Whereas the people, taken apart, are but so many private
interests; but if you take them together, they are the public
interest.
"The public interest of a commonwealth, as has been shown, is
nearest that of mankind, and that of mankind is right reason; but
with aristocracy (whose reason or interest, when they are all
together, as appeared by the patricians, is but that of a party)
it is quite contrary: for as, taken apart, they are far wiser
than the people considered in that manner, so, being put
together, they are such fools, who by deposing the people, as did
those of Rome, will saw off the branch whereupon they sit, or
rather destroy the root of their own greatness. Wherefore
Machiavel, following Aristotle, and yet going before him, may
well assert, 'that the people are wiser and more constant in
their resolutions than a prince:' which is the prerogative of
popular government for wisdom. And hence it is that the
prerogative of your commonwealth, as for wisdom so for power, is
in the people, which (though I am not ignorant that the Roman
prerogative was so called a proerogando, because their suffrage
was first asked) gives the denomination to your prerogative
tribe."
The elections, whether annual or triennial, being shown by
the twenty-second, that which comes in the next place to be
considered is --
The twenty-third order, "Showing the power, function, and
manner of proceeding of the prerogative tribe.
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