k on the
_Four Voyages of Americus Vespuccius_. {607} But he relied mostly on
his own observation of what was rotten in the English state where he
was a judge and a ruler of men. He imagined an ideal country, Utopia,
a place of perfect equality economically as well as politically. It
was by government an elective monarchy with inferior magistrates and
representative assembly also elected. The people changed houses every
ten years by lot; they considered luxury and wealth a reproach. "In
other places they speak still of the common wealth but every man
procureth his private wealth. Here where nothing is private the common
affairs be earnestly looked upon." "What justice is this, that a rich
goldsmith or usurer should have a pleasant and wealthy living either by
idleness or by unnecessary occupation, when in the meantime poor
laborers, carters, ironsmiths, carpenters and plowmen by so great and
continual toil . . . do yet get so hard and so poor a living and live
so wretched a life that the condition of the laboring beasts may seem
much better and wealthier?" "When I consider and weigh in my mind all
these commonwealths which nowadays anywhere do flourish, [Sidenote: The
commonwealth] so God help me, I can perceive nothing but a certain
conspiracy of rich men procuring their own commodities under the name
and title of the commonwealth." More was convinced that a short day's
labor shared by everyone would produce quite sufficient wealth to keep
all in comfort. He protests explicitly against those who pretend that
there are two sorts of justice, one for governments and one for private
men. He repudiates the doctrine that bad faith is necessary to the
prosperity of a state; the Utopians form no alliances and carry out
faithfully the few and necessary treaties that they ratify. Moreover
they dishonor war above all things.

In the realm of pure economic and social theory {608} something, though
not much, was done. Machiavelli believed that the growth of population
in the north and its migration southwards was a constant law, an idea
derived from Paulus Diaconus and handed on to Milton. He even derived
"Germany" from "germinare." A more acute remark, anticipating Malthus,
was made by the Spanish Jesuit John Botero [Sidenote: Botero, 1589]
who, in his _Reason of State_, pointed out that population was
absolutely dependent on means of subsistence. He concluded _a priori_
that the population of the world had remaine