them. All that are capable of bearing arms, are exerciſed, and ready at a moment's call.
The ſovereign power of the republic was lodged, originally, in what they call the arengo, a great council, in which every houſe had its repreſentative; but, becauſe they found too much confuſion in ſuch a multitude of ſtateſmen, they devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of ſixty. The arengo, however, is ſtill called together in caſes of extraordinary importance; and if, after due ſummons, any member abſents himſelf, he is to be fined. In the ordinary courſe of government, the council of ſixty, which, notwithſtanding the name, conſiſts but of forty perſons, has in its hands the adminiſtration of affairs, and is made up of half out of the noble families, and half out of the plebeian. They decide all by ballotting, are not admitted until five-and-twenty years old, and chooſe the officers of the commonwealth.
No ſentence can ſtand that is not confirmed by two thirds of this council; no ſon can be admitted into it during; the life of his father, nor two be in it of the ſame family, nor any enter but by election. The chief officers of the commonwealth are the two capitaneos, who have ſuch a power as the old Roman conſuls had, but are choſen every ſix months. Some have been capitaneos ſix or ſeven times, though the office is never to be continued to the fame perſons twice ſucceſſively. The third officer is the commiſſary, who judges in all civil and criminal matters: but becauſe the many alliances, friendſhips, and intermarriages, as well as the perſonal feuds and animoſities that happen among ſo ſmall a people, might obſtruct the courſe of juſtice, if one of their own number had the diſtribution of it, they have always a foreigner for this employ,
