wealbk03-第11节

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or　at　a　price　much　below　the　value　of　the　natural　produce…　a

thing　impossible　in　Europe；　or；　indeed；　in　any　country　where　all

lands　have　long　been　private　property。　If　landed　estates；

however；　were　divided　equally　among　all　the　children　upon　the

death　of　any　proprietor　who　left　a　numerous　family；　the　estate

would　generally　be　sold。　So　much　land　would　come　to　market　that

it　could　no　longer　sell　at　a　monopoly　price。　The　free　rent　of　the

land　would　go　nearer　to　pay　the　interest　of　the　purchase…money；

and　a　small　capital　might　be　employed　in　purchasing　land　as

profitably　as　in　any　other　way。

　　　　　England；　on　account　of　the　natural　fertility　of　the　soil；　of

the　great　extent　of　the　sea…coast　in　proportion　to　that　of　the

whole　country；　and　of　the　many　navigable　rivers　which　run　through

it　and　afford　the　conveniency　of　water　carriage　to　some　of　the

most　inland　parts　of　it；　is　perhaps　as　well　fitted　by　nature　as

any　large　country　in　Europe　to　be　the　seat　of　foreign　commerce；

of　manufactures　for　distant　sale；　and　of　all　the　improvements

which　these　can　occasion。　From　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of

Elizabeth　too；　the　English　legislature　has　been　peculiarly

attentive　to　the　interests　of　commerce　and　manufactures；　and　in

reality　there　is　no　country　in　Europe；　Holland　itself　not

excepted；　of　which　the　law　is；　upon　the　whole；　more　favourable　to

this　sort　of　industry。　Commerce　and　manufactures　have　accordingly

been　continually　advancing　during　all　this　period。　The

cultivation　and　improvement　of　the　country　has；　no　doubt；　been

gradually　advancing　too；　but　it　seems　to　have　followed　slowly；

and　at　a　distance；　the　more　rapid　progress　of　commerce　and

manufactures。　The　greater　part　of　the　country　must　probably　have

been　cultivated　before　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　and　a　very　great

part　of　it　still　remains　uncultivated；　and　the　cultivation　of　the

far　greater　part　much　inferior　to　what　it　might　be。　The　law　of

England；　however；　favours　agriculture　not　only　indirectly　by　the

protection　of　commerce；　but　by　several　direct　encouragements。

Except　in　times　of　scarcity；　the　exportation　of　corn　is　not　only

free；　but　encouraged　by　a　bounty。　In　times　of　moderate　plenty；

the　importation　of　foreign　corn　is　loaded　with　duties　that　amount

to　a　prohibition。　The　importation　of　live　cattle；　except　from

Ireland；　is　prohibited　at　all　times；　and　it　is　but　of　late　that

it　was　permitted　from　thence。　Those　who　cultivate　the　land；

therefore；　have　a　monopoly　against　their　countrymen　for　the　two

greatest　and　most　important　articles　of　land　produce；　bread　and

butcher's　meat。　These　encouragements；　though　at　bottom；　perhaps；

as　I　shall　endeavour　to　show　hereafter；　altogether　illusory；

sufficiently　demonstrate　at　least　the　good　intention　of　the

legislature　to　favour　agriculture。　But　what　is　of　much　more

importance　than　all　of　them；　the　yeomanry　of　England　are　rendered

as　secure；　as　independent；　and　as　respectable　as　law　can　make

them。　No　country；　therefore；　in　which　the　right　of　primogeniture

takes　place；　which　pays　tithes；　and　where　perpetuities；　though

contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　law；　are　admitted　in　some　cases；

can　give　more　encouragement　to　agriculture　than　England。　Such；

however；　notwithstanding；　is　the　state　of　its　cultivation。　What

would　it　have　been　had　the　law　given　no　direct　encouragement　to

agriculture　besides　what　arises　indirectly　from　the　progress　of

commerce；　and　had　left　the　yeomanry　in　the　same　condition　as　in

most　other　countries　of　Europe？　It　is　now　more　than　two　hundred

years　since　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　a　period　as

long　as　the　course　of　human　prosperity　usually　endures。

　　　　　France　seems　to　have　had　a　considerable　share　of　foreign

commerce　near　a　century　before　England　was　distinguished　as　a

commercial　country。　The　marine　of　France　was　considerable；

according　to　the　notions　of　the　times；　before　the　expedition　of

Charles　VIII　to　Naples。　The　cultivation　and　improvement　of

France；　however；　is；　upon　the　whole；　inferior　to　that　of　England。

The　law　of　the　country　has　never　given　the　same　direct

encouragement　to　agriculture。

　　　　　The　foreign　commerce　of　Spain　and　Portugal　to　the　other

parts　of　Europe；　though　chiefly　carried　on　in　foreign　ships；　is

very　considerable。　That　to　their　colonies　is　carried　on　in　their

own；　and　is　much　greater；　on　account　of　the　great　riches　and

extent　of　those　colonies。　But　it　has　never　introduced　any

considerable　manufactures　for　distant　sale　into　either　of　those

countries；　and　the　greater　part　of　both　still　remains

uncultivated。　The　foreign　commerce　of　Portugal　is　of　older

standing　than　that　of　any　great　country　in　Europe；　except　Italy。

　　　　　Italy　is　the　only　great　country　of　Europe　which　seems　to

have　been　cultivated　and　improved　in　every　part　by　means　of

foreign　commerce　and　manufactures　for　distant　sale。　Before　the

invasion　of　Charles　VIII；　Italy　according　to　Guicciardin；　was

cultivated　not　less　in　the　most　mountainous　and　barren　parts　of

the　country　than　in　the　plainest　and　most　fertile。　The

advantageous　situation　of　the　country；　and　the　great　number　of

independent　states　which　at　that　time　subsisted　in　it；　probably

contributed　not　a　little　to　this　general　cultivation。　It　is　not

impossible　too；　notwithstanding　this　general　expression　of　one　of

the　most　judicious　and　reserved　of　modern　historians；　that　Italy

was　not　at　that　time　better　cultivated　than　England　is　at

present。

　　　　　The　capital；　however；　that　is　acquired　to　any　country　by

commerce　and　manufactures　is　all　a　very　precarious　and　uncertain

possession　till　some　part　of　it　has　been　secured　and　realized　in

the　cultivation　and　improvement　of　its　lands。　A　merchant；　it　has

been　said　very　properly；　is　not　necessarily　the　citizen　of　any

particular　country。　It　is　in　a　great　measure　indifferent　to　him

from　what　place　he　carries　on　his　trade；　and　a　very　trifling

disgust　will　make　him　remove　his　capital；　and　together　with　it

all　the　industry　which　it　supports；　from　one　country　to　another。

No　part　of　it　can　be　said　to　belong　to　any　particular　country；

till　it　has　been　spread　as　it　were　over　the　face　of　that　country；

either　in　buildings　or　in　the　lasting　improvement　of　lands。　No

vestige　now　remains　of　the　great　wealth　said　to　have　been

possessed　by　the　greater　part　of　the　Hans　towns　except　in　the

obscure　histories　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries。　It

is　even　uncertain　where　some　of　them　were　situated　or　to　what

towns　in　Europe　the　Latin　names　given　to　some　of　them　belong。　But

though　the　misfortunes　of　Italy　in　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　and

beginning　of　the　sixteenth　centuries　greatly　diminished　the

commerce　and　manufactures　of　the　cities　of　Lombardy　and　Tuscany；

those　countries　still　continue　to　be　among　the　most　populous　and

best　cultivated　in　Europe。　The　civil　wars　of　Flanders；　and　the

Spanish　government　which　succeeded　them；　chased　away　the　great

commerce　of　Antwerp；　Ghent；　and　Bruges。　But　Flanders　still

continues　to　be　one　of　the　richest；　best　cultivated；　and　most

populous　provinces　of　Europe。　The　ordinary　revolutions　of　war　and

government　easily　dry　up　the　sources　of　that　wealth　which　arises

from　commerce　only。　That　which　arises　from　the　more　solid

improvements　of　agriculture　is　much　more　durable　and　cannot　be

destroyed　but　by　those　more　violent　convulsions　occasioned　by　the

depredations　of　hostile　and　barbarous　nations　continued　for　a

century　or　two　together；　such　as　those　that　happened　for　some

time　before　and　after　the　fall　of　the　Roman　empire　in　the　western

provinces　of　Europe。