r against some outward
danger, is factious. Wherefore the errors of the people being from their
governors (which maxim in the politics bearing a sufficient testimony to
itself, is also proved by Machiavel), if the people of Oceana have been
factious, the cause is apparent, but what remedy?

In answer to this question, I come now to the army, of which the most
victorious captain and incomparable patriot, Olphaus Megaletor, was now
general, who being a much greater master of that art whereof I have made
a rough draught in these preliminaries, had such sad reflections upon
the ways and proceedings of the Parliament as cast him upon books and
all other means of diversion, among which he happened on this place of
Machiavel: "Thrice happy is that people which chances to have a man able
to give them such a government at once, as without alteration may secure
them of their liberties; seeing it was certain that Lacedaemon, in
observing the laws of Lycurgus, continued about 800 years without any
dangerous tumult or corruption." My lord general (as it is said
of Themistocles, that he could not sleep for the glory obtained by
Miltiades at the battle of Marathon) took so new and deep an impression
at these words of the much greater glory of Lycurgus, that, being on
this side assaulted with the emulation of his illustrious object, and on
the other with the misery of the nation, which seemed (as it were
ruined by his victory) to cast itself at his feet, he was almost wholly
deprived of his natural rest, till the debate he had within himself came
to a firm resolution, that the greatest advantages of a commonwealth
are, first, that the legislator should be one man; and, secondly, that
the government should be made all together, or at once. For the first,
it is certain, says Machiavel, that a commonwealth is seldom or never
well turned or constituted, except it has been the work of one man; for
which cause a wise legislator, and one whose mind is firmly set, not
upon private but the public interest, not upon his posterity but upon
his country, may justly endeavor to get the sovereign power into his
own hands, nor shall any man that is master of reason blame such
extraordinary means as in that case will be necessary, the end proving
no other than the constitution of a well-ordered commonwealth.

The reason of this is demonstrable; for the ordinary means not failing,
the commonwealth has no need of a legislator, but the ordinary
means fai