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by this means more light comes in, and the wind is better kept out.

Agriculture is an occupation common to them all, both men and women, and they are all expert in it. In this they are all instructed even from their youth, partly in the schools by tradition and precept, and partly in the country near the city, where they are brought up to practise it, as a sort of play. Beside husbandry, every one of them learns one particular trade, as his own proper craft. Most commonly the craft is working on woollen or linen cloth, or masonry, or smith's work, or carpenter's work. For there is no other occupation in which any great number are employed.

Their garments throughout the island are of one fashion, except that there is a difference between the men's garments and the women's, and between the clothing of the married and the unmarried. This one fashion continues forever unchanged; it is convenient and comely to the eye, and is fit for both winter and summer. Every family make their own garments. But every man and every woman learns one of the other crafts.

The women, who are not so strong as the men, are put to the easier crafts, such as the working in wool and flax. The more toilsome trades are committed to the men. For the most part every man is brought up in his father's craft, since he is naturally inclined to it. But if a man prefers any other, he is put into a family of that occupation, by adoption. In fact, if any person when he has learned one trade wishes to learn another also, he is permitted to do so.

The chief and almost the only office of the magistrates is to see to it that no man sits idle, but that every one works with earnest diligence at his own craft. And yet for

all that, they are not to toil from early in the morning until late in the evening, like laboring beasts. For this is worse than the miserable and wretched condition of bondmen. But they divide the day and the night into exactly twenty-four hours. Six of these hours are appointed for work, three before dinner and three after. About eight o'clock in the evening (counting the first hour after noon as one o'clock) they go to bed, and they give eight hours to sleep.

All the unoccupied time, between the hours of work, sleep, and eating, each man is allowed to spend as he prefers. Yet they are not to misspend this time in idleness or rioting, but are expected to devote the time to some proper occupation according to their liking. It is a solemn custom there to have readings every day early in the morning, at which only those are compelled to be present who have been chosen to devote themselves to learning. But a great multitude of every sort of people also go to the readings, from their own choice. After supper they give one hour to play; in summer in their gardens, in winter in their common halls, where they dine and sup. There they exercise themselves in music or in honest and wholesome conversation.

If any be desirous to visit their friends dwelling in another city, or to see the place itself, they easily obtain license from the magistrates, unless there is some reasonable objection. No man goes out alone, but a company is sent forth together with letters which testify that they have permission to go that journey, and which prescribe the day of their return. A wagon is given them, with a common bondman, who drives the oxen and takes charge of them. But unless they have women in the company they send the wagon home again. And though they carry nothing

with them, yet in all their journey they lack nothing. For wheresoever they come, they are at home. If they tarry in a place longer than one day, every one of them falls to work at his own occupation, and is very kindly entertained by the workmen of the same craft.

If any man on his own authority and without leave, walks out of his proper boundaries, he is taken and brought again for a fugitive or a runaway with great shame and rebuke, and is sharply punished. If he is taken in that fault again, he is punished with bondage. If any man wishes to walk abroad into the fields, or into the country that belongs to the same city that he dwells in, if he obtains the good-will of his father, and the consent of his wife, he is not prohibited. But into whatsoever part of the country he comes, he receives no meat until he has wrought out his forenoon's task, or despatched so much work as is usually accomplished before supper. Observing this law and condition, he may go wherever he will within the bounds of his own city.

In the council of Amaurot, whither, as I have said, each city sends three men every year, pains are taken to know what things are plentiful in every place and also what things are lacking in any place; and the lack of one place is supplied from the abundance of another. But when they have made sufficient provision of store for themselves (and this they do not consider done, until they have provided for two years to come), then they carry forth into other countries a generous supply of those things of which they have an abundance, such as grain, honey, wool, flax, wood, wax, tallow, leather, and living beasts. And the seventh part of all these things they give frankly and freely to the poor of the neighboring country. The rest they sell at a reasonable and low price.

By this traffic of merchandise they bring into their own country, not only great plenty of gold and silver, but also such things as they lack at home, especially iron. They do not circulate the money among themselves, but use the gold and silver, of which money is made, in such a way as the very nature of the thing deserves. For they regard it as plainly far below iron in value, for men can no better live without iron than without fire and water; whereas gold and silver is put to no use that we may not well lack. It is the folly of men that has set it in higher estimation because of its rareness. But Nature, as a most tender and loving mother, has placed the best and most necessary things where they are easy to find, as, for instance, the air, the water, and the earth itself, while she has hid from us vain and unprofitable things.

Therefore, if these metals among them should be fast locked up in some tower, it might be suspected that the prince and the council intended to deceive the common people and to gain profit from it themselves. Furthermore, if they should make from it plate, and such finely and cunningly wrought articles, and if at any time they should have occasion to break it and melt it again to pay their soldiers, they see very plainly that men would be loath to part from these things. To remedy all this they have found a means, which is not at all in accordance with our customs, since we value gold so highly and keep it so carefully. For while they eat and drink from earthen and glass vessels, they make their commonest utensils from silver and gold. And of the same metals they make great chains and fetters with which they fasten their bondmen. Finally, whosoever is convicted of any crime, has rings of gold hung in his ears and placed upon his finger, and wears a chain of gold about his neck. Thus by all possi

ble means they bring silver and gold to reproach and infamy among them.

cir'cuit (sir'kit), the space enclosed by | bul'wark, a defence.

a curve.

jeop'ard ous, perilous.

hu man'i ty, culture.

hus'band ry, farming.

pre'cept, a teaching, or rule.

in es'ti ma ble, above all price.

u ten'sil, that which is used; especially

a vessel used in a kitchen.

SIR THOMAS MORE (1480-1535) was an eminent prose writer of the time of Henry VIII, whose friend and counsellor he was. His romance, "Utopia," describes life in an ideal commonwealth, where men have just social conditions. The name Utopia is from the Greek, and means "Nowhere."

THE ROSE AND THE GARDENER

AUSTIN DOBSON

THE Rose in the garden slipped her bud,

And she laughed in the pride of her youthful blood
As she thought of the Gardener standing by -
"He is old so old; and he soon will die!"

The full Rose waxed in the warm June air,

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And she spread and spread, till her heart lay bare, And she laughed once more as she heard his tread, "He is older now. He will soon be dead!"

But the breeze in the morning blew, and found

That the leaves of the blown Rose strewed the ground;
And he came at noon, that Gardener old,
And he raked them softly under the mould.

And I wove the thing to a random rhyme,
For the Rose is Beauty: the Gardener, Time.

AUSTIN DOBSON (1840-) is an English poet and critic.

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