صفحة 633 من 1391

Nor is he less in advance of popular opinion in his political and

moral speculations. He would like to bring military glory into

contempt; he would set all sorts of idle people to profitable

occupation, including in the same class, priests, women,

noblemen, gentlemen, and 'sturdy and valiant beggars,' that the

labour of all may be reduced to six hours a day. His dislike of

capital punishment, and plans for the reformation of offenders;

his detestation of priests and lawyers (Compare his satirical

observation: 'They (the Utopians) have priests of exceeding

holiness, and therefore very few.); his remark that 'although

every one may hear of ravenous dogs and wolves and cruel

man-eaters, it is not easy to find states that are well and

wisely governed,' are curiously at variance with the notions of

his age and indeed with his own life. There are many points in

which he shows a modern feeling and a prophetic insight like

Plato.