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