nobility and
by a council of the people only it is expressly said by the authors that
mention them that the, kings were but the captains, and that the people
not only gave them laws, but deposed them as often as they pleased.
Nor is it possible in reason that it should be otherwise in like cases;
wherefore these were either no monarchies, or had greater flaws in them
than any other.

But for a monarchy by arms, as that of the Turk (which, of all models
that ever were, comes up to the perfection of the kind), it is not in
the wit or power of man to cure it of this dangerous flaw, that the
Janizaries have frequent interest and perpetual power to raise sedition,
and to tear the magistrate, even the prince himself, in pieces.
Therefore the monarchy of Turkey is no perfect government.

And for a monarchy by nobility, as of late in Oceana (which of all other
models, before the declination of it, came up to the perfection in
that kind), it was not in the power or wit of man to cure it of that
dangerous flaw; that the nobility had frequent interest and perpetual
power by their retainers and tenants to raise sedition; and (whereas the
Janizaries occasion this kind of calamity no sooner than they make an
end of it) to levy a lasting war, to the vast effusion of blood, and
that even upon occasions wherein the people, but for their dependence
upon their lords, had no concernment, as in the feud of the Red and
White. The like has been frequent in Spain, France, Germany, and other
monarchies of this kind; wherefore monarchy by a nobility is no perfect
government.

For the proof of the third assertion: Leviathan yields it to me, that
there is no other commonwealth but monarchical or popular; wherefore
if no monarchy be a perfect government, then either there is no perfect
government, or it must be popular, for which kind of constitution I have
something more to say than Leviathan has said or ever will be able to
say for monarchy. As,

First, that it is the government that was never conquered by any
monarch, from the beginning of the world to this day, for if the
commonwealths of Greece came under the yoke of the Kings of Macedon,
they were first broken by themselves.

Secondly, that it is the government that has frequently led mighty
monarchs in triumph.

Thirdly, that it is the government, which, if it has been seditious, it
has not been so from any imperfection in the kind, but in the particular
constitution; which, whereve