money answers all things-第8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！


ore；　if　there　were　no　such　Prohibitions。　And　though　this　will；　I　think；　chiefly　affect　the　Nations　who　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　their　own　Commodities；　because　other　Nations　will　either　raise　those　Things　themselves；　or　substitute　something　else　of　their　own；　if　they　can't　get　the　same　Things　from　other　Nations；　which　I　believe　one　way　or　other　they　almost　always　may；　yet　hence　'tis　evident；　such　Prohibitions　lessen　the　Number　of　Merchants　and　Ships；　with　all　their　Appendages；　so　far　as　such　Prohibitions　can　affect　them；　which　undoubtedly　must　cut　off　a　Livelihood　from　abundance　of　People；　who　therefore　must　be　obliged　to　seek　their　Livelihood　in　domestick　Affairs；　which　being　not　sufficient　to　subsist　so　many　People；　upon　the　same　Territory；　without　proportionable　maritime　Trade；　must　bring　great　Inconvenience　on　such　a　Nation；　for　want　of　so　much　of　this　Branch　of　Employment　for　the　People。　　　　　And　as　other　Nations；　for　want　of　looking　thoroughly　into　the　foundation　of　the　Trade　of　the　World；　will　certainly　make　Reprisals　by　Prohibitions；（9*）　as　we　know　they　actually　do；　the　Calamity　of　every　Nation；　that　is　no　wiser；　will　increase；　since　they　cut　off　so　much　Trade　and　Employment　from　Mankind；　as　these　mutual　Prohibitions　can　affect。　　　　　But　no　Inconvenience　can　arise　by　an　unrestrained　Trade；　but　very　great　Advantage；　since　if　the　Cash　of　the　Nation　be　decreased　by　it；　which　Prohibitions　are　designed　to　prevent；　those　Nations　that　get　the　Cash　will　certainly　find　every　thing　advance　in　Price；　as　the　Cash　increases　amongst　them。　And　if　we；　who　part　with　the　Money；　make　our　Plenty　great　enough　to　make　Labour　sufficiently　cheap；　which　is　always　constituted　of　the　Price　of　Victuals　and　Drink；　our　Manufactures；　and　everything　else；　will　soon　become　so　moderate　as　to　turn　the　Balance　of　Trade　in　our　Favour；　and　thereby　fetch　the　Money　back　again。　Thus　Money；　on　which　Trade　floats；　like　a　Tide；　by　ebbing　and　flowing；　will　bring　vast　Business　to　our　People；　and　furnish　them　with　Employment　and　Happiness。　But　all　this　doth　absolutely　depend　on　cultivating　such　large　Tracts　of　Land；　as　will　make　the　Plenty　great　enough　to　reduce　the　Price　of　Labour；　and　all　other　Things　in　consequence　thereof；　so　as　to　enable　us　to　trade　on　Terms　as　reasonable　as　any　other　Nation；　without　which　we　must　shut　ourselves　in　a　great　Measure　out　of　the　foreign　Trade　of　the　World；　as　Merchants　very　well　know；　and　every　body　will　easily　believe；　since　they　that　can　work　cheapest；　must　and　will　have　the　Trade。　　　　　But　those　who　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　the　rough　Principles　of　their　Manufactures；　are　willing　to　have　them　exported　when　wrought　up；　and　fully　manufactured。　Now　beside　that　they　must　expect　Reprisals　to　be　made　by　other　Nations；　who　will　shift　as　much　as　they　can　without　such　Goods；　for　the　sake；　as　they　all　seem　to　imagine；　of　employing　their　own　People；　not　considering　how　much　such　shrinking　and　contracting　their　Trade　within　themselves；　cuts　off　the　more　valuable　maritime　Trade　and　Employment；　which　all　should　strive　to　promote　and　enlarge；　not　only　for　the　Reason　I　gave　before；　but　because　such　Nations　will　always　be　the　richest　and　most　powerful　（in　respect　to　the　Bigness　of　their　Territory）　who　have　the　most　maritime　Trade；　whether　the　Quantity　of　Cash　amongst　the　People　be　as　great　as　any　other　Nation　or　not；　beside　all　this；　I　say；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　consider；　what　a　vast　Value　must　be　risqued　at　Sea；　when　things　are　fully　manufactured；　to　what　would　be　risqued　in　their　rough　Principles；　and　what　a　Tendency　the　vast　Value　of　Goods；　fully　manufactured；　hath　to　make　the　Balance　of　Trade　fluctuate；　so　as　to　hazard　very　great　Quantities　of　Gold　and　Silver；　much　oftener　at　Sea；　to　make　the　Balance；　than　there　otherwise　would　be　Occasion　for：　And　after　all；　how　difficult　is　it；　sufficiently　to　prevent　the　Exportation　or　Importation　of　any　thing；　which　those　who　want　it　will　be　at　the　Charge　to　get；　and　what　a　Damage　do　a　great　many　honest　People　sustain；　by　the　unavoidable　Inconveniences　attending　Prohibitions　and　high　Duties；　besides　the　Iniquity　they　too　often　occasion！　But　let　us　a　little　consider；　whether　a　free　and　unrestrained　Trade　hath　any　Inconveniencies；　we　ought　to　guard　against。（10*）　I　will　not　contend　for　it；　with　respect　to　France；　though　I　can't　see　it　could　do　us　any　Harm；　even　in　that　Case；　if　we　were　prudent　enough　to　prevent　the　Inconvenience；　by　imploying　more　Land　as　our　Cash　decreases；　thereby　to　employ　the　People；　and　lower　the　Price　of　things　still　so　much；　that　whatever　Cash　remains　amongst　us；　it　may　however　be　so　plentiful　as　to　circulate　Trade　to　the　utmost；　and　so　make　the　People　in　general　happy；　notwithstanding　its　Decrease。　For　I　am　sensible　that　as　France　can　work　vastly　cheaper；　because　they　can　live　for　a　great　deal　less　than　we　can　do；　so　they　can　make　most　of　the　Manufactures　we　make；　as　well　as　we　can；　and　therefore　if　we　were　to　open　Trade　with　them；　they　would　bring　us　all　sorts　of　Goods　so　cheap；　that　our　Manufactures　would　be　at　an　End；　till　the　Money　they　would　by　this　Means　get　of　us　rais'd　the　Prices　of　their　things　so　much；　and　our　Want　of　Money　should　fall　ours　to　such　a　Degree；　that　we　could　go　on　with　our　Manufactures　as　cheap　as　they；　and　when　Trade　would　stand　between　that　Nation　and　us；　as　it　doth　between　us　and　other　Nations　who　mutually　take　Goods　of　each　other；　and　I　think　this　would　enlarge　the　maritime　Trade　of　both　Nations；　together　with　all　the　Trades　relating　thereto　（i。e。　would　furnish　still　further　Means　of　employing　abundance　of　People　of　both　Nations　this　Way）；　and　at　last；　this　will　terminate　in　the　particular　Advantages　each　Nation　naturally　hath　in　the　Produce　of　their　respective　Countries：　And　if　any　Nation　is　blest　in　this　respect　more　than　another；　the　Difference　this　will　make；　will　be　only　that　of　having　more　Money　amongst　them；　than　such　other　Nations　have　in　proportion　to　the　Number　of　their　People；　and　the　Prices　of　Things　in　each　Nation　will　be　dearer　and　cheaper　respectively；　yet　if　they　should　go　to　make　any　other　Advantage　of　this；　to　restrain；　and　so　increase　the　Money　amongst　them；　this　would　soon　prove　to　their　Hurt；　because　as　their　Goods　will　certainly　rise　as　their　Cash　increases；　so　this　will　make　the　Opportunity　greater　for　other　nations；　who　will　from　hence　be　able　to　outdo　them　in　Cheapness；　to　drive　them　out　of　their　Trade　at　other　foreign　Markets；　and　probably；　notwithstanding　all　they　can　do　to　prevent　it；　such　cheap　Commodities　will　find　the　Way　to　them　likewise。　　　　　But　we　must　consider　our　Trade；　with　respect　to　all　other　Nations；　as　well　as　France。　Suppose；　therefore；　that　such　an　unrestrained　Trade　with　France；　or　any　other　nation；　should　diminish　our　Cash　so　very　considerably；　that　we　could　not　give　above　half　the　Price　for　Things　in　general　as　we　at　present　do：　if　we　take　care　to　keep　our　Trade　alive；　by　employing　the　People　in　cultivating　more　Lands；　that　our　Produce　and　Manufactures　may　be　cheap　enough　to　carry　on　Trade　with　such　Nations；　it　must　needs　enlarge　our　Trade　mightily　with　those　nations；　whose　Cash　keeps　their　Prices　of　things　near　to；　or　above　the　Rates　ours　are　now　at；　insomuch　that　I　think　we　must　needs　have　the　Balance　on　all　such　Nations；　so　much　as　to　prevent　any　considerable　Mischief　arising　to　us；　whilst　our　Trade　is　taking　such　a　turn　as　an　open　Trade　with　those　Nations；　who　can　work　so　much　cheaper；　might　occasion。　　　　　But　lest　any　should　think　my　laying　such　Stress　on　cultivating　so　much　Land　is　any　way　extravagant；　I　would　desire　them　to　consider；　that　this　also　will　find　its　natural　bounds；　for　the　cultivating　Land　will　stop　of　itself；　when　the　Plenty　becomes　too　great　to　answer　and　turn　to　Account；　which　can　only　arise　from　too　high　Rents；　or　employing　too　many　of　the　People　this　Way；　of　which　last　I　apprehend　there　never　can　be　any　Danger；　as　I　will　shew　hereafter。　But　if　this　could　be；　since　the　People　make　a　Shift　to　live　now；　there　is　an　evident　Necessity　to　cultivate　a　great　deal　more　Land　to　employ　them；　and　thereby　to　make　Money　plentiful；　and　Trade　to　flourish。　How　profitable　and　advantageous　would　all　other　Trades；　etc。　become；　by　being　thus　in　fewer　Hands　than　they　would　require；（11*）　to　which　the　great　Plenty　and　Cheapness　of　Necessaries；　which　is　ultimately　what　all　work　for；　would　so　mightily　contribute；　that　the　People　would　naturally　fall　into　them；　and　so　hold　that　Proportion　in　all　Trades；　Manufactures；　and　Professions；　as　well　as　Cultivation　of　Land；　that　the　Nature　of　Things　themselves　would　plainly　and　sufficiently　point　out！　And　the　Rise　of　Rents　of　late　Years；　which　like　all　other　Things　could　only　rise　from　the　extraordinary　Demand　for　Lands；　is　a　Demonstration　that　all　Things　would　certainly　thus　work　of　themselves；　just　as　they　should　do；　and　as　the　Author　of　Nature　designed；　if　the　People　could　have　had　more　Land；　instead　of　raising　the　Rents；　as　they　wanted　it；　for　this　is　really　that　Course　of　Providence；　which　is　established　in　the　Nature　of　Things；　for　the　Provision　and　Happiness　of　Mankind。　　　　　I　shall　now　proceed　to　shew　that　the　prohibiting　the　current　Coin　to　be　exported　is　certain　Loss　to　the　Nation。　For　we　can　have　no　Occasion　to　send　Money；　or　Bullion；　or　foreign　Coin　to　any　Nation；　unles