Page:Thoughts on civil liberty, on licentiousness and faction.djvu/61

 their perfect Union was maintained: And further, that when an Inroad was made into any one of them, the Ruin of the Whole was inevitable.

"Its Institutions were admirably calculated for each other's Support, while their perfect Union was maintained." Because they tended strongly to prevent the first Inroads of Temptation to the Mind, the very first Impulses of selfish Passion. The equal Partition of Lands and Goods took away all Hope of Superiority in Wealth: The Introduction of Iron Money rendered Wealth cumbersome and untractable: The Prohibition of Commerce prevented the Materials of Luxury: The Banishment of elegant Arts prevented the first Conception of them. Their public Meals eaten in common, cut off the Hope, nay, prevented the Desire of all private Indulgence of the Palate, the Disorders of Intemperance. To secure these rigid Institutions, the public Education of their Children was ordained, lest private