The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
Hitherto I have named such diseases of a commonwealth, as are of the
greatest, and most present danger. There be other not so great; which
nevertheless are not unfit to be observed. As first, the difficulty of
raising money, for the necessary uses of the commonwealth; especially in
the approach of war. This difficulty ariseth from the opinion, that
every subject hath a propriety in his lands and goods, exclusive of the
sovereign’s right to the use of the same. From whence it cometh to pass,
that the sovereign power, which foreseeth the necessities and dangers of
the commonwealth, finding the passage of money to the public treasury
obstructed, by the tenacity of the people, whereas it ought to extend
itself, to encounter, and prevent such dangers in their beginnings,
contracteth itself as long as it can, and when it cannot longer,
struggles with the people by stratagems of law, to obtain little sums,
which not sufficing, he is fain at last violently to open the way for
present supply, or perish; and being put often to these extremities, at
last reduceth the people to their due temper; or else the commonwealth
must perish. Insomuch as we may compare this distemper very aptly to an
ague; wherein, the fleshy parts being congealed, or by venomous matter
obstructed, the veins which by their natural course empty themselves
into the heart, are not, as they ought to be, supplied from the
arteries, whereby there succeedeth at first a cold contraction, and
trembling of the limbs; and afterward a hot, and strong endeavour of the
heart, to force a passage for the blood; and before it can do that,
contenteth itself with the small refreshments of such things as cool for
a time, till, if nature be strong enough, it break at last the contumacy
of the parts obstructed, and dissipateth the venom into sweat; or, if
nature be too weak, the patient dieth.
[Sidenote: Monopolies, and abuses of publicans.]
Again, there is sometimes in a commonwealth, a disease, which resembleth
the pleurisy; and that is, when the treasure of the commonwealth,
flowing out of its due course, is gathered together in too much
abundance, in one, or a few private men, by monopolies, or by farms of
the public revenues; in the same manner as the blood in a pleurisy,
getting into the membrane of the breast, breedeth there an inflammation,
accompanied with a fever, and painful stitches.
[Sidenote: Popular men.]