some considerations of the lowering of interest-第5章

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　their　over…plus　of　Money　bring　them　to　Lend　to　you；　on　your　Terms：　For　when　your　Merchants　want　of　Money　shall　have　sunk　the　price　of　your　Market；　a　Dutchman　will　find　it　more　gains　to　buy　your　Commodity　himself；　than　Lend　his　Money　at　Four　per　Cent。　to　an　English　Merchant　to　Trade　with。　Nor　will　the　Act　of　Navigation　hinder　their　coming；　by　making　them　come　empty；　since　even　already　there　are　those　who　think；　that　many；　who　go　for　English　Merchants；　are　but　Dutch　Factors；　and　Trade　for　others　in　their　own　Names。　The　Kingdom　therefore　will　lose　by　this　lowering　of　Interest；　if　it　makes　Foreigners　withdraw　any　of　their　Money；　as　well　as　if　it　hinders　any　of　your　People　from　Lending　theirs；　where　Trade　has　need　of　it。　　　　　In　a　Treatise　writ　on　purpose　for　the　bringing　down　of　Interest；　I　find　this　Argument　of　Foreigners　calling　away　their　Money　to　the　prejudice　of　our　Trade；　thus　Answer'd；　That　the　Money　of　Foreigners　is　not　brought　into　the　Land　by　ready　Coin　or　Bullion；　but　by　Goods　or　Bills　of　Exchange；　and　when　it　is　paid　must　be　returned　by　Goods　or　Bills　of　Exchange；　and　there　will　not　be　the　less　Money　in　the　Land。　I　could　not　but　wonder　to　see　a　Man；　who　undertook　to　write　of　Money　and　Interest；　talk　so　directly　besides　the　matter　in　the　business　of　Trade。　Foreigners　Money；　he　says；　is　not　brought　into　the　Land　by　ready　Coin　or　Bullion；　but　by　Goods；　or　Bills　of　Exchange。　How　then　do　we　come　by　Bullion　or　Money？　For　Gold　grows　not；　that　I　know；　in　our　Country；　and　Silver　so　little；　that　One　hundred　thousandth　part　of　the　Silver　we　have　now　in　England；　was　not　drawn　out　of　any　Mines　in　this　Island。　If　he　means　that　the　Monied　Man　in　Holland；　who　puts　out　his　Money　at　Interest　here；　did　not　send　it　over　in　Bullion　or　Specie　hither：　That　may　be　true　or　false；　but　either　way　helps　not　that　Authors　purpose。　For　if　he　paid　his　Money　to　a　Merchant　his　Neighbour；　and　took　his　Bills　for　it　here　in　England；　he　did　the　same　thing　as　if　he　had　sent　over　that　Money；　since　he　does　but　make　that　Merchant　leave　in　England　the　Money　which　he　has　Due　to　him　there；　and　otherwise　would　carry　away。　No；　says　our　Author；　he　cannot　carry　it　away；for；　says　he；　when　it　is　paid　it　must　be　returned　by　Goods；　Or　Bills　of　Exchange。　It　must　not　be　paid　and　exported　in　ready　Money；　so　says　our　Law　indeed；　but　that　is　a　Law　to　hedge　in　the　Cookoe；　and　serves　to　no　purpose。　For　if　we　Export　not　Goods；　for　which　our　Merchants　have　Money　due　to　them　in　Holland；　How　can　it　be　paid　by　Bills　of　Exchange？　And　for　Goods；　One　hundred　pounds　worth　of　Goods　can　no　where　pay　Two　hundred　pounds　in　Money。　This　being　that　which　I　find　many　Men　deceive　themselves　with　in　Trade；　it　may　be　worth　while　to　make　it　a　little　plainer。　　　　　Let　us　suppose　England　Peopled　as　it　is　now。　and　its　Woollen　Manufacture　in　the　same　State　and　Perfection；　that　it　is　at　present；　and　that　we；　having　no　Money　at　all；　trade　with　this　our　Woollen　Manufacture　for　the　value　of　Two　hundred　thousand　pounds　Yearly　to　Spain；　where　there　actually　is　a　Million　in　Money：　Further　let　us　suppose　that　we　bring　back　from　Spain　Yearly　in　Oyl；　Wine；　and　Fruit；　to　the　value　of　One　hundred　thousand　pounds；　and　continue　to　do　this　Ten　Years　together：　'Tis　plain　we　have　had　for　our　two　Millions　value　in　Woollen　Manufacture　carried　thither；　one　Million　returned　in　Wine；　Oyl；　and　Fruit：　But　what　is　become　of　t'other　Million？　Will　the　Merchants　be　content　to　lose　it？　That　you　may　be　sure　they　would　not；　nor　have　Traded　on；　if　they　had　not　every　Year　Returns　made　answering　their　Exportation。　How　then　were　the　＇　Returns　made？　In　Money　it　is　evident。　For　the　Spaniards　having　in　such　a　Trade；　no　Debts；　nor　the　possibility　of　any　Debts　in　England；　cannot　pay　one　Farthing　of　that　other　Million　by　Bills　of　Exchange：　And　having　no　Commodities　that　we　will　take　off　above　the　value　of　One　hundred　thousand　pounds　Per　Annum；　they　cannot　pay　us　in　Commodities。　From　whence　it　necessarily　follows；　that　the　Hundred　thousand　pounds　per　Ann。　wherein　we　over…ballance　them　in　Trade；　must　be　paid　us　in　Money；　and　so　at　the　Ten　years　end；　their　Million　of　Money；　（though　their　Law　make　it　Death　to　export　it）　will　be　all　brought　into　England；　as　in　truth；　by　this　over…ballance　of　Trade；　the　greatest　part　of　our　Money　hath　been　brought　into　England　out　of　Spain。　　　　　Let　us　suppose　our　selves　now　possessed　of　this　Million　of　Money；　and　Exporting　Yearly　out　of　England；　to　the　several　parts　of　the　World；　consumable　Commodities　to　the　value　of　a　Million；　but　Importing　Yearly　in　Commodities；　which　we　consume　amongst　us　to　the　value　of　Eleven　hundred　thousand　pounds。　If　such　a　Trade　as　this　be　managed　amongst　us；　and　continue　Ten　Years；　it　is　evident；　that　our　Million　of　Money　will　at　the　end　of　the　Ten　Years　be　inevitably　all　gone　from　us　to　them；　by　the　same　way　that　it　came　to　us；　that　is；　by　their　overballance　of　Trade。　For　we　Importing　every　Year　One　hundred　thousand　pounds　worth　of　Commodities　more　than　we　Export；　and　there　being　no　Foreigners　that　will　give　us　One　hundred　thousand　pounds　every　year　for　nothing；　it　is　unavoidable；　that　One　hundred　thousand　Pounds　of　our　Money　must　go　out　every　Year　to　pay　for　that　over…plus；　which　our　Commodities　do　not　pay　for。　'Tis　ridiculous　to　say；　that　Bills　of　Exchange　shall　pay　our　Debts　abroad：　That　cannot　be；　till　Scrips　of　Paper　can　be　made　current　Coin。　The　English　Merchant；　who　has　no　Money　owing　him　abroad；　cannot　expect　to　have　his　Bills　paid　there。　Or　if　he　has　Credit　enough　with　a　Correspondent；　to　have　his　Bills　answered：　This　pays　none　of　the　Debt　of　England；　but　only　changes　the　Creditor。　And　if　upon　the　general　ballance　of　Trade；　English　Merchants　owe　to　Foreigners　One　hundred　thousand　pounds；　or　a　Million；　if　Commodities　do　not；　our　Money　must　go　out　to　pay　it；　or　else　our　Credit　be　lost；　and　our　Trade　stop；　and　be　lost　too。　　　　　A　kingdom　grows　Rich；　or　Poor　just　as　a　Farmer　doth；　and　no　otherwise。　Let　us　suppose　the　whole　Isle　of　Portland　one　Farm；　and　that　the　Owner；　besides　what　serves　his　Family；　carries　to　Market　to　Weymouth　and　Dorchester；　&c。　Cattle；　Corn；　Butter；　Cheese；　Wooll；　or　Cloth；　Lead　and　Tin；　all　Commodities　produced　and　wrought　within　his　Farm　of　Portland；　to　the　value　of　a　Thousand　Pounds；　yearly；　and　for　this；　brings　whome　in　Salt；　Wine；　Oyl；　Spice；　Linnen　and　Silks；　to　the　value　of　Nine　hundred　Pounds；　and　the　remaining　Hundred　Pounds　in　Money。　'Tis　evident　he　grows　every　year　a　hundred　Pounds　Richer；　and　so　at　the　end　often　years　will　have　clearly　got　a　Thousand　Pounds。　If　the　Owner　be　a　better　Husband；　and　contenting　himself　with　his　Native　Commodities；　buy　less　Wine；　Spice；　and　Silk；　at　Market；　and　so　bring　home　Five　hundred　Pounds　in　Money　yearly；　instead　of　a　Thousand　Pounds；　at　the　end　of　ten　years　he　will　have　Five　thousand　pounds　by　him；　and　be　so　much　Richer。　He　Dies；　and　his　Son　succeeds；　a　fashionable　young　Gentleman；　that　cannot　Dine　without　Champane　and　Burgundy；　nor　Sleep　but　in　a　Damask　Bed；　whose　Wife　must　spread　a　long　Train　of　Brocard；　and　his　Children　be　always　in　the　newest　French　cut　and　Stuff。　He　being　come　to　the　Estate；　keeps　on　a　very　busie　Family。　the　Markets　are　weekly　frequented；　and　the　Commodities　of　his　Farm　carried　out；　and　Sold；　as　fo