Wednesday, October 31, 2007

More from John Locke, Thoughts on Education 1693:
The great men among the ancients understood very well how to reconcile manual labour with affairs of state, and thought it not lessening to their dignity to make the one the recreation to the other. That indeed which seems most generally to have employed and diverted their spare hours was agriculture. Gideon amongst the Jews was taken from threshing, as well as Cincinnatus amongst the Romans from the plough, to command the armies of their counties against their enemies; and it is plain their dexterous handling of the flail, or the plough, and being good workmen with these tools, did not hinder their skill in arms, not make them less able in the arts of war or government.

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