UTOPIA by SIR THOMAS MORE

BOOK II: 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 6,000 families, besides
those of the country round 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 neighboring
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 marketplace: 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 that 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 market-place; 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 at 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
toward 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
among 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 anyone that can do it
offers herself cheerfully; for as they are much inclined to that
piece of mercy, so the child whom the 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 that 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 honored 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 everyone'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 great distance,
everyone 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.


1901. New York: Ideal Commonwealths. P.F. Collier & Son. The
Colonial Press. This book is in the public domain, released
July 1993 by the Internet Wiretap. Prepared by Kirk Crady
(kcrady@polaris.cv.nrao.edu) from scanner output provided by
Internet Wiretap.

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