of　Marah　　the　water　which　feeds　the　roots　of　all　evil。
  The　necessity　of　these　laws　of　distribution　or　restraint　is
  curiously　over…looked　in　the　ordinary　political　economist's
  definition　of　his　own　〃science。〃　He　calls　it；　shortly；　the
  〃science　of　getting　rich。〃　But　there　are　many　sciences；　as　well
  as　many　arts；　of　getting　rich。　Poisoning　people　of　large　estates；
  was　one　employed　largely　in　the　middle　ages；　adulteration　of　food
  of　people　of　small　estates；　is　one　employed　largely　now。　The
  ancient　and　honourable　Highland　method　of　blackmail；　the　more
  modern　and　less　honourable　system　of　obtaining　goods　on　credit；
  and　the　other　variously　improved　methods　of　appropriation
  which；　in　major　and　minor　scales　of　industry；　down　to　the　most
  artistic　pocket…picking；　we　owe　to　recent　genius；　　all　come
  under　the　general　head　of　sciences；　or　arts；　of　getting　rich。
  So　that　it　is　clear　the　popular　economist；　in　calling　his
  science　the　science　par　excellence　of　getting　rich；　must　attach
  some　peculiar　ideas　of　limitation　to　its　character。　I　hope　I　do
  not　misrepresent　him；　by　assuming　that　he　means　his　science　to　be
  the　science　of　〃getting　rich　by　legal　or　just　means。〃　In　this
  definition；　is　the　word　〃just；〃　or　〃legal；〃　finally　to　stand？　For
  it　is　possible　among　certain　nations；　or　under　certain　rulers；　or
  by　help　of　certain　advocates；　that　proceedings　may　be　legal　which
  are　by　no　means　just。　If；　therefore；　we　leave　at　last　only　the
  word　〃just〃　in　that　place　of　our　definition；　the　insertion　of
  this　solitary　and　small　word　will　make　a　notable　difference　in
  the　grammar　of　our　science。　For　then　it　will　follow　that；　in
  order　to　grow　rich　scientifically；　we　must　grow　rich　justly；　and；
  therefore；　know　what　is　just；　so　that　our　economy　will　no　longer
  depend　merely　on　prudence；　but　on　jurisprudence　　and　that　of
  divine；　not　human　law。　Which　prudence　is　indeed　of　no　mean　order；
  holding　itself；　as　it　were；　high　in　the　air　of　heaven；　and　gazing
  for　ever　on　the　light　of　the　sun　of　justice；　hence　the　souls
  which　have　excelled　in　it　are　represented　by　Dante　as　stars；
  forming　in　heaven　for　ever　the　figure　of　the　eye　of　an　eagle：
  they　having　been　in　life　the　discerners　of　light　from　darkness；
  or　to　the　whole　human　race；　as　the　light　of　the　body；　which　is
  the　eye；　while　those　souls　which　form　the　wings　of　the　bird
  （giving　power　and　dominion　to　justice；　〃healing　in　its　wings〃）
  trace　also　in　light　the　inscription　in　heaven：　〃DILIGITE
  JUSTITIAM　QUI　JUDICATIS　TERRAM。〃　〃Ye　who　judge　the　earth；　give〃
  （not；　observe；　merely　love；　but）　〃diligent　love　to　justice：〃　the
  love　which　seeks　diligently；　that　is　to　say；　choosingly；　and　by
  preference；　to　all　things　else。　Which　judging　or　doing　judgment
  in　the　earth　is；　according　to　their　capacity　and　position；
  required　not　of　judges　only；　nor　of　rulers　only；　but　of　all
  men：（7*）　a　truth　sorrowfully　lost　sight　of　even　by　those　who　are
  ready　enough　to　apply　to　themselves　passages　in　which　Christian
  men　are　spoken　of　as　called　to　be　〃saints〃　（i。e。　to　helpful　or
  healing　functions）；　and　〃chosen　to　be　kings〃　（i。e。　to　knowing　or
  directing　functions）；　the　true　meaning　of　these　titles　having
  been　long　lost　through　the　pretences　of　unhelpful　and　unable
  persons　to　saintly　and　kingly　character；　also　through　the　once
  popular　idea　that　both　the　sanctity　and　royalty　are　to　consist　in
  wearing　long　robes　and　high　crowns；　instead　of　in　mercy　and
  judgment；　whereas　all　true　sanctity　is　saving　power；　as　all　true
  royalty　is　ruling　power；　and　injustice　is　part　and　parcel　of　the
  denial　of　such　power；　which　〃makes　men　as　the　creeping　things；　as
  the　fishes　of　the　sea；　that　have　no　ruler　over　them。〃（8*）
  Absolute　justice　is　indeed　no　more　attainable　than　absolute
  truth；　but　the　righteous　man　is　distinguished　from　the
  unrighteous　by　his　desire　and　hope　of　justice；　as　the　true　man
  from　the　false　by　his　desire　and　hope　of　truth。　And　though
  absolute　justice　be　unattainable；　as　much　justice　as　we　need　for
  all　practical　use　is　attainable　by　all　those　who　make　it　their
  aim。
  We　have　to　examine；　then；　in　the　subject　before　us；　what　are
  the　laws　of　justice　respecting　payment　of　labour　　no　small
  part；　these；　of　the　foundations　of　all　jurisprudence。
  I　reduced；　in　my　last　paper；　the　idea　of　money　payment　to　its
  simplest　or　radical　terms。　In　those　terms　its　nature；　and　the
  conditions　of　justice　respecting　it；　can　be　best　ascertained。
  Money　payment；　as　there　stated；　consists　radically　in　a
  promise　to　some　person　working　for　us；　that　for　the　time　and
  labour　he　spends　in　our　service　to…day　we　will　give　or　procure
  equivalent　time　and　labour　in　his　service　at　any　future　time　when
  he　may　demand　it。（9*）
  If　we　promise　to　give　him　less　labour　than　he　has　given　us；
  we　under…pay　him。　If　we　promise　to　give　him　more　labour　than　he
  has　given　us；　we　over…pay　him。　In　practice；　according　to　the　laws
  of　demand　and　supply；　when　two　men　are　ready　to　do　the　work；　and
  only　one　man　wants　to　have　it　done；　the　two　men　underbid　each
  other　for　it；　and　the　one　who　gets　it　to　do；　is　under…paid。　But
  when　two　men　want　the　work　done；　and　there　is　only　one　man　ready
  to　do　it；　the　two　men　who　want　it　done　over…bid　each　other；　and
  the　workman　is　over…paid。
  I　will　examine　these　two　points　of　injustice　in　succession；
  but　first　I　wish　the　reader　to　clearly　understand　the　central
  principle；　lying　between　the　two；　of　right　or　just　payment。
  When　we　ask　a　service　of　any　man；　he　may　either　give　it　us
  freely；　or　demand　payment　for　it。　Respecting　free　gift　of
  service；　there　is　no　question　at　present；　that　being　a　matter　of
  affection　　not　of　traffic。　But　if　he　demand　payment　for　it；　and
  we　wish　to　treat　him　with　absolute　equity；　it　is　evident　that
  this　equity　can　only　consist　in　giving　time　for　time；　strength
  for　strength；　and　skill　for　skill。　If　a　man　works　an　hour　for　us；
  and　we　only　promise　to　work　half…an…hour　for　him　in　return；　we
  obtain　an　unjust　advantage。　If；　on　the　contrary；　we　promise　to
  work　an　hour　and　a　half　for　him　in　return；　he　has　an　unjust
  advantage。　The　justice　consists　in　absolute　exchange；　or；　if
  there　be　any　respect　to　the　stations　of　the　parties；　it　will　not
  be　in　favour　of　the　employer：　there　is　certainly　no　equitable
  reason　in　a　main's　being　poor；　that　if　he　give　me　a　pound　of
  bread　to…day；　I　should　return　him　less　than　a　pound　of　bread
  to…morrow；　or　any　equitable　reason　in　a　man's　being　uneducated；
  that　if　he　uses　a　certain　quantity　of　skill　and　knowledge　in　my
  service；　I　should　use　a　less　quantity　of　skill　and　knowledge　in
  his。　Perhaps；　ultimately；　it　may　appear　desirable；　or；　to　say　the
  least；　gracious；　that　I　should　give　in　return　somewhat　more　than
  I　received。　But　at　present；　we　are　concerned　on　the　law　of
  justice　only；　which　is　that　of　perfect　and　accurate　exchange；
  one　circumstance　only　interfering　with　the　simplicity　of　this
  radical　idea　of　just　payment　　that　inasmuch　as　labour　（rightly
  directed）　is　fruitful　just　as　seed　is；　the　fruit　（or　〃interest；〃
  as　it　is　called）　of　the　labour　first　given；　or　〃advanced；〃　ought
  to　be　taken　into　account；　and　balanced　by　an　additional　quantity
  of　labour　in　the　subsequent　repayment。　Supposing　the　repayment　to
  take　place　at　the　end　of　a　year；　or　of　any　other　given　time；　this
  calculation　could　be　approximately　made；　but　as　money　（that　is　to
  say；　cash）　payment　involves　no　reference　to　time　（it　being
  optional　with　the　person　paid　to　spend　what　he　receives　at　once
  or　after　any　number　of　years）；　we　can　only　assume；　generally；
  that　some　slight　advantage　must　in　equity　be　allowed　to　the
  person　who　advances　the　labour；　so　that　the　typical　form　of
  bargain　will　be：　If　you　give　me　an　hour　to…day；　I　will　give　you
  an　hour　and　five　minutes　on　demand。　If　you　give　me　a　pound　of
  bread　to　day；　I　will　give　you　seventeen　ounces　on　demand；　and　so
  on。　All　that　it　is　necessary　for　the　reader　to　note　is；　that　the
  amount　returned　is　at　least　in　equity　not　to　be　less　than　the
  amount　given。
  The　abstract　idea；　then；　of　just　or　due　wages；　as　respects
  the　labourer；　is　that　they　will　consist　in　a　sum　of　money　which
  will　at　any　time　procure　for　him　at　least　as　much　labour　as　he
  has　given；　rather　more　than　less。　And　this　equity　or　justice　of
  payment　is；　observe；　wholly　independent　of　any　reference　to　the
  number　of　men　who　are　willing　to　do　the　work。　I　want　a　horseshoe
  for　my　horse。　Twenty　smiths；　or　twenty　thousand　smiths；　may　b