if the interest of popular government come the nearest to the interest
of mankind, then the reason of popular government must come the nearest
to right reason.

But it may be said that the difficulty remains yet; for be the interest
of popular government right reason, a man does not look upon reason as
it is right or wrong in itself, but as it makes for him or against him.
Wherefore, unless you can show such orders of a government as, like
those of God in nature, shall be able to constrain this or that creature
to shake off that inclination which is more peculiar to it, and take up
that which regards the common good or interest, all this is to no more
end than to persuade every man in a popular government not to carve
himself of that which he desires most, but to be mannerly at the
public table, and give the best from himself to decency and the common
interest. But that such orders may be established as may, nay must, give
the upper hand in all cases to common right or interest, notwithstanding
the nearness of that which sticks to every man in private, and this in
a way of equal certainty and facility, is known even to girls, being no
other than those that are of common practice with them in divers cases.
For example, two of them have a cake yet undivided, which was given
between them: that each of them therefore might have that which is due,
"Divide," says one to the other, "and I will choose; or let me divide,
and you shall choose." If this be but once agreed upon, it is enough;
for the divident, dividing unequally, loses, in regard that the other
takes the better half. Wherefore she divides equally, and so both have
right. "Oh, the depth of the wisdom of God." And yet "by the mouths of
babes and sucklings has He set forth His strength;" that which great
philosophers are disputing upon in vain is brought to light by two
harmless girls, even the whole mystery of a commonwealth, which lies
only in dividing and choosing. Nor has God (if his works in nature be
understood) left so much to mankind to dispute upon as who shall divide
and who choose, but distributed them forever into two orders, whereof
the one has the natural right of dividing, and the other of choosing.

For example: A commonwealth is but a civil society of men: let us take
any number of men (as twenty) and immediately make a commonwealth.
Twenty men (if they be not all idiots, perhaps if they be) can never
come so together but there will be such a differen