§2 society of Arcadia. Sept. 19-. 



In virtue of the first law, every Arcadian has 2 

 right to bring his complaints before the general af- 

 sembly ; but to avoid tumults it wras agreed, that 

 the complaint fliould bs given in first to the 

 custode, who was obliged to read it in the geaeral af- 

 sembly, although it fliould contain things against 

 himself. All anonymous papers are rejected ; only 

 those are minded which are signed by the recurrent 

 himself, and if the affair be of consequence; things of 

 small importance are verbally received by the custode. 

 However, as it did happen sometimes that indivi- 

 duals carried complaints, and had recourse to the 

 community, without pafiing through the channel 

 of the custode, disputes hence have arisen ; and often 

 the meeting broke up without any other conclusion, 

 but the alienation of their former reciprocal affec- 

 tion. 



The choice of a custode, mentioned in the second 

 law, has several times given rise to disputes. Some 

 pretended that at the end of each olympiad a new 

 custode fliould be created, and that he might be re- 

 moved even before the olympiad was out. The au- 

 thority of the custode has been likewise contested ; 

 he being sometimes accused of being too arbitrary, 

 at other times too negligent, at others too ambitious. 

 The constant practice has been that the custode is 

 obliged at the end of the olympiad to lay down his 

 employment, consign the seal of the afsembly, and 

 the keys of tht Bosco Parrasio to the oldest of the Ar- 

 cadians then present, and d:ves.: himself of aD autho- 

 rity, until, by secret ballot, it fhall appear whether 

 the same custode is to be chosen again or . cmoved. 



