from thefe caufes a diminution of the fpecie. But these we may obferve, are violent and forcible methods of carrying away money, and are in time commonly attended with the transport of people and indufty. But where thefe remain, and the drain is not continued, the money always finds its way back again, by a hundred canals, of which we have no notion or fufpicion. What immense treasures have been spent, by fo many nations, in FLANDERS, fince the revolution, in the course of three long wars? More money perhaps than the half of what is at prefent in EUROPE. But what has now become of it? Is it in the narrow compafs of the AUSTRIAN provinces ? No, furely: It has most of it returned to the feveral countries whence it came, and has followed that art and industry, by which at first it was acquired. For above a thousand years, the money of EUROPE has been flowing to ROME, by an open and sensible current; but it has been emptied by many fecret and infenfible canals: And the want of industry and commerce renders at present the papal dominions the poorest territory in all ITALY,

In fhort, a government has great reason to preferve with care its people and its manufactures. Its money, it may safely trust to the course of human affairs, without fear or jealoufy. Or if it ever give attention to this latter circumstance, it ought only to be so far as it affects the former.

H

ESSAY

VI.

Of the JEALOUSY of TRADE.

AVING endeavoured to remove one fpecies of illfounded jealoufy, which is fo prevalent among commercial nations, it may not be amifs to mention another, which feems equally groundless. Nothing is more ufual, among states which have made fome advances in commerce, than to look on the progress of their neighbours with a fufpicious eye, to confider all trading states as their rivals, and to suppose that it is impoffible for any of them to flourish, but at their expence. In oppofition to this narrow and malignant opinion, I will venture to affert, that the encrease of riches and commerce in any one nation, instead of hurting, commonly promotes the riches and commerce of all its neighbours ; and that a ftate can fcarcely carry its trade and industry very far, where all the furrounding ftates are buried in ignorance, floth, and barbarifm.

It is obvious, that the domeftic induftry of a people cannot be hurt by the greatest prosperity of their neighbours; and as this branch of commerce is undoubtedly the most important in any extenfive kingdom, we are fa far removed from all reafon of jealousy. But I go farther, and obferve, that where an open communication is preferved among nations, it is impoffible but the do

mestic

mestic industry of every one muft receive an encrease from the improvements of the others., Compare the fituation of GREAT BRITAIN at prefent, with what it was two centuries ago. All the arts both of agriculture and manufactures were then extremely rude and imperfect. Every improvement, which we have fince made, has arifen from our imitation of foreigners; and we ought fo far to esteem it happy, that they had previously made advances in arts and ingenuity. But this intercourfe is ftill upheld to our great advantage: Notwithstanding the advanced state of our manufactures, we daily adopt, in every art, the inventions and improvements of our neighbours. The commodity is firft imported from abroad, to our great discontent, while we imagine that it drains us of our money: Afterwards, the art itself is gradually imported, to our visible advantage : Yet we continue ftill to repine, that, our neighbours fhould poffefs any art, industry, and invention; forgetting that, had they not firft inftructed us, we should have been at present barbarians; and did they not ftill continue their inftructions, the arts must fall into a state of languor, and lofe that emulation and novelty, which contribute fo much to their advancement.

The encrease of domeftic induftry lays the foundation of foreign commerce. Where a great number of commodities are raised and perfected for the home-market, there will always be found fome which can be exported with advantage. But if our neighbours have no art or cultivation, they cannot take them; because they will have nothing to give in exchange. In this respect, states are in the fame condition as individuals. A fingle man can scarcely be industrious, where all his fellow-citizens are idle. The riches of the feveral members of a community contribute to encrease my riches, whatever pro

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St.

feffion I may follow. They confume the produce of my industry, and afford me the produce of theirs in return. Nor needs any ftate entertain apprehenfions, that their neighbours will improve to fuch a degree in every art and manufacture, as to have no demand from them. Nature, by giving a diverfity of geniuses, climates, and foils, to different nations, has fecured their mutual intercourfe and commerce, as long as they all remain induftrious and civilized. Nay, the more the arts encrease in any state, the more will be its demands from its induftrious neighbours. The inhabitants, having become opulent and fkilful, defire to have every commodity in the utmost perfection; and as they have plenty of commodities to give in exchange, they make large importations from every foreign country. The industry of the nations, from whom they import, receives encouragement: Their own is also encreased, by the fale of the commodities which they give in exchange.

But what if a nation has any ftaple commodity, such as the woollen manufacture is in ENGLAND? Muft not the interfering of our neighbours in that manufacture be a lofs to us? I anfwer, that, when any commodity is denominated the ftaple of a kingdom, it is fuppofed that this kingdom has fome peculiar and natural advantages for raifing the commodity; and if, notwithstanding these advantages, they lose such a manufacture, they ought to blame their own idleness, or bad government, not the industry of their neighbours. It ought also to be confidered, that, by the encrease of industry among the neighbouring nations, the confumption of every particular fpecies of commodity is also encreased; and though foreign manufactures interfere with them in the market, the demand for their product may ftill continue, or even encrease. And fhould it diminish, ought the confequence to be efteemed

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