Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/238

in ſeaſons or in republics, is wont to occaſion a mighty change to the reverſe; and exceſſive liberty ſeems to change into nothing but exceſſive ſlavery, both with a private perſon and a city. Thus licentiouſneſs deſtroys the democracy. Out of no other republic is tyranny conſtituted but out of democracy; and out of the moſt exceſſive liberty, the greateſt and moſt ſavage ſlavery. The race of idle and profuſe men, one part of which was more brave, and were leaders, the ether more cowardly, and followers, we compared to drones, ſome with ſtings, others with none. Theſe two ſpringing up in a republic, raiſe diſturbance, as phlegm and bile in a natural body. Let us divide a democratic city into three, as it really is; for one ſuch ſpecies as the above grows through licentiouſneſs in it, no leſs than in the oligarchic, but is much more fierce: in oligarchy, becauſe it is not in places of honour, but is debared from the magiſtracies, it is unexerciſed, and does not become ſtrong; but in a democracy this is the preſiding party, excepting a few; and now it ſays and does the moſt outrageous things. Some other party is now always ſeparated from the multitude; and while the whole are ſomehow in purſuit of gain, ſuch as are the moſt temperate become the wealthieſt, and have the greateſt quantity of honey; hence the greateſt quantity of honey, and what comes with the greateſt eaſe, is preſſed out of theſe by the drones. Such wealthy people are the paſture of the drones. The people who mind their own affairs, and meddle not with any others, who have not much property, but yet are the moſt numerous, and the moſt prevalent in democracy, whenever it is fully aſſembled, would be a third ſpecies: but it will not often fully aſſemble, if it does not get ſome ſhare of the honey. It does, however, always get a ſhare, for

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