," must necessarily be left in the country,
and naturally he considers how he may so dispose of them during the
interval that they may yield to him the largest profit at his return.
Two distinct principles were open to his choice corresponding to the
methods of day's-wages and piece-work in modern social economics; he
might either confide to his servants generally the management of his
estate, and give them wages according to time, or give each a certain
amount of capital, to be exclusively at his own disposal, promising to
reward him according to his diligence and success. The latter method is
obviously the one which contains a spring within itself constantly
urging to diligence. With a set of slaves who are ignorant, degraded,
and suspicious, this plan would not be practicable, but if the men
possess a certain amount of moral principle, self-reliance, and
intelligence, it is safest and best.

The master accordingly, counting on the good-will and honesty of his
dependants, frankly entrusts each with a certain amount of capital,
graduated according to their capacity for business. Nothing is said in
the record regarding the terms of the compact, but it is implied that
these were clearly understood between the parties. The money was given
in order that it might be laid out to the best advantage, primarily for
the owner's interest, and secondarily for the due remuneration of the
faithful servant. This practice was carried to a great extent among the
Romans; the owner of a skilful slave could make a greater profit by
giving scope to the man's energies than by confining him forcibly to
menial occupation.

It is by no means necessary to determine the precise character of the
bond which united the servant to his master in this case. The
circumstances of the parable will suit equally the supposition of
absolute right on the part of the master and a voluntary contract
between him and his servant for a limited time. Whatever may have been
the amount of service due to the master at the time of his
departure,--whether the whole life and energy of a slave, or a limited
quantity of work from a servant,--that service was his property, and he
desired to turn it to the best account.

Two of the servants traded with the capital entrusted to their charge
and doubled it ere the master returned; one from a morbid dread of his
master's severity, coupled with indolence in his personal habits, hid
the money in the ground, thereby deliberate