the querist-第9节

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frugality？

422　Whether　the　Swisses　in　general　have　not　sumptuary　laws；
prohibiting　the　use　of　gold；　jewels；　silver；　silk；　and　lace　in
their　apparel；　and　indulging　the　women　only　to　wear　silk　on
festivals；　weddings；　and　public　solemnities？

423　Whether　there　be　not　two　ways　of　growing　rich；　sparing　and
getting？　But　whether　the　lazy　spendthrift　must　not　be　doubly
poor？

424　Whether　money　circulating　be　not　the　life　of　industry；　and
whether　the　want　thereof　doth　not　render　a　State　gouty　and
inactive？

425　But　whether；　if　we　had　a　national　bank；　and　our　present　cash
（small　as　it　is）　were　put　into　the　most　convenient　shape；　men
should　hear　any　public　complaints　for　want　of　money？

426　Whether　all　circulation　be　not　alike　a　circulation　of　credit；
whatsoever　medium　（metal　or　paper）　is　employed；　and　whether　gold
be　any　more　than　credit　for　so　much　power？

427　Whether　the　wealth　of　the　richest　nations　in　Christendom　doth
not　consist　in　paper　vastly　more　than　in　gold　and　silver？

428　Whether　Lord　Clarendon　doth　not　aver　of　his　own　knowledge；
that　the　Prince　of　Orange；　with　the　best　credit；　and　the
assistance　of　the　richest　men　in　Amsterdam；　was　above　ten　days
endeavouring　to　raise　？0；000　in　specie；　without　being　able　to
raise　half　the　sum　in　all　that　time？　（See　Clarendon's　History；
BK。　XII）

429　Supposing　there　had　been　hitherto　no　such　thing　as　a　bank；
and　the　question　were　now　first　proposed；　whether　it　would　be
safer　to　circulate　unlimited　bills　in　a　private　credit；　or　bills
to　a　limited　value　on　the　public　credit　of　the　community；　what
would　men　think？

430　Whether　the　maxim；　'What　is　everybody's　business　is
nobody's；'　prevails　in　any　country　under　the　sun　more　than　in
Ireland？

431　Whether　the　united　stock　of　a　nation　be　not　the　best
security？　And　whether　anything　but　the　ruin　of　the　State　can
produce　a　national　bankruptcy？

432　Whether　the　total　sum　of　the　public　treasure；　power；　and
wisdom；　all　co…operating；　be　not　most　likely　to　establish　a　bank
of　credit；　sufficient　to　answer　the　ends；　relieve　the　wants；　and
satisfy　the　scruples　of　all　people？

433　Whether　London　is　not　to　be　considered　as　the　metropolis　of
Ireland？　And　whether　our　wealth　（such　as　it　is）　doth　not
circulate　through　London　and　throughout　all　England；　as　freely　as
that　of　any　part　of　his　Majesty's　dominions？

434　Whether　therefore　it　be　not　evidently　the　interest　of　the
people　of　England　to　encourage　rather　than　to　oppose　a　national
bank　in　this　kingdom；　as　well　as　every　other　means　for　advancing
our　wealth　which　shall　not　impair　their　own？

435　Whether　it　is　not　our　interest　to　be　useful　to　them　rather
than　rival　them；　and　whether　in　that　case　we　may　not　be　sure　of
their　good　offices？

436　Whether　we　can　propose　to　thrive　so　long　as　we　entertain　a
wrongheaded　distrust　of　England？

437　Whether；　as　a　national　bank　would　increase　our　industry；　and
that　our　wealth；　England　may　not　be　a　proportionable　gainer；　and
whether　we　should　not　consider　the　gains　of　our　mother…country　as
some　accession　to　our　own？
438　Whether　there　be　any　difficulty　in　comprehending　that　the
whole　wealth　of　the　nation　is　in　truth　the　stock　of　a　national
bank？　And　whether　any　more　than　the　right　comprehension　of　this
be　necessary　to　make　all　men　easy　with　regard　to　its　credit？

439　Whether　the　prejudices　about　gold　and　silver　are　not　strong；
but　whether　they　are　not　still　prejudices？

440　Whether　paper　doth　not　by　its　stamp　and　signature　acquire　a
local　value；　and　become　as　precious　and　as　scarce　as　gold？　And
whether　it　be　not　much　fitter　to　circulate　large　sums；　and
therefore　preferable　to　gold？

441　Whether　it　doth　not　much　import　to　have　a　right　conception　of
money？　And　whether　its　true　and　just　idea　be　not　that　of　a
ticket；　entitling　to　power；　and　fitted　to　record　and　transfer
such　power？

442　Though　the　bank　of　Amsterdam　doth　very　rarely；　if　at　all；　pay
out　money；　yet　whether　every　man　possessed　of　specie　be　not　ready
to　convert　it　into　paper；　and　act　as　cashier　to　the　bank？　And
whether；　from　the　same　motive；　every　monied　man　throughout　this
kingdom　would　not　be　cashier　to　our　national　bank？

443　Whether　we　may　not　obtain　that　as　friends　which　it　is　in　vain
to　hope　for　as　rivals？

444　Whether　in　every　instance　by　which　we　prejudice　England；　we
do　not　in　a　greater　degree　prejudice　ourselves？

445　Whether　in　the　rude　original　of　society　the　first　step　was
not　the　exchanging　of　commodities；　the　next　a　substituting　of
metals　by　weight　as　the　common　medium　of　circulation；　after　this
the　making　use　of　coin；　lastly；　a　further　refinement　by　the　use
of　paper　with　proper　marks　and　signatures？　And　whether　this；　as
it　is　the　last；　so　it　be　not　the　greatest　improvement？

446　Whether　we　are　not　in　fact　the　only　people　who　may　be　said　to
starve　in　the　midst　of　plenty？

447　Whether　there　can　be　a　worse　sign　than　that　people　should
quit　their　country　for　a　livelihood？　Though　men　often　leave　their
country　for　health；　or　pleasure；　or　riches；　yet　to　leave　it
merely　for　a　livelihood；　whether　this　be　not　exceeding　bad；　and
sheweth　some　peculiar　mismanagement？

448　Whether；　in　order　to　redress　our　evils；　artificial　helps　are
not　most　wanted　in　a　land　where　industry　is　most　against　the
natural　grain　of　the　people？

449　Whether；　although　the　prepossessions　about　gold　and　silver
have　taken　deep　root；　yet　the　example　of　our　Colonies　in　America
doth　not　make　it　as　plain　as　day…light　that　they　are　not　so
necessary　to　the　wealth　of　a　nation　as　the　vulgar　of　all　ranks
imagine？

450　Whether　it　be　not　evident　that　we　may　maintain　a　much　greater
inward　and　outward　commerce；　and　be　five　times　richer　than　we
are；　nay；　and　our　bills　abroad　be　of　far　greater　credit；　though
we　had　not　one　ounce　of　gold　or　silver　in　the　whole　island？

451　Whether　wrongheaded　maxims；　customs；　and　fashions　are　not
sufficient　to　destroy　any　people　which　hath　so　few　resources　as
the　inhabitants　of　Ireland。

452　Whether　it　would　not　be　a　horrible　thing　to　see　our　matrons
make　dress　and　play　their　chief　concern？

453　Whether　our　ladies　might　not　as　well　endow　monasteries　as
wear　Flanders　lace？　And　whether　it　be　not　true　that　Popish　nuns
are　maintained　by　Protestant　contributions？

454　Whether　England；　which　hath　a　free　trade；　whatever　she　remits
for　foreign　luxury　with　one　hand；　doth　not　with　the　other　receive
much　more　from　abroad？　Whether；　nevertheless；　this　nation　would
not　be　a　gainer；　if　our　women　would　content　themselves　with　the
same　moderation　in　point　of　expense　as　the　English　ladies？

455　But　whether　it　be　not　a　notorious　truth　that　our　Irish　ladies
are　on　a　foot；　as　to　dress；　with　those　of　five　times　their
fortune　in　England？

456　Whether　it　be　not　even　certain　that　the　matrons　of　this
forlorn　country　send　out　a　greater　proportion　of　its　wealth；　for
fine　apparel；　than　any　other　females　on　the　whole　surface　of　this
terraqueous　globe？

457　Whether　the　expense；　great　as　it　is；　be　the　greatest　evil；
but　whether　this　folly　may　not　produce　many　other　follies；　an
entire　derangement　of　domestic　life；　absurd　manners；　neglect　of
duties；　bad　mothers；　a　general　corruption　in　both　sexes？

458　Whether　the　first　beginning　of　expedients　do　not　always　meet
with　prejudices？　And　whether　even　the　prejudices　of　a　people
ought　not　to　be　respected？

459　Whether　a　national　bank　be　not　the　true　philosopher's　stone
in　a　State？

460　Whether　all　regulations　of　coin　should　not　be　made　with　a
view　to　encourage　industry；　and　a　circulation　of　commerce；
throughout　the　kingdom？

461　Whether　to　oil　the　wheels　of　commerce　be　not　a　common
benefit？　And　whether　this　be　not　done　by　avoiding　fractions　and
multiplying　small　silver？

462　Whether；　all　things　considered；　a　general　raising　the　value
of　gold　and　silver　be　not　so　far　from　bringing　greater　quantities
thereof　into　the　kingdom　that　it　would　produce　a　direct　contrary
effect；　inasmuch　as　less；　in　that　case；　would　serve；　and
therefore　less　be　wanted？　And　whether　men　do　not　import　a
commodity　in　proportion　to　the　demand　or　want　of　it？

463　Whether　the　lowering　of　our　gold　would　not　create　a　fever　in
the　State？　And　whether　a　fever　be　not　sometimes　a　cure；　but
whether　it　be　not　the　last　cure　a　man　would　choose？

464　Whether　raising　the　value　of　a　particular　species　will　not
tend　to　multiply　such　species；　and　to　lessen　others　in　proportion
thereunto？　And　whether　a　much　less　quantity　of　cash　in　silver
would　not；　in　reality；　enrich　the　nation　more　than　a　much　greater
in　gold？

465　Whether；　ceteris　paribus；　it　be　not　true　that　the　prices　of
things　increase　as　the　quantity　of　money　increaseth；　and　are
diminished　as　that　is　diminished？　And　whether；　by　the　quantity　of
money　is　not　to　be　understood　the　amount　of　the　denominations；
all　contracts　being　nominal　for　pounds；　shillings；　and　pence；　and
not　for　weights　of　gold　or　silver？

466　Whether　our　exports　do　not　consist　of　such　necessaries　as
other　countries　cannot　well　be　without？

467　Whether　upon　the　circulation　of　a　national　bank　more　land
would　not　be　tilled；　more　hands　employed；　and　consequently　more
commodities　exported？

468　Whether　silver　and　small　money　be　not　that　which　circulates