gs
up a good commonwealth; which the author in the praise of Panurgus did
not mind, nor Panurgus in deserving that praise; for where the owner of
the plough comes to have the sword, too, he will use it in defence of
his own; whence it has happened that the people of Oceana, in proportion
to their property, have been always free. And the genius of this nation
has ever had some resemblance with that of ancient Italy, which was
wholly addicted to commonwealths, and where Rome came to make the
greatest account of her rustic tribes, and to call her consuls from the
plough; for in the way of parliaments, which was the government of this
realm, men of country lives have been still intrusted with the greatest
affairs, and the people have constantly had an aversion to the ways of
the court. Ambition, loving to be gay and to fawn, has been a gallantry
looked upon as having something in it of the livery; and husbandry, or
the country way of life, though of a grosser spinning, as the best stuff
of a commonwealth, according to Aristotle, such a one being the most
obstinate assertress of her liberty and the least subject to innovation
or turbulency. Wherefore till the foundations, as will be hereafter
shown, were removed, this people was observed to be the least subject
to shakings and turbulency of any; whereas commonwealths, upon which
the city life has had the stronger influence, as Athens, have seldom or
never been quiet, but at the best are found to have injured their own
business by overdoing it. Whence the urban tribes of Rome, consisting
of the Turba forensis, and libertines that had received their freedom by
manumission, were of no reputation in comparison of the rustics. It
is true that with Venice it may seem to be otherwise, in regard
the gentlemen (for so are all such called as have a right to that
government) are wholly addicted to the city life; but then the Turba
forensis, the secretaries, Cittadini, with the rest of the populace,
are wholly excluded. Otherwise a commonwealth consisting but of one city
would doubtless be stormy, in regard that ambition would be every man's
trade; but where it consists of a country, the plough in the hands of
the owner finds him a better calling, and produces the most innocent and
steady genius of a commonwealth, such as is that of Oceana.

Marpesia, being the northern part of the same island, is the dry-nurse
of a populous and hardy nation, but where the staddels have been
formerly to