"I havealreadytoldyouwithwhatcaretheylookaftertheirsick, sothatnothingisleftundonethatcancontributeeithertotheircaseorhealth; andforthosewhoaretakenwithfixedandincurablediseases, theyuseallpossiblewaystocherishthemandtomaketheirlivesascomfortableaspossible. Theyvisitthemoftenandtakegreatpainstomaketheirtimepassoffeasily; butwhenanyistakenwith a torturingandlingeringpain, sothatthereisnohopeeitherofrecoveryorease, thepriestsandmagistratescomeandexhortthem, that, sincetheyarenowunabletogoonwiththebusinessoflife, arebecome a burdentothemselvesandtoallaboutthem, andtheyhavereallyout-livedthemselves, theyshouldnolongernourishsuch a rooteddistemper, butchooserathertodiesincetheycannotlivebutinmuchmisery; beingassuredthatiftheythusdeliverthemselvesfromtorture, orarewillingthatothersshoulddoit, theyshallbehappyafterdeath: since, bytheiractingthus, theylosenoneofthepleasures, butonlythetroublesoflife, theythinktheybehavenotonlyreasonablybutin a mannerconsistentwithreligionandpiety; becausetheyfollowtheadvicegiventhembytheirpriests, whoaretheexpoundersofthewillofGod. Suchasarewroughtonbythesepersuasionseitherstarvethemselvesoftheirownaccord, ortakeopium, andbythatmeansdiewithoutpain. Butnomanisforcedonthiswayofendinghislife; andiftheycannotbepersuadedtoit, thisdoesnotinducethemtofailintheirattendanceandcareofthem: butastheybelievethat a voluntarydeath, whenitischosenuponsuchanauthority, isveryhonourable, soifanymantakesawayhisownlifewithouttheapprobationofthepriestsandthesenate, theygivehimnoneofthehonoursof a decentfuneral, butthrowhisbodyinto a ditch.
2
"Theirwomenarenotmarriedbeforeeighteennortheirmenbeforetwo-and-twenty, andifanyofthemrunintoforbiddenembracesbeforemarriagetheyareseverelypunished, andtheprivilegeofmarriageisdeniedthemunlesstheycanobtain a specialwarrantfromthePrince. Suchdisorderscast a greatreproachuponthemasterandmistressofthefamilyinwhichtheyhappen, foritissupposedthattheyhavefailedintheirduty. Thereasonofpunishingthissoseverelyis, becausetheythinkthatiftheywerenotstrictlyrestrainedfromallvagrantappetites, veryfewwouldengagein a stateinwhichtheyventurethequietoftheirwholelives, bybeingconfinedtooneperson, andareobligedtoendurealltheinconvenienceswithwhichitisaccompanied. Inchoosingtheirwivestheyuse a methodthatwouldappeartousveryabsurdandridiculous, butitisconstantlyobservedamongthem, andisaccountedperfectlyconsistentwithwisdom. Beforemarriagesomegravematronpresentsthebride, naked, whethersheis a virginor a widow, tothebridegroom, andafterthatsomegravemanpresentsthebridegroom, naked, tothebride. We, indeed, bothlaughedatthis, andcondemneditasveryindecent. Butthey, ontheotherhand, wonderedatthefollyofthemenofallothernations, who, iftheyarebuttobuy a horseof a smallvalue, aresocautiousthattheywillseeeverypartofhim, andtakeoffbothhissaddleandallhisothertackle, thattheremaybenosecretulcerhidunderanyofthem, andthatyetinthechoiceof a wife, onwhichdependsthehappinessorunhappinessoftherestofhislife, a manshouldventureupontrust, andonlyseeabout a handsbreadthoftheface, alltherestofthebodybeingcovered, underwhichmayliehidwhatmaybecontagiousaswellasloathsome. Allmenarenotsowiseastochoose a womanonlyforhergoodqualities, andevenwisemenconsiderthebodyasthatwhichaddsnot a littletothemind, anditiscertaintheremaybesomesuchdeformitycoveredwithclothesasmaytotallyalienate a manfromhiswife, whenitistoolatetopartwithher; ifsuch a thingisdiscoveredaftermarriage a manhasnoremedybutpatience; they, therefore, thinkitisreasonablethatthereshouldbegoodprovisionmadeagainstsuchmischievousfrauds.
3
"Therewassomuchthemorereasonforthemtomake a regulationinthismatter, becausetheyaretheonlypeopleofthosepartsthatneitherallowofpolygamynorofdivorces, exceptinthecaseofadulteryorinsufferableperverseness, forinthesecasestheSenatedissolvesthemarriageandgrantstheinjuredpersonleavetomarryagain; buttheguiltyaremadeinfamousandareneverallowedtheprivilegeof a secondmarriage. Nonearesufferedtoputawaytheirwivesagainsttheirwills, fromanygreatcalamitythatmayhavefallenontheirpersons, fortheylookonitastheheightofcrueltyandtreacherytoabandoneitherofthemarriedpersonswhentheyneedmostthetendercareoftheirconsort, andthatchieflyinthecaseofoldage, which, asitcarriesmanydiseasesalongwithit, soitis a diseaseofitself. Butitfrequentlyfallsoutthatwhen a marriedcoupledonotwellagree, they, bymutualconsent, separate, andfindoutotherpersonswithwhomtheyhopetheymaylivemorehappily; yetthisisnotdonewithoutobtainingleaveoftheSenate, whichneveradmitsof a divorcebutupon a strictinquirymade, bothbythesenatorsandtheirwives, intothegroundsuponwhichitisdesired, andevenwhentheyaresatisfiedconcerningthereasonsofittheygoonbutslowly, fortheyimaginethattoogreateasinessingrantingleavefornewmarriageswouldverymuchshakethekindnessofmarriedpeople. Theypunishseverelythosethatdefilethemarriagebed; ifbothpartiesaremarriedtheyaredivorced, andtheinjuredpersonsmaymarryoneanother, orwhomtheyplease, buttheadultererandtheadulteressarecondemnedtoslavery, yetifeitheroftheinjuredpersonscannotshakeofftheloveofthemarriedpersontheymaylivewiththemstillinthatstate, buttheymustfollowthemtothatlabourtowhichtheslavesarecondemned, andsometimestherepentanceofthecondemned, togetherwiththeunshakenkindnessoftheinnocentandinjuredperson, hasprevailedsofarwiththePrincethathehastakenoffthesentence; butthosethatrelapseaftertheyareoncepardonedarepunishedwithdeath.
4
"Theirlawdoesnotdeterminethepunishmentforothercrimes, butthatislefttotheSenate, totemperitaccordingtothecircumstancesofthefact. Husbandshavepowertocorrecttheirwivesandparentstochastisetheirchildren, unlessthefaultissogreatthat a publicpunishmentisthoughtnecessaryforstrikingterrorintoothers. Forthemostpartslaveryisthepunishmentevenofthegreatestcrimes, forasthatisnolessterribletothecriminalsthemselvesthandeath, sotheythinkthepreservingthemin a stateofservitudeismorefortheinterestofthecommonwealththankillingthem, since, astheirlabouris a greaterbenefittothepublicthantheirdeathcouldbe, sothesightoftheirmiseryis a morelastingterrortoothermenthanthatwhichwouldbegivenbytheirdeath. Iftheirslavesrebel, andwillnotbeartheiryokeandsubmittothelabourthatisenjoinedthem, theyaretreatedaswildbeaststhatcannotbekeptinorder, neitherby a prisonnorbytheirchains, andareatlastputtodeath. Butthosewhobeartheirpunishmentpatiently, andaresomuchwroughtonbythatpressurethatliessohardonthem, thatitappearstheyarereallymoretroubledforthecrimestheyhavecommittedthanforthemiseriestheysuffer, arenotoutofhope, butthat, atlast, eitherthePrincewill, byhisprerogative, orthepeople, bytheirintercession, restorethemagaintotheirliberty, or, atleast, verymuchmitigatetheirslavery. Hethattempts a marriedwomantoadulteryisnolessseverelypunishedthanhethatcommitsit, fortheybelievethat a deliberatedesigntocommit a crimeisequaltothefactitself, sinceitsnottakingeffectdoesnotmakethepersonthatmiscarriedinhisattemptatallthelessguilty.
5
"Theytakegreatpleasureinfools, andasitisthought a baseandunbecomingthingtousethemill, sotheydonotthinkitamissforpeopletodivertthemselveswiththeirfolly; and, intheiropinion, thisis a greatadvantagetothefoolsthemselves; forifmenweresosullenandsevereasnotatalltopleasethemselveswiththeirridiculousbehaviourandfoolishsayings, whichisallthattheycandotorecommendthemselvestoothers, itcouldnotbeexpectedthattheywouldbesowellprovidedfornorsotenderlyusedastheymustotherwisebe. Ifanymanshouldreproachanotherforhisbeingmisshapedorimperfectinanypartofhisbody, itwouldnotatallbethought a reflectiononthepersonsotreated, butitwouldbeaccountedscandalousinhimthathadupbraidedanotherwithwhathecouldnothelp. Itisthought a signof a sluggishandsordidmindnottopreservecarefullyone's naturalbeauty; butitislikewiseinfamousamongthemtousepaint. Theyallseethatnobeautyrecommends a wifesomuchtoherhusbandastheprobityofherlifeandherobedience; forassomefewarecaughtandheldonlybybeauty, soallareattractedbytheotherexcellenceswhichcharmalltheworld.
"Ifanymanaspirestoanyofficeheissurenevertocompassit. Theyallliveeasilytogether, fornoneofthemagistratesareeitherinsolentorcrueltothepeople; theyaffectrathertobecalledfathers, and, bybeingreallyso, theywelldeservethename; andthepeoplepaythemallthemarksofhonourthemorefreelybecausenoneareexactedfromthem. ThePrincehimselfhasnodistinction, eitherofgarmentsorof a crown; butisonlydistinguishedby a sheafofcorncarriedbeforehim; astheHighPriestisalsoknownbyhisbeingprecededby a personcarrying a waxlight.
8
"Theyhavebutfewlaws, andsuchistheirconstitutionthattheyneednotmany. Theyverymuchcondemnothernationswhoselaws, togetherwiththecommentariesonthem, swelluptosomanyvolumes; fortheythinkitanunreasonablethingtoobligementoobey a bodyoflawsthatarebothofsuch a bulk, andsodarkasnottobereadandunderstoodbyeveryoneofthesubjects.
9
"Theyhavenolawyersamongthem, fortheyconsiderthemas a sortofpeoplewhoseprofessionitistodisguisemattersandtowrestthelaws, and, therefore, theythinkitismuchbetterthateverymanshouldpleadhisowncause, andtrustittothejudge, asinotherplacestheclienttrustsitto a counsellor; bythismeanstheybothcutoffmanydelaysandfindouttruthmorecertainly; forafterthepartieshavelaidopenthemeritsofthecause, withoutthoseartificeswhichlawyersareapttosuggest, thejudgeexaminesthewholematter, andsupportsthesimplicityofsuchwell-meaningpersons, whomotherwisecraftymenwouldbesuretorundown; andthustheyavoidthoseevilswhichappearveryremarkablyamongallthosenationsthatlabourunder a vastloadoflaws. Everyoneofthemisskilledintheirlaw; for, asitis a veryshortstudy, sotheplainestmeaningofwhichwordsarecapableisalwaysthesenseoftheirlaws; andtheyarguethus: alllawsarepromulgatedforthisend, thateverymanmayknowhisduty; and, therefore, theplainestandmostobvioussenseofthewordsisthatwhichoughttobeputuponthem, since a morerefinedexpositioncannotbeeasilycomprehended, andwouldonlyservetomakethelawsbecomeuselesstothegreaterpartofmankind, andespeciallytothosewhoneedmostthedirectionofthem; foritisallonenottomake a lawatallortocouchitinsuchtermsthat, without a quickapprehensionandmuchstudy, a mancannotfindoutthetruemeaningofit, sincethegeneralityofmankindarebothsodull, andsomuchemployedintheirseveraltrades, thattheyhaveneithertheleisurenorthecapacityrequisiteforsuchaninquiry.
10
"Someoftheirneighbours, whoaremastersoftheirownliberties (havinglongago, bytheassistanceoftheUtopians, shakenofftheyokeoftyranny, andbeingmuchtakenwiththosevirtueswhichtheyobserveamongthem), havecometodesirethattheywouldsendmagistratestogovernthem, somechangingthemeveryyear, andotherseveryfiveyears; attheendoftheirgovernmenttheybringthembacktoUtopia, withgreatexpressionsofhonourandesteem, andcarryawayotherstogovernintheirstead. Inthistheyseemtohavefallenupon a verygoodexpedientfortheirownhappinessandsafety; forsincethegoodorillconditionof a nationdependssomuchupontheirmagistrates, theycouldnothavemade a betterchoicethanbypitchingonmenwhomnoadvantagescanbias; forwealthisofnousetothem, sincetheymustsosoongobacktotheirowncountry, andthey, beingstrangersamongthem, arenotengagedinanyoftheirheatsoranimosities; anditiscertainthatwhenpublicjudicatoriesareswayed, eitherbyavariceorpartialaffections, theremustfollow a dissolutionofjustice, thechiefsinewofsociety.