money answers all things-第7章

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ied　to　prevent　it。　And　if；　as　he　reasons　in　another　Part　of　the　same　Spectator；　the　Cities　of　London　and　Westminister　pay　a　Fifth　of　the　whole　Revenue　of　the　Crown；　beside　the　Rent　and　Taxes　they　enable　the　Country　to　pay；　what　Care　ought　to　be　taken　to　make　Money　plentiful　amongst　the　People　in　general；　which　alone　can　make　Trade　flourish；　and　fill　the　Houses；　and　prevent　so　great　and　certain　a　Diminution　as　the　Revenue　must　suffer　in　all　Parts　of　the　Kingdom　for　want　of　this　Care！　　　　　But　I　am　sensible　the　great　Number　of　empty　Houses　is　ascribed　to　the　Increase　of　Building　since　the　Peace。　But　whoever　considers；　that　there　are　not　less　then　6　or　700000　People　in　the　Bills　of　Mortality；　and　that；　according　to　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind；　at　the　lowest　Computation　of　doubling　in　360　Years；　the　Increase　will　be　near　40000　People　since　that　Time；（6*）　he　will　be　necessarily　obliged　to　ascribe　the　empty　Houses　to　other　Causes；　and　not　to　the　Increase　of　Building　solely。　But　however　since　they　are　built；　and　their　being　inhabited；　or　standing　empty；　will　certainly　have　such　an　Influence　on　the　Rents　of　the　Kingdom；　and　the　Revenue　likewise；　it　behoves　us　to　take　the　proper　Methods　to　fill　them；　which　I　am　confident　will　soon　be　effected　by　cultivating　Land　enough　to　make　a　Plenty　of　Money　amongst　the　Trading　Part　of　the　People　in　general；　but　not　otherwise。　　　　　But　further；　if　the　People　increased；　as　Dr　Nichols　says　they　did；　so　as　to　double　themselves　in　London　in　40　Years；　notwithstanding　the　last　great　Plague　which　happened　within　the　Period　he　wrote　of；　and　the　Country　increased；　tho'　not　in　the　like　yet　in　a　considerable　Proportion　（and　I　hope　his　Authority　is　sufficient　to　bear　me　out）；　then　the　Building　since　the　Peace；　which　hath　by　no　means　I　think　been　in　proportion　to　one　Fourth　of　such　and　Increase　of　People；　can't　be　the　Reason　to　which　the　Vast　Number　of　empty　Houses　can　be　ascribed。　　　　　But　the　empty　Houses　must　be　ascribed　to　such　a　Diminution　of　Trade；　and　consequently　of　Cash　amongst　the　People；　which　makes　it　so　difficult　for　the　People　to　get　Money　to　support　them；　that　many　are　become　incapable　to　pay　the　Rents；　and　many　must　have　forsaken　us　on　this　Account。　For　the　People　will　diminish；　where　the　Means　of　getting　a　Livelihood　is　not　well　to　be　attained；　suitable　to　their　several　Ranks　and　Stations；　which　is　a　necessary　Consequent；　where　the　Balance　of　Trade　becomes　considerably　against　any　Nation　（unless　the　Means　I　contend　for　be　taken　to　prevent　it）。　　　　　For　it's　evident；　such　a　Nation　hath　amongst　them　just　so　much　Business　less　than　their　own　several　Wants　create；　as　the　Amount　of　the　Ballance　against　them　is；　which　lessening　their　Cash　at　the　same　time　just　so　much　too；　brings　a　double　Inconvenience　with　it；　viz。　Want　of　Money　and　Employment：　And　if　Things　are　suffered　to　go　on　so；　the　People　must　disperse　and　diminish。　And　therefore　this　Maxim；　well　known　amongst　Merchants；　appears　will　founded；　it　being　only　the　Reverse　of　what　is　shewn　above；　That　the　People　always　increase　in　whose　Favour　the　Balance　of　Trade　is　considerable；　as　it　must　needs　have　been　in　ours；　in　that　Period　of　Time　Dr　Nichols　wrote　of；　since；　notwithstanding　so　great　an　Increase　of　the　People；　the　Prices　of　every　thing；　as　is　well　know；　rather　advanced　all　the　Time；　which　they　could　not　have　done　if　the　Cash　of　the　Nation　had　not　increased　in　yet　greater　Proportion　than　the　People　increased；　as　I　think　the　Illustration　of　my　fourth　Maxim　evinces。　　　　　Hence　therefore　it　appears；　that　every　Nation　ought　to　keep　Trade　on　such　a　Foot；　as　always；　on　the　whole；　to　have　the　Balance　in　their　Favour：　For　if　Mankind　double　themselves　only　in　360　Years；　if　the　Cash　of　the　Nation　be　not　augmented　every　Year　a　360th　Part；　the　People　must　in　a　few　Years　be　distressed　for　want　of　Money；　unless　all　things　be　made　at　least　so　much　cheaper　to　prevent　it。　And　as　the　Means　of　doing　this　is　in　the　Power　of　every　Nation；　that　have　waste　Land　enough　to　improve　to　increase　their　Plenty；（7*）　and　thereby　reduce　the　Price　of　Things；　so　the　improving　so　much　waste　Land　as　answers　this　End；　will　furnish　Employment；　and　consequently　a　livelihood　for　the　People；　and　will　always；　not　only　prevent　any　considerable　Number　of　Houses　from　standing　long　empty；　but　will　continually　cause　more　to　be　added　all　over　the　Kingdom；　as　the　vast　Increase　Dr　Nichols　asserts　there　was；　particularly　in　London；　within　forty　Years；　besides　the　great　Increase　in　the　Country　in　the　same　Time；　doth　fully　shew。　　　　　But　that　I　may　put　this　past　all　doubt；　let　it　only　at　present　be　granted；　which　I　will　shew　hereafter；　that　the　People　in　London　and　Westminister　were　really　doubled　in　about　40　Years；　since　this；　nor　any　thing　like　this；　could　be　the　Effect　of　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind；（8*）　it　must　have　some　other　most　powerful　Cause：　This　Cause　I　assert　was　a　flourishing　Trade；　which　I　thus　prove；　viz。　　　　　The　People　were　doubled　in　this　Town；　and　increased　too　in　the　Country；　though　not　in　the　like；　yet　in　a　considerable　Proportion；　and　yet　the　Prices　of　Necessaries；　and　all　other　Things　in　general；　were　higher　than　those　Things　were　40　Years　before：　Now　this；　by　my　fourth　Maxim；　was　absolutely　impossible；　if　the　Cash　of　the　Nation　had　not　been　vastly　increased　also。　Wherefore；　as　we　have　no　Mines；　the　Cash　could　be　increased　only　by　exporting　so　many　more　Goods　in　value　than　we　imported。　And　as　this　is；　in　itself；　that　which　constitutes　a　flourishing　Trade　in　any　Nation；　so　we　see　the　Effect　was　the　doubling　the　People　in　London　as　aforesaid；　wherefore　let　our　Trade　be　again　put　on　such　a　Foot；　that　we　may　be　able　to　raise　our　Produce；　and　Commodities　of　every　Kind；　as　cheap　as　any　Nation　can　raise；　or　make　any　thing　whereby　they　may　any　way　interfere　in　any　Branch　of　our　Trade；　and　the　same　Effect　will　again　arise；　and　consequently　not　only　fill　the　empty　Houses；　but　cause　more　to　be　added；　as　I　said　above。　　　　　And　as　it　hence　appears　absolutely　needful　to　keep　Trade　on　a　Foot；　whereby　the　Balance　may　always；　on　the　whole；　be　in　our　Favour；　so　it's　certain；　the　Mines　which　are　continually　giving　Gold　and　Silver；　do　give　sufficient　to　supply　such　a　needful　Balance　to　every　Nation。　For　the　Gold　and　Silver；　which　the　Mines；　since　the　Europeans　have　possess'd　them；　have　furnished　Europe　in　general　with；　have　not　only　furnished　Quantities　equal　to　the　Increase　of　Mankind　since　that　Time；　but　so　much　more　Gold　and　Silver；　as　to　inhance　the　Price　of　all　Kinds　of　Commodities　in　Europe　in　general；　but　especially　in　those　Nations　who　have；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　had　the　most　considerable　Trade　with　the　Countries　where　the　Mines　are；　and　this　in　all　Probability　they　will　always　continue　to　do；　but　if　not；　I　have　and　shall　shew　how　to　do　that　which　will　be　always　equivalent。　　　　　And　as　to　the　Countries；　which　are　thus　continually　furnishing　this　Ballance　to　the　rest　of　the　World；　they　having　the　Mines；　have　that　which　is　equivalent　to　such　a　Balance　in　their　Favour。　　　　　I　shall　now　proceed　to　some　Observation　concerning　Prohibitions　on　Trade；　and　also　concerning　prohibiting　the　current　Coin　to　be　exported。　　　　　It　was　before　observed；　that　it　is　reasonably　expected；　every　Man　should；　some　way　or　other；　maintain　himself　and　Family　honestly；　and　that；　to　this　End；　the　Affairs　of　the　World　must　be　so　wisely　constituted　in　their　own　Nature；　as　to　furnish　sufficient　Employment　for　every　Body；　since　any　considerable　Defect　in　this　Respect　must　leave　some　unimploy'd　and　consequently　without　Maintenance：　And　further；　that　there　is　no　Employment　in　the　World；　but　what　the　People　mutually　cause　each　other。　　　　　These　Employments　arise　solely　out　of　the　several　Wants；　etc。　of　Mankind；　which　constitute　all　the　various　Trades；　Professions；　and　Occupations　of　Men；　to　which　I　will　add；　and　hereafter　prove；　that　these　are　so　wisely　　proportioned；　as　fully　to　employ　all　that　need　or　will　be　employed；　and　therefore　these　are　the　natural　Foundations　of　all　commerce　amongst　Mankind　and　sufficient　to　subsist　them　all；　if　not　obstructed　by　any　Means。　　　　　All　Nations　of　the　World；　therefore；　should　be　regarded　as　one　Body　of　Tradesmen；　exercising　their　various　Occupations　for　the　mutual　Benefit　and　Advantage　of　each　other。　　　　　A　very　considerable　Part　of　these　Employments　relate　to　maritime　Affairs　and　Commerce；　by　transporting　the　Commodities　of　the　several　Nations　from　one　Nation　to　another。　　　　　This　makes　ships　needful；　which；　considering　all　things　that　any　way　relate　to　them；　furnish　Employment　for　a　prodigious　Part　of　Mankind；　besides　the　inland　Carriage　of　the　Goods　which　the　ships　are　loaded　with；　and　the　Merchants；　and　Writers；　and　all　the　Trades　that　depend　on　them；　which　must　needs　enable　every　Nation　to　support　a　prodigious　Number　of　Inhabitants；　more　than　the　same　Territory　could　support；　if　there　were　not　this　Commerce　between　the　several　Nations　to　employ　the　People。　　　　　Now　since　Mankind　never　complained　of　having　too　much　Trade；　but　many　do　really　want　Business　sufficient　to　get　a　Livelihood；　Prohibitions　do；　in　the　very　Nature　of　them；　cut　off　so　much　Employment　from　the　People；　as　there　would　be　more；　if　there　were　no　such　Prohibitions。　And　though　this　will；　I　think；　chiefly　affect　the　Nations　w