ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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condemned to slavery. If any man has a mind to travel only over the
precinct of his own city, he may freely do it, with his father's
permission and his wife's consent; but when he comes into any of the
country houses, if he expects to be entertained by them, he must labour
with them and conform to their rules; and if he does this, he may freely
go over the whole precinct, being then as useful to the city to which he
belongs as if he were still within it. Thus you see that there are no
idle persons among them, nor pretences of excusing any from labour. There
are no taverns, no ale-houses, nor stews among them, nor any other
occasions of corrupting each other, of getting into corners, or forming
themselves into parties; all men live in full view, so that all are
obliged both to perform their ordinary task and to employ themselves well
in their spare hours; and it is certain that a people thus ordered must
live in great abundance of all things, and these being equally
distributed among them, no man can want or be obliged to beg.

"In their great council at Amaurot, to which there are three sent from
every town once a year, they examine what towns abound in provisions and
what are under any scarcity, that so the one may be furnished from the
other; and this is done freely, without any sort of exchange; for,
according to their plenty or scarcity, they supply or are supplied from
one another, so that indeed the whole island is, as it were, one family.
When they have thus taken care of their whole country, and laid up stores
for two years (which they do to prevent the ill consequences of an
unfavourable season), they order an exportation of the overplus, both of
corn, honey, wool, flax, wood, wax, tallow, leather, and cattle, which
they send out, commonly in great quantities, to other nations. They
order a seventh part of all these goods to be freely given to the poor of
the countries to which they send them, and sell the rest at moderate
rates; and by this exchange they not only bring back those few things
that they need at home (for, indeed, they scarce need anything but iron),
but likewise a great deal of gold and silver; and by their driving this
trade so long, it is not to be imagined how vast a treasure they have got
among them, so that now they do not much care whether they sell off their
merchandise for money in hand or upon trust. A great part of their
treasure is now in bonds; but in all their contracts no private man
stands bound, but the writing runs in the name of the town; and the towns
that owe them money raise it from those private hands that owe it to
them, lay it up in their public chamber, or enjoy the profit of it till
the Utopians call for it; and they choose rather to let the greatest part
of it lie in their hands, who make advantage by it, than to call for it
themselves; but if they see that any of their other neighbours stand more
in need of it, then they call it in and lend it to them. Whenever they
are engaged in war, which is the only occasion in which their treasure
can be usefully employed, they make use of it themselves; in great
extremities or sudden accidents they employ it in hiring foreign troops,
whom they more willingly expose to danger than their own people; they
give them great pay, knowing well that this will work even on their
enemies; that it will engage them either to betray their own side, or, at
least, to desert it; and that it is the best means of raising mutual
jealousies among them. For this end they have an incredible treasure;
but they do not keep it as a treasure, but in such a manner as I am
almost afraid to tell, lest you think it so extravagant as to be hardly
credible. This I have the more reason to apprehend because, if I had not
seen it myself, I could not have been easily persuaded to have believed
it upon any man's report.

"It is certain that all things appear incredible to us in proportion as
they differ from known customs; but one who can judge aright will not
wonder to find that, since their constitution differs so much from ours,
their value of gold and silver should be measured by a very different
standard; for since they have no use for money among themselves, but keep
it as a provision against events which seldom happen, and between which
there are generally long intervening intervals, they value it no farther
than it deserves--that is, in proportion to its use. So that it is plain
they must prefer iron either to gold or silver, for men can no more live
without iron than without fire or water; but Nature has marked out no use
for the other metals so essential as not easily to be dispensed with. The
folly of men has enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their
scarcity; whereas, on the contrary, it is their opinion that Nature, as
an indulgent parent, has freely given us all the best things in great
abundance, such as water and earth, but has laid up and hid from us the
things that are vain and useless.

"If these metals were laid up in any tower in the kingdom it would raise
a jealousy of the Prince and Senate, and give birth to that foolish
mistrust into which the people are apt to fall--a jealousy of their
intending to sacrifice the interest of the public to their own private
advantage. If they should work it into vessels, or any sort of plate,
they fear that the people might grow too fond of it, and so be unwilling
to let the plate be run down, if a war made it necessary, to employ it in
paying their soldiers. To prevent all these inconveniences they have
fallen upon an expedient which, as it agrees with their other policy, so
is it very different from ours, and will scarce gain belief among us who
value gold so much, and lay it up so carefully. They eat and drink out
of vessels of earth or glass, which make an agreeable appearance, though
formed of brittle materials; while they make their chamber-pots and close-
stools of gold and silver, and that not only in their public halls but in
their private houses. Of the same metals they likewise make chains and
fetters for their slaves, to some of which, as a badge of infamy, they
hang an earring of gold, and make others wear a chain or a coronet of the
same metal; and thus they take care by all possible means to render gold
and silver of no esteem; and from hence it is that while other nations
part with their gold and silver as unwillingly as if one tore out their
bowels, those of Utopia would look on their giving in all they possess of
those metals (when there were any use for them) but as the parting with a
trifle, or as we would esteem the loss of a penny! They find pearls on
their coasts, and diamonds and carbuncles on their rocks; they do not
look after them, but, if they find them by chance, they polish them, and
with them they adorn their children, who are delighted with them, and

condemned to slavery. If any man has a mind to travel only over the

precinct of his own city, he may freely do it, with his father's

permission and his wife's consent; but when he comes into any of the

country houses, if he expects to be entertained by them, he must labour

with them and conform to their rules; and if he does this, he may freely

go over the whole precinct, being then as useful to the city to which he

belongs as if he were still within it. Thus you see that there are no

idle persons among them, nor pretences of excusing any from labour. There

are no taverns, no ale-houses, nor stews among them, nor any other

occasions of corrupting each other, of getting into corners, or forming

themselves into parties; all men live in full view, so that all are

obliged both to perform their ordinary task and to employ themselves well

in their spare hours; and it is certain that a people thus ordered must

live in great abundance of all things, and these being equally

distributed among them, no man can want or be obliged to beg.

"In their great council at Amaurot, to which there are three sent from

every town once a year, they examine what towns abound in provisions and

what are under any scarcity, that so the one may be furnished from the

other; and this is done freely, without any sort of exchange; for,

according to their plenty or scarcity, they supply or are supplied from

one another, so that indeed the whole island is, as it were, one family.

When they have thus taken care of their whole country, and laid up stores

for two years (which they do to prevent the ill consequences of an

unfavourable season), they order an exportation of the overplus, both of

corn, honey, wool, flax, wood, wax, tallow, leather, and cattle, which

they send out, commonly in great quantities, to other nations. They

order a seventh part of all these goods to be freely given to the poor of

the countries to which they send them, and sell the rest at moderate

rates; and by this exchange they not only bring back those few things

that they need at home (for, indeed, they scarce need anything but iron),

but likewise a great deal of gold and silver; and by their driving this

trade so long, it is not to be imagined how vast a treasure they have got

among them, so that now they do not much care whether they sell off their

merchandise for money in hand or upon trust. A great part of their

treasure is now in bonds; but in all their contracts no private man

stands bound, but the writing runs in the name of the town; and the towns

that owe them money raise it from those private hands that owe it to

them, lay it up in their public chamber, or enjoy the profit of it till

the Utopians call for it; and they choose rather to let the greatest part

of it lie in their hands, who make advantage by it, than to call for it

themselves; but if they see that any of their other neighbours stand more

in need of it, then they call it in and lend it to them. Whenever they

are engaged in war, which is the only occasion in which their treasure

can be usefully employed, they make use of it themselves; in great

extremities or sudden accidents they employ it in hiring foreign troops,

whom they more willingly expose to danger than their own people; they

give them great pay, knowing well that this will work even on their

enemies; that it will engage them either to betray their own side, or, at

least, to desert it; and that it is the best means of raising mutual

jealousies among them. For this end they have an incredible treasure;

but they do not keep it as a treasure, but in such a manner as I am

almost afraid to tell, lest you think it so extravagant as to be hardly

credible. This I have the more reason to apprehend because, if I had not

seen it myself, I could not have been easily persuaded to have believed

it upon any man's report.

"It is certain that all things appear incredible to us in proportion as

they differ from known customs; but one who can judge aright will not

wonder to find that, since their constitution differs so much from ours,

their value of gold and silver should be measured by a very different

standard; for since they have no use for money among themselves, but keep

it as a provision against events which seldom happen, and between which

there are generally long intervening intervals, they value it no farther

than it deserves--that is, in proportion to its use. So that it is plain

they must prefer iron either to gold or silver, for men can no more live

without iron than without fire or water; but Nature has marked out no use

for the other metals so essential as not easily to be dispensed with. The

folly of men has enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their

scarcity; whereas, on the contrary, it is their opinion that Nature, as

an indulgent parent, has freely given us all the best things in great

abundance, such as water and earth, but has laid up and hid from us the

things that are vain and useless.

"If these metals were laid up in any tower in the kingdom it would raise

a jealousy of the Prince and Senate, and give birth to that foolish

mistrust into which the people are apt to fall--a jealousy of their

intending to sacrifice the interest of the public to their own private

advantage. If they should work it into vessels, or any sort of plate,

they fear that the people might grow too fond of it, and so be unwilling

to let the plate be run down, if a war made it necessary, to employ it in

paying their soldiers. To prevent all these inconveniences they have

fallen upon an expedient which, as it agrees with their other policy, so

is it very different from ours, and will scarce gain belief among us who

value gold so much, and lay it up so carefully. They eat and drink out

of vessels of earth or glass, which make an agreeable appearance, though

formed of brittle materials; while they make their chamber-pots and close-

stools of gold and silver, and that not only in their public halls but in

their private houses. Of the same metals they likewise make chains and

fetters for their slaves, to some of which, as a badge of infamy, they

hang an earring of gold, and make others wear a chain or a coronet of the

same metal; and thus they take care by all possible means to render gold

and silver of no esteem; and from hence it is that while other nations

part with their gold and silver as unwillingly as if one tore out their

bowels, those of Utopia would look on their giving in all they possess of

those metals (when there were any use for them) but as the parting with a

trifle, or as we would esteem the loss of a penny! They find pearls on

their coasts, and diamonds and carbuncles on their rocks; they do not

look after them, but, if they find them by chance, they polish them, and

with them they adorn their children, who are delighted with them, and