Now the foundation of a democratical state is liberty, and people have
been accustomed to say this as if here only liberty was to be found; for
they affirm that this is the end proposed by every democracy. But one
part of liberty is to govern and be governed alternately; for, according
to democratical justice, equality is measured by numbers, and not by
worth: and this being just, it is necessary that the supreme power
should be vested in the people at large; and that what the majority
determine should be final: so that in a democracy the poor ought to have
more power than the rich, as being the greater number; for this is one
mark of liberty which all framers of a democracy lay down as a criterion
of that state; another is, to live as every one likes; for this, they
say, is a right which liberty gives, since he is a slave who must live
as he likes not. This, then, is another criterion of a democracy. Hence
arises the claim to be under no command whatsoever to any one, upon any
account, any otherwise than by rotation, and that just as far only as
that person is, in his turn, under his also. This also is conducive to
that equality which liberty demands. These things being premised, and
such being the government, it follows that such rules as the following
should be observed in it, that all the magistrates should be chosen out
of all the people, and all to command each, and each in his turn all:
that all the magistrates should be chosen by lot, except to those
offices only which required some particular knowledge and skill: that no
census, or a very small one, should be required to qualify a man for any
office: that none should be in the same employment twice, or very few,
and very seldom, except in the army: that all their appointments should
be limited to a very short time, or at least as many as possible:
that the whole community should be qualified to judge in all causes
whatsoever, let the object be ever so extensive, ever so interesting, or
of ever so high a nature; as at Athens, where the people at large judge
the magistrates when they come out of office, and decide concerning
public affairs as well as private contracts: that the supreme power
should be in the public assembly; and that no magistrate should be
allowed any discretionary power but in a few instances, and of no
consequence to public business. Of all magistrates a senate is best
suited to a democracy, where the whole community is not paid for giving
their attendance; for in that case it loses its power; for then the
people will bring all causes before them, by appeal, as we have
already mentioned in a former book. In the next place, there should, if
possible, be a fund to pay all the citizens--who have any share in the
management of public affairs, either as members of the assembly, judges,
and magistrates; but if this cannot be done, at least the magistrates,
the judges the senators, and members of the supreme assembly, and also