treatise on taxes and contributions-第4章

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now　how　many　are　sick　in　London　by　the　number　of　them　that　dye；　and　by　the　proportions　of　the　City　to　finde　out　the　same　of　the　Countrey；　and　by　both；　by　the　advice　of　the　learned　Colledge　of　that　Faculty　to　calculate　how　many　Physicians　were　requisite　for　the　whole　Nation；　and　consequently；　how　many　Students　in　that　are　art　to　permit　and　encourage；　and　lastly；　having　calculated　these　numbers；　to　adoptate　a　proportion　of　Chyrurgeons；　Apothecaries；　and　Nurses　to　them；　and　so　by　the　whole　to　cut　off　and　extinguish　that　infinite　swarm　of　vain　pretenders　unto；　and　abusers　of　that　God…like　Faculty；　which　of　all　Secular　Employments　our　Saviour　himself　after　he　began　to　preach　engaged　himself　upon。　　　　　30。　Moveover；　if　it　were　agreed；　what　number　of　Divines；　Physicians　and　Civilians　（that　is；　of　men　bred　in　Universities）　were　requisite　to　the　publick　service？　As　suppose　13000　in　the　present　way；　and　perhaps　not　above　6000　in　that　way　of　Retrenchment　which　we　propound；　then　supposing　that　but　one　in　forty　dyes　per　annum；　it　follows　that　less　than　350　might　suffice　to　be　sent　yearly　out　of　the　Universities：　Where　supposing　they　stay　five　years　one　with　another；　it　followeth　also　that　about　1800　is　the　number　of　Students　fit　to　be　allowed　in　the　Universities　at　a　time；　I　mean；　of　such　as　intend　to　make　Learning　their　Trade　and　way　of　Livelihood。　　　　　31。　I　might　intimate　that　if　1800　Students　were　enough；　and　that　if　there　were　40000　Parish　Children　and　Foundlings　in　England；　it　were　probable　that　one　in　twenty　of　them　might　be　of　excellent　wit　and　towardness。　　　　　Now　since　the　Publick　may　dispose　of　these　Children　as　they　please；　and　since　there　is　Maintenance　in　both　Universities　for　above　1800　what　if　our　Professors　of　Art　were　in　this　manner　selected　and　educated？　But　of　this　but　in　transitu。　　　　　32。　Hereunto　may　be　added；　that　by　reason　of　Loan　Banks　aforementioned；　whereby　the　Credits　and　Estates　of　all　Dealers　may　be　known；　and　all　the　mysterious　dangers　of　money　prevented；　and　that　by　good　Accompts　of　our　growth；　Manufacture；　Consumption；　and　Importation；　it　might　be　known　how　many　Merchants　were　able　to　mannage　the　Exchange　of　our　superflouus　Commodities　with　the　same　of　other　Countreys：　And　also　how　many　Retailers　are　needful　to　make　the　subdistributions　into　every　Village　of　this　Nation；　and　to　receive　back　their　superfluities。　Upon　these　grounds　I　presume　a　large　proportion　of　these　also　might　be　retrenched；　who　properly　and　originally　earn　nothing　from　the　Publick；　being　onely　a　kinde　of　Gamesters；　that　play　with　one　another　for　the　labours　of　the　poor；　yielding　of　themselves　no　fruit　at　all；　otherwise　then　as　veins　and　arteries；　to　distribute　forth　and　back　the　blood　and　nutritive　juyces　of　the　Body　Politick；　namely　the　product　of　Husbandry　and　Manufacture。　　　　　33。　Now　if　the　numerous　Offices　and　Fees　relating　to　the　Government；　Law；　and　Church；　and　if　the　number　of　Divines；　Lawyers；　Physicians；　Merchants；　and　Retailers　were　also　lessened；　all　which　do　receive　great　wages　for　little　work　done　to　the　Publick；　with　how　much　greater　ease　would　common　expences　be　defrayed？　and　with　how　much　more　equality　would　the　same　be　assessed？　　　　　34。　We　enumerated　six　Branches　of　the　Publick　Charge；　and　have　slightly　spoken　how　four　of　them　might　be　lessened；　we　come　next　to　the　other　two　Branches；　whereof　we　shall　rather　recommend　the　augmentation。　　　　　The　first　of　these　two　Branches　I　call；　generally　speaking；　Care　of　the　Poor；　consisting　of　Receptacles　for　the　aged；　blinde；　lame；　etc。　in　health；　Hospitals　for　noysome；　chronical；　curable　and　uncurable；　inward　and　outward　Diseases。　With　others　for　acute　and　contagious。　Others　for　Orphans；　found　and　exposed　Children；　of　which　latter　sort　none　should　be　refused；　let　the　number　be　never　so　great；　provided　their　names；　families；　and　relations　were　well　concealed：　The　choice　of　which　Children　being　made　at　their　being　about　eight　or　ten　years　old；　might　afford；　the　King　the　fittest　Instruments　for　all　kinde　of　his　Affairs；　and　be　as　firmly　obliged　to　be　his　faithful　servants　as　his　own　natural　Children。　　　　　35。　This　is　no　new　nor　rare　thing；　onely　the　neglect　of　it　in　these　Countreys　is　rather　to　be　esteemed　a　rare　and　new　project：　Nor　is　it　unknown　what　excellent　fruits　there　have　been　of　this　Institution；　of　which　we　shall　say　much　more；　upon　another　occasion　hereafter。　　　　　36。　When　all　helpless　and　impotent　Persons　were　thus　provided　for；　and　the　lazy　and　thievish　restrained　and　punished　by　the　Minister　of　Justice；　it　follows　now；　that　we　finde　out　certain　constant　Employments　for　all　other　indigent　people；　who　labouring　according　to　the　Rules　upon　them；　may　require　a　sufficiency　of　food　and　raiment。　Their　Children　also　（if　small　and　impotent）　as　aforesaid；　being　provided　for　elsewhere。　　　　　37。　But　what　shall　these　Employments　be？　I　answer；　such　as　were　reckoned　as　the　sixth　Branch　of　the　Publick　Expence；　viz。　making　all　High…wayes　so　broad；　firm；　and　eaven；　as　whereby　the　charge　and　tedium　of　travelling　and　Carriages　may　be　greatly　lessened。　The　cutting　and　scowring　of　Rivers　into　Navigable；　the　planting　of　useful　Trees　for　timber；　delight；　and　fruit　in　convenient　places。　　　　　The　making　of　Bridges　and　Cawseys。　　　　　The　working　in　Mines；　Quarries；　and　Colleries。　　　　　The　Manufactures　of　Iron；　etc。　　　　　38。　I　pitch　upon　all　these　particulars；　first；　as　works　wanting　in　this　Nation；　secondly；　as　works　of　much　labour；　and　little　art；　and　thirdly；　as　introductive　of　new　Trades　into　England；　to　supply　that　of　Cloth；　which　we　have　almost　totally　lost。　　　　　In　the　next　place　it　will　be　asked；　who　shall　pay　these　men？　I　answer；　every　body；　for　if　there　be　1000　men　in　a　Territory；　and　if　100　of　these　can　raise　necessary　food　and　raiment　for　the　whole　1000。　If　200　more　make　as　much　commodities；　as　other　Nations　will　give　either　their　commodities　　or　money　for；　and　if　400　more　be　employed　in　the　ornaments；　pleasure；　and　magnificence　of　the　whole；　if　there　be　200　Governours；　Divines；　Lawyers；　Physicians；　Merchants；　and　Retailers；　making　in　all　900　the　question　is；　since　there　is　food　enough　for　this　supernumerary　100　also；　how　they　should　come　by　it？　whether　by　begging；　or　by　stealing；　or　whether　they　shall　suffer　themselves　to　starve；　finding　no　fruit　of　their　begging；　or　being　taken　in　their　stealing　to　put　to　death　another　way？　Or　whether　they　sahll　be　given　away　to　another　Nation　that　will　take　them？　I　think　'tis　plain；　they　ought　neither　to　be　starved；　nor　hanged；　nor　given　away；　now　if　they　beg；　they　may　pine　for　hunger　to　day；　and　be　gorged　and　glutted　to　morrow；　which　will　occasion　Diseases　and　evil　habits；　the　same　may　be　said　of　stealing；　moreover；　perhaps　they　may　get　either　by　begging　or　stealing　more　than　will　suffice　them；　which　will　for　ever　after　indispose　them　to　labour；　even　upon　the　greatest　occasion　which　may　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　happen。　　　　　39。　For　all　these　Reasons；　it　will　be　certainly　the　safer　way　to　afford　them　the　superfluity　which　would　otherwise　be　lost　and　wasted；　or　wantonly　spent：　Or　in　case　there　be　no　overplus；　then　'tis　fit　to　retrench　a　little　from　the　delicacy　of　others　feeding　in　quantity　or　quality；　few　men　spending　less　than　double　of　what　might　suffice　them　as　to　the　bare　necessities　of　nature。　　　　　40。　Now　as　to　the　work　of　these　supernumeraries；　let　it　be　without　expence　of　Foreign　Commodities；　and　then　'tis　no　matter　if　it　be　employed　to　build　a　useless　Pyramid　upon　Salisbury　Plain；　bring　the　Stones　at　Stonehenge　to　Tower　Hill；　or　the　like；　or　at　worst　this　would　keep　their　minds　to　discipline　and　obedience；　and　their　bodies　to　a　patience　of　more　profitable　labours　when　need　shall　require　it。　　　　　41。　In　the　next　place；　as　an　instance　of　the　usefulness　of　what　hath　been　propounded；　I　ask　what　benefit　will　the　mending　of　High…wayes；　the　building　of　Bridges　and　Cawseys；　with　making　of　Rivers　navigable　produce；　besides　the　pleasure　and　beauty　of　them？　To　which　I　also　answer；　as　an　instance　of　the　premises；　that　the　same；　together　with　the　numerous　missions　of　Cattle　and　Sheep　out　of　Ireland；　shall　produce　a　vaste　superfluity　of　English　Horses；　the　which　because　they　have　the　many　excellent　qualities　of　beauty；　strength；　courage；　swiftness；　and　patience　concentrated　in　t