Yea
surely, brother, if ever it cometh about that men shall be able to
make things, and not men, work for their superfluities, and that the
length of travel from one place to another be made of no account, and
all the world be a market for all the world, then all shall live in
health and wealth; and envy and grudging shall perish. For then shall
we have conquered the earth and it shall be enough; and then shall the
kingdom of heaven be come down to the earth in very deed. Why lookest
thou so sad and sorry? what sayest thou?"
I said: "Hast thou forgotten already what I told thee, that in those
latter days a man who hath nought save his own body (and such men
shall be far the most of men) must needs pawn his labour for leave to
labour? Can such a man be wealthy? Hast thou not called him a
thrall?"
"Yea," he said; "but how could I deem that such things could be when
those days should be come wherein men could make things work for
them?"
"Poor man!" said I. "Learn that in those very days, when it shall be
with the making of things as with the carter in the cart, that there
he sitteth and shaketh the reins and the horse draweth and the cart
goeth; in those days, I tell thee, many men shall be as poor and
wretched always, year by year, as they are with thee when there is
famine in the land; nor shall any have plenty and surety of livelihood
save those that shall sit by and look on while others labour; and
these, I tell thee, shall be a many, so that they shall see to the
making of all laws, and in their hands shall be all power, and the
labourers shall think that they cannot do without these men that live
by robbing them, and shall praise them and wellnigh pray to them as ye
pray to the saints, and the best worshipped man in the land shall be
he who by forestalling and regrating hath gotten to him the most
money.
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