the spirit of laws-第82节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



4。　Of　Commerce　in　different　Governments。　Trade　has　some　relation　to　forms　of　government。　In　a　monarchy；　it　is　generally　founded　on　luxury；　and　though　it　be　also　founded　on　real　wants；　yet　the　principal　view　with　which　it　is　carried　on　is　to　procure　everything　that　can　contribute　to　the　pride；　the　pleasure；　and　the　capricious　whims　of　the　nation。　In　republics；　it　is　commonly　founded　on　economy。　Their　merchants；　having　an　eye　to　all　the　nations　of　the　earth；　bring　from　one　what　is　wanted　by　another。　It　is　thus　that　the　republics　of　Tyre；　Carthage；　Athens；　Marseilles；　Florence；　Venice；　and　Holland　engaged　in　commerce。

This　kind　of　traffic　has　a　natural　relation　to　a　republican　government：　to　monarchies　it　is　only　occasional。　For　as　it　is　founded　on　the　practice　of　gaining　little；　and　even　less　than　other　nations；　and　of　remedying　this　by　gaining　incessantly；　it　can　hardly　be　carried　on　by　a　people　swallowed　up　in　luxury；　who　spend　much；　and　see　nothing　but　objects　of　grandeur。

Cicero　was　of　this　opinion；　when　he　so　justly　said；　〃I　do　not　like　that　the　same　people　should　be　at　once　both　the　lords　and　factors　of　the　whole　earth。〃＇5＇　For　this　would；　indeed；　be　to　suppose　that　every　individual　in　the　state；　and　the　whole　state　collectively；　had　their　heads　constantly　filled　with　grand　views；　and　at　the　same　time　with　small　ones；　which　is　a　contradiction。

Not　but　that　the　most　noble　enterprises　are　completed　also　in　those　states　which　subsist　by　economical　commerce：　they　have　even　an　intrepidity　not　to　be　found　in　monarchies。　And　the　reason　is　this：

One　branch　of　commerce　leads　to　another；　the　small　to　the　moderate；　the　moderate　to　the　great；　thus　he　who　has　gratified　his　desire　of　gaining　a　little　raises　himself　to　a　situation　in　which　he　is　not　less　desirous　of　gaining　a　great　deal。

Besides；　the　grand　enterprises　of　merchants　are　always　necessarily　connected　with　the　affairs　of　the　public。　But；　in　monarchies；　these　public　affairs　give　as　much　distrust　to　the　merchants　as　in　free　states　they　appear　to　give　safety。　Great　enterprises；　therefore；　in　commerce　are　not　for　monarchical；　but　for　republican；　governments。

In　short；　an　opinion　of　greater　certainty；　as　to　the　possession　of　property　in　these　states；　makes　them　undertake　everything。　They　flatter　themselves　with　the　hopes　of　receiving　great　advantages　from　the　smiles　of　fortune；　and　thinking　themselves　sure　of　what　they　have　already　acquired；　they　boldly　expose　it　in　order　to　acquire　more；　risking　nothing；　but　as　the　means　of　obtaining。

I　do　not　pretend　to　say　that　any　monarchy　is　entirely　excluded　from　an　economical　commerce；　but　of　its　own　nature　it　has　less　tendency　towards　it：　neither　do　I　mean　that　the　republics　with　which　we　are　acquainted　are　absolutely　deprived　of　the　commerce　of　luxury；　but　it　is　less　connected　with　their　constitution。

With　regard　to　a　despotic　state；　there　is　no　occasion　to　mention　it。　A　general　rule：　A　nation　in　slavery　labours　more　to　preserve　than　to　acquire；　a　free　nation；　more　to　acquire　than　to　preserve。

5。　Of　Nations　that　have　entered　into　an　economical　Commerce。　Marseilles；　a　necessary　retreat　in　the　midst　of　a　tempestuous　sea；　Marseilles；　a　harbour　which　all　the　winds；　the　shelves　of　the　sea；　the　disposition　of　the　coasts；　point　out　for　a　landing…place；　became　frequented　by　mariners；　while　the　sterility　of　the　adjacent　country　determined　the　citizens　to　an　economical　commerce。＇6＇　It　was　necessary　that　they　should　be　laborious　to　supply　what　nature　had　refused；　that　they　should　be　just；　in　order　to　live　among　barbarous　nations；　from　whom　they　were　to　derive　their　prosperity；　that　they　should　be　moderate；　to　the　end　that　they　might　always　taste　the　sweets　of　a　tranquil　government；　in　fine；　that　they　should　be　frugal　in　their　manners；　to　enable　them　to　subsist　by　trade　　a　trade　the　more　certain　as　it　was　less　advantageous。

We　everywhere　see　violence　and　oppression　give　birth　to　a　commerce　founded　on　economy；　while　men　are　constrained　to　take　refuge　in　marshes；　in　isles；　in　the　shallows　of　the　sea；　and　even　on　rocks　themselves。　Thus　it　was　that　Tyre；　Venice；　and　the　cities　of　Holland　were　founded。　Fugitives　found　there　a　place　of　safety。　It　was　necessary　that　they　should　subsist；　they　drew；　therefore；　their　subsistence　from　all　parts　of　the　world。

6。　Some　Effects　of　an　extensive　Navigation。　It　sometimes　happens　that　a　nation；　when　engaged　in　an　economical　commerce；　having　need　of　the　merchandise　of　one　country；　which　serves　as　a　capital　or　stock　for　procuring　the　commodities　of　another；　is　satisfied　with　making　very　little　profit；　and　frequently　none　at　all；　in　trading　with　the　former；　in　expectation　of　gaining　greatly　by　the　latter。　Thus；　when　the　Dutch　were　almost　the　only　nation　that　carried　on　the　trade　from　the　south　to　the　north　of　Europe；　the　French　wines　which　they　imported　to　the　north　were　in　some　measure　only　a　capital　or　stock　for　conducting　their　commerce　in　that　part　of　the　world。

It　is　a　known　fact　that　there　are　some　kinds　of　merchandise　in　Holland　which；　though　imported　from　afar；　sell　for　very　little　more　than　they　cost　upon　the　spot。　They　account　for　it　thus：　a　captain　who　has　occasion　to　ballast　his　ship　will　load　it　with　marble；　if　he　wants　wood　for　stowage；　he　will　buy　it；　and；　provided　he　loses　nothing　by　the　bargain；　he　will　think　himself　a　gainer。　Thus　it　is　that　Holland　has　its　quarries　and　its　forests。

Further；　it　may　happen　so　that　not　only　a　commerce　which　brings　in　nothing　shall　be　useful；　but　even　a　losing　trade　shall　be　beneficial。　I　have　heard　it　affirmed　in　Holland　that　the　whale　fishery　in　general　does　not　answer　the　expense；　but　it　must　be　observed　that　the　persons　employed　in　building　the　ships；　as　also　those　who　furnish　the　rigging　and　provisions；　are　jointly　concerned　in　the　fishery。　Should　they　happen　to　lose　in　the　voyage；　they　have　had　a　profit　in　fitting　out　the　vessel。　This　commerce；　in　short；　is　a　kind　of　lottery；　and　every　one　is　allured　with　the　hopes　of　a　prize。　Mankind　are　generally　fond　of　gaming；　and　even　the　most　prudent　have　no　aversion　to　it；　when　the　disagreeable　circumstances　attending　it；　such　as　dissipation；　anxiety；　passion；　loss　of　time；　and　even　of　life　and　fortune；　are　concealed　from　their　view。

7。　The　Spirit　of　England　with　respect　to　Commerce。　The　tariff　or　customs　of　England　are　very　unsettled　with　respect　to　other　nations；　they　are　changed；　in　some　measure；　with　every　parliament；　either　by　taking　off　particular　duties；　or　by　imposing　new　ones。　They　endeavour　by　these　means　still　to　preserve　their　independence。　Supremely　jealous　with　respect　to　trade；　they　bind　themselves　but　little　by　treaties；　and　depend　only　on　their　own　laws。

Other　nations　have　made　the　interests　of　commerce　yield　to　those　of　politics；　the　English；　on　the　contrary；　have　ever　made　their　political　interests　give　way　to　those　of　commerce。　They　know　better　than　any　other　people　upon　earth　how　to　value；　at　the　same　time；　these　three　great　advantages　　religion；　commerce；　and　liberty。

8。　In　what　Manner　economical　Commerce　has　been　sometimes　restrained。　In　several　kingdoms　laws　have　been　made　extremely　proper　to　humble　the　states　that　have　entered　into　economical　commerce。　They　have　forbidden　their　importing　any　merchandise；　except　the　product　of　their　respective　countries；　and　have　permitted　them　to　traffic　only　in　vessels　built　in　the　kingdom　to　which　they　brought　their　commodities。

It　is　necessary　that　the　kingdom　which　imposes　these　laws　should　itself　be　able　easily　to　engage　in　commerce；　otherwise　it　will；　at　least；　be　an　equal　sufferer。　It　is　much　more　advantageous　to　trade　with　a　commercial　nation；　whose　profits　are　moderate；　and　who　are　rendered　in　some　sort　dependent　by　the　affairs　of　commerce；　with　a　nation　whose　larger　views　and　whose　extended　trade　enables　them　to　dispose　of　their　superfluous　merchandise；　with　a　wealthy　nation；　who　can　take　off　many　of　their　commodities；　and　make　them　a　quicker　return　in　specie；　with　a　nation　under　a　kind　of　necessity　to　be　faithful；　pacific　from　principle；　and　that　seeks　to　gain；　and　not　to　conquer：　it　is　much　better；　I　say；　to　trade　with　such　a　notion　than　with　others；　their　constant　rivals；　who　will　never　grant　such　great　advantages。

9。　Of　the　Prohibition　of　Commerce。　It　is　a　true　maxim　that　one　nation　should　never　exclude　another　from　trading　with　it；　except　for　very　great　reasons。　The　Japanese　trade　only　with　two　nations；　the　Chinese　and　the　Dutch。　The　Chinese＇7＇　gain　a　thousand　per　cent　upon　sugars；　and　sometimes　as　much　by　the　goods　they　take　in　exchange。　The　Dutch　make　nearly　the　same　profits。　Every　nation　that　acts　upon　Japanese　principles　must　necessarily　be　deceived；　for　it　is　competition　which　sets　a　just　value　on　merchandise；　and　establishes　the　relation　between　them。

Much　less　ought　a　state　to　lay　itself　under　an　obligation　of　selling　its　manufactures　only　to　a　single　nation；　under　a　pretence　of　their　taking　all　at　a　certain　price。　The　Poles；　in　this　manner；　dispose　of　their　corn　to　the　city　of　Danzig；　and　several　Indian　princes　have　made　a　like　contract　for　their　spices　with　the　Dutch。＇8＇　These　agreements　are　proper　only　for　a　poor　nation；　whose　inhabitants　are　satisfied　to　forego　the　hopes　of　enriching　themselves；　pr