treatise on taxes and contributions-第7部分

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more　then　it　imports　doth　yet　grow　poorer　to　a　paradox。　　　　　27。　5。　The　difficulty　of　executing　justice；　so　many　of　those　in　power　being　themselves　protected　by　Offices；　and　protecting　others。　Moreover；　the　number　of　criminous　and　indebted　persons　being　great；　they　favour　their　like　in　Juries；　Offices；　and　wheresoever　they　can：　Besides；　the　Countrey　is　seldom　enough　to　give　due　encouragement　to　profound　Judges　and　Lawyers；　which　makes　judgements　very　casual；　ignorant　men　being　more　bold　to　be　apt　and　arbitrary；　then　such　as　understand　the　dangers　of　it。　But　all　this　with　a　little　care　in　due　season　might　remedy；　so　as　to　bring　Ireland　in　a　few　years　to　the　same　level　of　values　with　other　places；　but　of　this　also　elsewhere　more　at　large；　for　in　the　next　place　we　shall　come　to　Usury。


Chapter　5

Of　Usury

　　　　What　reason　there　is　for　taking　or　giving　Interest　or　Usury　for　any　thing　which　we　may　certainly　have　again　whensoever　we　call　for　it；　I　see　not；　nor　why　Usury　should　be　scrupled；　where　money　or　other　necessaries　valued　by　it；　is　lent　to　be　paid　at　such　a　time　and　place　as　the　Borrower　chuseth；　so　as　the　Lender　cannot　have　his　money　paid　him　back　where　and　when　himself　pleaseth；　I　also　see　not。　Wherefore　when　a　man　giveth　out　his　money　upon　condition　that　he　may　not　demand　it　back　until　a　certain　time　to　come；　whatsoever　his　own　necessities　shall　be　in　the　mean　time；　he　certainly　may　take　a　compensation　for　this　inconvenience　which　he　admits　against　himself：　And　this　allowance　is　that　we　commonly　call　Usury。　　　　　2。　And　when　one　man　furnisheth　another　with　money　at　some　distant　place；　and　engages　under　great　Penalties　to　pay　him　there；　and　at　a　certain　day　besides；　the　consideration　for　this；　is　that　we　call　Exchange　or　local　Usury。　　　　　As　for　example；　if　a　man　wanting　money　at　Carlisle　in　the　heat　of　the　late　Civil　Wars；　when　the　way　was　full　of　Souldiers　and　Robbers；　and　the　passage　by　Sea　very　long　troublesome；　asnd　dangerous；　and　seldom　passed；　why　might　not　another　take　much　more　than　an　100　l。　at　London　for　warranting　the　like　Summe　to　be　paid　at　Carlisle　on　a　certain　day？　　　　　3。　Now　the　Questions　arising　hence　are；　what　are　the　natural　Standards　of　Usury　and　Exchange？　As　for　Usury；　the　least　that　can　be；　is　the　Rent　of　so　much　Land　as　the　money　lent　will　buy；　where　the　security　is　undoubted；　but　where　the　security　is　casual；then　a　kinde　of　ensurance　must　be　enterwoven　witht　he　simple　natural　Interest；　which　may　advance　the　Usury　very　conscionably　unto　any　height　below　the　Principal　it　self。　Now　if　things　are　so　in　England；　that　really　there　is　no　such　security　as　abovementioned；　but　that　all　are　more　or　less　hazardous；　troublesome；　or　chargeable　to　make；　I　see　no　reason　for　endouvering　to　limit　Usury　upon　time；　any　more　than　that　upon　place；　which　the　practice　of　the　world　doth　not；　unless　it　be　that　those　who　make　such　Laws　were　rather　Borrowers　then　Lenders：　But　of　the　vanity　and　fruitlessness　of　making　Civil　Positive　Laws　against　the　Laws　of　Nature；　I　have　spoken　elsewhere；　and　instanced　in　several　particulars。　　　　　4。　As　for　the　natural　measures　of　Exchange；　I　say；　that　in　times　of　Peace；　the　greatest　Exchange　can　be　but　the　labour　of　carrying　the　money　in　specie；　but　where　are　hazards　emergent　uses　for　money　in　one　place　then　another；　etc。　or　opinions　of　these　true　or　false；　the　Exchange　will　be　governed　by　them。　　　　　5。　Parallel　unto　this；　is　something　which　we　omit　concerning　the　price　of　Land；　for　as　great　need　of　money　heightens　Exchange；　so　doth　great　need　of　Corn　raise　the　price　of　that　likewise；　and　consequently　of　the　Rent　of　the　Land　that　bears　Corn；　and　lastly　of　the　Land　it　self；　as　for　example；　if　the　Corn　which　feedeth　London；　or　an　Army；　be　brought　forty　miles　thither；　then　the　Corn　growing　within　a　mile　of　London；　or　the　quarters　of　such　Army；　shall　have　added　unto　its　natural　price；　so　much　as　the　charge　of　bringing　it　thirty　miles　doth　amount　unto：　And　unto　perishable　Commodities；　as　fresh　fish；　fruits；　etc。　the　ensurance　upon　the　hazard　of　corrupting；　etc。　shall　be　added　also；　and　finally；　unto　him　that　eats　these　things　there　（suppose　in　Taverns）　shall　be　added　the　charge　of　all　the　circumstancial　appurtenances　of　House…rent；　Furniture；　Attendance；　and　the　Cooks　skill　as　well　as　his　labour　to　accompany　the　same。　　　　　6。　Hence　it　comes　to　pass；　that　Lands　intrinsically　alike　near　populous　places；　such　as　where　the　perimeter　of　the　Area　that　feeds　them　is　great；　will　not　onely　yield　more　Rent　for　these　Reasons；　but　also　more　years　purchase　then　in　remote　places；　by　reason　of　the　pleasure　and　honour　extraordinary　of　having　Lands　there；　for　　　　　　Omne　tulit　penctum　qui　miscuit　utile　dulci。　　　　　7。　Having　finished　our　digression　upon　the　measures　of　the　Rents　and　Values　of　Lands　and　Moneys；　we　now　return　to　our　second　way　of　leavying　Publick　Charges；　which　ws　the　taking　of　aproportion　of　the　Rent　（commonly　called　Assessment）　it　follows　next　to　speak　of　the　way　of　computing　the　said　Rents；　otherwise　then　according　to　the　bargains　which　a　few　men　make　one　with　another；　through　ignorance；　haste；　false　suggestion；　or　else　in　their　passion　or　drink：　Although　I　acknowledge；　that　the　medium　or　common　result　of　all　the　bargains　made　within　three　years　（or　other　such　Cycle　of　time；　as　within　which　all　contingencies　of　Land　revolve）　may　be　very　sufficient　to　this　purpose；　being　but　the　summe　synthetically　computed　by　casual　opinions；　as　I　would　endeavour　to　cast　up　analytically　by　a　distinct　particularizing　of　the　Causes。　　　　　8。　1。　Therefore　I　propound　a　Survey　of　the　Figures；　Quantities　and　Scituations　of　all　the　Lands　both　according　to　the　civil　bounds　of　Parishes；　Farms；　etc。　and　the　natural　distinctions　thereof　by　the　Sea；　Rivers；　ridges　of　Rocks；　or　Mountains；　etc。　　　　　9。　2。　I　propound　that　the　quality　of　each　denomination　were　described　by　the　Commodities　it　had　usually　born；　in　some　Land；　some　sort　of　Timber；　Grain；　pulse　or　root　growing　more　happily　then　in　others：　Also　by　the　encrease　of　things　sown　or　planted；　which　it　hath　yielded；　communibus　annis；　and　withall；　the　comparative　goodness　of　the　said　Commodities　not　unto　the　common　Standard　money；　but　to　one　another。　As　for　example；　if　there　be　ten　acres　of　Land；　I　would　have　it　judged　whether　they　be　better　for　Hay　or　Corn；　if　for　Hay；　whether　the　said　ten　Acres　will　bear　more　or　less　of　Hay　then　then　other　Acres；　and　whether　an　hundred　weight　of　the　said　Hay　will　feed　or　fatten　more　or　less；　then　the　same　weight　of　other　Hay；　and　not　as　yet　comparing　it　to　money；　in　which　the　value　of　the　said　Hay　will　be　more　less；　according　to　the　plenty　of　money；　which　hath　changed　strangely　since　the　discovery　of　the　West　Indies；　and　according　to　the　multitudes　of　people　living　near　this　Land；　together　with　the　luxurious　or　frugal　living　of　them；　and　besides　all；　according　to　the　Civil；　Natural；　and　Religious　Opinions　of　the　said　people：　As　for　example；　Eggs　in　the　fore…part　of　Lent　（because　their　goodness　and　delicacy　decayes　before　Lent　be　done）　being　worth　little　in　some　Popish　Countreys；　nor　Swines　flesh　among　the　Jews；　nor　Hedgehogs；　Frogs；　Snails；　Mushrooms；　etc。　to　those　that　fear　to　eat　them；　as　poisonous　or　unwholesome；　nor　Currans　and　Spanish　Wines；　if　they　were　all　to　be　destroyed　as　the　great　thieves　of　this　Nations；　by　an　Edict　of　the　State。　　　　　10。　This　I　call　a　Survey　or　Inquisition　into　the　intrinsick　Values　of　Land；　that　of　extrinsick　or　accidentall　follows。　We　said；　that　the　change　of　the　store　of　money　would　change　the　rates　of　commodities　according　to　our　reckoning　in　names　and　words；　（pounds；　shillings；　and　pence　being　nothing　else）　as　for　example：　　　　　If　a　man　can　bring　to　London　an　ounce　of　Silver　out　of　the　Earth　in　Peru；　in　the　same　time　that　he　can　produce　a　bushel　of　Corn；　then　one　is　the　natural　price　of　the　other；　now　if　by　reason　of　new　and　more　easie　Mines　a　man　can　get　two　ounces　of　Silver　as　easily　as　formerly　he　did　one；　then　Corn　will　be　as　cheap　at　ten　shillings　the　bushel；　as　it　was　before　at　five　shillings　caeteris　paribus。　　　　　11。　It　behoves　us　therefore　to　have　a　way；　whereby　to　tell　the　money　of　our　Countrey　（which　I　think　I　have；　and　that　in　a　short　time；　and　without　cost；　and　（which　is　more）　without　looking　into　particular　mens　pockets；　of　which　hereafter。）　Now　if　we　know　what　Gold　and　Silver　we　had　in　England　two　hundred　years　ago；　and　could　tell　it　again　now；　and　though　we　also　knew　the　difference　of　our　denominations　then；　when　thirty　seven　shillings　were　made　out　the　same　quantity　of　Silver　as　sixty　two　are　now；　also　that　of　the　alloy；　labour　in　Coinage；　remedies　for　weight　and　fineness；　and　duties　to　the　King；　nay；　if　we　also　knew　the　labourers　wages　then　and　now；　yet　all　this　would　not　shew　the　difference　of　the　Riches　of　our　Nation　even　in　money　alone。　　　　　12。　Wherefore　we　must　adde　to　the　premises；　the　knowledge　of　the　difference　of　the　numbers　of　the　people；　and　conclude；　that　if　all　the　money　in　the　Nation　wre　equally　divided　amongst　all　the　people　both　then　and　now；　that　that　time　wherein　each　Devisee　had　wherewith　to　hire　most　labourers；　was　the　richer。　So　that　we　want　the　knowledge　of　the　People　and　Bullion　which　is　now　in　this　Land；　and　which　was　heretofore；　all　which　I　think　may　be　found　out　even　for　the　time　past；　but　more　probably　for　the　time　present　and　to　come。　　　　　13。　But　to　proceed；　suppose　we　had　them；　then　we　would　pitch　the　accidental　values　upon　our　Lands　about　London；　as　thus；　viz。　We　would　first　at　hazzard　compute　the　materials　for　food　and　covering；　which　the　Shires　of　Essex；　Kent；　Surrey；　Middlesex　and　Hartford；　next　circumjacent　to　London；　did　communibus　annis　produce；　and　would　withal　compute　the　Consumptioners　of　them　living　in　the　said　five　shires；　and　London。　The　which　if　I　found　to　be　more　then　were　then　the　Consumptioners　living　upon　the　like　scope　of　other　Land；　or　rather　upon　as　much　other　Land　as　bore　the　like　quantity　of　Provisions。　Then　I　say；　that　Provisions　must　be　dearer　in　the　said　five　Shires　then　in　the　other；　and　within　the　said　Shires　cheaper　or　dearer；　as　the　way　to　London　was　more　or　less　long；　or　rather　more　or　less　chargeable。　　　　　14。　For　if　the　said　five　Shires　did　already　produce　as　much　Commodity；　as　by　all　endeavour　was　possible；　then　what　is　wanting　must　be　brought　from　a　fa