concerning civil government-第5章

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

they　made　use　of；　but　when　there　was　not　room　enough　in　the　same　place

for　their　herds　to　feed　together；　they；　by　consent；　as　Abraham　and　Lot

did　（Gen。　xiii。　5）；　separated　and　enlarged　their　pasture　where　it　best

liked　them。　And　for　the　same　reason；　Esau　went　from　his　father　and　his

brother；　and　planted　in　Mount　Seir　（Gen。　36。　6）。

　　39。　And　thus；　without　supposing　any　private　dominion　and　property　in

Adam　over　all　the　world；　exclusive　of　all　other　men；　which　can　no

way　be　proved；　nor　any　one's　property　be　made　out　from　it；　but

supposing　the　world；　given　as　it　was　to　the　children　of　men　in　common；

we　see　how　labour　could　make　men　distinct　titles　to　several　parcels　of

it　for　their　private　uses；　wherein　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　right；

no　room　for　quarrel。

　　40。　Nor　is　it　so　strange　as；　perhaps；　before　consideration；　it　may

appear；　that　the　property　of　labour　should　be　able　to　overbalance

the　community　of　land；　for　it　is　labour　indeed　that　puts　the

difference　of　value　on　everything；　and　let　any　one　consider　what　the

difference　is　between　an　acre　of　land　planted　with　tobacco　or　sugar；

sown　with　wheat　or　barley；　and　an　acre　of　the　same　land　lying　in

common　without　any　husbandry　upon　it；　and　he　will　find　that　the

improvement　of　labour　makes　the　far　greater　part　of　the　value。　I　think

it　will　be　but　a　very　modest　computation　to　say；　that　of　the

products　of　the　earth　useful　to　the　life　of　man；　nine…tenths　are　the

effects　of　labour。　Nay；　if　we　will　rightly　estimate　things　as　they

come　to　our　use；　and　cast　up　the　several　expenses　about　them…　what

in　them　is　purely　owing　to　Nature　and　what　to　labour…　we　shall　find

that　in　most　of　them　ninety…nine　hundredths　are　wholly　to　be　put　on

the　account　of　labour。

　　41。　There　cannot　be　a　clearer　demonstration　of　anything　than　several

nations　of　the　Americans　are　of　this；　who　are　rich　in　land　and　poor　in

all　the　comforts　of　life；　whom　Nature；　having　furnished　as　liberally

as　any　other　people　with　the　materials　of　plenty…　i。e。；　a　fruitful

soil；　apt　to　produce　in　abundance　what　might　serve　for　food；

raiment；　and　delight；　yet；　for　want　of　improving　it　by　labour；　have

not　one　hundredth　part　of　the　conveniencies　we　enjoy；　and　a　king　of

a　large　and　fruitful　territory　there　feeds；　lodges；　and　is　clad

worse　than　a　day　labourer　in　England。

　　42。　To　make　this　a　little　clearer；　let　us　but　trace　some　of　the

ordinary　provisions　of　life；　through　their　several　progresses；

before　they　come　to　our　use；　and　see　how　much　they　receive　of　their

value　from　human　industry。　Bread；　wine；　and　cloth　are　things　of

daily　use　and　great　plenty；　yet　notwithstanding　acorns；　water；　and

leaves；　or　skins　must　be　our　bread；　drink　and　clothing；　did　not　labour

furnish　us　with　these　more　useful　commodities。　For　whatever　bread　is

more　worth　than　acorns；　wine　than　water；　and　cloth　or　silk　than

leaves；　skins　or　moss；　that　is　wholly　owing　to　labour　and　industry。

The　one　of　these　being　the　food　and　raiment　which　unassisted　Nature

furnishes　us　with；　the　other　provisions　which　our　industry　and　pains

prepare　for　us；　which　how　much　they　exceed　the　other　in　value；　when

any　one　hath　computed；　he　will　then　see　how　much　labour　makes　the

far　greatest　part　of　the　value　of　things　we　enjoy　in　this　world；　and

the　ground　which　produces　the　materials　is　scarce　to　be　reckoned　in　as

any；　or　at　most；　but　a　very　small　part　of　it；　so　little；　that　even

amongst　us；　land　that　is　left　wholly　to　nature；　that　hath　no

improvement　of　pasturage；　tillage；　or　planting；　is　called；　as　indeed

it　is；　waste；　and　we　shall　find　the　benefit　of　it　amount　to　little

more　than　nothing。

　　43。　An　acre　of　land　that　bears　here　twenty　bushels　of　wheat；　and

another　in　America；　which；　with　the　same　husbandry；　would　do　the　like；

are；　without　doubt；　of　the　same　natural；　intrinsic　value。　But　yet

the　benefit　mankind　receives　from　one　in　a　year　is　worth　five

pounds；　and　the　other　possibly　not　worth　a　penny；　if　all　the　profit　an

Indian　received　from　it　were　to　be　valued　and　sold　here；　at　least　I

may　truly　say；　not　one　thousandth。　It　is　labour；　then；　which　puts

the　greatest　part　of　value　upon　land；　without　which　it　would

scarcely　be　worth　anything；　it　is　to　that　we　owe　the　greatest　part

of　all　its　useful　products；　for　all　that　the　straw；　bran；　bread；　of

that　acre　of　wheat；　is　more　worth　than　the　product　of　an　acre　of　as

good　land　which　lies　waste　is　all　the　effect　of　labour。　For　it　is

not　barely　the　ploughman's　pains；　the　reaper's　and　thresher's　toil；

and　the　baker's　sweat；　is　to　be　counted　into　the　bread　we　eat；　the

labour　of　those　who　broke　the　oxen；　who　digged　and　wrought　the　iron

and　stones；　who　felled　and　framed　the　timber　employed　about　the

plough；　mill；　oven；　or　any　other　utensils；　which　are　a　vast　number；

requisite　to　this　corn；　from　its　sowing　to　its　being　made　bread；

must　all　be　charged　on　the　account　of　labour；　and　received　as　an

effect　of　that；　Nature　and　the　earth　furnished　only　the　almost

worthless　materials　as　in　themselves。　It　would　be　a　strange

catalogue　of　things　that　industry　provided　and　made　use　of　about　every

loaf　of　bread　before　it　came　to　our　use　if　we　could　trace　them；

iron；　wood；　leather；　bark；　timber；　stone；　bricks；　coals；　lime；

cloth；　dyeing…drugs；　pitch；　tar；　masts；　ropes；　and　all　the　materials

made　use　of　in　the　ship　that　brought　any　of　the　commodities　made　use

of　by　any　of　the　workmen；　to　any　part　of　the　work；　all　which　it

would　be　almost　impossible；　at　least　too　long；　to　reckon　up。

　　44。　From　all　which　it　is　evident；　that　though　the　things　of　Nature

are　given　in　common；　man　（by　being　master　of　himself；　and　proprietor

of　his　own　person；　and　the　actions　or　labour　of　it）　had　still　in

himself　the　great　foundation　of　property；　and　that　which　made　up　the

great　part　of　what　he　applied　to　the　support　or　comfort　of　his

being；　when　invention　and　arts　had　improved　the　conveniences　of

life；　was　perfectly　his　own；　and　did　not　belong　in　common　to　others。

　　45。　Thus　labour；　in　the　beginning；　gave　a　right　of　property；

wherever　any　one　was　pleased　to　employ　it；　upon　what　was　common；　which

remained　a　long　while；　the　far　greater　part；　and　is　yet　more　than

mankind　makes　use　of　Men　at　first；　for　the　most　part；　contented

themselves　with　what　unassisted　Nature　offered　to　their　necessities；

and　though　afterwards；　in　some　parts　of　the　world；　where　the

increase　of　people　and　stock；　with　the　use　of　money；　had　made　land

scarce；　and　so　of　some　value；　the　several　communities　settled　the

bounds　of　their　distinct　territories；　and；　by　laws；　within　themselves；

regulated　the　properties　of　the　private　men　of　their　society；　and

so；　by　compact　and　agreement；　settled　the　property　which　labour　and

industry　began。　And　the　leagues　that　have　been　made　between　several

states　and　kingdoms；　either　expressly　or　tacitly　disowning　all　claim

and　right　to　the　land　in　the　other's　possession；　have；　by　common

consent；　given　up　their　pretences　to　their　natural　common　right；　which

originally　they　had　to　those　countries；　and　so　have；　by　positive

agreement；　settled　a　property　amongst　themselves；　in　distinct　parts　of

the　world；　yet　there　are　still　great　tracts　of　ground　to　be　found；

which　the　inhabitants　thereof；　not　having　joined　with　the　rest　of

mankind　in　the　consent　of　the　use　of　their　common　money；　lie　waste；

and　are　more　than　the　people　who　dwell　on　it；　do；　or　can　make　use

of；　and　so　still　lie　in　common；　though　this　can　scarce　happen

amongst　that　part　of　mankind　that　have　consented　to　the　use　of　money。

　　46。　The　greatest　part　of　things　really　useful　to　the　life　of　man；

and　such　as　the　necessity　of　subsisting　made　the　first　commoners　of

the　world　look　after…　as　it　doth　the　Americans　now…　are　generally

things　of　short　duration；　such　as…　if　they　are　not　consumed　by　use…

will　decay　and　perish　of　themselves。　Gold；　silver；　and　diamonds　are

things　that　fancy　or　agreement　hath　put　the　value　on；　more　than　real

use　and　the　necessary　support　of　life。　Now　of　those　good　things

which　Nature　hath　provided　in　common；　every　one　hath　a　right　（as

hath　been　said）　to　as　much　as　he　could　use；　and　had　a　property　in

all　he　could　effect　with　his　labour；　all　that　his　industry　could

extend　to；　to　alter　from　the　state　Nature　had　put　it　in；　was　his。　He

that　gathered　a　hundred　bushels　of　acorns　or　apples　had　thereby　a

property　in　them；　they　were　his　goods　as　soon　as　gathered。　He　was　only

to　look　that　he　used　them　before　they　spoiled；　else　he　took　more

than　his　share；　and　robbed　others。　And；　indeed；　it　was　a　foolish

thing；　as　well　as　dishonest；　to　hoard　up　more　than　he　could　make　use

of　If　he　gave　away　a　part　to　anybody　else；　so　that　it　perished　not

uselessly　in　his　possession；　these　he　also　made　use　of　And　if　he

also　bartered　away　plums　that　would　have　rotted　in　a　week；　for　nuts

that　would　last　good　for　his　eating　a　whole　year；　he　did　no　injury；　he

wasted　not　the　common　stock；　destroyed　no　part　of　the　portion　of　goods

that　belonged　to　others；　so　long　as　nothing　perished　uselessly　in

his　hands。　Again；　if　he　would　give　his　nuts　for　a　piece　of　metal；

pleased　with　its　colour；　or　exchange　his　sheep　for　shells；　or　wool　for

a　sparkling　pebble　or　a　diamond；　and　keep　those　by　him　all　his　life；

he　invaded　not　the　right　of　others；　he　might　heap　up　as　much　of

these　durable　things　as　he　pleased；　the　exceeding　of　the　bounds　of　his

just　property　not　lying　in　the　largeness　of　his　possession；　but　the

perishing　of　anything　uselessly　in　it。

　　47。　And　thus　came　in　the　use　of　money；　some　lasting　thing　that　men

might　keep　without　spoiling；　and　that；　by　mutual　consent；　men　would

take　in　exchange　for　the　truly　useful　but　perishable　supports　of　life。

　　48。　And　as　different　degrees　of　industry　were　apt　to　give　men

possessions　in　different　proportions；　so　this　invention　of　money

gave　them　the　opportunity　to　continue　and　enlarge　them。　For

supposing　an　island；　separate　from　all　possible　commerce　with　the　rest

of　the　world；　wherein　there　were　but　a　hundred　families；　but　there

were　sheep；　horses；　and　cows；　with　other　useful　animals；　wholesome

fruits；　and　land　enough　for　corn　for　a　hundred　thousand　times　as　many；

but　nothing　in　the　island；　either　because　of　its　commonness　or

perishableness；　fit　to　supply　the　place　of　money。　What　reason　could

any　one　have　there　to　enlarge　his　possessions　beyond　the　use　of　his

family；　and　a　plentiful　supply　to　its　consumption；　either　in　what

their　own　industry　produced；　or　they　could　barter　for　like　perishable；

useful　commodities　with　others？　Where　there　is　not　something　both

lasting　and　scarce；　and　so　valuable　to　be　hoarded　up；　there　men　will

not　be　apt　to　enlarge　their　possessions　of　land；　were　it　never　so

rich；　never　so　free　for　them　to　take。　For　I　ask；　what　would　a　man

value　ten　thousand　or　an　hundred　thousand　acres　of　excellent　land；

ready　cultivated　and　well　stocked；　too；　with　cattle；　in　the　middle

of　the　inland　parts　of　America；　where　he　had　no　hopes　of　commerce　with

other　parts　of　the　world；　to　draw　money　to　him　by　the　sale　of　the

product？　It　would　not　be　worth　the　encl