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Now I have declared
and described unto you as truly as I could the form and order of that
commonwealth, which verily 1 in my judgment is not
only the best, but also that which alone of good right may claim and take
upon it the name of a commonwealth or public weal. 2 For in
other places they speak still of the commonwealth, but every man procureth his own private gain. Here, where nothing is
private, the common affairs be earnestly looked upon. And truly on both parts
they have good cause so to do as they do; for in other countries who knoweth not that he shall starve for hunger, unless he
make some several provision for himself, though the commonwealth flourish
never so much in riches? And therefore he is compelled even of very necessity
to have regard to himself rather than to the people, that is to say, to
other. 3 Contrariwise, there where all things be common to
every man, it is not to be doubted that any man shall lack any thing
necessary for his private uses, so that the common store, houses and barns, 4 be
sufficiently stored. For there nothing is distributed after a niggish sort, 5 neither
there is any poor man or beggar; and though no man have anything, yet every
man is rich. For what can be more rich than to live joyfully and merrily,
without all grief and pensiveness, not caring for his own living, nor vexed 6 or
troubled with his wife’s importunate complaints, nor dreading 7 poverty
to his son, nor sorrowing for his daughter’s dowry? 8 Yea,
they take no care at all for the living and wealth of themselves and all
theirs, of their wives, their children, their nephews, their children’s
children, and all the succession that ever shall follow in their posterity.
And yet, besides this, there is no less provision for them that were once
labourers and be now weak and impotent, than for them that do now labour and
take pain.
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1. verily : truly.
2. weal :
good.
3. to
have regard… other : to think of himself rather than think of others.
4. barns
: buildings in which grain is stored.
5. after
a niggish sort : meanly, parsimoniously.
6. vexed
: distressed, troubled.
7. dreading
: fearing.
8. dowry
: the property a woman takes to her husband at marriage.
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