For if they were
chosen for life, not only could the greatest part of the citizens
conceive hardly any hope of obtaining this honour, and thus there would
arise a great inequality, and thence envy, and constant murmurs, and at
last seditions, which, no doubt, would be welcome to kings greedy of
mastery: but also the counsellors, being rid of the fear of their
successors, would assume a great licence in all respects, which the king
would be far from opposing. For the more the citizens hate them, the
more they will cling to the king, and be ready to flatter him. Nay, the
interval of five years seems even too much, for in such a space of time
it does not seem so impossible to corrupt by bribes or favour a very
large part of the council, however large it be. And therefore it will be
far safer, if every year two out of every clan retire, and be replaced
by as many more (supposing that there are to be five counsellors of each
clan), except in the year in which the jurist of any clan retires, and a
fresh one is chosen in his place.
14. Moreover, no king can promise himself more safety, than he who
reigns in a commonwealth of this sort. For besides that a king soon
perishes, when his soldiers cease to desire his safety, it is certain
that kings are always in the greatest danger from those who are nearest
their persons. The fewer counsellors, then, there are, and the more
powerful they consequently are, the more the king is in danger of their
transferring the dominion to another.
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