money answers all things-第25章

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s　much　to　an　Abatement　of　the　Consumption；　as　to　the　Plenty　consider'd　as　aforesaid；　since　by　those　Estimates　it　plainly　appears；　the　Wants　of　the　People　are　mightily　abridged。　　　　　Again；　this　Objection　is　contrary　to　the　Nature　of　the　Thing　itself；　since　it　suggests　that　Plenty　is　so　enormous　an　Evil；　as　in　general　to　ruin　the　Farmers　and　Gentlemen。　For　if　the　Farmers　can't　pay　their　Rent；　they　will　certainly　one　time　or　other　be　seized　on；　and　torn　to　Pieces；　and　the　Gentlemen　must　also　be　ruin'd；　if　they　can　get　no　Rent　for　their　Lands；　as　this　Objection　suggests。　Now　since　Plenty　is　in　its　own　nature　a　general　Good；　and　a　universal　Blessing；　always　promoting　and　increasing　the　Consumption　thereof；　nor　can　possibly　ever　be　otherwise；　this　objection；　which　suggests　that　Plenty　is　an　Evil；　and　so　great　a　one　too；　must　be　contrary　to　the　Nature　of　the　Thing　itself。　　　　　Again；　if　it　were　true；　as　this　Objection　suggests；　that　we　have　already　so　much　Land　in　Use；　as　makes　the　Plenty　so　great；　as　to　reduce　the　Price　of　the　Produce　so　low；　that　the　landlords　can　get　no　Rent　for　the　lands；　yet　if　it　can　be　made　appear　（as　I　think　by　what　I　have　said　in　this　Essay　it　doth）　that　more　Land　is　wanted　to　give　full　Employment　to　all　the　People；　and　thereby　to　supply　their　reasonable　Wants；　it　will　follow；　whether　Gentlemen　can　or　cannot　get　any　Rent　for　their　Lands；　that　the　People　have　a　just　and　reasonable　Right　to　have　so　much　more　Land　put　to　Use；　as　shall　be　needful　and　sufficient　to　give　them　full　Employment；　and　subsist　them　comfortably；　because　every　Person　is；　by　Nature；　as　much　intitled　to　all　the　Land　he　can　cultivate　and　use；　as　he　is　to　the　Air　in　which　he　breathes：　For　he　can　no　more　live　without　cultivating　the　Ground　to　supply　his　Wants；　than　he　can　breathe　without　Air。　And　therefore；　since　Mankind　are　all　by　Nature　born　equal　in　this　respect；　it　can　never　be　reasonable　to　abridge　any　Part　of　Mankind　of　this　their　natural　Right；　unless　it　can　be　clearly　prov'd；　that　it　is　for　the　Good　of　every　Individual　to　be　thus　abridged；　and　therefore；　that　they　ought　either　to　purchase；　or　pay　Rent　for　the　Land　they　shall　use　and　enjoy。　And　this　indeed；　I　doubt　not；　I　could　clearly　make　appear；　if　I　were　to　shew　the　Preference　of　Civil　Government；　rightly　administer'd；　to　a　simple　State　of　Nature　without　Government；　of　which　the　Hottentots　seem　to　me　to　be　the　chief；　if　not　the　only　Instance　we　have　now　perhaps　in　the　World；　and　yet；　I　believe；　I　should　prefer　their　abject　Condition　to　any　arbitrary　or　oppressive　Government　on　Earth。　But　I　deny　that　there　is；　or　ever　was　such　a　Plenty　as　this　Objection　suggests；　because　the　Produce　of　the　Ground；　when　brought　to　Market　by　the　Farmers；　is　always　sold　for　ready　Money。　Now　it　is　impossible　that　any　Thing　can　properly　be　said　to　be　too　plentiful；　for　which　the　Demand　is　always　so　great；　as　to　make　it　a　ready　Money　Commodity。　For　if　the　Plenty　were　really　too　great　for　the　Demand；　it　would；　as　we　know　many　sorts　of　Goods　and　Manufactures　are；　necessarily　be　sold　for　Time。　And　since　nothing　but　a　greater　Plenty　of　any　Thing；　than　the　Demand　for　it　requires；　is　the　Foundation　and　Cause　of　selling　such　Things　on　Credit；　it　follows　that　the　Produce　is　not　too　plentiful；　since　it's　always　sold　for　ready　Money；　Nay；　Victuals　and　Drink；　which　are　the　only　Things　in　this　Objection　I　am　properly　concern'd　with；　are　so　far　from　being　too　plentiful；　that　they　are　generally　sold　for　ready　Money；　even　down　to　the　meanest　Consumer。　For　the　Number　of　those　who　do　not　pay　present　Money　for　these　immediate　Necessaries；　are　not　only　few　in　Comparison；　but　even　those　Persons；　generally　speaking；　always　pay　for　these　immediate　Necessaries　in　a　very　short　time；　unless　when　such　a　one　happens　to　be　trusted；　that　is　not　able　to　pay　at　all。　And　this；　I　believe；　is　so　generally　known　to　be　true；　that　I　need　not　fear　having　the　Concurrence　of　the　People　in　general　on　my　side；　by　which　the　Truth　of　this　Argument　must　stand　or　fall；　no　other　Proof　being　possible　in　this　Case。　　　　　If　therefore　it　be　not　the　Plenty　of　the　Produce；　that　is　the　Cause　that　it　is　at　present　sold　so　cheap；　that　the　Farmers　can　pay　not　Rent；　as　I　think　I　have　sufficiently　proved　it　is　not；　it　will　be　necessarily　required　to　shew　what　is　the　Cause　of　so　melancholy　a　Truth；　as　this　objection　is　founded　on。　For　I　allow　that　perhaps　there　never　were　so　many　Farms　quitted；　and　thrown　on　the　Gentlemens　Hands　in　England；　as　at　this　Time。　　　　　Now　this　Cause　I　assert　is　chiefly；　if　not　solely　owing　to　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general。　And　in　order　to　prove　this；　I　must　shew　what　are　the　Signs　of　a　sufficient　Plenty；　and　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People。　　　　　Now　the　signs　of　a　sufficient　Plenty　of　Money　are　these；　the　Houses　well　fill'd　with　Inhabitants；　the　Rents　well　paid　for　them；　and　Fines　exacted；　as　also；　that　the　Rents　of　Lands　in　general　be　well　and　duly　paid；　and　that　we　be　not　over…burden'd　with　Poor；　nor　our　Roads　or　Streets　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers：　When　Things　are　thus　circumstance；　Trade　may　be　truely　said　to　be　in　a　flourishing　State；　or　Money；　on　which　Trade　floats；　may　be　said　to　be　sufficiently　plentiful；　and　more　plentiful　than　this　it　never　can　be。　　　　　On　the　other　hand；　since　it　is　now　notorious　that　the　Number　of　empty　Houses　is　very　great；　and　instead　of　Fines　for　them；　as　formerly；　the　Rents　are　lower'd；　and　still　falling；　besides；　that　the　Landlords　very　frequently　fit　them　up　too　for　the　Tenants；　and　our　Poor　are　so　very　much　increased；　that　we　are　obliged　to　transport　many　of　them；　and　our　Roads　and　Streets　are　so　exceedingly　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers；　as　perhaps　the　like　was　never；　and　since　the　Objection　says；　the　Landlords　can　now　hardly　get　any　Rents　for　their　Farms：　These　Signs　therefore；　being　exactly　the　Reverse　of　the　former；　must　needs　be　as　certain　and　evident　Proofs　of　a　Decay　of　Trade；　or；　which　is　tantamount；　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　as　the　aforemention'd　Circumstances　were　Signs　and　Proofs　of　a　flourishing　Trade；　and　a　sufficient　Plenty　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　nor　do　I　know　what　Kinds　of　Proofs　could　be　produced；　or　reasonably　required　besides；　or　stronger　than　these。　　　　　For　if；　when　the　Houses　were　well　fill'd　with　Inhabitants；　the　Rents　were　not　only　well　paid　for　them；　but　Fines　frequently　exacted；　and　we　were　not　then　over…burthen'd　with　Poor；　as　we　are　now；　nor　our　Roads　nor　Streets　infested　with　Highwaymen　and　Robbers：　If　the　Rents　for　the　Lands　were　then　likewise　well　paid；　and　raised　too；　as　they　certainly　were；　and　if　now　the　Gentlemen　can　hardly　get　any　Rents　for　their　Lands；　and　all　the　contrary　Marks　and　Signs　are　upon　us：　It　must　be　plain　that　it　is　not　the　Plenty　of　the　Produce；　but　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People；　which　hath　reduced　Trade　to　so　languishing　a　Condition；　that　Tradesmen　in　general　can't　get　Money　to　pay　the　usual　Rents　for　the　Houses；　nor　the　Farmers　for　the　Farms。　　　　　And　this　squares　exactly　with　what　I　said　to　illustrate　my　fourth　Principle；　that　if　Money　decreases　amongst　the　People；　they　must　be　distress'd；　unless　either　their　Numbers　be　diminish'd；　or　the　Prices　of　Things　lower'd　in　such　Proportion。　And　since　these　Marks　and　Signs　are　sufficient　Proofs　of　too　great　a　Scarcity　of　Money　amongst　the　People　in　general；　they　must　also　be　equal　Proofs　that　the　Cash　amongst　them　in　general　is　considerably　diminish'd；　at　least　that　it　is　not　increased　in　Proportion　to　their　Number；　and　the　Prices　of　Things。　　　　　And　hence　we　may　see　that　whatever　hurts　Trade　to　any　considerable　Degree；　will　also　hurt　the　Landlords　and　Houses　too；　if　there　be　any　Truth　in　the　Fact　contain'd　in　the　Objection　I　have　now　answer'd。　　　　　And　if　what　I　have　offer'd　be；　as　I　think　it　is；　a　sufficient　Answer　to　the　Objection；　supposed　the　Fact　to　be　true；　it　follows　then　that　the　Gentlemen　if　they　would　have　any　Rents　for　their　Farms；　are　under　a　Necessity；　as　fast　as　possible；　to　cause　so　much　waste　Land　to　be　inclosed　and　improved；　as　shall　actually　reduce　the　present　Rates　of　labour；　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers；　so　much；　that　the　Price；　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　will　fetch　at　Market；　may　be　sufficient　to　bear　all　Charges；　and　leave　an　Overplus　to　pay　such　Rents　as　the　Lands　will　then　be　found　to　bear。　For　whilst　the　necessary　Charges　of　the　Labour；　etc。　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers　continue　so　great；　as　to　equal　the　Price　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　fetches　at　Market；　it　is　impossible　the　Gentlemen　should　have　any　Rents　paid　them。　The　Objection　suggests　this　to　be　the　Case　at　present；　and　I　am　sure　that　a　Scarcity　of　the　Produce　will　not　mend　the　Matter；　whatever　they　may　think　of　such　a　Calamity。　　　　　Now　that　the　necessary　Charges　of　the　Labour；　etc。　and　the　Subsistence　of　the　Farmers　may　be　so　much　lower'd；　as　to　leave　an　Overplus　out　of　the　Price　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　fetches　at　Market；　sufficient　to　pay　some　Rent；　is　certain；　because；　when　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　did　hardly　fetch　1/30　Part　of　its　present　Rates；　some　Rent　was　as　certainly　paid；　as　that　we　always　had　Gentlemen　in　the　Kingdom　who　liv'd　on　their　Estates。　And　if；　as　I　have　before　sufficiently　made　o