money answers all things-第17部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


his　is　an　invincible　Argument　for　a　free　and　unrestrained　Trade；　since　if　any　Nation　makes　Goods　for　us；　we　must　be　making　others　for　them　or　some　other　Nation；　and　so　mutually　for　each　other；　provided　our　Goods　are　made　cheap　enough　to　maintain　such　Commerce。　　　　　And　if　so；　what　a　Number　of　People　will　every　Nation　thus　be　able；　by　means　of　maritime　commerce；　with　all　its　Appendages；　to　sustain；　more　than　any　such　Nation　could　do；　without　this　Way　of　employing　and　supporting　them。　For　if　the　people　had　not　this　Way　to　employ　them；　　they　must　fall　into　Agriculture　for　Employment；　in　which　Case；　the　same　Number　of　People　would　require　a　vastly　greater　Extent　of　Territory　to　support　them　than　in　the　former　Case　and　their　Affluence（16*）　would　in　general　be　vastly　less　likewise；　besides；　that　such　a　Nation　would　not　be　near　so　formidable；　the　Reasons　of　which　I　shall　endeavour　to　shew。　　　　　If　any　certain　Quantity　of　Land　well　cultivated　and　improved　will　produce　Corn　and　Cattle；　and　all　other　Necessaries　for　the　Use　of　Man；　when　only　1/3　of　the　People；　suppose；　are　immediately　employ'd　this　Way；　whilst　the　other　2/3　are　employed　in　maritime　Affairs；　and　Affairs　thereunto　relating；　and　other　Vocations：　if　the　People　can　be　so　subsisted；　as　they　undoubtedly　are；　at　the　same　Time　that　their　maritime　Commerce　is　not　only　so　useful；　to　employ　so　very　great　a　Part　of　them；　as　subsist　in　any　Relation　to　it；　but　brings　them　Gold　and　Silver；　who　have　no　other　Way　to　procure　any　amongst　them；　which　Gold　and　Silver；　by　being　made　the　Medium　of　all　Transactions；　circulates　swiftly　through　every　Hand；　in　suitable　Proportion　to　the　Business　each　Particular　transacts；　leaving　also　amongst　many　of　them　a　Surplus；　greater　than　what　their　particular　Occasions　require；　which　constitutes　the　Wealth　of　such　particulars；　and　which；　when　many　of　the　People　are　thus　enriched；　constitutes　what　is　called　national　Affluence；　I　say；　a　Nation　doth　thus　become　properly　affluent；　and　that　includes　Strength　and　Power。　　　　　All　Interruptions　therefore　of　this　Commerce；　whilst　it　continues　gainful　（i。e。　increases　the　Nation's　Cash）　will　no　doubt　be　allowed　to　lessen　this　Affluence；　Strength　and　Power。　Therefore　when　any　Branch　of　Commerce　lessens　the　Cash　of　a　Nation；　I　expect　it　will　be　thought　fit　by　high　Duties　or　Prohibitions　to　restrain　or　suppress　it；　but　this　I　shall　take　the　Liberty　to　deny；　because　it　will　hence　become　fit　for　other　Nations　to　lay　such　Restraints　or　Prohibitions；　as　never　to　let　us　have　a　gainful　Trade；　if　they　can　help　it；　it　being　just　so　far　a　losing　Trade　to　them　as　it's　gainful　to　us；　and　as　maritime　Commerce　must　be；　and　certainly　now　is；　very　much　lessened　by　these　mutual　Restraints；　so　many　People　must　have　lost　their　Employment　in　every　such　Nation；　and　where　they　will　find　Employment；　but　in　Tillage　and　Cultivation　of　Land；　I　can't　imagine；　wherefore；　if　they　must　employ　such；　or　an　equal　Number　of　others　this　Way；　which　indeed　the　rising　Generation　will　best　and　most　naturally　supply　for　that　Purpose；　as　they　can't　be　employed　on　the　Land　before　cultivated；　so　it's　certain　they　must　have　so　much　larger　Territory　to　support　the　same　Number　of　People；　whereby；　as　their　domestick　Trade　will　languish　as　their　maritime　Trade　decreases；　because　domestick　Trade　doth　very　much　depend　on　maritime　Trade；　so　their　maritime　Force　will　decrease　together　with　them；　for　the　Truth　of　which；　I　appeal　to　Experience　and　Fact；　whether　every　Nation　be　not　more　or　less　formidable；　as　their　maritime　Commerce　is　more　extensive　or　less　considerable；　whence　it's　plain；　Affluence　and　Strength　are　so　connected　with　the　maritime　Trade　of　a　Nation；　that　they　must　increase　or　diminish　together。　　　　　But　if　every　Nation；　instead　of　such　Restraints；　would　make　their　Produce；　etc。　cheap　enough；　which　they　can　always　do；　and　that　to　the　real　Advantage　of　every　Part　of　the　Community；　their　good　and　cheap　Goods　would　force　themselves　by　these　Qualities　（which　are　inseparably　connected）　on　some　other　Nations　at　least；　and；　I　think；　on　them　too　who　endeavour　to　restrain　them；　and　thus　extend　as　well　as　preserve　their　maritime　Commerce；　and　with　it　their　Affluence　and　Prowess。　　　　　And　this　might　perhaps　demonstrate　to　others　the　Folly　of　restraining　Trade　in　any　Degree　whatsoever；　and　be　a　Means　to　point　the　Way　to　make　their　People　happy　in　Trade；　without　such　Restraints；　or　ever　going　to　War　with　each　other　about　it；　for　War；　I　am　sure；　is　always　in　its　Consequences；　as　destructive　of　Trade　as　it　is　of　the　Peace　and　Happiness　of　Mankind。　　　　　But　the　above　Estimate　shews；　that　if　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　were　doubled；　it　would　certainly　be　consumed；　since　the　Wages　of　the　labouring　People；　who　are　the　bulk　of　Mankind；　are　not　sufficient　to　purchase　above　half　the　Necessaries　such　a　Family　doth　require。　If　it　be　said；　every　one　hath　not　so　large　a　Family；　I　answer；　that　many　have　larger；　and　as　it　is　reasonably　expected；　every　Man　should　provide　for　his　own　Family；　how　large　soever　it　may　be；　it　hence　becomes　fit；　that　every　Man　should　be　capable　to　earn；　at　least；　as　much　as　will　provide　for　such　a　middling　Family；　as　the　Estimate　is　made　for。　　　　　But　I　must　observe；　that　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　could　not　be　doubled；　unless　the　Quantity　of　Land　in　Use　were　also　doubled；　for　the　Land　in　Use　doth　certainly；　generally；　produce　as　much　as　it　can　well　be　made　to　bear；　therefore　it　follows；　there　must　be　twice　as　much　Land　to　bear　twice　the　present　Quantity　of　Produce；　which　the　Estimate　shews　would　be　consumed；　without　altering　the　several　Ranks　and　Stations　of　Man　in　any　Respect；　but　that　of　being　comfortably　supported　in　the　several　Ranks　and　Stations　of　Life。　　　　　But　to　double　the　Produce；　there　must　be　double　the　Number　of　People　employed　in　Cultivation　of　Land。　Now；　I　think　it　self…evident；　that　Trade；　Manufactures；　etc。　could　not　possibly　spare　half　such　a　Number　of　People　out　of　them；　without　making　Trade；　Manufactures；　etc。　much　too　profitable；　and　encouraging；　to　suffer　half　so　many　People　to　employ　themselves　any　other　Way。　For　as　it　is　the　Demand；　which　governs　and　fixes　the　Price　of　every　thing；　if　so　many　People　were　to　be　taken　out　of　Trade；　Manufactures；　etc。　as　half　the　Quantity　of　Land；　we　have　now　in　Use；　would　require　to　cultivate　and　improve　it；　and　go　through　all　the　Parts　of　Business　arising　thereby；　the　Manufacturers；　Traders；　etc。　would　undoubtedly　be　able　to　exact　almost　what　Price　they　pleased　for　their　Work　and　Business。　Upon　the　whole　then；　we　may　see；　that　all　the　Produce　of　the　Earth　and　Manufactures　would　be　wanted　and　used；　if　Things　were　to　be　put　on　so　happy　a　Foot；　as　I　am　pointing　out；　and　that　the　Wants　of　Mankind　are　full　as　great；　as　both　their　Abilities；　and　the　Earth　too；　are　capable　of　supplying；　whence　it　follows；　that　any　Want　of　Employment　or　Trade　amongst　the　People；　is　solely　owing　to　this；　that　we　have　not　Land　enough　in　Use　to　employ　and　support　them。　　　　　Again；　I　would　observe；　that　if　the　present　Quantity　of　Produce　were　to　be　augmented　only　one　Fourth　at　most　（and　perhaps　People　enough　might　be　spared　out　of　Trade；　Manufactures；　etc。　to　do　this）　it　would　certainly　fall　the　Price　of　the　Produce　half。　　　　　For　since　Farms　must；