Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/67

Rh the people of Rome into a hundred and ninety-three centuries, which formed six classes; and ranking the rich, who were in smaller numbers, in the first centuries, and those in middling circumstances, who were more numerous, in the following centuries; he slung the indigent multitude into the last; and as each century had but one vote, it was property rather than numbers that decided the elections.

Solon divided the people of Athens into four classes. In this he was directed by the spirit of democracy, his intention not being to fix those who were to chuse, but those who were capable of being chosen, wherefore leaving to each citizen the right of election, he made the judges eligible from each of those four classes; but the magistrates he ordered to be chosen only out of the three first, which consisted of citizens of easy fortunes.

As the division of those who have a right of suffrage, is a fundamental law in a republic; so the manner also of giving this suffrage is another fundamental law.

The suffrage by lot is natural to democracy, as that by choice is to aristocracy.

The suffrage by lot is a method of electing that offends no one; it lets each citizen entertain reasonable hopes of serving his country.

But as this method is in itself defective, it has been the glorious endeavour of the most eminent legislators to regulate and amend it. Rh