money answers all things-第10章

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s　they　occasion；　they　are　always　designed　to　restrain　the　Money　from　going　out　of　the　Nation。　　　　　Yet　I　must　own；　I　am　entirely　for　preventing　the　Importation　of　all　foreign　Commodities；　as　much　as　possible；　but　not　by　Acts　of　Parliament；　which　never　can　do　any　good　to　trade；　but　by　raising　such　Goods　ourselves；　so　cheap　as　to　make　it　impossible　for　other　Nations　to　find　their　Account　in　bringing　them　to　us：　And　as　this　is　the　only　natural　and　effectual　Prohibition　of　such　Things　as　we　would　not　receive　from　abroad；　so　I　wish　every　Nation　in　the　World　would　do　this　as　much　as　ever　they　can；　for　then　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　would　be　so　great；　that　all　Mankind　would　be　happy；　if　this　world　is　capable　of　making　them　so。　　　　　I　shall　now　proceed　to　some　Observations　upon　the　whole。　　　　　First；　That　it　is　of　no　Consequence；　whether　any　Nation　hath　a　vast　deal　of　Gold　and　Silver；　or　but　very　little　Money　amongst　them；　if　sufficient　Care　be　taken　to　make　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　gret　enough；　to　make　the　Money　they　have；　amply　extend　to　circulate　their　Trade　in　every　Branch；　so　as　fully　to　employ　and　support　all　their　People；　which　must　and　will　make　them　all　happy；　and　certainly　cause　them　to　have　vastly　more　foreign　Trade；　by　their　thus　being　able　to　make　and　sell　their　Manufactures　and　Produce　at　lower　Rates　than　their　Neighbour　Nations　can　do。　And　this　is　absolutely　in　the　Power　of　every　Nation；　that　will　cultivate　Land　enough　to　effect　it；　unless　any　Nation　should　have　more　People　in　it　than　they　have　Land　to　support　them；　which　may　easily　be　known　from　the　Demand　there　will　be　for　Land；　and　raising　the　Rents　in　Consequence　thereof；　till　the　Prices　of　Necessaries　become　so　dear；　that　the　Wages　of　the　labouring　People　will　not　purchase　what　is　needful　for　the　Support　of　their　Families；　and　there　be　no　more　Land　left　to　cultivate；　and　remove　this　Mischief；　which　will　fall　more　or　less　on　every　Occupation；　in　Proportion　as　the　Poor　become　thereby　distressed。　In　this　Case；　there　is　no　Relief　but　transporting　the　People　where　they　can　have　Land　enough　for　them。　　　　　Secondly；　It's　of　little　or　no　Consequence　to　the　Trade　of　any　Nation；　whether　the　People　spend　near　or　all　their　Gains；　provided　they　do　not　spend　more　than　they　really　gain；　for　this　disables　them　to　make　good　their　mutual　Contracts　and　Bargains；　or　whether　they　are　generally　frugal；　and　lay　up　considerably。　For　the　Trade　of　a　Nation　doth　very　little　depend　on　these　Things；　but　intirely　on　employing　the　People　in　Cultivation　of　Land；　in　that　Proportion　to　the　other　Employments　of　Mankind；　that　the　Necessaries　of　Life；　which　all　ultimately　work　for；　may　be　so　plentiful；　that　the　meanest　of　the　People　may　easily　attain　a　Sufficiency　of　them；　for　Plenty　of　these　comprehends　all　human　Felicity；　not　excepting　Peace　itself。　For　why　should　we　differ；　or　go　to　War；　or　how　can　we　ask　Heaven　to　succeed　our　Arms　against　our　Neighbours；　when　we　have　enough　of　what　we　want　amongst　ourselves；　and　can　sell　our　Produce；　and　make　our　goods　so　cheap；　as　almost　to　lay　them　under　a　Necessity　to　buy　them　of　us？　And　this　is　the　best　Condition　our　Trade　with　foreign　Nations　can　ever　have；　and　will　render　all　other　Stipulations　and　Treaties　about　our　Trade；　almost；　if　not　altogether　unnecessary。　So　that　we　may　very　well　maintain　Peace　with　all　the　World；　if　they　do　not　mediately　or　immediately　attack　or　make　Depredations　upon　us；　in　which　Case　alone　I　apprehend　it　can　be　justifiable　to　suffer　so　many　People　to　be　cut　off；　as　War　necessarily　destroys　on　both　Sides。　And　if　every　Nation　would　pursue　these　Things；　each　would　be　so　far　from　injuring　another；　that　every　one　would　contribute　to　the　Happiness　of　the　whole。　　　　　And　since　I　have　asserted　the　Connection　of　Plenty　and　Peace　to　be　such；　that　they　may　always　be　maintained　together；　and　support　each　other；　I　shall　shew　how　to　avoid　a　War；　in　all　Cases；　except　that　of　one　Nation's　making　Depredations　on　the　Goods　or　Territories　of　another；　in　which　Case；　the　Aggressors　so　kindling　War　are　the　greatest　Plagues　and　Murderers　of　Mankind；　with　whose　Calamities　they　are　justly　chargeable。　　　　　I　would　by　no　Means　have　any　Nation　tamely；　or　easily　give　up　the　minutest　Advantage　in　Trade　they　justly　possess；　and　whoever　will　force　such　Advantages　from　them；　invades　their　just　Rights　and　Properties；　and　may　therefore　undoubtedly　be　repell'd　by　Force　of　Arms。　　　　　Yet　we　should　not　easily　be　drawn　into　a　War；　it　being　one　of　the　greatest　Calamities　to　which　Mankind　can　be　subjected；　the　End　of　which　none　can　well　foresee；　and　the　Burthens　of　which　（i。e。　publick　Debts　and　Taxes）　are　seldom　discharged　in　one　Generation；　tho'　a　Peace　of　so　long　Duration　should　happen　to　ensue；　not　to　insist　on　the　prodigious　Devastations　War　often　makes；　and　the　tributary　State　nations　are　sometimes　brought　under　by　it：　On　this　Account；　I　say；　we　should　not　easily　be　drawn　into　a　War；　but　rather　give　up　an　important　Point　of　Trade；　if　it　can't　be　preserved　without　a　War；　the　Success　and　Duration　of　which　we　find　ourselves　not　able　to　determine　when　we　engage　in　it。　　　　　For　why　do　Nations　contend　about　Points　of　Trade？　Is　it　not　solely　for　the　sake　of　the　Money　they　shall　get　by　it？　　　　　Now　if　this　be　a　true　Principle；　that　the　Price　of　the　Produce　and　Manufactures　of　every　Nation　will　advance；　as　the　Cash　amongst　the　People　increaseth；　if　we；　to　avoid　a　War；　prudently　give　up　a　Point　of　Trade　which　augmented　our　Money；　we　must　then　for　want　of　such　Point　of　Trade；　and　that　Money；　make　every　thing　so　much　cheaper　at　home；　by　the　Means　I　have　shewn；　as　that　we　may　be　able　to　go　with　our　Produce　and　Manufactures；　still　so　much　cheaper　than　before；　to　those　Nations　whose　Markets　will　now　be　considerably　advanced　by　the　Money　they　get　by　the　Points　of　Trade　we　parted　with　to　them。　Now　if　our　Produce；　etc。　be　made　cheap　enough；　as　I　have　shewn　they　certainly　may　they　will　force　themselves　on　them；　and　find　so　much　more　Vend　at　such　Markets；　as　to　supply　them　even　with　what　before　they　either　raised　themselves；　or　had　from　other　Nations；　and　at　the　same　time　prevent　them　from　sending　many　of　their　Goods　to　our　Markets；　where　all　things　being　thus　made　plenty；　and　consequently　good；　will　be　too　cheap　to　admit　the　much　dearer　Commodities　of　other　Nations。　And　thus　we　may　have　the　Balance　on　any　such　Nation；　and　bring　home　the　Money　thro'　their　Canal；　even　though　we　give　up　such　considerable　Points　of　Trade；　by　which　they　first　get　the　Money　we　should　otherwise　have　had。　　　　　And　if　there　really　be　this　Way；　as　there　undoubtedly　is；　for　every　Nation；　that　will　be　so　prudent　sufficiently　to　pursue　it；　to　preserve　Peace；　and　extend　their　Trade；　and　avoid　War；　how　absurd　as　well　as　wicked　is　it　to　go　to　War　about　Trade；　which　we　hence　see　may　be　more　effectually　promoted　by　the　Arts　of　Peace！　And　this　I　think　is　a　wise　Disposition　of　Providence；　shewing　how　Mankind　may　maintain　Commerce　and　Peace　over　the　Face　of　the　whole　Earth；　without　interrupting　the　one；　or　breaking　the　other。　　　　　Thirdly；　The　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　is　the　only　natural　Means　to　prevent　the　clandestine　Exportation　of　our　Wool；　for　it's　evident；　since　there　are　the　best　Laws　and　severest　Penalties；　that　could　well　be　devised；　already　made　to　prevent　the　running　our　Wool；　whoever　will　have　it　must　wade　through　all　the　Difficulties　and　Impediments　that　lie　in　their　Way；　which　can't　possibly　be　done　without　very　great　Charges；　and　sometimes　losing　the　Wool　they　are　endeavouring　to　run；　whence　our　Wool　must　needs　come　vastly　dearer　to　those　Nations　that　so　fetch　it　from　us；　than　what　the　same　Wool　costs　our　own　Manufacturers；　wherefore；　if　the　People　in　foreign　Nations　could　not　live　a　vast　deal　cheaper　than　we　can　do；　they　could　not　be　able　to　work　so　much　cheaper；　as　to　prevent　us　from　sending　them　our　manufactures。　But　because　the　Necessaries　of　Life　cost　them　a　vast　deal　less　than　those　Things　cost　us；　therefore　notwithstanding　our　Wool　costs　them　a　vast　deal　more；　for　the　Reasons　above　assigned；　than　it　cost　us；　yet　they　are　able　by　this　Means　to　make　the　manufactures　cheaper　for　themselves　than　they　can　have　them　from　us；（12*）　and　this　is　both　the　Cause　and　Encouragement　of　the　running　our　Wool；　and　enables　those　that　so　fetch　it　from　us；　to　interfere　with　us；　at　other　foreign　Markets；　with　the　Manufactures　they　make　of　our　Wool；　since　they　can　make　them　cheaper　than　we　can；　and；　for　ought　I　can　see；　they　might　be　able；　if　they　could　get　these　Manufactures　imported　amongst　us；　to　beat　us　out　of　this　Branch　of　our　Trade　even　amongst　ourselves；　if　we　should　continue　to　keep　the　Necessaries　of　Life　so　dear　as　to　prevent　our　Manufacturers　from　working　cheaper。　　　　　But　if　we　make　our　Victuals　and　Drink　so　much　cheaper；　as　shall　enable　us　to　work　as　cheap　as　other　Nations　can　do；（13*）　the　running　our　Wool　will　stop　of　itself；　for　we　shall　then　be　able　to　send　them　our　Manufactures　so　cheap；　as　to　prevent　them　from　putting　themselves　to　such　extraordinary　Difficulties　and　Charges　to　get　our　Wool；　as　they　now　certainly　must　do　if　they　will　have　it　from　us。　　　　　And　as　this　is　the　natural　Means　to　prevent　the　running　our　Wool；　so；　I　believe；　I　may　be　positive　the　Woollen　Manufactures　in　England　will　never　be　prom