And here we might add other causes
that destroy dominions of this sort; but as they are well known, I pass
them by, and proceed now to state the laws by which this dominion, of
which we are treating, ought to be maintained.
13. The primary law of this dominion ought to be that which determines
the proportionate numbers of patricians and multitude. For a proportion
(Sec. 1) ought to be maintained between the multitude and the
patricians, so that with the increase of the former the number of the
latter should be raised. And this proportion (in accordance with our
remarks in the second section) ought to be about fifty to one, that is,
the inequality between the members of each should never be greater. For
(Sec. 1) without destroying the form of dominion, the number of
patricians may be greater than the number of the multitude. But there is
no danger except in the smallness of their number. But how it is to be
provided that this law be kept unbroken, I will presently show in its
own place.
14. Patricians, in some places, are chosen only out of particular
families. But it is ruinous to lay this down expressly by law. For not
to mention that families often die out, and that the other families can
never be excluded without disgrace, it is also repugnant to the form of
this dominion, that the dignity of patrician should be hereditary (Sec.
1). But on this system a dominion seems rather a democracy, such as we
have described in Sec.
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