in whatever they owe
in an appointed order and little by little, instead of remaining idle
a short time and then having the entire sum demanded of them in one
payment.

[-29-] "I am not unaware that some of the incomes and taxes established
will be disliked. But I know this, too,--that if the peoples secure
immunity from any further abuse and believe in reality that they will be
contributing all of this for their own safety and for reaping subsidiary
benefits in abundance and that most of it will be obtained by no others
than men of their own district, some by governing, others by managing,
others by army service, they will be very grateful to you, giving as they
do a small portion of large possessions, the profits of which they enjoy
without oppression. Especially will this be true if they see that you
live temperately and spend nothing foolishly. Who, if he saw you very
economical of your own means and very lavish of the public funds,
would not willingly contribute, and deem your possession of wealth to
constitute his safety and prosperity? By these means a very large amount
of money would be on hand.

[-30-] "The rest I urge you to arrange in the following way. Adorn this
city in the most expensive manner possible and add brilliance by every
form of festival. It is fitting that we who rule many people should
surpass all in everything, and such spectacles tend in a way to promote
respect on the part of our allies and alarm on the part of enemies. The
affairs of other nations you should order in this fashion. First, let the
various tribes have no power in any matter nor meet in assemblies at all.
They would decide nothing good and would always be creating more or less
turmoil. Hence I say that even our own populace ought not to gather at
court or for elections or for any other such meeting where any business
is to be transacted. Next, they should not indulge in numbers of houses
of great size and beyond what is necessary, and they should not expend
money upon many and all kinds of contests: so they will neither be worn
out by vain zeal nor become hostile through unreasonable rivalries. They
ought, however, to have certain festivals and spectacles, (apart from the
horse-race held among us), but not to such an extent that the treasury or
private estates will be injured, or any stranger be compelled to spend
anything whatever in their midst, or food for a lifetime be furnished
to all who have merely won in some contest.