Of their lyuing and mutuall conuersatiō together

BVt now will I declare how the citizens vse thē selfes one towardes another: what familiar occupieng & enterteynement there is emong ye people, and what fasion they vse in distributinge euery thynge. First ye city cōsisteth of families, ye families most cōmonlie be made of kinredes. For the women when they be maryed at a laufull age, they goo into their husbandes houses. But the male chyldrē, with al the hole male of spring continewe still in their owne familie, & be gouerned of the eldest and auncientest father, onles he dote for age: for then the next to hym in age, is put in his rowme. But to thi[…]tēt the prescript numbre of the citezens shoulde nether decrease, nor aboue measure increase, it is ordeined that no famylie whiche in euerye citie be.vi. thousand in the hole, besydes them of the contrey, shall at ones haue fewer chyldren of the age of.xiiij. yeares or there aboute then.x. or mo then.xvi. for of chyldren vnder thys age no numbre can be appointed. This measure or numbre is easely obserued & kept, by puttinge them that in fuller families be aboue the numbre into families of smaller increase. But if chaunce be that in the hole citie the stoore encrease aboue the iust numbre, therewith they fyll vp the lacke of other cityes. But if so be that the multitude throughout the hole Ilande passe and excede the dew numbre, then they chewse out of euery citie certeyn cytezens, & buylde vp a towne vnder their owne lawes in the nexte lande where the inhabitauntes haue muche waste & vnoccupied grounde, receauinge also of the inhabitaūtes to them if they wil ioyne a[…]d dwel with them. They thus ioy[…]ing and dwelli[…]g together, do easelye agre in one fassion of liuing, and that to the great wealth of both the peoples. For they so brynge the matter about by their lawes, that the grounde which before was nether good […]or profitable for the one nor for the other is nowe sufficiente and frutefull enough for them both. But if the inhabitauntes of that lande wyll not dwell with them to be ordered by their lawes, then they dryue them out of those houndes which they haue limited and apointed out for themselues. And if they resiste and rebell, then they make warre agaynst them. For they counte this the moste iust cause of warre, when any people holdeth a piece of grounde voyde and vacaunt to no good nor profitable vse, kepyng other from the vse and possession of it, whiche notwithstandyng by the lawe of nature ought thereof to be nowryshed & relieued. If any chaunce do so muche dimynishe the numbre of anye of their cyties that it cannot be fylled vp agayne wythout the diminishynge of the iust numbre of the other cyties (whiche they say chaunced but twyse syns the begynnynge of the lande through a greate pestilente plage) then they make vp the numbre with cytezens fetched out of their owne forreyne townes, for they hadde rather suffer theyr forreyn townes to decaye and peryshe, then annye cytie of their owne Ilande to be dimynyshed. But nowe agayne to the conuersation of the cytezens amonge themselfes. The eldeste (as I sayde) rueleth the familie. The wy […]es bee ministers to theyr husbandes, the chyldren to theyr parentes, and to bee shorte the yonger to theyr elders. Euerye Cytie is diuided into foure equall partes. In the myddes of euery quarter there is a market place of all maner of thynges. Thether the workes of euery familie be brought in to certeyne houses. And euery kynde of thynge is layde vp seuerall in barnes or store houses. From hēce the father of euery famelie or euery housholder fetcheth whatsoeuer he and hys haue neade of, & carieth it awaye with hym without money, without exchaū ge, without annye gage or pledge. For whye should anye thynge be denyed vnto hym: seyng there is abundaunce of all thynges, and th[…] it is not to be feared lest anye man wyll aske more then he neadeth? For whie should it be thoughte yt that man would aske more then enough, whiche is sewer neuer to lacke? Certeynly in all kyndes of ly […]ynge creatures other fere of lacke doth cause couetousnes and rauyne, or in man only pryde, whiche counteth it a gloryouse thynge to passe and excell other in the superfluous and vayne ostentacion of thynges. The whyche kynde of vice amonge the Vtopians can haue no place. Next to the market places that I spake of, stonde meate markettes: whether be brought not onlye all sortes of herbes, and the fruites of trees with breade, but also fishe, and all maner of.iiij. footed beastes, and wilde foule that be mans meate. But first the fylthynes and ordure therof i[…] clene washed awaye in the runnynge ryuer without the cytie in places appoynted mete for the same purpose. From thence the beastes brought in kylled, and cleane wasshed by the handes of their bondemen. For they permyite not their frie citezens to accustome there selfes to the killing of beastes through the vse whereof they thinke that clemencie the genteleste affection of our nature doth by litle and litle decaye and peryshe. Nother they suffer anye thynge that is fylthye lothesome or vnclenlye, to be brought into the cytie, least the ayre by the stenche therof infected and corrupte, shoulde cause pestilente diseases. Moreouer euerye strete hath certeyne great large halles sett in equal distaunce one from an other, euerye one knowne by a sentrall name. In thies halles dwell the Syphograuntes. And to euery one of the same halles be apoynted.xxx. families, of ether side.xv. The stewardes of euery halle at a certayn houre come in to the meate markettes, where they receyue meate accordinge to the numbre of their halles. But first and chieflie of all respect is had to the sycke, that be cured in the hospitalles. For in the circuite of the citie a litle without the walles they haue.iiij. hospitalles, so bygge so wyde so ample & so lardge that they may seme.iiij. litle townes which were deuised of y• bygnes partely to thintēt the sycke, be they neuer so many in nū bre, shuld not lye to thronge or strayte, and therfore vneasely & incomodiously, and partely that they which were taken & bolden with contagious diseases, suche as be wonte by infection to crepe from one to an other, myght be laid a part farre from the cōpany of y• residue. Thies holpitalles be so well apointed, & with al thynges necessary to health so furnished, & more ouer so diligēt attēdaūce through the cōtinual presence of cūuyng phisitians is geue▪ that though no man be sent thither against his will, yet notwithstand inge there is no sicke persone in all y• citie, that had not rather lye there thē at home in his owne house. When the st[…] warde of the sicke hath receiued suche meates as the phisitians haue prescr[…] bed, then the beste is equally deuide[…] among the halles, according to the cō pany of euery one, sauing that there is had a respect to the prince, the byshop, the tranibours and to ambassadours, & all straungers, if there be any, whiche be verye fewe and seldome. But they also when they be there, haue certeyne houses apointed and prepared for thē. To thies halles at y• set houres of dinner & supper cummith all the hole Siphograuntie or warde warned by the noyse of a brasen trūpet: except such […] be sicke in y• hospitalles or els in their owne houses. Howe be it no man is prohibited or forbid, after y• halles be serued, to fetch home meate out of y• market to his own house. For they knowe that no man wyl doo it without a cause resonable. For thoughe no man be prohibited to dyne at home, yet no mā doth it willynglye: because it is counted a pointe of small honestie. And also it were a follye to take the payne to dresse a badde dy[…]er at home whē they maye be welcome to good & fyne fare so […]yghe hande at the hall. In this hal all vyle seruice all slauerie and drudgerye, with all laboursome toyle and busines is done by bondemen. But the women of euery famelie by course haue the office and charge of cokerye for sethinge and dressynge the meate, and orderyng al thinges therto belonging. They syt at.iij. tables or moo, accordyng to the numbre of their company. The men syt vpon the benche next the wall, and the women agaynst them on the other syde of the table, that if anye sodeyne euell should chaunce to them, as many tymes happeneth to women with chylde, they maye ryse wythout trouble or disturbaunce of anye body, and go thence into the nurcerie: The […]ourceis sitte seuerall alo[…]e with their yonge suckeling[…]s in a certayne pa[…] loure apointed & deputed to the same purpose, neuer witho[…]t fire & cleane water, nor yet without cradels, that whē they wyll they maye laye downe the yong infauntes, and at their pleasure take them out of their swathynge clothes and holde them to the fyere, and refreshe them with playe. Eeuery mother is nource to her owne chylde, onles other death or sycke[…]es be the let. When that chaunceth, the wyues of the Siphograuntes quyckelye prouyde a no[…]rce. And that is not harde to be done. For they that can doo it do proffer themselfes to no seruice so gladlye as to that. Because that there thys kynde of pitie is muche praysed: and the chylde that is nouryshed euer after taketh hys nource for his owne naturall mother. Also amonge the nourceis, syt all the chyldren that be vnder the age of v. yeares. All the other children of both kyndes, aswell […]opes as gyrles that be vuder the age of marryage doo other serue at the tables, o[…] […]ls if they be to yonge therto, yet they stande by with meruelous silēce. That whiche is geuen to them frō the table they eate, and other seuerall dy[…]ner […]yme they haue none. The Siphograunt & his wife sitteth in the middes of the highe table, forasmuche as that is counted the honerablest place, and because from thence al the hole companye is in their syght. For that table stā deth ouer wharte the ouer ende of the halle. To them be ioyned.ii. of the anctientest and eldest. For at euery table they syt.iiij. at a m[…]esse. But if there be a church stāding in that Siphograūtie or warde, then the priest and his wyfe sitteth with the Siphograūte, as chiefe in the cōpany. On both sydes of them sytte yonge men, and nexte vnto them agayne olde men. And thus throughe out all the house equall of age be sette together and yet be myxte with vnequall ages. Thys they saye was ordeyned to the intent that the sage grauitie and reuerēce of the elders should kepe the yongers from wanton licence of wordes and behauiour. For as muche as nothyng can be so secretly spoken or done at the table, but either they that syt on the one syde or on the other must nedes perceiue it. The disshes be not set downe in ordre frō the first place, but all the old mē (whoes places be marked with som speciall token to be knowē) be first serued of there meate, & then the residue equally. The old men deuide their dainties as they think best to the yonger that sit of both sides thē. Thus the elders be not defrauded of their dewe honoure, and neuerthelesse equall cōmoditie cōmeth to euery one. They begin euerye dynner & supper of reading sumthing y• perteineth to good maners & vertue. But it is short, because no mā shalbe greued therwith. Here of thelders take occasion of honest cō munication, but nother sad nor vnpleasaunt. Howbeit they do not spend all y• hole dy[…]er time thēselfes […] long & tedious talkes: but they gladly here also the yong mē, yea & do purposly prouoke thē to talke, to thentent yt they maye haue a profe of euery mās wit & towardnes or disposition to vertue, which cō mōly in y• liberte of feastīg doth shew & […]tter it selfe. Theire dyners be verye short: but there suppers be sumwhat lō ger, because that after dynner followeth laboure, after supper sleape and naturall reste, whiche they thynke to be of no more strengthe and efficacy to holsome and healthfull digestion. No supper is passed without musicke. Nor their bankettes lacke no conceytes nor iouckettes. They burne swete gūmes and speces for perfumes and pleasaūt sinelles, and sprincle about swete oyntmentes and waters, yea they leaue nothyng vndone that maketh for the cheryng of the company. For they be muche enclyued to this opinion: to thinke no kynde of pleasure forbidden, wherof cummeth no harme. Thus therfore and after this sorte they lyue togethers in the citie, but in the contrey they that dwell alone farre from anye neyghbours, do dyne and suppe at home in their own houses. For no famelie ther[…] lacketh anye kynde of victualles, as from whome cummeth all that the cytezens eate and lyue bye.