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An　inland　country；　naturally　fertile　and　easily　cultivated；

produces　a　great　surplus　of　provisions　beyond　what　is　necessary

for　maintaining　the　cultivators；　and　on　account　of　the　expense　of

land　carriage；　and　inconveniency　of　river　navigation；　it　may

frequently　be　difficult　to　send　this　surplus　abroad。　Abundance；

therefore；　renders　provisions　cheap；　and　encourages　a　great

number　of　workmen　to　settle　in　the　neighbourhood；　who　find　that

their　industry　can　there　procure　them　more　of　the　necessaries　and

conveniencies　of　life　than　in　other　places。　They　work　up　the

materials　of　manufacture　which　the　land　produces；　and　exchange

their　finished　work；　or　what　is　the　same　thing　the　price　of　it；

for　more　materials　and　provisions。　They　give　a　new　value　to　the

surplus　part　of　the　rude　produce　by　saving　the　expense　of

carrying　it　to　the　water　side　or　to　some　distant　market；　and　they

furnish　the　cultivators　with　something　in　exchange　for　it　that　is

either　useful　or　agreeable　to　them　upon　easier　terms　than　they

could　have　obtained　it　before。　The　cultivators　get　a　better　price

for　their　surplus　produce；　and　can　purchase　cheaper　other

conveniences　which　they　have　occasion　for。　They　are　thus　both

encouraged　and　enabled　to　increase　this　surplus　produce　by　a

further　improvement　and　better　cultivation　of　the　land；　and　as

the　fertility　of　the　land　had　given　birth　to　the　manufacture；　so

the　progress　of　the　manufacture　reacts　upon　the　land　and

increases　still　further　its　fertility。　The　manufacturers　first

supply　the　neighbourhood；　and　afterwards；　as　their　work　improves

and　refines；　more　distant　markets。　For　though　neither　the　rude

produce　nor　even　the　coarse　manufacture　could；　without　the

greatest　difficulty；　support　the　expense　of　a　considerable　land

carriage；　the　refined　and　improved　manufacture　easily　may。　In　a

small　bulk　it　frequently　contains　the　price　of　a　great　quantity

of　rude　produce。　A　piece　of　fine　cloth；　for　example；　which　weighs

only　eighty　pounds；　contains　in　it；　the　price；　not　only　of　eighty

pounds'　weight　of　wool；　but　sometimes　of　several　thousand　weight

of　corn；　the　maintenance　of　the　different　working　people　and　of

their　immediate　employers。　The　corn；　which　could　with　difficulty

have　been　carried　abroad　in　its　own　shape；　is　in　this　manner

virtually　exported　in　that　of　the　complete　manufacture；　and　may

easily　be　sent　to　the　remotest　corners　of　the　world。　In　this

manner　have　grown　up　naturally；　and　as　it　were　of　their　own

accord；　the　manufactures　of　Leeds；　Halifax；　Sheffield；

Birmingham；　and　Wolverhampton。　Such　manufactures　are　the

offspring　of　agriculture。　In　the　modern　history　of　Europe；　their

extension　and　improvement　have　generally　been　posterior　to　those

which　were　the　offspring　of　foreign　commerce。　England　was　noted

for　the　manufacture　of　fine　cloths　made　of　Spanish　wool　more　than

a　century　before　any　of　those　which　now　flourish　in　the　places

above　mentioned　were　fit　for　foreign　sale。　The　extension　and

improvement　of　these　last　could　not　take　place　but　in　consequence

of　the　extension　and　improvement　of　agriculture　the　last　and

greatest　effect　of　foreign　commerce；　and　of　the　manufactures

immediately　introduced　by　it；　and　which　I　shall　now　proceed　to

explain。　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IV



How　the　Commerce　of　the　Towns　Contributed　to　the　Improvement　of

the　Country



　　　　　THE　increase　and　riches　of　commercial　and　manufacturing

towns　contributed　to　the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　the

countries　to　which　they　belonged　in　three　different　ways。

　　　　　First；　by　affording　a　great　and　ready　market　for　the　rude

produce　of　the　country；　they　gave　encouragement　to　its

cultivation　and　further　improvement。　This　benefit　was　not　even

confined　to　the　countries　in　which　they　were　situated；　but

extended　more　or　less　to　all　those　with　which　they　had　any

dealings。　To　all　of　them　they　afforded　a　market　for　some　part

either　of　their　rude　or　manufactured　produce；　and　consequently

gave　some　encouragement　to　the　industry　and　improvement　of　all。

Their　own　country；　however；　on　account　of　its　neighbourhood；

necessarily　derived　the　greatest　benefit　from　this　market。　Its

rude　produce　being　charged　with　less　carriage；　the　traders　could

pay　the　growers　a　better　price　for　it；　and　yet　afford　it　as　cheap

to　the　consumers　as　that　of　more　distant　countries。

　　　　　Secondly；　the　wealth　acquired　by　the　inhabitants　of　cities

was　frequently　employed　in　purchasing　such　lands　as　were　to　be

sold；　of　which　a　great　part　would　frequently　be　uncultivated。

Merchants　are　commonly　ambitious　of　becoming　country　gentlemen；

and　when　they　do；　they　are　generally　the　best　of　all　improvers。　A

merchant　is　accustomed　to　employ　his　money　chiefly　in　profitable

projects；　whereas　a　mere　country　gentleman　is　accustomed　to

employ　it　chiefly　in　expense。　The　one　often　sees　his　money　go

from　him　and　return　to　him　again　with　a　profit；　the　other；　when

once　he　parts　with　it；　very　seldom　expects　to　see　any　more　of　it。

Those　different　habits　naturally　affect　their　temper　and

disposition　in　every　sort　of　business。　A　merchant　is　commonly　a

bold；　a　country　gentleman　a　timid　undertaker。　The　one　is　not

afraid　to　lay　out　at　once　a　large　capital　upon　the　improvement　of

his　land　when　he　has　a　probable　prospect　of　raising　the　value　of

it　in　proportion　to　the　expense。　The　other；　if　he　has　any

capital；　which　is　not　always　the　case；　seldom　ventures　to　employ

it　in　this　manner。　If　he　improves　at　all；　it　is　commonly　not　with

a　capital；　but　with　what　he　can　save　out　of　his　annual　revenue。

Whoever　has　had　the　fortune　to　live　in　a　mercantile　town　situated

in　an　unimproved　country　must　have　frequently　observed　how　much

more　spirited　the　operations　of　merchants　were　in　this　way　than

those　of　mere　country　gentlemen。　The　habits；　besides；　of　order；

economy；　and　attention；　to　which　mercantile　business　naturally

forms　a　merchant；　render　him　much　fitter　to　execute；　with　profit

and　success；　any　project　of　improvement。

　　　　　Thirdly；　and　lastly；　commerce　and　manufactures　gradually

introduced　order　and　good　government；　and　with　them；　the　liberty

and　security　of　individuals；　among　the　inhabitants　of　the

country；　who　had　before　lived　almost　in　a　continual　state　of　war

with　their　neighbours　and　of　servile　dependency　upon　their

superiors。　This；　though　it　has　been　the　least　observed；　is　by　far

the　most　important　of　all　their　effects。　Mr。　Hume　is　the　only

writer　who；　so　far　as　I　know；　has　hitherto　taken　notice　of　it。

　　　　　In　a　country　which　has　neither　foreign　commerce；　nor　any　of

the　finer　manufactures；　a　great　proprietor；　having　nothing　for

which　he　can　exchange　the　greater　part　of　the　produce　of　his

lands　which　is　over　and　above　the　maintenance　of　the　cultivators；

consumes　the　whole　in　rustic　hospitality　at　home。　If　this　surplus

produce　is　sufficient　to　maintain　a　hundred　or　a　thousand　men；　he

can　make　use　of　it　in　no　other　way　than　by　maintaining　a　hundred

or　a　thousand　men。　He　is　at　all　times；　therefore；　surrounded　with

a　multitude　of　retainers　and　dependants；　who；　having　no

equivalent　to　give　in　return　for　their　maintenance；　but　being　fed

entirely　by　his　bounty；　must　obey　him；　for　the　same　reason　that

soldiers　must　obey　the　prince　who　pays　them。　Before　the　extension

of　commerce　and　manufacture　in　Europe；　the　hospitality　of　the

rich；　and　the　great；　from　the　sovereign　down　to　the　smallest

baron；　exceeded　everything　which　in　the　present　times　we　can

easily　form　a　notion　of。　Westminster　Hall　was　the　dining…room　of

William　Rufus；　and　might　frequently；　perhaps；　not　be　too　large

for　his　company。　It　was　reckoned　a　piece　of　magnificence　in

Thomas　Becket　that　he　strewed　the　floor　of　his　hall　with　clean

hay　or　rushes　in　the　season；　in　order　that　the　knights　and

squires　who　could　not　get　seats　might　not　spoil　their　fine

clothes　when　they　sat　down　on　the　floor　to　eat　their　dinner。　The

great　Earl　of　Warwick　is　said　to　have　entertained　every　day　at

his　different　manors　thirty　thousand　people；　and　though　the

number　here　may　have　been　exaggerated；　it　must；　however；　have

been　very　great　to　admit　of　such　exaggeration。　A　hospitality

nearly　of　the　same　kind　was　exercised　not　many　years　ago　in　many

different　parts　of　the　highlands　of　Scotland。　It　seems　to　be

common　in　all　nations　to　whom　commerce　and　manufactures　are

little　known。　〃I　have　seen；〃　says　Doctor　Pocock；　〃an　Arabian

chief　dine　in　the　streets　of　a　town　where　he　had　come　to　sell　his

cattle；　and　invite　all　passengers；　even　common　beggars；　to　sit

down　with　him　and　partake　of　his　banquet。〃

　　　　　The　occupiers　of　land　were　in　every　respect　as　dependent

upon　the　great　proprietor　as　his　retainers。　Even　such　of　them　as

were　not　in　a　state　of　villanage　were　tenants　at　will；　who　paid　a

rent　in　no　respect　equivalent　to　the　subsistence　which　the　land

afforded　them。　A　crown；　half　a　crown；　a　sheep；　a　lamb；　was　some

years　ago　in　the　highlands　of　Scotland　a　common　rent　for　lands

which　maintained　a　family。　In　some　places　it　is　so　at　this　day；

nor　will　money　at　present　purchase　a　greater　quantity　of

commodities　there　than　in