money answers all things-第2章

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Decrease　of　Money；　or　the　People　must　be　distress'd；　unless　the　Number　of　People　decrease　in　as　great　Proportion　as　the　Cash　decreaseth　in　any　such　Nation。　　　　　V。　Banking；　so　far　as　one　is　paid　with　the　Money　of　another；　that　is；　where　more　Cash　Notes　are　circulated；　than　all　the　Cash　the　Bankers　are　really　possessed　of　will　immediately　answer　and　make　good；　I　say；　so　long　as　this　Credit　is　maintain'd；　it　hath　the　same　Effect；　as　if　there　was　so　much　more　Cash　really　circulating　and　divided　amongst　the　People；　and　will　be　attended　with　these　Consequences；　that　as　the　Price　of　Things　will　hence　be　rais'd；　it　must　and　will　make　us　the　Market；　to　receive　the　Commodities　of　every　Country　whose　Prices　of　Things　are　cheaper　than　ours。　And　though　we　should　lay　on　Duties；　or　prohibit　such　Goods；　this　will　not　prevent　the　Mischief；　because　we　shall　not　be　able　to　carry　our　Commodities　thus　raised　to　any　Nation；　where　Things　are　cheaper　than　ours；　and　because　such　Nations　will　hence　be　enabled　to　set　up　many　of　our　Manufactures；　etc。　and　by　their　Cheapness　so　interfere　in　our　Trade　at　all　other　foreign　Markets；　as　to　turn　the　Balance　of　Trade　against　us；　which　will　diminish　the　Cash　of　the　Nation。　The　same　Thing　must　be　understood　of　all　publick　Securities　whatever；　that　operate　as　Money　amongst　us。　　　　　VI。　The　Plenty　or　Scarcity　of　any　Particular　Thing；　is　the　sole　Cause　when　any　Commodity　or　Thing　can　become　higher　or　lower　in　Price；　or；　in　other　Words；　as　the　Demand　is　greater　or　less　in　Proportion　to　the　Quantity　of　any　Thing；　so　will　such　Thing；　whatsoever　it　is；　be　cheaper　or　dearer。　Nor　can　any　Arts　or　Laws　make　this　otherwise；　any　more　than　Laws　or　Arts　can　alter　the　Nature　of　Things。　　　　　VII。　All　Things；　that　are　in　the　World；　are　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　originally；　and　thence　must　all　Things　be　raised。　The　more　Land　therefore　shall　be　improv'd　and　cultivated；　etc。　the　greater　will　the　Plenty　of　all　things　be；　and　the　more　People　will　it　also　imploy。　And　as　the　Produce　will　hence　be　increased；　so　will　the　Consumption　of　all　Things　increase　too；　and　the　greater　the　Plenty　becomes　this　Way；　the　cheaper　will　every　Thing　be。　　　　　And　thus　will　Money　become　plentiful；　because　less　Money　will　purchase　every　Thing；　in　just　the　same　Proportion　as　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　shall　reduce　the　Prices；　by　the　Increase　of　every　Thing　in　Respect　of　the　Demand。　And　if　this　Method　be　sufficiently　persued；　the　Plenty　may　be　increased　so　much　as　to　make　Victuals　and　Drink　half　the　Price　that　they　are　at　now；　which　will　make　the　Price　of　the　Labour　of　Working　People　much　lower；　for　the　Rates　of　Labour　are　always　settled　and　constituted　of　the　Price　of　Victuals　and　Drink：　And　all　Manufactures　will　be　vastly　cheaper；　for　the　Value　of　all　Manufactures　is　chiefly　constituted　of　the　Price　or　Charge　of　the　Labour　bestowed　thereon。　This　therefore　shew　how　to　make　Money　plentiful；　viz。　　　　　First；　By　thus　making　the　Necessaries　of　Life　cheaper；　to　such　a　Degree　as　shall　be　found　effectual　to　reduce　the　present　Rates　of　Labour；　and　thereby　the　Price　of　every　Thing　else；　so　much；　that　the　Money；　now　circulating　amongst　the　People；　may　extend　a　vast　deal　further　than　it　now　will　do。　　　　　Secondly；　We　shall　hence　be　enabled　to　make；　and　export　our　Manufactures　at　much　lower　Prices；　and　this　must　needs　cause　us　to　export　abundance　more　of　them　to　those　Nations　that　now　take　them　of　us；　besides　that　it　will　enable　us　to　carry　our　Produce；　etc。　further　and　cheaper；　to　induce　other　Nations　to　take　them　of　us；　who　now　perhaps　do　not　take　any　of　our　Goods；　whence　the　Cash　of　the　Nation　will　certainly　increase；　by　raising　the　Value　of　our　Exports　above　the　Value　of　our　Imports；　that　is；　the　Balance　of　Trade　will　thus　be　in　our　Favour；　or　Money　will　thus　be　made　plentiful。　　　　　VIII。　Plenty　of　Money　never　fails　to　make　Trade　flourish；　because；　where　Money　is　plentiful；　the　People　in　general　are　thereby　enabled；　and　will　not　fail　to　be　as　much　greater　Consumers　of　every　Thing；　as　such　Plenty　of　Money　can　make　them：　Therefore　Trade　is　always　found　to　flourish　（i。e。　increase）　as　Money　grows　more　plentiful　amongst　the　People。　The　Year　1720；　was　a　Proof　in　Fact　of　this　Maxim。　And　hence　the　Revenue　must　needs　increase　likewise；　since　the　Duties　are　always　levied　on　the　Things　which　the　People　consume　and　use。　　　　　IX。　Where　Trade　flourishes　（i。e。　where　the　Ballance　of　Trade　is　considerably　in　Favour　of　any　Nation）　there　the　People　always　increase　greatly；　and　become　generally　happy；　when　such　Nations　ever　grow　potent　and　formidable。　This　hath　always　been　found　true　in　Fact；　and　is　almost　self…evident。　　　　　X。　'Tis　the　Strength；　Honour；　and　Interest　of　every　Government；　that　their　Subjects　be　as　numerous；　as　the　Continent；　that　their　Subjects　be　as　numerous；　as　the　Continent　they　govern　will　support　in　an　happy　Condition；　and　as　the　Happiness　（i。e。　the　Riches）　and　Numbers　of　the　Subjects；　are　greater　or　less；　so　will　the　Strength；　Honour；　and　Revenue　of　every　Government　be　greater　or　less。　　　　　XI。　A　Kingdome　or　State　may　have　more　People　in　it；　than　the　Land　it　contains　can　well　support；　the　People　therefore　must　be　wretched；　and　that　Government　weak；　til　so　many　of　the　Poor　People；　as　distress　each　other　by　their　Numbers；　are　remov'd　where　they　can　have　Land　to　support　them。　The　Case　is　the　same　exactly　in　every　Nation；　where　the　Land　which　is　cultivated　doth　not　afford　enough　to　make　all　Things　very　plentiful；　for　this　alone　can　make　the　People　happy。　　　　　XII。　The　Quantity　of　Land；　to　be　further　put　to　Cultivation　and　Tillage；　must　be　so　great；　as　to　increase　the　Plenty　of　every　Thing　to　such　a　Degree；　that　the　Price　of　every　Thing　may　by　that　Plenty　be　so　greatly　lower'd　that　the　Rates　of　Labour　may　also　thereby　be　lower'd；　till　Money　thence　come　to　be　plentiful　amongst　the　People　in　general。　'Till　this　End　be　answer'd；　nothing　material　is　effected；　nor　can　Trade　be　enlarged　abroad；　or　relieved　at　home：　For　the　Cultivation　of　Land　is　the　sole　natural　Encouragement　Trade　can　possibly　receive；　because　all　Things　must　first　come　out　of　the　Ground；　and；　according　as　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　is　more　or　less　plentiful；　so　will　the　Consumption　of　all　Things　be　greater　or　less；　that　is；　so　much　more　or　less　Trade　will　there　be　amongst　the　People。　On　this　the　Revenue　of　the　Nation　doth　so　much　depend；　that　the　whole　Amount　of　it　will　be　greater　or　less；　as　this　is；　or　is　not　duly　encouraged；　besides　that　the　same　Sums　will　effect　more　or　less　accordingly。　　　　　XIII。　The　Cash　of　any　Nation　will　always　decrease；　and　become　scarce；　in　Proportion　as　the　Rents　are　raised；　above　what　the　Plenty　of　Money　circulating　in　Trade　amongst　the　People；　will　well　enable　them　to　pay；　and　where　there　is　not　Land　enough　cultivated　to　keep　down　the　Rents；　and　thereby　to　remedy　this　Mischief；　and　support　the　People；　it　may　go　to　such　an　Extream；　as　to　leave　very　little　Money　in　the　Nation。　For　where　Rents　are　raised；　every　Thing　else　must　and　will　rise　too：　Whence　other　Nations　will　be　able　to　supply　our　Market；　and　as　most　of　our　Commodities　will　hence　become　too　dear　to　be　taken　by　them　in　return；　so　we　shall　vent　much　less　of　our　Goods　at　other　foreign　Markets；　and　so　the　Balance　of　Trade　will　turn　against　us；　and　draw　off　our　Money　as　long　as　we　have　any。　　　　　XIV。　Rents　have　been　advanc'd；　from　this　single　Principle；　which　alone　can　possibly　raise　the　Price　of　any　Thing；　viz。　a　Demand　for　Farms；　etc。　in　greater　Proportion　then　they　were　well　to　be　had。　And　as　this　hath　in　a　great　Measure　hindered　the　People　from　going　on；　as　such　Demand　for　Farms　shews　they　naturally　would；　in　cultivating　more　Land　as　they　increased　in　Numbers；　so　that　Surplus　or　Increase　of　the　People　have　been　obliged　to　imploy　themselves　in　Trades；　Manufactures；　and　Professions；　till　they　have　so　much　overstock'd　and　embarass'd　all　these；　that　their　Trades；　etc。　will　not　answer　to　support　them；　whilst　at　the　same　time　the　Necessaries　of　Life；　and　Rents　have　been　greatly　advanc'd；　to　what　they　were　formerly。　This　therefore　must　be　remedied；　or　Multitude　must　be　ruin'd：　Nor　can　the　Gentlemen　escape；　for　if　Money　become　so　scarce；　（as　it　certainly　in　a　great　Measure　is　at　present　amongst　the　People；）　that　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　will　hardly　bring　Money　enough　to　support　the　Farmers；　and　pay　all　Charges　exclusive　of　Rent；　as　many　Gentlemen　already　find；　who；　on　that　Account；　are　obliged　to　take　their　Farms　into　their　own　Management：　The　Gentlemen；　I　say；　can　fare　no　better　than　to　become　skilful；　industrious　Farmers　themselves；　and　get　their　Living　by　that　Means；　till　Money；　as　it　hath　heretofore　been；　becomes　plentiful　enough　to　pay　all　Charges；　with　a　Surplus　to　pay　Rent；　which　will　be　done　whenever　the　Rents　are　lowered　enough　to　make　Money　flush；　or　plentiful　amongst　the　Trading　Part　of　the　People；　but　not　sooner。　　　　　XV。　If　all　the　Gentlemen　in　the　Nation　would　lower　their　Rents；　at　the　Request　of　the　People；　this　could　not　answer　the　End；　because　the　Demand　for　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth；　which　the　Land　at　present　cultivated　can　produce；　is；　and　will　continue　to　be　so　great；　if　the　People　be　not　diminished；　as　necessarily　to　keep　the　Price　higher　than　the　Money　circulating　amongst　them　will　well　enable　them　to　pay　for　them；　and　because；　until　ma