premised, and
such being the government, it follows that such rules as the following
should be observed in it, that all the magistrates should be chosen out
of all the people, and all to command each, and each in his turn all:
that all the magistrates should be chosen by lot, except to those
offices only which required some particular knowledge and skill: that no
census, or a very small one, should be required to qualify a man for any
office: that none should be in the same employment twice, or very few,
and very seldom, except in the army: that all their appointments should
be limited to a very short time, or at least as many as possible:
that the whole community should be qualified to judge in all causes
whatsoever, let the object be ever so extensive, ever so interesting, or
of ever so high a nature; as at Athens, where the people at large judge
the magistrates when they come out of office, and decide concerning
public affairs as well as private contracts: that the supreme power
should be in the public assembly; and that no magistrate should be
allowed any discretionary power but in a few instances, and of no
consequence to public business. Of all magistrates a senate is best
suited to a democracy, where the whole community is not paid for giving
their attendance; for in that case it; loses its power; for then the
people will bring all causes before them, by appeal, as we have
already mentioned in a former book. In the next place, there should, if
possible, be a fund to pay all the citizens--who have any share in the
management of public affairs, either as members of the assembly, judges,
and magistrates; but if this cannot be done, at least the magistrates,
the judges the senators, and members of the supreme assembly, and also
those officers who are obliged to eat at a common table ought to be
paid. Moreover, as an oligarchy is said to be a government of men of
family, fortune, and education; so, on the contrary, a democracy is a
government in the hands of men of no birth, indigent circumstances, and
mechanical employments. In this state also no office [1318a] should be
for life; and, if any such should remain after the government has been
long changed into a democracy, they should endeavour by degrees to
diminish the power; and also elect by lot instead of vote. These things,
then, appertain to all democracies; namely, to be established on that
principle of justice which is homogeneous to those governments; that is,