money answers all things- 第1部分

Money　Answers　all　Things　　　　　　　　　　by　Jacob　Vanderlint

1734


Money　Answers　all　Things：　or；　an　Essay　to　Make　Money　Sufficiently　plentiful　Amongst　all　Ranks　of　People；　And　Increase　our　Foreign　and　Domestick　Trade；　Fill　the　Empty　Houses　with　Inhabitants；　Encourage　the　Marriage　State；　Lessen　the　Number　of　Hawkers　and　Pedlars；　and　In　a　great　measure；　prevent　giving　long　Credit；　and　making　bad　Debts　in　Trade。　Likewise　shewing；　The　Absurdity　of　going　to　War　about　Trade；　and　the　most　likely　Method　to　prevent　the　Clandestine　Exportation　of　our　Wool：　And　Also　to　Reduce　the　National　Debts；　and　ease　the　Taxes。

by　Jacob　Vanderlint。

The　Destruction　of　the　Poor　is　their　Poverty。　Prov。　X；　15。



To　the　Merchants　of　Great　Britain

Gentlemen；　　　　　If　this　Essay　be；　what　I　humbly　presume　it　is；　an　evident　and　clear　Account　of　the　Foundation　of　the　Trade　of　the　World；　and　so　particularly　adapted　to　the　State　of　Trade　in　this　Nation；　as　to　point　out　the　Means　to　inlarge；　and　carry　it　to　the　utmost　Perfection；　I　think；　I　may　reasonably　hope　that；　as　it　must　merit　your　Regard；　so　it　will　not　be　unworthy　your　Patronage。　　　　　But　this　is　not　the　only　Motive；　which　induces　me　most　humbly　to　dedicate　it　to　you；　Gentlemen：　No；　I　have　the　Interest　and　Advancement　of　Trade　（on　which　the　Welfare　and　Happiness　of　Mankind　so　much　depends）　really　at　Heart。　And　therefore　（being　sensible　the　Flaws　and　Imperfections　of　this　Work　can't　escape　your　Penetration）　would　earnestly　recommend　it　to　your　Improvement：　That　the　great　Basis　of　Trade　may　be　establish'd　by　Principles；　as　solid　and　perspicuous；　as　those　Rules　by　which　your　particular　Affairs　are　directed。　And　then　it　will　be　no　greater　Difficulty　to　account　for　the　Changes　and　Turns　the　Trade　of　Nations　takes；　than　it　is；　by　your　exact　and　excellent　Method　of　Accounts；　to　shew　all　the　Turns　any　of　your　particular　Affairs　take。　And　I　well　satisfied；　the　former；　by　my　Principles；　when　improv'd　by　your　refin'd　Judgment　and　Skill　in　Trade；　will　be　as　easy　and　demonstrative　as　the　latter。　I　am；　with　the　greatest　Esteem；　　　　　　Gentlemen；　　　　　　　　　Your　most　humble　Servant；　　　　　　　　　　　　　Jacob　Vanderlint。

Preface。

　　　　Reducing　the　present　Rates　of　Labour；　appears　to　me　so　absolutely　necessary　to　increase　our　foreign　and　domestick　Trade；　that　I　have　endeavour'd　to　shew　how　it　may　be　effected；　to　the　great　Advantage　of　every　Person；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest；　in　the　Community：　and　that　reducing　the　Rates　of　Labour；　the　Way　propos'd　in　this　Essay；　which　is　the　only　Way　it　can　possibly　be　done；　will　together　with　it　effect　all　the　Things　I　have　mentioned　in　the　Title　Page；　and　this　Method　will　cause　Multitudes　to　become　the　Owners　and　Possessors　of　Property；　who　otherwise　never　will　have　a　Shilling　to　spare。　　　　　I　am　sorry　I　am　not；　in　all　Respects；　equal　to　this　most　important　Undertaking；　yet　I　doubt　not；　that　I　have　sufficiently　made　out　what　I　have　undertaken；　and　though　not　with　the　Accuracy　and　Conciseness　of　a　Scholar；　yet　with　that　Perspicuity　and　Evidence　which　may　be　expected　from　an　ordinary　Tradesman。　　　　　And　as　this　is　the　utmost　I　am　capable　of；　I　hope　the　Inaccuracy　and　Prolixity　of　this　Performance　will　be　overlooked　by　the　candid　and　ingenious　Reader；　for　the　Sake　of　the　Importance　of　the　Subject；　and　that　Evidence　with　which　I　have　supported　my　Arguments。　And　I　the　rather　hope　for　this　Indulgence；　since　the　Path　I　tread　is　not　only　unfrequented；　but　perhaps　entirely　new：　And　as　the　Principles　of　Trade；　I　proceed　on；　are　founded　in　the　Nature　of　Things；　and　Constitution　of　the　World　itself；　so　I　doubt　not　that　they　are　capable　of　strict　Demonstration；　in　which　Way　I　should　be　glad　to　see　them　handled　by　such　as　have　Abilities　for　it。


An　Essay　To　Make　Money　sufficiently　plentiful　amongst　all　Ranks　of　People；　etc。

　　　　The　bad　Circumstances　Trade　in　general　hath　been　in　for　some　time；　which　instead　of　mending　seems　still　growing　worse；　induced　me　to　consider　the　Causes；　which　the　sudden　and　extraordinary　Rise　of　Victuals　a　few　Years　ago　did；　in　my　Opinion；　clearly　enough　point　out　and　discover。　For　I　observed；　that　Rise　was　not　intirely　owing　to　the　Seasons；　which　will　always　influence　the　Price　of　Necessaries；　but　rather；　and　indeed　chiefly；　to　the　Want　of　Cultivating　and　Tilling　a　great　deal　more　Land；　to　make　the　Plenty　greater：　And　as　the　Rise　of　any　Thing　implies　some　Degree　of　Scarcity；　so　this　suggests　that　too　few　of　the　People　are　imploy'd　in　Cultivation　of　Land；　and　the　Affairs　thereof；　and　consequently　too　many　in　all　Trades；　Manufactures；　and　Professions；　whence　these　being　thus　overstock'd　with　Numbers；　must　needs　be　depressed　and　embarrassed；　as　they　certainly　are；　in　Reference　to　the　great　End　of　the　them；　which　is　solely　Profit；　whilst　the　other　wants　the　Surplusage　of　Hands　to　increase　the　Plenty；　and　keep　down　the　Price　of　Necessaries　from　rising　as　they　did　at　that　Time。　　　　　In　Consequence　of　these　general　Observations；　I　have　since　made　many　Reflections；　which　I　hope　may　be　useful；　and　therefore　have　endeavour'd　to　write　some　of　them　down；　that　it　may　clearly　appear　where　the　Fault　lies；　and　how　it　may　be　remedied；　and　I　trust　I　have　sufficiently　done　this　in　the　following　Essay。　　　　　And　as　I　find；　Considerations　on　the　Use；　Necessity；　Increase；　and　Diminution　of　Money　amongst　the　People；　will　best　explain　this　momentous　Affair；　I　shall　lay　down　and　illustrate　some　Principles　relating　to　Money；　which　I　think　deserve　to　be　regarded　as　Maxims。　　　　　I。　Money　（i。e。　Gold　and　Silver）　being；　by　the　Consent　of　all　Nations；　become　Counters　for　adjusting　the　Value　of　all　things　else；　and　balancing　all　Accounts　between　Man　and　Man；　and　the　Means　by　which　Commodities　of　all　Kinds　are　procured　and　transferred　from　one　to　another；　is　hence　become　the　sole　Medium　of　Trade。　　　　　II。　Money　（by　which　understand　always　Gold　and　Silver）　can　be　brought　into　a　Nation；　that　hath　not　Mines；　by　this　Means　only：　viz。　by　such　Nation's　exporting　more　Goods　in　Value　than　they　import：　For；　in　proportion；　as　the　Value　of　the　Exports　exceeds　the　Value　of　the　Imports；　Money；　which　must　balance　the　Account；　increaseth　faster　or　slower；　and；　contrariwise；　where　the　Imports…exceed　the　Value　of　the　Exports；　the　Cash　of　such　Nation　must　proportionably　diminish。　And　this　is　called；　and　doth　constitute；　the　general　Balance　of　the　Trade　of　all　Nations；　that　have　not　Mines。　　　　　III。　Money　will　be　most　plentiful；　where　the　Mines　are：　I　mean　by　this；　just　the　same　as　if　I　should　say　the　Quantity　of　Coals　will　be　greater　at　Newcastle　than　at　any　Place　that　is　supplied　only　with　Coals　from　thence：　And　consequently　I　mean　that　Gold　and　Silver　will　as　certainly　be　less　valuable　where　the　Mines　are；　than　at　any　other　Place　which　is　supplied　with　those　Metals　by　them；　as　Coals　are；　and　will　be　less　valuable　at　Newcastle；　than　at　any　other　Place　that　is　supplied　with　Coals　only　from　thence。　Whence　it　follows；　　　　　IV。　That　the　Prices　of　the　Produce　or　Manufactures　of　every　Nation　will　be　higher　or　lower；　according　as　the　Quantity　of　Cash　circulating　in　such　Nation　is　greater　or　less；　in　Proportion　to　the　Number　of　People　inhabiting　such　Nation。　　　　　To　illustrate　this；　let　it　be　supposed　that　we　have　ten　Millions　of　Cash；　and　as　many　People　in　England；　it's　evident　they　have　twice　as　much　Money　amongst　them；　in　Proportion　to　their　Number；　as　they　wou'd　have　if　their　Number　were　doubled；　and　the　Quantity　of　Cash　remain'd　just　the　same。　And　therefore；　I　think；　they　could　give　but　half　the　Price　for　Things　in　general　in　this　Case；　that　they　could　do　when　they　were　but　half　the　Number；　with　the　same　Quantity　of　Money　circulating　and　divided　amongst　them。　Wherefore；　if　the　People　increase；　and　the　Cash　doth　not　increase　in　like　Proportion；　the　Prices　of　Things　must　fall；　for　all　the　People　must　have　Necessaries；　to　procure　which　they　must　all　have　Money：　This　will　divide　the　same　Quantity　of　Cash　into　more　Parts；　that　is；　lessen　the　Parts；　and　then　it's　evident　they　can't　pay　so　much　for　their　Necessaries；　as　when　the　same　Cash　divided　into　fewer　Parts；　makes　the　Parts　greater。　　　　　The　Prices　of　all　Things　in　this　Kingdom；　some　Centuries　ago；　were　vastly　lower　than　they　are　now。　In　the　Reign　of　King　Henry　the　Eighth；　it　was　enacted；　that　Butchers　should　sell　their　Meat　by　Weight；　Beef　at　an　Half…penny；　and　Mutton　at　Three…farthings　per　Pound：　And　if　we　look　back　to　the　Reign　of　King　Edward　the　Third；　we　find　Wheat　was　sold　at　two　Shillings　per　Quarter；　a　fat　Ox　for　a　Noble；　a　fat　sheep　for　Six…pence；　six　Pidgeons　for　a　Penny；　a　fat　Goose　for　Two…pence；　a　Pig　for　a　Penny；　and　other　Things　in　Proportion。　See　Baker's　Chronicle。　　　　　Now；　since　the　great　Difference　of　the　Prices　of　these　Things　now；　to　what　they　then　sold　for；　is　undoubtedly　owing　solely　to　the　great　Quantity　of　Gold　and　Silver；　which　since　that　Time　hath　been　brought　into　this　Kingdom　by　Trade；　which　hath　furnished　us　with　so　much　more　Money；　to　pay　such　a　vast　deal　more　as　we　now　must；　and　do　give　for　them；　it　follows；　that　the　Prices　of　Things　will　certainly　rise　in　every　Nation；　as　the　Gold　and　Silver　increase　amongst　the　People；　and；　consequently；　that　where　the　Gold　and　Silver　decrease　in　any　Nation；　the　Prices　of　all　Things　must　fall　proportionably　to　such　Decrease　of　Money；　or　the　People　must　be　distress'd；　unless　the　Number　of　People　decrease　in　as　great　Proportion　as　the　Cash　decreaseth　in　any　such　Nation。　　　　　V。　Banking；　so　far　as　one　is　paid　with　the　Money　of　another；　that　is；　where　more　Cash　Notes　are　circulated；　than　all　the　Cash　the　Bankers　are　really　possessed　of　will　immediately　answer　and　make　good；　I　say；　so　long　as　this　Credit　is　maintain'd；　it　hath　the　same　Effect；　as　if　there　was　so　much　more　Cash　really　circulating　and　divided　amongst　the　People；　and　will　be　attended　with　these　Consequences；　that　as　the　Price　of　Things　will　hence　be　rais'd；　it　must　and　will　make　us　the　Market；　to　receive　the　Commodities　of　every　Country　whose　Prices　of　Things　are　cheaper　than　ours。　And　though　we　should　lay　on　Duties；　or　prohibit　such　Goods；　this　will　not　prevent　the　Mischief；　because　we　shall　not　be　able　to　carry　our　Commodities　thus　raised　to　any　Nation；　where　Things　are　cheaper　than　ours；　and　because　such　Nations　will　hence　be　enabled　to　set　up　many　of　our　Manuf