second treatise of government-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

our　　indeed　that　puts　the　difference　of　value　on　every　thing；　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　expences　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。　　　　　　　　Sec。　41。　　There　cannot　be　a　clearer　demonstration　of　any　　thing；　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。　　　　　　　　Sec。　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　cloathing；　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。　　This　shews　how　much　numbers　of　men　are　to　be　preferred　to　　largeness　of　dominions；　and　that　the　increase　of　lands；　and　the　　right　employing　of　them；　is　the　great　art　of　government：　and　that　　prince；　who　shall　be　so　wise　and　godlike；　as　by　established　laws　　of　liberty　to　secure　protection　and　encouragement　to　the　honest　　industry　of　mankind；　against　the　oppression　of　power　and　　narrowness　of　party；　will　quickly　be　too　hard　for　his　neighbours：　　but　this　by　the　by。　　To　return　to　the　argument　in　hand；　　　　　　Sec。　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　the　　one　in　a　year；　is　worth　5l。　　and　from　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　any　　thing：　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　plough…man'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　being　feed　to　be　　sown　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；　dying　　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。　　　　　　Sec。　44。　　From　all　which　it　is　evident；　that　though　the　　things　of　nature　are　given　in　common；　yet　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　conveniencies　of　life；　was　perfectly　　his　own；　and　did　not　belong　in　common　to　others。　　　　　　Sec。　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　expresly　or　tacitly　disowning　　all　claim　and　right　to　the　land　in　the　others　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　and　parcels　of　the　earth；　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；　tho'　this　can　scarce　happen　amongst　　that　part　of　mankind　that　have　consented　to　the　use　of　money。　　　　　　Sec。　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　cloth　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　had　a　right　（as　hath　been　　said）　to　as　much　as　he　could　use；　and　property　in　all　that　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　any　　body　else；　so　that　it　perished　not　uselesly　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　uselesly　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　any　thing　uselesly　in　it。　　　　　　Sec。　47。　　And　thus　came　in　the　use　of　money；　some　lasting　　thing　that　men　might　keep　without　spoiling；