is equal, as Lacedemon or Venice. Where the nobility holds half the property, or about that proportion, and the people the other half, the ſhares of the land may be equal; but in regard the nobility have much among few, and the people little among many, the few will not be contented to have authority, which is all their proper ſhare in a commonwealth, but will be bringing the people under power, which is not their proper ſhare in a commonwealth; wherefore this commonwealth muſt needs be unequal; and, except by altering the balance, as the Athenians did by the reciſion of debts, or as the Romans went about to do, by an agrarian, it be brought to ſuch an equality, that the whole power be in the people, and there remain no more than authority in the nobility, there is no remedy, but the one, with perpetual feuds, will eat out the other, as the people did the nobility in Athens, and the nobility the people in Rome. Where the carcaſe is, there will be the eagles alſo; where the riches are, there will be the power: ſo if a few be as rich as all the reſt, a few will have as much power as all the reſt; in which caſe the commonwealth is unequal, and there can be no end of ſtaving and tailing till it be brought to equality.
The eſtates, be they one, or two, or three, are ſuch, as was ſaid by virtue of the balance upon which the government muſt naturally depend: exemplified in France, &c.
Page 256.—All government is of three kinds; a government of ſervants, a government of ſubjects, or a government of citizens. The firſt is abſolute monarchy, as that of Turky; the ſecond ariſtocratical monarchy, as that of France; the
