concerning civil government-第6章

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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　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