Of scyences Craftes and Occupatyons

HVsbandrye is a scye[…] common to them all ingenerall, both men and women, wherin they be all experte and cunnynge▪ In thys they be all instructe euen from their youth: partely in scholes with traditions and preceptes, and partely in the contrey nighe the cytye, brought vp as it wer in playing, not on lye beholdynge the vse of it, but by occasyon of exercisinge their bodies practising it al[…]o. Besides husbādry, which (as I sayde) is common to them all, e […]ery one of them learneth one or other […]e[…]erall and particuler science, as hys owne proper crafte. That is most commonly other clotheworkinge in wo[…] or s[…]are, or masonrie, or the smythes crafte, or the carpentes scye[…]ce. For there is none other occupacyon that anye numbre to speke of doth vse there. For their garmentes, whyche through […] one fassion, ([…]a[…]ynge that there is a difference betwene the mans garmente and the womans betwene the maried and the vnmaryed) and this one continueth for euer more vnchaunged, semely and comely to the eye, no let to the mouynge and weloynge of the bodie, also fitte bothe for winter and summer, as for thies garmentes (I saye) euery familye maketh theire owne. But of the other foreseyde craftes euerye man learneth one. And not only the men but also the women. But the women as the weaker sorte be put to the easere craftes: they worke wull and flaxe. The other more laborsome sciences be committed to the men. For the moste parte euerye man is brought vp in his fathers craft. For moste commonly they be naturally therto bente and inclined. But yf a mans minde stonde to anny other, he is by adoption put into a famelye of that occupatiō which he doth most fantasy. Whome not only his father, but also the magistrates do diligently looke to, that he be putt to a discrete and an hon[…]st householder. Yea and if anny person, when he hath lerned one crafte, be desierous to lerne also another, he ys lykewyse suffrede and permytted.

When he hathe learned bothe, he occupyethe whether he wyll: onles the cytye haue more neade of the one then of the other. The chyefe and almoste the onelye offyce of the Syphograuntes ys to see and take hede that no man sytte ydle. But that euerye one a pplye hys owne crafte wyth earneste delygence. And yet for all that not to be weryed from earlye in the mornynge to late in the enennynge wyth contynuall woorke, lyke laborynge and toplynge beastes. For thys ys worse then the myserable and wretced condytyon of bondemen. Whyche neuer thelesse is almoste euerye where the lyffe of woorkemen and artyfycers, sanynge in vtopia. For they dyuydinge the daye and the nyghte into.xxiiij. iust houres, appoynte and assygne only.vi of those houres to woorke.iij. before none, vpon the whyche they goo streyghte to dyner: and after dyner, when they haue rested, ij. houres, then they woorke.iij: and vpon that they goo to supper. Aboute.viij. of the clocke in the euenynge (cowntynge one of the clocke at the fyrste houre after none) they go to bedde.viij. houres they giue to sleape. All the voide time, that is betwene the huores of woorke slepe and meate, that they be suffered to bestowe, euerye man as he lyketh beste hym felfe. Not to thyntente they shoulde myspende thys tyme in ryote, or sloughfullenes. But beynge then lycensed from the laboure of theyr ow[…]e occupacyons, to bestowe the time wel and thriftely vpon some other good science, as shall please them. For yt ys a solempne custome there, to haue lectures daylye earlye in the morning, wher to be present they onlye be constreined that be namelye chosen and appoynted to learnynge. Howe be yt a greate multytude of euerye sorte of people, bothe men and women goo to heare lectures, some one and some an other, as euerye mans nature is inclyned. Yet, this notwithstonding, yf any man had rathere bestowe thys tyme vpon hys owne occupatyon, (as yt chaunceth in manye, whose myndes ryse not in the contemplatyon of annye scyence lyberal) he is not letted, nor prohibited, but is also praysed and commended as profitable to the common wealthe: After supper they bestowe one houre in playe: in somer in their gardeynes: in winter in their commē halles, where they dyne and suppe. There they exercise them selfes in musyke, or els in honeste and holsome communicai[…]on. Diceplaye and suche other folish and pernicious games they knowe not, but they vse.ij. games not muche vnlike the chesse. The one is the battell of nombers. Wherin one numbre stealethe awaye another. The other is wherin vices fyghte wyth vertues, as it were in battell array, or a set fyld. In the which game is verye properlye shewed bothe the striffe and discorde that vices haue amonge themselfes, and agayne theire vnitye and concorde againste vertues: And also what vices be repugnaunt to what vertues: with what powre and strenght they assaile them openlye: by what wieles and subteltye they assaute them secretelye: with what helpe and aide the vertues resiste, and ouercome the puissaunce of the vices: by what craft they frustate their purposes: and finally by what sleight or meanes the one getteth the victory. But here lease you be deceaued, one thinge you muste looke more narrowly vpon. For seinge they bestowe but.vi. houres in woork, perchaunce you maye thinke that the lacke of some necessarye thinges herof may ensewe. But this is nothinge so. For that small time is notonly inough, but also to muche for the stoore and abundaunce of all thinges that be requisite, other for the necessitie, or commoditie of liffe. The whiche thing you also shall perceaue, if you weye and cons[…] der with your selfes how great a parte of the people in other contreis lyueth ydle. First almoost all women, which be the halfe of the hole numbre: or els if the women be annye where occupied, their most comonlye in their steade the men be ydle. Besydes thys how great, and howe ydle a companye ys theyr of prystes, and relygyous men, as they call them? put there to all ryche men, speciallye all landed men, whyche comonly be called gentylmen, and noble men. Take into this numbre also their seruauntes. I meane all that flocke of stout bragging russhe bucklers. Ioyne to them also sturdy and valiaunt beggers, clokinge their idle leffe vnder the colour of some disease or sickenes. And truely you shall find them much fewer then you thought, by whose labour all these thynges be gotten, that men vse & lyue bye. Nowe consyder wyth youre selfe, of thies fewe that do woorke, how few be occupied in neeessary woorkes. For where money beareth all y• swing, ther many vayne and superfluous occupations must nedys be vsed, to serue only for ryotous superfluyte, and vnhonest pleasure. For the same multytude that now is occupied in woorke, if they were deuided into so few occupations, as the necessary vse of nature requyreth: in so greate plentye of thinges as then of necessity wolde ensue, doubtles the prices wolde be to lytle for the artifycers to maynteyne theyre lyuynges. But yf all thyes, that be nowe bisiede about vnprofitable occupations, with all the hole flocke of them that lyueydellye and slouthfullye, whyche consume and waste euerye one of them more of thies thynges that come by other mens laboure, then.ij. of the work men themselfes doo: yf all thyes (I saye) were sette to profytable occupatyons, yowe easelye perceaue howe lytle tyme wolde be enoughe, yea and to muche to stoore vs wyth all thynges that maye be requysyte other fo[…] necessytye, or for commodytye, yea or for pleasure, so that thesame pleasure be trewe and naturall. And thys in Vtopia the thynge yt selfe maketh manifeste and playne. For there in all the citye, wyth the hole contreye, or shyere adioynynge to yt, […]caselye.500. persons of all the hole numbre of men and women, that be nother to olde, nor to weale to woorke, be licensed from labour. Amonge them be the Siphograū tes (which though they be by the lawes exemple and pryuyleged from labour) yet they exemp[…]e not themselfes: to the intent they maye the rather by their example prouoke other to woorke. The same vacation from labour do they also enioye, to whome the people persuaded by the commendation of the priestes and secrete election of the Siphograntes haue geuen a perpetual licence from labour to learnyng. But if anny one of them proue nott accordinge to the expectation and hoope of him conceaued, he is furth with plucked backe to the company of artificers. And contrarye wise, often yt chaunceth that a handicraftes man doth so earnestly bestowe hys vacaunte and spare houres in learninge, and through dilygence so profytte therin, that he is taken frome hys handy occupation, and promoted to the company of the learned. Owt of this ordre of the learned be chosen ambassadours, priestes, Tranibores, and finallye the prince him selfe. Whome they in their olde tonge call Barzanes, and by a newer name, Adanus. The residewe of the people being nother ydle, nother occupied about vnprofitable exercises, it may be easely iudged in how fewe howres how much good woorke by them maye be doone, towardes those thinges that I haue spoken of. This commodity they haue also abo[…]e other, that in the most part of necessary occupations they neade nott so muche worke, as other nations doo. For firste of all the buildinge or repayring of houses asketh euery where so manye mens continuall labour, bicause that the vnthyfty heyre suffreth the howses that hys father buylded in contynewa[…]nce of tyme to fall in decay. So that which he myghte haue vpholden wyth lytle coste, hys successoure is constreynede to buylde yt agayne a newe, to hys greate chardge. Yea manye tymes also the howse that stoode one man in muche moneye, anothere ys of so nyce and soo delycate a mynde that he settethe nothynge by yt. And yt beynge neglected, and therefore shortelye fallynge into ruyne, he buyldethe vppe anothere in an othere place wyth no lesse coste and chardge. But emonge the Vtopyans where all thynges be sett in a good ordre, and the common wealthe in a good staye, yt very seldome chaunceth, that they chuse a new plotte to buylde an house vpon. And they doo not only finde spedy and quicke remedies for present fautes: but also preuente them that be like to fall. And by this meanes their houses continewe and laste very longe with litle labour and small reparaciōs in so much that y• kind of woorkemen sumtimes haue almost nothinge to doo. But that they be commaunded to hewe timbre at home, and to square and trime vp stones, to the intente that if annye woorke chaūce, it may the spedelier rise. Now Syre in theire apparell marke I praye you howe few woorkemen they neade. fyrste of all whyles they be at woorke they be couered homely with leather or skinnes that will last.vij. yeares. Whē they go furthe a brode they caste vpon them a cloke, whyche hydeth the other homelye apparell. Thyes clookes thoroughe owte the hole Ilande be all of one coloure, and that is the naturall colour of y• wul. They therfor do not only spende muche lesse wullen clothe then is spente in othere contreys, but also the same standeth them in muche lesse coste. But lynen clothe ys made wyth lesse laboure, aud ys therefore hadde more in vse. But in lynen clothe onlye whytenese, in wullen oulye clenlynes ys regardede. As for the smalnese or fynesse of the threde, that ys no thynge passed for. And thys ys the cause wherfore in other places.iiij. or.v clothe gownes of dyuers colours, and as manye sylke cootes be not enoughe for one man. Yea and yf he be of the delycate and nyse sorte.x. be to fewe: where as there one garmente wyll serue a man mooste commenlye.ij. yeares. For whie shoulde he desyre moo? seing if he had them, he should not be the better hapt or couered frō colde, nother in his apparell any whyt the cumlyer. Wherefore, seynge they be all exercysed in profytable occupatyons, and that fewe artyfycers in thesame craftes be suffycyente, thys ys the cause that plentye of all thynges beynge emonge them, they doo sumtymes bring furthe an innumerable companye of people to amende the hyghe wayes yf annye be broken. Manye times also when they haue no such woorke to be occupied obout, an open proclamation is made that they shall bestowe fewer houres in woorke. For the magistrates do not exercise their citizens againste theire willes in vnneadfull laboures. For whie in the institution of that weale publique this ende is onlye and chiefely pretended and mynded, that what time maye possibly be spared frō the necessary occupations and affayres of the commen wealthe, all that the cytizeins sholde withdrawe from the bodely seruice to y• free liberty of ye mind & garnisshing of ye same. Forherin they suppose the felicity of this liffe to cōsist