第 2 节
作者:
尘小春 更新:2021-02-21 10:14 字数:9322
price of money at a Stand; according to the Kings valuation: but in forraine parts; they runne with the streame; headlong downe with other nations; without consideration of their owne hinderance。 Merchants doe not know the weight and finenesse of monyes of each Countrey; and the proportions observed betweene Gold and Silver; nor the difference of severall Standards of coyne; a matter so necessary for them to know; to make thereby profitable returnes of the provenue of our home commodities; either in Money; Bullion or Wares。 Finally Merchants (seeking their Privatum Commodum) take notice onely of what is prohibited and commanded; whereas it may fall out also; that to require their opinion for the reformation of some abuses: they may bee thought many times as unfit; as to call the Vintner to the consultation of lawes to bee made against drunkards。 Kings and Princes therefore; which are the fathers of the great families of Commonweales are to be carefull for the generall good so that the expences doe not exceede or surmount the incombes and revenues thereof; according to the saying of Marcus Cato; Oportet Patrem; familias; vendacem esse; non emacem; Hee must bee a Seller; and not a Buyer。 For the effecting whereof; there is a serious study to bee had in the true understanding of the Three essential Parts of Traffique; whereof the course of exchange (which is the most neglected) will be found to bee the efficient Cause; which with us is Praedominant; and overruleth the course of Monys and Commodities; as shall be declared in this discourse。 For these Three parts of Traffique concurre joyntly together in their proper function and nature; by an orderly carriage; according to their first invention and institution。 For as the Elements are joyned by Symbolization; the Ayre to the Fire by warmness; the Water to the Ayre; by moisture; the Earth to the Water; by coldness: So is exchange joyned to monyes; and monyes to commodities; by their proper qualities and effects。 And ever as in a Clocke; where there be many wheeles; the fist wheel being stirred; driveth the next; and that the third; and so foorth; till the last that moveth the instrument that strikes the clocke; even so is it in the course of Traffique: for since money was invented and became the first wheele which stirreth the wheele of Commodities and inforceth the Action。 But the third wheele of exchange of monyes betweene Countrey and countrey; being established and grounded upon monyes; is (in effect) like to the instrument that striketh the Clocke; being therein the thing Active; and Commodities & Monyes are become things Passive: in so much that the Sequele thereof may be compared unto Archers shooting at the Buttes; directing their Arrowes according as the Blanke doth stand; high or low; for so do Merchants by exchange in the sale of commodities and negotiation of monyes; without which; commodities lie dead in all markettes。 Since the Ancient Commutation of commodities in kind did cease; and the body of Commodities doth not worke without the Spirit which is exchange; so that this observation being neglected: the whole instrument of Trade must needes bee out of order; and discompounded; like a distemptered Lock; which wil neither open nor shut。 When the Art of navigation and shipping had continued many yeares; and marriners did imitate each others obsrevation; before the Science of the Mathematics was invented: It hapned that two great Whales with a great volubility swimming in furious manner; did approach an English ship of Traffique which was bound for the Coast of Barbary; laden with disvers good Commodities and Staple wares。 The marriners (as the manner was:) did with al diligence cast overboard divers empty barrels for the whales to play with all; and to keepe them from the ship。 The whales not pleased therewith; and a suddaine storm arising; did endanger their ship; which made them unawares to cast overboard many good wares and rich Commodities; wherewith one of the whales was playing。 But the other whale more fierce; strook the Ship many times with his Taile; and at last broake the Rudder of the Ship; whereby they were much hindered in their Sailing; and all the shippes of their fleete tooke the Start of them and arrived to their destined ports; the rather because they lost also their sayling Compasse by the violence of the saide Stormy wind and tempest。 And the marriners had leisure (with a Calme) to discourse of the Accident to question which was the most necessary and Active thing of True sailing。 Some did attribute the same to the winds and Currant of the Seas; Others to the sailes and agitations of the winds in them。 And others to the compasse made by the admirable virtue of the loadstone。 But all of them were Novices in their profession; whereupon a merchant standing by (being a passenger in that voyage) used these or the like speeches。 My friends and good fellows; I doe not a little admire to heare you thus ignorant in matter of your profession: Can not the losse of the Rudaer of our ship make you sensible to understand; That the Active Part of sayling is to bee ascribed thereunto; seeing it driveth the ship according to all the points of the winds and variation of the Compasse being fastened upon the Paralell of the Keele of Equality? Shipwrights will tell you; That if it be not Rightly placed; it doth interrupt sayling: and if it be not of Compentent length; but that the upperbuilding of the ship doe sway the same; it maketh a ship unserviceable: That neither the direction of the Compasse; nor the Recptacle of the Sailes forewind; can make her performe her voyage as other shippes doe。 I perceive you are like unto him that did attribute to the letters of a clocke diall; the shewing of the houre; and not to the hand or Index; which is the Active thing to shew you the same; albeit it can not doe the same without the other; which the Thing Passive: you must therefore truely distinguish and attribute the efficient Cause of Sayling to the Rudder of a Ship; and the other are called Secondary or mean Causes。 And they all agreed that this observation was true。 Is not the Moderne Merchant of Hackney or the Author of the Treatise of Free Trade like unto these Novices? who perceiving two great whales to have assulted the English ship of Traffique; The cruellest being the warres in Christendome and the Pirates; The other more gentle; being the Policy of Princes and States in the Course of Trade; hath published in the yeare of Grace; 1622。 The Causes of the decay of Trade in England; and the means to make the same flourish; without observation of the operative power of exchange; which is the Rudder of the Ship of Traffique fastened upon the Rule of the equalitie of Moneyes according to their weithg and fineness; to be denominated by the valuation of Princes as a matter perculiarly appertaining to their Praerogatives。 And because that therein; hee hath like unto Esops Jay clad himself with the feathers of other Birds: I hope it will not be impertinent; To unmaske his discourse; and nevertheless to supply (according to my former Treatises) The maintenance of free Trade; wherin I endeavour to be Compendious and Substantiall; and to follow his Method and some distribution for the better understanding; as a most important businesse of State; which is the cause that so many Statutes and lawes have beene made concerning moneyes and exchanges。 2。 So many Proclamations for the due execution thereof have bin published。 3。 Lastly; so many Treatises and Conferences have beene had had from Time to Time; Both with other Princes and within our selves; which in the judgement of the said Author are neglected as unnecessary; or by ignorance not mentioned; concluding with him; That as there are many causes discussed and discoursed of; at this time of the decay of Trade: So are there many Remedies propounded; wherein if either the Principall Causes be mistaken (as hee hath done) or defective Remedies propounded: The present disease of this Trade may increase and cast the Body into a more dangerous Sicknes。 For the efficient Cause being unknown; putteth out the Phisitians eye; as the Proverbe is。 Now let us come to the handling of the particulars in order; and afterward to the True Remedies; which must arise from the matter of exchange; as shall bee plainely demonstrated to the judicious Reader; voide of partiality; for the exchange is the faculty or Spirit of the soule of moneyes in the Course of Traffique。
Chapter One
The Causes of the Want of Moneys in England。
This Assertion we shall now bring to the hammer; the Anvel and the Touchstone; namely to firme Reason; by his owne first Argument of the immediate Cause of the want of money in England; alleaged by him to bee the undervaluation of his Majesties Coyne; where he saith by way of interrogation: Who will procure licence in Spaine to bring Realls into England; to sell them here at Tenne in the hundred Gaine; which is lesse then the exchange from thence will yeeld; when he may have for the same; five and twenty in the hundred in Holland? Here in an obscure manner; he observeth the exchange from Spayne to be Sixe pence the Reall; as value for value; or the Par in exchange; whereby it is les