10. Furthermore, for this same reason, that all but the patricians are
foreigners, it cannot be without danger to the whole dominion, that the
lands and houses and the whole soil should remain public property, and
be let to the inhabitants at a yearly rent. For the subjects having no
part in the dominion would easily, in bad times, all forsake their
cities, if they could carry where they pleased what goods they possess.
And, therefore, lands and farms are not to be let, but sold to the
subjects, yet on condition that they pay every year an aliquot part of
the year's produce, etc., as is done in Holland.
11. These points considered, I proceed to the foundations on which the
supreme council should rest and be established. We have shown (Sec. 2)
that, in a moderate-sized dominion, this council ought to have about
five thousand members. And so we must look for means of preventing the
dominion from gradually getting into fewer hands, and of insuring, on
the contrary, that the number of members be increased in proportion to
the growth of the dominion itself; and, next, that between the
patricians, equality be as far as possible maintained; and, further,
that there may be speed and expedition in their counsels, and that they
tend to the general good; and, lastly, that the power of the patricians
or council exceed the power of the multitude, yet so that the multitude
suffer no harm thereby.
12. But jealousy causes a great difficulty in maintaining our first
point.
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