第32章

Inthisdistribution，thefirstlawisfordivisionofthelanditself：whereinthesovereignassignethtoeverymanaportion，accordingashe，andnotaccordingasanysubject，oranynumberofthem，shalljudgeagreeabletoequityandthecommongood。ThechildrenofIsraelwereaCommonwealthinthewilderness；butwantedthecommoditiesoftheearthtilltheyweremastersoftheLandofPromise；whichafterwardwasdividedamongstthem，notbytheirowndiscretion，butbythediscretionofEleazarthepriest，andJoshuatheirgeneral：whowhenthereweretwelvetribes，makingthemthirteenbysubdivisionofthetribeofJoseph，madeneverthelessbuttwelveportionsoftheland，andordainedforthetribeofLevinoland，butassignedthemthetenthpartofthewholefruits；whichdivisionwasthereforearbitrary。Andthoughapeoplecomingintopossessionofalandbywardonotalwaysexterminatetheancientinhabitants，asdidtheJews，butleavetomany，ormost，orallofthemtheirestates；yetitismanifesttheyholdthemafterwards，asofthevictor’sdistribution；asthepeopleofEnglandheldalltheirsofWilliamtheConqueror。

Fromwhencewemaycollectthattheproprietywhichasubjecthathinhislandsconsistethinarighttoexcludeallothersubjectsfromtheuseofthem；andnottoexcludetheirsovereign，beitanassemblyoramonarch。Forseeingthesovereign，thatistosay，theCommonwealth(whosepersonherepresenteth)，isunderstoodtodonothingbutinordertothecommonpeaceandsecurity，thisdistributionoflandsistobeunderstoodasdoneinordertothesame：andconsequently，whatsoeverdistributionheshallmakeinprejudicethereofiscontrarytothewillofeverysubjectthatcommittedhispeaceandsafetytohisdiscretionandconscience，andthereforebythewillofeveryoneofthemistobereputedvoid。Itistruethatasovereignmonarch，orthegreaterpartofasovereignassembly，mayordainthedoingofmanythingsinpursuitoftheirpassions，contrarytotheirownconsciences，whichisabreachoftrustandofthelawofnature；butthisisnotenoughtoauthorizeanysubject，eithertomakewarupon，orsomuchastoaccuseofinjustice，oranywaytospeakeviloftheirsovereign；becausetheyhaveauthorizedallhisactions，and，inbestowingthesovereignpower，madethemtheirown。Butinwhatcasesthecommandsofsovereignsarecontrarytoequityandthelawofnatureistobeconsideredhereafterinanotherplace。

Inthedistributionofland，theCommonwealthitselfmaybeconceivedtohaveaportion，andpossessandimprovethesamebytheirrepresentative；andthatsuchportionmaybemadesufficienttosustainthewholeexpensetothecommonpeaceanddefencenecessarilyrequired：whichwereverytrue，iftherecouldbeanyrepresentativeconceivedfreefromhumanpassionsandinfirmities。Butthenatureofmenbeingasitis，thesettingforthofpublicland，orofanycertainrevenuefortheCommonwealth，isinvain，andtendethtothedissolutionofgovernment，totheconditionofmerenature，andwar，assoonaseverthesovereignpowerfallethintothehandsofamonarch，orofanassembly，thatareeithertoonegligentofmoneyortoohazardousinengagingthepublicstockintolongorcostlywar。

Commonwealthscanendurenodiet：forseeingtheirexpenseisnotlimitedbytheirownappetitebutbyexternalaccidents，andtheappetitesoftheirneighbours，thepublicrichescannotbelimitedbyotherlimitsthanthosewhichtheemergentoccasionsshallrequire。

AndwhereasinEngland，therewerebytheConquerordiverselandsreservedtohisownuse(besidesforestsandchases，eitherforhisrecreationorforpreservationofwoods)，anddiverseservicesreservedonthelandhegavehissubjects；yetitseemstheywerenotreservedforhismaintenanceinhispublic，butinhisnaturalcapacity：forheandhissuccessorsdid，forallthat，layarbitrarytaxesonallsubjects’landwhentheyjudgeditnecessary。OrifthosepubliclandsandserviceswereordainedasasufficientmaintenanceoftheCommonwealth，itwascontrarytothescopeoftheinstitution，being(asitappearedbythoseensuingtaxes)insufficientand(asitappearsbythelatesmallrevenueoftheCrown)subjecttoalienationanddiminution。Itisthereforeinvain