colony, taking the inhabitants into their society, if they are willing
to live with them; and where they do that of their own accord, they
quickly enter into their method of life, and conform to their rules, and
this proves a happiness to both nations: for according to their
constitution, such care is taken of the soil, that it becomes fruitful
enough for both, though it might be otherwise too narrow and barren for
any one of them. But if the natives refuse to conform themselves to
their laws, they drive them out of those bounds which they mark out for
themselves, and use force if they resist. For they account it a very
just cause of war, for a nation to hinder others from possessing a part
of that soil, of which they make no use, but which is suffered to lie
idle and uncultivated; since every man has by the law of Nature a right
to such a waste portion of the earth as is necessary for his
subsistence. If an accident has so lessened the number of the
inhabitants of any of their towns, that it cannot be made up from the
other towns of the island, without diminishing them too much, which is
said to have fallen out but twice since they were first a people, when
great numbers were carried off by the plague; the loss is then supplied
by recalling as many as are wanted from their colonies; for they will
abandon these, rather than suffer the towns in the island to sink too
low.

But to return to their manner of living in society, the oldest man of
every family, as has been already said, is its governor. Wives serve
their husbands, and children their parents, and always the younger
serves the elder. Every city is divided into four equal parts, and in
the middle of each there is a market-place: what is brought thither, and
manufactured by the several families, is carried from thence to houses
appointed for that purpose, in which all things of a sort are laid by
themselves; and thither every father goes and takes whatsoever he or his
family stand in need of, without either paying for it, or leaving
anything in exchange. There is no reason for giving a denial to any
person, since there is such plenty of everything among them; and there
is no danger of a man's asking for more than he needs; they have no
inducements to do this, since they are sure that they shall always be
supplied. It is the fear of want that makes any of the whole race of
animals either greedy or ravenous; but besides fear, there is in man a
pride that makes him