澳门六合彩开奖直播

Source: Bernard Mandeville, 鈥淭he Grumbling Hive鈥� in Fable of the Bees or Private Vices, Publick Benefits, 2 vols. With a Commentary Critical, Historical, and Explanatory by F.B. Kaye (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, [1714] 1988). Vol. 1. Accessed: January 30, 2020.

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The Grumbling Hive: OR, Knaves Turn鈥橠 Honest.[1]

A Spacious Hive well stockt with Bees,

That liv鈥檇 in Luxury and Ease;

And yet as fam鈥檇 for Laws and Arms,

As yielding large and early Swarms;

Was counted the great Nursery Of Sciences and Industry.

No Bees had better Government,

More Fickleness, or less Content:

They were not Slaves to Tyranny,

Nor rul鈥檇 by wild Democracy;

But Kings, that could not wrong, because

Their Power was circumscrib鈥檇 by Laws.

These Insects liv鈥檇 like Men, and all

Our Actions they perform鈥檇 in small:

They did whatever鈥檚 done in Town,

And what belongs to Sword or Gown:

Tho鈥� th鈥� Artful Works, by nimble Slight

Of minute Limbs, 鈥檚cap鈥檇 Human Sight;

Yet we鈥檝e no Engines, Labourers,

Ships, Castles, Arms, Artificers,

Craft, Science, Shop, or Instrument,

But they had an Equivalent:

Which, since their Language is unknown,

Must be call鈥檇, as we do our own.

As grant, that among other Things,

They wanted Dice, yet they had Kings;

And those had Guards; from whence we may

Justly conclude, they had some Play;

Unless a Regiment be shewn

Of Soldiers, that make use of none.

Vast Numbers throng鈥檇 the fruitful Hive;

Yet those vast Numbers made 鈥檈m thrive;

Millions endeavouring to supply

Each other鈥檚 Lust and Vanity;

While other Millions were employ鈥檇,

To see their Handy-works destroy鈥檇;

They furnish鈥檇 half the Universe;

Yet had more Work than Labourers.

Some with vast Stocks, and little Pains,

Jump鈥檇 into Business of great Gains;

And some were damn鈥檇 to Sythes and Spades,

And all those hard laborious Trades;

Where willing Wretches daily sweat,

And wear out Strength and Limbs to eat:

(A.)^[2] While others follow鈥檇 Mysteries,

To which few Folks bind 鈥橮rentices;

That want no Stock, but that of Brass,

And may set up without a Cross;^[3]

^[4]As Sharpers, Parasites, Pimps, Players,

Pick-pockets, Coiners, Quacks, South-sayers,

And all those, that in Enmity,

With downright Working, cunningly

Convert to their own Use the Labour

Of their good-natur鈥檇 heedless Neighbour.

(B.) These were call鈥檇 Knaves, but bar the Name,

The grave Industrious were the same:

All Trades and Places knew some Cheat,

No Calling was without Deceit.

The Lawyers, of whose Art the Basis

Was raising Feuds and splitting Cases,

Oppos鈥檇 all Registers, that Cheats

Might make more Work with dipt Estates;

As wer鈥檛 unlawful, that one鈥檚 own,

Without a Law-Suit, should be known.

They kept off Hearings wilfully,

To finger the refreshing Fee;

And to defend a wicked Cause,

Examin鈥檇 and survey鈥檇 the Laws,

As Burglars Shops and Houses do,

To find out where they鈥檇 best break through.

Physicians valu鈥檇 Fame and Wealth

Above the drooping Patient鈥檚 Health,

Or their own Skill: The greatest Part

Study鈥檇, instead of Rules of Art,

Grave pensive Looks and dull Behaviour,

To gain th鈥� Apothecary鈥檚 Favour;

The Praise of Midwives, Priests, and all

That serv鈥檇 at Birth or Funeral.

To bear with th鈥� ever-talking Tribe,

And hear my Lady鈥檚 Aunt prescribe;

With formal Smile, and kind How d鈥檡e,

To fawn on all the Family;

And, which of all the greatest Curse is,

T鈥� endure th鈥� Impertinence of Nurses.

Among the many Priests of Jove,^[5]

Hir鈥檇 to draw Blessings from Above,

Some few were Learn鈥檇 and Eloquent,

But thousands Hot and Ignorant:

Yet all pass鈥檇 Muster that could hide

Their Sloth, Lust, Avarice and Pride;

For which they were as fam鈥檇 as Tailors

For Cabbage, or for Brandy Sailors:

Some, meagre-look鈥檇, and meanly clad,

Would mystically pray for Bread,

Meaning by that an ample Store,

Yet lit鈥檙ally received no more;

And, while these holy Drudges starv鈥檇,

The lazy Ones, for which they serv鈥檇,

Indulg鈥檇 their Ease, with all the Graces

Of Health and Plenty in their Faces.

(C.) The Soldiers, that were forc鈥檇 to fight,

If they surviv鈥檇, got Honour by鈥檛;

Tho鈥� some, that shunn鈥檇 the bloody Fray,

Had Limbs shot off, that ran away:

Some valiant Gen鈥檙als fought the Foe;

Others took Bribes to let them go:

Some ventur鈥檇 always where 鈥檛was warm,

Lost now a Leg, and then an Arm;

Till quite disabled, and put by,

They liv鈥檇 on half their Salary;

While others never came in Play,

And staid at Home for double Pay.

Their Kings were serv鈥檇, but Knavishly,

Cheated by their own Ministry;

Many, that for their Welfare slaved,

Robbing the very Crown they saved:

Pensions were small, and they liv鈥檇 high,

Yet boasted of their Honesty.

Calling, whene鈥檈r they strain鈥檇 their Right,

The slipp鈥檙y Trick a Perquisite;

And when Folks understood their Cant,

They chang鈥檇 that for Emolument;

Unwilling to be short or plain,

In any thing concerning Gain;

(D.) For there was not a Bee but would

Get more, I won鈥檛 say, than he should;

But than he dar鈥檇 to let them know,

(E.) That pay鈥檇 for鈥檛; as your Gamesters do,

That, tho鈥� at fair Play, ne鈥檈r will own

Before the Losers what they鈥檝e won.

But who can all their Frauds repeat?

The very Stuff, which in the Street

They sold for Dirt t鈥檈nrich the Ground,

Was often by the Buyers found

Sophisticated with a quarter

Of good-for-nothing Stones and Mortar;

Tho鈥橣lail had little Cause to mutter,

Who sold the other Salt for Butter.

Justice her self, fam鈥檇 for fair Dealing,

By Blindness had not lost her Feeling;

Her Left Hand, which the Scales should hold,

Had often dropt 鈥榚m brib鈥檇 with Gold;^[6]

And, tho鈥� she seem鈥檇 Impartial,

Where Punishment was corporal,

Pretended to a reg鈥檒ar Course,

In Murther, and all Crimes of Force;

Tho鈥� some, first pillory鈥檇 for Cheating,

Were hang鈥檇 in Hemp of their own beating;

Yet, it was thought, the Sword she bore

Check鈥檇 but the Desp鈥檙ate and the Poor;

That, urg鈥檇 by meer Necessity,

Were ty鈥檇 up to the wretched Tree

For Crimes, which not deserv鈥檇 that Fate,

But to secure the Rich and Great.

Thus every Part was full of Vice,

Yet the whole Mass a Paradise;

Flatter鈥檇 in Peace, and fear鈥檇 in Wars,

They were th鈥� Esteem of Foreigners,

And lavish of their Wealth and Lives,

The Balance of all other Hives.

Such were the Blessings of that State;

Their Crimes conspir鈥檇 to make them Great:

(F.) And Virtue, who from Politicks

Had learn鈥檇 a Thousand Cunning Tricks,

Was, by their happy Influence,

Made Friends with Vice: And ever since,

(G.) The worst of all the Multitude

Did something for the Common Good.

This was the States Craft, that maintain鈥檇

The Whole of which each Part complain鈥檇:

This, as in Musick Harmony,

Made Jarrings in the main agree;

(H.) Parties directly opposite,

Assist each other, as 鈥檛were for Spight;

And Temp鈥檙ance with Sobriety,

Serve Drunkenness and Gluttony.

(I.) The Root of Evil, Avarice,

That damn鈥檇 ill-natur鈥檇 baneful Vice,

Was Slave to Prodigality,

(K.) That noble Sin; (L.) whilst Luxury

Employ鈥檇 a Million of the Poor,

(M.) And odious Pride a Million more:

(N.) Envy it self, and Vanity,

Were Ministers of Industry;

Their darling Folly, Fickleness,

In Diet, Furniture and Dress,

That strange ridic鈥檒ous Vice, was made

The very Wheel that turn鈥檇 the Trade.

Their Laws and Clothes were equally

Objects of Mutability;

For, what was well done for a time,

In half a Year became a Crime;

Yet while they alter鈥檇 thus their Laws,

Still finding and correcting Flaws,

They mended by Inconstancy

Faults, which no Prudence could foresee.

Thus Vice nurs鈥檇 Ingenuity,

Which join鈥檇 with Time and Industry,

Had carry鈥檇 Life鈥檚 Conveniencies,

(O.) It鈥檚 real Pleasures, Comforts, Ease,

(P.) To such a Height, the very Poor

Liv鈥檇 better than the Rich before,

And nothing could be added more.

How Vain is Mortal Happiness!

Had they but known the Bounds of Bliss;

And that Perfection here below

Is more than Gods can well bestow;

The Grumbling Brutes had been content

With Ministers and Government.

But they, at every ill Success,

Like Creatures lost without Redress,

Curs鈥檇 Politicians, Armies, Fleets;

While every one cry鈥檇, Damn the Cheats,

And would, tho鈥� conscious of his own,

In others barb鈥檙ously bear none.

One, that had got a Princely Store,

By cheating Master, King and Poor,

Dar鈥檇 cry aloud, The Land must sink

For all its Fraud; And whom d鈥檡e think

The Sermonizing Rascal chid?

A Glover that sold Lamb for Kid.

The least thing was not done amiss,

Or cross鈥檇 the Publick Business;

But all the Rogues cry鈥檇 brazenly,

Good Gods, Had we but Honesty!

Merc鈥檙y smil鈥檇 at th鈥� Impudence,

And others call鈥檇 it want of Sense,

Always to rail at what they lov鈥檇:

But Jove with Indignation mov鈥檇,

At last in Anger swore, He鈥檇 rid

The bawling Hive of Fraud; and did.

The very Moment it departs,

And Honesty fills all their Hearts;

There shews 鈥檈m, like th鈥� Instructive Tree,

Those Crimes which they鈥檙e asham鈥檇 to see;

Which now in Silence they confess,

By blushing at their Ugliness:

Like Children, that would hide their Faults,

And by their Colour own their Thoughts:

Imag鈥檔ing, when they鈥檙e look鈥檇 upon,

That others see what they have done.

But, Oh ye Gods! What Consternation,

How vast and sudden was th鈥� Alteration!

In half an Hour, the Nation round,

Meat fell a Peny in the Pound.

The Mask Hypocrisy鈥檚 flung down,

From the great Statesman to the Clown:

And some in borrow鈥檇 Looks well known,

Appear鈥檇 like Strangers in their own.

The Bar was silent from that Day;

For now the willing Debtors pay,

Ev鈥檔 what鈥檚 by Creditors forgot;

Who quitted them that had it not.

Those, that were in the Wrong, stood mute,

And dropt the patch鈥檇 vexatious Suit:

On which since nothing less can thrive,

Than Lawyers in an honest Hive,

All, except those that got enough,

With Inkhorns by their sides troop鈥檇 off.

Justice hang鈥檇 some, set others free;

And after Goal delivery,

Her Presence being no more requir鈥檇,

With all her Train and Pomp retir鈥檇.

First march鈥檇 some Smiths with Locks and Grates,

Fetters, and Doors with Iron Plates:

Next Goalers, Turnkeys and Assistants:

Before the Goddess, at some distance,

Her chief and faithful Minister,

鈥橲quire Catch,^[7] the Law鈥檚 great Finisher,

Bore not th鈥� imaginary Sword,

But his own Tools, an Ax and Cord:

Then on a Cloud the Hood-wink鈥檇 Fair,

Justice her self was push鈥檇 by Air:

澳门六合彩开奖直播 her Chariot, and behind,

Were Serjeants, Bums of every kind,

Tip-staffs, and all those Officers,

That squeeze a Living out of Tears.

Tho鈥� Physick liv鈥檇, while Folks were ill,

None would prescribe, but Bees of skill,

Which through the Hive dispers鈥檇 so wide,

That none of them had need to ride;

Wav鈥檇 vain Disputes, and strove to free

The Patients of their Misery;

Left Drugs in cheating Countries grown,

And us鈥檇 the Product of their own;

Knowing the Gods sent no Disease

To Nations without Remedies.

Their Clergy rous鈥檇 from Laziness,

Laid not their Charge on Journey-Bees;^[8]

But serv鈥檇 themselves, exempt from Vice,

The Gods with Pray鈥檙 and Sacrifice;

All those, that were unfit, or knew

Their Service might be spar鈥檇, withdrew:

Nor was there Business for so many,

(If th鈥� Honest stand in need of any,)

Few only with the High-Priest staid,

To whom the rest Obedience paid:

Himself employ鈥檇 in Holy Cares,

Resign鈥檇 to others State-Affairs.

He chas鈥檇 no Starv鈥檒ing from his Door,

Nor pinch鈥檇 the Wages of the Poor;

But at his House the Hungry鈥檚 fed,

The Hireling finds unmeasur鈥檇 Bread,

The needy Trav鈥檒er Board and Bed.

Among the King鈥檚 great Ministers,

And all th鈥� inferior Officers

The Change was great; (Q) for frugally

They now liv鈥檇 on their Salary:

That a poor Bee should ten times come

To ask his Due, a trifling Sum,

And by some well-hir鈥檇 Clerk be made

To give a Crown,^[9] or ne鈥檈r be paid,

Would now be call鈥檇 a downright Cheat,

Tho鈥� formerly a Perquisite.

All Places manag鈥檇 first by Three,

Who watch鈥檇 each other鈥檚 Knavery,

And often for a Fellow-feeling,

Promoted one another鈥檚 stealing,

Are happily supply鈥檇 by One,

By which some thousands more are gone.

(R.) No Honour now could be content,

To live and owe for what was spent;

Liv鈥檙ies in Brokers Shops are hung,

They part with Coaches for a Song;

Sell stately Horses by whole Sets;

And Country-Houses, to pay Debts.

Vain Cost is shunn鈥檇 as much as Fraud;

They have no Forces kept Abroad;

Laugh at th鈥� Esteem of Foreigners,

And empty Glory got by Wars;

They fight, but for their Country鈥檚 sake,

When Right or Liberty鈥檚 at Stake.

Now mind the glorious Hive, and see

How Honesty and Trade agree.

The Shew is gone, it thins apace;

And looks with quite another Face.

For 鈥檛was not only that They went,

By whom vast Sums were Yearly spent;

But Multitudes that liv鈥檇 on them,

Were daily forc鈥檇 to do the same.

In vain to other Trades they鈥檇 fly;

All were o鈥檈r-stock鈥檇 accordingly.

The Price of Land and Houses falls;

Mirac鈥檒ous Palaces, whose Walls,

Like those of Thebes,^[10] were rais鈥檇 by Play,

Are to be let; while the once gay,

Well-seated Houshold Gods would be

More pleas鈥檇 to expire in Flames, than see

The mean Inscription on the Door

Smile at the lofty ones they bore.

The building Trade is quite destroy鈥檇,

Artificers are not employ鈥檇;

(S.) No Limner for his Art is fam鈥檇,

Stone-cutters, Carvers are not nam鈥檇.

Those, that remain鈥檇, grown temp鈥檙ate, strive,

Not how to spend, but how to live,

And, when they paid their Tavern Score,

Resolv鈥檇 to enter it no more:

No Vintner鈥檚 Jilt in all the Hive

Could wear now Cloth of Gold, and thrive;

Nor Torcol such vast Sums advance,

For Burgundy and Ortelans;[11]

The Courtier鈥檚 gone, that with his Miss

Supp鈥檇 at his House on Christmas Peas;

Spending as much in two Hours stay,

As keeps a Troop of Horse a Day.

The haughty Chloe, to live Great,

Had made her (T.) Husband rob the State:

But now she sells her Furniture,

Which th鈥� Indies had been ransack鈥檇 for;

Contracts th鈥� expensive Bill of Fare,

And wears her strong Suit a whole Year:

The slight and fickle Age is past;

And Clothes, as well as Fashions, last.

Weavers, that join鈥檇 rich Silk with Plate,

And all the Trades subordinate,

Are gone. Still Peace and Plenty reign,

And every Thing is cheap, tho鈥� plain:

Kind Nature, free from Gard鈥檔ers Force,

Allows all Fruits in her own Course;

But Rarities cannot be had,

Where Pains to get them are not paid.

As Pride and Luxury decrease,

So by degrees they leave the Seas.

Not Merchants now, but Companies

Remove whole Manufactories.

All Arts and Crafts neglected lie;

(V.) Content, the Bane of Industry,

Makes 鈥檈m admire their homely Store,

And neither seek nor covet more.

So few in the vast Hive remain,

The hundredth Part they can鈥檛 maintain

Against th鈥� Insults of numerous Foes;

Whom yet they valiantly oppose:

鈥橳ill some well-fenc鈥檇 Retreat is found,

And here they die or stand their Ground.

No Hireling in their Army鈥檚 known;

But bravely fighting for their own,

Their Courage and Integrity

At last were crown鈥檇 with Victory.

They triumph鈥檇 not without their Cost,

For many Thousand Bees were lost.

Hard鈥檔ed with Toils and Exercise,

They counted Ease it self a Vice;

Which so improv鈥檇 their Temperance;

That, to avoid Extravagance,

They flew into a hollow Tree,

Blest with Content and Honesty.

 

THE MORAL

 

THEN leave Complaints: Fools only strive

(X.) To make a Great an Honest Hive

(Y.) T鈥� enjoy the World鈥檚 Conveniencies,

Be fam鈥檇 in War, yet live in Ease,

Without great Vices, is a vain

Eutopia seated in the Brain.

Fraud, Luxury and Pride must live,

While we the Benefits receive:

Hunger鈥檚 a dreadful Plague, no doubt,

Yet who digests or thrives without?

Do we not owe the Growth of Wine

To the dry shabby crooked Vine?

Which, while its Shoots neglected stood,

Chok鈥檇 other Plants, and ran to Wood;

But blest us with its noble Fruit,

As soon as it was ty鈥檇 and cut:

So Vice is beneficial found,

When it鈥檚 by Justice lopt and bound;

Nay, where the People would be great,

As necessary to the State,

As Hunger is to make 鈥檈m eat.

Bare Virtue can鈥檛 make Nations live

In Splendor; they, that would revive

A Golden Age, must be as free,

For Acorns, as for Honesty.

 

FINIS.