money answers all things-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


re　will　be　but　1200　l。　for　each　Child's　Share；　if　a　like　Sum　be　reserved　for　the　Widow；　and　if　there　should　be　now　Widow；　but　1500　l。　for　each　Child；　which　will　not　often　set　them　in　better　Circumstances　than　their　Parents　set　out　it：　But　if　Things　must　be　worse　than　this；　Families　must　soon　sink　into　Poverty。　And　since　these　Things　are　subject　to　many　and　great　Contingencies；　nobody　ought　to　think　25　l。　per　cent　per　annum　even　on　such　a　Capital　imployed　in　Trade；　too　great　a　Gain；　especially　considering　what　Skill　and　Pains　are　necessary　to　reach　this　End；　and　to　what　great　Risk　Money　imployed　in　Trade　is　always　exposed；　beside　the　present　and　future　Provision　with　which　Families　are　to　be　supplied　out　of　it。　　　　　Nothing　ought　to　be　deemed　Luxury　in　a　Tradesman；　whilst　he　lives　at　about　half　the　income　of　his　Business；　yet　in　Prudence　he　ought　not　to　make　too　great　a　figure；　because　of　the　uncertain　and　fluctuating　Nature　of　Trade；　which　may　happen　some　time　or　other；　by　Misfortune；　if　not　otherwise；　to　turn　against　him；　and　because　the　more　he　can　lay　up　for　his　Children；　the　more　will　he　have　done　towards　raising　them　to　better　Stations　in　Life。　　　　　Nor　ought　it　to　be　deemed　Luxury　in　a　Tradesman　if　he　spends　the　whole　Income　of　his　business；　if　such　Expence　is　unavoidable；　when　the　utmost　Frugality　and　good　Management　are　exercised　in　such　a　Man's　Family。　　　　　Peace　and　Plenty　comprehend　all　the　Felicity　Mankind　were　designed　to　enjoy　in　this　mortal　State；　and　are　so　well　known　to　constitute　the　Happiness　of　the　World；　that　they　are　proverbial　Terms　to　express　the　compleatest　general　Felicity；　which　undoubtedly　suggests；　that　they　have　by　Experience　been　found　to　answer　the　End。　　　　　Wherefore；　if　there　be　any　Difficulty　amongst　the　People；　it　must　be　owing　to　the　Defect　of　one　or　both　of　these。　　　　　As　we　are　now　in　Peace；　it　must　be　owing　to　the　Deficiency　of　Plenty；　that　the　Trade　of　this　Nation　is　in　such　a　languishing　Condition；　the　Truth　of　which　the　numerous　Complaints　to　the　Parliament；　and　great　Number　of　empty　Houses　abundantly　evince。　　　　　Where　Tillage　and　Cultivation　of　Land　are　not　annually　to　a　considerable　Degree　increased；　Peace；　and　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind　do　necessarily　produce　a　general　Decay　of　Trade。　　　　　For　Peace；　which　puts　an　End　to　the　vast　Business　which　War　necessarily　creates；　obliges　those　that　were　employed；　and　found　their　Livelihood　by　the　Affairs　of　War；　to　employ　themselves　in　the　Business　which　the　common　Affairs　of　Life　produce；　and　as

hereby　there　is　a　much　greater　Number　of　People　to　be　subsisted；　on　so　much　less　Business　as　the　ending　a　War　puts　a　Period　to；　it's　plain　this　must　divide　the　remaining　Business　into　a　great　many　more　Parts；　whence　the　Profits；　which　ought　to　be　so　much　augmented　as　the　Business　to　each　Particular　becomes　less　（because　the　Expence　of　Living　will　not　be　less）　are　always　found　by　Experience　to　lessen；　in　a　greater　Proportion　than　the　Business　to　each　Particular　lessens。　And　this　is　the　necessary　Consequence　of　having　a　greater　Number　of　People　in　any　Trade；　where　the　Business　transacted　by　them　all　is　no　greater　than　when　the　same　Trade　and　Business　were　in　so　much　fewer　Hands；　and　hence　Ruin　must　happen　to　may　whose　Trades　are　thus　unhappily　circumstanced。　　　　　Besides；　Peace　lowering　the　Interest　of　Money　brings　many　more　People　into　Trade；　who　either　cannot　live　on　the　reduced　Interest　of　their　Money；　or　are　not　satisfied　to　do　so；　and　therefore　enter　on　Trade　on　Trade　to　improve　their　Money　to　better　Advantage。　And　such　having　abundance　of　Money　to　employ；　must　needs　take　a　great　deal　of　Business　from　those　that　had　it　before；　by　doing　Business　at　much　less　Profit　than　it　was　before　done；　that　they　may　employ　the　large　Sums　they　bring　into　Trade；　this　must　needs　make　it　very　difficult　for　People　of　much　less　Fortunes　to　get　a　Living；　and　of　Consequence　greatly　increase　the　Number　of　Poor；　and　must　needs　empty　the　Houses　too；　by　disabling　the　People　to　pay　such　Rents　as　they　did　before；　and　will　drive　many　out　of　the　Nation　to　get　their　Livings　by　the　Arts　they　have　learned　here。　　　　　The　heavy　Debts　and　Taxes　which　the　late　War　hath　laid　this　Nation　under；　notwithstanding　we　had　the　greatest　and　most　uninterrupted　Success　that　could　be　wished；　and　have　since　had　so　long　a　Peace；　may　shew　that　War　is　not　the　natural　Means　to　make　Trade　flourish；　since　the　Consequences　are　still　so　burthensome　to　us。　And　if　we　look　back　to　the　Condition　France　was　reduced　to　by　the　same　War；　which　introduced　both　Famine　and　Pestilence　amongst　them；　and　occasioned　the　People　to　surround　the　Dauphin's　Coach　in　Crouds；　and　cry　out；　Peace　and　Bread！　surely　these　Things　may　fully　convince　us　that　War　is　a　very　great　Calamity。　　　　　Peace；　therefore；　being　the　only　natural　Foundation　of　Happiness　to　any　Nation；　and　Trade　the　particular　Means　whereby　the　People　can　be　employed　and　subsisted；　the　promoting　and　improving　Trade　should　be　always　consulted；　and　especially　in　Times　of　Peace；　which　is　favourable　to　such　a　Design。　　　　　In　general；　there　should　never　be　any　Restraints　of　any　kind　on　Trade；　nor　any　greater　Taxes　than　are　unavoidable；　for　if　any　Trade　be　restrained　in　any　Degree；　by　Taxes　or　otherwise；　many　People；　who　subsisted　by　the　Business　which　now　hath　Restraints　laid　upon　it；　will　be　rendered　incapable　of　pursuing　it；　and　of　Consequence　they　must　be　employed　some　other　Way；　or　drove　out　of　the　Kingdom；　or　maintained　at　the　publick　Charge；　which　last　is　always　a　great　and　unreasonable　Burthen；　and　should；　if　there　be　any　possible　Way　which　might　employ　them；　be　prevented。　　　　　Now　that　there　are　natural　Means　to　subsist　all　Mankind　in　a　happy　Condition；　will　appear　clear　from　the　Wisdom　and　Goodness　of　God；　who　hath　taken　such　ample　Care　of　all　the　Creatures　below　us；　that　they　want　no　good　thing；　nor　suffer　any　Hardship　but　what　unreasonable　Men　bring　upon　them。　Wherefore　if　God　hath　so　wisely　and　graciously　provided　for　all　the　Creatures　below　us；　for　whose　Happiness　other　Beings　evidently　appear　to　be　designed；　it　must　be　absurd　to　imagine　he　hath　disposed　things　so；　that　Unhappiness　in　any　Degree　should　unavoidably　arise　to　Man；　who　he　hath　placed　at　the　Head　of　all　his　Works　in　this　World。　Therefore　whatever　Difficulties　Mankind　meet；　must　be　owing　to　their　own　Mismanagement；　in　not　looking　through　the　Nature　of　Providence　with　respect　to　themselves。　　　　　One　Branch　of　that　Providence；　which　Men　should　attend　to　and　consider；　is；　that　Mankind　as　certainly　increase　as　Vegetables；　and　Animals；　and　therefor　that　Increase　must　continually　be　employed　in　cultivating　proportionably　more　Land。　For；　otherwise　being　all　consumers；　there　must　continually　be　greater　Numbers　subsisted　on　the　Produce　of　the　same　Land　which　was　before　cultivated；　and　this　will　increase　the　Demand　for　the　Produce；　and　inhance　the　Price　of　it；　whilst　the　increasing　People　must　employ　themselves　solely；　in　Trades；　Manufactures；　etc。　to　enable　them　to　subsist：　Whence　it　must　needs　come　to　pass；　that　Trades；　Manufactures；　etc。　will　soon　be　so　over…stocked；　that　all　the　Increase　of　the　People　can't　be　subsisted　this　Way；　seeing　the　Necessaries　of　Life；　for　which　they　all　ultimately　work；　will　all　the　while　be　growing　dearer；　and　the　People　less　able　to　purchase　them。　And　as　I　take　this　to　be　very　much　our　present　Case；　as　may　appear　by　an　Estimate　I　have　subjoin'd　of　the　necessary　Expence　for　the　Support　of　a　poor　Family；　and　another　for　a　Family　in　a　middling　Station；　so　this　Proposal　of　cultivating　proportionably　more　land；　appears　to　me　to　be　the　only　natural　Remedy　that　can　be　applied；　the　happy　Effects　of　which；　if　sufficiently　executed；　will　soon　discover　any　imaginary　Appearances　to　the　contrary。　　　　　But　I　think　it　needful　here　to　observe　at　what　Rate　Mankind　increase；　because　their　Happiness　certainly　depends　on　cultivating　still　more　and　more　Land　in　such　Proportion。　And　I　choose　to　take　Sir　William　Pettis's　Account　of　this；　who　proves　Mankind　will　absolutely　double　themselves　in　360　Years；（2*）　notwithstanding　Wars　and　Plagues：　Therefore；　the　Quantity　of　Land；　which　every　Year　should　be　taken　in　and　cultivated；　must　be　at　least　a　360th　Part　of　the　Quantity　at　present　in　Cultivation。　　　　　Now　if　England　be　320　Miles　long；　and　290　Miles　wide；　it　must；　supposing　its　Length　and　Breadth　to　be　every　where　alike；　contain　92800　square　Miles：　But　as　England　is　not　so　regular　a　Figure；　I　suppose　it　will　be　needful　to　deduct　a　Third　of　its　Content　for　its　Irregularity；　Towns　and　Rivers；　and　then　there　will　be　about　62000　square　Miles　contain'd　in　it。　　　　　Now　suppose　that　at　present；　but　about　half；　that　is；　31000　square　Miles　are　cultivated；　a　360th　Part　of　that；　viz。　86　square　Miles　at　least；　should　every　Year　be　further　added；　and　taken　into　Cultivation；　to　hold　Proportion　to　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind：　And　if　a　greater　Part　of　England　be　already　improv'd　than　I　have　supposed；　or　if　Mankind　increase　much　faster　than　Sir　William　Pettis　above　asserts；　then　the　Addition　every　Year　must　be　greater　too　in　such　Proportion。　　　　　But　as　nothing　like　this　hath　hitherto　been　done；　it's　evident　to　Demonstration；　That　hence　all　Trades；　Occupations；　Manufactures　and　Profession；　are　overstock'd　with　Numbers；　and　embarr