Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/73

Rh other officers every week, and the governor of the castle every day. But this can take place only in a small republic environed by formidable powers, who might easily corrupt such petty and insignificant magistrates.

The best aristocracy is that in which those who have no share in the legislature, are so few and inconsiderable, that the governing party have no interest in oppressing them. Thus when Antipater made a law at Athens, that whosoever was not worth two thousand drachms, should have no power to vote, he formed by this means the best aristocracy possible; because this was so small a sum as excluded very few, and not one of any rank or consideration in the city. Aristocratical families ought therefore, as much as possible, to level themselves in appearance with the people. The more an aristocracy borders on democracy, the nearer it approaches to perfection; and the more it is imperfect, in proportion as it draws towards monarchy.

But the most imperfect of all, is that in which the part of the people that obeys, is in a state of civil servitude to those who command, as the aristocracy of Poland, where the peasants are slaves to the nobility.

HE intermediate, subordinate and denpendent powers, constitute the nature of Rh