"The Tuesday lectures or orations to the people will be of
great benefit to the Senate, the prerogative, and the whole
nation. To the Senate, because they will not only teach your
Senators elocution, but keep the system of the government in
their memories. Elocution is of great use to your Senators, for
if they do not understand rhetoric (giving it at this time for
granted that the art were not otherwise good) and come to treat
with, or vindicate the cause of the commonwealth against some
other nation that is good at it, the advantage will be subject to
remain upon the merit of the art, and not upon the merit of the
cause. Furthermore, the genius or soul of this government being
in the whole and in every part, they will never be of ability in
determination upon any particular, unless at the same time they
have an idea of the whole. That this therefore must be, in that
regard, of equal benefit to the prerogative, is plain; though
these have a greater concernment in it. For this commonwealth is
the estate of the people; and a man, you know, though he be
virtuous, yet if he does not understand his estate, may run out
or be cheated of it. Last of all, the treasures of the politics
will by this means be so opened, rifled, and dispersed, that this
nation will as soon dote, like the Indians, upon glass beads, as
disturb your government with whimsies and freaks of mother-wit,
or suffer themselves to be stuttered out of their liberties.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296