money answers all things-第7章

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nd　enlarge；　not　only　for　the　Reason　I　gave　before；　but　because　such　Nations　will　always　be　the　richest　and　most　powerful　（in　respect　to　the　Bigness　of　their　Territory）　who　have　the　most　maritime　Trade；　whether　the　Quantity　of　Cash　amongst　the　People　be　as　great　as　any　other　Nation　or　not；　beside　all　this；　I　say；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　consider；　what　a　vast　Value　must　be　risqued　at　Sea；　when　things　are　fully　manufactured；　to　what　would　be　risqued　in　their　rough　Principles；　and　what　a　Tendency　the　vast　Value　of　Goods；　fully　manufactured；　hath　to　make　the　Balance　of　Trade　fluctuate；　so　as　to　hazard　very　great　Quantities　of　Gold　and　Silver；　much　oftener　at　Sea；　to　make　the　Balance；　than　there　otherwise　would　be　Occasion　for：　And　after　all；　how　difficult　is　it；　sufficiently　to　prevent　the　Exportation　or　Importation　of　any　thing；　which　those　who　want　it　will　be　at　the　Charge　to　get；　and　what　a　Damage　do　a　great　many　honest　People　sustain；　by　the　unavoidable　Inconveniences　attending　Prohibitions　and　high　Duties；　besides　the　Iniquity　they　too　often　occasion！　But　let　us　a　little　consider；　whether　a　free　and　unrestrained　Trade　hath　any　Inconveniencies；　we　ought　to　guard　against。（10*）　I　will　not　contend　for　it；　with　respect　to　France；　though　I　can't　see　it　could　do　us　any　Harm；　even　in　that　Case；　if　we　were　prudent　enough　to　prevent　the　Inconvenience；　by　imploying　more　Land　as　our　Cash　decreases；　thereby　to　employ　the　People；　and　lower　the　Price　of　things　still　so　much；　that　whatever　Cash　remains　amongst　us；　it　may　however　be　so　plentiful　as　to　circulate　Trade　to　the　utmost；　and　so　make　the　People　in　general　happy；　notwithstanding　its　Decrease。　For　I　am　sensible　that　as　France　can　work　vastly　cheaper；　because　they　can　live　for　a　great　deal　less　than　we　can　do；　so　they　can　make　most　of　the　Manufactures　we　make；　as　well　as　we　can；　and　therefore　if　we　were　to　open　Trade　with　them；　they　would　bring　us　all　sorts　of　Goods　so　cheap；　that　our　Manufactures　would　be　at　an　End；　till　the　Money　they　would　by　this　Means　get　of　us　rais'd　the　Prices　of　their　things　so　much；　and　our　Want　of　Money　should　fall　ours　to　such　a　Degree；　that　we　could　go　on　with　our　Manufactures　as　cheap　as　they；　and　when　Trade　would　stand　between　that　Nation　and　us；　as　it　doth　between　us　and　other　Nations　who　mutually　take　Goods　of　each　other；　and　I　think　this　would　enlarge　the　maritime　Trade　of　both　Nations；　together　with　all　the　Trades　relating　thereto　（i。e。　would　furnish　still　further　Means　of　employing　abundance　of　People　of　both　Nations　this　Way）；　and　at　last；　this　will　terminate　in　the　particular　Advantages　each　Nation　naturally　hath　in　the　Produce　of　their　respective　Countries：　And　if　any　Nation　is　blest　in　this　respect　more　than　another；　the　Difference　this　will　make；　will　be　only　that　of　having　more　Money　amongst　them；　than　such　other　Nations　have　in　proportion　to　the　Number　of　their　People；　and　the　Prices　of　Things　in　each　Nation　will　be　dearer　and　cheaper　respectively；　yet　if　they　should　go　to　make　any　other　Advantage　of　this；　to　restrain；　and　so　increase　the　Money　amongst　them；　this　would　soon　prove　to　their　Hurt；　because　as　their　Goods　will　certainly　rise　as　their　Cash　increases；　so　this　will　make　the　Opportunity　greater　for　other　nations；　who　will　from　hence　be　able　to　outdo　them　in　Cheapness；　to　drive　them　out　of　their　Trade　at　other　foreign　Markets；　and　probably；　notwithstanding　all　they　can　do　to　prevent　it；　such　cheap　Commodities　will　find　the　Way　to　them　likewise。　　　　　But　we　must　consider　our　Trade；　with　respect　to　all　other　Nations；　as　well　as　France。　Suppose；　therefore；　that　such　an　unrestrained　Trade　with　France；　or　any　other　nation；　should　diminish　our　Cash　so　very　considerably；　that　we　could　not　give　above　half　the　Price　for　Things　in　general　as　we　at　present　do：　if　we　take　care　to　keep　our　Trade　alive；　by　employing　the　People　in　cultivating　more　Lands；　that　our　Produce　and　Manufactures　may　be　cheap　enough　to　carry　on　Trade　with　such　Nations；　it　must　needs　enlarge　our　Trade　mightily　with　those　nations；　whose　Cash　keeps　their　Prices　of　things　near　to；　or　above　the　Rates　ours　are　now　at；　insomuch　that　I　think　we　must　needs　have　the　Balance　on　all　such　Nations；　so　much　as　to　prevent　any　considerable　Mischief　arising　to　us；　whilst　our　Trade　is　taking　such　a　turn　as　an　open　Trade　with　those　Nations；　who　can　work　so　much　cheaper；　might　occasion。　　　　　But　lest　any　should　think　my　laying　such　Stress　on　cultivating　so　much　Land　is　any　way　extravagant；　I　would　desire　them　to　consider；　that　this　also　will　find　its　natural　bounds；　for　the　cultivating　Land　will　stop　of　itself；　when　the　Plenty　becomes　too　great　to　answer　and　turn　to　Account；　which　can　only　arise　from　too　high　Rents；　or　employing　too　many　of　the　People　this　Way；　of　which　last　I　apprehend　there　never　can　be　any　Danger；　as　I　will　shew　hereafter。　But　if　this　could　be；　since　the　People　make　a　Shift　to　live　now；　there　is　an　evident　Necessity　to　cultivate　a　great　deal　more　Land　to　employ　them；　and　thereby　to　make　Money　plentiful；　and　Trade　to　flourish。　How　profitable　and　advantageous　would　all　other　Trades；　etc。　become；　by　being　thus　in　fewer　Hands　than　they　would　require；（11*）　to　which　the　great　Plenty　and　Cheapness　of　Necessaries；　which　is　ultimately　what　all　work　for；　would　so　mightily　contribute；　that　the　People　would　naturally　fall　into　them；　and　so　hold　that　Proportion　in　all　Trades；　Manufactures；　and　Professions；　as　well　as　Cultivation　of　Land；　that　the　Nature　of　Things　themselves　would　plainly　and　sufficiently　point　out！　And　the　Rise　of　Rents　of　late　Years；　which　like　all　other　Things　could　only　rise　from　the　extraordinary　Demand　for　Lands；　is　a　Demonstration　that　all　Things　would　certainly　thus　work　of　themselves；　just　as　they　should　do；　and　as　the　Author　of　Nature　designed；　if　the　People　could　have　had　more　Land；　instead　of　raising　the　Rents；　as　they　wanted　it；　for　this　is　really　that　Course　of　Providence；　which　is　established　in　the　Nature　of　Things；　for　the　Provision　and　Happiness　of　Mankind。　　　　　I　shall　now　proceed　to　shew　that　the　prohibiting　the　current　Coin　to　be　exported　is　certain　Loss　to　the　Nation。　For　we　can　have　no　Occasion　to　send　Money；　or　Bullion；　or　foreign　Coin　to　any　Nation；　unless　we　receive　more　Goods　in　value　from　them　than　they　have　from　us；　in　which　Case　they　must　have　our　Money　or　Bullion；　or　foreign　coin；　sent　them；　or　we　must　cease　to　trade　with　them；　which　I　think　is　impossible。　Now　if　I　must　buy　Bullion　or　foreign　coin；　because　the　Exportation　of　our　Coin　is　prohibited；　it's　certain　that　the　Seller　of　Bullion　or　foreign　Coin　must　and　will　have　a　Profit；　that　is；　I　must　give　more　in　Coin　for　less　in　Bullion　or　foreign　Coin；　which　when　my　Correspondent　receives；　he　will　value　it　just　as　if　it　were　our　own　Coin　of　like　Weight　and　Fineness：　Wherefore　if　the　Demand　continues　here　for　Bullion　or　foreign　Coin；　to　pay　the　Balance　of　Trade　to　any　Nation；　he　will　send　it　back　to　this　Market；　where　it　must　and　will　in　this　Case　fetch　more；　by　all　Charges　of　Freight；　and　Risque　of　the　Sea；　and　Postage　of　Letters；　and　Commission；　and　some　Profit　to　himself；　unless　our　Coin　be　melted　to　save　this　Loss。　Now　suppose　all　this　should　make　but　2　per　cent　it's　evident　that　in　50　Returns　of　the　Bullion　of　foreign　Coin；　we　must　have　paid　a　whole　Capital　more　than　if　we　were　admitted　freely　to　send　our　own　current　Money；　where　the　Balance　of　Trade　requires　it。　And　this　must　cause　our　current　Money　to　be　melted　both　at　home　and　abroad；　since　it　will　thus　be　worth　more　the　Ballance　of　Trade　lies　against　us　with　any　particular　Nation；　so　much　the　quicker　will　these　disadvantageous　Returns　be　made；　and　our　Specie　undoubtedly　be　so　much　the　faster　melted。　But　if　we　let　our　current　Coin　come　and　go　freely；　Bullion　or　foreign　Coin　will　not　be　worth　so　much　as　our　Coin；　because　its　Fineness　and　Value　cannot　be　so　easily　and　universally　known；　and　therefore　if　the　Balance　of　Trade　be　in　our　Favour；　that　is；　brings　us　Gold　and　Silver；　it　must　and　will　go　to　the　Mint　to　be　coined；　to　ascertain　its　Fineness　and　Value；　provided　the　government　not　only　coin　it　at　their　own　Charge；　but　immediately　deliver　as　many　Ounces　of　Coin　as　they　receive　of　foreign　Gold　and　Silver；　for　it's　no　less　absurd　for　the　Government　to　fix　the　Price　they　will　give　for　Gold　and　Silver　brought　to　be　coined；　than　it　would　be　to　make　a　Law　to　fix　and　ascertain　the　Prices　of　every　other　Commodity。　　　　　And　it's　further　certain；　that　as　the　Balance　of　Trade　is　a　fluctuating　Thing；　if　our　Money　be　suffered　to　go　and　come　freely　as　the　Balance　of　Trade　may　require；　（and　otherwise　it　neither　can　go　nor　come）　as　Bullion　will　then　certainly　be　of　somewhat　less　Value　than　Coin；　the　People　in　foreign　Nations　will　buy　up　what　Money　of　ours　they　can　easily　find；　because　it　will　hardly　be　of　so　much　Value　amongst　them　as　their　own；　and　they　can　pay　more　with　it　in　the　Nation　it　properly　belongs　to　than　with　Bullion　of　their　own　coin；　and　this　will　certainly　in　a　great　Measure　prevent　the　melting　our　Money　at　home；　and　in　foreign　Nations；　and　consequently　will　save　the　Trouble　and　Charge　of　coining　a　great　deal　of　Money；　and　bring　a　great　deal　of　our　Money　back　from　those　Nations　where　the　Balance　of　Trade　had　before　carried　it；　provided　our　Trade　stands　on　such　a　Foot　with　those　Nations；　that　the　Balance　be　in　our　Favour：　And　I　have　shewn　how　it　may　certainly　be　made　so；　viz。　by　making　our　Produce　and　manufactures　so　plentiful；　and　thereby　（which　is　inseparable）　so　cheap　and　good；　as　to　cause　foreign　Nations　to　take　abundance　more　of　them；　which　Plenty　and　Cheapness　of　our　Produce　and　manufactures　will　prevent　the　Importation　of　abundance　of　foreign　Commodities；　and　thus　the　Balance　will　be　in　our　Favour；　and　that　Balance　must　be　paid　us　in　Money：　By　this　Means　only　it　is　we　have　any　Gold　and　Silver；　i。e。　Money　amongst　us；　nor　is　there　any　other　in　Nature；　for　any　Nation　that　hath　not　Mines：　Wherefore　this　deserves　the　utmost　Regard　of　every　Trading　Nation；　not　only　for　the　Sake　of　the　Money　they　will　thus　get；　but　to　make　their　Trade　flourish；　and　their　People　happy；　and　their　Government　powerful；　for　without　this；　Trade　must　languish；　the　People　become　poor；　which　will　make　the　Taxes　an　insupportable　Burthen；　and　consequently　make　the　Government　weak。　　　　　I　think　this　the　more　concerns　us；　because　Foreigners　are　interested　in　our　publick　Securities　and　Funds　for　vast　Sums；　for；　low　as　we　think　the　Interest　of　Money　to　be　now；　we　give　better　Interest　than　they　can　make　at　home；　and　our　Parliamentary　Securities　having　been　always　maintained　inviolably；　give　every　body　the　utmost　Confidence　in　them。　As　therefore　all　Commodities　（and　Money　is　no　other）　ever　did；　and　ever　will　find　the　highest　market；　so　this　is　the　Cause　why　Foreigners　deposit　their　Money　in　our　Funds；　and　as　they　thereby　draw　home　the　Interest；　they　contribute　so　much　to　the　decreasing　the　Cash　of　the　Nation。　　　　　Another　thing；　which　still　enforceth　the　Argument　to　permit　our　current　Coin　to　go　and　come　freely；　as　the　Balance　of　Trade　may　require；　is；　that　if　we　have　the　Balance　of　Trade　in　our　Favour；　on　any　Nation　who　hath　the　Balance　in　their　Favour　on　another　which　hath　the　Ballance　on　us；　such　Nations　will　probably　transmit　our　Money　to　the　Nation　that　has　the　Balance　on　them；　because　if　they