to Cæsar 3 yea, and after him too, til the memory of the Roman
Liberty was buried in an odious Tyranny, which was erected
first by force, but afterwards established by the Treachery and
compliance of the Nobility in the Senate.
For Modern Instances, the truth of this hath been alwayes
evident in the Republick of Genoa, where the People could
never be at quiet nor secure, till they puld down the pride of
those hereditary petty Tyrants that were among them, and
opened the Senate dores to the free Suffrages of the People
in the election of their Duke, even out of themselves (if they
pleased) and in all other affairs of concernment. But the Case
is far otherwise in Venice, where the People are not in any capacity
to elect, or be elected to the Dukedom, nor any other
Office of Dignity, but all Officers and affairs of State and Authority
are imbezled in the Senate, by an hereditary Titular
Nobility, for which caus, though the State be called Free, yet
if you please to proportion your Judgement by the Schemes
of true Policy, you will finde it hath not so much as a Face
of Freedom, nor so much as a Forme of a reall Republick, as
the people have ever found in all their Territories by sad experience.
And that you may Perceive what an Inconsistency there is
between Liberty and those Titular toyes, it is very observable,
that in many Parts of the world they have been the only
obstacles of Freedom; witnes the Countries of Latium,
Æmilia, Flaminia, Insubria, Milain, Sicily, and Naples,
in all which Places the multitude of Titular Powers and dignities,
hath been the only cause wherefore the People have
ever had so much difficulty to attain, or preserve themselves
in the state of a Republick; and in Naples now, we see it is
the Spaniards policy to uphold an innumerable frie of Hereditary
Nobility, for the more sure bridling of the People;
which cours was taken also by the Medicean family, first to
weaken the Peoples Interest, then to banish it, and ever since
to extinguish the very hope of Liberty, in those quondam-free
states of Florence, Siena, and Luca; as the Pope, and
other Princes have don in the rest of Italy.