As their cities are composed of families, so their families are made up of those that are nearly related to one another. But lest any city should become either too great, or by any accident be dispeopled, provision is made that none of their cities may contain above 6,000 families, besides those of the country round it. This rule is easily observed, by removing some of the children of a more fruitful couple to any other family that does not abound so much in them. But if the natives refuse to conform themselves to their laws, they drive them out of those bounds which they mark out for themselves, and use force if they resist. The distribution of food and sysytem of communal dining-halls But to return to their manner of living in society, the oldest man of every family, as has been already said, is its governor.
Wives serve their husbands, and children their parents, and always the younger serves the elder.
But by the laws of the Utopians, there is no room for this. Near these markets there are others for all sorts of provisions, where there are not only herbs, fruits, and bread, but also fish, fowl, and cattle. In every street there are great halls that lie at an equal distance from each other, distinguished by particular names. The syphogrants dwell in those that are set over thirty families, fifteen lying on one side of it, and as many on the other. In these halls they all meet and have their repasts.