o marry; and
farther, if he wishes it and works for it, to secure to him the land
needful for his life; as you secure his wife to him; and make both
utterly his own, without in the least admitting his right to buy other
people's wives, or fields, or to sell his own.

151. And the right action of a State respecting its land is, indeed,
to secure it in various portions to those of its citizens who deserve
to be trusted with it, according to their respective desires and
proved capacities; and after having so secured it to each, to exercise
only such vigilance over his treatment of it as the State must give
also to his treatment of his wife and servants; for the most part
leaving him free, but interfering in cases of gross mismanagement or
abuse of power. And in the case of great old families, which always
ought to be, and in some measure, however decadent, still truly are,
the noblest monumental architecture of the kingdom, living temples of
sacred tradition and hero's religion, so much land ought to be granted
to them in perpetuity as may enable them to live thereon with all
circumstances of state and outward nobleness; _but their income must
in no wise be derived from the rents of it_, nor must they be occupied
(even in the most distant or subordinately administered methods), in
the exaction of rents. That is not noblemen's work. Their income must
be fixed, and paid them by the State, as the King's is.

152. So far from their land being to them a source of income, it
should be, on the whole, costly to them, great part of it being kept
in conditions of natural grace, which return no rent but their
loveliness; and the rest made, at whatever cost, exemplary in
perfection of such agriculture as develops the happiest peasant
life;[A] agriculture which, as I will show you hereafter, must reject
the aid of all mechanism except that of instruments guided solely by
the human hand, or by animal, or directly natural forces; and which,
therefore, cannot compete for profitableness with agriculture carried
on by aid of machinery.

[A] Compare 'Fors Clavigera,' Letter XXI., page 22.

And now for the occupation of this body of men, maintained at fixed
perennial cost of the State.

153. You know I said I should want no soldiers of special skill or
pugnacity, for all my boys would be soldiers. But I assuredly want
_captains_ of soldiers, of special skill and pugnacity. And also, I
said I should strongly object to the appearance