or scarcity, they supply, or are supplied from
one another; so that indeed the whole island is, as it were, one family.
When they have thus taken care of their whole country, and laid up
stores for two years, which they do to prevent the ill consequences of
an unfavourable season, they order an exportation of the overplus, both
of corn, honey, wool, flax, wood, wax, tallow, leather, and cattle;
which they send out commonly in great quantities to other nations. They
order a seventh part of all these goods to be freely given to the poor
of the countries to which they send them, and sell the rest at moderate
rates. And by this exchange, they not only bring back those few things
that they need at home (for indeed they scarce need anything but iron),
but likewise a great deal of gold and silver; and by their driving this
trade so long, it is not to be imagined how vast a treasure they have
got among them: so that now they do not much care whether they sell off
their merchandise for money in hand, or upon trust. A great part of
their treasure is now in bonds; but in all their contracts no private
man stands bound, but the writing runs in the name of the town; and the
towns that owe them money, raise it from those private hands that owe it
to them, lay it up in their public chamber, or enjoy the profit of it
till the Utopians call for it; and they choose rather to let the
greatest part of it lie in their hands who make advantage by it, than to
call for it themselves: but if they see that any of their other
neighbours stand more in need of it, then they call it in and lend it to
them: whenever they are engaged in war, which is the only occasion in
which their treasure can be usefully employed, they make use of it
themselves. In great extremities or sudden accidents they employ it in
hiring foreign troops, whom they more willingly expose to danger than
their own people: they give them great pay, knowing well that this will
work even on their enemies, that it will engage them either to betray
their own side, or at least to desert it, and that it is the best means
of raising mutual jealousies among them: for this end they have an
incredible treasure; but they do not keep it as a treasure, but in such
a manner as I am almost afraid to tell, lest you think it so
extravagant, as to be hardly credible. This I have the more reason to
apprehend, because if I had not seen it myself, I could not have been
easily persuaded to have believed i