The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 02 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
10. In the next place we showed, that grief of mind arising from
_want_ did dispose the subjects to sedition; which want, although
derived from their own luxury and sloth, yet they impute it to those
who govern the realm, as though they were drained and oppressed by
public pensions. Notwithstanding, it may sometimes happen that this
complaint may be just; namely, when the burthens of the realm are
unequally imposed on the subjects; for that which to all together is
but a light weight, if many withdraw themselves it will be very
heavy, nay, even intolerable to the rest: neither are men wont so
much to grieve at the burthen itself, as at the inequality. With
much earnestness therefore men strive to be freed from taxes; and in
this conflict the less happy, as being overcome, do envy the more
fortunate. To remove therefore all just complaint, it is the
interest of the public quiet, and by consequence it concerns the
duty of the magistrate, to see that the public burthens be equally
borne. Furthermore, since what is brought by the subjects to public
use, is nothing else but the price of their bought peace, it is good
reason that they who equally share in the peace, should also pay an
equal part, either by contributing their monies or their labours to
the commonweal. Now it is the law of nature, (by art. 15, chap.
III), that every man in distributing right to others, do carry
himself equal to all. Wherefore rulers are, by the natural law,
obliged to lay the burthens of the commonweal equally on their
subjects.
[Sidenote: It is natural equity, that monies be taxed according to
what every man spends, not to what he possesseth.]