treatise on taxes and contributions-第7章

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ncertain　then　that　of　Land。　For　an　House　is　of　a　double　nature；　viz。　one；　wherein　it　is　a　way　and　means　of　expence；　the　other；　as　'tis　an　Instrument　and　Tool　of　gain：　for　a　Shop　in　London　of　less　capacity　and　less　charge　in　building　then　a　fair　Dining…room　in　the　same　House　unto　which　both　do　belong；　shall　nevertheless　be　of　the　greater　value；　so　also　shall　a　Dungeon；　Sellar；　then　a　pleasant　Chamber；　because　the　one　is　expence；　the　other　profit。　Now　the　way　Land…taxe　rates　housing；　as　of　the　latter　nature；　but　the　Excize；　as　of　the　former。　　　　　7。　We　might　sometimes　adde　hereunto；　that　housing　is　sometimes　disproportionately　taxed　to　discourage　Building；　especially　upon　new　Foundations；　thereby　to　prevent　the　growth　of　a　City；　suppose　London；　such　excessive　and　overgrown　Cities　being　dangerous　to　Monarchy；　though　the　more　secure　when　the　supremacy　is　in　Citizens　of　such　places　themselves；　as　in　Venice。　　　　　8。　But　we　say；　that　such　checking　of　new　Buildings　signifies　nothing　to　this　purpose；　forasmuch　as　Buildings　do　not　encrease；　until　the　People　already　have　increased：　but　the　remedy　of　the　above　mentioned　dangers　is　to　be　sought　in　the　causes　of　the　encrease　of　People；　the　which　if　they　can　be　nipt；　the　other　work　will　necessarily　be　done。　　　　　But　what　then　is　the　true　effect　of　forbidding　to　build　upon　new　foundations？　I　answer　to　keep　and　fasten　the　City　to　its　old　seat　and　ground…plot；　the　which　encouragement　for　new　Buildings　will　remove；　as　it　comes　to　pas　almost　in　all　great　Cities；　though　insensibly；　and　not　under　many　years　progression。　　　　　9。　The　reason　whereof　is；　because　men　are　unwilling　to　build　new　houses　at　the　charge　of　pulling　down　their　old；　where　both　the　old　house　it　self；　and　the　ground　it　stands　upon　do　make　a　much　dearer　ground…plot　for　a　new　house；　and　yet　far　less　free　and　convenient；　wherefore　men　build　upon　new　free　foundations；　and　cobble　up　old　houses；　until　they　become　fundamentally　irreparable；　at　which　time　they　become　either　the　dwelling　of　the　Rascality；　or　in　process　of　time　return　to　waste　and　Gardens　again；　examples　whereof　are　many　even　about　London。　　　　　Now　if　great　Cities　are　naturally　apt　to　remove　their　Seats；　I　ask　which　way？　I　say；　in　the　case　of　London；　it　must　be　Westward；　because　teh　Windes　blowing　near　3/4　of　the　year　from　the　West；　the　dwellings　of　the　West　end　are　so　much　the　more　free　from　the　fumes；　steams；　and　stinks　of　the　whole　Easterly　Pyle；　which　where　Seacoal　is　burnt　is　a　great　matter。　Now　if　it　follow　from　hence；　that　the　Pallaces　of　the　greatest　men　will　remove　Westward；　it　will　also　naturally　follow；　that　the　dwellings　of　others　who　depend　upon　them　will　creep　after　them。　This　we　see　in　London；　where　the　Noblemens　ancient　houses　are　not　become　Halls　for　Companies；　or　turned　into　Tenements；　and　all　the　Palaces　are　gotten　Westward；　Insomuch；　as　I　do　not　doubt　but　that　five　hundred　years　hence；　the　King's　Pallace　will　be　near　Chelsey；　and　the　old　building　of　Whitehall　converted　to　uses　more　answerable　to　their　quality。　For　to　build　a　new　Royal　Pallace　upon　the　same　ground　will　be　too　great　a　confinement；　in　respect　of　Gardens　and　other　magnificencies；　and　withall　a　disaccommodation　in　the　time　of　the　work；　but　it　rather　seems　to　me；　that　the　next　Palace　will　be　buildt　from　the　whole　present　contignation　of　houses　at　such　a　distance　as　the　old　Pallace　of　Westminster　was　from　the　City　of　London；　when　the　Archers　began　to　bend　their　bowes　just　without　Ludgate；　and　when　all　the　space　between　the　Thames；　Fleet…Street；　and　Holborn　was　as　Finsbury…Fields　are　now。　　　　　11。　Onely　I　think　'tis　certain；　that　while　ever　there　are　people　in　England；　the　greatest　cohabitation　of　them　will　be　about　the　place　which　is　now　London；　the　Thames　being　the　most　commodious　River　of　this　Island；　and　the　seat　of　London　the　most　commodious　part　of　the　Thames；　so　much　doth　the　means　of　facilitating　Carriage　greaten　a　City；　which　may　put　us　in　minde　of　employing　our　idle　hands　about　mending　the　High…wayes；　making　Bridges；　Cawseys；　and　Rivers　navigable：　Which　considerations　brings　me　back　round　into　my　way　of　Taxes；　from　whence　I　digrest。　　　　　12。　But　before　we　talk　too　much　of　Rents；　we　should　endeavour　to　explain　the　mysterious　nature　of　them；　with　reference　as　well　to　Money；　the　rent　of　which　we　call　usury；　as　to　that　of　Lands　and　Houses；　afore…mentioned。　　　　　13。　Suppose　a　man　could　with　his　own　hands　plant　a　certain　scope　of　Land　with　Corn；　that　is；　could　Digg；　or　Plough；　Harrow；　Weed；　Reap；　Carry　home；　Tresh；　and　Winnow　so　much　as　the　Husbandry　of　this　Land　requires；　and　had　withal　Seed　wherewith　to　sowe　the　same。　I　say；　that　when　this　man　hath　subducted　his　seed　out　of　the　proceed　of　his　Harvest；　and　also；　what　himself　hath　both　eaten　and　given　to　others　in　exchange　for　Clothes；　and　other　Natural　necessaries；　that　the　remainder　of　Corn　is　the　natural　and　true　Rent　of　the　Land　for　that　year；　and　the　medium　of　seven　years；　or　rather　of　so　many　years　as　makes　up　the　Cycle；　within　which　Dearths　and　Plenties　make　their　revolution；　doth　givbe　the　ordinary　Rent　of　Land　in　Corn。　　　　　14。　But　a　further；　though　collateral　question　may　be；　how　much　English　money　this　Corn　or　Rent　is　worth？　I　answer；　so　much　as　the　money；　which　another　single　man　can　save；　within　the　same　time；　over　and　above　his　expence；　if　he　imployed　himself　wholly　to　produce　and　make　it；　viz。　Let　another　man　go　travel　into　a　Countrey　where　is　Silver；　there　Dig　it；　Refine　it；　bring　it　to　the　same　place　where　the　other　man　planted　his　Corn；　Coyne　it；　etc。　the　same　person；　all　the　while　of　his　working　for　Silver；　gathering　also　food　for　his　necessary　livelihood；　and　procuring　himself　covering；　etc。　I　say；　the　Silver　of　the　one；　must　be　esteemed　of　equal　value　with　the　Corn　of　the　other：　the　one　being　perhaps　twenty　Ounces　and　the　other　twenty　Bushels。　From　whence　it　follows；　that　the　price　of　a　Bushel　of　this　Corn　to　be　an　Ounce　of　Silver。　　　　　15。　And　forasmuch　as　possible　there　may　be　more　Art　and　Hazzard　in　working　abou　the　Silver；　then　about　the　Corn；　yet　all　comes　to　the　same　pass；　for　let　a　hundred　men　work　ten　years　upon　Corn；　and　the　same　number　of　men；　the　same　time；　upon　Silver；　I　say；　that　the　neat　proceed　of　the　Silver　is　the　price　of　the　whole　neat　proceed　of　the　Corn；　and　like　parts　of　the　one；　the　price　of　like　parts　of　the　other。　Although　not　so　many　of　those　who　wrought　in　Silver；　learned　the　Art　of　refining　and　coining；　or　out…lived　the　dangers　and　diseases　of　working　in　the　Mines。　And　this　also　is　the　way　of　pitching　the　true　proportion；　between　the　values　of　Gold　and　Silver；　which　many　times　is　set　but　by　popular　errour；　sometimes　more；　sometimes　less；　diffused　in　the　world；　which　errour　（by　the　way）　is　the　cause　of　our　having　been　pestred　with　too　much　Gold　heretofore；　and　wanting　it　now。　　　　　16。　This；　I　say；　to　be　the　foundation　of　equallizing　and　ballancing　of　values；　yet　in　the　superstructures　and　practices　hereupon；　I　confess　there　is　much　variety；　and　intricacy；　of　which　hereafter。　　　　　17。　The　world　measures　things　by　Gold　and　Silver；　but　principally　the　latter；　for　there　may　not　be　two　measures；　and　consequently　the　better　of　many　must　be　the　onely　of　all；　that　is；　by　fine　silver　of　a　certain　weight：　but　now　if　it　be　hard　to　measure　the　weight　and　fineness　of　silver；　as　by　the　different　reports　of　the　ablest　Saymasters　I　have　known　it　to　be；　and　if　silver　granted　to　be　of　the　same　fineness　and　weight；　rise　and　fall　in　its　price；　and　be　more　worth　at　one　place　than　another；　not　onely　for　being　father　from　the　Mines；　but　for　other　accidents；　and　may　be　more　worth　at　present；　then　a　moneth　or　other　small　time　hence；　and　if　it　differ　in　its　proportion　unto　the　several　things　valued　by　it；　in　several　ages　upon　the　increase　and　diminution　thereof；　we　shall　endeavour　to　examine　some　other　natural　Standards　and　Measures；　without　derogating　from　the　excellent　use　of　these。　　　　　18。　Our　Silver　and　Gold　we　call　by　severall　names；　as　in　England　by　pounds；　shillings；　and　pence；　all　which　may　be　called　and　understood　by　either　of　the　three。　But　that　which　I　would　say　upon　this　matter　is；　that　all　things　ought　to　be　valued　by　two　natural　Denominations；　which　is　Land　and　Labour；　that　is；　we　ought　to　say；　a　Ship　or　garment　is　worth　such