concerning civil government-第9章

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fitter　umpire　than　he；　by　whose　care　they　had　every　one　been　sustained

and　brought　up。　and　who　had　a　tenderness　for　them　all？　It　is　no　wonder

that　they　made　no　distinction　betwixt　minority　and　full　age；　nor

looked　after　one…and…twenty；　or　any　other　age；　that　might　make　them

the　free　disposers　of　themselves　and　fortunes；　when　they　could　have　no

desire　to　be　out　of　their　pupilage。　The　government　they　had　been　under

during　it　continued　still　to　be　more　their　protection　than

restraint；　and　they　could　nowhere　find　a　greater　security　to　their

peace；　liberties；　and　fortunes　than　in　the　rule　of　a　father。

　　76。　Thus　the　natural　fathers　of　families；　by　an　insensible　change；

became　the　politic　monarchs　of　them　too；　and　as　they　chanced　to　live

long；　and　leave　able　and　worthy　heirs　for　several　successions　or

otherwise；　so　they　laid　the　foundations　of　hereditary　or　elective

kingdoms　under　several　constitutions　and　manors；　according　as

chance；　contrivance；　or　occasions　happened　to　mould　them。　But　if

princes　have　their　titles　in　the　father's　right；　and　it　be　a

sufficient　proof　of　the　natural　right　of　fathers　to　political

authority；　because　they　commonly　were　those　in　whose　hands　we　find；　de

facto；　the　exercise　of　government；　I　say；　if　this　argument　be　good；　it

will　as　strongly　prove　that　all　princes；　nay；　princes　only；　ought　to

be　priests；　since　it　is　as　certain　that　in　the　beginning　〃the　father

of　the　family　was　priest；　as　that　he　was　ruler　in　his　own　household。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　VII

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Political　or　Civil　Society



　　77。　GOD；　having　made　man　such　a　creature　that；　in　His　own

judgment；　it　was　not　good　for　him　to　be　alone；　put　him　under　strong

obligations　of　necessity；　convenience；　and　inclination；　to　drive　him

into　society；　as　well　as　fitted　him　with　understanding　and　language　to

continue　and　enjoy　it。　The　first　society　was　between　man　and　wife；

which　gave　beginning　to　that　between　parents　and　children；　to　which；

in　time；　that　between　master　and　servant　came　to　be　added。　And

though　all　these　might；　and　commonly　did；　meet　together；　and　make　up

but　one　family；　wherein　the　master　or　mistress　of　it　had　some　sort

of　rule　proper　to　a　family；　each　of　these；　or　all　together；　came　short

of　〃political　society；〃　as　we　shall　see　if　we　consider　the　different

ends；　ties；　and　bounds　of　each　of　these。

　　78。　Conjugal　society　is　made　by　a　voluntary　compact　between　man

and　woman；　and　though　it　consist　chiefly　in　such　a　communion　and　right

in　one　another's　bodies　as　is　necessary　to　its　chief　end；　procreation；

yet　it　draws　with　it　mutual　support　and　assistance；　and　a　communion　of

interests　too；　as　necessary　not　only　to　unite　their　care　and

affection；　but　also　necessary　to　their　common　offspring；　who　have　a

right　to　be　nourished　and　maintained　by　them　till　they　are　able　to

provide　for　themselves。

　　79。　For　the　end　of　conjunction　between　male　and　female　being　not

barely　procreation；　but　the　continuation　of　the　species；　this

conjunction　betwixt　male　and　female　ought　to　last；　even　after

procreation；　so　long　as　is　necessary　to　the　nourishment　and　support　of

the　young　ones；　who　are　to　be　sustained　by　those　that　got　them　till

they　are　able　to　shift　and　provide　for　themselves。　This　rule；　which

the　infinite　wise　Maker　hath　set　to　the　works　of　His　hands；　we　find

the　inferior　creatures　steadily　obey。　In　those　vivaporous　animals

which　feed　on　grass　the　conjunction　between　male　and　female　lasts　no

longer　than　the　very　act　of　copulation；　because　the　teat　of　the　dam

being　sufficient　to　nourish　the　young　till　it　be　able　to　feed　on

grass。　the　male　only　begets；　but　concerns　not　himself　for　the　female

or　young；　to　whose　sustenance　he　can　contribute　nothing。　But　in　beasts

of　prey　the　conjunction　lasts　longer　because　the　dam；　not　being　able

well　to　subsist　herself　and　nourish　her　numerous　offspring　by　her

own　prey　alone　（a　more　laborious　as　well　as　more　dangerous　way　of

living　than　by　feeding　on　grass）；　the　assistance　of　the　male　is

necessary　to　the　maintenance　of　their　common　family；　which　cannot

subsist　till　they　are　able　to　prey　for　themselves；　but　by　the　joint

care　of　male　and　female。　The　same　is　observed　in　all　birds　（except

some　domestic　ones；　where　plenty　of　food　excuses　the　cock　from　feeding

and　taking　care　of　the　young　brood）；　whose　young；　needing　food　in

the　nest；　the　cock　and　hen　continue　mates　till　the　young　are　able　to

use　their　wings　and　provide　for　themselves。

　　80。　And　herein；　I　think；　lies　the　chief；　if　not　the　only　reason；　why

the　male　and　female　in　mankind　are　tied　to　a　longer　conjunction　than

other　creatures…　viz。；　because　the　female　is　capable　of　conceiving；

and；　de　facto；　is　commonly　with　child　again；　and　brings　forth　too　a

new　birth；　long　before　the　former　is　out　of　a　dependency　for　support

on　his　parents'　help　and　able　to　shift　for　himself　and　has　all　the

assistance　due　to　him　from　his　parents；　whereby　the　father；　who　is

bound　to　take　care　for　those　he　hath　begot；　is　under　an　obligation

to　continue　in　conjugal　society　with　the　same　woman　longer　than

other　creatures；　whose　young；　being　able　to　subsist　of　themselves

before　the　time　of　procreation　returns　again；　the　conjugal　bond

dissolves　of　itself；　and　they　are　at　liberty　till　Hymen；　at　his

usual　anniversary　season；　summons　them　again　to　choose　new　mates。

Wherein　one　cannot　but　admire　the　wisdom　of　the　great　Creator；　who；

having　given　to　man　an　ability　to　lay　up　for　the　future　as　well　as

supply　the　present　necessity；　hath　made　it　necessary　that　society　of

man　and　wife　should　be　more　lasting　than　of　male　and　female　amongst

other　creatures；　that　so　their　industry　might　be　encouraged；　and　their

interest　better　united；　to　make　provision　and　lay　up　goods　for　their

common　issue；　which　uncertain　mixture；　or　easy　and　frequent

solutions　of　conjugal　society；　would　mightily　disturb。

　　81。　But　though　these　are　ties　upon　mankind　which　make　the　conjugal

bonds　more　firm　and　lasting　in　a　man　than　the　other　species　of

animals；　yet　it　would　give　one　reason　to　inquire　why　this　compact；

where　procreation　and　education　are　secured　and　inheritance　taken　care

for；　may　not　be　made　determinable；　either　by　consent；　or　at　a

certain　time；　or　upon　certain　conditions；　as　well　as　any　other

voluntary　compacts；　there　being　no　necessity；　in　the　nature　of　the

thing；　nor　to　the　ends　of　it；　that　it　should　always　be　for　life…　I

mean；　to　such　as　are　under　no　restraint　of　any　positive　law　which

ordains　all　such　contracts　to　be　perpetual。

　　82。　But　the　husband　and　wife；　though　they　have　but　one　common

concern；　yet　having　different　understandings；　will　unavoidably

sometimes　have　different　wills　too。　It　therefore　being　necessary

that　the　last　determination　（i。e。；　the　rule）　should　be　placed

somewhere；　it　naturally　falls　to　the　man's　share　as　the　abler　and

the　stronger。　But　this；　reaching　but　to　the　things　of　their　common

interest　and　property；　leaves　the　wife　in　the　full　and　true　possession

of　what　by　contract　is　her　peculiar　right；　and　at　least　gives　the

husband　no　more　power　over　her　than　she　has　over　his　life；　the　power

of　the　husband　being　so　far　from　that　of　an　absolute　monarch　that

the　wife　has；　in　many　cases；　a　liberty　to　separate　from　him　where

natural　right　or　their　contract　allows　it；　whether　that　contract　be

made　by　themselves　in　the　state　of　Nature　or　by　the　customs　or　laws　of

the　country　they　live　in；　and　the　children；　upon　such　separation；　fall

to　the　father　or　mother's　lot　as　such　contract　does　determine。

　　83。　For　all　the　ends　of　marriage　being　to　be　obtained　under

politic　government；　as　well　as　in　the　state　of　Nature；　the　civil

magistrate　doth　not　abridge　the　right　or　power　of　either；　naturally

necessary　to　those　ends…　viz。；　procreation　and　mutual　support　and

assistance　whilst　they　are　together；　but　only　decides　any

controversy　that　may　arise　between　man　and　wife　about　them。　If　it　were

otherwise；　and　that　absolute　sovereignty　and　power　of　life　and　death

naturally　belonged　to　the　husband；　and　were　necessary　to　the　society

between　man　and　wife；　there　could　be　no　matrimony　in　any　of　these

countries　where　the　husband　is　allowed　no　such　absolute　authority。　But

the　ends　of　matrimony　requiring　no　such　power　in　the　husband；　it　was

not　at　all　necessary　to　it。　The　condition　of　conjugal　society　put　it

not　in　him；　but　whatsoever　might　consist　with　procreation　and

support　of　the　children　till　they　could　shift　for　themselves…　mutual

assistance；　comfort；　and　maintenance…　might　be　varied　and　regulated　by

that　contract　which　first　united　them　in　that　society；　nothing　being

necessary　to　any　society　that　is　not　necessary　to　the　ends　for　which

it　is　made。

　　84。　The　society　betwixt　parents　and　children；　and　the　distinct

rights　and　powers　belonging　respectively　to　them；　I　have　treated　of　so

largely　in　the　foregoing　chapter　that　I　shall　not　here　need　to　say

anything　of　it；　and　I　think　it　is　plain　that　it　is　far　different

from　a　politic　society。

　　85。　Master　and　servant　are　names　as　old　as　history；　but　given　to

those　of　far　different　condition；　for　a　free　man　makes　himself　a

servant　to　another　by　selling　him　for　a　certain　time　the　service　he

undertakes　to　do　in　exchange　for　wages　he　is　to　receive；　and　though

this　commonly　puts　him　into　the　family　of　his　master；　and　under　the

ordinary　discipline　thereof；　yet　it　gives　the　master　but　a　temporary

power　over　him；　and　no　greater　than　what　is　contained　in　the

contract　between　them。　But　there　is　another　sort　of　servant　which　by　a

peculiar　name　we　call　slaves；　who　being　captives　taken　in　a　just　war

are；　by　the　right　of　Nature；　subjected　to　the　absolute　dominion　and

arbitrary　power　of　their　masters。　These　men　having；　as　I　say；

forfeited　their　lives　and；　with　it；　their　liberties；　and　lost　their

estates；　and　being　in　the　state　of　slavery；　not　capable　of　any

property；　cannot　in　that　state　be　considered　as　any　part　of　civil

society；　the　chief　end　whereof　is　the　preservation　of　property。

　　86。　Let　us　therefore　consider　a　master　of　a　family　with　all　these

subordinate　relations　of　wife；　children；　servants　and　slaves；　united

under　the　domestic　rule　of　a　family；　with　what　resemblance　soever　it

may　have　in　its　order；　offices；　and　number　too；　with　a　little

commonwealth；　yet　is　very　far　from　it　both　in　its　constitution；　power；

and　end；　or　if　it　must　be　thought　a　monarchy；　and　the　paterfamilias

the　absolute　monarch　in　it；　absolute　monarchy　will　have　but　a　very

shattered　and　short　power；　when　it　is　plain　by　what　has　been　said

before；　that　the　master　of　the　family　has　a　very　distinct　and

differently　limited　power　both　as　to　time　and　extent　over　those

several　persons　that　are　in　it；　for　excepting　the　slave　（and　the

family　is　as　much　a　family；　and　his　power　as　paterfamilias　as　great；

whether　there　be　any　slaves　in　his　family　or　no）　he　has　no　legislative

power　of　life　and　death　over　any　of　them；　and　none　too　but　what　a

mistress　of　a　family　may　have　as　well　as　he。　And　he　certainly　can　have

no　absolute　power　over　the　whole　family　who　has　but　a　very　limited　one

over　every　individual　in　it。　Bu