money answers all things-第4章

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with　a　greater　Charge　of　Labour　thereon；　whence；　if　the　same　Quantity　of　Produce　must　thus　cost　a　great　deal　more；　than　all　the　20　pounds　Rent；　by　which　it　was　first　inhanced；　the　Parts　must　cost　more　too　in　such　Proportion；　so　that；　I　think；　I　need　not　scruple　to　assert；　that　140　l。　could　not　in　this　Case　purchase　what　100　l。　now　doth；　whence　Gentlemen；　who　are　consumers　in　common　with　others；　would　thus　evidently　be　much　the　poorer　for　so　raising　their　Estates；　and　therefore　I　think　it　an　undeniable　Consequence；　that　they　wou'd　be　the　richer　for　lowering　their　Estates　20　or　30　l。　per　cent　per　annum　since　it　must　be　equally　certain；　that　70　or　80　l。　would　purchase　more　in　this　case；　than　100　l。　now　doth；　as　it　is　certain　120　l。　in　the　other　case；　would　not　purchase　so　much　as　100　l。　now　doth。　　　　　And　this　both　accounts　for；　and　verifies　an　Observation；　I　have　heard　some　Gentlemen　make；　and　wonder　at；　that　they　find　they　can't　live　so　well　and　hospitably　on　the　same　Estates；　as　their　Ancestors　did；　who　had　vastly　less　Income　from　them；　than　their　Successors；　who　make　this　Observation；　now　have。　If　therefore；　Gentlemen；　find　themselves　streighten'd；　by　raising　Rents　above　what　the　Money　circulating　amongst　the　People　will　well　enable　them　to　pay；　how　great　must　the　Streights　and　difficulties　be　which　are　brought　on　the　People；　out　of　whom　such　heavy　Rents　are　raised！　　　　　But　perhaps　it　may　be　objected；　that　this　Argument　concludes　too　much：　Since；　if　70　l。　will　in　this　Case　purchase　more　than　120　l。　why　will　not　nothing　purchase　more　than　something？　To　which　I　answer；　There　is　a　proper　Point；　at　which　it　will　stop　of　itself；　which　is　this：　Whenever　the　Wages　of　the　Labouring　Man；　and　Price　of　Necessaries　are　mad　so　near　equal；　that　he　can；　suitably　to　that　low　Rank　in　Life；　support　such　a　Family　as　he；　in　common　with　all　the　human　Kind；　chiefly　came　into　this　World　to　raise；　（which　Things　I　hope　to　shew　may　be　brought　much　nearer　together　than　they　now　are）；　I　say；　when　the　Labouring　Man's　Wages　will　do　this；　the　Rent　the　Lands　will　then　bear；　is　that　proper　and　fit　Rent；　which　will　enable　the　Gentlemen　to　purchase　more　of　every　Thing；　than　any　larger　Rents　can　enable　them　to　do；　which　I　prove　thus：　　　　　Suppose　the　Rents　rais'd　so　much；　as　necessarily　to　carry　the　Price　of　Goods　to　the　Consumers　in　general；　to　higher　Rates　than　the　Money　they　can　get　will　enable　them　to　purchase　what　they　really　want：　this　makes　a　Kind　of　unnatural　Plenty　of　Goods；　presenting　themselves　for　buyers；　who；　though　they　really　want　them；　can't　find　Money　to　purchase　them；and　therefore　are　forced　to　abridge　their　necessary　Wants　as　much　as　they　can；　and　this　depresses　the　Value　of　those　Goods　（which　thus　in　the　End　must　want　buyers）　below　the　Rates　which　the　Rents　have　made　necessary；　and　this　will　necessarily　keep　the　Produce　of　the　Ground　which　the　Farmers　bring　to　Market；　so　low；　that　they　can't　make　it　answer　to　bear　all　Charges；　and　pay　their　Rents；　whence　the　Gentlemen　must　find　it　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　to　get　their　Rents；　whilst　at　the　same　Time；　whatever　they　buy；　as　hath　been　prov'd；　will　necessarily　be　dearer　in　a　greater　Proportion　than　ever　the　Rents　in　a　greater　Proportion　than　ever　the　Rents　can　be　raised；　whence；　I　think；　it　must　be　plain；　that　such　Rents　of　Lands　in　general；　as　will　nearest　comport　with　the　Point　above…mention'd；　will　always　purchase　most　of　every　Thing。　　　　　But　there　is　yet　another　strong　Argument　to　induce　Gentlemen　to　make　Money　plentiful；　viz。　a　due　Regard　to　the　Happiness　of　their　own　Families。　For　let　it　be　consider'd；　that　Men　come　into　this　World　to　raise　a　new　Generation；　and　depart　out　of　it。　Now　the　Term　of　Life；　Men　will　be　found　to　have　one　with　another；　from　the　Time　of　Marriage　to　their　Death；　is　very　little　more　than　20　years；　in　which　Time；　one　Marriage　with　another；　I　suppose；　produces　about　4　Children　who　live　to　Man's　Estate：　Now　suppose　a　Gentleman　of　1000　l。　per　Annum；　to　make　Provision　for　his　Children；　lays　up　500　l。　per　Annum；　which　in　20　years　will　be　1000　l。　sav'd　for　them；　which　divided　into　4　parts；　including　the　Widow's　Share；　which　must　often　happen；　can　be　but　2500　l。　for　each　Child's　share：　And　since　this　is　not　only　much　inferior　to　the　Estate　it　was　sav'd　out　of；　but　hardly　sufficient；　viz。　the　Interest　thereof；　to　maintain　a　single　Person　handsomely；　most　of　the　Children　must　be　introduced　to　Trade；　to　improve　their　Money　for　their　Families；　or　they　will　soon　reduce　it　to　nothing。　Now　if　Trade　be　languishing　and　distress'd；　it　can't　be　expected　but　many　such　will　sink　in　the　general　Difficulties　Trade　lies　under。　Therefore；　if　there　be　any　Way　practicable　to　make　Money　plentiful　amongst　the　People　in　general；　which　never　fails　to　make　Trade　flourish；　it　ought　to　be　done；　not　only　from　a　common　Principle　of　Affection　to　the　publick　Good；　but　for　the　particular　Benefit　of　every　Gentleman's　own　immediate　Offspring；　many　of　whom　are　sure　to　be　affected；　just　as　Trade　is　in　a　flourishing　or　distress'd　Condition。　　　　　But　the　languishing　condition　of　Trade　is　ascribed　to　the　Luxury　of　the　People；　concerning　which　let　it　be　consider'd。　　　　　That　it　is　expected　of　every　Man；　that　he　provide　for　himself　and　Family　a　Support；　but　this　Expectation　is　unreasonable；　if　Things　are　not　so　wisely　constituted　in　their　own　Nature；　that　every　one　may　attain　this　End。　　　　　The　Ways　Men　have　to　attain　this　Support；　are　the　Exercise　of　their　several　Occupations。　　　　　These　arise　solely　out　of　the　mutual　wants；　etc。　of　Mankind。　Children　who　can　do　little　or　nothing　towards　supplying　themselves；　make　about　half　the　Business　of　the　World；　since　more　than　half　the　human　Race　die　under　17　Years　of　Age。　　　　　Now　if　the　People　must　retrench；　they　must　do　some　or　all　of　these　Things；　viz。　wear　fewer　and　worse　Cloaths；　etc。　eat　less　and　worse　Victuals；　imploy　fewer　or　no　Servants；　occupy　less　House…room；　and　use　less　Light　and　Fewel；　and　spend　little　or　no　Money　in　any　Pleasure　or　Diversion；　and　instead　of　Wine　or　Strong　Beer；　drink　small　Beer　or　Water；　and　avoid　Marriage；　as　many　certainly　do；　because　it　creates　a　greater　Expence　than　they　can　support。　Now　wou'd　not　this　lessen　the　Consumption　of　every　Thing；　and　hinder　many　from　supporting　themselves　and　Families；　by　making　so　much　less　Business　amongst　the　People；　and　thereby　greatly　increase　the　Number　of　Poor；　who；　if　no　other　Way　be　found　to　imploy　them；　which　tillage　alone　in　this　Case　can　do；　must　become　a　much　greater　Burthen　than　they　are？　Besides　that　where　the　Poor　increase；　the　Profits　of　Trade　will　be　still　more　and　more　reduced；　through　Losses；　and　Want　of　Trade；　and　the　Efforts　of　such　great　Numbers　of　indigent　People；　as　must　be　striving　to　support　themselves　in　that　business　that　remains。　And　must　not　the　Revenue　be　greatly　diminish'd　likewise；　since　in　this　Case　the　Consumption　of　Things；　on　which　the　Revenue　intirely　depends；　must　be　lessen'd　very　much？　Besides；　'tis　certain　a　poor　People　can't　pay　great　Taxes；　any　more　than　they　can　pay　great　Rents。　　　　　Therefore；　instead　of　urging　the　People　to　be　less　Consumers；　Things　should　be　made　so　plentiful；　that　they　might　be　greater　Consumers；　that　Business　might　increase；　and　not　abate　amongst　the　People。　And　then　Luxury　would　find　its　natural　and　proper　bounds；　which　if　any　Man　transgressed　in　any　extraordinary　Measure　he　would　be　sufficiently　whipt　with　his　own　Rod。　　　　　But　farther；　as　to　Luxury；　those　that　are　not　influenced　by　the　natural　Motives　to　Frugality；　will　not　easily　be　restrained　by　any　other　whatsoever。　　　　　The　natural　Motives　to　Frugality　are　these；　present　Provision　for　Families；　and　Fortunes　for　Children。　　　　　They　who　neglect　the　first；　must　soon　suffer　Want；　and　they　who　would　provide　for　the　latter；　must　consider　what　the　Term　of　Life　is　which　they　may　reasonably　hope　for；　and　take　care　that　their　Gains　and　Expences　are　proportioned　to　the　End　designed。　　　　　Now　as　Persons　must；　generally　at　least；　have　handsome　Fortunes　themselves；　who　shall　provide　Fortunes　for　their　Children；　let　it　be　supposed；　that　a　Man　sets　out　with　2000　l。　and　by　skilful　and　prudent　Management　he　gains；　one　Year　with　another；　about　500　l。　If　Men　who　have　such　Fortunes　must　not　live　a　little　decently；　I　can't　see　whence　Trade；　which　intirely　depends　on；　and　terminates　wholly　in　the　Consumption　of　things；　can　arise；　nor　how　Landlords　can　expect　any　considerable　Rents　for　their　Houses；　etc。　and　I　am　certain　that　to　pay　Rent；　and　Taxes；　and　all　other　Charges；　and　maintain　a　middling　Family　in　London；　250　l。　per　annum；　is　but　a　scanty　Pattern；　even　where　all　Things　are　managed　with　the　utmost　Frugality。　Nay　50　or　60　l。　more　per　annum；　as　the　Rents　and　the　Rates　of　Things　now　go；　shall　hereafter　be　shewn　to　be　but　a　very　moderate　Expence。　　　　　But　suppose；　in　this　Case；　such　a　Man　should　lay　up；　one　Year　with　another；　200　l。　and　that　for　20　years；　which　is　I　believe　much　about　the　Term　Men　have　to　raise　and　provide　for　Families；　he　then　would　add　4000　l。　to　his　first　2000　l。　which　makes　6000　l。　together；　to　be　divided　amongst　four　Children；　which　I　take　to　be　the　Number　of　one　Marriage　with　another　raises；　this　Sum　therefore　will　be　but　1200　l。　for　each　Child's　Share；　if　a　like　Sum　be　reserved　for　the　Widow；　and　if　there