which holds the first
rank.

We have already seen that there are governments different from a
monarchy, a democracy, and an oligarchy; and what they are, and wherein
they differ from each other; and also aristocracies and states properly
so called, which are derived from them; and it is evident that these are
not much unlike each other.

CHAPTER IX

We shall next proceed to show how that government which is peculiarly
called a state arises alongside of democracy and oligarchy, and how it
ought to be established; and this will at the same time show what are
the proper boundaries of both these governments, for we must mark out
wherein they differ from one another, and then from both these compose
a state of such parts of each of them as will show from whence they were
taken.

There are three different ways in which two states may be blended and
joined together; for, in the first place, all those rules may be adopted
which the laws of each of them have ordered; as for instance in the
judicial department, for in an oligarchy the rich are fined if they do
not come to the court as jurymen, but the poor are not paid for their
attendance; but in democracies they are, while the rich are not fined
for their neglect. Now these things, as being common to both, are fit
to be observed in a free [1294b] state which is composed of both. This,
then, is one way in which they may be joined together. In the second
place, a medium may be taken between the different methods which each
state observes; for instance, in a democracy the right to vote in the
public assembly is either confined by no census at all, or limited by a
very small one; in an oligarchy none enjoy it but those whose census is
high: therefore, as these two practices are contrary to each other, a
census between each may be established in such a state. In the third
place, different laws of each community may be adopted; as, for
instance, as it seems correspondent to the nature of a democracy, that
the magistrates should be chosen by lot, but an aristocracy by vote, and
in the one state according to a census, but not in the other: let, then,
an aristocracy and a free state copy something from each of them; let
them follow an oligarchy in choosing their magistrates by vote, but a
democracy in not admitting of any census, and thus blend together the
different customs of the two governments. But the best proof of a happy
mixture of a democracy and an oligarchy is thi