concerning civil government-第6部分

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　　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　enclosing；　and　we　should　see　him

give　up　again　to　the　wild　common　of　Nature　whatever　was　more　than

would　supply　the　conveniences　of　life；　to　be　had　there　for　him　and　his

family。

　　49。　Thus；　in　the　beginning；　all　the　world　was　America；　and　more　so

than　that　is　now；　for　no　such　thing　as　money　was　anywhere　known。

Find　out　something　that　hath　the　use　and　value　of　money　amongst　his

neighbours；　you　shall　see　the　same　man　will　begin　presently　to　enlarge

his　possessions。

　　50。　But；　since　gold　and　silver；　being　little　useful　to　the　life　of

man；　in　proportion　to　food；　raiment；　and　carriage；　has　its　value

only　from　the　consent　of　men…　whereof　labour　yet　makes　in　great　part

the　measure…　it　is　plain　that　the　consent　of　men　have　agreed　to　a

disproportionate　and　unequal　possession　of　the　earth…　I　mean　out　of

the　bounds　of　society　and　compact；　for　in　governments　the　laws

regulate　it；　they　having；　by　consent；　found　out　and　agreed　in　a　way

how　a　man　may；　rightfully　and　without　injury；　possess　more　than　he

himself　can　make　use　of　by　receiving　gold　and　silver；　which　may

continue　long　in　a　man's　possession　without　decaying　for　the　overplus；

and　agreeing　those　metals　should　have　a　value。

　　51。　And　thus；　I　think；　it　is　very　easy　to　conceive；　without　any

difficulty；　how　labour　could　at　first　begin　a　title　of　property　in　the

common　things　of　Nature；　and　how　the　spending　it　upon　our　uses　bounded

it；　so　that　there　could　then　be　no　reason　of　quarrelling　about　title；

nor　any　doubt　about　the　largeness　of　possession　it　gave。　Right　and

conveniency　went　together。　For　as　a　man　had　a　right　to　all　he　could

employ　his　labour　upon；　so　he　had　no　temptation　to　labour　for　more

than　he　could　make　use　of。　This　left　no　room　for　controversy　about

the　title；　nor　for　encroachment　on　the　right　of　others。　What　portion

a　man　carved　to　himself　was　easily　seen；　and　it　was　useless；　as　well

as　dishonest；　to　carve　himself　too　much；　or　take　more　than　he　needed。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　VI

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Paternal　Power



　　52。　IT　may　perhaps　be　censured　an　impertinent　criticism　in　a

discourse　of　this　nature　to　find　fault　with　words　and　names　that

have　obtained　in　the　world。　And　yet　possibly　it　may　not　be　amiss　to

offer　new　ones　when　the　old　are　apt　to　lead　men　into　mistakes；　as　this

of　paternal　power　probably　has　done；　which　seems　so　to　place　the　power

of　parents　over　their　children　wholly　in　the　father；　as　if　the

mother　had　no　share　in　it；　whereas　if　we　consult　reason　or　revelation；

we　shall　find　she　has　an　equal　title；　which　may　give　one　reason　to　ask

whether　this　might　not　be　more　properly　called　parental　power？　For

whatever　obligation　Nature　and　the　right　of　generation　lays　on

children；　it　must　certainly　bind　them　equal　to　both　the　concurrent

causes　of　it。　And　accordingly　we　see　the　positive　law　of　God

everywhere　joins　them　together　without　distinction；　when　it　commands

the　obedience　of　children：　〃Honour　thy　father　and　thy　mother〃　（Exod。

20。　12）；　〃Whosoever　curseth　his　father　or　his　mother〃　（Lev。　20。　9）；

〃Ye　shall　fear　every　man　his　mother　and　his　father〃　（Lev。　19。　3）；

〃Children；　obey　your　parents〃　（Eph。　6。　1）；　etc。；　is　the　style　of　the

Old　and　New　Testament。

　　53。　Had　but　this　one　thing　been　well　considered　without　looking

any　deeper　into　the　matter；　it　might　perhaps　have　kept　men　from

running　into　those　gross　mistakes　they　have　made　about　this　power　of

parents；　which　however　it　might　without　any　great　harshness　bear　the

name　of　absolute　dominion　and　regal　authority；　when　under　the　title　of

〃paternal〃　power；　it　seemed　appropriated　to　the　father；　would　yet　have

sounded　but　oddly；　and　in　the　very　name　shown　the　absurdity；　if　this

supposed　absolute　power　over　children　had　been　called　parental；　and

thereby　discovered　that　it　belonged　to　the　mother　too。　For　it　will　but

very　ill　serve　the　turn　of　those　men　who　contend　so　much　for　the

absolute　power　and　authority　of　the　fatherhood；　as　they　call　it；

that　the　mother　should　have　any　share　in　it。　And　it　would　have　but　ill

supported　the　monarchy　they　contend　for；　when　by　the　very　name　it

appeared　that　that　fundamental　authority　from　whence　they　would　derive

their　government　of　a　single　person　only　was　not　placed　in　one；　but

two　persons　jointly。　But　to　let　this　of　names　pass。

　　54。　Though　I　have　said　above　（2）　〃That　all　men　by　nature　are　equal；〃

I　cannot　be　supposed　to　understand　all　sorts　of　〃equality。〃　Age　or

virtue　may　give　men　a　just　precedency。　Excellency　of　parts　and　merit

may　place　others　above　the　common　level。　Birth　may　subject　some；　and

alliance　or　benefits　others；　to　pay　an　observance　to　those　to　whom

Nature；　gratitude；　or　other　respects；　may　have　made　it　due；　and　yet

all　this　consists　with　the　equality　which　all　men　are　in　respect　of

jurisdiction　or　dominion　one　over　another；　which　was　the　equality　I

there　spoke　of　as　proper　to　the　business　in　hand；　being　that　equal

right　that　every　man　hath　to　his　natural　freedom；　without　being

subjected　to　the　will　or　authority　of　a