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in the ordering and placing those plumes some dark mysteries are |
represented, which pass down among their priests in a secret tradition |
concerning them; and that they are as hieroglyphics, putting them in mind |
of the blessing that they have received from God, and of their duties, |
both to Him and to their neighbours. As soon as the priest appears in |
those ornaments, they all fall prostrate on the ground, with so much |
reverence and so deep a silence, that such as look on cannot but be |
struck with it, as if it were the effect of the appearance of a deity. |
After they have been for some time in this posture, they all stand up, |
upon a sign given by the priest, and sing hymns to the honour of God, |
some musical instruments playing all the while. These are quite of |
another form than those used among us; but, as many of them are much |
sweeter than ours, so others are made use of by us. Yet in one thing |
they very much exceed us: all their music, both vocal and instrumental, |
is adapted to imitate and express the passions, and is so happily suited |
to every occasion, that, whether the subject of the hymn be cheerful, or |
formed to soothe or trouble the mind, or to express grief or remorse, the |
music takes the impression of whatever is represented, affects and |
kindles the passions, and works the sentiments deep into the hearts of |
the hearers. When this is done, both priests and people offer up very |
solemn prayers to God in a set form of words; and these are so composed, |
that whatsoever is pronounced by the whole assembly may be likewise |
applied by every man in particular to his own condition. In these they |
acknowledge God to be the author and governor of the world, and the |
fountain of all the good they receive, and therefore offer up to him |
their thanksgiving; and, in particular, bless him for His goodness in |
ordering it so, that they are born under the happiest government in the |
world, and are of a religion which they hope is the truest of all others; |
but, if they are mistaken, and if there is either a better government, or |
a religion more acceptable to God, they implore His goodness to let them |
know it, vowing that they resolve to follow him whithersoever he leads |
them; but if their government is the best, and their religion the truest, |
then they pray that He may fortify them in it, and bring all the world |
both to the same rules of life, and to the same opinions concerning |
Himself, unless, according to the unsearchableness of His mind, He is |
pleased with a variety of religions. Then they pray that God may give |
them an easy passage at last to Himself, not presuming to set limits to |
Him, how early or late it should be; but, if it may be wished for without |
derogating from His supreme authority, they desire to be quickly |
delivered, and to be taken to Himself, though by the most terrible kind |
of death, rather than to be detained long from seeing Him by the most |
prosperous course of life. When this prayer is ended, they all fall down |
again upon the ground; and, after a little while, they rise up, go home |
to dinner, and spend the rest of the day in diversion or military |
exercises. |
"Thus have I described to you, as particularly as I could, the |
Constitution of that commonwealth, which I do not only think the best in |
the world, but indeed the only commonwealth that truly deserves that |
name. In all other places it is visible that, while people talk of a |
commonwealth, every man only seeks his own wealth; but there, where no |
man has any property, all men zealously pursue the good of the public, |
and, indeed, it is no wonder to see men act so differently, for in other |
commonwealths every man knows that, unless he provides for himself, how |
flourishing soever the commonwealth may be, he must die of hunger, so |
that he sees the necessity of preferring his own concerns to the public; |
but in Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know |
that if care is taken to keep the public stores full no private man can |
want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that |
no man is poor, none in necessity, and though no man has anything, yet |
they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene |
and cheerful life, free from anxieties; neither apprehending want |
himself, nor vexed with the endless complaints of his wife? He is not |
afraid of the misery of his children, nor is he contriving how to raise a |
portion for his daughters; but is secure in this, that both he and his |
wife, his children and grand-children, to as many generations as he can |
fancy, will all live both plentifully and happily; since, among them, |
there is no less care taken of those who were once engaged in labour, but |
grow afterwards unable to follow it, than there is, elsewhere, of these |
that continue still employed. I would gladly hear any man compare the |
justice that is among them with that of all other nations; among whom, |
may I perish, if I see anything that looks either like justice or equity; |
for what justice is there in this: that a nobleman, a goldsmith, a |
banker, or any other man, that either does nothing at all, or, at best, |
is employed in things that are of no use to the public, should live in |
great luxury and splendour upon what is so ill acquired, and a mean man, |
a carter, a smith, or a ploughman, that works harder even than the beasts |
themselves, and is employed in labours so necessary, that no commonwealth |
could hold out a year without them, can only earn so poor a livelihood |
and must lead so miserable a life, that the condition of the beasts is |
much better than theirs? For as the beasts do not work so constantly, so |
they feed almost as well, and with more pleasure, and have no anxiety |
about what is to come, whilst these men are depressed by a barren and |
fruitless employment, and tormented with the apprehensions of want in |
their old age; since that which they get by their daily labour does but |
maintain them at present, and is consumed as fast as it comes in, there |
is no overplus left to lay up for old age. |
"Is not that government both unjust and ungrateful, that is so prodigal |
of its favours to those that are called gentlemen, or goldsmiths, or such |
others who are idle, or live either by flattery or by contriving the arts |
of vain pleasure, and, on the other hand, takes no care of those of a |
meaner sort, such as ploughmen, colliers, and smiths, without whom it |
could not subsist? But after the public has reaped all the advantage of |
their service, and they come to be oppressed with age, sickness, and |
want, all their labours and the good they have done is forgotten, and all |
the recompense given them is that they are left to die in great misery. |
The richer sort are often endeavouring to bring the hire of labourers |
lower, not only by their fraudulent practices, but by the laws which they |
procure to be made to that effect, so that though it is a thing most |
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