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Leviathan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Derek Hughes
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Summary

And whereas many men, by accident unevitable, become unable to maintain themselves by their labour; they ought not to be left to the Charity of private persons; but to be provided for, (as far-forth as the necessities of Nature require,) by the Laws of the Commonwealth. For as it is Uncharitableness in any man, to neglect the impotent; so it is in the Soveraign of the Common-wealth, to expose them to the hazard of such uncertain Charity.

But for such as have strong bodies, the case is otherwise: they are to be forced to work; and to avoyd the excuse of not finding empolyment, there ought to be such Laws, as may encourage all manner of Arts; as Navigation, Agriculture, Fishing, and all manner of Manifacture that requires labour. The multitude of poor, and yet strong people still encreasing, they are to be transplanted into Countries not sufficiently inhabited: where nevertheless, they are not to exterminate those they find there; but constrain them to inhabit closer together, and not to range a great deal of ground, to snatch what they find; but to court each little Plot with art and labour, to give them their sustenance in due season. And when all the world is overcharged with Inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is War; which provideth for every man, by Victory, or Death.

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Versions of Blackness
Key Texts on Slavery from the Seventeenth Century
, pp. 360
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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  • Leviathan
  • Edited by Derek Hughes, University of Aberdeen
  • Book: Versions of Blackness
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840890.026
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  • Leviathan
  • Edited by Derek Hughes, University of Aberdeen
  • Book: Versions of Blackness
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840890.026
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Leviathan
  • Edited by Derek Hughes, University of Aberdeen
  • Book: Versions of Blackness
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840890.026
Available formats
×