fruitless employment, and tormented with the apprehensions
of want in their old age; since that which they get by their daily
labour does but maintain them at present, and is consumed as fast as it
comes in, there is no overplus left to lay up for old age.

Is not that government both unjust and ungrateful, that is so prodigal
of its favours to those that are called gentlemen, or goldsmiths, or
such others who are idle, or live either by flattery, or by contriving
the arts of vain pleasure; and on the other hand, takes no care of those
of a meaner sort, such as ploughmen, colliers, and smiths, without whom
it could not subsist? But after the public has reaped all the advantage
of their service, and they come to be oppressed with age, sickness, and
want, all their labours and the good they have done is forgotten; and
all the recompense given them is that they are left to die in great
misery. The richer sort are often endeavouring to bring the hire of
labourers lower, not only by their fraudulent practices, but by the laws
which they procure to be made to that effect; so that though it is a
thing most unjust in itself, to give such small rewards to those who
deserve so well of the public, yet they have given those hardships the
name and colour of justice, by procuring laws to be made for regulating
them.

Therefore I must say that, as I hope for mercy, I can have no other
notion of all the other governments that I see or know, than that they
are a conspiracy of the rich, who on pretence of managing the public
only pursue their private ends, and devise all the ways and arts they
can find out; first, that they may, without danger, preserve all that
they have so ill acquired, and then that they may engage the poor to
toil and labour for them at as low rates as possible, and oppress them
as much as they please. And if they can but prevail to get these
contrivances established by the show of public authority, which is
considered as the representative of the whole people, then they are
accounted laws. Yet these wicked men after they have, by a most
insatiable covetousness, divided that among themselves with which all
the rest might have been well supplied, are far from that happiness that
is enjoyed among the Utopians: for the use as well as the desire of
money being extinguished, much anxiety and great occasions of mischief
is cut off with it. And who does not see that the frauds, thefts,
robberies, quarrels, tumults, conten