occasion by civill discords to assume the Severaignty into his
single hands, hee durst not entertain it under the hatefull
name of King, but clothed himself with the more plausible
stile of Emperor, & c. which neverthelsse could not secure
him from that fat all Stah which was given him by Brutus in
revenge, on the behalf of the People. ---Our neighbours
of Holland traced this Example at the heels, when upon
the recovery of their Freedome from Spain, they bound
Themselves by an Oath to abjure the Government, not only
of K Philip, but of all Kings forever.
Kings being cashiered out of Rome, then the Right of
Liberty, together with the Government, was retained
within the hands and bound of the Patrician, or Senatorian
order of Nobility, the People not being admitted into any
share, till partly by Mutinies, and partly by Importunity,
they compelled the Senators to grant them an Interest in
Offices of State, and in the Legislative power, which were
circumscribed before within the bounds of the Senate.
Hence arose those Officers called Tribunes, and those
Conventions called Assemblies of the People, which were
as Bridles to restrain the power and ambition of the Senate,
or Nobility. Before the erection of these, whilst all was in
the hands of the Senate, the nation was accounted Free,
because not subjected to the will of any single Person; but
afterwards they were free indeed, when no Lawes could bee
imposed upon them, without a Consent first had in the Peoples
Assemblies; so that the Government in the end came
to be setled in an equal mixture of both Interests, Partician
and Popular, under which Form they attained to the height
of all their glory and greatness.
In this form of Free-State, wee now see the Venetian;
where the Patrician is predominant and the People a little
too much kept under: The same Form is imbraced also by
our Neighbours the United Provinces, but the best part of
their Interest lies deposited in the hands of the People.
Rome kept up the Senate as their standing Councell, for the