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OF THEIR TRAFFIC
"But it is now time to explain to you the mutual intercourse of
this people, their commerce, and the rules by which all things are
distributed among them.
"As their cities are composed of families, so their families are
made up of those that are nearly related to one another. Their
women, when they grow up, are married out, but all the males, both
children and grandchildren, live still in the same house, in great
obedience to their common parent, unless age has weakened his
understanding, and in that case he that is next to him in age comes
in his room; but lest any city should become either too great, or
by any accident be dispeopled, provision is made that none of their
cities may contain above six thousand families, besides those of
the country around it. No family may have less than ten and more
than sixteen persons in it, but there can be no determined number
for the children under age; this rule is easily observed by
removing some of the children of a more fruitful couple to any
other family that does not abound so much in them. By the same
rule they supply cities that do not increase so fast from others
that breed faster; and if there is any increase over the whole
island, then they draw out a number of their citizens out of the
several towns and send them over to the neighbouring continent,
where, if they find that the inhabitants have more soil than they
can well cultivate, they fix a colony, taking the inhabitants into
their society if they are willing to live with them; and where they
do that of their own accord, they quickly enter into their method
of life and conform to their rules, and this proves a happiness to
both nations; for, according to their constitution, such care is
taken of the soil that it becomes fruitful enough for both, though
it might be otherwise too narrow and barren for any one of them.
But if the natives refuse to conform themselves to their laws they
drive them out of those bounds which they mark out for themselves,
and use force if they resist, for they account it a very just cause
of war for a nation to hinder others from possessing a part of that
soil of which they make no use, but which is suffered to lie idle
and uncultivated, since every man has, by the law of nature, a
right to such a waste portion of the earth as is necessary for his
subsistence. If an accident has so lessened the number of the
inhabitants of any of their towns that it cannot be made up from
the other towns of the island without diminishing them too much
(which is said to have fallen out but twice since they were first a
people, when great numbers were carried off by the plague), the
loss is then supplied by recalling as many as are wanted from their
colonies, for they will abandon these rather than suffer the towns
in the island to sink too low.
"But to return to their manner of living in society: the oldest
man of every family, as has been already said, is its governor;
wives serve their husbands, and children their parents, and always
the younger serves the elder. Every city is divided into four
equal parts, and in the middle of each there is a market-place.
What is brought thither, and manufactured by the several families,
is carried from thence to houses appointed for that purpose, in
which all things of a sort are laid by themselves; and thither
every father goes, and takes whatsoever he or his family stand in
need of, without either paying for it or leaving anything in
exchange. There is no reason for giving a denial to any person,
since there is such plenty of everything among them; and there is
no danger of a man's asking for more than he needs; they have no
inducements to do this, since they are sure they shall always be
supplied: it is the fear of want that makes any of the whole race
of animals either greedy or ravenous; but, besides fear, there is
in man a pride that makes him fancy it a particular glory to excel
others in pomp and excess; but by the laws of the Utopians, there
is no room for this. Near these markets there are others for all
sorts of provisions, where there are not only herbs, fruits, and
bread, but also fish, fowl, and cattle. There are also, without
their towns, places appointed near some running water for killing
their beasts and for washing away their filth, which is done by
their slaves; for they suffer none of their citizens to kill their
cattle, because they think that pity and good-nature, which are
among the best of those affections that are born with us, are much
impaired by the butchering of animals; nor do they suffer anything
that is foul or unclean to be brought within their towns, lest the
air should be infected by ill-smells, which might prejudice their
health. In every street there are great halls, that lie at an
equal distance from each other, distinguished by particular names.
The Syphogrants dwell in those that are set over thirty families,
fifteen lying on one side of it, and as many on the other. In
these halls they all meet and have their repasts; the stewards of
every one of them come to the market-place at an appointed hour,
and according to the number of those that belong to the hall they
carry home provisions. But they take more care of their sick than
of any others; these are lodged and provided for in public
hospitals. They have belonging to every town four hospitals, that
are built without their walls, and are so large that they may pass
for little towns; by this means, if they had ever such a number of
sick persons, they could lodge them conveniently, and at such a
distance that such of them as are sick of infectious diseases may
be kept so far from the rest that there can be no danger of
contagion. The hospitals are furnished and stored with all things
that are convenient for the ease and recovery of the sick; and
those that are put in them are looked after with such tender and
watchful care, and are so constantly attended by their skilful
physicians, that as none is sent to them against their will, so
there is scarce one in a whole town that, if he should fall ill,
would not choose rather to go thither than lie sick at home.
"After the steward of the hospitals has taken for the sick
whatsoever the physician prescribes, then the best things that are
left in the market are distributed equally among the halls in
proportion to their numbers; only, in the first place, they serve
the Prince, the Chief Priest, the Tranibors, the Ambassadors, and
strangers, if there are any, which, indeed, falls out but seldom,
and for whom there are houses, well furnished, particularly
appointed for their reception when they come among them. At the
hours of dinner and supper the whole Syphogranty being called
together by sound of trumpet, they meet and eat together, except
only such as are in the hospitals or lie sick at home. Yet, after
the halls are served, no man is hindered to carry provisions home
from the marketplace, for they know that none does that but for
some good reason; for though any that will may eat at home, yet
none does it willingly, since it is both ridiculous and foolish for
any to give themselves the trouble to make ready an ill dinner at
home when there is a much more plentiful one made ready for him so
near hand. All the uneasy and sordid services about these halls
are performed by their slaves; but the dressing and cooking their
meat, and the ordering their tables, belong only to the women, all
those of every family taking it by turns. They sit at three or
more tables, according to their number; the men sit towards the
wall, and the women sit on the other side, that if any of them
should be taken suddenly ill, which is no uncommon case amongst
women with child, she may, without disturbing the rest, rise and go
to the nurses' room (who are there with the sucking children),
where there is always clean water at hand and cradles, in which
they may lay the young children if there is occasion for it, and a
fire, that they may shift and dress them before it. Every child is
nursed by its own mother if death or sickness does not intervene;
and in that case the Syphogrants' wives find out a nurse quickly,
which is no hard matter, for any one that can do it offers herself
cheerfully; for as they are much inclined to that piece of mercy,
so the child whom they nurse considers the nurse as its mother.
All the children under five years old sit among the nurses; the
rest of the younger sort of both sexes, till they are fit for
marriage, either serve those that sit at table, or, if they are not
strong enough for that, stand by them in great silence and eat what
is given them; nor have they any other formality of dining. In the
middle of the first table, which stands across the upper end of the
hall, sit the Syphogrant and his wife, for that is the chief and
most conspicuous place; next to him sit two of the most ancient,
for there go always four to a mess. If there is a temple within
the Syphogranty, the Priest and his wife sit with the Syphogrant
above all the rest; next them there is a mixture of old and young,
who are so placed that as the young are set near others, so they
are mixed with the more ancient; which, they say, was appointed on
this account: that the gravity of the old people, and the
reverence that is due to them, might restrain the younger from all
indecent words and gestures. Dishes are not served up to the whole
table at first, but the best are first set before the old, whose
seats are distinguished from the young, and, after them, all the
rest are served alike. The old men distribute to the younger any
curious meats that happen to be set before them, if there is not
such an abundance of them that the whole company may be served
alike.
"Thus old men are honoured with a particular respect, yet all the
rest fare as well as they. Both dinner and supper are begun with
some lecture of morality that is read to them; but it is so short
that it is not tedious nor uneasy to them to hear it. From hence
the old men take occasion to entertain those about them with some
useful and pleasant enlargements; but they do not engross the whole
discourse so to themselves during their meals that the younger may
not put in for a share; on the contrary, they engage them to talk,
that so they may, in that free way of conversation, find out the
force of every one's spirit and observe his temper. They despatch
their dinners quickly, but sit long at supper, because they go to
work after the one, and are to sleep after the other, during which
they think the stomach carries on the concoction more vigorously.
They never sup without music, and there is always fruit served up
after meat; while they are at table some burn perfumes and sprinkle
about fragrant ointments and sweet waters--in short, they want
nothing that may cheer up their spirits; they give themselves a
large allowance that way, and indulge themselves in all such
pleasures as are attended with no inconvenience. Thus do those
that are in the towns live together; but in the country, where they
live at a great distance, every one eats at home, and no family
wants any necessary sort of provision, for it is from them that
provisions are sent unto those that live in the towns.
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