AND there lived a king in the land of Nineveh, who ruled the land in peace [a very great thing indeed for a king!] and he distributed his favours among his people, giving to one great authority, and to others situations of emolument; but no man was oppressed thereby, for he gave but his own, and what the laws of the land permitted. [The laws of this land, as in other lands, would no doubt be made by hmself, and his placemen, and those who partook of his bounty; who would not fail to extend and sanction his claims to the utmost.]

And his nobles confederated together, and said

Why suffer we this thing? —This man placeth over us whom he listeth, and giveth away what he pleaseth to others, and pays no proper respect to our claims: Let us indure it no longer: Let us displace him: Let us divide his possessions and authority amongst us, and we shall be happy.

And they did so, and the king fled, and lived in another country, and the nobles returned triumphing each to his own home.

And the husbandmen in the country heard this, and they assembled together, and said, —

Behold the king that reigned over us is fled, and his nobles have seized everything he had, and they claim the inheritance of the land. What giveth them a right to do so? What mattereth their wax or their parchment? The land is ours, for we till it, and we will pay them their exactions no more.

[Heavy exactions indeed, no doubt, as we all to our sorrow know, and which we also 188 have reason to wish abolished.] And the nobles were few in number, and no man could trust another, and they fled, and the husbandmen took each man the land he possessed, and he kept it as his own, and he lived in his own house rejoicing.

And these husbandmen had many servants, who were employed in tilling the land; and the servants said unto one another,

Whence cometh this? the king that reigned over us is fled, and his nobles are driven from their estates, and the husbandmen possess the soil, and they claim the whole land as their own; but what right have they to do so? Where are their deeds or parchments? Are their titles an atom better than ours? Let us then join together, let us drive these wicked men from our bounds, and let us divide the land among us.

And they did so, and the husbandmen fled everywhere, and none of them retained a spot of the land they formerly possessed, and the servants said,

There is none now to contest with us, we shall soon become rich and happy, we formerly tilled the land of others, we shall now cultivate our own.

And behold in the cities of that country, there dwelt persons professing different occupations, and these persons met together, and said,

What is this that we hear? The king that reigned over us is fled, and his nobles are banished from the land, and the husbandmen are driven from amongst us, and their servants are now possessors of the soil. Why should this be suffered? We live in crowded cities; we breathe unwholesome air; we toil for others more than for ourselves; we can but procure a bare subsistence. Let us join and act together. Our enemies are scattered over the face of the land. We shall soon drive them before us and enjoy their possessions in peace.

[Mere aristocratical rant! but behold the end of this nonsense]

189 And the men of occupation now possessed the whole land, and they said “Let us divide it equally amongst us, that none may have more than his neighbour, and that all may share alike.” And they quarrelled about the division, and no man was satisfied with what he got, and they had no means of cultivating the soil, and they had no skill to do it, and famine spread over the land, and they wept bitterly, and said, “When we had no land, we got what it produced in abundance, and now we have land, it yieldeth us nothing,” and they cried “Give us some bread to it.” [Alas! poor people, what pity they had not read Pigs' Meat; there they might have found a plan how to enjoy the benefit of the earth, according to the nicest principles of equality, without either dividing it into equal portions, or leaving their respective occupations or places of abode. For though it is impracticable for men to enjoy equal shares of land, it is quite easy to divide the rents equally in all countries and through all generations. See the description of Spensonia in Pigs' Meat, Page 205, Vol II, and other places.]

And the Lord saw what the people had suffered, and how much they had repented of their transgressions, and he had compassion upon them, and he sent a prophet [he had better sent them common sense] to announce to them the way in which they should walk; and the prophet said unto them, [Is it not a shame, Sir John, to father such lies upon God, and make him the author of such ridiculous sophistry, in favour of oppression?]

Let the men of occupation return to their professions, by the exercise of which they obtained their share of the produce of the soil. Let the servants labour for their masters, that the earth may be duly cultivated. Let the husbandmen hire the land from those who lawfully inherit it. [Then it must be hired of the parishes or districts, and the rent 191 divided among the public, or applied to their use — See Pigs' Meat in various places] For no man must cultivate the territory of another without his consent. [Take this advice to yourselves, ye landlords!] Let the nobles be restored to their property, and they will watch over the interest of the state. [Doubtless, and that too for nothing!] Let the king be established on his throne, that he may protect HIS people from injury. [i.e. he will let nobody plunder them but himslef, his lords, and his landlords.] And let property be held sacred, the sure basis of the prosperity of a state, and all shall be well.

And they lived happily, [under oppression] and encreased in numbers [notwithstanding continual and destructive wars, and distressing taxes] and all the neighbouring nations rejoiced with them. [Meaning only all the neighbouring kings, nobility, and landlords of these nations, who dreaded that if the revolution of Nineveh had been established, it would be of dangerous example to their own subjects and tenants.]

Be persuaded then, O ye Swinish Multitude, to be content in your subordinate stations. For behold Sir John Sinclair has clearly shewn, that a people, though knowing the full extend of their rights, and after passing progressively through different stages and revolutions, to the full possession of them,yet wanted common sense and common honesty to enjoy them, and fell into strife and anarchy. If then indeed, ye be devoid of common sense, and believe what he and such as he tell you, read no more Pigs' Meat, and no more think of mending your conditions, but leave all your cares to your betters, who are your natural guardians and protectors!

192 But if on the contrary, you think with me, that mankind everywhere, have abilities to manage their own affairs, then in God's name study to know the full extent of your rights, and let neither Sir John Sinclair, nor any other sophist shame or delude you out of them, but in due time take full possession, and practically enjoy them like men and brethren, according to this eternal maxim,

If lords all mankind are,
Then they the rents should share;
For the rents we may command,
Though not divide the land.