45. Thus labour, in the beginning, gave a right of property, wherever any one was pleased to employ it upon what was common, which remained a long while the far greater part, and is yet more than mankind makes use of. Men at first, for the most part, contented themselves with what unassisted nature offered to their necessities: and though afterwards, in some parts of the world, (where the increase of people and stock, with the use of money, had made land scarce, and so of some value) the several communities settled the bounds of their distinct territories, and by laws within themselves regulated the properties of the private men of their society, and so by compact and agreement, settled the property which labour and industry began; and the leagues that have been made between several states and kingdoms, either expressly or tacitly disowning all claim and right to the land in the others possession, have, by common consent, given up their pretences to their natural common right, which originally they had to those countries, and so have, by positive agreement, settled a property amongst themselves, in distinct parts and parcels of the earth; yet there are still great tracts of ground to be found, which (the inabitants thereof not having joined with the rest of mankind, in the consent of the use of their common money) lay waste, and are more than the people who dwell on it do, or can make use of, and so still lie in common; though this can scarce happen amongst that part of mankind that have consented to the use of money. 46. The greatest part of things really useful to the life of man, and such as the necessity of subsisting made the first commoners of the world look after, as it doth the Americans now, are generally things of short duration; such as, if they are not consumed by use, will decay and perish of themselves: gold, silver and diamonds, are things that fancy or agreement hath put the value on, more than real use, and the necessary support of life. Now of those good things which nature hath provided in common, every one had a right (as hath been said) to as much as he could use, and property in all that he could effect with his labour; all that his industry could extend to, to alter from the state nature had put it in, was his. He that gathered a hundred bushels of acorns or apples, had thereby a property in them,

they were his goods as soon as gathered. He was only to look, that he used them before they spoiled, else he took more than his share, and robbed others. And indeed it was a foolish thing, as well as dishonest, to hoard up more than he could make use of. If he gave away part to any body else, so that it perished not uselessly in his possession, these he also made use of. And if he also bartered away plums, that would have rotted in a week, for nuts that would last good for his eating a whole year, he did no injury; he wasted not the common stock; destroyed no part of the portion of goods that belonged to others, so long as nothing perished uselessly in his hand. Again, if he would give his nuts for a piece of metal, pleased with its colour; or exchange his sheep for shells, or wool for a sparkling pebble or a diamond, and keep those by him all his life, he invaded not the rights of others; he might neap up as much of these durable things as he pleased; the exceeding of the bounds of his just property not lying in the largeness of his possession, but the perishing of any thing uselessly in it.

47. And thus came in the use of money, some lasting thing that men might keep without spoiling, and that by mutual consent men would take in exchange for the truly useful, but perishable supports of life.

48. And as different degrees of industry were apt to give men possessions in different proportions, so this invention of money gave them the opportunity to continue and enlarge them: for supposing an island, separate from all possible commerce with the rest of the world, wherein there were but an hundred families, but there were sheep, horses and cows, with other useful animals, wholesome fruits, and land enough for corn for a hundred thousand times as many, but nothing in the island, either because of its commonness, or perishableness, fit to supply the place of money; what reason could any one have there to enlarge his possessions beyond the use of his family, and a plentiful supply to its consumption, either in what their own industry produced, or they could barter for like perishable, useful commodities with others? Where there is not some thing, both lasting and scarce, and so valuable to be hoarded up, there men will be apt to enlarge their possessions of land, were it never so rich, never so free for them to take: for I ask,

what would a man value ten thousand, or an hundred thousand acres of excellent land, ready cultivated, and well stocked too with cattle, in the middle of the inland parts of America, where he had no hopes of commerce with other parts of the world, to draw money to him by the sale of the product? It would not be worth the inclosing, and we should see him give up again to the wild common of nature, whatever was more than would supply the conveniencies of life to be had there for him and his family.

49. Thus in the beginning all the world was America, and more so than that is now; for no such thing as money was any where known. Find out something that hath the use and value of money amongst his neighbours, you shall see the same man will begin presently to enlarge his possessions.

50. But since gold and silver, being little useful to the life of men in proportion to food, raiment, and carriage, has its value only from the consent of men, whereof labour yet mukes, in great part, the measure, it is plain, that inen have agreed to a disproportionate and unequal possession of the earth, they having, by a tacit and voluntary consent, found out a way how a man may fairly possess more land than he himself can use the product of, by receiving in exchange for the overplus gold and silver, which may

be hoarded up without injury to any one; these metals not spoiling or decaying in the hands of the possessor. This partage of things in an equality of private possessions, men have made practicable out of the bounds of society, and without compact, only by putting a value on gold and silver, and tacitly agreeing in the use of money for in governments, the laws regulate the right of property, and the possession of land is determined by positive constitutions.

51. And thus, I think, it is very easy to conceive, without any difficulty, how labour could at first begin a title to property in the common things of nature, and how the spending it upon our uses bounded it. So that there could then be no reason of quarrelling about title, nor any doubt about the largeness of possession it gave. Right and conveniency went together; for as a man had a right to all he could employ his labour upon, so he had no temptation to la; bour for more than he could make use of. This left no room for controversy about the title, nor for incroachment on the right of others; what portion a man carved to himself was easily seen; and it was useless, as well as dishonest, to carve himself too much, or take more than he needed.

[To be Continued.]

TO THE READER.

There was nothing I more desired than to travel beyond the seas, and to know the various manners of the nations of the world for which, through God's Providence, I had an opportunity of fered me, to my great satisfaction, be

ing Chirurgeon of an English ship in the straits, where, for a cure that I did for Orlando de Spina of Gollipulo, an eminent man in those parts, I was by him preferred to be a captain of a ship of Malta, which was set out by the said Orlando, and committed to my com

mand against the Turks in the Arches, in assistance to the Venetian service:

in which service I spent about nine months, till the tempestuous season of the year enforced me to return into harbour again. And in this time of employment, I made five fights at sea, and two at land; being chosen by lot to invade the Turks country, with a certain company of soldiers collected out of our fleet, to do some execution upon the borders of the enemy, and to get some provision for our relief: in all which fights (although very perilous) God gave

me the victory.

The whole time I spent beyond the seas, before and after this employment, was almost four years, not staying long in any one place. But first I travelled

to all the sea towns of note for merchandizing, to know the trade of the places, and the conveniency of their harbours, that I might be able to do some profitable service in merchants affairs. Also I travelled into several countries, and the most eminent cities and towns thereiu; viz. Egypt, Macedonia, Dalmatia, Calabria, Apuleia, Sicilia, Assyria, Sclavonia, some parts of Spain and Por tugal; to the islands of Cyprus, Candia, Patmos, Delphos; to Carthage, Corinth, Troy, Constantinople; besides many other towns and places: but my longest abode was in Italy, and therein at Venice, Naples, Leghorn, Florence, Milan, Rome, Bolognia, Muntua, Genoa, &c. And at last looking homeward, I came into France; taking a brief view of many eminent places in that kingdom. And at Paris I found many of my countrymen (of which, though some be persons of great quality, yet) God knoweth they are in a low condition. And now I shall give a brief account of some of my observations, during the time of my abode beyond the seas.

A NARRATIVE &c.

At Paris our countrymen live peaceably, and enjoy our religion without disturbance. There is a place allowed them, with necessary accommodations for the exercise of religion: Dr. Steward did often preach to them; and for their form of worship, it is the same that was formerly in England, with the book of Common Prayer, and the rites therein used; and also they conti

nue the innovations that were prac tised by many of our clergy, as bowing at the name of Jesus towards the altar, &c. which I know giveth offence to the good French protestants, who to me did often condemn those innovations for Romish superstitions. Doubtless they would do our church and our religion more credit there, if they did use less ceremony. As for the French papists, truly they are more civil to them than was expected: for the opinion of the world, where I have been, is but mean of that nation. And I believe the Italian may be their cousin German, for both of them are false and faithless enough. And this consideration (God having taken away Orlando my noble friend, who did always much countenance me) did lessen my affection to continue in that service; for my soldiers were all Italians, (except a few Greeks) and I never saw much cause to be confident in their fidelity; but it was chiefly for fear of him, that they

were so tractable to me.

As for religion, in most parts where I have been, it is generally the same with the church of Rome; but for the Grecians (for amongst them I was) they are neither pure protestants nor pure papists; I mean, neither only protestants nor only papists, but their religion is a mixture of both for though they hold some fundamentals with us, yet they follow many of the Romish superstitions; and (according to my observation) they follow more the religion of Rome, than the protestant church; and they are much poisoned with heresies.

But of all nations, according to my observation, none are more zealous for the religion of Rome than the Spaniards, who, I think, for this are more Romanists than the Romans themselves; for with them there is an inquisition, and in Rome I never heard of the same dangerous snare: there I had as much freedom

as he passed by, they made them even ring with acclamations and rejoicings: He was carried by some eminent men, having a rich canopy over him. He made his crosses in the air with his fingers, and threw his blessings amongst them. And truly these delusions were so prevailing with the people, that (poor souls) they seemed to me to rejoice, as if Christ himself had been come to Rome, and brought them down the felicities of heaven.

At one time I beheld in Naples (perhaps it will seem strange, but it is true,) about eight thousand pilgrims going to Rome for their atsolution; all which the Vice-Roy of Naples maintained three days at his own charge; and on the fourth day, they did present themselves before him at his palace in Pilgrim Weeds, viz. with leaden pictures of saints in their hats, with leather collars about their necks, which fell down half way over their arms, and their staves in their hands: and thus they marched away from Naples, in the posture of an army towards Rome; and so farewel Rome. Vidi, satis est vidisse.

I omit to recite many other occurrences, which by conference I shall willingly communicate to my friends, they being too many to commit to writing: only now the fourth remarkable thing remaineth to present you with; and that is,— The proceedings of a great council of Jews, assembled in the plain of Ageda in Hungary, about thirty leagues distant from Buda, to exaamine the scriptures concerning Christ; on the twelfth of October, 1650.

It hath been much desired by many honest christians, that this narrative of the Jews' council should be published, which I did intend only to communicate to private friends. The chief argument by which they have persuaded me to do it, is, because they do conceive

it to be a preparative and hopeful sign of the Jews conversion, and that it will be glad tidings to the church of Christ; and therefore I have yielded to satisfy their desires therein. And thus it was:

At the place above-named there assembled about three hundred rabbies, called together from several parts of the world, to examine the scriptures concerning Christ; and it seems this place was thought most convenient for this council, in regard that part of the country was not much inhabited, because of the continual wars between the Turk and the King of Hungary; where (as I was informed) they had fought two bloody battles: yet both Princes, notwithstanding their own differen ces, did give leave to the Jews to hold their council there. And for their accomodation there, the Jews did make divers tents for their repose, and had plenty of provision brought them from other parts of the country, during the time of their sitting there. There was also one large tent, built only for the council to sit in, made almost four square; the North and the South part of it, being not altogether so large as the East and West part thereof. It had but one door, and that opened to the East; and in the middle thereof stood a little table and a stool for the propounder to sit on, with his face towards the door of the tent. The said propounder was of the tribe of Levi, and was named Zacharias; and within this tent round about were placed divers forms for the consulters to sit on. It was also inclosed with a rail, that stood at a distance from it, to prevent entrance to all strangers, and to all such Jews as could not prove themselves to be Jews by record, or could not dispute in the Hebrew tongue, which many had forgotten, who lived in such countries, where they are not allowed their synagogues, as in France,