9. As in democracy the people, so in an aristocracy the court of nobles is free from all manner of obligation. For seeing subjects not contracting with the people, but by mutual compacts among themselves, were tied to all that the people did; hence also they were tied to that act of the people, in resigning up its right of government into the hands of nobles. Neither could this court, although elected by the people, be by it obliged to anything. For being elected, the people is at once dissolved, as was declared above, and the authority it had as being a person, utterly vanisheth. Wherefore the obligation which was due to the _person_, must also vanish, and perish together with it. [Sidenote: The nobles must necessarily have their set meetings.] 10. _Aristocracy_ hath these considerations, together with _democracy_. First, that without an appointment of some certain times and places, at which the court of nobles may meet, it is no longer a court, or one person, but a dissolute multitude without any supreme power. Secondly, that the times of their assembling cannot be disjoined by long intervals without prejudice to the supreme power, unless its administration be transferred to some one man. Now the reasons why this happens, are the same which we set down in the fifth article. [Sidenote: By what acts a monarchy is framed.] 11. As an _aristocracy_, so also a _monarchy_ is derived from the power of the _people_, transferring its right, that is, its authority on one man. Here also we must understand, that some _one_ man, either by name or some other token, is propounded to be taken notice of above all the rest; and that by a plurality of voices the whole right of the people is conveyed on him; insomuch as whatsoever the people could do before he were elected, the same in every respect may he by right now do, being elected. Which being done, the people is no longer one _person_, but a rude multitude, as being only one before by virtue of the supreme command, whereof they now have made a conveyance from themselves on this one man. [Sidenote: That the monarch is by compact obliged to none for the authority he hath received.] 12. And therefore neither doth the monarch oblige himself to any for the command he receives. For he receives it from the people; but as hath been shewed above, the people, as soon as that act is done, ceaseth to be a _person_; but the _person_ vanishing, obligation to the _person_ vanisheth. The subjects therefore are tied to perform obedience to the monarch, by those compacts only by which they mutually obliged themselves to the observation of all that the people should command them, that is, to obey that _monarch_, if he were made by the _people_. [Sidenote: A monarch is ever in the readier capacity to exercise all those acts which are requisite to well governing.]