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person　possessing　such　power；　comparatively　unnecessary。　But



power　over　human　beings　is　attainable　by　other　means　than　by



money。　As　I　said　a　few　pages　back；　the　money　power　is　always



imperfect　and　doubtful；　there　are　many　things　which　cannot　be



reached　with　it；　others　which　cannot　be　retained　by　it。　Many　joys



may　be　given　to　men　which　cannot　be　bought　for　gold；　and　many



fidelities　found　in　them　which　cannot　be　rewarded　with　it。



　　　　Trite　enough；　　the　reader　thinks。　Yes：　but　it　is　not　so



trite；　　I　wish　it　were；　　that　in　this　moral　power；　quite



inscrutable　and　immeasurable　though　it　be；　there　is　a　monetary



value　just　as　real　as　that　represented　by　more　ponderous



currencies。　A　man's　hand　may　be　full　of　invisible　gold；　and　the



wave　of　it；　or　the　grasp；　shall　do　more　than　another's　with　a



shower　of　bullion。　This　invisible　gold；　also；　does　not



necessarily　diminish　in　spending。　Political　economists　will　do



well　some　day　to　take　heed　of　it；　though　they　cannot　take



measure。



　　　　But　farther。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　its



authority　over　men；　if　the　apparent　or　nominal　wealth　fail　in



this　power；　it　fails　in　essence；　in　fact；　ceases　to　be　wealth　at



all。　It　does　not　appear　lately　in　England；　that　our　authority



over　men　is　absolute。　The　servants　show　some　disposition　to　rush



riotously　upstairs；　under　an　impression　that　their　wages　are　not



regularly　paid。　We　should　augur　ill　of　any　gentleman's　property



to　whom　this　happened　every　other　day　in　his　drawing…room。



　　　　So；　also；　the　power　of　our　wealth　seems　limited　as　respects



the　comfort　of　the　servants；　no　less　than　their　quietude。　The



persons　in　the　kitchen　appear　to　be　ill…dressed；　squalid；



half…starved。　One　cannot　help　imagining　that　the　riches　of　the



establishment　must　be　of　a　very　theoretical　and　documentary



character。



　　　　Finally。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　power　over



men；　will　it　not　follow　that　the　nobler　and　the　more　in　number



the　persons　are　over　whom　it　has　power；　the　greater　the　wealth？



Perhaps　it　may　even　appear；　after　some　consideration；　that　the



persons　themselves　are　the　wealth　that　these　pieces　of　gold　with



which　we　are　in　the　habit　of　guiding　them；　are；　in　fact；　nothing



more　than　a　kind　of　Byzantine　harness　or　trappings；　very



glittering　and　beautiful　in　barbaric　sight；　wherewith　we　bridle



the　creatures；　but　that　if　these　same　living　creatures　could　be



guided　without　the　fretting　and　jingling　of　the　Byzants　in　their



mouths　and　ears；　they　might　themselves　be　more　valuable　than



their　bridles。　In　fact；　it　may　be　discovered　that　the　true　veins



of　wealth　are　purple　　and　not　in　Rock；　but　in　Flesh　　perhaps



even　that　the　final　outcome　and　consummation　of　all　wealth　is　in



the　producing　as　many　as　possible　full…breathed；　bright…eyed；　and



happy…hearted　human　creatures。　Our　modern　wealth；　I　think；　has



rather　a　tendency　the　other　way；　　most　political　economists



appearing　to　consider　multitudes　of　human　creatures　not　conducive



to　wealth；　or　at　best　conducive　to　it　only　by　remaining　in　a



dim…eyed　and　narrow…chested　state　of　being。



　　　　Nevertheless；　it　is　open；　I　repeat；　to　serious　question；



which　I　leave　to　the　reader's　pondering；　whether；　among　national



manufactures；　that　of　Souls　of　a　good　quality　may　not　at　last



turn　out　a　quite　leadingly　lucrative　one？　Nay；　in　some　far…away



and　yet　undreamt…of　hour；　I　can　even　imagine　that　England　may



cast　all　thoughts　of　possessive　wealth　back　to　the　barbaric



nations　among　whom　they　first　arose；　and　that；　while　the　sands　of



the　Indus　and　adamant　of　Golconda　may　yet　stiffen　the　housings　of



the　charger；　and　flash　from　the　turban　of　the　slave；　she；　as　a



Christian　mother；　may　at　last　attain　to　the　virtues　and　the



treasures　of　a　Heathen　one；　and　be　able　to　lead　forth　her　Sons；



saying；　



　　　　　　　　　〃These　are　My　Jewels。〃







Qui　Judicatis　Terram







　　　　Some　centuries　before　the　Christian　era；　a　Jew　merchant



largely　engaged　in　business　on　the　Gold　Coast；　and　reported　to



have　made　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　of　his　time；　（held　also　in



repute　for　much　practical　sagacity；）　left　among　his　ledgers　some



general　maxims　concerning　wealth；　which　have　been　preserved；



strangely　enough；　even　to　our　own　days。　They　were　held　in



considerable　respect　by　the　most　active　traders　of　the　middle



ages；　especially　by　the　Venetians；　who　even　went　so　far　in　their



admiration　as　to　place　a　statue　of　the　old　Jew　on　the　angle　of



one　of　their　principal　public　buildings。　Of　late　years　these



writings　have　fallen　into　disrepute；　being　opposed　in　every



particular　to　the　spirit　of　modern　commerce。　Nevertheless　I　shall



reproduce　a　passage　or　two　from　them　here；　partly　because　they



may　interest　the　reader　by　their　novelty；　and　chiefly　because



they　will　show　him　that　it　is　possible　for　a　very　practical　and



acquisitive　tradesman　to　hold；　through　a　not　unsuccessful　career；



that　principle　of　distinction　between　well…gotten　and　ill…gotten



wealth；　which；　partially　insisted　on　in　my　last　paper；　it　must　be



our　work　more　completely　to　examine　in　this。



　　　　He　says；　for　instance；　in　one　place：　〃The　getting　of



treasures　by　a　lying　tongue　is　a　vanity　tossed　to　and　fro　of　them



that　see　death：　〃adding　in　another；　with　the　same　meaning　（he　has



a　curious　way　of　doubling　his　sayings）：　〃Treasures　of　wickedness



profit　nothing：　but　justice　delivers　from　death。〃　Both　these



passages　are　notable　for　their　assertion　of　death　as　the　only



real　issue　and　sum　of　attainment　by　any　unjust　scheme　of　wealth。



If　we　read；　instead　of　〃lying　tongue；〃　〃lying　label；　title；



pretence；　or　advertisement；〃　we　shall　more　clearly　perceive　the



bearing　of　the　words　on　modern　business。　The　seeking　of　death　is



a　grand　expression　of　the　true　course　of　men's　toil　in　such



business。　We　usually　speak　as　if　death　pursued　us；　and　we　fled



from　him；　but　that　is　only　so　in　rare　instances。　Ordinarily　he



masks　himself　　makes　himself　beautiful　　all…glorious；　not



like　the　King's　daughter；　all…glorious　within；　but　outwardly：　his



clothing　of　wrought　gold。　We　pursue　him　frantically　all　our　days；



he　flying　or　hiding　from　us。　Our　crowning　success　at　three…score



and　ten　is　utterly　and　perfectly　to　seize；　and　hold　him　in　his



eternal　integrity　　robes；　ashes；　and　sting。



　　　　Again：　the　merchant　says；　〃He　that　oppresseth　the　poor　to



increase　his　riches；　shall　surely　come　to　want。〃　And　again；　more



strongly：　〃Rob　not　the　poor　because　he　is　poor；　neither　oppress



the　afflicted　in　the　place　of　business。　For　God　shall　spoil　the



soul　of　those　that　spoiled　them。〃



　　　　This　〃robbing　the　poor　because　he　is　poor；〃　is　especially　the



mercantile　form　of　theft；　consisting　in　talking　advantage　of　a



man's　necessities　in　order　to　obtain　his　labour　or　property　at　a



reduced　price。　The　ordinary　highwayman's　opposite　form　of　robbery



　of　the　rich；　because　he　is　rich　　does　not　appear　to　occur　so



often　to　the　old　merchant's　mind；　probably　because；　being　less



profitable　and　more　dangerous　than　the　robbery　of　the　poor；　it　is



rarely　practised　by　persons　of　discretion。　



　　　　But　the　two　most　remarkable　passages　in　their　deep　general



significance　are　the　following：　



　　　　〃The　rich　and　the　poor　have　met。　God　is　their　maker。〃



　　　　〃The　rich　and　the　poor　have　met。　God　is　their　light。〃



　　　　They　〃have　met：〃　more　literally；　have　stood　in　each　other's



way　（obviaverunt）。　That　is　to　say；　as　long　as　the　world　lasts；



the　action　and　counteraction　of　wealth　and　poverty；　the　meeting；



face　to　face；　of　rich　and　poor；　is　just　as　appointed　and



necessary　a　law　of　that　world　as　the　flow　of　stream　to　sea；　or



the　interchange　of　power　among　the　electric　clouds：　　〃God　is



their　maker。〃　But；　also；　this　action　may　be　either　gentle　and



just；　or　convulsive　and　destructive：　it　may　be　by　rage　of



devouring　flood；　or　by　lapse　of　serviceable　wave；　　in　blackness



of　thunderstroke；　or　continual　force　of　vital　fire；　soft；　and



shapeable　into　love…syllables　from　far　away。　And　which　of　these



it　shall　be　depends　on　both　rich　and　poor　knowing　that　God　is



their　light；　that　in　the　mystery　of　human　life；　there　is　no　other



light　than　this　by　which　they　can　see　each　other's　faces；　and



live；　　light；　which　is　called　in　another　of　the　books　among



which　the　merchant's　maxims　have　been　preserved；　the　〃sun　of



justice；〃（4*）　of　which　it　is　promised　that　it　shall　rise　at　last



with　〃healing〃　（health…giving　or　helping；　making　whole　or　setting



at　one）　in　its　wings。　For　truly　this　healing　is　only　possible　by



means　of　justice；　no　love；　no　faith；　no　hope　will　do　it；　men　will



be　unwisely　fond…vainly　faithful；　unless　primarily　they　are　just；



and　the　mistake　of　the　best　men　through　generation　after



generation；　has　been　that　great　one　of　thinking　to　help　the　poor



by　almsgiving；　and　by　preaching　of　patience　or　of　hope；　and　by



every　other　means；　emollient　or　consolatory；　except　the　one　thing



which　God　orders　for　them；　justice。　But　this　justice；　with　its



accompanying　holiness　or　helpfulness；　being　even　by　the　best　men



denied　in　its　trial　time；　is　by　the　mass　of　men　hated　wherever　it



appears：　so　that；　when　the　choice　was　one　day　fairly　put　to　them；



they　denied　the　Helpful　One　and　the　Just；（5*）　and　desired　a



murderer；　sedition…raiser；　and　robber；　to　be　gran　ted　to　them；　



the　murderer　instead　of　the　Lord　of　Life；　the　sedition…raiser



instead　of　the　Prince　of　Peace；　and　the　robber　instead　of　the



Just　Judg