And these patricians we
shall hereafter call syndics.
21. And they are to be chosen for life. For, were they to be chosen for
a time, so that they should afterwards be eligible for other offices in
the dominion, we should fall into the very absurdity which we have just
pointed out in the nineteenth section. But lest they should become quite
haughty by very long rule, none are to be elected to this office, but
those who have reached their sixtieth year or more, and have discharged
the duties of senator, of which below.
22. Of these, too, we shall easily determine the number, if we consider
that these syndics stand to the patricians in the same relation as the
whole body of patricians together does to the multitude, which they
cannot govern, if they are fewer than a proper number. And, therefore,
the number of the syndics should be to that of patricians as their
number is to that of the multitude, that is (Sec. 13), as one to fifty.
23. Moreover, that this council may discharge its functions in security,
some portion of the soldiery must be assigned to it, and be subject to
its orders.
24. The syndics and other ministers of state are to have no salary, but
such emoluments, that they cannot maladminister affairs of state without
great loss to themselves. For we cannot doubt that it is fair, that the
ministers of this kind of dominion should be awarded a recompense for
their time, since the commons are the majority in this dominion, and the
patricians look after their safety, while they themselves have no
trouble with affairs of state, but only with their own private ones.
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