s restraint,
is the cause why we submit to that remedy as quickly as possible; and
this affords us an easy reason, why we annex the idea of property to the
first possession, or to occupation. Men are unwilling to leave property
in suspense, even for the shortest time, or open the least door to
violence and disorder. To which we may add, that the first possession
always engages the attention most; and did we neglect it, there would be
no colour of reason for assigning property to any succeeding possession.

[Footnote 16. Some philosophers account for the right of
occupation, by saying, that every one has a property in his
own labour; and when he joins that labour to any thing, it
gives him the property of the whole: But, 1. There are
several kinds of occupation, where we cannot be said to join
our labour to the object we acquire: As when we possess a
meadow by grazing our cattle upon it. 2. This accounts for
the matter by means of accession; which is taking a needless
circuit. 3. We cannot be said to join our labour to any
thing but in a figurative sense. Properly speaking, we only
make an alteration on it by our labour. This forms a
relation betwixt us and the object; and thence arises the
property, according to the preceding principles.]

There remains nothing, but to determine exactly, what is meant by
possession; and this is not so easy as may at first sight be imagined.
We are said to be in possession of any thing, not only when we
immediately touch it, but also when we are so situated with respect
to it, as to have it in our power to use it; and may move, alter,
or destroy it, according to our present pleasure or advantage. This
relation, then, is a species of cause and effect; and as property is
nothing but a stable possession, derived from the rules of justice, or
the conventions of men, it is to be considered as the same species of
relation. But here we may observe, that as the power of using any object
becomes more or less certain, according as the interruptions we may meet
with are more or less probable; and as this probability may increase
by insensible degrees; it is in many cases impossible to determine when
possession begins or ends; nor is there any certain standard, by which
we can decide such controversies. A wild boar, that falls into our
snares, is deemed to be in our possession, if it be impossible for him
to escape. But what do we