Popular elections are of that kind, that all of the
rest of the world is not able, either in number or glory, to
equal those of these three commonwealths. These indeed were the
ablest cudgel and football players; bright arms were their
cudgels, and the world was the ball that lay at their feet.
Wherefore we are not so to understand the maxim of legislators,
which holds all men to be wicked, as if it related to mankind or
a commonwealth, the interests whereof are the only straight lines
they have whereby to reform the crooked; but as it relates to
every man or party, under what color soever he or they pretend to
be trusted apart, with or by the whole. Hence then it is derived,
which is made good in all experience, that the aristocracy is
ravenous, and not the people. Your highwaymen are not such as
have trades, or have been brought up to industry; but such
commonly whose education has pretended to that of gentlemen. My
lord is so honest, he does not know the maxims that are of
absolute necessity to the arts of wickedness; for it is most
certain, if there be not more purses than thieves, that the
thieves themselves must be forced to turn honest, because they
cannot thrive by their trade; but now if the people should turn
thieves, who sees not that there would be more thieves than
purses? wherefore that a whole people should turn robbers or
levellers, is as impossible in the end as in the means.
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