　old　rate　into　a　new　protection　which　could　hold　them；　and　in　which　no　enemy　durst　touch　them；　nor　was　it　possible；　as　the　case　then　stood；　for　the　Sicilians　to　receive；　or　for　the　Romans　to　give　more。　　　　　〃A　Roman　province　is　defined　by　Sigonius　as　a　region　having　provincial　right。　Provincial　right　in　general　was　to　be　governed　by　a　Roman　praetor；　or　consul；　in　matters　at　least　of　state；　and　of　the　militia；　and　by　a　quaeStor；　whose　office　it　was　to　receive　the　public　revenue。　Provincial　right　in　particular　was　different；　according　to　the　different　leagues　or　agreements　between　the　commonwealth；　and　the　people　reduced　into　a　province。　'Siculi　hoc　jure　sunt；　ut　quod　civis　cum　cive　agat；　domi　certet　suis　legibus；　quod　siculus　cum　siculo　non　ejusdem　civitatis；　ut　de　eo　proetor　judices；　ex　P。　Rupilii　decreto；　sortiatur。　Quod　privatus　a　populo　petit；　aut　populus　a　privato；　senatus　ex　aliqua　civitate；　qui　judicet；　datur；　cui　alternoe　civitates　rejectoe　sunt。　Quod　vivis　Romanus　a　siculo　petit；　siculus　judex　datur　quod　siculus　a　cive　Romano；　civis　Romanus　datur。　Coeterarum　rerum　selecti　judices　ex　civium　Romanorum　conventu　proponi　solent。　Inter　aratores　et　decumanos　lege　frumentaria；　quam　Hieronicam　appellant；　judicia　fiunt。'　Because　the　rest　would　oblige　me　to　a　discourse　too　large　for　this　place；　it　shall　suffice　that　I　have　showed　you　how　it　was　in　Sicily。　　　　　〃My　lords；　upon　the　fabric　of　your　provincial　orb　I　shall　not　hold　you；　because　it　is　sufficiently　described　in　the　order；　and　I　cannot　believe　that　you　think　it　inferior　to　the　way　of　a　praetor　and　a　quaestor。　But　whereas　the　provincial　way　of　the　Roman　Commonwealth　was　that　whereby　it　held　the　empire　of　the　world；　and　your　orbs　are　intended　to　be　capable　at　least　of　the　like　use；　there　may　arise　many　controversies；　as　whether　such　a　course　be　lawful；　whether　it　be　feasible；　and；　seeing　that　the　Romans　were　ruined　upon　that　point；　whether　it　would　not　be　to　the　destruction　of　the　commonwealth。　　　　　〃For　the　first：　if　the　empire　of　a　commonwealth　be　an　occasion　to　ask　whether　it　be　lawful　for　a　commonwealth　to　aspire　to　the　empire　of　the　world；　it　is　to　ask　whether　it　be　lawful　for　it　to　do　its　duty；　or　to　put　the　world　into　a　better　condition　than　it　was　before。　　　　　〃And　to　ask　whether　this　be　feasible；　is　to　ask　why　the　Oceaner；　being　under　the　like　administration　of　government；　may　not　do　as　much　with　200　men　as　the　Roman　did　with　100；　for　comparing　their　commonwealths　in　their　rise；　the　difference　is　yet　greater：　now　that　Rome　（seris　avaritia　luxuriaque）；　through　the　natural　thirst　of　her　constitution；　came　at　length　with　the　fulness　of　her　provinces　to　burst　herself；　this　is　no　otherwise　to　he　understood　than　as　when　a　man　that　from　his　own　evil　constitution　had　contracted　the　dropsy；　dies　with　drinking；　it　being　apparent　that　in　case　her　agrarian　had　held；　she　could　never　have　been　thus　ruined；　and　I　have　already　demonstrated　that　your　agrarian　being　once　poised；　can　never　break　or　swerve。　　　　　〃Wherefore　to　draw　toward　some　conclusion　of　this　discourse；　let　me　inculcate　the　use；　by　selecting　a　few　considerations　out　of　many。　The　regard　had　in　this　place　to　the　empire　of　the　world　appertains　to　a　well…ordered　commonwealth；　more　especially　for　two　reasons：　　　　　〃1。　The　facility　of　this　great　enterprise；　by　a　government　of　the　model　proposed；　　　　　〃2。　The　danger　that　you　would　run　in　the　omission　of　such　a　government。　　　　　〃The　facility　of　this　enterprise；　upon　the　grounds　already　laid；　must　needs　be　great；　forasmuch　as　the　empire　of　the　world　has　been；　both　in　reason　and　experience；　the　necessary　consequence　of　a　commonwealth　of　this　nature　only；　for　though　it　has　been　given　to　all　kinds　to　drive　at　it；　since　that　of　Athens　or　Lacedaemon；　if　the　one　had　not　hung　in　the　other's　light；　might　have　gained　it；　yet　could　neither　of　them　have　held　it；　not　Athens；　through　the　manner　of　her　propagation；　which；　being　by　downright　tyranny；　could　not　preserve　what　she　had；　nor　Lacedaemon；　because　she　was　overthrown　by　the　weight　of　a　less　conquest。　The　facility　then　of　this　great　enterprise　being　peculiar　to　popular　government；　I　shall　consider　it；　first；　in　gaining；　and　secondly；　in　holding。　　　　　〃For　the　former；　volenti　non　fit　injuria。　It　is　said　of　the　people　under　Eumenes；　that　they　would　not　have　changed　them　no　their　subjection　for　liberty；　wherefore　the　Romans　gave　disturbance。　If　a　people　be　contented　with　their　government；　it　is　a　certain　sign　that　it　is　good；　and　much　good　do　them　with　it。　The　sword　of　your　magistracy　is　for　a　terror　to　them　that　do　evil。　Eumenes　had　the　fear　of　God；　or　of　the　Romans；　before　his　eyes；　concerning　such　he　has　given　you　no　commission。　　　　　〃But　till　we　can　say；　here　are　the　Romans；　where　is　Eumenes？　do　not　think　that　the　late　appearances　of　God　to　you　have　been　altogether　for　yourselves；　'He　has　surely　seen　the　affliction　of　your　brethren；　and　heard　their　cry　by　reason　of　their　task　masters。'　For　to　believe　otherwise　is　not　only　to　be　mindless　of　his　ways；　but　altogether　deaf。　If　you　have　ears　to　hear；　this　is　the　way　in　which　you　will　certainly　be　called　upon；　for　if；　while　there　is　no　stock　of　liberty　no　sanctuary　of　the　afflicted；　it　be　a　common　object　to　behold　a　people　casting　themselves　out　of　the　pan　of　one　prince　into　the　fire　of　another；　what　can　you　think；　but　if　the　world　should　see　the　Roman　'eagle　again；　she　would　renew　her　age　and　her　flight？　Nor　did　ever　she　spread　her　wings　with　better　omen　than　will　be　read　in　your　ensigns；　which　if；　called　in　by　an　oppressed　people　they　interpose　between　them　and　their　yoke；　the　people　themselves　must　either　do　nothing　in　the　meantime　or　have　no　more　pains　to　take　for　their　wished　fruit　than　to　gather　it；　if　that　be　not　likewise　done　for　them。　Wherefore　this　must　needs　be　easy；　and　yet　you　have　a　greater　facility　than　is　in　the　arm　of　flesh；　for　if　the　cause　of　mankind　be　the　cause　of　God；　the　Lord　of　Hosts　will　be　your　captain；　and　you　shall　be　a　praise　to　the　whole　earth。　　　　　〃The　facility　of　holding　is　in　the　way　of　your　propagation；　if　you　take　that　of　Athens　and　Lacedemon；　you　shall　rain　snares；　but　either　catch　or　hold　nothing。　Lying　lips　are　an　abomination　to　the　Lord：　if　setting　up　for　liberty　you　impose　yokes；　he　will　infallibly　destroy　you。　On　the　other　side；　to　go　about　a　work　of　this　nature　by　a　league　without　a　head；　is　to　abdicate　that　magistracy　wherewith　he　has　not　only　endued　you；　but　whereof　he　will　require　an　account　of　you；　for；　'cursed　is　he　that　does　the　work　of　the