cellency of our
government above others; which, as he proceeds further, is yet plainer;
while he makes it appear that there can be no other elected by the
people but smiths:

"'Brontesque Steropesque et nudus membra Pyracmon:'

"Othoniel, Aod, Gideon, Jephtha, Samson, as in Israel; Miltiades,
Aristides, Themistocles, Cimon, Pericles, as in Athens; Papyrius,
Cincinnatus, Camillus, Fabius Scipio, as in Rome: smiths of the fortune
of the commonwealth; not such as forged hob-nails, but thunderbolts.
Popular elections are of that kind, that all of the rest of the world
is not able, either in number or glory, to equal those of these three
commonwealths. These indeed were the ablest cudgel and football players;
bright arms were their cudgels, and the world was the ball that lay
at their feet. Wherefore we are not so to understand the maxim of
legislators, which holds all men to be wicked, as if it related to
mankind or a commonwealth, the interests whereof are the only straight
lines they have whereby to reform the crooked; but as it relates to
every man or party, under what color soever he or they pretend to be
trusted apart, with or by the whole. Hence then it is derived, which is
made good in all experience, that the aristocracy is ravenous, and not
the people. Your highwaymen are not such as have trades, or have been
brought up to industry; but such commonly whose education has pretended
to that of gentlemen. My lord is so honest, he does not know the maxims
that are of absolute necessity to the arts of wickedness; for it is
most certain, if there be not more purses than thieves, that the thieves
themselves must be forced to turn honest, because they cannot thrive
by their trade; but now if the people should turn thieves, who sees not
that there would be more thieves than purses? wherefore that a whole
people should turn robbers or levellers, is as impossible in the end as
in the means.

"But that I do not think your artist which you mentioned, whether
astronomer or arithmetician, can tell me how many barley-corns would
reach to the sun, I could be content he were called to the account, with
which I shall conclude this point: when by the way I have chid my lords
the legislators, who, as if they doubted my tackling could not hold,
would leave me to flag in a perpetual calm, but for my Lord Epimonus,
who breathes now and then into my sails and stirs the waters. A ship
makes not her way so briskly as when she is handsomely