treatise on taxes and contributions-第4部分

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merary　100　also；　how　they　should　come　by　it？　whether　by　begging；　or　by　stealing；　or　whether　they　shall　suffer　themselves　to　starve；　finding　no　fruit　of　their　begging；　or　being　taken　in　their　stealing　to　put　to　death　another　way？　Or　whether　they　sahll　be　given　away　to　another　Nation　that　will　take　them？　I　think　'tis　plain；　they　ought　neither　to　be　starved；　nor　hanged；　nor　given　away；　now　if　they　beg；　they　may　pine　for　hunger　to　day；　and　be　gorged　and　glutted　to　morrow；　which　will　occasion　Diseases　and　evil　habits；　the　same　may　be　said　of　stealing；　moreover；　perhaps　they　may　get　either　by　begging　or　stealing　more　than　will　suffice　them；　which　will　for　ever　after　indispose　them　to　labour；　even　upon　the　greatest　occasion　which　may　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　happen。　　　　　39。　For　all　these　Reasons；　it　will　be　certainly　the　safer　way　to　afford　them　the　superfluity　which　would　otherwise　be　lost　and　wasted；　or　wantonly　spent：　Or　in　case　there　be　no　overplus；　then　'tis　fit　to　retrench　a　little　from　the　delicacy　of　others　feeding　in　quantity　or　quality；　few　men　spending　less　than　double　of　what　might　suffice　them　as　to　the　bare　necessities　of　nature。　　　　　40。　Now　as　to　the　work　of　these　supernumeraries；　let　it　be　without　expence　of　Foreign　Commodities；　and　then　'tis　no　matter　if　it　be　employed　to　build　a　useless　Pyramid　upon　Salisbury　Plain；　bring　the　Stones　at　Stonehenge　to　Tower　Hill；　or　the　like；　or　at　worst　this　would　keep　their　minds　to　discipline　and　obedience；　and　their　bodies　to　a　patience　of　more　profitable　labours　when　need　shall　require　it。　　　　　41。　In　the　next　place；　as　an　instance　of　the　usefulness　of　what　hath　been　propounded；　I　ask　what　benefit　will　the　mending　of　High…wayes；　the　building　of　Bridges　and　Cawseys；　with　making　of　Rivers　navigable　produce；　besides　the　pleasure　and　beauty　of　them？　To　which　I　also　answer；　as　an　instance　of　the　premises；　that　the　same；　together　with　the　numerous　missions　of　Cattle　and　Sheep　out　of　Ireland；　shall　produce　a　vaste　superfluity　of　English　Horses；　the　which　because　they　have　the　many　excellent　qualities　of　beauty；　strength；　courage；　swiftness；　and　patience　concentrated　in　them；　beyond　the　Horses　of　other　places；　would　be　a　very　vendible　Commodity　all　over　Europe；　and　such　as　depending　upon　the　intrinsick　nature　of　the　English　Soyle　could　not　be　counterfeited；　nor　taken　away　by　others。　Moreover；　an　Horse　is　such　a　Commodity　as　will　carry　both　himself　and　his　Merchant　to　the　Market；　be　the　same　never　so　distant。

Chapter　3

How　the　Causes　of　the　unquiet　bearing　of　Taxes　may　be　lessened。

　　　　We　have　slightly　gone　through　all　the　six　branches　of　the　Publick　Charge；　and　have　（though　imperfectly　and　in　haste）　shewn　what　would　encrease；　and　what　would　abate　them。　　　　　We　come　next　to　take　away　some　of　the　general　Causes　of　the　unquiet　bearing　of　Taxes；　and　yielding　to　Contributions；　viz。　　　　　2。1。　That　the　people　think；　the　Soverign　askes　more　then　he　needs。　To　which　we　answer；　1。　That　if　the　Sovereign　were　sure　to　have　what　he　wanted　in　due　time；　it　were　his　own　great　dammage　to　draw　away　the　money　out　of　his　Subjects　hands；　who　by　trade　increase　it；　and　to　hoard　it　up　in　his　own　Coffers；　where　'tis　of　no　use　even　to　himself；　but　lyable　to　be　begged　or　vainly　expended。　　　　　3。2。　Let　the　Tax　be　never　so　great；　if　it　be　proportionable　unto　all；　then　no　man　suffers　the　loss　of　any　Riches　by　it。　For　men　（as　we　said　but　now）　if　the　Estates　of　them　all　were　either　halfed　or　doubled；　would　in　both　cases　remain　equally　rich。　For　they　would　each　man　have　his　former　state；　dignity　and　degree；　and　moreover；　the　Money　leavied　not　going　out　of　the　Nation；　the　same　also　would　remain　as　rich　in　comparison　of　any　other　Nation；　onley　the　Riches　of　the　Prince　and　People　would　differ　for　a　little　while；　namely；　until　the　money　leavied　from　some；　were　again　refunded　upon　the　same；　or　other　persons　that　paid　it：　In　which　case　every　man　also　should　have　his　change　and　opportunity　to　be　made　the　better　or　worse　by　the　new　distribution；　or　if　he　lost　by　one；　yet　to　gain　by　another。　　　　　4。3。　Now　that　which　angers　men　most；　is　to　be　taxed　above　their　Neighbours。　To　which　I　answer；　that　many　times　these　surmizes　are　mistakes；　many　times　they　are　chances；　which　in　the　next　Tax　may　run　more　favourable；　and　if　they　be　by　design；　yet　it　cannot　be　imagined；　that　it　was　by　design　of　the　Sovereign；　but　of　some　temporary　Assessor；　whose　turn　it　may　be　to　receive　the　Talio　upon　the　next　occasion　from　the　very　man　he　has　wronged。　　　　　5。4。　Men　repine　much；　if　they　think　the　money　leavyed　will　be　expended　on　Entertainments；　magnificent　Shews；　triumphal　Arches；　etc。　To　which　I　answer；　that　the　same　is　a　refunding　of　said　moneys　to　the　Tradesmen　who　work　upon　those　things；　which　Trades　though　they　seem　vain　and　onely　of　orniment；　yet　they　refund　presently　to　the　most　useful；　namely　to　Brewers；　Bakers；　Taylours；　Shoemakers；　etc。　Moreover；　the　Prince　hath　no　more　pleasure　in　these　Shews　and　Entertainments　than　100000　others　of　his　meanest　Subjects　have；　whom；　for　all　their　grumbling；　we　see　to　travel　many　miles　to　be　spectators　of　these　mistaken　and　distasted　vanities。　　　　　6。5。　The　people　often　complain；　that　the　King　bestows　the　money　he　raises　from　the　people　upon　his　Favourites：　To　which　we　answer；　that　what　is　given　to　Favourites；　may　at　the　next　step　or　transmigration；　come　into　our　own　hands；　or　theirs　unto　whom　we　wish　well；　and　think　do　deserve　it。　　　　　7。　Secondly；　as　this　man　is　a　Favourite　to　day；　so　another；　or　our　selves；　may　be　hereafter；　favour　being　of　a　very　slippery　and　moveable　nature；　and　not　such　a　thing　as　we　need　much　to　envy；　for　the　same　way　that　…　leads　up　a　hill；　leads　also　down　the　same。　Besides　there　is　nothing　in　the　Lawes　or　Customes　of　England；　which　excludes　any　the　meanest　mans　Childe；　from　arriving　to　the　highest　Offices　in　the　this　Kingdom；　much　less　debars　him　from　the　Personall　kindness　of　his　Prince。　　　　　8。　All　these　imaginations　（whereunto　the　vulgar　heads　are　subject）　do　cause　a　backwardness　to　pay；　and　that　necessitates　teh　Prince　to　severity。　Now　this　lighting　upon　some　poor；　though　stubborn；　stiffnecked　Refuser；　charged　with　Wife　and　Children；　gives　the　credulous　great　occasion　to　complain　of　Oppression；　and　breeds　ill　blood　as　to　all　other　matters；　feeding　the　ill　humours　already　in　being。　　　　　9。6。　Ignorance　of　the　Number；　Trade；　and　Wealth　of　the　people；　is　often　the　reason　why　the　said　people　are　needlesly　troubled；　viz。　with　the　double　charge　and　vexation　of　two；　or　many　Levies；　when　one　might　have　served：　Examples　whereof　have　been　seen　in　late　Poll…moneys；　in　which　（by　reason　of　not　knowing　the　state　of　the　people；　viz。　how　many　there　were　of　each　Taxable　sort；　and　the　want　of　sensible　markes　whereby　to　rate　men；　and　the　confounding　of　Estates　with　Titles　and　Offices）　great　mistakes　were　committed。　　　　　10。　Besides；　for　not　knowing　the　Wealth　of　the　people；　the　Prince　knows　not　what　they　can　bear；　and　for　not　knowing　the　Trade；　he　can　make　no　Judgment　of　the　proper　season　when　to　demand　his　Exhibitions。　　　　　11。7。　Obscurities　and　doubts；　about　the　right　of　imposing；　hath　been　the　cause　of　great　an　dugly　Reluctancies　in　the　people；　and　of　Involuntary　Severities　in　the　Prince；　an　eminent　Example　whereof　was　the　Ship…money；　no　small　cause　of　twenty　years　calamity　to　the　whole　Kingdom。　　　　　12。　8。　Fewness　of　people；　is　real　poverty；　and　a　Nation　wherein　are　Eight　Millions　of　people；　are　more　than　twice　as　rich　as　the　same　scope　of　Land　wherein　are　but　Four；　For　the　same　Governours　which　are　the　great　charge；　may　serve　near　as　well；　for　the　greater；　as　the　lesser　number。　　　　　13。　Secondly；　If　the　people　be　so　few；　as　that　they　can　live；　Ex　sponte　Creatis；　or　with　little　labour；　such　as　is　Grazing；　etc。　they　become　wholly　without　Art。　No　man　that　will　not　exercise　his　hands；　being　able　to　endure　the　tortures　of　the　mind；　which　much　thoughtfullness　doth　occasion。　　　　　14。9。　Scarcity　of　money；　is　another　cause　of　the　bad　payment　of　Taxes；　for　if　we　consider；　that　of　all　the　wealth　of　this　Nation；　viz。　Lands；　Housing；　Shipping；　Commodities；　Furniture；　Plate；　and　Money；　that　scarce　one　part　of　an　hundred　is　Coin；　and　that　perhaps　there　is　scarce　six　millions　of　Pounds　now　in　England；　that　is　but　twenty　shillings　a　head　for　every　head　in　the　Nation。　We　may　easily　judge；　how　difficult　it　is　for　men　of　competent　estates；　to　pay　a　Summe　of　money　on　　a　sudden；　which　if　they　cannot　compass；　Severities；　and　Charges　ensue；　and　that　with　reason；　though　unluckie　enough；　it　being　more　tolerable　to　undoe　one　particular　Member；　then　to　endanger　the　whole；　nothwithstanding　indeed　it　be　more　tolerable　for　one　particular　Member　to　be　undone　with　the　whole；　then　alone。　　　　　15。10。　It　seems　somewhat　hard；　that　all　Taxes　should　be　paid　in　money；　that　is；　（when　the　King　hath　occasion　to　Victual　his　Ships　at　Portsmouth）　that　Fat　Oxen；　and　Corn　should　not　be　received　in　kind；　but　that　Farmers　must　first　carry　their　corn　perhaps　ten　Miles　to　sell；　and　turn　into　money；　which　being　paid　to　the　King；　is　again　reconverted　into　Corn；　fetcht　many　miles　further。　　　　　16。　Moreover；　the　Farmer　for　haste　is　force　to　undersell　his　Corn；　and　the　King　for　haste　likewise；　is　forced　to　over…buy　his　provisions。　Whereas　the　paying　in　kinde；　Pro　Hic　&　Nunc；　would　lessen　a　considerable　grievance　to　the　poor　people。　　　　　17。　The　next　consideration　shall　be　of　the　consequences；　and　effects　of　too　great　a　Tax；　not　in　respect　of　particular　men；　of　which　we　have　spoken　before；　but　to　the　whole　people　in　general：　To　which　I　say；　that　there　is　a　certain　measure；　and　proportion　of　money　requisite　to　drive　the　trade　of　a　Nation；　more　or　less　then　which　would　prejudice　the　same。　Just　as　there　is　a　certain　proportion　of　Farthings　necessary　in　a　small　retail　Trade；　to　change　silver　money；　and　to　even　such　reckonings；　as　cannot　be　adjusted　with　the　smallest　silver　pieces。　For　money；　（made　of　Gold　and　silver）　is　to　the　**　*****　（that　is　to　the　matter　of　our　Food　and　Covering）　but　as　Farthings；　and　other　local　extrinsick　money；　is　to　the　Gold　and　Silver　species。　　　　　18。　Now　as　the　proportion　of　the　number　of　Farthings　requisite　in　comerse　is　to　be　taken　from　the　number　of　people；　the　frequency　of　their　exchanges；　as　also；　and　principally　from　the　value　of　the　smalles　silver