Of the Magystrates

EVerye thyrty families or fermes chewse them year lye an offycer, whyche in their olde language is called the Syphogra[…]te, & by a newer name the Phylarche. Euerye tenne Syphoagrauntes, with all their 300 families bee vnder an offycer whyche was ones called the Tra[…]ore, now the chiefe Phylarche. Moreouer as concerninge the electyon of the Prynce, all the Syphoagraūtes which be i[…] number.200. first be sworue to chewse him whome they thynke moste mete and expedyente. Then by a secrete electyon they name prynce one of those.iiij. whome the people before named vnto them. For owte of the.iiij. quarters of the citie there be iiij. chosen, owte of euerye quarter one, to stande for the election: Whiche be put vp to the counsell. The princes office contineweth all his liffe time, […]nles he be deposed or put dow[…]e for suspitiō of tirannye. They chewse the tranibores yearlye, but lightlye they chaunge them not. All the other offices be but for one yeare. The Tranibores euerye thyrde daye, and sumtymes, if neade be, oftener come into the councell house with the prynce. Theire councell is concernynge the common wealth. […] there be annye controuersyes amonge the commoners, whyche be very fewe, they dyspatche and ende them by and by. They take euer.ij. Siphogrant[…] to them in cowncell, and euerye daye a newe coupel. And yt ys prouydede that no thynge towchynge the common wealthe shalbe confyrmed and ratifyed, on les yt haue bene reasonede of and debatede.iij. dayes in the cowncell, before yt be decreed. It is deathe to haue annye consultaryon for the common wealthe owte of the cownsell, or the place of the common electyon. Thys statute, they saye, was made to thentente, that the prynce and Tra […]ibores myghte […]ot easely conspire together to oppresse the people by tyrannye, and to chaunge the state of the weale publique. Therfore matters of greate weyghte and importaunce be brought to the electyou house of the syphograuntes, whyche open the matter to their familyes. And afterwarde, when they haue consulted among them selfes, they shewe their deuyse to the cowncell. Sumtyme the matter is brought before the cowncell of the hole Ilande. Furthermore thys custome also the cowncell vseth, to dyspute or reason of no matter the same daye that it ys fyrste proposed or putt furthe, but to dyfferre it to the nexte syttynge of the cownsell. Bycause that no man when he hathe resshelye there spoken that cummeth fyrste to hys tonges ende, shalt then afterwarde rather studye for reasons wherewyth to defende and confyrme hys fyrste folyshe sentence, than for the commodytye of the common: wealthe as one rather wyllynge the harme or hynderaunce of the weale publyque then annye losse or dymyn[…] tyon of hys owne existymatyon. And as one that wolde not for shame (which is a verye folyshe shame) be cowntede annye thynge ouerseen in the matter at the fyrste, Who at the fyrste owghte to haue spoken rather wysely then hastely or rashelye.