wealbk05-第69章

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exhausted；　if　the　exigencies　of　the　state　still　continue　to

require　new　taxes；　they　must　be　imposed　upon　improper　ones。　The

taxes　upon　the　necessaries　of　life；　therefore；　the　wisdom　of　that

republic　which；　in　order　to　acquire　and　to　maintain　its

independency；　has；　in　spite　of　its　great　frugality；　been　involved

in　such　expensive　wars　as　have　obliged　it　to　contract　great

debts。　The　singular　countries　of　Holland　and　Zeeland；　besides；

require　a　considerable　expense　even　to　preserve　their　existence；

or　to　prevent　their　being　swallowed　up　by　the　sea；　which　must

have　contributed　to　increase　considerably　the　load　of　taxes　in

those　two　provinces。　The　republican　form　of　government　seems　to

be　the　principal　support　of　the　present　grandeur　of　Holland。　The

owners　of　great　capitals；　the　great　mercantile　families；　have

generally　either　some　direct　share　or　some　indirect　influence　in

the　administration　of　that　government。　For　the　sake　of　the

respect　and　authority　which　they　derive　from　this　situation；　they

are　willing　to　live　in　a　country　where　their　capital；　if　they

employ　it　themselves；　will　bring　them　less　profit；　and　if　they

lend　it　to　another；　less　interest；　and　where　the　very　moderate

revenue　which　they　can　draw　from　it　will　purchase　less　of　the

necessaries　and　conveniences　of　life　than　in　any　other　part　of

Europe。　The　residence　of　such　wealthy　people　necessarily　keeps

alive；　in　spite　of　all　disadvantages；　a　certain　degree　of

industry　in　the　country。　Any　public　calamity　which　should　destroy

the　republican　form　of　government；　which　should　throw　the　whole

administration　into　the　hands　of　nobles　and　of　soldiers；　which

should　annihilate　altogether　the　importance　of　those　wealthy

merchants；　would　soon　render　it　disagreeable　to　them　to　live　in　a

country　where　they　were　no　longer　likely　to　be　much　respected。

They　would　remove　both　their　residences　and　their　capitals　to

some　other　country；　and　the　industry　and　commerce　of　Holland

would　soon　follow　the　capitals　which　supported　them。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　III

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　Public　Debts　

　　　　　IN　that　rude　state　of　society　which　precedes　the　extension

of　commerce　and　the　improvement　of　manufactures；　when　those

expensive　luxuries　which　commerce　and　manufactures　can　alone

introduce　are　altogether　unknown；　the　person　who　possesses　a

large　revenue；　I　have　endeavoured　to　show　in　the　third　book　of

this　Inquiry；　can　spend　or　enjoy　that　revenue　in　no　other　way

than　by　maintaining　nearly　as　many　people　as　it　can　maintain。　A

large　revenue　may　at　all　times　be　said　to　consist　in　the　command

of　a　large　quantity　of　the　necessaries　of　life。　In　that　rude

state　of　things　it　is　commonly　paid　in　a　large　quantity　of　those

necessaries；　in　the　materials　of　plain　food　and　coarse　clothing；

in　corn　and　cattle；　in　wool　and　raw　hides。　When　neither　commerce

nor　manufactures　furnish　anything　for　which　the　owner　can

exchange　the　greater　part　of　those　materials　which　are　over　and

above　his　own　consumption；　he　can　do　nothing　with　the　surplus　but

feed　and　clothe　nearly　as　many　people　as　it　will　feed　and　clothe。

A　hospitality　in　which　there　is　no　luxury；　and　a　liberality　in

which　there　is　no　ostentation；　occasion；　in　this　situation　of

things；　the　principal　expenses　of　the　rich　and　the　great。　But

these；　I　have　likewise　endeavoured　to　show　in　the　same　book；　are

expenses　by　which　people　are　not　very　apt　to　ruin　themselves。

There　is　not；　perhaps；　any　selfish　pleasure　so　frivolous　of　which

the　pursuit　has　not　sometimes　ruined　even　sensible　men。　A　passion

for　cock…fighting　has　ruined　many。　But　the　instances；　I　believe；

are　not　very　numerous　of　people　who　have　been　ruined　by　a

hospitality　or　liberality　of　this　kind；　though　the　hospitality　of

luxury　and　the　liberality　of　ostentation　have　ruined　many。　Among

our　feudal　ancestors；　the　long　time　during　which　estates　used　to

continue　in　the　same　family　sufficiently　demonstrates　the　general

disposition　of　people　to　live　within　their　income。　Though　the

rustic　hospitality　constantly　exercised　by　the　great　land…holders

may　not；　to　us　in　the　present　times；　seem　consistent　with　that

order　which　we　are　apt　to　consider　as　inseparably　connected　with

good　economy；　yet　we　must　certainly　allow　them　to　have　been　at

least　so　far　frugal　as　not　commonly　to　have　spent　their　whole

income。　A　part　of　their　wool　and　raw　hides　they　had　generally　an

opportunity　of　selling　for　money。　Some　part　of　this　money；

perhaps；　they　spent　in　purchasing　the　few　objects　of　vanity　and

luxury　with　which　the　circumstances　of　the　times　could　furnish

them；　but　some　part　of　it　they　seem　commonly　to　have　hoarded。

They　could　not　well；　indeed；　do　anything　else　but　hoard　whatever

money　they　saved。　To　trade　was　disgraceful　to　a　gentleman；　and　to

lend　money　at　interest；　which　at　that　time　was　considered　as

usury　and　prohibited　by　law；　would　have　been　still　more　so。　In

those　times　of　violence　and　disorder；　besides；　it　was　convenient

to　have　a　hoard　of　money　at　hand；　that　in　case　they　should　be

driven　from　their　own　home　they　might　have　something　of　known

value　to　carry　with　them　to　some　place　of　safety。　The　same

violence　which　made　it　convenient　to　hoard　made　it　equally

convenient　to　conceal　the　hoard。　The　frequency　of　treasure…trove；

or　of　treasure　found　of　which　no　owner　was　known；　sufficiently

demonstrates　the　frequency　in　those　times　both　of　hoarding　and　of

concealing　the　board。　Treasure…trove　was　then　considered　as　an

important　branch　of　the　revenue　of　the　sovereign。　All　the

treasure…trove　of　the　kingdom　would　scarce　perhaps　in　the　present

times　make　an　important　branch　of　the　revenue　of　a　private

gentleman　of　a　good　estate。

　　　　　The　same　disposition　to　save　and　to　hoard　prevailed　in　the

sovereign　as　well　as　in　the　subjects。　Among　nations　to　whom

commerce　and　manufactures　are　little　known；　the　sovereign；　it　has

already　been　observed　in　the　fourth　book；　is　in　a　situation　which

naturally　disposes　him　to　the　parsimony　requisite　for

accumulation。　In　that　situation　the　expense　even　of　a　sovereign

cannot　be　directed　by　that　vanity　which　delights　in　the　gaudy

finery　of　a　court。　The　ignorance　of　the　times　affords　but　few　of

the　trinkets　in　which　that　finery　consists。　Standing　armies　are

not　then　necessary；　so　that　the　expense　even　of　a　sovereign；　like

that　of　any　other　great　lord；　can　be　employed　in　scarce　anything

but　bounty　to　his　tenants　and　hospitality　to　his　retainers。　But

bounty　and　hospitality　very　seldom　lead　to　extravagance；　though

vanity　almost　always　does。　All　the　ancient　sovereigns　of　Europe

accordingly；　it　has　already　been　observed；　had　treasures。　Every

Tartar　chief　in　the　present　times　is　said　to　have　one。

　　　　　In　a　commercial　country　abounding　with　every　sort　of

expensive　luxury；　the　sovereign；　in　the　same　manner　as　almost　all

the　great　proprietors　in　his　dominions；　naturally　spends　a　great

part　of　his　revenue　in　purchasing　those　luxuries。　His　own　and　the

neighbouring　countries　supply　him　abundantly　with　all　the　costly

trinkets　which　compose　the　splendid　but　insignificant　pageantry

of　a　court。　For　the　sake　of　an　inferior　pageantry　of　the　same

kind；　his　nobles　dismiss　their　retainers；　make　their　tenants

independent；　and　become　gradually　themselves　as　insignificant　as

the　greater　part　of　the　wealthy　burghers　in　his　dominions。　The

same　frivolous　passions　which　influence　their　conduct　influence

his。　How　can　it　be　supposed　that　he　should　be　the　only　rich　man

in　his　dominions　who　is　insensible　to　pleasures　of　this　kind？　If

he　does　not；　what　he　is　very　likely　to　do；　spend　upon　those

pleasures　so　great　a　part　of　his　revenue　as　to　debilitate　very

much　the　defensive　power　of　the　state；　it　cannot　well　be　expected

that　he　should　not　spend　upon　them　all　that　part　of　it　which　is

over　and　above　what　is　necessary　for　supporting　that　defensive

power。　His　ordinary　expense　becomes　equal　to　his　ordinary

revenue；　and　it　is　well　if　it　does　not　frequently　exceed　it。