320 Effects of the Knowledge of Bk. iv. 



intended to be benefited, should suffer most 

 cruelly from the inhuman deceit thus practised 

 upon them. 



The Abb6 Raynal has said, that " Avant toutes 

 " les loix sociales I'homme avoit le droit de sub- 

 " sister."* He might with just as much propriety 

 have said that, before the institution of social 

 laws, every man had a right to live a hundred 

 years. Undoubtedly he had then, and has still, 

 a good right to live a hundred years, nay a thou- 

 sand if he can, without interfering with the right 

 of others to live ; but the affair in both cases is 

 principally an affair of power not of right. Social 

 laws very greatly increase this power, by enabling 

 a much greater number to subsist than could sub- 

 sist without them, and so far very greatly enlarge 

 le droit de subsister ; but, neither before nor after 

 the institution of social laws, could an unlimited 

 number subsist ; and before as well as since, he 

 who ceased to have the power ceased to have the 

 right. 



If the great truths on these subjects were more 

 generally circulated, and the lower classes of 

 people could be convinced that by the laws of 

 nature, independently of any particular institu- 

 tions, except the great one of property, which is 

 absolutely necessary in order to attain any con- 

 siderable produce, no person has any claim of 

 o^ight on society for subsistence, if his labour will 

 not purchase it, the greatest part of the mischievous 

 declamation on the unjust institutions of society 



* Raynal Hist, dcs ndcs, vol. x, s. x. p. 022^ 8vo. 



