“And for the better managing of the proper forces of this nation, the
lord strategus, by appointment of the Council of War, and out of such
levies as they shall have made in either or both of the provinces to
that end, shall receive auxiliaries by sea or elsewhere at some certain
place, not exceeding his proper arms in number.
“And whosoever shall refuse any one of his three essays, except upon
cause shown, he be dispensed withal by the phylarch, or, if the phylarch
be not assembled, by the censors of his tribe, shall be deemed a helot
or public servant, shall pay a fifth part of his yearly revenue,
besides all other taxes, to the commonwealth for his protection, and be
incapable of bearing any magistracy except such as is proper to the law.
Nevertheless if a man has but two sons, the lord lieutenant shall not
suffer above one of them to come to the Urn at one election of the
second essay, and though he has above two sons, there shall not come
above half the brothers at one election; and if a man has but one son,
he shall not come to the urn at all without the consent of his parents,
or his guardians, nor shall it be any reproach to him or impediment to
his bearing of magistracy.”
This order, with relation to foreign expeditions, will be proved and
explained together with--
The twenty-seventh order, “Providing, in case of invasion apprehended,
that the lords high sheriffs of the tribes, upon commands received from
the Parliament or the Dictator, distribute the bands of the elders into
divisions, after the nature of the essays of the youth; and that the
second division or essay of the elders, being made and consisting of
30,000 foot and 10,000 horse, be ready to march with the second essay of
the youth, and be brought also by the conductors to the strategus.
“The second essay of the elders and youth being marched out of their
tribes, the lords high sheriffs and lieutenants shall have the remaining
part of the annual bands both of elders and youth in readiness, which,
if the beacons be fired, shall march to the rendezvous to be in that
case appointed by the Parliament or the Dictator: And the beacons being
fired, the curiata comitia, or parochial congregations, shall elect a
fourth both of elders and youth to be immediately upon the guard of the
tribes, and dividing themselves as aforesaid, to march also in their
divisions according to orders, which method in case of extremity shall
proceed to the election of a third, or the levy of a second, or of the
last man in the nation, by the power of the lords high sheriffs, to the
end that the commonwealth in her utmost pressure may show her trust that
God in his justice will remember mercy, by humbling herself, and yet
preserving her courage, discipline, and constancy, even to the last drop
of her blood and the utmost farthing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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