Money Answers All Things [4]
most of our Commodities will hence become too dear to be taken by them in return, so we shall vent much less of our Goods at other foreign Markets; and so the Balance of Trade will turn against us, and draw off our Money as long as we have any. XIV. Rents have been advanc'd, from this single Principle, which alone can possibly raise the Price of any Thing; viz. a Demand for Farms, etc. in greater Proportion then they were well to be had. And as this hath in a great Measure hindered the People from going on, as such Demand for Farms shews they naturally would, in cultivating more Land as they increased in Numbers, so that Surplus or Increase of the People have been obliged to imploy themselves in Trades, Manufactures, and Professions, till they have so much overstock'd and embarass'd all these, that their Trades, etc. will not answer to support them, whilst at the same time the Necessaries of Life, and Rents have been greatly advanc'd, to what they were formerly. This therefore must be remedied, or Multitude must be ruin'd: Nor can the Gentlemen escape; for if Money become so scarce, (as it certainly in a great Measure is at present amongst the People,) that the Fruits of the Earth will hardly bring Money enough to support the Farmers, and pay all Charges exclusive of Rent; as many Gentlemen already find, who, on that Account, are obliged to take their Farms into their own Management: The Gentlemen, I say, can fare no better than to become skilful, industrious Farmers themselves, and get their Living by that Means, till Money, as it hath heretofore been, becomes plentiful enough to pay all Charges, with a Surplus to pay Rent; which will be done whenever the Rents are lowered enough to make Money flush, or plentiful amongst the Trading Part of the People, but not sooner. XV. If all the Gentlemen in the Nation would lower their Rents, at the Request of the People, this could not answer the End; because the Demand for the Fruits of the Earth, which the Land at present cultivated can produce, is, and will continue to be so great, if the People be not diminished, as necessarily to keep the Price higher than the Money circulating amongst them will well enable them to pay for them; and because, until many more of the People are employ'd in Cultivation, etc. to lessen the Number of Poor, and make greater Plenty, all kinds of Trade, Manufactures, and Professions must needs continue so overstocked with Numbers of People imploy'd in them, as absolutely to spoil them all, as to the Profits, which is the sole End of Trade. Therefore the natural Way to lower the Rents, can only be, by putting such very great Tracts of waste Land into Cultivation, as may make Farms abound; which will lower, and make the Rents easy, and will employ the People, not in Cultivation only, but in every Kind of Manufacture, Trade and Calling. For all this will be the necessary Consequence of cultivating such large Tracts of waste Land, as must be cultivated to make Farms abound, and Rents easy. But I am sensible, this Proposal must meet with almost an insuperable Objection, from all Gentlemen whose Estates consist of Land; since if the Plenty of every thing must be increased so much, that the Produce of the Earth may become a great deal cheaper, the Rents must be lowered a great deal too; I am so apprehensive of the Power of his Prejudice, that I fear it will be very hard to remove it. but I shall endeavour to do it, by shewing that it is no real Loss to Gentlemen this Way to lower their Estates. What I have said is a strong Argument to the Purpose, that the Scarcity of Money among the People, that the Scarcity of Money among the People will unavoidably disable the Farmers to pay their Rents. To this Cause, which doth naturally lessen the Consumption of all Things, in such Proportion as the Cash grows scarcer, and thereby keeps the Fruits of the Earth from rising to a Price, that might enable the Farmers to pay their Rents, it must be ascribed, that Corn, etc. hath hardly of late fetched Money enough to pay all Charges, exclusive of Rent; and not