uction of a year's product or two
(for it seldom reaches four or five) is the utmost spoil that usually
can be done: for as to money, and such riches and treasure taken away,
these are none of nature's goods, they have but a fantastical imaginary
value: nature has put no such upon them: they are of no more account by
her standard, than the wampompeke of the Americans to an European
prince, or the silver money of Europe would have been formerly to an
American. And five years product is not worth the perpetual inheritance
of land, where all is possessed, and none remains waste, to be taken up
by him that is disseized: which will be easily granted, if one do but
take away the imaginary value of money, the disproportion being more
than between five and five hundred; though, at the same time, half a
year's product is more worth than the inheritance, where there being
more land than the inhabitants possess and make use of, any one has
liberty to make use of the waste: but there conquerors take little care
to possess themselves of the lands of the vanquished, No damage
therefore, that men in the state of nature (as all princes and
governments are in reference to one another) suffer from one another,
can give a conqueror power to dispossess the posterity of the
vanquished, and turn them out of that inheritance, which ought to be the
possession of them and their descendants to all generations. The
conqueror indeed will be apt to think himself master: and it is the very
condition of the subdued not to be able to dispute their right. But if
that be all, it gives no other title than what bare force gives to the
stronger over the weaker: and, by this reason, he that is strongest will
have a right to whatever he pleases to seize on.

Sect. 185. Over those then that joined with him in the war, and over
those of the subdued country that opposed him not, and the posterity
even of those that did, the conqueror, even in a just war, hath, by his
conquest, no right of dominion: they are free from any subjection to
him, and if their former government be dissolved, they are at liberty to
begin and erect another to themselves.

Sect. 186. The conqueror, it is true, usually, by the force he has over
them, compels them, with a sword at their breasts, to stoop to his
conditions, and submit to such a government as he pleases to afford
them; but the enquiry is, what right he has to do so? If it be said,
they submit by their own consent, then this