the city of the sun-第6章

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is　customary　to　give　the　pleasing　gifts　of　honor；　beautiful
wreaths；　sweet　food；　or　splendid　clothes；　while　they　are　feast…
ing。　　In　the　daytime　all　use　white　garments　within　the　city；　but
at　night　or　outside　the　city　they　use　red　garments　either　of　wool
or　silk。　　They　hate　black　as　they　do　dung；　and　therefore　they
dislike　the　Japanese；　who　are　fond　of　black。　　Pride　they　con…
sider　the　most　execrable　vice；　and　one　who　acts　proudly　is
chastised　with　the　most　ruthless　correction。　　Wherefore　no
one　thinks　it　lowering　to　wait　at　table　or　to　work　in　the　kitchen
or　fields。　　All　work　they　call　discipline；　and　thus　they　say　that
it　is　honorable　to　go　on　foot；　to　do　any　act　of　nature；　to　see　with
the　eye；　and　to　speak　with　the　tongue；　and　when　there　is　need；
they　distinguish　philosophically　between　tears　and　spittle。

　　　Every　man　who；　when　he　is　told　off　to　work；　does　his　duty；
is　considered　very　honorable。　　It　is　not　the　custom　to　keep
slaves。　　For　they　are　enough；　and　more　than　enough；　for　them…
selves。　　But　with　us；　alas！　it　is　not　so。　　In　Naples　there　exist
70；000　souls；　and　out　of　these　scarcely　10；000　or　15；000　do　any
work；　and　they　are　always　lean　from　overwork　and　are　getting
weaker　every　day。　　The　rest　become　a　prey　to　idleness；　avarice；
ill…health；　lasciviousness；　usury；　and　other　vices；　and　contam…
inate　and　corrupt　very　many　families　by　holding　them　in　servi…
tude　for　their　own　use；　by　keeping　them　in　poverty　and　slavish…
ness；　and　by　imparting　to　them　their　own　vices。　　Therefore
public　slavery　ruins　them；　useful　works；　in　the　field；　in　military
service；　and　in　arts；　except　those　which　are　debasing；　are　not
cultivated；　the　few　who　do　practise　them　doing　so　with　much
aversion。

　　　But　in　the　City　of　the　Sun；　while　duty　and　work　are　dis…
tributed　among　all；　it　only　falls　to　each　one　to　work　for　about
four　hours　every　day。　　The　remaining　hours　are　spent　in　learn…
ing　joyously；　in　debating；　in　reading；　in　reciting；　in　writing；　in
walking；　in　exercising　the　mind　and　body；　and　with　play。　　They
allow　no　game　which　is　played　while　sitting；　neither　the　single
die　nor　dice；　nor　chess；　nor　others　like　these。　　But　they　play
with　the　ball；　with　the　sack；　with　the　hoop；　with　wrestling；　with
hurling　at　the　stake。　　They　say；　moreover；　that　grinding　poverty
renders　men　worthless；　cunning；　sulky；　thievish；　insidious；　vag…
abonds；　liars；　false　witnesses；　etc。；　and　that　wealth　makes　them
insolent；　proud；　ignorant；　traitors；　assumers　of　what　they　know
not；　deceivers；　boasters；　wanting　in　affection；　slanderers；　etc。
But　with　them　all　the　rich　and　poor　together　make　up　the　com…
munity。　　They　are　rich　because　they　want　nothing；　poor　be…
cause　they　possess　nothing；　and　consequently　they　are　not
slaves　to　circumstances；　but　circumstances　serve　them。　　And　on
this　point　they　strongly　recommend　the　religion　of　the　Chris…
tians；　and　especially　the　life　of　the　apostles。


G。M。　　This　seems　excellent　and　sacred；　but　the　community
of　women　is　a　thing　too　difficult　to　attain。　　The　holy　Roman
Clement　says　that　wives　ought　to　be　common　in　accordance　with
the　apostolic　institution；　and　praises　Plato　and　Socrates；　who
thus　teach；　but　the　Glossary　interprets　this　community　with
regard　to　obedience。　　And　Tertullian　agrees　with　the　Glossary；
that　the　first　Christians　had　everything　in　common　except
wives。


Capt。　　These　things　I　know　little　of。　　But　this　I　saw　among
the　inhabitants　of　the　City　of　the　Sun；　that　they　did　not　make
this　exception。　　And　they　defend　themselves　by　the　opinion　of
Socrates；　of　Cato；　of　Plato；　and　of　St。　Clement；　but；　as　you　say；
they　misunderstand　the　opinions　of　these　thinkers。　　And　the
inhabitants　of　the　solar　city　ascribe　this　to　their　want　of　educa…
tion；　since　they　are　by　no　means　learned　in　philosophy。　　Never…
theless；　they　send　abroad　to　discover　the　customs　of　nations；
and　the　best　of　these　they　always　adopt。　　Practice　makes　the
women　suitable　for　war　and　other　duties。　　Thus　they　agree　with
Plato；　in　whom　I　have　read　these　same　things。　　The　reasoning
of　our　Cajetan　does　not　convince　me；　and　least　of　all　that　of
Aristotle。　　This　thing；　however；　existing　among　them　is　ex…
cellent　and　worthy　of　imitation　　viz。；　that　no　physical　defect
renders　a　man　incapable　of　being　serviceable　except　the　decrepi…
tude　of　old　age；　since　even　the　deformed　are　useful　for　consulta…
tion。　　The　lame　serve　as　guards；　watching　with　the　eyes　which
they　possess。　　The　blind　card　wool　with　their　hands；　separating
the　down　from　the　hairs；　with　which　latter　they　stuff　the
couches　and　sofas；　those　who　are　without　the　use　of　eyes　and
hands　give　the　use　of　their　ears　or　their　voice　for　the　conven…
ience　of　the　State；　and　if　one　has　only　one　sense　he　uses　it　in　the
farms。　　And　these　cripples　are　well　treated；　and　some　become
spies；　telling　the　officers　of　the　State　what　they　have　heard。


G。M。　　Tell　me　now；　I　pray　you；　of　their　military　affairs。
Then　you　may　explain　their　arts；　ways　of　life　and　sciences；
and　lastly　their　religion。


Capt。　　The　triumvir；　Power；　has　under　him　all　the　magis…
trates　of　arms；　of　artillery；　of　cavalry；　of　　foot…soldiers；　of　archi…
tects；　and　of　strategists；　and　the　masters　and　many　of　the
most　excellent　workmen　obey　the　magistrates；　the　men　of　each
art　paying　allegiance　to　their　respective　chiefs。　　Moreover；
Power　is　at　the　head　of　all　the　professors　of　gymnastics；　who
teach　military　exercise；　and　who　are　prudent　generals；　advanced
in　age。　　By　these　the　boys　are　trained　after　their　twelfth　year。
Before　this　age；　however；　they　have　been　accustomed　to　wres…
tling；　running；　throwing　the　weight；　and　other　minor　exercises；
under　inferior　masters。　　But　at　twelve　they　are　taught　how　to
strike　at　the　enemy；　at　horses　and　elephants；　to　handle　the　spear；
the　sword；　the　arrow；　and　the　sling；　to　manage　the　horse；　to
advance　and　to　retreat；　to　remain　in　order　of　battle；　to　help　a
comrade　in　arms；　to　anticipate　the　enemy　by　cunning；　and　to
conquer。

　　　The　women　also　are　taught　these　arts　under　their　own　magis…
trates　and　mistresses；　so　that　they　may　be　able　if　need　be　to
render　assistance　to　the　males　in　battles　near　the　city。　　They
are　taught　to　watch　the　fortifications　lest　at　some　time　a　hasty
attack　should　suddenly　be　made。　　In　this　respect　they　praise　the
Spartans　and　Amazons。　　The　women　know　well　also　how　to
let　fly　fiery　balls；　and　how　to　make　them　from　lead；　how　to
throw　stones　from　pinnacles　and　to　go　in　the　way　of　an　attack。
They　are　accustomed　also　to　give　up　wine　unmixed　altogether；
and　that　one　is　punished　most　severely　who　shows　any　fear。

　　　The　inhabitants　of　the　City　of　the　Sun　do　not　fear　death；
because　they　all　believe　that　the　soul　is　immortal；　and　that　when
it　has　left　the　body　it　is　associated　with　other　spirits；　wicked　or
good；　according　to　the　merits　of　this　present　life。　　Although
they　are　partly　followers　of　Brahma　and　Pythagoras；　they　do
not　believe　in　the　transmigration　of　souls；　except　in　some　cases
by　a　distinct　decree　of　God。　　They　do　not　abstain　from　injuring
an　enemy　of　the　republic　and　of　religion；　who　is　unworthy　of
pity。　　During　the　second　month　the　army　is　reviewed；　and　every
day　there　is　practice　of　arms；　either　in　the　cavalry　plain　or
within　the　walls。　　Nor　are　they　ever　without　lectures　on　the
science　of　war。　　They　take　care　that　the　accounts　of　Moses；　of
Joshua；　of　David；　of　Judas　Maccabaeus；　of　Caesar；　of　Alexander；
of　Scipio；　of　Hannibal；　and　other　great　soldiers　should　be　read。
And　then　each　one　gives　his　own　opinion　as　to　whether　these
generals　acted　well　or　ill；　usefully　or　honorably；　and　then　the
teacher　answers　and　says　who　are　right。


G。M。　　With　whom　do　they　wage　war；　and　for　what　reasons；
since　they　are　so　prosperous？


Capt。　　Wars　might　never　occur；　nevertheless　they　are　exer…
cised　in　military　tactics　and　in　hunting；　lest　perchance　they
should　become　effeminate　and　unprepared　for　any　emergency。
Besides；　there　are　four　kingdoms　in　the　island；　which　are　very
envious　of　their　prosperity；　for　this　reason　that　the　people　de…
sire　to　live　after　the　manner　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　City　of
the　Sun；　and　to　be　under　their　rule　rather　than　that　of　their
own　kings。　　Where