concerning civil government-第4章

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the　labour　that　removes　it　out　of　that　common　state　Nature　left　it　in；

made　his　property　who　takes　that　pains　about　it。　And　even　amongst

us；　the　hare　that　any　one　is　hunting　is　thought　his　who　pursues　her

during　the　chase。　For　being　a　beast　that　is　still　looked　upon　as

common；　and　no　man's　private　possession；　whoever　has　employed　so

much　labour　about　any　of　that　kind　as　to　find　and　pursue　her　has

thereby　removed　her　from　the　state　of　Nature　wherein　she　was　common；

and　hath　begun　a　property。

　　30。　It　will；　perhaps；　be　objected　to　this；　that　if　gathering　the

acorns　or　other　fruits　of　the　earth；　etc。；　makes　a　right　to　them；　then

any　one　may　engross　as　much　as　he　will。　To　which　I　answer；　Not　so。　The

same　law　of　Nature　that　does　by　this　means　give　us　property；　does　also

bound　that　property　too。　〃God　has　given　us　all　things　richly。〃　Is

the　voice　of　reason　confirmed　by　inspiration？　But　how　far　has　He　given

it　us…　〃to　enjoy〃？　As　much　as　any　one　can　make　use　of　to　any　advantage

of　life　before　it　spoils；　so　much　he　may　by　his　labour　fix　a

property　in。　Whatever　is　beyond　this　is　more　than　his　share；　and

belongs　to　others。　Nothing　was　made　by　God　for　man　to　spoil　or

destroy。　And　thus　considering　the　plenty　of　natural　provisions　there

was　a　long　time　in　the　world；　and　the　few　spenders；　and　to　how　small　a

part　of　that　provision　the　industry　of　one　man　could　extend　itself　and

engross　it　to　the　prejudice　of　others；　especially　keeping　within　the

bounds　set　by　reason　of　what　might　serve　for　his　use；　there　could　be

then　little　room　for　quarrels　or　contentions　about　property　so

established。

　　31。　But　the　chief　matter　of　property　being　now　not　the　fruits　of　the

earth　and　the　beasts　that　subsist　on　it；　but　the　earth　itself；　as　that

which　takes　in　and　carries　with　it　all　the　rest；　I　think　it　is　plain

that　property　in　that　too　is　acquired　as　the　former。　As　much　land　as　a

man　tills；　plants；　improves；　cultivates；　and　can　use　the　product　of；

so　much　is　his　property。　He　by　his　labour　does；　as　it　were；　enclose　it

from　the　common。　Nor　will　it　invalidate　his　right　to　say　everybody

else　has　an　equal　title　to　it；　and　therefore　he　cannot　appropriate；　he

cannot　enclose；　without　the　consent　of　all　his　fellow…commoners；　all

mankind。　God；　when　He　gave　the　world　in　common　to　all　mankind；

commanded　man　also　to　labour；　and　the　penury　of　his　condition　required

it　of　him。　God　and　his　reason　commanded　him　to　subdue　the　earth…　i。e。；

improve　it　for　the　benefit　of　life　and　therein　lay　out　something

upon　it　that　was　his　own；　his　labour。　He　that；　in　obedience　to　this

command　of　God；　subdued；　tilled；　and　sowed　any　part　of　it；　thereby

annexed　to　it　something　that　was　his　property；　which　another　had　no

title　to；　nor　could　without　injury　take　from　him。

　　32。　Nor　was　this　appropriation　of　any　parcel　of　land；　by　improving

it；　any　prejudice　to　any　other　man；　since　there　was　still　enough　and

as　good　left；　and　more　than　the　yet　unprovided　could　use。　So　that；

in　effect；　there　was　never　the　less　left　for　others　because　of　his

enclosure　for　himself。　For　he　that　leaves　as　much　as　another　can

make　use　of　does　as　good　as　take　nothing　at　all。　Nobody　could　think

himself　injured　by　the　drinking　of　another　man；　though　he　took　a

good　draught；　who　had　a　whole　river　of　the　same　water　left　him　to

quench　his　thirst。　And　the　case　of　land　and　water；　where　there　is

enough　of　both；　is　perfectly　the　same。

　　33。　God　gave　the　world　to　men　in　common；　but　since　He　gave　it　them

for　their　benefit　and　the　greatest　conveniencies　of　life　they　were

capable　to　draw　from　it；　it　cannot　be　supposed　He　meant　it　should

always　remain　common　and　uncultivated。　He　gave　it　to　the　use　of　the

industrious　and　rational　（and　labour　was　to　be　his　title　to　it）；　not

to　the　fancy　or　covetousness　of　the　quarrelsome　and　contentious。　He

that　had　as　good　left　for　his　improvement　as　was　already　taken　up

needed　not　complain；　ought　not　to　meddle　with　what　was　already

improved　by　another's　labour；　if　he　did　it　is　plain　he　desired　the

benefit　of　another's　pains；　which　he　had　no　right　to；　and　not　the

ground　which　God　had　given　him；　in　common　with　others；　to　labour　on；

and　whereof　there　was　as　good　left　as　that　already　possessed；　and　more

than　he　knew　what　to　do　with；　or　his　industry　could　reach　to。

　　34。　It　is　true；　in　land　that　is　common　in　England　or　any　other

country；　where　there　are　plenty　of　people　under　government　who　have

money　and　commerce；　no　one　can　enclose　or　appropriate　any　part　without

the　consent　of　all　his　fellow…commoners；　because　this　is　left　common

by　compact…　i。e。；　by　the　law　of　the　land；　which　is　not　to　be　violated。

And；　though　it　be　common　in　respect　of　some　men；　it　is　not　so　to　all

mankind；　but　is　the　joint　propriety　of　this　country；　or　this　parish。

Besides；　the　remainder；　after　such　enclosure；　would　not　be　as　good

to　the　rest　of　the　commoners　as　the　whole　was；　when　they　could　all

make　use　of　the　whole；　whereas　in　the　beginning　and　first　peopling

of　the　great　common　of　the　world　it　was　quite　otherwise。　The　law　man

was　under　was　rather　for　appropriating。　God　commanded；　and　his　wants

forced　him　to　labour。　That　was　his　property；　which　could　not　be

taken　from　him　wherever　he　had　fixed　it。　And　hence　subduing　or

cultivating　the　earth　and　having　dominion；　we　see；　are　joined

together。　The　one　gave　title　to　the　other。　So　that　God；　by

commanding　to　subdue；　gave　authority　so　far　to　appropriate。　And　the

condition　of　human　life；　which　requires　labour　and　materials　to　work

on；　necessarily　introduce　private　possessions。

　　35。　The　measure　of　property　Nature　well　set；　by　the　extent　of

men's　labour　and　the　conveniency　of　life。　No　man's　labour　could　subdue

or　appropriate　all；　nor　could　his　enjoyment　consume　more　than　a

small　part；　so　that　it　was　impossible　for　any　man；　this　way；　to

entrench　upon　the　right　of　another　or　acquire　to　himself　a　property　to

the　prejudice　of　his　neighbour；　who　would　still　have　room　for　as

good　and　as　large　a　possession　（after　the　other　had　taken　out　his）

as　before　it　was　appropriated。　Which　measure　did　confine　every　man's

possession　to　a　very　moderate　proportion；　and　such　as　he　might

appropriate　to　himself　without　injury　to　anybody　in　the　first　ages

of　the　world；　when　men　were　more　in　danger　to　be　lost；　by　wandering

from　their　company；　in　the　then　vast　wilderness　of　the　earth　than　to

be　straitened　for　want　of　room　to　plant　in。

　　36。　The　same　measure　may　be　allowed　still；　without　prejudice　to

anybody；　full　as　the　world　seems。　For；　supposing　a　man　or　family；　in

the　state　they　were　at　first；　peopling　of　the　world　by　the　children　of

Adam　or　Noah；　let　him　plant　in　some　inland　vacant　places　of　America。

We　shall　find　that　the　possessions　he　could　make　himself；　upon　the

measures　we　have　given；　would　not　be　very　large；　nor；　even　to　this

day；　prejudice　the　rest　of　mankind　or　give　them　reason　to　complain

or　think　themselves　injured　by　this　man's　encroachment；　though　the

race　of　men　have　now　spread　themselves　to　all　the　corners　of　the

world；　and　do　infinitely　exceed　the　small　number　was　at　the　beginning。

Nay；　the　extent　of　ground　is　of　so　little　value　without　labour　that

I　have　heard　it　affirmed　that　in　Spain　itself　a　man　may　be　permitted

to　plough；　sow；　and　reap；　without　being　disturbed；　upon　land　he　has　no

other　title　to；　but　only　his　making　use　of　it。　But；　on　the　contrary；

the　inhabitants　think　themselves　beholden　to　him　who；　by　his

industry　on　neglected；　and　consequently　waste　land；　has　increased

the　stock　of　corn；　which　they　wanted。　But　be　this　as　it　will；　which

I　lay　no　stress　on；　this　I　dare　boldly　affirm；　that　the　same　rule　of

propriety…　viz。；　that　every　man　should　have　as　much　as　he　could　make

use　of；　would　hold　still　in　the　world；　without　straitening　anybody；

since　there　is　land　enough　in　the　world　to　suffice　double　the

inhabitants；　had　not　the　invention　of　money；　and　the　tacit　agreement

of　men　to　put　a　value　on　it；　introduced　（by　consent）　larger

possessions　and　a　right　to　them；　which；　how　it　has　done；　I　shall　by

and　by　show　more　at　large。

　　37。　This　is　certain；　that　in　the　beginning；　before　the　desire　of

having　more　than　men　needed　had　altered　the　intrinsic　value　of　things；

which　depends　only　on　their　usefulness　to　the　life　of　man；　or　had

agreed　that　a　little　piece　of　yellow　metal；　which　would　keep　without

wasting　or　decay；　should　be　worth　a　great　piece　of　flesh　or　a　whole

heap　of　corn；　though　men　had　a　right　to　appropriate　by　their　labour；

each　one　to　himself；　as　much　of　the　things　of　Nature　as　he　could

use；　yet　this　could　not　be　much；　nor　to　the　prejudice　of　others；　where

the　same　plenty　was　still　left；　to　those　who　would　use　the　same

industry。

　　Before　the　appropriation　of　land；　he　who　gathered　as　much　of　the

wild　fruit；　killed；　caught；　or　tamed　as　many　of　the　beasts　as　he

could…　he　that　so　employed　his　pains　about　any　of　the　spontaneous

products　of　Nature　as　any　way　to　alter　them　from　the　state　Nature

put　them　in；　by　placing　any　of　his　labour　on　them；　did　thereby　acquire

a　propriety　in　them；　but　if　they　perished　in　his　possession　without

their　due　use…　if　the　fruits　rotted　or　the　venison　putrefied　before　he

could　spend　it；　he　offended　against　the　common　law　of　Nature；　and

was　liable　to　be　punished：　he　invaded　his　neighbour's　share；　for　he

had　no　right　farther　than　his　use　called　for　any　of　them；　and　they

might　serve　to　afford　him　conveniencies　of　life。

　　38。　The　same　measures　governed　the　possession　of　land；　too。

Whatsoever　he　tilled　and　reaped；　laid　up　and　made　use　of　before　it

spoiled；　that　was　his　peculiar　right；　whatsoever　he　enclosed；　and

could　feed　and　make　use　of；　the　cattle　and　product　was　also　his。　But

if　either　the　grass　of　his　enclosure　rotted　on　the　ground；　or　the

fruit　of　his　planting　perished　without　gathering　and　laying　up；　this

part　of　the　earth；　notwithstanding　his　enclosure；　was　still　to　be

looked　on　as　waste；　and　might　be　the　possession　of　any　other。　Thus；　at

the　beginning；　Cain　might　take　as　much　ground　as　he　could　till　and

make　it　his　own　land；　and　yet　leave　enough　to　Abel's　sheep　to　feed　on：

a　few　acres　would　serve　for　both　their　possessions。　But　as　families

increased　and　industry　enlarged　their　stocks；　their　possessions

enlarged　with　the　need　of　them；　but　yet　it　was　commonly　without　any

fixed　property　in　the　ground　they　made　use　of　till　they

incorporated；　settled　themselves　together；　and　built　cities；　and　then；

by　consent；　they　came　in　time　to　set　out　the　bounds　of　their

distinct　territories　and　agree　on　limits　between　them　and　their

neighbours；　and　by　laws　within　themselves　settled　the　properties　of

those　of　the　same　society。　For　we　see　that　in　that　part　of　the　world

which　was　first　inhabited；　and　therefore　like　to　be　best　peopled；　even

as　low　down　as　Abraham's　time；　they　wandered　with　their　flocks　and

their　herds；　which　was　their　substance；　freely　up　and　down…　and　this

Abraham　did　in　a　country　where　he　was　a　stranger；　whence　it　is　plain

that；　at　least；　a　great　part　of　the　land　lay　in　common；　that　the

inhabitants　valued　it　not；　nor　claimed　property　in　any　more　than

they　made　u