For in this manner about a twelfth part of
the patricians will be constantly engaged in the duty of senator, with
only short intervening periods; and this number surely, together with
that made up by the syndics, will be little less than the number of
patricians that have attained their fiftieth year. And so all the
patricians will always have a great hope of gaining the rank of senator
or syndic, and yet notwithstanding, the same patricians, at only short
intervals, will always hold senatorial rank, and (according to what we
said, Sec. 2) there will never be wanting in the senate distinguished
men, excelling in counsel and skill. And because this law cannot be
broken without exciting great jealousy on the part of many patricians,
it needs no other safeguard for its constant validity, than that every
patrician who has reached the age we mentioned, should offer the proof
thereof to the syndics, who shall put his name on the list of candidates
for the senatorial duties, and read the name before the supreme council,
so that he may occupy, with the rest of the same rank, a place set apart
in this supreme council for his fellows, next to the place of the
senators.
31. The emoluments of the senators should be of such a kind, that their
profit is greater from peace than from war. And therefore let there be
awarded to them a hundredth or a fiftieth part of the merchandise
exported abroad from the dominion, or imported into it from abroad.
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