§. 194. Their persons are free by a native right, and their properties, be
they more or less, are their own, and at their own dispose, and not at his; or
else it is no property. Supposing the conqueror gives to one man a thousand
acres, to him and his heirs for ever; to another he lets a thousand acres, for
his life, under the rent of L50 or L500 per annum. Has not the one of these a
right to his thousand acres for ever, and the other during his life, paying the
said rent? And hath not the tenant for life a property in all that he gets over
and above his rent, by his labour and industry, during the said term, supposing
it be double the rent? Can any one say, the king, or conqueror, after his
grant, may, by his power of conqueror, take away all, or part of the land, from
the heirs of one, or from the other during his life, he paying the rent? Or,
can he take away from either the goods or money they have got upon the said
land at his pleasure? If he can, then all free and voluntary contracts cease,
and are void in the world; there needs nothing but power enough to dissolve
them at any time, and all the grants and promises of men in power are but
mockery and collusion. For can there be anything more ridiculous than to say, I
give you and yours this for ever, and that in the surest and most solemn way of
conveyance can be devised, and yet it is to be understood that I have right, if
I please, to take it away from you again to-morrow?
