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was　so　far　from　having　an　arbitrary　power　over　his　life　that　he

could　not　at　pleasure　so　much　as　maim　him；　but　the　loss　of　an　eye　or

tooth　set　him　free　（Exod。　21。）。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　V

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Property



　　24。　Whether　we　consider　natural　reason；　which　tells　us　that　men；

being　once　born；　have　a　right　to　their　preservation；　and

consequently　to　meat　and　drink　and　such　other　things　as　Nature　affords

for　their　subsistence；　or　〃revelation；〃　which　gives　us　an　account　of

those　grants　God　made　of　the　world　to　Adam；　and　to　Noah　and　his

sons；　it　is　very　clear　that　God；　as　King　David　says　（Psalm　115。　16）；

〃has　given　the　earth　to　the　children　of　men；〃　given　it　to　mankind　in

common。　But；　this　being　supposed；　it　seems　to　some　a　very　great

difficulty　how　any　one　should　ever　come　to　have　a　property　in

anything；　I　will　not　content　myself　to　answer；　that；　if　it　be

difficult　to　make　out　〃property〃　upon　a　supposition　that　God　gave

the　world　to　Adam　and　his　posterity　in　common；　it　is　impossible　that

any　man　but　one　universal　monarch　should　have　any　〃property〃　upon　a

supposition　that　God　gave　the　world　to　Adam　and　his　heirs　in

succession；　exclusive　of　all　the　rest　of　his　posterity；　but　I　shall

endeavour　to　show　how　men　might　come　to　have　a　property　in　several

parts　of　that　which　God　gave　to　mankind　in　common；　and　that　without

any　express　compact　of　all　the　commoners。

　　25。　God；　who　hath　given　the　world　to　men　in　common；　hath　also

given　them　reason　to　make　use　of　it　to　the　best　advantage　of　life

and　convenience。　The　earth　and　all　that　is　therein　is　given　to　men　for

the　support　and　comfort　of　their　being。　And　though　all　the　fruits　it

naturally　produces；　and　beasts　it　feeds；　belong　to　mankind　in

common；　as　they　are　produced　by　the　spontaneous　hand　of　Nature；　and

nobody　has　originally　a　private　dominion　exclusive　of　the　rest　of

mankind　in　any　of　them；　as　they　are　thus　in　their　natural　state；　yet

being　given　for　the　use　of　men；　there　must　of　necessity　be　a　means

to　appropriate　them　some　way　or　other　before　they　can　be　of　any　use；

or　at　all　beneficial；　to　any　particular　men。　The　fruit　or　venison

which　nourishes　the　wild　Indian；　who　knows　no　enclosure；　and　is

still　a　tenant　in　common；　must　be　his；　and　so　his…　i。e。；　a　part　of

him；　that　another　can　no　longer　have　any　right　to　it　before　it　can

do　him　any　good　for　the　support　of　his　life。

　　26。　Though　the　earth　and　all　inferior　creatures　be　common　to　all

men；　yet　every　man　has　a　〃property〃　in　his　own　〃person。〃　This　nobody

has　any　right　to　but　himself。　The　〃labour〃　of　his　body　and　the

〃work〃　of　his　hands；　we　may　say；　are　properly　his。　Whatsoever；　then；

he　removes　out　of　the　state　that　Nature　hath　provided　and　left　it

in；　he　hath　mixed　his　labour　with　it；　and　joined　to　it　something

that　is　his　own；　and　thereby　makes　it　his　property。　It　being　by　him

removed　from　the　common　state　Nature　placed　it　in；　it　hath　by　this

labour　something　annexed　to　it　that　excludes　the　common　right　of　other

men。　For　this　〃labour〃　being　the　unquestionable　property　of　the

labourer；　no　man　but　he　can　have　a　right　to　what　that　is　once　joined

to；　at　least　where　there　is　enough；　and　as　good　left　in　common　for

others。

　　27。　He　that　is　nourished　by　the　acorns　he　picked　up　under　an　oak；　or

the　apples　he　gathered　from　the　trees　in　the　wood；　has　certainly

appropriated　them　to　himself。　Nobody　can　deny　but　the　nourishment　is

his。　I　ask；　then；　when　did　they　begin　to　be　his？　when　he　digested？

or　when　he　ate？　or　when　he　boiled？　or　when　he　brought　them　home？　or

when　he　picked　them　up？　And　it　is　plain；　if　the　first　gathering　made

them　not　his；　nothing　else　could。　That　labour　put　a　distinction

between　them　and　common。　That　added　something　to　them　more　than

Nature；　the　common　mother　of　all；　had　done；　and　so　they　became　his

private　right。　And　will　any　one　say　he　had　no　right　to　those　acorns　or

apples　he　thus　appropriated　because　he　had　not　the　consent　of　all

mankind　to　make　them　his？　Was　it　a　robbery　thus　to　assume　to　himself

what　belonged　to　all　in　common？　If　such　a　consent　as　that　was

necessary；　man　had　starved；　notwithstanding　the　plenty　God　had　given

him。　We　see　in　commons；　which　remain　so　by　compact；　that　it　is　the

taking　any　part　of　what　is　common；　and　removing　it　out　of　the　state

Nature　leaves　it　in；　which　begins　the　property；　without　which　the

common　is　of　no　use。　And　the　taking　of　this　or　that　part　does　not

depend　on　the　express　consent　of　all　the　commoners。　Thus；　the　grass　my

horse　has　bit；　the　turfs　my　servant　has　cut；　and　the　ore　I　have　digged

in　any　place；　where　I　have　a　right　to　them　in　common　with　others；

become　my　property　without　the　assignation　or　consent　of　anybody。

The　labour　that　was　mine；　removing　them　out　of　that　common　state

they　were　in；　hath　fixed　my　property　in　them。

　　28。　By　making　an　explicit　consent　of　every　commoner　necessary　to　any

one's　appropriating　to　himself　any　part　of　what　is　given　in　common。

Children　or　servants　could　not　cut　the　meat　which　their　father　or

master　had　provided　for　them　in　common　without　assigning　to　every

one　his　peculiar　part。　Though　the　water　running　in　the　fountain　be

every　one's；　yet　who　can　doubt　but　that　in　the　pitcher　is　his　only　who

drew　it　out？　His　labour　hath　taken　it　out　of　the　hands　of　Nature　where

it　was　common；　and　belonged　equally　to　all　her　children；　and　hath

thereby　appropriated　it　to　himself。

　　29。　Thus　this　law　of　reason　makes　the　deer　that　Indian's　who　hath

killed　it；　it　is　allowed　to　be　his　goods　who　hath　bestowed　his

labour　upon　it；　though；　before；　it　was　the　common　right　of　every

one。　And　amongst　those　who　are　counted　the　civilised　part　of

mankind；　who　have　made　and　multiplied　positive　laws　to　determine

property；　this　original　law　of　Nature　for　the　beginning　of　property；

in　what　was　before　common；　still　takes　place；　and　by　virtue　thereof；

what　fish　any　one　catches　in　the　ocean；　that　great　and　still　remaining

common　of　mankind；　or　what　amber…gris　any　one　takes　up　here　is　by

the　labour　that　removes　it　out　of　that　common　state　Nature　left　it　in；

made　his　property　who　takes　that　pains　about　it。　And　even　amongst

us；　the　hare　that　any　one　is　hunting　is　thought　his　who　pursues　her

during　the　chase。　For　being　a　beast　that　is　still　looked　upon　as

common；　and　no　man's　private　possession；　whoever　has　employed　so

much　labour　about　any　of　that　kind　as　to　find　and　pursue　her　has

thereby　removed　her　from　the　state　of　Nature　wherein　she　was　common；

and　hath　begun　a　property。

　　30。　It　will；　perhaps；　be　objected　to　this；　that　if　gathering　the

acorns　or　other　fruits　of　the　earth；　etc。；　makes　a　right　to　them；　then

any　one　may　engross　as　much　as　he　will。　To　which　I　answer；　Not　so。　The

same　law　of　Nature　that　does　by　this　means　give　us　property；　does　also

bound　that　property　too。　〃God　has　given　us　all　things　richly。〃　Is

the　voice　of　reason　confirmed　by　inspiration？　But　how　far　has　He　given

it　us…　〃to　enjoy〃？　As　much　as　any　one　can　make　use　of　to　any　advantage

of　life　before　it　spoils；　so　much　he　may　by　his　labour　fix　a

property　in。　Whatever　is　beyond　this　is　more　than　his　share；　and

belongs　to　others。　Nothing　was　made　by　God　for　man　to　spoil　or

destroy。　And　thus　considering　the　plenty　of　natural　provisions　there

was　a　long　time　in　the　world；　and　the　few　spenders；　and　to　how　small　a

part　of　that　provision　the　industry　of　one　man　could　extend　itself　and

engross　it　to　the　prejudice　of　others；　especially　keeping　within　the

bounds　set　by　reason　of　what　might　serve　for　his　use；　there　could　be

then　little　room　for　quarrels　or　contentions　about　property　so

established。

　　31。　But　the　chief　matter　of　property　being　now　not　the　fruits　of　the

earth　and　the　beasts　that　subsist　on　it；　but　the　earth　itself；　as　that

which　takes　in　and　carries　with　it　all　the　rest；　I　think　it　is　plain

that　property　in　that　too　is　acquired　as　the　former。　As　much　land　as　a

man　tills；　plants；　improves；　cultivates；　and　can　use　the　product　of；

so　much　is　his　property。　He　by　his　labour　does；　as　it　were；　enclose　it

from　the　common。　Nor　will　it　invalidate　his　right　to　say　everybody

else　has　an　equal　title　to　it；　and　therefore　he　cannot　appropriate；　he

cannot　enclose；　without　the　consent　of　all　his　fellow…commoners；　all

mankind。　God；　when　He　gave　the　world　in　common　to　all　mankind；

commanded　man　also　to　labour；　and　the　penury　of　his　condition　required

it　of　him。　God　and　his　reason　commanded　him　to　subdue　the　earth…　i。e。；

improve　it　for　the　benefit　of　life　and　therein　lay　out　something

upon　it　that　was　his　own；　his　labour。　He　that；　in　obedience　to　this

command　of　God；　subdued；　tilled；　and　sowed　any　part　of　it；　thereby

annexed　to　it　something　that　was　his　property；　which　another　had　no

title　to；　nor　could　without　injury　take　from　him。

　　32。　Nor　was　this　appropriation　of　any　parcel　of　land；　by　improving

it；　any　prejudice　to　any　other　man；　since　there　was　still　enough　and

as　good　left；　and　more　than　the　yet　unprovided　could　use。　So　that；

in　effect；　there　was　never　the　less　left　for　others　because　of　his

enclosure　for　himself。　For　he　that　leav