“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
grand-children, 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 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 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.