Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

(

by the heart, and the like is it in the other things which have a government), it follows that that government of human things which is administered by one ruler is, of its nature, the best of all. Wherefore our Saviour, wishing to place the best government in his Church, made Peter the Head of all the faithful, and in every diocese, even in every parish and monastery, wished that the government should be of one person; and, finally, that all the heads should be under one head, his Vicar.

So that, absolutely speaking, the government of one, when it is good, excels all other good governments; and such a government should be instituted in every community, if it could be done, that is, if the people could agree, and make a good, just, and prudent prince, whom all would obey. But it is to be remarked, that this is not good, nor can, nor ought to be attempted in every community, because it many times happens that what is absolutely best is not good; on the contrary, is bad in some place, or some person, as the state of perfection of spiritual life, that is, the religious state, which in itself is the best state, and yet it is not to be imposed on all Christians; nor is such a thing to be attempted, nor would it be good, because many could not bear it, and it would make a rent in the Church, as our Saviour says in the Gospel :-" No one mends an old garment with new cloth."

Whence we also see that some food, which in itself is good and excellent, would be poison to some if they eat it; and as an air, in itself perfect, is bad for some constitutions, so, also, the government of one person is in itself excellent, yet to some people, inclined to dissensions, it would be the worst, because the persecution and death of the prince would often happen, from which would result endless evils to the community; because, the prince being dead, the people would divide into partics, and civil war would follow under different chiefs, amongst whom he who would overcome the others would become a tyrant, and finally destroy all the good of the state, as we shall show hereafter. And if amongst such a people, the prince should wish to secure and establish himself, it would be necessary that

he should become a tyrant, and drive out the powerful, and take the wealth from the rich, and sink the people by oppressions; otherwise, he could never be secure.

There are, then, some people whose nature is such, that they could not endure the government of one, without great and intolerable inconvenience; as the constitution and habits of some men, used to be in the open air and in the fields, are such, that to make them stay in good and warm rooms, with good clothes and delicate food, would soon make them sick and die. And, therefore, the wise and prudent men, who have to establish any government, first consider the nature of the people; and if their nature or habit is such that they can easily take with the government of one, they establish this in preference to the others; but if this government would not suit them, they endeavour to give them the second, of the chief persons, or an aristocracy. And if this could not be endured, they give them the civil government, or government of citizens, with those laws which suit the nature of that people. Now let us see which of those three governments best suits the Florentine people.

CHAP. III.-That the Citizen Government is the best for the City of Florence.

It cannot be doubted, if what we have said be diligently considered, that if the Florentine people should suffer the government of one person, he should be a prince, not a tyrant, who would be prudent, just, and good. But, if we examine well the opinions and reasons of the wise philosophers, as well as theologians, we shall clearly know, that, considering the nature of this people, such a government does not suit them. Because they say such a government suits people who are servile by nature, as are those who are deficient in blood or genius, or in one or the other because, since those who abound in blood, and are strong in their bodies, are bold in war, nevertheless being deficient in talent, it is an easy thing to make them remain obedient

VOL. II.

U

to a prince; because, through the weakness of their mind, they cannot easily plot against him; but, on the contrary, follow him as the bees do their sovereign, as is seen in the northern peoples; and those who have talent, and are deficient in blood, being pusillanimous, easily submit themselves to a single ruler, and live quietly under him, like the Orientals, and much more so when they are deficient in both talent and blood. But the people who have genius and abound in blood, are bold, and cannot easily be ruled by one, if he does not tyrannize over them: because from their genius they are continually plotting against the prince, and by their boldness they easily carry their plots into execution, as has always been seen in Italy; which we know by experience of the past, and even to the present time, has never been able to continue under the rule of one prince: we see, on the contrary, that being a small province, it is divided almost amongst as many princes as there are cities, which are hardly ever at peace.

The Florentine people being, then, the most ingenious of all the people of Italy, and the wisest in their undertakings, are also courageous and bold, as has been seen by experience many times; because, although they are devoted to commerce, and appear a quiet people, yet when they commence any enterprise, either of civil or foreign war, they are spirited and terrible, as we read in the chronicles of the wars they made against differe princes and tyrants, to whom they have never yielded, but fended themselves against them, and gained the victory. The nature, then, of this people is, not to suffer the government of one prince, even though he were good and perfect; because. the wicked being always more numerous than the good, through the sagacity and courage of the bad citizens, he would be either betrayed and killed, (they being greatly inclined to ambition), or it would be necessary he should become a tyrant. And if we more diligently consider, we shall understand that not only the government of one does not suit this people, but also that the rule of chiefs, an aristocracy, does not suit them, because habit is another nature; because, as nature is inclined to one mode, and cannot be drawn from it, as the stone is inclined to descend, and

cannot be made to rise without force, so habit is converted into nature, and it is very difficult and almost impossible to draw people, and men most of all, from their habits, even bad ones, for such are become natural to them.

Now, the Florentine people having anciently assumed the citizen government, have so made it a habit, that, besides this being more natural and suited to them than any other government, it is so impressed by habit on the minds of the citizens, that it would be difficult, and almost impossible, to turn them from such a mode of governing. And although they have been many years since governed by tyrants, yet those citizens who usurped the state at that time, did not so tyrannize as to assume the entire authority to themselves, but with great cunning they governed the people, not disturbing them in their natural habits. Wherefore, they left them the form of free government in the state, and the ordinary magistracies; taking care, however, that no person should fill any of them who was not their friend. And therefore, the form of the civil government having remained with the people, it is so natural to them, that to alter it, or give another form of government, is nothing less than to act against their natural and ancient habit, which would generate such disturbance and discussion in this community, that it would put it in danger of losing its entire liberty: and this is shewn much better by experience, which is the mistress of the arts. Because, every time that in the city of Florence the government has been occupied by leading men, there has been great division, which has never been allayed until one party has driven out the other, and one citizen has made himself a tyrant, who, after he has done so, has by such means usurped the liberty and the common weal, that the minds of the people have been always discontented and uneasy and if it was divided and full of discord in past times, through the ambition and the animosities of the principal citizens, it would be particularly so at present, if God had not by his grace and mercy provided for it, and restored the citizens who were driven out in different times by him who governed, particularly from the year thirty-four downwards (1434); and

there existing in those times many animosities, on account of the wrongs done to divers houses and kindred, for which, if God had not interposed, much blood would have been spilt, and many families been undone, and discord and civil war have followed at home and abroad, and matters being in the state they were, by the coming of the king of France, there is no doubt in the mind of any one who was in that city in those times, and who has any judgment, that this were its last destruction; but the counsel and civil government which was founded in it, not by men but by God, have been an instrument of the Divine virtue, by means of the prayers of the good men and women who were found there, to maintain it in its freedom. And certainly, he who has not for his sins totally lost his natural judgment, considering in what great dangers it has been for three years past, cannot deny that it has been governed and preserved by God.

We then conclude that, as well by the Divine authority from which the present citizen government has proceeded, as by the preceding reasons, for the city of Florence the government of citizens is best, although it is not the best in itself; and the government of one, although it may be best in itself, is not, however good, not to say best for the Florentine people; as the state of perfection of the spiritual life is best in itself, although it may not be best, nor good for many faithful Christians, for whom some other state of life is best, which is not best in itself. We have, then, declared the first point, namely, what sort of government is best for the city of Florence; it is now time to state the second, that is, what is the worst government for it.

TREATISE SECOND.

CHAP. I.-That the Government of one Person, when it is bad, is the worst, particularly of him who, from a Citizen, has made himself a Tyrant.

As the reign of one, when it is good, is the best of all govern

« VorigeDoorgaan »