Page:The Effects of Civilisation on the People in European States.djvu/84

62 body becomes compact, and, having now acquired a broad basis, it stands, firm and immovable, against the utmost efforts of all the rest of the people, how superior soever they may be in numbers. This conical figure would equally resemble a republic, if the first cylinder was a little shortened.

rich having obtained the means of commanding the labour of the people, as it seems, had, in the next place, to direct it so as to enable themselves to enjoy as much of the fruits of it as was possible. We have seen that, under the first great proprietors, in most civilised countries, almost the whole of the people were employed in agriculture, a few only in the coarser trades excepted; of the produce of these, the great lords themselves could use but a small part. What was over and above the maintenance of the cultivators, was given to retainers and followers. Instead, therefore, of continuing to dispose of the produce of the land in that manner, they induced ingenious men to employ their time in the production of works of