treatise on taxes and contributions-第6部分

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turn　to　waste　and　Gardens　again；　examples　whereof　are　many　even　about　London。　　　　　Now　if　great　Cities　are　naturally　apt　to　remove　their　Seats；　I　ask　which　way？　I　say；　in　the　case　of　London；　it　must　be　Westward；　because　teh　Windes　blowing　near　3/4　of　the　year　from　the　West；　the　dwellings　of　the　West　end　are　so　much　the　more　free　from　the　fumes；　steams；　and　stinks　of　the　whole　Easterly　Pyle；　which　where　Seacoal　is　burnt　is　a　great　matter。　Now　if　it　follow　from　hence；　that　the　Pallaces　of　the　greatest　men　will　remove　Westward；　it　will　also　naturally　follow；　that　the　dwellings　of　others　who　depend　upon　them　will　creep　after　them。　This　we　see　in　London；　where　the　Noblemens　ancient　houses　are　not　become　Halls　for　Companies；　or　turned　into　Tenements；　and　all　the　Palaces　are　gotten　Westward；　Insomuch；　as　I　do　not　doubt　but　that　five　hundred　years　hence；　the　King's　Pallace　will　be　near　Chelsey；　and　the　old　building　of　Whitehall　converted　to　uses　more　answerable　to　their　quality。　For　to　build　a　new　Royal　Pallace　upon　the　same　ground　will　be　too　great　a　confinement；　in　respect　of　Gardens　and　other　magnificencies；　and　withall　a　disaccommodation　in　the　time　of　the　work；　but　it　rather　seems　to　me；　that　the　next　Palace　will　be　buildt　from　the　whole　present　contignation　of　houses　at　such　a　distance　as　the　old　Pallace　of　Westminster　was　from　the　City　of　London；　when　the　Archers　began　to　bend　their　bowes　just　without　Ludgate；　and　when　all　the　space　between　the　Thames；　Fleet…Street；　and　Holborn　was　as　Finsbury…Fields　are　now。　　　　　11。　Onely　I　think　'tis　certain；　that　while　ever　there　are　people　in　England；　the　greatest　cohabitation　of　them　will　be　about　the　place　which　is　now　London；　the　Thames　being　the　most　commodious　River　of　this　Island；　and　the　seat　of　London　the　most　commodious　part　of　the　Thames；　so　much　doth　the　means　of　facilitating　Carriage　greaten　a　City；　which　may　put　us　in　minde　of　employing　our　idle　hands　about　mending　the　High…wayes；　making　Bridges；　Cawseys；　and　Rivers　navigable：　Which　considerations　brings　me　back　round　into　my　way　of　Taxes；　from　whence　I　digrest。　　　　　12。　But　before　we　talk　too　much　of　Rents；　we　should　endeavour　to　explain　the　mysterious　nature　of　them；　with　reference　as　well　to　Money；　the　rent　of　which　we　call　usury；　as　to　that　of　Lands　and　Houses；　afore…mentioned。　　　　　13。　Suppose　a　man　could　with　his　own　hands　plant　a　certain　scope　of　Land　with　Corn；　that　is；　could　Digg；　or　Plough；　Harrow；　Weed；　Reap；　Carry　home；　Tresh；　and　Winnow　so　much　as　the　Husbandry　of　this　Land　requires；　and　had　withal　Seed　wherewith　to　sowe　the　same。　I　say；　that　when　this　man　hath　subducted　his　seed　out　of　the　proceed　of　his　Harvest；　and　also；　what　himself　hath　both　eaten　and　given　to　others　in　exchange　for　Clothes；　and　other　Natural　necessaries；　that　the　remainder　of　Corn　is　the　natural　and　true　Rent　of　the　Land　for　that　year；　and　the　medium　of　seven　years；　or　rather　of　so　many　years　as　makes　up　the　Cycle；　within　which　Dearths　and　Plenties　make　their　revolution；　doth　givbe　the　ordinary　Rent　of　Land　in　Corn。　　　　　14。　But　a　further；　though　collateral　question　may　be；　how　much　English　money　this　Corn　or　Rent　is　worth？　I　answer；　so　much　as　the　money；　which　another　single　man　can　save；　within　the　same　time；　over　and　above　his　expence；　if　he　imployed　himself　wholly　to　produce　and　make　it；　viz。　Let　another　man　go　travel　into　a　Countrey　where　is　Silver；　there　Dig　it；　Refine　it；　bring　it　to　the　same　place　where　the　other　man　planted　his　Corn；　Coyne　it；　etc。　the　same　person；　all　the　while　of　his　working　for　Silver；　gathering　also　food　for　his　necessary　livelihood；　and　procuring　himself　covering；　etc。　I　say；　the　Silver　of　the　one；　must　be　esteemed　of　equal　value　with　the　Corn　of　the　other：　the　one　being　perhaps　twenty　Ounces　and　the　other　twenty　Bushels。　From　whence　it　follows；　that　the　price　of　a　Bushel　of　this　Corn　to　be　an　Ounce　of　Silver。　　　　　15。　And　forasmuch　as　possible　there　may　be　more　Art　and　Hazzard　in　working　abou　the　Silver；　then　about　the　Corn；　yet　all　comes　to　the　same　pass；　for　let　a　hundred　men　work　ten　years　upon　Corn；　and　the　same　number　of　men；　the　same　time；　upon　Silver；　I　say；　that　the　neat　proceed　of　the　Silver　is　the　price　of　the　whole　neat　proceed　of　the　Corn；　and　like　parts　of　the　one；　the　price　of　like　parts　of　the　other。　Although　not　so　many　of　those　who　wrought　in　Silver；　learned　the　Art　of　refining　and　coining；　or　out…lived　the　dangers　and　diseases　of　working　in　the　Mines。　And　this　also　is　the　way　of　pitching　the　true　proportion；　between　the　values　of　Gold　and　Silver；　which　many　times　is　set　but　by　popular　errour；　sometimes　more；　sometimes　less；　diffused　in　the　world；　which　errour　（by　the　way）　is　the　cause　of　our　having　been　pestred　with　too　much　Gold　heretofore；　and　wanting　it　now。　　　　　16。　This；　I　say；　to　be　the　foundation　of　equallizing　and　ballancing　of　values；　yet　in　the　superstructures　and　practices　hereupon；　I　confess　there　is　much　variety；　and　intricacy；　of　which　hereafter。　　　　　17。　The　world　measures　things　by　Gold　and　Silver；　but　principally　the　latter；　for　there　may　not　be　two　measures；　and　consequently　the　better　of　many　must　be　the　onely　of　all；　that　is；　by　fine　silver　of　a　certain　weight：　but　now　if　it　be　hard　to　measure　the　weight　and　fineness　of　silver；　as　by　the　different　reports　of　the　ablest　Saymasters　I　have　known　it　to　be；　and　if　silver　granted　to　be　of　the　same　fineness　and　weight；　rise　and　fall　in　its　price；　and　be　more　worth　at　one　place　than　another；　not　onely　for　being　father　from　the　Mines；　but　for　other　accidents；　and　may　be　more　worth　at　present；　then　a　moneth　or　other　small　time　hence；　and　if　it　differ　in　its　proportion　unto　the　several　things　valued　by　it；　in　several　ages　upon　the　increase　and　diminution　thereof；　we　shall　endeavour　to　examine　some　other　natural　Standards　and　Measures；　without　derogating　from　the　excellent　use　of　these。　　　　　18。　Our　Silver　and　Gold　we　call　by　severall　names；　as　in　England　by　pounds；　shillings；　and　pence；　all　which　may　be　called　and　understood　by　either　of　the　three。　But　that　which　I　would　say　upon　this　matter　is；　that　all　things　ought　to　be　valued　by　two　natural　Denominations；　which　is　Land　and　Labour；　that　is；　we　ought　to　say；　a　Ship　or　garment　is　worth　such　a　measure　of　Land；　with　such　another　measure　of　Labour；　forasmuch　as　both　Ships　and　Garments　were　the　creatures　of　Lands　and　mens　Labours　thereupon；　This　being　true；　we　should　be　glad　to　finde　out　a　natural　Par　between　Land　and　Labour；　so　as　we　might　express　the　value　by　either　of　them　alone　as　well　or　better　then　by　both；　and　reduce　pence　into　pounds。　Wherefore　we　would　be　glad　to　finde　the　natural　values　of　the　Fee　simple　of　Land；　though　but　no　better　then　we　have　done　that　of　the　usus　fructus　above…mentioned；　which　we　attempt　as　followeth。　　　　　19。　Having　found　the　Rent　or　value　of　the　usus　fructus　per　annum；　the　question　is；　how　many　years　purchase　（as　we　usually　say）　is　the　Fee　simple　naturally　worth？　If　we　say　an　infinite　number；　then　an　Acre　of　Land　would　be　equal　in　value　to　a　thousand　Acres　of　the　same　Land；　which　is　absurd；　an　infinity　of　unites　being　equal　to　an　infinity　of　thousands。　Wherefore　we　must　pitch　upon　some　limited　number；　and　that　I　apprehend　to　be　the　number　of　years；　which　I　conceive　one　man　of　fifty　years　old；　another　of　twenty　eight；　and　another　of　seven　years　old；　all　being　alive　together　may　be　thought　to　live；　that　is　to　say；　of　a　Grandfather；　Father；　and　Childe；　few　men　having　reason　to　take　care　of　more　remote　Posterity：　for　if　a　man　be　a　great　Grandfather；　he　himself　is　so　much　the　nearer　his　end；　so　as　there　are　but　three　in　a　continual　line　of　descent　usually　co…existing　together；　and　as　some　are　Grandfathers　at　forty　years；　yet　as　many　are　not　till　above　sixty；　and　sic　de　eteteris。　　　　　20。　Wherefore　I　pitch　the　number　of　years　purchase；　that　any　Land　is　naturally　worth；　to　be　the　ordinary　extent　of　three　such　persons　their　lives。　Now　in　England　we　esteem　three　lives　equal　to　one　and　twenty　years；　and　consequently　the　value　of　Land；　to　be　about　the　same　number　of　years　purchase。　Possibly　if　they　thought　themselves　mistaken　in　the　one；　（as　the　observator　on　the　Bills　of　Mortality　thinks　they　are）　they　would　alter　in　the　other；　unless　the　consideration　of　the　force　of　popular　errour　and　dependance　of　things　already　concatenated；　did　hinder　them。　　　　　21。　This　I　esteem　to　be　the　number　of　years　purchase　where　Titles　are　good；　and　where　there　is　a　moral　certainty　of　enjoying　the　purchase。　But　in　other　Countreys　Lands　are　worth　nearer　thirty　years　purchase；　by　reason　of　the　better　Titles；　more　people；　and　perhaps　truer　opinion　of　the　value　and　duration　of　three　lives。　　　　　22。　And　in　some　places；　Lands　are　worth　yet　more　years　purchase　by　reason　of　some　special　honour；　pleasures；　priviledge　or　jurisdiction　annexed　unto　them。　　　　　23。　On　the　other　hand；　Lands　are　worth　fewer　years　purchase　（as　in　Ireland）　for　the　following　reasons；　which　I　have　here　set　down；　as　unto　the　like　whereof　the　cause　of　the　like　cheapness　in　any　other　place　may　be　imputed。　　　　　First；　In　Ireland；　by　reason　of　the　frequent　Rebellions；　（in　which　if　you　are　conquered；　all　is　lost；　or　if　you　conquer；　yet　you　are　subject　to　swarms　of　thieves　and　robbers）　and　the　envy　which　precedent　missions　of　English　have　against　the　subsequent；　perpetuity　it　self　is　but　forty　years　long；　as　within　which　time　some　ugly　disturbance　hath　hitherto　happened　almost　ever　since　the　first　coming　of　the　English　thither。　　　　　24。　2。　The　Claims　upon　Claims　which　each　hath　to　the　others　Estates；　and　the　facility　of　making　good　any　pretence　whatsoever　by　the　favour　of　some　one　or　other　of　the　many　Governours　and　Ministers　which　within　forty　years　shall　be　in　power　there；　as　also　by　the　frequency　of　false　testimonies；　and　abuse　of　solemn　Oaths。　　　　　25。　3。　The　paucity　of　Inhabitants；　there　being　not　above　the　1/5th　part　so　many　as　the　Territory　would　maintain；　and　of　those　but　a　small　part　do　work　at　all；　and　yet　a　smaller　work　so　much　as　in　other　Countreys。　　　　　26。　4。　That　a　great　part　of　the　Estates；　both　real　and　personal　in　Ireland；　are　owned　by　Absentees；　and　such　as　draw　over　the　profits　raised　out　of　Ireland　refunding　nothing；　so　as　Ireland　exporting　more　then　it　imports　doth　yet　grow　poorer　to　a　paradox。　　　　　27。　5。　The　difficulty　of　executing　justi