19. Furthermore, in the state of nature, there is nothing which any man
can less claim for himself, and make his own, than the soil, and
whatever so adheres to the soil, that he cannot hide it anywhere, nor
carry it whither he pleases. The soil, therefore, and whatever adheres
to it in the way we have mentioned, must be quite common property of the
commonwealth -- that is, of all those who, by their united force, can
vindicate their claim to it, or of him to whom all have given authority
to vindicate his claim. And therefore the soil, and all that adheres to
it, ought to have a value with the citizens proportionate to the
necessity there is, that they may be able to set their feet thereon, and
defend their common right or liberty. But in the eighth section of this
chapter we have shown the advantages that the commonwealth must
necessarily derive hence.
20. In order that the citizens may be as far as possible equal, which is
of the first necessity in a commonwealth, none but the descendants of a
king are to be thought noble. But if all the descendants of kings were
allowed to marry wives, or beget children, they would grow, in process
of time, to a very large number, and would be, not only burdensome, but
also a cause of very great fear, to king and all. For men who nave too
much leisure generally meditate crime. And hence it is that kings are,
on account of their nobles, very much induced to make war, because kings
surrounded with nobles find more quiet and safety in war than in peace.
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