1cerning the Diviſion of the People into differ
ent Orders; in as much as they applied them
ſelves to the Conſideration of theſe Things
with the greateſt Care, Diligence and Appli
cation, and have received the higheſt Applauſes
for their Diſcoveries.
ent Orders; in as much as they applied them
ſelves to the Conſideration of theſe Things
with the greateſt Care, Diligence and Appli
cation, and have received the higheſt Applauſes
for their Diſcoveries.
Plutarch tells us, that Theſeus divided the
Commonwealth into two Ranks, one that made
and expounded the Laws, both Humane and
Divine, and the other that follow'd manual Oc
cupations. Solon diſtinguiſh'd his Citizens
according to their Wealth, and ſuch as did not
raiſe from their Poſſeſſions three hundred
Buſhels of Grain every Year, he reckon'd ſcarce
worthy to be eſteem'd a Citizen. The Athenians
gave the firſt Rank to Men of Learning and
Wiſdom; the ſecond to the Orators, and the
laſt to Artificers. Romulùs ſeparated the Knights
and Patricians from the Plebeians; and Numa
divided the Plebeians according to their re
ſpective Employments. In France the Plebeians
were in a Manner Slaves; the reſt, ſays Cæſar,
were either Soldiers, or Profeſſors of Religion,
or the Study of Wiſdom, whom they call'd
Druids. Among the Panchæi the firſt were
the Prieſts; the ſecond, the Husbandmen,
and the laſt, the Soldiers, with whom were
reckon'd the Shepherds, and Tenders of Herds.
The Britons were divided into four Orders;
the firſt were thoſe out of whoſe Number
they choſe their King; the ſecond were the
Prieſts; the third, the Soldiers, and the laſt
the common People. The Ægyptians gave the
firſt Rank to their Prieſts; the ſecond to their
King and Governours; the third to the Sol
diers, and the reſt of the People were ſubdi
vided into Husbandmen, Shepherds, and Ar
tificers, and further, as Herodotus informs us,
into Mercenaries, and Seamen. We are told, that
Hipodamus divided his Republic into three Parts,
Artificers, Husbandmen, and Soldiers. Ariſtotle
ſeems not diſpleaſed with thoſe who ſeparated
from the Multitude ſome Men of greateſt
Worth to manage their Counſels, and exerciſe
their Office of Magiſtracy and Judicature, and
divided the Remainder of the People into
Husbandmen, Artificers, Merchants, Merce
naries, Horſe, Foot and Seamen. Not much
unlike this, according to Diodorus the Hiſto
rian, was the Commonwealth of the Indians,
who were diſtinguiſhed into Prieſts, Husband
men, Shepherds, Artificers, Soldiers, Ephori,
or Super-intendants, and thoſe who preſided
over the publick Counſels.
Commonwealth into two Ranks, one that made
and expounded the Laws, both Humane and
Divine, and the other that follow'd manual Oc
cupations. Solon diſtinguiſh'd his Citizens
according to their Wealth, and ſuch as did not
raiſe from their Poſſeſſions three hundred
Buſhels of Grain every Year, he reckon'd ſcarce
worthy to be eſteem'd a Citizen. The Athenians
gave the firſt Rank to Men of Learning and
Wiſdom; the ſecond to the Orators, and the
laſt to Artificers. Romulùs ſeparated the Knights
and Patricians from the Plebeians; and Numa
divided the Plebeians according to their re
ſpective Employments. In France the Plebeians
were in a Manner Slaves; the reſt, ſays Cæſar,
were either Soldiers, or Profeſſors of Religion,
or the Study of Wiſdom, whom they call'd
Druids. Among the Panchæi the firſt were
the Prieſts; the ſecond, the Husbandmen,
and the laſt, the Soldiers, with whom were
reckon'd the Shepherds, and Tenders of Herds.
The Britons were divided into four Orders;
the firſt were thoſe out of whoſe Number
they choſe their King; the ſecond were the
Prieſts; the third, the Soldiers, and the laſt
the common People. The Ægyptians gave the
firſt Rank to their Prieſts; the ſecond to their
King and Governours; the third to the Sol
diers, and the reſt of the People were ſubdi
vided into Husbandmen, Shepherds, and Ar
tificers, and further, as Herodotus informs us,
into Mercenaries, and Seamen. We are told, that
Hipodamus divided his Republic into three Parts,
Artificers, Husbandmen, and Soldiers. Ariſtotle
ſeems not diſpleaſed with thoſe who ſeparated
from the Multitude ſome Men of greateſt
Worth to manage their Counſels, and exerciſe
their Office of Magiſtracy and Judicature, and
divided the Remainder of the People into
Husbandmen, Artificers, Merchants, Merce
naries, Horſe, Foot and Seamen. Not much
unlike this, according to Diodorus the Hiſto
rian, was the Commonwealth of the Indians,
who were diſtinguiſhed into Prieſts, Husband
men, Shepherds, Artificers, Soldiers, Ephori,
or Super-intendants, and thoſe who preſided
over the publick Counſels.
Plato obſerves that a Nation is ſometimes
peaceable and deſirous of Quiet and Repoſe;
and at other Times reſtleſs and warlike, ac
cording to the Temper of thoſe at the Helm;
and therefore he divides the Body of the Citi
zens according to the Parts of the Mind of
Man; one to moderate every Thing with
Reaſon and Counſel; another to reſent and
repel Injuries with Force; and a third to
prepare and adminiſter Nouriſhment to all
the reſt. Theſe Things I have thus briefly
recited out of numorous Writings of the An
cients; and the natural Reſult ſeems to be
this, that all theſe which I have mentioned
are every one of them different Parts of the
Republick, and conſequently that each re
quires a particular Kind of Building. But
that according to our Cuſtom we may be
able to treat of this Subject more diſtinctly, it
will not be amiſs to reflect upon the follow
ing Conſiderations: If any one were to ſepa
rate the whole Number of Mankind into dif
ferent Parts, the firſt Thing that would offer
itſelf to his Thoughts would be this; that it
is not the ſame Thing to conſider all the In
habitants of any one Province all together
collectively, and to conſider them ſeparately
according to their reſpective Diſtinctions; and
the next Thing would be, that by a Contem
plation of Nature itſelf, he would take Notice
in what Particular they differ'd moſt from
one another, that from thence he might take
Occaſion to ſeparate them into their proper
Diviſions. Now there is nothing wherein Men
differ more one from the other, than in the
very particular wherein they differ from
Brutes; namely, in Reaſon, and the Know
ledge of uſeful Arts, to which, if you pleaſe,
you may add Proſperity of Fortune: In all
which Gifts there are very few that excel at
the ſame Time. This then opens to us our
firſt Diviſion, and inſtructs us to ſelect from
the Multitude, a ſmall Number, whereof ſome
are illuſtrious for their Wiſdom, Experience
and Capacity; others for their Progreſs, and
Knowledge in uſeful Arts; and others, laſtly,
for their Riches, and Abundance in the Goods
of Fortune. And who will deny that theſe
are the moſt fit to be intruſted with the prin
cipal Offices in the Commonwealth? The
moſt excellent Perſons, therefore, who are
endued with the greateſt Share of Wiſdom,
ought to be intruſted with the chief Care and
Power of moderating in all Affairs. Such
peaceable and deſirous of Quiet and Repoſe;
and at other Times reſtleſs and warlike, ac
cording to the Temper of thoſe at the Helm;
and therefore he divides the Body of the Citi
zens according to the Parts of the Mind of
Man; one to moderate every Thing with
Reaſon and Counſel; another to reſent and
repel Injuries with Force; and a third to
prepare and adminiſter Nouriſhment to all
the reſt. Theſe Things I have thus briefly
recited out of numorous Writings of the An
cients; and the natural Reſult ſeems to be
this, that all theſe which I have mentioned
are every one of them different Parts of the
Republick, and conſequently that each re
quires a particular Kind of Building. But
that according to our Cuſtom we may be
able to treat of this Subject more diſtinctly, it
will not be amiſs to reflect upon the follow
ing Conſiderations: If any one were to ſepa
rate the whole Number of Mankind into dif
ferent Parts, the firſt Thing that would offer
itſelf to his Thoughts would be this; that it
is not the ſame Thing to conſider all the In
habitants of any one Province all together
collectively, and to conſider them ſeparately
according to their reſpective Diſtinctions; and
the next Thing would be, that by a Contem
plation of Nature itſelf, he would take Notice
in what Particular they differ'd moſt from
one another, that from thence he might take
Occaſion to ſeparate them into their proper
Diviſions. Now there is nothing wherein Men
differ more one from the other, than in the
very particular wherein they differ from
Brutes; namely, in Reaſon, and the Know
ledge of uſeful Arts, to which, if you pleaſe,
you may add Proſperity of Fortune: In all
which Gifts there are very few that excel at
the ſame Time. This then opens to us our
firſt Diviſion, and inſtructs us to ſelect from
the Multitude, a ſmall Number, whereof ſome
are illuſtrious for their Wiſdom, Experience
and Capacity; others for their Progreſs, and
Knowledge in uſeful Arts; and others, laſtly,
for their Riches, and Abundance in the Goods
of Fortune. And who will deny that theſe
are the moſt fit to be intruſted with the prin
cipal Offices in the Commonwealth? The
moſt excellent Perſons, therefore, who are
endued with the greateſt Share of Wiſdom,
ought to be intruſted with the chief Care and
Power of moderating in all Affairs. Such