the nearest approach to true government
is, when men do nothing contrary to their own written laws and national
customs. When the rich preserve their customs and maintain the law, this
is called aristocracy, or if they neglect the law, oligarchy. When an
individual rules according to law, whether by the help of science or
opinion, this is called monarchy; and when he has royal science he is
a king, whether he be so in fact or not; but when he rules in spite of
law, and is blind with ignorance and passion, he is called a tyrant.
These forms of government exist, because men despair of the true king
ever appearing among them; if he were to appear, they would joyfully
hand over to him the reins of government. But, as there is no natural
ruler of the hive, they meet together and make laws. And do we wonder,
when the foundation of politics is in the letter only, at the miseries
of states? Ought we not rather to admire the strength of the political
bond? For cities have endured the worst of evils time out of mind;
many cities have been shipwrecked, and some are like ships foundering,
because their pilots are absolutely ignorant of the science which they
profess.

Let us next ask, which of these untrue forms of government is the least
bad, and which of them is the worst? I said at the beginning, that each
of the three forms of government, royalty, aristocracy, and democracy,
might be divided into two, so that the whole number of them, including
the best, will be seven. Under monarchy we have already distinguished
royalty and tyranny; of oligarchy there were two kinds, aristocracy and
plutocracy; and democracy may also be divided, for there is a democracy
which observes, and a democracy which neglects, the laws. The government
of one is the best and the worst--the government of a few is less bad
and less good--the government of the many is the least bad and least
good of them all, being the best of all lawless governments, and the
worst of all lawful ones. But the rulers of all these states,
unless they have knowledge, are maintainers of idols, and themselves
idols--wizards, and also Sophists; for, after many windings, the term
'Sophist' comes home to them.

And now enough of centaurs and satyrs: the play is ended, and they
may quit the political stage. Still there remain some other and better
elements, which adhere to the royal science, and must be drawn off in
the refiner's fire before the gold can become quite pure. The art