BOOK　II：　OF　THEIR　TRADES；　AND　MANNER　OF　LIFE
  AGRICULTURE　is　that　which　is　so　universally　understood　among　them
  that　no　person；　either　man　or　woman；　is　ignorant　of　it；　they　are
  instructed　in　it　from　their　childhood；　partly　by　what　they　learn
  at　school　and　partly　by　practice；　they　being　led　out　often　into
  the　fields；　about　the　town；　where　they　not　only　see　others　at
  work；　but　are　likewise　exercised　in　it　themselves。　Besides
  agriculture；　which　is　so　common　to　them　all；　every　man　has　some
  peculiar　trade　to　which　he　applies　himself；　such　as　the
  manufacture　of　wool；　or　flax；　masonry；　smith's　work；　or
  carpenter's　work；　for　there　is　no　sort　of　trade　that　is　not　in
  great　esteem　among　them。　Throughout　the　island　they　wear　the　same
  sort　of　clothes　without　any　other　distinction；　except　what　is
  necessary　to　distinguish　the　two　sexes；　and　the　married　and
  unmarried。　The　fashion　never　alters；　and　as　it　is　neither
  disagreeable　nor　uneasy；　so　it　is　suited　to　the　climate；　and
  calculated　both　for　their　summers　and　winters。　Every　family　makes
  their　own　clothes；　but　all　among　them；　women　as　well　as　men；　learn
  one　or　other　of　the　trades　formerly　mentioned。　Women；　for　the　most
  part；　deal　in　wool　and　flax；　which　suit　best　with　their　weakness；
  leaving　the　ruder　trades　to　the　men。　The　same　trade　generally
  passes　down　from　father　to　son；　inclinations　often　following
  descent；　but　if　any　man's　genius　lies　another　way；　he　is　by
  adoption　translated　into　a　family　that　deals　in　the　trade　to　which
  he　is　inclined：　and　when　that　is　to　be　done；　care　is　taken　not
  only　by　his　father；　but　by　the　magistrate；　that　he　may　be　put　to　a
  discreet　and　good　man。　And　if　after　a　person　has　learned　one
  trade；　he　desires　to　acquire　another；　that　is　also　allowed；　and　is
  managed　in　the　same　manner　as　the　former。　When　he　has　learned
  both；　he　follows　that　which　he　likes　best；　unless　the　public　has
  more　occasion　for　the　other。
  The　chief；　and　almost　the　only　business　of　the　syphogrants；　is　to
  take　care　that　no　man　may　live　idle；　but　that　every　one　may　follow
  his　trade　diligently：　yet　they　do　not　wear　themselves　out　with
  perpetual　toil；　from　morning　to　night；　as　if　they　were　beasts　of
  burden；　which；　as　it　is　indeed　a　heavy　slavery；　so　it　is
  everywhere　the　common　course　of　life　among　all　mechanics　except
  the　Utopians；　but　they　dividing　the　day　and　night　into　twenty…four
  hours；　appoint　six　of　these　for　work；　three　of　which　are　before
  dinner；　and　three　after。　They　then　sup；　and　at　eight　o'clock；
  counting　from　noon；　go　to　bed　and　sleep　eight　hours。　The　rest　of
  their　time　besides　that　taken　up　in　work；　eating　and　sleeping；　is
  left　to　every　man's　discretion；　yet　they　are　not　to　abuse　that
  interval　to　luxury　and　idleness；　but　must　employ　it　in　some　proper
  exercise　according　to　their　various　inclinations；　which　is　for　the
  most　part　reading。　It　is　ordinary　to　have　public　lectures　every
  morning　before　daybreak；　at　which　none　are　obliged　to　appear　but
  those　who　are　marked　out　for　literature；　yet　a　great　many；　both
  men　and　women　of　all　ranks；　go　to　hear　lectures　of　one　sort　of
  other；　according　to　their　inclinations。　But　if　others；　that　are
  not　made　for　contemplation；　choose　rather　to　employ　themselves　at
  that　time　in　their　trades；　as　many　of　them　do；　they　are　not
  hindered；　but　are　rather　commended；　as　men　that　take　care　to　serve
  their　country。　After　supper；　they　spend　an　hour　in　some　diversion；
  in　summer　in　their　gardens；　and　in　winter　in　the　halls　where　they
  eat；　where　they　entertain　each　other；　either　with　music　or
  discourse。　They　do　not　so　much　as　know　dice；　or　any　such　foolish
  and　mischievous　games：　they　have；　however；　two　sorts　of　games　not
  unlike　our　chess；　the　one　is　between　several　numbers；　in　which　one
  number；　as　it　were；　consumes　another：　the　other　resembles　a　battle
  between　the　virtues　and　the　vices；　in　which　the　enmity　in　the
  vices　among　themselves；　and　their　agreement　against　virtue；　is　not
  unpleasantly　represented；　together　with　the　special　oppositions
  between　the　particular　virtues　and　vices；　as　also　the　methods　by
  which　vice　either　openly　assaults　or　secretly　undermines　virtue；
  and　virtue　on　the　other　hand　resists　it。　But　the　time　appointed
  for　labor　is　to　be　narrowly　examined；　otherwise　you　may　imagine；
  that　since　there　are　only　six　hours　appointed　for　work；　they　may
  fall　under　a　scarcity　of　necessary　provisions。　But　it　is　so　far
  from　being　true；　that　this　time　is　not　sufficient　for　supplying
  them　with　plenty　of　all　things；　either　necessary　or　convenient；
  that　it　is　rather　too　much；　and　this　you　will　easily　apprehend；　if
  you　consider　how　great　a　part　of　all　other　nations　is　quite　idle。
  First；　women　generally　do　little；　who　are　the　half　of　mankind；　and
  if　some　few　women　are　diligent；　their　husbands　are　idle：　then
  consider　the　great　company　of　idle　priests；　and　of　those　that　are
  called　religious　men；　add　to　these　all　rich　men；　chiefly　those
  that　have　estates　in　land；　who　are　called　noblemen　and　gentlemen；
  together　with　their　families；　made　up　of　idle　persons；　that　are
  kept　more　for　show　than　use；　add　to　these；　all　those　strong　and
  lusty　beggars；　that　go　about　pretending　some　disease；　in　excuse
  for　their　begging；　and　upon　the　whole　account　you　will　find　that
  the　number　of　those　by　whose　labors　mankind　is　supplied；　is　much
  less　than　you　perhaps　imagined。　Then　consider　how　few　of　those
  that　work　are　employed　in　labors　that　are　of　real　service；　for　we
  who　measure　all　things　by　money；　give　rise　to　many　trades　that　are
  both　vain　and　superfluous；　and　serve　only　to　support　riot　and
  luxury。　For　if　those　who　work　were　employed　only　in　such　things　as
  the　conveniences　of　life　require；　there　would　be　such　an　abundance
  of　them　that　the　prices　of　them　would　so　sink　that　tradesmen　could
  not　be　maintained　by　their　gains；　if　all　those　who　labor　about
  useless　things　were　set　to　more　profitable　employments；　and　if　all
  they　that　languish　out　their　lives　in　sloth　and　idleness；　every
  one　of　whom　consumes　as　much　as　any　two　of　the　men　that　are　at
  work；　were　forced　to　labor；　you　may　easily　imagine　that　a　small
  proportion　of　time　would　serve　for　doing　all　that　is　either
  necessary；　profitable；　or　pleasant　to　mankind；　especially　while
  pleasure　is　kept　within　its　due　bounds。
  This　appears　very　plainly　in　Utopia；　for　there；　in　a　great　city；
  and　in　all　the　territory　that　lies　round　it；　you　can　scarce　find
  500；　either　men　or　women；　by　their　age　and　strength；　are　capable
  of　labor；　that　are　not　engaged　in　it；　even　the　syphogrants；　though
  excused　by　the　law；　yet　do　not　excuse　themselves；　but　work；　that
  by　their　examples　they　may　excite　the　industry　of　the　rest　of　the
  people。　The　like　exemption　is　allowed　to　those　who；　being
  recommended　to　the　people　by　the　priests；　are　by　the　secret
  suffrages　of　the　syphogrants　privileged　from　labor；　that　they　may
  apply　themselves　wholly　to　study；　and　if　any　of　these　fall　short
  of　those　hopes　that　they　seemed　at　first　to　give；　they　are　obliged
  to　return　to　work。　And　sometimes　a　mechanic；　that　so　employs　his
  leisure　hours；　as　to　make　a　considerable　advancement　in　learning；
  is　eased　from　being　a　tradesman；　and　ranked　among　their　learned
  men。　Out　of　these　they　choose　their　ambassadors；　their　priests；
  their　tranibors；　and　the　prince　himself；　anciently　called　their
  Barzenes；　but　is　called　of　late　their　Ademus。
  And　thus　from　the　great　numbers　among　them　that　are　neither
  suffered　to　be　idle；　nor　to　be　employed　in　any　fruitless　labor；
  you　may　easily　make　the　estimate　how　much　may　be　done　in　those　few
  hours　in　which　they　are　obliged　to　labor。　But　besides　all　that　has
  been　already　said；　it　is　to　be　considered　that　the　needful　arts
  among　them　are　managed　with　less　labor　than　anywhere　else。　The
  building　or　the　repairing　of　houses　among　us　employ　many　hands；
  because　often　a　thriftless　heir　suffers　a　house　that　his　father
  built　to　fall　into　decay；　so　that　his　successor　must；　at　a　great
  cost；　repair　that　which　he　might　have　kept　up　with　a　small　charge：
  it　frequently　happens　that　the　same　house　which　one　person　built
  at　a　vast　expense　is　neglected　by