VII. That taxes will inrich the nation, and disperse in it as much treasure, when there is no foreign trade, as when it is open.

To begin then with the first head, who it is that pay most of the taxes: they are the worst members in the commonwealth, viz. the extravagant and debauched. The greatest duties are, or should be, laid upon commodities for pleasure and sumptuousness, as silks, gold and silver lace, &c. Now these are wore in the greatest excess, by the extravagant of the kingdom, both men and women. A debauchee shall spend more out of an estate of a thousand pounds a year, than a regular man will from the annual income of five times that propor. tion; and a miss lay out more on cloaths, than a countess. So in the excess to indulge the belly, as well as providing for the back. The vast consumption of wines and strong liquors is by this sort of men; nay, the poorest debauch, that can rise no higher than to beer and tobacco, pays ten times as much in the year, in proportion to his income, as the greatest peer. It will hardly gain belief, that there are many of the meaner people, labourers and mechanicks, that by their expence, when they are, as too many be, extravagant, pay to the publick taxes, above one tenth of their daily profit: As, supposing that a labouring man may earn sixteen pounds a year, he will expend, though not very extraordinarily profuse, one half of it in drink and tobacco, upon which, the duty of customs and excise is, at least, two pounds of the eight, which he lays out in idle expences, Now, it would be vehemently decried and exclaimed against, as the greatest oppression upon the poor imaginable, if by a poll or landtax, this man, that virtually pays forty shillings, should actually, and above-board, pay so many pence in the year.

Thus we see, that most of the duties and impositions on the king, dom light upon such as do least good with their substance; and since they imprudently fling it away upon their extravagancies, it is cer tainly a benefit to the kingdom, that there are taxes, to catch some thing out of it, for the improvement of better disposed men; as we shall see in the next paragraph.

The second particular is, what use is made of these taxes; and how they circulate in the kingdom. In order to which, there are but two ways, in which they are employed; one is for the king's court, the other for provisions of war, in the maintenance of naval and land forces. Now, both these are as well the employment of trade and artisans, as they resolve into the security of the kingdom, and the preservation of the publick peace. There is no money which circu lates so fast, as that which comes into the hands of seamen and sol. diers. Other men, that get money, frequently lay it up, and so it becomes of no use or benefit in the kingdom: but men, that live by their pay, generally spend it faster than it comes in, by which means the money of the kingdom, like the blood in the veins, has its regu lar, circular motion, and every member of the body is warmed and refreshed by it, which gives life and motion in the whole. And this, I presume, this second instance of the use of taxes proves, that they are of advantage and profit to the kingdom.

Thirdly, How trade is improved by taxes. Upon this head, there

is much to be said; and, first, it will be requisite to say something of the nature of trade, how it affects the kingdom; for that trade may in some cases prejudice a nation, and make it poor; as the trade of Spain does that kingdom. Trade may also effeminate and debauch a country, as it does Italy.

Now, it is certain, that we are not free from both these publick mischiefs and inconveniences in England; though our fortune is such, that being islanders, and masters of one commodity, which no king. dom has in that perfection as ourselves, which is wool, that hath put our people upon manufactories, which is the treasure of this nation, and keeps our exports to a balance with our imports; otherwise, this kingdom would have been as poor as Spain, and as effeminate as Italy; but the employment of our milder sort in manufactories at home, and the more robust, at sea abroad, keeps us a people in action, and so preserved from the luxury and effeminateness of Italy, and the poverty of Spain. I need not spend time to prove how far we are tainted with the mischiefs before-mentioned. Our trade with France, in all ages past, sufficiently proves, that a kingdom may be made poor by trade; as we should have been by the vast treasure, their linnens, wine, silks, toys, and salt, drew from this kingdom, if our other commerce in the world, had not balanced our loss there.

Nor are we free from the effeminateness of Italy, which I take to be the returns of our gentry's travels; a mischief to be lamented, rather than expected a reformation of, since we are arrived to that height of vanity, as to think that man not accomplished, who is not become master of the delicacies of Italy, and extravagant modes of France.

But to return to my province, how trade is improved by taxes. For the proof of which assertion, it seems plain, that some trade may impair a kingdom, and such taxes and impositions may abate, by imposing such duties as they cannot bear. So far then it will be allowed, that they improve trade, as we commonly say, saving is gain: So, if we keep out a destructive trade by duties, we may allow that an improvement of our own.

But to come nearer to the matter: taxes improve trade, by em. ploying numbers of idle men in naval and land-service, that would otherwise be of no use, but, on the contrary, a pest and charge to the commonwealth. We seldom see any inlisted into the army, that are men of industry, or labour; such persons are the wens and es. crescencies of the commonwealth, that deform, but not strengthen the body; and these being paid by the taxes of another sort of crea. tures, as, before I mentioned, are of no use in the state, but to throw abroad the treasure left them by their fathers, is virtually an improvement of trade; for that all, like the rivers in the sea, terminate in the hands of industry and trades. And, perhaps, if duly considered, more men, and with more certain profit, make voyages within this island upon this fund, than there do to most of our foreign trades. And in this place I must touch again upon the nature of trade, to shew that private hands may raise their fortunes by a trade, that may yet be a loss to a kingdom, as in that of France, already insisted upon,

Seventhly, That taxes make the kingdom rich, and, in time of war, disperse as much money in the nation, as trade does in time of peace.

Here I must touch again upon trade, and enquire what trade brings us in bullion, gold, or coin, for we have some of all, though, con. sidering the value of our native commodities, it is wonderful that we should have so little; and that of those numerous trades which our navigation intitles us to, that we should, by carrying in our ships our own manufactories, out of all those advantages add so little to the treasure of the kingdom, and bring home no bullion but by our trade to Spain, and some little from the Levant, our Guiney trade, and, for some years past, buccaniers in the West-Indies. But that, which is our best fund, is the trade of Spain and Portugal; the former is made considerable to us by our East-India commodities, which fetch from Spain more than we send out in specie, though some believe the East-India company does us hurt, by carrying out the gold of the kingdom.

Now then, if the greatest part of our trade consists in bringing in commodity for commodity, then all the benefit of that trade is, that it gives employment to our common people in their mechanick arts; and, if we can do that by our own expence at home, it is more the profit of the kingdom, than by sending them abroad; for that we avoid the hazard of the sea, and other accidents abroad. It seems then, that taxes do that, since they issue forth money for payment of our artisans and mechanicks, that are employed in making com. modities for our own use, and at the same time enough for that foreign trade, which furnishes us with bullion; and by that it appears that we are much greater gainers by the trade of taxes, than by all our foreign trade, which brings in nothing but commodity for our own expence. We see that the care of our parliament is, to prevent the importation of foreign commodities, and to encourage that commerce, which brings us in money for our own. This, then, is the surest trade, I know for that purpose, of laying such impositions as may fetch out the misers hoards, which are as remote and foreign to the employments of the kingdom, as those in the mines at the Indies; and I know no difference betwixt bringing treasure out of an iron chest by a good law, and plowing the seas, by long and dangerous voyages; only the advantage seems greater, by getting it from an enemy at home, than a friend abroad. But undoubted it is, that the kingdom is as much increased in its common stock, as is brought out from the moneyed men. It would exceed the limits of a letter to evince, what I am morally sure of, that the poll and land. taxes, passed this last session, have actually brought into the bank of trade, more ready money than came into the kingdom, during the late king's unhappy reign; and it is a vulgar error, to believe that taxes, even to the meanest man, is a charge, for that his mite is, with in. crease, returned by the expence of that, which would never have seen day, but by the force of a law; so that publick taxes, expended in our own country, may be accounted the poor and the mechanick's bank, by which they are employed and maintained; and, as the

meaner sort have advantage by taxes, so have they of better quality; the landlord has his rent the better paid by the quick returns of money; the merchants, and other traders, find it in their payments and receipts; the country-farmer in the sale of his corn and cattle. For this is certain, that most men's expence, either in cloaths or food, is according to their money or fortune, not appetite or vanity; many men content, or rather confine themselves to a three-penny ordinary, that would spend twelve-pence, if they had it. So that, after all the noise and clamour that is made in the kingdom, inveighing literally against the heavy taxes, which are on the subject, this unreasonable declaiming is made for them that no man loves, the griping misers, that hoard up money. For he, indeed, seems only aggrieved that pays out to support trade, in which, he never had the heart to do good; and even this man would be a gainer too by taxes, if he were not separate from human society, and trusted neither God, nor man; whatever he has to do in the world, is, to see that he runs no hazard in it, and whoever he deals with must be sure to him, though he cannot be so to himself. And, besides this extreme earth-worm that hoards, there is another set of men, that do little good in the commonwealth, aud that is such as have more money by them than they can employ, and, perhaps, would gladly put it out to interest, but cannot: These are less faulty than the former, yet should be obliged to do some good with their treasures; and the best way seems, to lay a round tax upon that money. It is with reason believed, that there is now ten times the proportion of money in the kingdom, as was in the reign of King James the First; yet no more stirring in the kingdom, but what is brought out by customs and duties. Then, would it not be as beneficial to trade, by taxes upon the misers and hoarders of money before-mentioned, to fetch it out from them, as with ships, to get it from foreigners? We have rich mines at home, that may keep us in full trade these ten years, if we had none abroad; and nothing but such impositions, as may supply the want of trade, can keep our artisans and manufactories together.

Thus, I have huddled together a mixed discourse, which, I fear, may be troublesome to collect and shape for your apprehension; but your greater judgment will unite its incongruities. I can only justify the matter to be, in the main of it, collections from the prac tice and usage of other places; for what relates to this nation, you are a better judge than I am, who am guided by the practice of trade, and that is, I doubt, too often exploded by ministers of state.

I confess the fatigues of government are above the conduct of a mercantile head; and, therefore, I acquiesce, without much enquiry into them, only sit often down with doubtful conjectures of the issue of our present affairs.

I mean not of the present distractions which an inconsiderable number of malecontents fling among us, whose profession more immediately obliges them to the characters of peace-makers, than it does other christians: These will cease with the Romish interest, that masks itself under them; but that, which I fear, is a distraction of the trades, manufactories, and industry of the nation, because I see

Seventhly, That taxes make the kingdom rich, and, in time of war, disperse as much money in the nation, as trade does in time of peace.

Here I must touch again upon trade, and enquire what trade brings us in bullion, gold, or coin, for we have some of all, though, con sidering the value of our native commodities, it is wonderful that we should have so little; and that of those numerous trades which our navigation intitles us to, that we should, by carrying in our ships our own manufactories, out of all those advantages add so little to the treasure of the kingdom, and bring home no bullion but by our trade to Spain, and some little from the Levant, our Guiney trade, and, for some years past, buccaniers in the West-Indies. But that, which is our best fund, is the trade of Spain and Portugal; the former is made considerable to us by our East-India commodities, which fetch from Spain more than we send out in specie, though some believe the East-India company does us hurt, by carrying out the gold of the kingdom.

Now then, if the greatest part of our trade consists in bringing in commodity for commodity, then all the benefit of that trade is, that it gives employment to our common people in their mechanick arts; and, if we can do that by our own expence at home, it is more the profit of the kingdom, than by sending them abroad; for that we avoid the hazard of the sea, and other accidents abroad. It seems then, that taxes do that, since they issue forth money for payment of our artisans and mechanicks, that are employed in making commodities for our own use, and at the same time enough for that foreign trade, which furnishes us with bullion; and by that it ap pears that we are much greater gainers by the trade of taxes, than by all our foreign trade, which brings in nothing but commodity for our own expence. We see that the care of our parliament is, to prevent the importation of foreign commodities, and to encourage that commerce, which brings us in money for our own. This, then, is the surest trade, I know for that purpose, of laying such impositions as may fetch out the misers hoards, which are as remote and foreign to the employments of the kingdom, as those in the mines at the Indies; and I know no difference betwixt bringing treasure out of an iron chest by a good law, and plowing the seas, by long and dangerous voyages; only the advantage seems greater, by getting it from an enemy at home, than a friend abroad. But undoubted it is, that the kingdom is as much increased in its common stock, as is brought out from the moneyed men. It would exceed the limits of a letter to evince, what I am morally sure of, that the poll and land. taxes, passed this last session, have actually brought into the bank of trade, more ready money than came into the kingdom, during the late king's unhappy reign; and it is a vulgar error, to believe that taxes, even to the meanest man, is a charge, for that his mite is, with in. crease, returned by the expence of that, which would never have seen day, but by the force of a law; so that publick taxes, expended in our own country, may be accounted the poor and the mechanick's bank, by which they are employed and maintained; and, as the