or this, which was sometime said by Demosthenes,—that he is not now
Demosthenes only, but a magistrate, or a director of public dances,
or a wearer of a diadem. Let us therefore lay aside our revenge for a
time; for either we shall come upon him when he is dismissed from his
office, or shall by delaying gain a cessation of anger.
23. Indeed one should in diligence, providence, and care for the
public always strive with every magistrate, advising them,—if they are
gracious and well behaved,—of such things as are requisite, warning
them, and giving them opportunities to make use of such things as
have been rightly counselled, and helping them to advance the common
good; but if there is in them any sloth, delay, or ill-disposedness
to action, then ought one to go himself and speak to the people, and
not to neglect or omit the public on pretence that it becomes not one
magistrate to be curious and play the busybody in another’s province.
For the law always gives the first rank in government to him who
does what is just and knows what is convenient. “There was,” says
Xenophon,[71] “one in the army named Xenophon, who was neither general
nor inferior commander;” but yet this man, by his skill in what was fit
and boldness in attempting, raising himself to command, preserved the
Grecians. Now of all Philopoemen’s deeds this is the most illustrious,
that Agis[72] having surprised Messene, and the general of the Achaeans
being unwilling and fearful to go and rescue it, he with some of the
forwardest spirits did without a commission make an assault and recover
it. Yet are we not to attempt innovations on every light or trivial
occasion; but only in cases of necessity, as did Philopoemen, or for
the performance of some honorable actions, as did Epaminondas when he
continued in the Boeotarchy four months longer than was allowed by
the law, during which he brake into Laconia and re-edified Messene.
Whence, if any complaint or accusation shall on this occasion happen,
we may in our defence against such accusation plead necessity, or have
the greatness and gallantry of the action as a comfort for the danger.
24. There is recorded a saying of Jason, monarch of the Thessalians,
which he always had in his mouth when he outraged or molested any, that
there is a necessity for those to be unjust in small matters who will
act justly in great ones. Now that speech one may presently discern
to have been made by a despot. But more political is this precept, to
gratify the populacy with the passing over small things, that we may
oppose and hinder them when they are like to offend in greater. For
he that will be exact and earnest in all things, never yielding or
conniving, but always severe and inexorable, accustoms the people to
strive obstinately, and behave themselves perversely towards him.
But when the waves beat high, the sheet should be
A little slackened,—
sometimes by unbending himself and sporting graciously with them,
as in the celebrating of festival sacrifices, assisting at public
games, and being a spectator at the theatres, and sometimes by seeming
neither to see nor hear, as we pass by the faults of such children in
our houses; that the faculty of freely chastising and reprehending,
being—like a medicine—not antiquated or debilitated by use, but having
its full vigor and authority, may more forcibly move and operate on the
multitude in matters of greater importance.
Alexander, being informed that his sister was too familiarly acquainted
with a certain handsome young man, was not displeased at it, but said,
that she also must be permitted to have some enjoyment of the royalty;
acting in this concession neither rightly nor as beseemed himself; for
the dissolution and dishonoring of the state ought not to be esteemed
an enjoyment. But a statesman will not to his power permit the people
to injure any private citizens, to confiscate other men’s estates,
or to share the public stock amongst them; but will by persuading,
instructing, and threatening oppugn such irregular desires, by the
feeding and increasing of which Cleon caused many a stinging drone, as
Plato says, to breed in the city. But if the multitude, taking occasion
from some solemn feast of the country or the veneration of some God,
shall be inclined either to exhibit some show, to make some small
distribution, to bestow some courteous gratification, or to perform
some other magnificence, let them in such matters have an enjoyment
both of their liberality and abundance. For there are many examples of
such things in the governments of Pericles and Demetrius; and Cimon
adorned the market-place by planting rows of plane-trees and making
of walks. Cato also, seeing the populacy in the time of Catiline’s
conspiracy put in a commotion by Caesar, and dangerously inclined to
make a change in the government, persuaded the senate to decree some
distributions of money amongst the poor, and this being done appeased
the tumult and quieted the sedition. For, as a physician, having taken
from his patient great store of corrupt blood, gives him a little
innocent nourishment; so a statesman, having taken from the people some
great thing which was either inglorious or prejudicial, does again by
some small and courteous gratuity still their morose and complaining
humor.
25. It is not amiss also dexterously to turn aside the eager desires
of the people to other useful things, as Demades did when he had the
revenues of the city under his management. For they being bent to
send galleys to the assistance of those who were in rebellion against
Alexander, and commanding him to furnish out money for that purpose,
he said to them: You have money ready, for I have made provision
against the Bacchanals, that every one of you may receive half a mina;
but if you had rather have it employed this way, make use as you
please of your own. And by this means taking them off from sending
the fleet, lest they should be deprived of the dividend, he kept the
people from offending Alexander. For there are many prejudicial things
to which we cannot directly put a stop, but we must for that end make
use of turning and winding; as did Phocion, when he was required at an
unseasonable time to make an incursion into Boeotia. For he immediately
caused proclamation to be made, that all from sixteen years of age to
sixty should prepare to follow him; and when there arose upon it a
mutiny amongst the old men, he said: There is no hardship put upon you,
for I, who am above fourscore years old, shall be your general. In this
manner also is the sending of embassies to be put off, by joining in
the commission such as are unprepared; and the raising of unprofitable
buildings, by bidding them contribute to it; and the following of
indecent suits, by ordering the prosecutors to appear together and go
together from the court. Now the proposers and inciters of the people
to such things are first to be drawn and associated for the doing them;
for so they will either by their shifting it off seem to break the
matter, or by their accepting of it have their share in the trouble.
26. But when some great and useful matter, yet such as requires much
struggling and industry, is to be taken in hand, endeavor to choose
the most powerful of your friends, or rather the mildest of the most
powerful; for they will least thwart you and most co-operate with you,
having wisdom without a contentious humor. Nevertheless, thoroughly
understanding your own nature, you ought, in that for which you are
naturally less fit, rather to make choice of such as are of suitable
abilities, than of such as are like yourself; as Diomedes, when he
went forth to spy, passing by the valiant, took for his companion
one that was prudent and cautious. For thus are actions better
counterpoised, and there is no contention bred betwixt them, when they
desire honor from different virtues and qualities. If therefore you are
yourself no good speaker, choose for your assistant in a suit or your
companion in an embassy an eloquent man, as Pelopidas did Epaminondas;
if you are unfit to persuade and converse with the multitude, being too
high-minded for it, as was Callicratidas, take one that is gracious
and courtly; if you are infirm of body and unable to undergo fatigues,
make choice of one who is robust and a lover of labor, as Nicias did
of Lamachus. For thus Geryon would have become admirable, having many
legs, hands, and eyes, if only they had been all governed by one soul.
But it is in the power of statesmen—by conferring together, if they are
unanimous, not only their bodies and wealth, but also their fortunes,
authorities, and virtues, to one common use—to perform the same action
with greater glory than any one person; not as did the Argonauts, who,
having left Hercules, were necessitated to have recourse to female
subtleties and be subject to enchantments and sorceries, that they
might save themselves and steal away the fleece.
Men indeed entering into some temples leave their gold without; but
iron, that I may speak my mind in a word, they never carry into any.
Since then the tribunal is a temple common to Jupiter the counsellor
and protector of cities, to Themis, and to Justice, from the very
beginning, before thou enterest into it, stripping thy soul of avarice
and the love of wealth, cast them into the shops of bankers and usurers,