money answers all things-第21部分

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　we　shall　not　import　them；　I　say；　it's　plain　the　Consumption　of　any　such　Goods　cannot　occasion　so　great　an　Expence；　as　they　would　if　we　could　shut　them　out；　by　an　Act　of　Parliament；　to　raise　them　ourselves。　If　therefore　it　would　be　true；　as　the　Objection　allows；　that　the　Gentry　would　be　the　richer　for　executing　this　Proposal；　if　all　the　Goods　they　consume　and　use　were　the　natural　Produce　of　our　own　Country；　they　must　be　so；　notwithstanding　their　Consumption　of　any　Quantity　of　foreign　Goods；　which　we　can　import　and　sell　at　cheaper　Rates　than　we　can　possibly　raise　them　ourselves；　for　none　but　such　cheaper　foreign　Goods；　can　ever　find　a　Vend　in　any　Nation；　except　they　be　the　Peculiarities　of　other　foreign　Nations；　to　which　I　have　given　a　full　Answer　above。　　　　　From　hence　therefore　it　must　appear；　that　it　is　impossible　any　body　should　be　the　poorer；　for　using　any　foreign　Goods　at　cheaper　Rates　than　we　can　raise　them　ourselves；　after　we　have　done　all　we　possibly　can　to　raise　such　Goods　as　cheap　as　we　import　them；　and　find　we　cannot　do　it；　nay　this　very　Circumstance　makes　all　such　Goods　come　under　the　Character　of　the　Peculiarities　of　those　Countries；　which　are　able　to　raise　any　such　Goods　cheaper　than　we　can　do；　for　they　will　necessarily　operate　as　such。　　　　　8thly；　The　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　is　the　only　Means　by　which　Property　can　be　reasonably　and　sufficiently　diffused　amongst　all　Ranks　of　People。　For　whilst　the　working　People　have　not　sufficient　and　full　Employment；（23*）　their　Labour；　like　all　other　Things；　whose　Quantity　is　greater　than　the　Demand　for　them；　must　be　disposed　of　below　its　true　and　just　Value；　which　I　have　shewn　is；　or　ought　to　be；　as　near　as　possible；　so　much　as　will　produce　a　comfortable　Subsistence　for　a　Family；　suitable　to　that　Rank　of　Life：　Now　so　long　as　these　in　general　work　so　considerably　below　this　Point；　that　their　Wages　are　generally　insufficient　to　support　such　a　Family；　as　the　Estimate　supposes　them　to　have；　Property　is　evidently　not　so　much　diffused；　as　in　the　Nature　and　Reason　of　Things　it　ought　to　be；　which　will　necessarily　be　attended　with　many　Kinds　of　Evils；　in　Proportion　to　the　Degree；　which　the　working　Peoples　Wages　fall　short　of　the　Point　abovementioned：　For　hence　the　Wealthy　having　the　working　Peoples　Labour　and　Skill　so　much　too　cheap；　do　not　only　engross　that　Property；　in　which　the　labouring　People　have　a　just　and　natural　Right；　so　far　as　their　Wages　fall　short　of　the　End　aforesaid；　but　they　hereby　accumulate　a　great　deal　of　Wealth；　in　which　the　middling　People　have　a　reasonable　and　natural　Property；　and　many　of　them　who　understand　Trade；　are　enabled　by　the　Force　of　such　unequal　Wealth；　to　trade　on　Terms　too　low　to　admit　many　of　the　middling　People　to　get　a　Livelihood；　suitable　to　their　Rank　and　Station：　For　instance；　suppose　a　Man　in　Trade　worth　10000　l。　and　the　Reduction　of　Interest　hath　actually　brought　too　many　such　into　several　Retail　Trades；　I　say；　suppose　such　a　one；　in　order　to　turn　his　Stock　once　in　the　Year；　will　vend　his　Goods　at　10　per　cent　profit；　this　will　produce　1000　l。　per　annum；　now　let　another　in　the　same　Way　of　Trade　worth　1000　l。　sell　at　the　same　Rate　（as　he　must；　or　have　very　little　Business）　and　let　him　be　supposed　（because　a　less　Stock　may　commonly　be　oftener　return'd　than　a　greater）　to　turn　his　Stock　twice　a　Year；　which；　since　giving　Credit　is　become　so　general；　is　as　often　as　such　a　Stock　in　Retail　Trade　can　generally　be　returned；　this　though　it　produces　20　l。　per　Cent　on　this　Capital；　or　200　l。　per　Annum；　shall　hereafter　be　shewn　to　be　very　insufficient　to　bear　all　Charges　of　Trade；　and　support　a　middling　Family；　so　as　it　is　undoubtedly　reasonable　such　a　Family　should　live；　for　whose　Support　1000　l。　of　their　own　Money　is　employed　in　Trade：　Whilst　the　other　making　10　per　Cent　on　his　large　Capital；　may　still　more　and　more　encrease　it；　at　the　same　time　that　he　is　bringing　on　the　Ruin　of　many　that　have　but　middling　Capitals。　Hence　therefore　it　must　appear；　that　not　only　the　labouring　Mechanicks；　but　many　of　the　middling　People　must　with　them　be　dispossessed　of　that　Property；　which　their　Rank　in　Life；　and　the　Good　of　the　Community；　naturally　intitle　them　too；　for　that　Community　will　always　be　most　powerful；　and　most　happy；　that　abounds　most　with　middling　People；　and　as　there　is　no　Means；　by　which　Property　can　be　diffused　amongst　the　People　in　general；　except　that　I　am　pointing　out；　so　I　think　it　self…evident；　that　this　Means　cannot　fail　of　diffusing　Property；　amongst　all　Ranks　of　People；　to　such　a　Degree；　as　that　all；　that　will　be　industrious；　and　careful；　may　be　comfortably　supported　according　to　the　several　Ranks　and　Stations；　in　which　Providence　may　think　fit　to　cast　them；　and　whenever　Property　is　thus　diffused；　it　is　not　only　sufficiently　diffused；　but　involves　all　the　Happiness　the　Nature　of　Things　is　capable　of　producing　to　mankind；　so　that　whatever　Difference　there　shall　then　be　in　the　Circumstances；　Conditions；　and　Ranks　of　Men；　they　will　only　be　such　as　the　Author　of　Nature　designed；　and　such　as　are　inseparably　connected　with　civil　Government；　in　which　there　must　necessarily　be　high　and　low；　as　long　as　Government　subsists。　　　　　9thly；　The　full　and　sufficient　Execution　of　this　Proposal；　is　the　only　natural　or　possible　Means；　by　which　Luxury；　so　far　as　it　is　injurious　to　Society；　can　be　removed。　　　　　I　don't　call　that　State；　Equipage；　or　Way　of　Living；　which　is　suitable　to　the　Rank　or　Condition　of　a　man；　Luxury　hurtful　to　Society；　how　pompous　soever；　if　it　be　contained　within　the　Limits　of　his　Estate；　to　such　a　Degree；　a　will　admit　of　his　making　such　Provision　for　his　Family；　as　his　Rank　and　Dignity　requires；　for　I　think　such　State　and　Way　of　Living　necessary　and　useful　to　Society；　whilst　it's　confined　within　the　Bounds　aforesaid。　　　　　Therefore　as　that　Man　only　can　be　called　luxurious；　in　a　Sense　hurtful　to　Society；　who　exceeds　these　Bounds；　so　a　Nation　only　can　be　said　to　be　luxurious；　when　the　People　too　generally　exceed　in　this　Respect。　That　this　may　possibly　be　the　Case　of　a　Nation；　I　shall　take　for　granted；　and　admit；　that　one　must　be　reduced　to　Distress；　as　sure　as　the　other。　　　　　Now　the　Cause　of　such　general　or　national　Luxury；　is　solely　owing　to　too　great　an　Inequality　of　Property；　by　which　too　many　are　enabled　to　live　excessively　splendid；　whilst　the　rest；　having　much　less　than　they　want；　are　too　much　depress'd　and　sunk；　so　that　whilst　one　Side　are　almost　adored　for　their　Wealth；　the　other　are　almost　abhorred　for　their　Poverty；　and　as　this　makes　the　Gap　much　too　wide　between　these　Extreams；　it　can't　be　expected；　but　that　the　adored　Part　of　Mankind　will　necessarily　be　imitated；　beyond　proper　Limits；　by　most　of　those　between　these　Extreams；　and　this　compleats　the　Notion　of　Luxury　hurtful　to　Society。　　　　　But　were　Property　to　be　so　diffused；　as　I　have　shewn　it　may　and　ought；　the　Labour；　etc。　of　the　People　would　not　come　on　Terms　so　unreasonably　low；　as　to　support　such　Excess　on　the　one　Hand；　or　to　depress　and　sink　the　rest　too　much　on　the　other：　Nay；　diffusing　Property　as　aforesaid；　will　not　only　remove　Luxury　so　far　as　it　is　hurtful　to　Society；　but　will　in　general　extinguish　all　Kinds　of　Vice　together　with　it。　For　this　too　great　Inequal