councils, that of the College, and the other of the Dieci, or
Council of Ten. The course of the College is exactly described in
the ensuing order: and for that of the Dieci, it so little
differs from what it has bestowed upon Our Dictator, that I need
not make any particular description of it. But to dictatorian
power in general, and the use of it (because it must needs be of
difficult digestion to such as, puking still at ancient prudence,
show themselves to be in the nursery of mother-wit); it is no
less than necessary to say something. And, first, in a
commonwealth that is not wrought up, or perfected, this power
will be of very frequent, if not continual, use; wherefore it is
said more than once, upon defects of the government, in the book
of Judges, 'that in those days there was no king in Israel.' Nor
has the translator, though for 'no king, he should have said 'no
judge,' abused you so much; seeing that the Dictator (and such
was the Judge of Israel) or the dictatorian power being in a
single person, so little differs from monarchy, which followed in
that, that from the same cause there has been no other effect in
any commonwealth: as in Rome was manifest by Sylla and Caesar,
who to make themselves absolute or sovereign, had no more to do
than to prolong their magistracy, for the dictatorian power was
reputed divine, and therefore irresistible.

"Nevertheless, so it is, that without this power, which is so
dangerous, and subject to introduce monarchy, a commonwealth
cannot be safe from falling into the like dissolution; unless you
have an expedient in this case of your own, and bound up by your
providence from recoiling. Expedients in some cases you must not
only have, but be beholden for them to such whom you must trust
at a pinch, when you have not leisure to stand with them for