money answers all things-第17章

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titude　of　inland　Places；　if　the　Charge　of　catching　them；　and　carriage　could　be　very　much　lessened；　as　would　make　it　a　much　larger　Part　of　the　Food　of　the　common　People　than　it　is。　　　　　But　though　this　will；　in　the　first　Place；　somewhat　depend　on　the　Reduction　of　Labour；　yet　I　apprehend　it　to　depend　as　much　at　least　on　making　Timber　so　plentiful；　that；　if　possible；　the　Charge　of　the　Vessels　they　fish　with；　may　be　lessened　about　half　in　building；　and　fitting　them　to　Sea；　for　the　greatest　Part　of　the　Price　of　Fish；　is　constituted　of　the　Charge　of　building　and　maintaining　the　fishing　Vessels　and　Tackle；　together　with　the　Interest　of　the　Sums　such　Vessels；　etc。　cost；　which　are　employed　in　the　Fishery。　Wherefore　could　these　Charges　be　considerably　lessened；　which　a　great　Plenty　of　Timber；　etc。　with　somewhat　cheaper　Rate　of　Labour　would　certainly　effect；　we　might　make　Sea　Fish　so　much　cheaper　Food　than　Meat；　as　would　contribute　very　much　to　lowering　the　Price　of　Provisions　in　general；　and　might　hereby　support　a　much　greater　Number　of　People　on　less　Land　than　we　can　otherwise　do；　and　it's　certain　the　Dutch；　who　have　about　two　Millions　and　an　half　of　People；　upon　about　a　Million　of　Acres　of　Land；　do　by　this　Means；　besides　others；　very　much　contribute　to　the　supporting　such　a　vastly　greater　Number　of　People　in　respect　of　their　small　Territory；　than　we；　who　have　but　about　eight　Million　of　People；　and　hardly　less　than　Twenty　Millions　of　Acres　now　in　Use　to　support　them；（18*）　besides；　that　such　an　Encouragement　to　our　Fishery　would　be　a　most　useful　Nursery　for　able　Seamen；　and　a　Benefit　in　respect　of　our　Exportation　of　Fish；　greater　than　I　shall　attempt　to　represent。　　　　　But　this　Estimate　further　shews；　that　the　fit　Rule　to　judge　and　determine　when　the　Necessaries　of　Life　should　be　denominated　cheap　or　dear；　is　solely　that　of　the　general　Earnings　or　Wages　of　the　labouring　People；which　undoubtedly　ought　to　be　such　as　will　procure　so　many　of　those　Things　as　are　needful　to　support　such　Families；　as　is　the　Lot　of　many　of　the　labouring　People　to　have。　From　hence　therefore　we　may　also　see；　when　Money　is；　or　is　not　sufficiently　plentiful　amongst　the　People　in　general；　or　which　is　equivalent　thereto；　when　there　is；　or　is　not　Land　enough　in　Use　to　support　them；　for　hence　only　can　these　Things　be　brought　and　kept　near　together；　as　is　absolutely　needful　to　put　the　Affairs　of　the　World；　and　Condition　of　Mankind　in　the　best　and　happiest　Situation　they　can　possibly　be　in。　　　　　For　whilst　a　Mechanick；　or　labouring　Man　can't　possibly　earn　so　much；　as　will　provide　decently　for　a　middling　Family；　suitably　to　that　low　Rank　of　Life；　it's　plain；　Money；　which　is　the　sole　Medium　of　procuring　any　Thing　in　Effect；　that　they　is　not　Land　enough　in　Use　to　support　them；　and　consequently；　there　is　in　this　Case；　so　much　less　Business　and　Employment　amongst　the　People　in　general；　than　there　ought　to　be；　whence　the　Distress　of　great　Numbers　is　unavoidable：　And　Gentlemen　should　consider；　if　7/8　of　the　People　must　labour　under　the　Penury　this　Estimate　holds　forth　to　them；　what　a　Probability　here　is；　that　many　of　their　own　Offspring；　in　a　Generation　or　two；　if　not　much　sooner；　will　find　themselves　in　no　better　Circumstances。　　　　　And　hence　I　can't　help　reflecting　how　good　human　Nature　is；　that　can　support　under　the　Hardships；　we；　by　the　Estimate；　see　the　Bulk　of　Mankind　lies　under；　which　Hardships；　I　think；　I　have　now　sufficiently　shewn；　cannot　be　any　Way　justly　attributed　to　the　all…wise　and　infinitely　gracious　Creator；　but　solely　to　those；　who　for　want　of　thus　looking　thro'　the　Nature　of　Things；　and　from　a　mistaken　judgment；　that　the　more　Money　they　receive　for　their　Estates；　the　richer　they　are　（the　contrary　of　which　I　have　proved）　do　prevent　the　People　from　thus　continually　proceeding　in　the　Business　of　Cultivation　and　Tillage；　whence　alone　every　thing　they　have　is　derived；　and　whence　only　whatsoever　they　want　can　be　supplied；　and　whence　all　the　Employment　and　Trade　of　the　World　do　proceed；　and　to　which　End　it　was；　that　Man　was　sent　into　the　World；　as　I　shall　further　confirm；　by　the　Authority　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　Gen。　iii；　23。　Therefore　the　Lord　God　Sent　him　forth　to　till　the　Ground　whence　he　was　taken。　　　　　But　I　shall　proceed　to　shew　from　Fact；　that　it　is　the　Interest　of　the　landed　Gentlemen　to　cause　so　much　more　Land　to　be　added　and　improved；　as　will　effect　the　Things　I　am　aiming　at；　by　comparing　the　present　Rents　of　Lands；　and　Prices　of　Necessaries；　with　the　Rents　of　Lands；　and　Prices　of　Necessaries　some　Centuries　ago。　　　　　Now　though　the　Rents　of　Lands　are　very　different；　according　as　the　Soil　or　Situation　is　better　or　worse；（19*）　yet　it's　certain　the　present　Rents　of　Lands　in　general　are　hardly　four　times　as　much　as　they　were　about　four　Centuries　ago；　but　the　Prices　of　Necessaries　differ　vastly：　For　the　Price　of　the　fat　Ox；　which　was　a　Noble；　is　now　about　10　or　12　Pounds；　the　fat　Sheep；　which　was　6　Pence；　is　now　about　16　Shillings；　the　fat　Goose；　which　was　2　Pence；　is　now　about　3　Shillings；　the　fat　Pig；　which　was　1　Penny；　is　now　about　4　Shillings；　the　Price　of　6　Pidgeons；　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