the city of the sun-第3章

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All　things　are　common　with　them；　and　their　dispensation　is　by
the　authority　of　the　magistrates。　　Arts　and　honors　and　pleas…
ures　are　common；　and　are　held　in　such　a　manner　that　no　one
can　appropriate　anything　to　himself。

　　　They　say　that　all　private　property　is　acquired　and　improved
for　the　reason　that　each　one　of　us　by　himself　has　his　own　home
and　wife　and　children。　　From　this；　self…love　springs。　　For
when　we　raise　a　son　to　riches　and　dignities；　and　leave　an　heir　to
much　wealth；　we　become　either　ready　to　grasp　at　the　property　of
the　State；　if　in　any　case　fear　should　be　removed　from　the　power
which　belongs　to　riches　and　rank；　or　avaricious；　crafty；　and
hypocritical；　if　anyone　is　of　slender　purse；　little　strength；　and
mean　ancestry。　　But　when　we　have　taken　away　self…love；　there
remains　only　love　for　the　State。


G。M。　　Under　such　circumstances　no　one　will　be　willing　to
labor；　while　he　expects　others　to　work；　on　the　fruit　of　whose
labors　he　can　live；　as　Aristotle　argues　against　Plato。


Capt。　　I　do　not　know　how　to　deal　with　that　argument；　but
I　declare　to　you　that　they　burn　with　so　great　a　love　for　their
fatherland；　as　I　could　scarcely　have　believed　possible；　and　in…
deed　with　much　more　than　the　histories　tell　us　belonged　to　the
Romans；　who　fell　willingly　for　their　country；　inasmuch　as　they
have　to　a　greater　extent　surrendered　their　private　property。
I　think　truly　that　the　friars　and　monks　and　clergy　of　our　coun…
try；　if　they　were　not　weakened　by　love　for　their　kindred　and
friends　or　by　the　ambition　to　rise　to　higher　dignities；　would　be
less　fond　of　property；　and　more　imbued　with　a　spirit　of　charity
toward　all；　as　it　was　in　the　time　of　the　apostles；　and　is　now　in　a
great　many　cases。


G。M。　　St。　Augustine　may　say　that；　but　I　say　that　among　this
race　of　men；　friendship　is　worth　nothing；　since　they　have　not
the　chance　of　conferring　mutual　benefits　on　one　another。


Capt。　　Nay；　indeed。　　For　it　is　worth　the　trouble　to　see　that
no　one　can　receive　gifts　from　another。　　Whatever　is　necessary
they　have；　they　receive　it　from　the　community；　and　the　magis…
trate　takes　care　that　no　one　receives　more　than　he　deserves。　　Yet
nothing　necessary　is　denied　to　anyone。　　Friendship　is　recog…
nized　among　them　in　war；　in　infirmity；　in　the　art　contests；　by
which　means　they　aid　one　another　mutually　by　teaching。　　Some…
times　they　improve　themselves　mutually　with　praises；　with　con…
versation；　with　actions；　and　out　of　the　things　they　need。　　All
those　of　the　same　age　call　one　another　brothers。　　They　call　all
over　twenty…two　years　of　age；　fathers；　those　that　are　less　than
twenty…two　are　named　sons。　　Moreover；　the　magistrates　gov…
ern　well；　so　that　no　one　in　the　fraternity　can　do　injury　to　an…
other。


G。M。　　And　how？


Capt。　　As　many　names　of　virtues　as　there　are　among　us；　so
many　magistrates　there　are　among　them。　　There　is　a　magis…
trate　who　is　named　Magnanimity；　another　Fortitude；　a　third
Chastity；　a　fourth　Liberality；　a　fifth　Criminal　and　Civil　Justice；
a　sixth　Comfort；　a　seventh　Truth；　an　eighth　Kindness；　a　tenth
Gratitude；　an　eleventh　Cheerfulness；　a　twelfth　Exercise；　a　thir…
teenth　Sobriety；　etc。　　They　are　elected　to　duties　of　that　kind；
each　one　to　that　duty　for　excellence　in　which　he　is　known　from
boyhood　to　be　most　suitable。　　Wherefore　among　them　neither
robbery　nor　clever　murders；　nor　lewdness；　incest；　adultery；　or
other　crimes　of　which　we　accuse　one　another；　can　be　found。
They　accuse　themselves　of　ingratitude　and　malignity　when　any…
one　denies　a　lawful　satisfaction　to　another　of　indolence；　of　sad…
ness；　of　anger；　of　scurrility；　of　slander；　and　of　lying；　which
curseful　thing　they　thoroughly　hate。　　Accused　persons　under…
going　punishment　are　deprived　of　the　common　table；　and　other
honors；　until　the　judge　thinks　that　they　agree　with　their　cor…
rection。


G。M。　　Tell　me　the　manner　in　which　the　magistrates　are
chosen。


Capt。　　You　would　not　rightly　understand　this；　unless　you
first　learned　their　manner　of　living。　　That　you　may　know；　then；
men　and　women　wear　the　same　kind　of　garment；　suited　for　war。
The　women　wear　the　toga　below　the　knee；　but　the　men　above；
and　both　sexes　are　instructed　in　all　the　arts　together。　　When
this　has　been　done　as　a　start；　and　before　their　third　year；　the
boys　learn　the　language　and　the　alphabet　on　the　walls　by　walk…
ing　round　them。　　They　have　four　leaders；　and　four　elders；　the
first　to　direct　them；　the　second　to　teach　them；　and　these　are　men
approved　beyond　all　others。　　After　some　time　they　exercise
themselves　with　gymnastics；　running；　quoits；　and　other　games；
by　means　of　which　all　their　muscles　are　strengthened　alike。
Their　feet　are　always　bare；　and　so　are　their　heads　as　far　as　the
seventh　ring。　　Afterward　they　lead　them　to　the　offices　of　the
trades；　such　as　shoemaking；　cooking；　metal…working；　carpentry；
painting；　etc。　　In　order　to　find　out　the　bent　of　the　genius　of
each　one；　after　their　seventh　year；　when　they　have　already　gone
through　the　mathematics　on　the　walls；　they　take　them　to　the
readings　of　all　the　sciences；　there　are　four　lectures　at　each　read…
ing；　and　in　the　course　of　four　hours　the　four　in　their　order　ex…
plain　everything。

　　　For　some　take　physical　exercise　or　busy　themselves　with　pub…
lic　services　or　functions；　others　apply　themselves　to　reading。
Leaving　these　studies　all　are　devoted　to　the　more　abstruse　sub…
jects；　to　mathematics；　to　medicine；　and　to　other　sciences。　　There
are　continual　debate　and　studied　argument　among　them；　and
after　a　time　they　become　magistrates　of　those　sciences　or　me…
chanical　arts　in　which　they　are　the　most　proficient；　for　every…
one　follows　the　opinion　of　his　leader　and　judge；　and　goes　out
to　the　plains　to　the　works　of　the　field；　and　for　the　purpose　of
becoming　acquainted　with　the　pasturage　of　the　dumb　animals。
And　they　consider　him　the　more　noble　and　renowned　who　has
dedicated　himself　to　the　study　of　the　most　arts　and　knows　how
to　practise　them　wisely。　　Wherefore　they　laugh　at　us　in　that　we
consider　our　workmen　ignoble；　and　hold　those　to　be　noble　who
have　mastered　no　pursuit；　but　live　in　ease　and　are　so　many
slaves　given　over　to　their　own　pleasure　and　lasciviousness；　and
thus；　as　it　were；　from　a　school　of　vices　so　many　idle　and　wicked
fellows　go　forth　for　the　ruin　of　the　State。

　　　The　rest　of　the　officials；　however；　are　chosen　by　the　four
chiefs；　Hoh；　Pon；　Sin　and　Mor；　and　by　the　teachers　of　that　art
over　which　they　are　fit　to　preside。　　And　these　teachers　know
well　who　is　most　suited　for　rule。　　Certain　men　are　proposed
by　the　magistrates　in　council；　they　themselves　not　seeking　to
become　candidates；　and　he　opposes　who　knows　anything　against
those　brought　forward　for　election；　or；　if　not；　speaks　in　favor
of　them。　　But　no　one　attains　to　the　dignity　of　Hoh　except　him
who　knows　the　histories　of　the　nations；　and　their　customs　and
sacrifices　and　laws；　and　their　form　of　government；　whether　a
republic　or　a　monarchy。　　He　must　also　know　the　names　of　the
lawgivers　and　the　inventors　in　science；　and　the　laws　and　the
history　of　the　earth　and　the　heavenly　bodies。　　They　think　it
also　necessary　that　he　should　understand　all　the　mechanical
arts；　the　physical　sciences；　astrology　and　mathematics。　　Near…
ly　every　two　days　they　teach　our　mechanical　art。　　They　are　not
allowed　to　overwork　themselves；　but　frequent　practice　and　the
paintings　render　learning　easy　to　them。　　Not　too　much　care
is　given　to　the　cultivation　of　languages；　as　they　have　a　goodly
number　of　interpreters　who　are　grammarians　in　the　State。
But　beyond　everything　else　it　is　necessary　that　Hoh　should
understand　metaphysics　and　theology；　that　he　should　know
thoroughly　the　derivations；　foundations；　and　demonstrations　of
all　the　arts　and　sciences；　the　likeness　and　difference　of　things；
necessity；　fate；　and　the　harmonies　of　the　universe；　power；　wis…
dom；　and　the　love　of　things　and　of　God；　the　stages　of　life　and
its　symbols；　everything　relating　to　the　heavens；　the　earth；　and
the　sea；　and　the　ideas　of　God；　as　much　as　mortal　man　can　know
of　him。　　He　must　also　be　well　read　in　the　prophets　and　in　as…
trology。　　And　thus　they　know　long　beforehand　who　will　be
Hoh。　　He　is　not　chosen　to　so　great　a　dignity　unless　he　has