The benefit of the ballot, with nature and use thereof particularly in the Republick of Venice.

The benefit of the ballot, with nature and use thereof particularly in the Republick of Venice.

Table of contents

THE BENEFIT OF THE BALLOT: WITH The Nature and Use thereof: Particularly in the Republick of VENICE.

THE BENEFIT OF THE BALLOT: WITH The Nature and Use thereof: Particularly in the Republick of VENICE.

[Page]

[Page]

THe Use or Practice of the Ballot hath been very Ancient in the Eastern Countries; And Postellus conceiveth, that the Venetian use of the Ball, is the same with that, which was of the Lot in the Commonwealth of Israel, and of the Bean in Atthens Cicero himself doth give a very good account, and a very great Encomium of the Table or Ballot of the People of Rome; And certainly Rome nor Carthage had ever attain'd to their Grandeur and Reputation in the World, had it not been for the Ballot. By this only Art (we had almost said) the Commonwealth of Venice hath preserv'd it self against the most potent enemies for these 1300 Years; and it hath flourished in the greatest splendour of any State in Europe.

Where the Ballotting is us'd, those States are most free from all Factions and Rebellions.

There, Persons of the most accomplisht Parts are advanc'd for their Integrity and Worth.

There, Virtue is as speedy a Ladder to climbe unto Honour, as Nobility of Birth; and a good Man is as much respected as a great.

Every one giveth his Election and Vote freely, and that without the fear of Great-ones, or Favour to Freinds; But according to the Value and Worth of the Persons, do they give their Suffrages; and for those who are of the most Noble Spirits: Not for persons designing their own private Interest, to the impoverishing of the Publick.

There is not a place for Pensioners, who are the Burs of a Nation, and the Suckers, which hinder the growth of any State.

They are very just in their Rewards and Punishments; which rightly laid, do ballance Government.

By these means their Councellors are of great Honour, and Wisdom; For mean Men make it their Master-piece of Credit, to give venturous Councils, which no great or wise man would or durst: And Princes usually find Instruments more for their Will and Humour, then for their Service and Honour; which never can be so in this State: For they ever prefer safe Councils with Reason, before rash, which only Chance can make prosperous.

[Page]Their management of their Treasure is prudent, and their Officers frugal in the disposal of it; Knowing well, that good husbandry may stand with great Honour, as well as Breadth with Height; And certainly nothing doth consume it self like Prodigality; (which some by mistake call Liberty;) For if it be long us'd, it takes away the means to continue it, and consequently it does make a State poor; or else to avoid poverty, it's often enforc'd to oppression, and thereby becomes odious.

It is necessary (like Venice,) for every State to have a full Treasure, if it be but for the keeping up of its Reputation abroad; For the power of a State is valued according to the fulness of its Purse, rather than the largeness of its Teritories.

The Officers in that State are but few; and they make choice of such as are knowing: For, being rich, they need not abuse the State themselves; and, being knowing, they will not suffer others do do it.

But in some Monarchies, where there are such multitudes of Officers, (which is a great calamity) they serve for nothing, but to rifle the Princes Purse; and the fuller they fill their Coffers, the more facile is their Justification, when question'd.

Neither are they for making of Parties, or for Debaucheries in Elections; as it is observ'd (to our great grief) in some other places.

There are no Tumults or noise at their Votes or Suffrages, which in some places are so great, that Strangers (hearing the shouts and noise they make,) have conceiv'd themselves to be at Ephesus.

That State that useth it, must needs have the greatest advantages against others which use it not: Neither is it possible to be destroy'd but by another State, which useth the [...]ame.

Carthage had never been subdu'd by the Romans, but that the Romans us'd the Ballot, as well as they themselves; And that makes us often to think, that Venice preserving her ancient Rules and Methods of Balloting, must be immortal.

Let us consider, that Anno 1508. when the Emperour, and most of the Kings and Princes of Europe entred into a League against Her, (by this one practice) how prudently she behav'd her self against them all.

We need not instance the prudent conduct, and the management of their Affairs against the most formi [...]ble power of the Sultan, which would have been a terrour, if not a Confusion, to the greatest Princes of Europe; if we consider the Ottoman power, and the continuance of those Wars; And we are apt to conceive, that by this Art they have done more severe execution, and given the greater disturbance to the Ottoman Forces, than all the Princes of Europe (tho all conspir'd against them) during the Holy War; For by reason of their Divisions, Piques and animosities among themselves (which by the Ballot would easily have been prevented) they never effected any Action of Grandieur; or gain'd any place but to lose again.

Whether the Ballot be so practicable in a Monarchy, where all great Offices and Honours are at the disposal of a Prince, and by Him conferred as a reward of Services; We must submit that to their pleasures.

But certainly to that State wherein it is entertain'd, the advantages which thereby accrew, must needs be very great; and would be the best expedient to establish Monarchy for ever: For Monarchy can never be destroy'd, but by Factions and Divisions, which can never happen in that State where the Ballot is used.

Galgee the King of Mindao, a Prince who had many Kingdoms and great Dominions, being in a War; and for the better carrying on of the same, assembled his Grand Conciliado, or Convention of States, (for without them no Money could be rais'd,) which consisted of Magnifico's and Populo's; (as with us in England,) that is, of Lords and Commons. They being assembled, granted many Royal Aids to the King; But being continued together over long, they fell into Parties, (as great Bodies are very apt to do.) Some accusing the most eminent Ministers of State for their ill Councel, and male administration of publick Affairs; Others opposing the granting of any further Aid, affirming that Taxes and Impositions ought to be in the State, as Sails in a Ship, not to charge and over-lade it, but to conduct and assure it.

The King finding so many of them to be Troublesom, the better to obtain his own ends, took them off by Honours, Preferments and Pensions; But thereby the King became Indigent, the Subjects miserably poor, and the great Council (which ever us'd to be a Medicine to heal up any Rupture in a Princes Fortune,) were grown worse than the Malady, broken into Parties, because others were prefer'd in Honours before them, who, (as they conceiv'd) were much inferior to themselves in Merit; and commonly the People cannot endure excessive Fortune any where so ill, as in those who have been in equal Degree to them; and nothing begets more disdain, then to see others go before them in the Princes Favour, who come behind them in Virtue and Worth.

[Page]The Kingdom being in this Distemper, and the King incircled in so many Infelicities; Vanly, a Persian, an excellent Person, and a great friend to Galgee, advis'd him not to Dissolve his great Council, (for in that Juncture it might hazard his Dominions, and prove fatal to him, it being the great Idol of the People,) but to continue them during his Life; And the better to reconcile all Interests, to cause 30 to be chosen out of the Conciliado to be of his Council Di Stado, (or Privy Council as we call it;) whereof 15 to be Lords, and 15 to be Commons; and all those to be Elected by themselves by the Ballot, out of the most Virtuous and publick Spirited persons amongst them: And every Year 10 of those to be remov'd out of the Council Di Stado, and to return to the Conciliado or Great Council; and by the Ballot to make choice of other 10 of the most Eminent amongst them for Integrity and Parts.

King Galgee gave an exact observance to his sober Council, and by these means he united all Parties in his Council; and there was such a due administration of Justice in his Dominions, and such virtuous Persons were chosen for the management of Publick Affairs, that in a short time King Galgee became so potent, and belov'd of his People, (for that Prince, who will gain their affections, must give them ease and plenty,) that when Badurius, King of C [...]mbaia, invaded Mindao with an Army of 150000 Horse, and 500000 Foot; that Prince, by the assistance of his own Subjects, and of some mercenary Persians, and Zagathay, defeated and destroy'd that great Army.

Certainly, as it was great wisdom in Vanly to give this Council, so it was great prudence in King Galgee to follow it; for the great Council consisting (or at least presum'd to consist) of the most wise, and sufficient Persons, of all his Dominions: the Privy Council, and others, the great Officers of State, being, by the Ballot, chosen out of the most eminent of them for Parts, and Integrity, there must needs be a rare felicity of Government.

There could be no complaints of the male-administration of the Ministers of State, (which usually makes the greatest noise) they being virtuous and wise, and chosen out of the Ballot by themselves; neither were they, who were advanc'd to honour, envied (which is ever an Attendant upon Greatness) by any of the Conciliado; because they themselves, in time, might attain to that dignity, if their wisdom and integrity should in worthy them.

Which was a rare happiness; for great men may secure themselves from guilt, but not from envy: And we have observ'd, that the greatest in trust of Publick Affairs, are ever shot at by the aspirings of those, who deem themselves less in imployment, than they are in merit.

Therefore it highly concerns great Ministers of State, to keep Sentinel; for every step they tread is pav'd with Fate, and every misfortune of theirs commonly procures them as much dishonour, as if they had been perfidious in their practice, and their unhappiness is deem'd for a crime.

Therefore let those, who are rais'd to the height of their greatness, consider, that Princes Favours are always perillous; and that it's a difficult thing to stand long firm upon Ice, and that the Fall (how gentle soever) will never suffer them again to rise.

But King Galgee, by his prudent Government, had a peculiar felicity in his Reign, and establish'd his Dominions upon the Center of a flourishing happiness; yet we cannot but observe one great Soloecism in point of State, in King Galgee's rewarding so many persons, for being troublesome unto him; for that Prince, who does practise it, shall find, that no sooner he takes off one, but presently another gets up; and it will animate others to do so, when they find such encouragement for being troublesome, and at last, if the Prince be notable to gratifie all, (which is impossible for him to do) it may turn to the dissolution of the Government.

But certainly King Galgee could have no kindness for those persons, he had so advanc'd, (Preferment being the reward of Virtue, and not to gratifie disquiet Spirits) and the People, who are ever jealous of their Rights, must look upon them, as betrayers of their Liberties; and the end of such persons (if one well observe it) is commonly very miserable: And the Subjects never so much repine at their Contributions, as when they observe them to be the rewards of persons, to whom Fortune, not Merit, gives a growth.

It was a Remark of Henry the Fourth of France, that such persons, who made the greatest noise in the Parliament of Paris, were men of the least sufficiency; but they had soft tongues, and hard faces, they did not vent their own conceits, but the projections and designs of others; and they were like hollow singing Bullets, which usually flew but half way to the Mark; whereas the Designer doth execution, but makes no report.

It was afterwards observ'd, that the Successors of this great Galgee, not imitating his excellent Arts of Government, and neglecting the choice of the great Ministers of State by the Ballot; by reason whereof men of no sufficiency were promoted to the highest Offices of State, which gave discouragement to others of more desert; and, by their male-administration, discontent to all: [Page] Thereby their Countrey in a short time, was overcome by Merhamed the Mogul Tartar. Whereas if they had observ'd the prudentials of Galgee, and us'd the Ballot, (which had been a Wall of Steel to them) they had been invincible.

There is no Government but this of the Ballot may suit with, if the Prince, and his great Council, please to make a Law for the practice of it; neither is it any diminution to the Prince's Dignity, to depart with the conferring of Offices; when, by the use of the Ballot, all things will multiply to Honour, and the aggrandizing of his Name.

For many times it's as fatal to a Prince to have bad Officers under him, as for himself not to be good.

The Revolt, which was made from Richard the Second, was more for the displeasure taken against Sir John Bushy, Sir William Bagot, and Sir Henry Green, &c. who manag'd the publick Offices under him, than against the King himself.

For Princes, in the Elections of their Officers, do more respect their particular affections, and to serve their turns, than the sufficiency of the persons elected; and more Kingdoms and Dominions have been overthrown by the ill management of Officers, than by the severity of the greatest Tyrants; and the Investiture of the meanest persons to great Commands, hath often prov'd fatal to the greatest undertakings.

An Instance whereof is that of James the Fifth of Scotland, who, in the year 1542. invaded England with an Army of 60000 Horse and Foot; and was met with the Lord Wharton, then Warden of the North-West Marches; the Battel being ready to joyn, one Sir Oliver Synclere, (the Scottish King's Minion, but of no great Extraction, or Skill in Martial Affairs,) was by the King's Order proclaim'd General; which the Scottish Nobility took in such indignation, that they threw down their Arms, and suffer'd themselves to be taken Prisoners; there being not one man slain on either side: Whereas if they had made choice of a Captain-General themselves by the Ballot, one, who had good skill in Martial Affairs, and whom they would willingly have follow'd; what Actions of Grandeur they might have effected, we leave it to the judicious to consider.

The Practice, and Method, which the State of Venice useth in their Elections by the Ball, may be read at large in Contarini, Gianotti, and Sansovinus; but in case these Authors be wanting, Mr. John Ray's Observations, printed Anno 1673. will fully inform you, who hath (folio 157.) exactly collected out of the said Authors, all the Observables in their Elections; which would be over-tedious to express here, the same having been perform'd so particularly, and excellently, by that learned Gentleman.

We will here set down, in a few lines, somewhat of the Practick Part (for it is us'd in some Cases with more nicety, than in others) in great Councils of State; we will mention the most facile here.

The Electors being assembled in some convenient Place, (as a great Hall, &c.) the doors are shut up, and the Prime Officers, who assemble, or call together the Electors, keep the Keys till the Election be over.

The Syndick, or chief Officer for that purpose, takes the Ballot-Box, and opens it in the view of all the Company, to see that it is empty, and without secret Conveyances; then placeth it on a Table for that purpose, at one end of the Room, and calls such of the Company as he thinks may make most dispatch; gives to each a Ball in the fight of the People, a little Ball made of fine Linnen, as at In some Places they use Beans. Venice; he puts into the Box, either the Affirmative, or Negative, and so departs to one side from the rest; and then he calls the next, and does the like to him, and so of the rest, till all are call'd; all, who have voted, stand apart by themselves.

The Box is somewhat long, and hath a partition in the midst, the which hath two holes to drop the Balls in, which are Taper-wise, broader at the top, and narrower at the bottom; the right-hand hole is for the They may also be distinguished by the Colours, black and white. Affirmative, and the left for the Negative.

And, because that no man shall know on which side a man puts his Ball, (who is giving his Vote) there is a place roundish made in the Box, to put in the Hand and Arm, almost half way to the Elbow, so as the Hand being in, the Party may let his Ball drop as he pleaseth.

When all have done Ballotting, the Box is open'd, and what is in the Affirmative noted down.

Then the next Competitor is Ballotted for, as the former, and so of the rest; and he who hath most Votes in the Affirmative, is elected.

All very easily perform'd in a short time, without noise, without tumult, without animofities, and the most deserving always is elected.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The benefit of the ballot, with nature and use thereof particularly in the Republick of Venice.

Harrington, James, 1611-1677.

Edition statement

1680

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2005-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A70329

ID [STC]

Wing H806A

ID [STC]

ESTC R19369

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12399107

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12399107

ID [VID]

61226

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70329)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 61226)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 941:7 or 1672:19)

Source

— The benefit of the ballot, with nature and use thereof particularly in the Republick of Venice., Harrington, James, 1611-1677..

Extent

4 p.

s.n.,. [S.l. :: 1680?]. (Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library.) (Caption title.) (Attributed to James Harrington. cf. NUC pre-1956.) (Item at reel 941:7 identified as H828 (number cancelled in Wing 2nd ed.).)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.