of commerce-第3节

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natural　bent　of　the　mind　being　more　complied　with；　individuals；
as　well　as　the　public；　find　their　account　in　the　observance　of
those　maxims。
　　　　The　same　method　of　reasoning　will　let　us　see　the　advantage　of
foreign　commerce；　in　augmenting　the　power　of　the　state；　as　well
as　the　riches　and　happiness　of　the　subject。　It　encreases　the
stock　of　labour　in　the　nation；　and　the　sovereign　may　convert　what
share　of　it　he　finds　necessary　to　the　service　of　the　public。
Foreign　trade；　by　its　imports；　furnishes　materials　for　new
manufactures；　and　by　its　exports；　it　produces　labour　in
particular　commodities；　which　could　not　be　consumed　at　home。　In
short；　a　kingdom；　that　has　a　large　import　and　export；　must　abound
more　with　industry；　and　that　employed　upon　delicacies　and
luxuries；　than　a　kingdom　which　rests　contented　with　its　native
commodities。　It　is；　therefore；　more　powerful；　as　well　as　richer
and　happier。　The　individuals　reap　the　benefit　of　these
commodities；　so　far　as　they　gratify　the　senses　and　appetites。　And
the　public　is　also　a　gainer；　while　a　greater　stock　of　labour　is；
by　this　means；　stored　up　against　any　public　exigency；　that　is；　a
greater　number　of　laborious　men　are　maintained；　who　may　be
diverted　to　the　public　service；　without　robbing　any　one　of　the
necessaries；　or　even　the　chief　conveniencies　of　life。
　　　　If　we　consult　history；　we　shall　find；　that；　in　most　nations；
foreign　trade　has　preceded　any　refinement　in　home　manufactures；
and　given　birth　to　domestic　luxury。　The　temptation　is　stronger　to
make　use　of　foreign　commodities；　which　are　ready　for　use；　and
which　are　entirely　new　to　us；　than　to　make　improvements　on　any
domestic　commodity；　which　always　advance　by　slow　degrees；　and
never　affect　us　by　their　novelty。　The　profit　is　also　very　great；
in　exporting　what　is　superfluous　at　home；　and　what　bears　no
price；　to　foreign　nations；　whose　soil　or　climate　is　not
favourable　to　that　commodity。　Thus　men　become　acquainted　with　the
pleasures　of　luxury　and　the　profits　of　commerce；　and　their
delicacy　and　industry；　being　once　awakened；　carry　them　on　to
farther　improvements；　in　every　branch　of　domestic　as　well　as
foreign　trade。　And　this　perhaps　is　the　chief　advantage　which
arises　from　a　commerce　with　strangers。　It　rouses　men　from　their
indolence；　and　presenting　the　gayer　and　more　opulent　part　of　the
nation　with　objects　of　luxury；　which　they　never　before　dreamed
of；　raises　in　them　a　desire　of　a　more　splendid　way　of　life　than
what　their　ancestors　enjoyed。　And　at　the　same　time；　the　few
merchants；　who　possess　the　secret　of　this　importation　and
exportation；　make　great　profits；　and　becoming　rivals　in　wealth　to
the　ancient　nobility；　tempt　other　adventurers　to　become　their
rivals　in　commerce。　Imitation　soon　diffuses　all　those　arts；　while
domestic　manufactures　emulate　the　foreign　in　their　improvements；
and　work　up　every　home　commodity　to　the　utmost　perfection　of
which　it　is　susceptible。　Their　own　steel　and　iron；　in　such
laborious　hands；　become　equal　to　the　gold　and　rubies　of　the
INDIES。
　　　　When　the　affairs　of　the　society　are　once　brought　to　this
situation；　a　nation　may　lose　most　of　its　foreign　trade；　and　yet
continue　a　great　and　powerful　people。　If　strangers　will　not　take
any　particular　commodity　of　ours；　we　must　cease　to　labour　in　it。
The　same　hands　will　turn　themselves　towards　some　refinement　in
other　commodities；　which　may　be　wanted　at　home。　And　there　must
always　be　materials　for　them　to　work　upon；　till　every　person　in
the　state；　who　possesses　riches；　enjoys　as　great　plenty　of　home
commodities；　and　those　in　as　great　perfection；　as　he　desires；
which　can　never　possibly　happen。　CHINA　is　represented　as　one　of
the　most　flourishing　empires　in　the　world；　though　it　has　very
little　commerce　beyond　its　own　territories。
　　　　It　will　not；　I　hope；　be　considered　as　a　superfluous
digression；　if　I　here　observe；　that；　as　the　multitude　of
mechanical　arts　is　advantageous；　so　is　the　great　number　of
persons　to　whose　share　the　productions　of　these　arts　fall。　A　too
great　disproportion　among　the　citizens　weakens　any　state。　Every
person；　if　possible；　ought　to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　labour；　in
a　full　possession　of　all　the　necessaries；　and　many　of　the
conveniencies　of　life。　No　one　can　doubt；　but　such　an　equality　is
most　suitable　to　human　nature；　and　diminishes　much　less　from　the
happiness　of　the　rich　than　it　adds　to　that　of　the　poor。　It　also
augments　the　power　of　the　state；　and　makes　any　extraordinary
taxes　or　impositions　be　paid　with　more　chearfulness。　Where　the
riches　are　engrossed　by　a　few；　these　must　contribute　very　largely
to　the　supplying　of　the　public　necessities。　But　when　the　riches
are　dispersed　among　multitudes；　the　burthen　feels　light　on　every
shoulder；　and　the　taxes　make　not　a　very　sensible　difference　on
any　one's　way　of　living。
　　　　Add　to　this；　that；　where　the　riches　are　in　few　hands；　these
must　enjoy　all　the　power；　and　will　readily　conspire　to　lay　the
whole　burthen　on　the　poor；　and　oppress　them　still　farther；　to　the
discouragement　of　all　industry。
　　　　In　this　circumstance　consists　the　great　advantage　of　ENGLAND
above　any　nation　at　present　in　the　world；　or　that　appears　in　the
records　of　any　story。　It　is　true；　the　ENGLISH　feel　some
disadvantages　in　foreign　trade　by　the　high　price　of　labour；　which
is　in　part　the　effect　of　the　riches　of　their　artisans；　as　well　as
of　the　plenty　of　money：　But　as　foreign　trade　is　not　the　most
material　circumstance；　it　is　not　to　be　put　in　competition　with
the　happiness　of　so　many　millions。　And　if　there　were　no　more　to
endear　to　them　that　free　government　under　which　they　live；　this
alone　were　sufficient。　The　poverty　of　the　common　people　is　a
natural；　if　not　an　infallible　effect　of　absolute　monarchy；　though
I　doubt；　whether　it　be　always　true；　on　the　other　hand；　that　their
riches　are　an　infallible　result　of　liberty。　Liberty　must　be
attended　with　particular　accidents；　and　a　certain　turn　of
thinking；　in　order　to　produce　that　effect。　Lord　BACON；　accounting
for　the　great　advantages　obtained　by　the　ENGLISH　in　their　wars
with　FRANCE；　ascribes　them　chiefly　to　the　superior　ease　and
plenty　of　the　common　people　amongst　the　former；　yet　the
government　of　the　two　kingdoms　was；　at　that　time；　pretty　much
alike。　Where　the　labourers　and　artisans　are　accustomed　to　work
for　low　wages；　and　to　retain　but　a　small　part　of　the　fruits　of
their　labour；　it　is　difficult　for　them；　even　in　a　free
government；　to　better　their　condition；　or　conspire　among
themselves　to　heighten　their　wages。　But　even　where　they　are
accustomed　to　a　more　plentiful　way　of　life；　it　is　easy　for　the
rich；　in　an　arbitrary　government；　to　conspire　against　them；　and
throw　the　whole　burthen　of　the　taxes　on　their　shoulders。
　　　　It　may　seem　an　odd　position；　that　the　poverty　of　the　common
people　in　FRANCE。　ITALY；　and　SPAIN；　is；　in　some　measure；　owing　to
the　superior　riches　of　the　soil　and　happiness　of　the　climate；　yet
there　want　not　reasons　to　justify　this　paradox。　In　such　a　fine
mould　or　soil　as　that　of　those　more　southern　regions；　agriculture
is　an　easy　art；　and　one　man；　with　a　couple　of　sorry　horses；　will
be　able；　in　a　season；　to　cultivate　as　much　land　as　will　pay　a
pretty　considerable　rent　to　the　proprietor。　All　the　art。　which
the　farmer　knows；　is　to　leave　his　ground　fallow　for　a　year；　as
soon　as　it　is　exhausted；　and　the　warmth　of　the　sun　alone　and
temperature　of　the　climate　enrich　it；　and　restore　its　fertility。
Such　poor　peasants；　therefore；　require　only　a　simple　maintenance
for　their　labour。　They　have　no　stock　or　riches；　which　claim　more；
and　at　the　same　time；　they　are　for　ever　dependant　on　their
landlord；　who　gives　no　leases；　nor　fears　that　his　land　will　be
spoiled　by　the　ill　methods　of　cultivation。　In　ENGLAND；　the　land
is　rich；　but　coarse；　must　be　cultivated　at　a　great　expence；　and
produces　slender　crops；　when　not　carefully　managed；　and　by　a
method　which　gives　not　the　full　profit　but　in　a　course　of　several
years。　A　farmer；　therefore；　in　ENGLAND　must　have　a　considerable
stock；　and　a　long　lease；　which　beget　proportional　profits。　The
fine　vineyards　of　CHAMPAGNE　and　BURGUNDY　that　often　yield　to　the
landlord　above　five　pounds　per　acre；　are　cultivated　by　peasants；
who　have　scarcely　bread：　The　reason　is；　that　such　peasants　need
no　stock　but　their　own　limbs；　with　instruments　of　husbandry；
which　they　can　buy　for　twenty　shillings。　The　farmers　are　commonly
in　some　better　circumstances　in　those　countries。　But　the　grasiers
are　most　at　their　ease　of　all　those　who　cultivate　the　land。　The
reason　is　still　the　same。　Men　must　have　profits　proportionable　to
their　expence　and　hazard。　Where　so　considerable　a　number　of　the
labouring　poor　as　the　peasants　and　farmers　are　in　very　low
circumstances；　all　the　rest　must　partake　of　their　poverty；
whether　the　government　of　that　nation　be　monarchical　or
republican。
　　　　We　may　form　a　similar　remark　with　regard　to　the　general
history　of　mankind。　What　is　the　reason；　why　no　people；　living
between　the　tropics；　could　ever　yet　attain　to　any　art　or
civility；　or　reach　even　any　police　in　their　government；　and　any
military　discipline；　while　few　nations　in　the　temperate　climates
have　been　altogether　deprived　of　these　advantages？　It　is　probable
that　one　cause　of