Utopia By Sir Thomas - TopicsExpress



          

Utopia By Sir Thomas More Suppose I should maintain that men choose a king not for his sake, but for theirs, that by his care and efforts they may live comfortably and safely. And that therefore a prince ought to take more care of his peoples happiness than of his own, as a shepherd ought to take more care of his flock than himself. Certainly it is wrong to think that the poverty of people is a safeguard of public peace. Who quarrel more than beggars do? Who long for a change more earnestly than the dissatisfied? Who rushes in to create disorders with such desperate boldness as the man who has nothing to lose and everything to gain? If a king is so hated and scorned by his objects that he can rule them only by insults, ill usage, confiscation and impoverishment, it would certainly be better for him to quit his kingdom than to keep the name of authority when he has lost majesty of kingship through his misrule. It is less benefiting the dignity of a king reign over beggars than over rich and happy subjects. Thus Fabricius, a man of noble and exalted spirit, said he would rather govern rich men than be rich himself. When a ruler enjoys wealth and pleasure while all about him is grieving and groaning, he is a poor physician who cannot cure a disease except by throwing his patient into another. A king who can only rule his people by taking from them the pleasures of life shows that he does not know how to govern free men. He ought to shake off either his sloth or his pride, for the peoples hatred and scorn arise from these faults in him. Let him live on his own income without wronging others, and limit his own income without wronging others. Let him curb him crime, and his wise conduct prevent it rather allow it to increase, only punish it subsequently. Let him not rashly revive laws already abrogated by disuse, specially if there have been long forgotten and never seize any property on the ground that it is fortified as a fine, when a judge would regard it a subject as wicked and shame for claiming it.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 15:58:22 +0000

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