equal. For Venice, though it comes the nearest, yet is a
commonwealth for preservation; and such a one, considering the
paucity of citizens taken in, and the number not taken in, is
externally unequal; and though every commonwealth that holds
provinces must in that regard be such, yet not to that degree.
Nevertheless, Venice internally, and for her capacity, is by far
the most equal, though it has not, in my judgment, arrived at the
full perfection of equality; both because her laws supplying the
defect of an agrarian are not so clear nor effectual at the
foundation, nor her superstructures, by the virtue of her ballot
or rotation, exactly librated; in regard that through the paucity
of her citizens her greater magistracies are continually wheeled
through a few hands, as is confessed by Janotti, where he says,
that if a gentleman comes once to be Savio di terra ferma, it
seldom happens that he fails from thenceforward to be adorned
with some one of the greater magistracies, as Savi di mare, Savi
di terra ferma, Savi Grandi, counsellors, those of the
decemvirate or dictatorian council, the aurogatori, or censors,
which require no vacation or interval. Wherefore if this in
Venice, or that in Lacedaemon, where the kings were hereditary,
and the Senators (though elected by the people) for life, cause
no inequality (which is hard to be conceived) in a commonwealth
for preservation, or such a one as consists of a few citizens;
yet is it manifest that it would cause a very great one in a
commonwealth for increase, or consisting of the many, which, by
engrossing the magistracies in a few hands, would be obstructed
in their rotation.

But there be who say (and think it a strong objection) that,
let a commonwealth be as equal as you can imagine, two or three