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unjust in itself to give such small rewards to those who deserve so well
of the public, yet they have given those hardships the name and colour of
justice, by procuring laws to be made for regulating them.

"Therefore I must say that, as I hope for mercy, I can have no other
notion of all the other governments that I see or know, than that they
are a conspiracy of the rich, who, on pretence of managing the public,
only pursue their private ends, and devise all the ways and arts they can
find out; first, that they may, without danger, preserve all that they
have so ill-acquired, and then, that they may engage the poor to toil and
labour for them at as low rates as possible, and oppress them as much as
they please; and if they can but prevail to get these contrivances
established by the show of public authority, which is considered as the
representative of the whole people, then they are accounted laws; yet
these wicked men, after they have, by a most insatiable covetousness,
divided that among themselves with which all the rest might have been
well supplied, are far from that happiness that is enjoyed among the
Utopians; for the use as well as the desire of money being extinguished,
much anxiety and great occasions of mischief is cut off with it, and who
does not see that the frauds, thefts, robberies, quarrels, tumults,
contentions, seditions, murders, treacheries, and witchcrafts, which are,
indeed, rather punished than restrained by the severities of law, would
all fall off, if money were not any more valued by the world? Men's
fears, solicitudes, cares, labours, and watchings would all perish in the
same moment with the value of money; even poverty itself, for the relief
of which money seems most necessary, would fall. But, in order to the
apprehending this aright, take one instance:--

"Consider any year, that has been so unfruitful that many thousands have
died of hunger; and yet if, at the end of that year, a survey was made of
the granaries of all the rich men that have hoarded up the corn, it would
be found that there was enough among them to have prevented all that
consumption of men that perished in misery; and that, if it had been
distributed among them, none would have felt the terrible effects of that
scarcity: so easy a thing would it be to supply all the necessities of
life, if that blessed thing called money, which is pretended to be
invented for procuring them was not really the only thing that obstructed
their being procured!

"I do not doubt but rich men are sensible of this, and that they well
know how much a greater happiness it is to want nothing necessary, than
to abound in many superfluities; and to be rescued out of so much misery,
than to abound with so much wealth: and I cannot think but the sense of
every man's interest, added to the authority of Christ's commands, who,
as He was infinitely wise, knew what was best, and was not less good in
discovering it to us, would have drawn all the world over to the laws of
the Utopians, if pride, that plague of human nature, that source of so
much misery, did not hinder it; for this vice does not measure happiness
so much by its own conveniences, as by the miseries of others; and would
not be satisfied with being thought a goddess, if none were left that
were miserable, over whom she might insult. Pride thinks its own
happiness shines the brighter, by comparing it with the misfortunes of
other persons; that by displaying its own wealth they may feel their
poverty the more sensibly. This is that infernal serpent that creeps
into the breasts of mortals, and possesses them too much to be easily
drawn out; and, therefore, I am glad that the Utopians have fallen upon
this form of government, in which I wish that all the world could be so
wise as to imitate them; for they have, indeed, laid down such a scheme
and foundation of policy, that as men live happily under it, so it is
like to be of great continuance; for they having rooted out of the minds
of their people all the seeds, both of ambition and faction, there is no
danger of any commotions at home; which alone has been the ruin of many
states that seemed otherwise to be well secured; but as long as they live
in peace at home, and are governed by such good laws, the envy of all
their neighbouring princes, who have often, though in vain, attempted
their ruin, will never be able to put their state into any commotion or
disorder."

When Raphael had thus made an end of speaking, though many things
occurred to me, both concerning the manners and laws of that people, that
seemed very absurd, as well in their way of making war, as in their
notions of religion and divine matters--together with several other
particulars, but chiefly what seemed the foundation of all the rest,
their living in common, without the use of money, by which all nobility,
magnificence, splendour, and majesty, which, according to the common
opinion, are the true ornaments of a nation, would be quite taken
away--yet since I perceived that Raphael was weary, and was not sure
whether he could easily bear contradiction, remembering that he had taken
notice of some, who seemed to think they were bound in honour to support
the credit of their own wisdom, by finding out something to censure in
all other men's inventions, besides their own, I only commended their
Constitution, and the account he had given of it in general; and so,
taking him by the hand, carried him to supper, and told him I would find
out some other time for examining this subject more particularly, and for
discoursing more copiously upon it. And, indeed, I shall be glad to
embrace an opportunity of doing it. In the meanwhile, though it must be
confessed that he is both a very learned man and a person who has
obtained a great knowledge of the world, I cannot perfectly agree to
everything he has related. However, there are many things in the
commonwealth of Utopia that I rather wish, than hope, to see followed in
our governments.




[Enter THOMAS; he crosses the stage; FAG follows, looking after him.]

FAG
What! Thomas! sure 'tis he?--What! Thomas! Thomas!

unjust in itself to give such small rewards to those who deserve so well

of the public, yet they have given those hardships the name and colour of

justice, by procuring laws to be made for regulating them.

"Therefore I must say that, as I hope for mercy, I can have no other

notion of all the other governments that I see or know, than that they

are a conspiracy of the rich, who, on pretence of managing the public,

only pursue their private ends, and devise all the ways and arts they can

find out; first, that they may, without danger, preserve all that they

have so ill-acquired, and then, that they may engage the poor to toil and

labour for them at as low rates as possible, and oppress them as much as

they please; and if they can but prevail to get these contrivances

established by the show of public authority, which is considered as the

representative of the whole people, then they are accounted laws; yet

these wicked men, after they have, by a most insatiable covetousness,

divided that among themselves with which all the rest might have been

well supplied, are far from that happiness that is enjoyed among the

Utopians; for the use as well as the desire of money being extinguished,

much anxiety and great occasions of mischief is cut off with it, and who

does not see that the frauds, thefts, robberies, quarrels, tumults,

contentions, seditions, murders, treacheries, and witchcrafts, which are,

indeed, rather punished than restrained by the severities of law, would

all fall off, if money were not any more valued by the world? Men's

fears, solicitudes, cares, labours, and watchings would all perish in the

same moment with the value of money; even poverty itself, for the relief

of which money seems most necessary, would fall. But, in order to the

apprehending this aright, take one instance:--

"Consider any year, that has been so unfruitful that many thousands have

died of hunger; and yet if, at the end of that year, a survey was made of

the granaries of all the rich men that have hoarded up the corn, it would

be found that there was enough among them to have prevented all that

consumption of men that perished in misery; and that, if it had been

distributed among them, none would have felt the terrible effects of that

scarcity: so easy a thing would it be to supply all the necessities of

life, if that blessed thing called money, which is pretended to be

invented for procuring them was not really the only thing that obstructed

their being procured!

"I do not doubt but rich men are sensible of this, and that they well

know how much a greater happiness it is to want nothing necessary, than

to abound in many superfluities; and to be rescued out of so much misery,

than to abound with so much wealth: and I cannot think but the sense of

every man's interest, added to the authority of Christ's commands, who,

as He was infinitely wise, knew what was best, and was not less good in

discovering it to us, would have drawn all the world over to the laws of

the Utopians, if pride, that plague of human nature, that source of so

much misery, did not hinder it; for this vice does not measure happiness

so much by its own conveniences, as by the miseries of others; and would

not be satisfied with being thought a goddess, if none were left that

were miserable, over whom she might insult. Pride thinks its own

happiness shines the brighter, by comparing it with the misfortunes of

other persons; that by displaying its own wealth they may feel their

poverty the more sensibly. This is that infernal serpent that creeps

into the breasts of mortals, and possesses them too much to be easily

drawn out; and, therefore, I am glad that the Utopians have fallen upon

this form of government, in which I wish that all the world could be so

wise as to imitate them; for they have, indeed, laid down such a scheme

and foundation of policy, that as men live happily under it, so it is

like to be of great continuance; for they having rooted out of the minds

of their people all the seeds, both of ambition and faction, there is no

danger of any commotions at home; which alone has been the ruin of many

states that seemed otherwise to be well secured; but as long as they live

in peace at home, and are governed by such good laws, the envy of all

their neighbouring princes, who have often, though in vain, attempted

their ruin, will never be able to put their state into any commotion or

disorder."

When Raphael had thus made an end of speaking, though many things

occurred to me, both concerning the manners and laws of that people, that

seemed very absurd, as well in their way of making war, as in their

notions of religion and divine matters--together with several other

particulars, but chiefly what seemed the foundation of all the rest,

their living in common, without the use of money, by which all nobility,

magnificence, splendour, and majesty, which, according to the common

opinion, are the true ornaments of a nation, would be quite taken

away--yet since I perceived that Raphael was weary, and was not sure

whether he could easily bear contradiction, remembering that he had taken

notice of some, who seemed to think they were bound in honour to support

the credit of their own wisdom, by finding out something to censure in

all other men's inventions, besides their own, I only commended their

Constitution, and the account he had given of it in general; and so,

taking him by the hand, carried him to supper, and told him I would find

out some other time for examining this subject more particularly, and for

discoursing more copiously upon it. And, indeed, I shall be glad to

embrace an opportunity of doing it. In the meanwhile, though it must be

confessed that he is both a very learned man and a person who has

obtained a great knowledge of the world, I cannot perfectly agree to

everything he has related. However, there are many things in the

commonwealth of Utopia that I rather wish, than hope, to see followed in

our governments.

[Enter THOMAS; he crosses the stage; FAG follows, looking after him.]

FAG

What! Thomas! sure 'tis he?--What! Thomas! Thomas!