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<h3>OF THEIR TRAFFIC</h3>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
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