an they pleased,
was the highest crime. The observation of this bond till the time of the
Gracchi--that is to say, till it was too late, or to no purpose to break
it--was the cause why, in all the former heats and disputes that had
happened between the Senate and the people, it never came to blows,
which indeed was good; but withal, the people could have no remedy,
which was certainly evil. Wherefore I am of opinion that a senator
ought not to be a patron or advocate, nor a patron or advocate to be a
senator; for if his practice be gratis it debauches the people, and if
it be mercenary it debauches himself: take it which way you will, when
he should be making of laws, he will be knitting of nets.

"Lycurgus, as I said, by being a traveller became a legislator, but in
times when prudence was another thing. Nevertheless we may not shut
out this part of education in a commonwealth, which will be herself
a traveller; for those of this make have seen the world, especially
because this is certain (though it be not regarded in our times, when
things being left to take their chance, it fares with us accordingly)
that no man can be a politician except he be first a historian or a
traveller; for except he can see what must be, or what may be, he is no
politician. Now if he has no knowledge in history he cannot tell what
has been, and if he has not been a traveller, he cannot tell what is;
but he that neither knows what has been, nor what is, can never tell
what must be, or what may be. Furthermore, the embassies-in-ordinary by
our constitution are the prizes of young men, more especially such as
have been travellers. Wherefore they of these inclinations, having leave
of the censors, owe them an account of their time, and cannot choose but
lay it out with some ambition of praise or reward, where both are open,
whence you will have eyes abroad, and better choice of public ministers,
your gallants showing themselves not more to the ladies at their balls
than to your commonwealth at her Academy when they return from their
travels.

"But this commonwealth being constituted more especially of two
elements, arms and councils, drives by a natural instinct at courage and
wisdom; which he who has attained is arrived at the perfection of human
nature. It is true that these virtues must have some natural root in him
that is capable of them; but this amounts not to so great a matter
as some will have it. For if poverty makes an industrious,