ubject them to
general hatred; and if they pass it upon all, they will be considered
as the enemies of all. Thus one person has often the custody of the
prisoner's body, while another sees the sentence against him executed,
as the eleven did at Athens: for which reason it is prudent to separate
these offices, and to give great attention thereunto as equally
necessary with anything we have already mentioned; for it will certainly
happen that men of character will decline accepting this office, and
worthless persons cannot properly be entrusted with it, as having
themselves rather an occasion for a guard than being qualified to guard
others. This, therefore, ought by no means to be a separate office from
others; nor should it be continually allotted to any individuals, but
the young men; where there is a city-guard, the youths ought in turns
to take these offices upon them. These, then, as the most necessary
magistrates, ought to be first mentioned: next to these are others no
less necessary, but of much higher rank, for they ought to be men of
great skill and fidelity. These are they who have the guard of the city,
and provide everything that is necessary for war; whose business it is,
both in war and peace, to defend the walls and the gates, and to take
care to muster and marshal the citizens. Over all these there are
sometimes more officers, sometimes fewer: thus in little cities there is
only one whom they call either general or polemarch; but where there are
horse and light-armed troops, and bowmen, and sailors, they sometimes
put distinct commanders over each of these; who again have others under
them, according to their different divisions; all of which join together
to make one military body: and thus much for this department. Since some
of the magistrates, if not all, have business with the public money,
it is necessary that there should be other officers, whose employment
should be nothing else than to take an account of what they have, and
correct any mismanagement therein. But besides all these magistrates
there is one who is supreme over them all, who very often has in his own
power the disposal of the public revenue and taxes; who presides over
the people when the supreme power is in them; for there must be some
magistrate who has a power to summon them together, and to preside as
head of the state. These are sometimes called preadvisers; but where
there are many, more properly a council. These are nearly the