For the unity of power often exposes a king to become a despot; but when an aristocracy, consisting of many virtuous men, exercise power, that is the most fortunate circumstance possible for any state.

However this be, I much prefer royalty to democracy; for that is the third kind of government which you have remaining, and a most vicious one it is.
XXXV.

Scipio replied: I am well acquainted, my Mummius, with your decided antipathy to the democratical system.

And, although, we may speak of it with rather more indulgence than you are accustomed to accord it, I must certainly agree with you, that of all the three particular forms of government, none is less commendable than democracy.
I do not agree with you, however, when you would imply that aristocracy is preferable to royalty.

If you suppose that wisdom governs the State, is it not as well that this wisdom should reside in one monarch as in many nobles?
But we are led away by a certain incorrectness of terms in a discussion like the present.