labor, while he expects others to work, on the fruit of whose
labors he can live, as Aristotle argues against Plato.


Capt. I do not know how to deal with that argument, but
I declare to you that they burn with so great a love for their
fatherland, as I could scarcely have believed possible; and in-
deed with much more than the histories tell us belonged to the
Romans, who fell willingly for their country, inasmuch as they
have to a greater extent surrendered their private property.
I think truly that the friars and monks and clergy of our coun-
try, if they were not weakened by love for their kindred and
friends or by the ambition to rise to higher dignities, would be
less fond of property, and more imbued with a spirit of charity
toward all, as it was in the time of the apostles, and is now in a
great many cases.


G.M. St. Augustine may say that, but I say that among this
race of men, friendship is worth nothing, since they have not
the chance of conferring mutual benefits on one another.


Capt. Nay, indeed. For it is worth the trouble to see that
no one can receive gifts from another. Whatever is necessary
they have, they receive it from the community, and the magis-
trate takes care that no one receives more than he deserves. Yet
nothing necessary is denied to anyone. Friendship is recog-
nized among them in war, in infirmity, in the art contests, by
which means they aid one another mutually by teaching. Some-