That sway is worst, in which the people rule.
Such is the opinion which Cinna gave Augustus. But on the other hand, Maximus maintains, that
Le pire des états, c’est l’état monarchique.
That sway is worst, in which a monarch1 rules.
Bayle, in his “Philosophical Dictionary,” after having repeatedly advocated both sides of the question, gives, under the article on “Pericles,” a most disgusting picture of democracy, and more particularly that of Athens.
A republican, who is a stanch2 partisan3 of democracy, and one of our “proposers of questions,” sends us his refutation of Bayle and his apology for Athens. We will adduce his reasons. It is the privilege of every writer to judge the living and the dead; he who thus sits in judgment4 will be himself judged by others, who, in their turn, will be judged also; and thus, from age to age, all sentences are, according to circumstances, reversed or reformed.
Bayle, then, after some common-place observations, uses these words: “A man would look in vain into the history of Macedon for as much tyranny as he finds in the history of Athens.”
Perhaps Bayle was discontented with Holland when he thus wrote; and probably my republican friend, who refutes him, is contented5 with his little democratic city “for the present.”
It is difficult to weigh, in an exquisitely6 nice balance, the iniquities7 of the republic of Athens and of the court of Macedon. We still upbraid8 the Athenians with the banishment9 of Cimon, Aristides, Themistocles, and Alcibiades, and the sentences of death upon Phocion and Socrates; sentences similar in absurdity10 and cruelty to those of some of our own tribunals.
In short, what we can never pardon in the Athenians is the execution of their six victorious11 generals, condemned12 because they had not time to bury their dead after the victory, and because they were prevented from doing so by a tempest. The sentence is at once so ridiculous and barbarous, it bears such a stamp of superstition13 and ingratitude14, that those of the Inquisition, those delivered against Urbain Grandier, against the wife of Marshal d’Ancre, against Montrin, and against innumerable sorcerers and witches, etc., are not, in fact, fooleries more atrocious.
It is in vain to say, in excuse of the Athenians, that they believed, like Homer before them, that the souls of the dead were always wandering, unless they had received the honors of sepulture or burning. A folly15 is no excuse for a barbarity.
A dreadful evil, indeed, for the souls of a few Greeks to ramble16 for a week or two on the shores of the ocean! The evil is, in consigning17 living men to the executioner; living men who have won a battle for you; living men, to whom you ought to be devoutly18 grateful.
Thus, then, are the Athenians convicted of having been at once the most silly and the most barbarous judges in the world. But we must now place in the balance the crimes of the court of Macedon; we shall see that that court far exceeds Athens in point of tyranny and atrocity19.
There is ordinarily no comparison to be made between the crimes of the great, who are always ambitious, and those of the people, who never desire, and who never can desire, anything but liberty and equality. These two sentiments, “liberty and equality,” do not necessarily lead to calumny20, rapine, assassination21, poisoning, and devastation22 of the lands of neighbors; but, the towering ambition and thirst for power of the great precipitate23 them headlong into every species of crime in all periods and all places.
In this same Macedon, the virtue24 of which Bayle opposes to that of Athens, we see nothing but a tissue of tremendous crimes for a series of two hundred years.
It is Ptolemy, the uncle of Alexander the Great, who assassinates25 his brother Alexander to usurp26 the kingdom. It is Philip, his brother, who spends his life in guilt27 and perjury28, and ends it by a stab from Pausanias.
Olympias orders Queen Cleopatra and her son to be thrown into a furnace of molten brass29. She assassinates Arid30?us. Antigonus assassinates Eumenes. Antigonus Gonatas, his son, poisons the governor of the citadel31 of Corinth, marries his widow, expels her, and takes possession of the citadel. Philip, his grandson, poisons Demetrius, and defiles32 the whole of Macedon with murders. Perseus kills his wife with his own hand, and poisons his brother. These perfidies33 and cruelties are authenticated34 in history.
Thus, then, for two centuries, the madness of despotism converts Macedon into a theatre for every crime; and in the same space of time you see the popular government of Athens stained only by five or six acts of judicial35 iniquity36, five or six certainly atrocious judgments37, of which the people in every instance repented38, and for which they made, as far as they could, honorable expiation39 (amende honorable). They asked pardon of Socrates after his death, and erected40 to his memory the small temple called Socrateion. They asked pardon of Phocion, and raised a statue to his honor. They asked pardon of the six generals, so ridiculously condemned and so basely executed. They confined in chains the principal accuser, who, with difficulty, escaped from public vengeance41. The Athenian people, therefore, appear to have had good natural dispositions42, connected, as they were, with great versatility43 and frivolity44. In what despotic state has the injustice45 of precipitate decrees ever been thus ingenuously46 acknowledged and deplored47?
Bayle, then, is for this once in the wrong. My republican has reason on his side. Popular government, therefore, is in itself iniquitious, and less abominable48 than monarchical49 despotism.
The great vice50 of democracy is certainly not tyranny and cruelty. There have been republicans in mountainous regions wild and ferocious51; but they were made so, not by the spirit of republicanism, but by nature. The North American savages52 were entirely53 republican; but they were republics of bears.
The radical54 vice of a civilized55 republic is expressed by the Turkish fable56 of the dragon with many heads, and the dragon with many tails. The multitude of heads become injurious, and the multitude of tails obey one single head, which wants to devour57 all.
Democracy seems to suit only a very small country; and even that fortunately situated58. Small as it may be, it will commit many faults, because it will be composed of men. Discord59 will prevail in it, as in a convent of monks60; but there will be no St. Bartholomews there, no Irish massacre61, no Sicilian vespers, no Inquisition, no condemnation62 to the galleys63 for having taken water from the ocean without paying for it; at least, unless it be a republic of devils, established in some corner of hell.
After having taken the side of my Swiss friend against the dexterous64 fencing-master, Bayle, I will add: That the Athenians were warriors65 like the Swiss, and as polite as the Parisians were under Louis XIV.; that they excelled in every art requiring genius or execution, like the Florentine in time of the Medici; that they were the masters of the Romans in the sciences and in eloquence66, even in the days of Cicero; that this same people, insignificant67 in number, who scarcely possessed68 anything of territory, and who, at the present day, consist only of a band of ignorant slaves, a hundred times less numerous than the Jews, and deprived of all but their name, yet bear away the palm from Roman power, by their ancient reputation, which triumphs at once over time and degradation69.
Europe has seen a republic, ten times smaller than Athens, attract its attention for the space of one hundred and fifty years, and its name placed by the side of that of Rome, even while she still commanded kings; while she condemned one Henry, a sovereign of France, and absolved70 and scourged71 another Henry, the first man of his age; even while Venice retained her ancient splendor72, and the republic of the seven United Provinces was astonishing Europe and the Indies, by its successful establishment and extensive commerce.
This almost imperceptible ant-hill could not be crushed by the royal demon73 of the South, and the monarch of two worlds, nor by the intrigues74 of the Vatican, which put in motion one-half of Europe. It resisted by words and by arms; and with the help of a Picard who wrote, and a small number of Swiss who fought for it, it became at length established and triumphant75, and was enabled to say, “Rome and I.” She kept all minds divided between the rich pontiffs who succeeded to the Scipios — Romanos rerum dominos — and the poor inhabitants of a corner of the world long unknown in a country of poverty and go?tres.
The main point was, to decide how Europe should think on the subject of certain questions which no one understood. It was the conflict of the human mind. The Calvins, the Bezas, and Turetins, were the Demostheneses, Platos, and Aristotles, of the day.
The absurdity of the greater part of the controversial questions which bound down the attention of Europe, having at length been acknowledged, this small republic turned our consideration to what appears of solid consequence — the acquisition of wealth. The system of law, more chimerical76 and less baleful than that of the supralapsarians and the sublapsarians, occupied with arithmetical calculations those who could no longer gain celebrity77 as partisans78 of the doctrine79 of crucified divinity. They became rich, but were no longer famous.
It is thought at present there is no republic, except in Europe. I am mistaken if I have not somewhere made the remark myself; it must, however, have been a great inadvertence. The Spaniards found in America the republic of Tlascala perfectly80 well established. Every part of that continent which has not been subjugated81 is still republican. In the whole of that vast territory, when it was first discovered, there existed no more than two kingdoms; and this may well be considered as a proof that republican government is the most natural. Men must have obtained considerable refinement82, and have tried many experiments, before they submit to the government of a single individual.
In Africa, the Hottentots, the Kaffirs, and many communities of negroes, are democracies. It is pretended that the countries in which the greater part of the negroes are sold are governed by kings. Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers are republics of soldiers and pirates. There are similar ones in India. The Mahrattas, and many other Indian hordes83, have no kings: they elect chiefs when they go on their expeditions of plunder84.
Such are also many of the hordes of Tartars. Even the Turkish Empire has long been a republic of janissaries, who have frequently strangled their sultan, when their sultan did not decimate them. We are every day asked, whether a republican or a kingly government is to be preferred? The dispute always ends in agreeing that the government of men is exceedingly difficult. The Jews had God himself for their master; yet observe the events of their history. They have almost always been trampled85 upon and enslaved; and, nationally, what a wretched figure do they make at present!
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1
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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stanch
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| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
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partisan
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| adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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iniquities
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| n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正 | |
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upbraid
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| v.斥责，责骂，责备 | |
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banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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consigning
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的现在分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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atrocity
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| n.残暴，暴行 | |
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calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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assassinates
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| v.暗杀( assassinate的第三人称单数 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏 | |
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usurp
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| vt.篡夺，霸占；vi.篡位 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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defiles
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| v.玷污( defile的第三人称单数 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进 | |
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perfidies
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| n.背信弃义，背叛，出卖( perfidy的名词复数 ) | |
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authenticated
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| v.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的过去式和过去分词 )；鉴定，使生效 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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expiation
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| n.赎罪，补偿 | |
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40
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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versatility
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| n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能 | |
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frivolity
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| n.轻松的乐事，兴高采烈；轻浮的举止 | |
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45
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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ingenuously
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| adv.率直地，正直地 | |
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deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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49
monarchical
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| adj. 国王的，帝王的，君主的，拥护君主制的 =monarchic | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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51
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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53
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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scourged
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| 鞭打( scourge的过去式和过去分词 )； 惩罚，压迫 | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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chimerical
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| adj.荒诞不经的，梦幻的 | |
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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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partisans
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| 游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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subjugated
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| v.征服，降伏( subjugate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
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