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← ExitThe Anatomy of Melancholy

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Democritus Junior to the Reader

the richest countries are still inclosed, as Essex, Kent, with us, &c. Spain, Italy; and where inclosures are least in quantity, they are best husbanded, as about Florence in Italy, Damascus in Syria, &c. which are liker gardens then fields.

I will not have a barren acre in all my Territories, not so much as the tops of mountains: where nature fails, it shall be supplied by art: lakes and rivers shall not be left desolate. All common high-wayes, bridges, banks, corrivations of waters, aqueducts, chanels, publike works, building, &c. out of a common stock, curiously maintained and kept in repair;

no depopulations, ingrossings, alterations of wood, arable, but by the consent of some supervisors that shall be appointed for that purpose, to see what reformation ought to be had in all places, what is amisse, how to help it, Et quid quæque ferat regio, & quid quæque recuset, what ground is aptest for wood, what for corn, what for cattle, gardens, orchards, fishponds, &c. with a charitable division in every Village, (not one domineering house greedily to swallow up all, which is too common with us) what for Lords, what for tenants:

and because they shall be better incouraged to improve such lands they hold, manure, plant trees, drean, fence, &c. they shall have long leases, a known rent, and known fine to free them from those intollerable exactions of tyranizing Landlords.

These supervisors shall likewise appoint what quantity of land in each mannor is fit for the Lords Demesns, what for holding of Tenants, how it ought to be husbanded, Vt Magnetis equis, Minyæ gens cognita remis, how to be manured, tilled, rectified, hic segetes veniunt, illic fælicius uvæ, Arborei fætus alibi, atque injussa virescunt Gramina,

and what proportion is fit for all callings, because private professors are many times idiots, ill husbands, oppressors, covetous, and know not how to improve their own, or else wholly respect their own, and not publike good. Utopian parity is a kinde of government, to be wished for, rather then effected, Respub. Christianopolitana, Campanella’s city of the Sun, and that new Atlantis, witty fictions, but meer Chimera’s and Platoes community in many things is impious, absurd and ridiculous, it takes away all splendor and magnificence.

I will have several orders, degrees of nobility, and those hereditary, not rejecting yonger brothers in the mean time, for they shall be sufficiently provided for by pensions, or so qualified, brought up in some honest calling, they shal be able to live of themselves. I wil have such a proportion of ground belonging to every Barony, he that buyes the land, shall buy the Barony, he that by riot consumes his patrimony, & ancient demeans, shall forfeit his honours.

As some dignities shall be hereditary, so some again by election, or by gift (besides free offices, pensions, annuities) like our Bishopricks, Prebends, the Bassa’s palaces in Turky, the Procurators houses, & offices in Venice, which like the golden Apple, shall be given to the worthiest, & best deserving both in war and peace, as a reward of their worth and good service, as so many goals for all to aim at, (honos alit artes) and encouragements to others.

For I hate these severe, unnatural, harsh, German, French, and Venetian Decrees, which exclude Plebeians from honors, be they never so wise, rich, vertuous, valiant, and well qualified, they must not be Patritians, but keep their own rank, this is naturæ bellum inferre, odious to God and men, I abhor it. My form of government shall be Monarchical. — nunquam libertas gratior extat, Quam sub Rege pio, &c. few lawes, but those severely kept, plainly put down, and in the mother tongue, that every man may understand.

Every city shall have a peculiar trade or priviledge, by which it shall be chiefly maintained: and Parents shal teach their children, one of three at least, bring up and instruct them in the mysteries of their own trade.

In each town these several tradesmen shall be so aptly disposed, as they shall free the rest from danger or offence: Fire-trades, as Smiths, Forge-men, Brewers, Bakers, Metal-men, &c. shall dwell apart by themselves: Dyars, Tanners, Fel-mongers, and such as use water in convenient places by themselves: noysom or fulsome for bad smels, as Butchers slaughter-houses, Chandlers, curriers, in remote places, & some back lanes.

Fraternities and companies, I approve of, as Merchants Burses, Colledges of Druggers, Physicians, Musicians, &c. but all trades to be rated in the sale of wares, as our Clerks of the market do Bakers and Brewers: Corn it self, what scarcity soever shall come, not to exceed such a price.

Of such wares as are transported or brought in, if they be necessary, commodious, and such as neerly concern mans life, as corn, wood, cole, &c. & such provision we cannot want, I will have little or no custom paid, no taxes; but for such things as are for pleasure, delight, or ornament, as wine, spice, tobacco, silk, velvet, cloth of gold, lace, jewels, &c. a greater impost.

1030.Burtonp. 62, z: “M. Carew in his Survey of Cornwall, saith that before that country was inclosed, the husbandmen drank water, did eat little or no bread fol 66. lib. 1. their apparel was course, they went bare-legged, their dwelling was correspondent; but since inclosure, they live decently, and have money to spend (fol. 23.) when their fields were common, their wooll was course, Cornish hair; but since inclosure, it is almost as good as Cotswol, and their soil much mended. Tusser. cap. 52. of his husbandry, is of his opinion, one acre inclosed, is worth three common. The country inclosed I praise: The other delighteth not me, For nothing of wealth it doth raise, &c.” Editor: Husbandmen are farmers; course means coarse; Cotswol refers to Cotswold wool. Carew’s and Tusser’s claims are reproduced, not independently verified here.

1031.Burtonp. 62, a: “Incredibilis navigiorum copia, nihilo pauciores in aquis, quàm in continenti commorantur. M. Ricceus expedit. in Sinas, l. 1. c. 3.” Editor: “An incredible abundance of boats: no fewer people live on the waters than on the land.” Matteo Ricci, Expedition into China, book 1, chapter 3. Burton’s abbreviated citation is retained.

1032.Burtonp. 62, b: “To this purpose, Arist. polit. 2. c. 6. allows a third part of their revenews, Hippodamus half.” Editor: The allocations and reference are reproduced as Burton gives them; the precise derivation remains unresolved.

1033.Burtonp. 62, asterisk: “Virg.” Editor: Virgil. The footer note has no clearly visible corresponding asterisk in the body; it is attached here to the otherwise uncredited verse, located in Georgics 1.53. The following English catalogue is Burton’s own elaboration and is retained.

1035.Burtonp. 62, c: “Ita lex Agraria olim Romæ.” Editor: “So the agrarian law formerly at Rome.” Burton does not identify a particular enactment.

1036.Burtonp. 62, e: “Lucanus l. 6.” Editor: Lucan, book 6. The parallel is Civil War 6.385, which reads et Magnetes equis, Minyae gens cognita remis. Burton’s Vt Magnetis is retained on the left; the right gives the apparent intended comparison. The Magnetes and Minyans are peoples associated here with horsemanship and rowing.

1037.Burtonp. 62, d: “Hic segetes, illic veniunt fælicius uvæ, Arborei fætus alibi, atq; injussa virescunt Gramina. Virg. 1. Georg.” Editor: “Here grain, there grapes thrive better; elsewhere trees bear fruit and grass grows green unbidden.” Virgil, Georgics 1.54–56. Burton repeats the quotation in the margin, with a different placement of veniunt; both versions are retained.

1038.Burtonp. 62, f: “Ioh. Valent. Andreas, Lord Verulam.” Editor: Johann Valentin Andreae and Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam; the names connect with Christianopolis and New Atlantis in the following sentence.

1040.Burtonp. 62, g: “So is it in the kingdom of Naples and France.” Editor: This note is printed at the foot of p. 62 without a clearly visible body anchor. It is provisionally attached to the purchase of the barony with its land on p. 63. Its precise intended placement requires further collation.

1041.Burtonp. 63, h: “See Contarenus and Osorius de rebus gestis Emanuelis.” Editor: Contarini, and Osório’s account of the deeds of King Manuel. The precise passages remain uncollated.

1043.Burtonp. 63, asterisk: “Claudian l. 7.” Editor: Claudian, On Stilicho’s Consulship 3.114–115 is the located parallel. Burton’s printed reference is retained. Pius describes a ruler who fulfils his moral obligations; “just” conveys the political sense here.

1044.Burtonp. 63, i: “Herodotus Erato lib 6. Cum Ægyptiis Lacedemonii in hoc congruunt, quod eorum Præcones, tibicines, coqui, & reliqui artifices, in paterno artificio succedunt, & coquus à coquo gignitur, & paterno opere perseverat. Idem Marcus polus de Quinzay. Idem Osorius de Emanuele rege Lusitano. Riccius de Sinis.” Editor: “Herodotus, Erato, book 6. The Spartans agree with the Egyptians in this: their heralds, flute players, cooks, and other craftsmen succeed to their fathers’ trades; a cook is born to a cook and continues his father’s work. The same in Marco Polo on Quinzay, Osório on Manuel king of Portugal, and Ricci on the Chinese.” Herodotus’s relevant passage is 6.60; the other references remain uncollated.

1045.Burtonp. 63, k: “Hippol. à collibus de increm. urb. c. 20. Plato idem 7. de legibus, quæ ad vitam necessaria, & quibus carere non possumus, nullum dependi vectigal, &c.” Editor: “Hippolytus a Collibus, On the Growth of Cities, chapter 20. Plato likewise, Laws, book 7: no duty should be paid on necessities of life and things we cannot do without, etc.” Printed numbering retained; exact passages uncollated.