It is not sufficient in a well-regulated democracy that the
divisions of land be equal; they ought also to be small, as was
customary among the Romans. "God forbid," said Curius to his
soldiers,
[13]
"that a citizen should look upon that as a small piece of
land which is sufficient to maintain him."
As equality of fortunes supports frugality, so the latter maintains
the former. These things, though in themselves different, are of such a
nature as to be unable to subsist separately; they reciprocally act upon
each other; if one withdraws itself from a democracy, the other surely
follows it.
True is it that when a democracy is founded on commerce, private
people may acquire vast riches without a corruption of morals.
This is because the spirit of commerce is naturally attended with
that of frugality, economy, moderation, labour, prudence, tranquillity,
order, and rule. So long as this spirit subsists, the riches it produces
have no bad effect. The mischief is, when excessive wealth destroys the
spirit of commerce, then it is that the inconveniences of inequality
begin to be felt.
In order to support this spirit, commerce should be carried on by
the principal citizens; this should be their sole aim and study; this
the chief object of the laws: and these very laws, by dividing the
estates of individuals in proportion to the increase of commerce, should
set every poor citizen so far at his ease as to be able to work like the
rest, and every wealthy citizen in such a mediocrity as to be obliged to
take some pains either in preserving or acquiring a fortune.
It is an excellent law in a trading republic to make an equal
division of the paternal estate among the children. The consequence of
this is that how great soever a fortune the father has made, his
children, being not so rich as he, are induced to avoid luxury, and to
work as he has done. I speak here only of trading republics; as to those
that have no commerce, the legislator must pursue quite different
measures.
[14]
In Greece there were two sorts of republics: the one military, like
Sparta; the other commercial, as Athens. In the former, the citizens
were obliged to be idle; in the latter, endeavours were used to inspire
them with the love of industry and labour. Solon made idleness a crime,
and insisted that each citizen should give an account of his manner of
getting a livelihood. And, indeed, in a well-regulated democracy, where
people's expenses should extend only to what is necessary, every one
ought to have it; for how should their wants be otherwise supplied?
