money answers all things-第12部分

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ations　will　probably　transmit　our　Money　to　the　Nation　that　has　the　Balance　on　them；　because　if　they　send　their　own　current　Coin；　it　will　be　as　much　foreign　Coin　to　the　Nation　it's　sent　to；　as　our　Coin　can　be；　and

therefore；　as　I　said；　if　we　have　the　Balance　on　any　nation　which　receives　our　Money；　it　will　come　back　again　to　us；　because　it　will　pay　more　and　be　readier；　than　if　they　sent　us　Bullion　or　heir　own　current　Specie；　and　thus　will　it　save　our　Money　from　being　melted　abroad　as　well　as　at　home；　which　I　think　a　strengthening　Argument　for　permitting　our　Specie　to　go　and　come　freely　where　the　Balance　of　Trade　shall　carry　it。　　　　　In　the　Beginning　of　this　Essay；　it　was　laid　down　as　a　Maxim；　That　Gold　and　Silver　（i。e。　Money）　will　be　plentiest　where　the　Mines　are：　Now　since　I　am　treating　of　prohibiting　our　current　Coin　to　be　exported；　let　it　be　supposed；　that　the　People　possess'd　of　the　Mines　could　furnish　themselves　with　the　Necessaries　and　Pleasures　of　Life　by　the　Produce　of　their　own　Country；　and　therefore　should　think　fit　to　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　Gold　and　Silver；　and　should　thereby　be　effectually　able　to　prevent　the　Exportation　thereof；　which　is　undoubtedly　impossible：　I　say；　if　we　suppose　such　Nations　to　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　Gold　and　Silver；　and　at　the　same　time　continue　to　work　those　Mines；　so　that　they　are　continually　giving　more　and　more　Gold　and　Silver；　how　great　must　the　Increase　of　those　Commodities　soon　become！　And　since　Gold　and　Silver　are　of　little　Use；　besides　procuring　the　Necessaries　and　Conveniencies　of　Life；　which　alone　are　real　Riches；　and　for　which　Gold　and　Silver　are　now　universally　exchanged；　would　not　the　great　Plenty　of　these　Commodities；　thus　continually　increasing；　cause　proportionably　so　much　more　Gold　and　Silver　（with　which　they　would　at　length　be　incumbered）　to　be　given　for　the　more　necessary　Produce　and　Fruits　of　the　Earth？　And　would　not　this　so　depress　the　Value　of　Gold　and　Silver；　by　their　Plenty　amongst　them；　as　to　give　amble　Opportunity　and　Encouragement　to　all　the　World　to　go　to　this　Market　with　their　Produce　and　Manufactures；　which　they　can　and　will　sell　for　a　vast　deal　less　Gold　and　Silver；　than　what　such　Goods　of　their　own　raising　would　in　this　Case　be　sold　for？　Nay；　they　would　find　it　a　Convenience　to　be　eased　of　the　Burthen　of　Gold　and　Silver；　which　the　Mines；　if　continually　worked；　would　be　giving；　as　certainly　as　it's　a　Relief　to　any　Country　to　part　with　any　Commodity　they　too　much　abound　in：　For　if　they　do　not　cease　to　work　the　Mines；　when　they　have　raised　Gold　and　Silver　enough　to　be　burthensome；　they　must　and　will　certainly　drop　their　Cultivation　and　Manufactures；　since　Men　will　not　easily　be　induced　to　labour　and　toil；　for　what　they　can　get　with　much　less　Trouble；　by　exchanging　some　of　the　Excess　of　their　Gold　and　Silver　for　what　they　want。　And　if　they　should　be　supposed；　as　is　natural　enough　in　this　case；　to　drop　their　Cultivation　and　Manufactures；　which　are　much　the　slowest　and　most　laborious　Way　of　supplying　themselves　with　what　they　could　so　easily　and　readily　procure　by　exchanging　Gold　and　Silver；　which　they　too　much　abound　in；　they　would　certainly；　in　a　great　Measure；　by　so　doing　lose　the　Arts　of　Cultivation；　and　especially　of　Manufactures；　as　it's　thought　Spain　hath　done；　merely　by　the　Accession　of　the　Wealth　which　the　West　Indies　have　produced　them；　whence　they　are　become　a　poor　Nation；　and　the　Conduit…Pipes　to　disperse　the　Gold　and　Silver　over　the　World；　which　other　Nations；　by　making　Goods　cheaper　than　they　can　do；　are　fetching　from　them；　to　such　a　Degree；　as　that　the　Mines　are　scarcely　sufficient　to　answer　their　Occasions；　and　though　they　are　sensible　of　this；　yet　they　find　by　Experience　they　can't　prevent　it。　　　　　The　case　is　the　very　same；　in　some　Degree；　in　every　Nation；　whose　Quantity　of　real　or　artificial　Cash　is　large　enough　to　support　the　Prices　of　their　goods；　considerably　above　the　Rates　such　Goods　bear　in　other　Nations　around　them。　Whence　it's　obvious；　all　Prohibitions　must　in　the　Issue　be　injurious　to　Trade；　because　beside　all　other　Mischiefs　they　occasion；　they　are　always　designed　to　restrain　the　Money　from　going　out　of　the　Nation。　　　　　Yet　I　must　own；　I　am　entirely　for　preventing　the　Importation　of　all　foreign　Commodities；　as　much　as　possible；　but　not　by　Acts　of　Parliament；　which　never　can　do　any　good　to　trade；　but　by　raising　such　Goods　ourselves；　so　cheap　as　to　make　it　impossible　for　other　Nations　to　find　their　Account　in　bringing　them　to　us：　And　as　this　is　the　only　natural　and　effectual　Prohibition　of　such　Things　as　we　would　not　receive　from　abroad；　so　I　wish　every　Nation　in　the　World　would　do　this　as　much　as　ever　they　can；　for　then　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　would　be　so　great；　that　all　Mankind　would　be　happy；　if　this　world　is　capable　of　making　them　so。　　　　　I　shall　now　proceed　to　some　Observations　upon　the　whole。　　　　　First；　That　it　is　of　no　Consequence；　whether　any　Nation　hath　a　vast　deal　of　Gold　and　Silver；　or　but　very　little　Money　amongst　them；　if　sufficient　Care　be　taken　to　make　the　Plenty　of　every　thing　gret　enough；　to　make　the　Money　they　have；　amply　extend　to　circulate　their　Trade　in　every　Branch；　so　as　fully　to　employ　and　support　all　their　People；　which　must　and　will　make　them　all　happy；　and　certainly　cause　them　to　have　vastly　more　foreign　Trade；　by　their　thus　being　able　to　make　and　sell　their　Manufactures　and　Produce　at　lower　Rates　than　their　Neighbour　Nations　can　do。　And　this　is　absolutely　in　the　Power　of　every　Nation；　that　will　cultivate　Land　enough　to　effect　it；　unless　any　Nation　should　have　more　People　in　it　than　they　have　Land　to　support　them；　which　may　easily　be　known　from　the　Demand　there　will　be　for　Land；　and　raising　the　Rents　in　Consequence　thereof；　till　the　Prices　of　Necessaries　become　so　dear；　that　the　Wages　of　the　labouring　People　will　not　purchase　what　is　needful　for　the　Support　of　their　Families；　and　there　be　no　more　Land　left　to　cultivate；　and　remove　this　Mischief；　which　will　fall　more　or　less　on　every　Occupation；　in　Proportion　as　the　Poor　become　thereby　distressed。　In　this　Case；　there　is　no　Relief　but　transporting　the　People　where　they　can　have　Land　enough　for　them。　　　　　Secondly；　It's　of　little　or　no　Consequence　to　the　Trade　of　any　Nation；　whether　the　People　spend　near　or　all　their　Gains；　provided　they　do　not　spend　more　than　they　really　gain；　for　this　disables　them　to　make　good　their　mutual　Contracts　and　Bargains；　or　whether　they　are　generally　frugal；　and　lay　up　considerably。　For　the　Trade　of　a　Nation　doth　very　little　depend　on　these　Things；　but　intirely　on　employing　the　People　in　Cultivation　of　Land；　in　that　Proportion　to　the　other　Employments　of　Mankind；　that　the　Necessaries　of　Life；　which　all　ultimately　work　for；　may　be　so　plentiful；　that　the　meanest　of　the　People　may　easily　attain　a　Sufficiency　of　them；　for　Plenty　of　these　comprehends　all　human　Felicity；　not　excepting　Peace　itself。　For　why　should　we　differ；　or　go　to　War；　or　how　can　we　ask　Heaven　to　succeed　our　Arms　against　our　Neighbours；　when　we　have　enough　of　what　we　want　amongst　ourselves；　and　can　sell　our　Produce；　and　make　our　goods　so　cheap；　as　almost　to　lay　them　under　a　Necessity　to　buy　them　of　us？　And　this　is　the　best　Condition　our　Trade　with　foreign　Nations　can　eve