money answers all things-第8部分

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　Affairs；　so　the　Strength　of　it　is　chiefly　its　Navy：　Wherefore　if　Timber　be　made　very　plentiful；　and　Labour　cheaper　too；　which　would　make　a　mighty　Difference　in　the　Expence　the　Government　are　now　at　for　the　Navy；　beside　that　they　will　be　mann'd；　and　fitted　to　Sea　at　so　much　less　Expence　likewise。　This　will　infallibly　be　the　Consequence　of　sufficiently　executing　this　Proposal　in　all　its　Parts。　Thus　will　much　less　Money　serve　all　the　Affairs　of　the　Government；　and　soon　make　a　Surplus　arise；　to　reduce　the　national　Debts；　and　ease　the　Taxes；　without　any　Inconvenience　to　the　Government　or　the　Nation。　　　　　It　might　be　expected　that　Gentlemen；　for　their　own　Advantage；　and　the　Benefit　of　their　Families；　should　plant　Timber　enough；　but　we　find　it　so　much　otherwise；　that　Laws　have　been　made　to　oblige　this　to　be　done；　and　yet　the　End　hath　not　been　attained；　which　I　ascribe　to　these　Causes：　First；　the　Rents　having　been　rising　of　late　Years；　from　the　considerable　Demand　there　hath　been　for　Land；　hath　been　one　Reason　that　planting　Timber　hath　not　been　sufficiently　regarded。　Secondly；　Planting　Timber　regards　Posterity　rather　than　ourselves　immediately；　and　this　hath　occasioned　the　Neglect　of　it；　and　if　we　continue　to　go　on　thus；　an　Observation　the　Spectator　No　583　recites；　that　the　Nation　if　a　few　Years　will　be　at　a　Loss　to　supply　itself　with　Timber　sufficient　for　the　Fleets　of　England；　will　certainly　be　verified。（4*）　Wherefore；　to　make　Plenty　of　Timber；　I　would　propose；　that　a　Law　be　made；　which　shall　effectually　provide；　and　oblige　all　the　Lands　throughout　the　whole　Kingdom；　at　all　times；　to　maintain　a　Timber　Tree　in　every　Hedge　and　Bank；　at　100　Feet　Distance　or　thereabouts；　which　Distance　I　suppose　sufficient　to　admit　the　Sun　and　Wind；　so　that　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　may　receive　no　Prejudice　by　the　Trees　that　should　thus　grow　in　the　Hedges　and　Banks。　　　　　Further；　all　Lands　that　are　infertile；　or　not　so　fit　for　Cultivation；　and　likewise　all　waste　Land；　as　far　as　it's　possible　to　effect　if；　should　be　well　planted　with　Timber。　For　it's　well　known　that　all　Lands；　where　Woods　have　been　cut　and　grubb'd　up；　are　always　fruitful；　for　a　Wood；　by　the　Fall　of　the　Leaves；　etc。　and　retaining　the　Rain　much　longer　on　the　Ground　than　otherwise　it　would；　always　renders　the　Ground　it　grows　on　more　fruitful；　besides　that　Woods　always　produce　the　finest　and　best　Timber；　Whilst　the　Hedges　produce　the　strongest　and　crookedest；　which　therefore　would　be　exceedingly　useful　for　shipping；　and　especially　for　small　Vessels。　Thus　Timber　may　be　made　plentiful　enough；　and　then；　if　Labour　be　made　cheaper；　Ships　may　be　built　so　cheap；　as　to　enable　us　to　cope　with　any　Nation　in　the　World　in　all　maritime　Affairs。　But　there　is　no　other　Way　in　Nature　to　do　this；　and　till　'tis　done；　we　must　be　content；　not　only　to　see　the　Ships　of　other　Nations　the　principal　Carriers　of　the　World；　but　to　employ　many　Ships　ourselves　which　are　not　built　in　this　Kingdom。　　　　　But　it　will　be　objected；　This　can't　be　effected　presently；　because　Timber　takes　many　Years　to　grow　to　any　Perfection。　So　much　the　more　Need　is　there　that　it　be　done；　and　if　effectual　Provision　be　made　for　Futurity；　the　present　Stock　of　Timber　in　the　Kingdom　will　answer　the　End　sufficiently；　whilst　the　Supply　is　growing　to　prevent　any　future　Inconvenience；　provided　Labour　be；　as　speedily　as　possible；　made　cheap　enough　to　contribute　to　that　End：　For　the　same　Means　which　alone　can　make　Labour　cheaper；　will　make　every　other　Thing　cheaper。　And　this　may　be　fully　effected　in　a　very　few　Years；　and　will　be　sensibly　felt　by　all；　from　its　very　first　Attempt；　if　Land　enough　be；　as　fast　as　may　be；　put　into　Cultivation　to　answer　the　Purpose。　For　with　this；　every　Trade　will　infallibly　flourish；　without　any　Inconvenience　but　falling　the　Rents；　which　I　have　before　shewn　will　be　really　the　present　Interest　of　every　Gentleman；　besides　the　sure　Foundation　of　the　Happiness　of　his　immediate　Offspring。　　　　　And　as　to　the　Purchase　of　Estates；which　is　always　governed　by　the　Interest　of　Money；　they　will　be　valued　at　as　many　Years　Purchase　as　they　would　if　Rents　had　not　fallen；　and　tho'　the　Sums　they　sell　for　must　be　less；　in　proportion　as　the　Rents　shall　be　lowered；　yet　the　Money　will　have；　at　least；　all　the　same　Effects；　apply　it　how　you　please。　　　　　The　Spectator　No　200；　asserts；　That　if　the　Fruits　of　the　Earth　could　be　increased　one　Tenth　above　all　Possibility　of　Consumption；　it　would　reduce　the　Price　of　them　half。　But　such　an　Increase　is　absolutely　impossible；　the　World　having　never　yet；　I　believe；　produced　an　Instance　of　it。　Besides　that　the　Author　of　the　World　hath；　undoubtedly；　observed　as　nice　and　exact　a　Proportion　in　the　Wants　of　Mankind；　and　what　the　Earth　will　produce　to　supply　them；　as　he　hath　done　in　all　the　rest　of　his　Works；　and　then　such　an　Excess；　as　I　said　before；　is　impossible；　and　this　I　shall　prove　hereafter。　　　　　But　a　greater　Excess　than　this　is　become　a　Fact；　as　to　the　Houses　within　the　Bills　of　Mortality；（5*）　and　will　certainly　be　attended　with　that　Consequence；　of　reducing　the　Rents　one　half；　if　the　Method　I　propose　be　not　applied　to　prevent　it。　And　if；　as　he　reasons　in　another　Part　of　the　same　Spectator；　the　Cities　of　London　and　Westminister　pay　a　Fifth　of　the　whole　Revenue　of　the　Crown；　beside　the　Rent　and　Taxes　they　enable　the　Country　to　pay；　what　Care　ought　to　be　taken　to　make　Money　plentiful　amongst　the　People　in　general；　which　alone　can　make　Trade　flourish；　and　fill　the　Houses；　and　prevent　so　great　and　certain　a　Diminution　as　the　Revenue　must　suffer　in　all　Parts　of　the　Kingdom　for　want　of　this　Care！　　　　　But　I　am　sensible　the　great　Number　of　empty　Houses　is　ascribed　to　the　Increase　of　Building　since　the　Peace。　But　whoever　considers；　that　there　are　not　less　then　6　or　700000　People　in　the　Bills　of　Mortality；　and　that；　according　to　the　natural　Increase　of　Mankind；　at　the　lowest　Computation　of　doubling　in　360　Years；　the　Increase　will　be　near　40000　People　since　that　Time；（6*）　he　will　be　necessarily　obliged　to　ascribe　the　empty　Houses　to　other　Causes；　and　not　to　the　Increase　of　Building　solely。　But　however　since　they　are　built；　and　their　being　inhabited；　or　standing　empty；　will　certainly　have　such　an　Influence　on　the　Rents　of　the　Kingdom；　and　the　Revenue　likewise；　it　behoves　us　to　take　the　proper　Methods　to　fill　them；　which　I　am　confident　will　soon　be　effected　by　cultivating　Land　enough　to　make　a　Plenty　of　Money　amongst　the　Trading　Part　of　the　People　in　general；　but　not　otherwise。　　　　　But　further；　if　the　People　increased；　as　Dr　Nichols　says　they　did；　so　as　to　double　themselves　in　London　in　40　Years；　notwithstanding　the　last　great　Plague　which　happened　within　the　Period　he　wrote　of；　and　the　Country　increased；　tho'　not　in　the　like　yet　in　a　considerable　Proportion　（and　I　hope　his　Authority　is　sufficient　to　bear　me　out）；　then　the　Building　since　the　Peace；　which　hath　by　no　means　I　think　been　in　proportion　to　one　Fourth　of　such　and　Increase　of　People；　can't　be　the　Reason　to　which　the　Vast　Number　of　empty　Houses　can　be　ascribed。　　　　　But　the　empty　Houses　must　be　ascribed　to　such　a　Diminution　of　Trade；　and　consequently　of　Cash　amongst　the　People；　which　makes　it　so　difficult　for　the　People　to　get　Money　to　support　them；　that　many　are　become　inca