Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/228

190 are now to go over the contentious and ambitious man, who is formed according to the Spartan republic; and then, him reembling an oligarchy; then the democratic; and then the tyrannic man, that we may contemplate the mot unjut man, and et him in oppoition to the mot jut, that our inquiry may be completed! The ambitious republic is firt to be conidered: it is indeed difficult for a city in this manner contituted, i. e. like Sparta, to be changed; but as every thing which is generated is liable to corruption, even uch a contitution as this will not remain for ever, but be diolved. (I hall pas over all the atrological and mytical whimies which we meet with o often in Plato, interpered among the mot ublime widom and profound knowledge, and inert only what is intelligible.) The amount of what he ays in this place about numbers and muic, is, that mitakes will inenibly be made in the choice of perons for guardians of the laws; and by thee guardians, in the rewards and promotion of merit. They will not always expertly ditinguih the everal pecies of geniues, the golden, the ilver, the brazen, and the iron, Whilt iron hall be mixed with ilver, and bras with gold, diimilitude, and dicord arie, and generate war, and enmity, and edition. When edition is rien, two of the pecies of geniues, the iron and brazen, will be carried away after gain, and the acquiition of lands and houes, gold and ilver. But the golden and ilver geniues, as they are not in want, but naturally rich, will lead the oul towards virtue and the original contitution. Thus divided, drawing contrary ways, and living in a violent manner, will not this republic be in the middle, between aritocracy and oligarchy, imitating, in ome things, the former republic, and in others oligarchy? They will honour their