IT

JEROME BUSLEYDEN

TO THOMAS MORE

GREETING 1.

was not enough, my accomplished friend More, that

you formerly spent all your care, labour and study upon the interests and advantage of individuals; but you must bestow them (such is your kindness and generosity) on the community at large. You thought that this benefit of yours, whatever it might be, deserved the greater indulgence, courted the greater favour, and aimed at the higher renown, on this very account, that it was likely to profit the more, the more widely it was diffused and the more there were to share it. To confer this benefit has always been your object on other occasions, and of late you have,

NON

HIERONYMVS

BVSLIDIVS THOMAE

MORO S.D.

ON SAT FVIT ORNATISSIME More, olim omnem curam, operam, studium intulisse in rem et commodum singulorum, nisi uel ea (quae tua pietas et liberalitas est) conferres in uniuersum, ratus hoc tuum qualecumque foret beneficium eo maiorem hinc mereri a fauorem, uenari gratiam, aucupari gloriam, quanto illud et latius propagatum, et in plures distributum, pluribus esset profuturum. Quod et si alias semper praestare contenderis, tamen id a morari, C.

This letter, which was not translated by Robynson, came before the Utopia, in the edition of 1516, but in

that of 1518 was placed after it, as here. For Busleyden see above, p. xcv.

a

wisdom could not but know what were best, and for his inestimable goodnes cold not but counsell to that which he knew to be best) wold haue brought all the wordle long agoo into the lawes of this weale publique, if it were no that one only beast, the prince and mother of all mischiefe, pride1, doth withstonde and let it. She measureth not wealth and prosperity by here own commodities, but by the miseriies and incommodities of other. She wold not by her good will be made a goddes, if there were no wretches left, whom she might be lady ouer to mocke and scorne'; ouer whose miseries her felicity might shine, whose pouerty she might vexe, torment, and encrease by gorgiously setting furthe her riches. This hell hound crepeth in to mens hartes, and plucketh them backe from entering the right pathe of liffe; and is so depely roted in mens brestes, that she can not be plucked out.

This forme and fassion of a weale publique, which I wold gladly wisshe vnto all nations, I am glad yet that it princesse. b [whom... scorne] ouer whom she might like a scorneful ladie rule and triumph.

Mire dictum.

reluctaretur.

ignorare quid optimum esset, neque qua erat bonitate id consulere quod non optimum sciret) totum orbem facile in huius Reipublicae leges iamdudum traxisset, nisi una tantum belua, omnium princeps parensque pestium, superbia, haec non suis commodis prosperitatem, sed ex alienis metitur incommodis. haec re Dea quidem fieri uellet, nullis relictis miseris, quibus imperare atque insultare possit; quorum miseriis praefulgeat ipsius comparata felicitas ; quorum suis explicatis opibus angat atque incendat inopiam. Haec auerni serpens, mortalium pererrans pectora, ne meliorem uitae capessant uiam, uelut remora retrahit ac remoratur.

Quae quoniam pressius hominibus infixa est, quam ut facile possit euelli, hanc Reipublicae formam, quam omnibus libenter optarim, a Haec adnotatio deest in B.

1 Dibdin here refers to the chapter on Pride in More's treatise De quatuor nouissimis, in evidence of the detestation in which this vice was held by

the author. See the English Works, 1577, pp. 82, 1270; and the extracts given by Bridgett: Wit and Wisdom, pp. 55-58.

hath chaunced to the Vtopians; which haue followed those institutions of liffe, wherby they haue laid such fondations of their common wealth, as shall continew and last, not only wealthely, but also, as farre as mans wit maye iudge and coniecture, shall endure for euer. For seinge the chiefe causes of ambition and sedition with other vices be plucked vp by the rootes and abandoned at home, there can be no ieopardye of domesticall dissention; which alone hathe caste vnder fote and broughte to noughte the well fortefied and strongly defenced wealth and riches of many cities. But for asmuch as perfect concord remaineth, and holsome lawes be executed at home, the enuy of all forrein princes be not able to shake or moue the empire, though they haue many tymes long ago gone about to do it, beinge euermore dreuen backe.'

Thus when Raphaell hadde made an ende of his tale, thoughe manye thinges came to my mind which in the manners and lawes of that people semed to be instituted and founded of no good reason1, not only in the fassion of their cheualry and in their sacrifices and religions, and in

Vtopiensibus saltem contigisse gaudeo; qui ea uitae sunt instituta. sequuti, quibus Reipublicae fundamenta iecerunt non modo felicissime, uerum etiam, quantum humana praesagiri coniectura contigit, aeternum duratura. Extirpatis enim domi cum caeteris uitiis ambitionis et factionum radicibus, nihil impendet periculi ne domestico 161 dissidio laboretur, quae | una multarum urbium egregie munitas opes pessundedit. At salua domi concordia et salubribus institutis non omnium finitimorum inuidia principum (quae saepius id iam olim semper reuerberata tentauit) concutere illud imperium aut commouere queat.

Haec ubi Raphael recensuit, quanquam haud pauca mihi succurrebant, quae in eius populi moribus legibusque perquam absurde uidebantur instituta, non solum de belli gerendi ratione, et rebus diuinis, ac religione, aliisque insuper eorum institutis, sed in eo

This is weaker than the Latin, perquam absurde, 'very absurdly.'

with singular good fortune, been most successful in attaining it I mean, in that 'afternoon's talk,' which you have reduced to writing and published, about the right and good constitution, that all must long for, of the Utopian commonwealth.

In your happy description of that fair institution, we nowhere miss either the highest learning or consummate knowledge of the world. Both those qualities are blended together in the work, meeting on such equal terms that neither yields to the other, but both contend on an equality for the palm. The truth is, you are the able possessor of such varied learning, and on the other hand of so wide and exact a knowledge of the world, that, whatever you write, you assert from full experience, and, whatever assertion you have decided to make, you write most learnedly. A felicity this as rare as it is admirable! What makes it rarer is that it withholds itself from the many, and only imparts itself to the few;-to such above all as have the candour to wish, the knowledge to understand, the credit which will qualify, and the influence which will enable them to consult the common interest as dutifully, justly, and providently as you now plainly do. For, deeming yourself born not for yourself alone, but for the whole maxime es nuper mira felicitate adsecutus, scilicet pomeridiano illo sermone abs te in literas relato, quem de recte et bene constituta, ab omnibus expetenda, Vtopiensium republica aedidisti.

In cuius pulcherrimi instituti felici descriptione nihil est in quo uel summa eruditio, uel absoluta rerum humanarum peritia desyderari possit; quando ea quidem ambo in illo tanta paritate et aequabili congressu concurrunt, ut, neutro alteri herbam porrigente', utrumque aequo marte de gloria contendat. Tam siquidem multifaria polles doctrina, rursum tam multa eaque certa rerum peritia, ut prorsus expertus affir mes quicquid scripseris, doctissime scribas quicquid 163b affirmandum destinaueris. Mira profecto raraque felicitas, ac plane eo rarior, quo magis ipsa sese inuidens plurimis non praebet nisi raris, maxime iis, qui, sicut candore uelint, ita eruditione sciant, fide queant, autoritate possint, tam pie, recte, prouide in commune consulere, sicut tu iam facis probe, qui quod non solum tibi, uerum etiam

1 Plin. Hist. Nat. xxii. 4.

world, you have thought fit by this fair service to make the whole world itself beholden to you.

And this result you would not have been able to effect so well and rightly by any other means, as by delineating for rational beings themselves an ideal commonwealth, a pattern and finished model of conduct, than which there has never been seen in the world one more wholesome in its institution, or more perfect, or to be thought more desirable. For it far surpasses and leaves a long way behind the many famous states, that we have heard so much about, of Sparta and Athens and Rome. Had these been inaugurated under the same favourable conditions, with the same institutions, laws, enactments and rules of life to control them as this commonwealth of yours, they would not, we may be sure, have by this time been lying in ruins, levelled with the ground, and now alas! obliterated beyond all hope of renewal. On the contrary, they would have been still unfallen, still fortunate and prosperous, leading a happy existence, mistresses of the world meanwhile, and dividing a widespread empire by land and sea.

Of these commonwealths you compassionated the un

toti te genitum orbi existimas, operae precium duxeris hoc tuo pulcherrimo merito uel totum ipsum orbem demereri.

Quod praestare alia ratione neque rectius neque melius potuisses, quam ipsis mortalibus ratione pollentibus eam reipublicae ideam, eam morum formulam absolutissimumque simulacrum praescribere ; quo nullo bunquam in orbe uisum sit uel salubrius institutum, uel magis absolutum, uel quod magis expetendum uideatur; utpote multo quidem praestante, atque longo post se interuallo relinquente tot celebratissimas tantopere decantatas Lacedaemoniorum, Atheniensium, Romanorum respublicas. Quae si iisdem essent auspiciis auspicatae, iisdem quibus haec tua respublica institutis, legibus, decretis, moribus moderatae, profecto hae nondum labefactatae et solo aequatae iam pro dolor citra spem omnem instaurationis extinctae iacerent; sed contra incolumes adhuc, beatae, felices, fortunatissime agerent; interim rerum dominae, suum late imperium terra marique sortitae.

Quarum quidem rerum publicarum tu miserandum miseratus b sic et A. Leg. nullum.

a gentium, B.