03-wealth-第4部分

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that　no　wishing　will　change　the　rigorous　limits　of　pints　and　penny

loaves；　that；　for　all　that　is　consumed；　so　much　less　remains　in　the

basket　and　pot；　but　what　is　gone　out　of　these　is　not　wasted；　but　well

spent；　if　it　nourish　his　body；　and　enable　him　to　finish　his　task；　

knows　all　of　political　economy　that　the　budgets　of　empires　can　teach

him。　　The　interest　of　petty　economy　is　this　symbolization　of　the

great　economy；　the　way　in　which　a　house；　and　a　private　man's　methods；

tally　with　the　solar　system；　and　the　laws　of　give　and　take；

throughout　nature；　and；　however　wary　we　are　of　the　falsehoods　and

petty　tricks　which　we　suicidally　play　off　on　each　other；　every　man

has　a　certain　satisfaction；　whenever　his　dealing　touches　on　the

inevitable　facts；　when　he　sees　that　things　themselves　dictate　the

price；　as　they　always　tend　to　do；　and；　in　large　manufactures；　are

seen　to　do。　　Your　paper　is　not　fine　or　coarse　enough；　　is　too

heavy；　or　too　thin。　　The　manufacturer　says；　he　will　furnish　you　with

just　that　thickness　or　thinness　you　want；　the　pattern　is　quite

indifferent　to　him；　here　is　his　schedule；　　any　variety　of　paper；　as

cheaper　or　dearer；　with　the　prices　annexed。　　A　pound　of　paper　costs

so　much；　and　you　may　have　it　made　up　in　any　pattern　you　fancy。



　　　　　　　　There　is　in　all　our　dealings　a　self…regulation　that　supersedes

chaffering。　　You　will　rent　a　house；　but　must　have　it　cheap。　　The

owner　can　reduce　the　rent；　but　so　he　incapacitates　himself　from

making　proper　repairs；　and　the　tenant　gets　not　the　house　he　would

have；　but　a　worse　one；　besides；　that　a　relation　a　little　injurious　is

established　between　land…lord　and　tenant。　　You　dismiss　your　laborer；

saying；　〃Patrick；　I　shall　send　for　you　as　soon　as　I　cannot　do　without

you。〃　Patrick　goes　off　contented；　for　he　knows　that　the　weeds　will

grow　with　the　potatoes；　the　vines　must　be　planted；　next　week；　and；

however　unwilling　you　may　be；　the　cantelopes；　crook…necks；　and

cucumbers　will　send　for　him。　　Who　but　must　wish　that　all　labor　and

value　should　stand　on　the　same　simple　and　surly　market？　　If　it　is　the

best　of　its　kind；　it　will。　　We　must　have　joiner；　locksmith；　planter；

priest；　poet；　doctor；　cook；　weaver；　ostler；　each　in　turn；　through　the

year。



　　　　　　　　If　a　St。　Michael's　pear　sells　for　a　shilling；　it　costs　a

shilling　to　raise　it。　　If；　in　Boston；　the　best　securities　offer

twelve　_per　cent_。　　for　money；　they　have　just　six　_per　cent_。　　of

insecurity。　　You　may　not　see　that　the　fine　pear　costs　you　a　shilling；

but　it　costs　the　community　so　much。　　The　shilling　represents　the

number　of　enemies　the　pear　has；　and　the　amount　of　risk　in　ripening

it。　　The　price　of　coal　shows　the　narrowness　of　the　coal…field；　and　a

compulsory　confinement　of　the　miners　to　a　certain　district。　　All

salaries　are　reckoned　on　contingent；　as　well　as　on　actual　services。

〃If　the　wind　were　always　southwest　by　west；〃　said　the　skipper；　〃women

might　take　ships　to　sea。〃　One　might　say；　that　all　things　are　of　one

price；　that　nothing　is　cheap　or　dear；　and　that　the　apparent

disparities　that　strike　us；　are　only　a　shopman's　trick　of　concealing

the　damage　in　your　bargain。　　A　youth　coming　into　the　city　from　his

native　New　Hampshire　farm；　with　its　hard　fare　still　fresh　in　his

remembrance；　boards　at　a　first…class　hotel；　and　believes　he　must

somehow　have　outwitted　Dr。　Franklin　and　Malthus；　for　luxuries　are

cheap。　　But　he　pays　for　the　one　convenience　of　a　better　dinner；　by

the　loss　of　some　of　the　richest　social　and　educational　advantages。

He　has　lost　what　guards！　what　incentives！　　He　will　perhaps　find　by

and　by；　that　he　left　the　Muses　at　the　door　of　the　hotel；　and　found

the　Furies　inside。　　Money　often　costs　too　much；　and　power　and

pleasure　are　not　cheap。　　The　ancient　poet　said；　〃the　gods　sell　all

things　at　a　fair　price。〃



　　　　　　　　There　is　an　example　of　the　compensations　in　the　commercial

history　of　this　country。　　When　the　European　wars　threw　the

carrying…trade　of　the　world；　from　1800　to　1812；　into　American

bottoms；　a　seizure　was　now　and　then　made　of　an　American　ship。　　Of

course；　the　loss　was　serious　to　the　owner；　but　the　country　was

indemnified；　for　we　charged　threepence　a　pound　for　carrying　cotton；

sixpence　for　tobacco；　and　so　on；　which　paid　for　the　risk　and　loss；

and　brought　into　the　country　an　immense　prosperity；　early　marriages；

private　wealth；　the　building　of　cities；　and　of　states：　and；　after　the

war　was　over；　we　received　compensation　over　and　above；　by　treaty；　for

all　the　seizures。　　Well；　the　Americans　grew　rich　and　great。　　But　the

pay…day　comes　round。　　Britain；　France；　and　Germany；　which　our

extraordinary　profits　had　impoverished；　send　out；　attracted　by　the

fame　of　our　advantages；　first　their　thousands；　then　their　millions；

of　poor　people；　to　share　the　crop。　　At　first；　we　employ　them；　and

increase　our　prosperity：　but；　in　the　artificial　system　of　society　and

of　protected　labor；　which　we　also　have　adopted　and　enlarged；　there

come　presently　checks　and　stoppages。　　Then　we　refuse　to　employ　these

poor　men。　　But　they　will　not　so　be　answered。　　They　go　into　the　poor

rates；　and；　though　we　refuse　wages；　we　must　now　pay　the　same　amount

in　the　form　of　taxes。　　Again；　it　turns　out　that　the　largest

proportion　of　crimes　are　committed　by　foreigners。　　The　cost　of　the

crime；　and　the　expense　of　courts；　and　of　prisons；　we　must　bear；　and

the　standing　army　of　preventive　police　we　must　pay。　　The　cost　of

education　of　the　posterity　of　this　great　colony；　I　will　not　compute。

But　the　gross　amount　of　these　costs　will　begin　to　pay　back　what　we

thought　was　a　net　gain　from　our　transatlantic　customers　of　1800。　　It

is　vain　to　refuse　this　payment。　　We　cannot　get　rid　of　these　people；

and　we　cannot　get　rid　of　their　will　to　be　supported。　　That　has　become

an　inevitable　element　of　our　politics；　and；　for　their　votes；　each　of

the　dominant　parties　courts　and　assists　them　to　get　it　executed。

Moreover；　we　have　to　pay；　not　what　would　have　contented　them　at　home；

but　what　they　have　learned　to　think　necessary　here；　so　that　opinion；

fancy；　and　all　manner　of　moral　considerations　complicate　the　problem。



　　　　　　　　There　are　a　few　measures　of　economy　which　will　bear　to　be　named

without　disgust；　for　the　subject　is　tender；　and　we　may　easily　have

too　much　of　it；　and　therein　resembles　the　hideous　animalcules　of

which　our　bodies　are　built　up；　　which；　offensive　in　the　particular；

yet　compose　valuable　and　effective　masses。　　Our　nature　and　genius

force　us　to　respect　ends；　whilst　we　use　means。　　We　must　use　the

means；　and　yet；　in　our　most　accurate　using；　somehow　screen　and　cloak

them；　as　we　can　only　give　them　any　beauty；　by　a　reflection　of　the

glory　of　the　end。　　That　is　the　good　head；　which　serves　the　end；　and

commands　the　means。　　The　rabble　are　corrupted　by　their　means：　the

means　are　too　strong　for　them；　and　they　desert　their　end。



　　　　　　　　1。　The　first　of　these　measures　is　that　each　man's　expense　must

proceed　from　his　character。　　As　long　as　your　genius　buys；　the

investment　is　safe；　though　you　spend　like　a　monarch。　　Nature　arms

each　man　with　some　faculty　which　enables　him　to　do　easily　some　feat

impossible　to　any　other；　and　thus　makes　him　necessary　to　society。

This　native　determination　guides　his　labor　and　his　spending。　　He

wants　an　equipment　of　means　and　tools　proper　to　his　talent。　　And　to

save　on　this　point；　were　to　neutralize　the　special　strength　and

helpfulness　of　each　mind。　　Do　your　work；　respecting　the　excellence　of

the　work；　and　not　its　acceptableness。　　This　is　so　much　economy；　that；

rightly　read；　it　is　the　sum　of　economy。　　Profligacy　consists　not　in

spending　years　of　time　or　chests　of　money；　　but　in　spending　them

off　the　line　of　your　career。　　The　crime　which　bankrupts　men　and

states；　is；　job…work；　　declining　from　your　main　design；　to　serve　a

turn　here　or　there。　　Nothing　is　beneath　you；　if　it　is　in　the

direction　of　your　life：　nothing　is　great　or　desirable；　if　it　is　off

from　that。　　I　think　we　are　entitled　here　to　draw　a　straight　line；　and

say；　that　society　can　never　prosper；　but　must　always　be　bankrupt；

until　every　man　does　that　which　he　was　created　to　do。



　　　　　　　　Spend　for　your　expense；　and　retrench　the　expense　which　is　not

yours。　　Allston；　the　painter；　was　wont　to　say；　that　he　built　a　plain

house；　and　filled　it　with　plain　furniture；　because　he　would　hold　out

no　bribe　to　any　to　visit　him；　who　had　not　similar　tastes　to　his　own。

We　are　sympathetic；　and；　like　children；　want　everything　we　see。　　But

it　is　a　large　stride　to　independence；　when　a　man；　in　the　discovery

of　his　proper　talent；　has　sunk　the　necessity　for　false　expenses。　　As

the　betrothed　maiden；　by　one　secure　affection；　is　relieved　from　a

system　of　slaveries；　　the　daily　inculcated　necessity　of　pleasing

all；　　so　the　man　who　has　found　what　he　can　do；　can　spend　on　that；

and　leave　all　other　spending。　　Montaigne　said；　〃When　he　was　a　younger

brother；　he　went　brave　in　dress　and　equipage；　but　afterward　his

chateau　and　farms　might　answer　for　him。〃　Let　a　man　who　belongs　to　the

class　of　nobles；　those；　namely；　who　have　found　out　that　they　can　do

something；　relieve　himself　of　all　vague　squandering　on　objects　not

his。　　Let　the　realist　not　mind　appearances。　　Let　him　delegate　to

others　the　costly　courtesies　and　decorations　of　social　life。　　The

virtues　are　economists；　but　some　of　the　vices　are　also。　　Thus；　next

to　humility；　I　have　noticed　that　pride　is　a　pretty　good　husband。　　A

good　pride　is；　as　I　reckon　it；　worth　from　five　hundred　to　fifteen

hundred　a　year。　　Pride　is　handsome；　economical：　pride　eradicates　so

many　vices；　letting　none　subsist　but　itself；　that　it　seems　as　if　it

were　a　great　gain　to　exchange　vanity　for　pride。　　Pride　can　go　without

domestics；　without　fine　clothes；　can　live　in　a　house　with　two　rooms；

can　eat　potato；　purslain；　beans；　lyed　corn；　can　work　on　the　soil；　can

travel　afoot；　can　talk　with　poor　men；　or　sit　silent　well…contented　in

fine　saloons。　　But　vanity　costs　money；　labor；　horses；　men；　women；

health；　a