As if FIRE lurked not sometimes in their leaves, and as if there were not, besides, a nobler jealousy in the public mind ready to watch and to avenge their misappropriation.

In short, it was a clever device for partially neutralising the long misappropriation of the State's property by the nobles, and for giving to the people what belonged to the peopleto each man, as it were, so many ears of corn from whatever fraction would be his own share of the land.

We have noted misappropriations of this sort, beside those already mentioned, in Cantos II. and III.