The legislator should always include the middle class in his
government; if he makes his laws oligarchical, to the middle class let
him look; if he makes them democratical, he should equally by his laws
try to attach this class to the state. There only can the government
ever be stable where the middle class exceeds one or both of the
others, and in that case there will be no fear that the rich will
unite with the poor against the rulers. For neither of them will
ever be willing to serve the other, and if they look for some form
of government more suitable to both, they will find none better than
this, for the rich and the poor will never consent to rule in turn,
because they mistrust one another. The arbiter is always the one
trusted, and he who is in the middle is an arbiter. The more perfect
the admixture of the political elements, the more lasting will be
the constitution. Many even of those who desire to form aristocratical
governments make a mistake, not only in giving too much power to the
rich, but in attempting to overreach the people. There comes a time
when out of a false good there arises a true evil, since the
encroachments of the rich are more destructive to the constitution
than those of the people.
XIII
The devices by which oligarchies deceive the people are five in
number; they relate to (1) the assembly; (2) the magistracies; (3) the
courts of law; (4) the use of arms; (5) gymnastic exercises.
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