money answers all things-第20部分

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dgeons；　which　was　1　Penny；　is　now　about　1　Shilling　and　6　Pence；　and　Wheat；　which　was　2　Shillings　per　Quarter；　is　now　about　24　or　26　Shillings　per　Quarter；　and　all　other　Things　differ　in　such　Proportion。　Whence　it　appears；　these　Things　are　now　higher　in　Price　then　they　were　then；　from　about　20　to　30　Times　and　upwards；　except　Wheat　which　I　suppose　Eras。　Phillips；　Esq；　in　his　State　of　the　Nation；　etc。　Page　52；　accounts　for；　where　he　says；　It's　observable；　Corn　hath　not　risen　in　proportion　to　other　Commodities；　because　by　a　new…fashioned　Industry　the　same　quantity　of　Ground　is　more　productive　than　it　was。　Therefore　it's　plain　in　fact　that　Gentlemen　are　vast　Losers　by　this　Advance　of　their　Rents；　since　they；　in　common　with　all　other　Consumers；　now　pay　on　the　Par　above　20　times　as　much　for　every　thing　as　was　paid　for　the　same　Things　about　four　Centuries　ago；　whilst　their　Rents　are　not　above　four　times　as　much　as　they　were　then；　therefore　it　must　be　mightily　for　the　Interest　of　the　landed　Gentlemen；　to　cause　Land　enough　to　be　added　and　improved；　to　put　Trade　into　a　flourishing　State；　since　it　must　be　equally　certain；　that　every　thing　will　fall；　as　it's　certainly　Fact；　every　thing　is　risen　in　so　much　greater　Proportion　than　the　Rents　have　been　raised。　　　　　But　I　can't　pass　over　this　Fact　without　remarking；　that　it　must　be　beneficial　to　Trade；　that　our　Princes；　Nobility；　and　Gentry；　should　wear　the　richest　Gold　and　Silver　Cloathing；　and　use　such　Utensils；　and　adorn　their　Palaces　and　Houses　with　these　shining　Metals；　as　much　as　the　Revenues　of　the　Crown；　or　Income　of　the　Estates　of　the　Nobility　and　Gentry　will　admit；　only　with　this　Difference；　that　crowned　Heads　may　layout　this　Way；　whatever　the　Extent　of　their　Revenues　will　allow；　but　the　Nobility　and　Gentry　must　act　in　this；　with　such　Regard　to　their　Families；　that　they　may　all　be　properly　provided　for；　whilst　the　Heir　only　should　fill　up　such　splendid　Appearances。　　　　　The　Reason　of　which　is　this；　that　it　appears　plainly　from　this　Discourse；　that　as　the　Gold　and　Silver　（i。e。　Money）　increases　in　greater　Proportion　than　the　People　increase；　so　will　the　Prices　of　every　thing　advance；　and　that　in　much　greater　Proportion　than　the　Rents　will　or　can　rise；　wherefore　it　can't　but　be　beneficial　even　for　Trade；　that　as　much　of　these　Metals　be　used　in　Splendor；　as　is　consistent　with　the　abovementioned　Circumstances；　because　by　thus　keeping　so　much　of　those　Metals　out　of　Trade；　the　more　just　Distinction　will　it　keep　up　amongst　the　several　Ranks　and　Stations　of　Men；（20*）　whilst　at　the　same　time　it　will　give　so　much　greater　Employment；　and　that　in　the　most　nice　and　curious　Arts；　to　Mechanicks；　etc。　and　prevent　our　Markets　from　rising　so　high；　as　to　hinder　the　Exportation　of　our　Commodities；　or　give　too　great　Encouragement　to　the　Importation　of　foreign　Goods。　　　　　I　am　induced　to　make　this　Remark；　from　the　Practice　of　the　East…Indians；　who；　as　I　have　often　heard；　carry　this　Matter　so　far；　as　to　bury　the　Money　they　get　by　Trade；　as　E。　Phillips；　Esq；　Page　7　also　says；　that　they　have　since　the　Year　1602；　buried　above　150　Millions　of　Silver；　which　hath　been　brought　into　Europe。（21*）　　　　　'Tis　by　this　Practice　they　keep　all　their　Goods　and　Manufactures　at　such　low　Rates；　that　all　Europe　thinks　it　not　only　worth　while　to　trade　with　them；　but　to　carry　prodigious　Quantities　of　Silver（22*）　to　purchase　their　Commodities；　whilst　our　Goods　cannot　possibly　find　much　Vend　with　them；　being　so　much　dearer　than　theirs；　as　we　see　the　Great　Circulation　of　Gold　amongst　us；　makes　our　Goods　in　respect　of　the　Prices　of　theirs；　who　this　Way　prevent　the　Money　they　gain　by　Trade　from　raising　the　Prices　of　their　Commodities。　　　　　Thus　will　they　not　always　preserve　the　Balance　of　Trade　in　their　Favour；　but　make　many　other　Nations　carry　their　Money　to　them；　besides　what　Use　they　may　make　of　such　immense　Wealth；　if　any　Exigence　or　Design　should　oblige　them　to　use　it；　which　Wealth　is　as　many　times　more　powerful　to　them　than　it　would　be　to　us；　as　the　Wages　of　their　labouring　People　are　lower　than　ours。　　　　　But　an　Objection　arises　here；　which　though　it　allows；　that　if　all　the　Things　our　Gentry　consume　and　use　were　our　own　natural　Produce；　they　would；　as　I　have　proved；　be　the　richer　for　executing　this　Proposal；　yet　since　they　consume　so　many　foreign　Goods；　as　perhaps　constitute　half　their　Expence；　viz。　Teas；　Sugars；　Fruits；　Linens；　Cambrick；　Laces；　Wines；　etc。　the　Prices　of　which　depend　so　much　on　what　they　cost　at　the　Places　they　are　brought　from；　that　they　can　receive　but　little　Alteration　by　the　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　the　Gentry　therefore　will　not　be　the　richer　for　such　a　Reduction　of　Labour；　and　Prices　of　our　natural　Produce；　as　would　hereby　be　effected。　　　　　To　which　I　answer；　That　all　Nations　have　some　Commodities　peculiar　to　them；　which　therefore　are　undoubtedly　designed　to　be　the　Foundation　of　Commerce　between　the　several　Nations；　and　produce　a　great　deal　of　Employment　by　maritime　Affairs；　etc。　for　Mankind；　which　probably；　without　such　Peculiarities；　could　not　be；　and　in　this　Respect；　I　suppose　we　are　distinguished；　as　well　as　other　Nations；　and　I　have　before　taken　Notice；　that　if　one　Nation　be　by　Nature　more　distinguished　in　this　Respect　than　another；　as　they　will　by　that　Means　gain　more　Money　than　such　other　Nations；　so　the　Prices　of　all　their　Commodities　and　labour　will　be　higher　in　such　Proportion；　as　my　fourth　Maxim　demonstrates；　and　consequently；　they　will　not　be　a　Jot　the　richer　or　more　powerful　for　having　more　Money　than　their　Neighbours。　　　　　But　if　we　import　any　kind　of　Goods　cheaper　than　we　can　now　raise　them；　which　otherwise　might　as　well　be　raised　at　home；　in　this　Case；　undoubtedly；　'tis　indispensibly　necessary　for　us　to　practice　the　Method　I　prescribe；　which　is　the　only　one；　by　which　we　ever　can　be　enabled　to　raise　all　such　Commodities　at　home；　and　thereby　furnish　so　many　new　Branches　of　Employment　and　Trade　for　our　own　People；　and　remove　the　Inconvience　of　receiving　any　Goods　from　abroad；　which　we　can　any　ways　raise　on　as　good　Terms　our　selves；　and　as　this　should　be　done　to　prevent　every　Nation　from　finding　their　Account　with　us；　by　any　such　Commodities　whatsoever；　so　this　would　more　effectually　shut　out　all　such　foreign　Goods　than　any　Law　can　do。　　　　　And　as　this　is　all　the　Prohibition　and　Restraint；　whereby　any　foreign　Trade　should　be　obstructed；　so　if　this　Method　be　continually　observed　and　practised；　as　it　most　certainly　ought；　our　Gentry　would　find　themselves　the　richer；　notwithstanding　their　Consumption　of　such　other　foreign　Goods；　as　being　the　Peculiarities　of　other　Nations；　we　may　be　obliged　to　import。　For　if；　when　we　have　increased　our　Produce　to　so　great　a　Degree；　as　to　reduce　the　Rates　of　Labour　considerably　too；　and　have　thereby　enabled　ourselves　to　raise　many　Kinds　of　Goods；　which　we　now　import；　cheaper　than　we　now　import　them；　which　is　the　necessary　Consequence　of　executing　this　Proposal；　I　say；　when　we　have　thus　raised　all　we　can　at　home；　and　thereby　put　our　Trade　into　a　flourishing　State；　the　Goods　we　import　after　this　is　done；　being　cheaper　than　we　can　raise　such　Goods　ourselves；　which　they　must　be；　or　we　shall　not　import　them；　I　say；　it's　plain　the　Consumption　of　any　such　Goods　cannot　occasion　so　gr