Yet if slavery, barbarism, and desolation are to be
called peace, men can have no worse misfortune. No doubt there are
usually more and sharper quarrels between parents and children, than
between masters and slaves; yet it advances not the art of housekeeping,
to change a father's right into a right of property, and count children
but as slaves. Slavery then, not peace, is furthered by handing over to
one man the whole authority. For peace, as we said before, consists not
in mere absence of war, but in a union or agreement of minds.
5. And in fact they are much mistaken, who suppose that one man can by
himself hold the supreme right of a commonwealth. For the only limit of
right, as we showed (Chap. II.), is power. But the power of one man is
very inadequate to support so great a load. And hence it arises, that
the man, whom the multitude has chosen king, looks out for himself
generals, or counsellors, or friends, to whom he entrusts his own and
the common welfare; so that the dominion, which is thought to be a
perfect monarchy, is in actual working an aristocracy, not, indeed, an
open but a hidden one, and therefore the worst of all. Besides which, a
king, who is a boy, or ill, or overcome by age, is but king on
sufferance; and those in this case have the supreme authority, who
administer the highest business of the dominion, or are near the king's
person; not to mention, that a lascivious king often manages everything
at the caprice of this or that mistress or minion.
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