Money Answers All Things [42]
to succeed to live on the Labour of the Industrious, as Multitudes always must,(26*) as long as any Taxes are raised on Goods. This Reasoning holds as to our Laws; which are multiplied almost to Immensity, but ought to be reduced to so small a Volume, and be so clear and easy, that the meanest Subject may know the Laws of his Country as well as the greatest. This is the Case in Denmark, and might be the same here; and then a vast Number of Hands would be gained to contribute to the Good of Society, in a Way congruous to the Circumstances of Mankind. And as to the Practitioners in Physick, I am sure many of them must get their Livelihood this useful Way, because most of the Diseases and Vices which Mankind are so generally over-run with, will be prevented: For industry, and every social Virtue will certainly take Place,and remove those Vices and Corruptions, which have drawn in such prodigious Numbers, as this Profession is so horribly surcharged with. And many of those who (for want of this useful Way to employ them) are now brought up to Divinity, would soon find the Way to be more usefully employed for their own Comfort and Support, than the Generality of that Profession now are, or ever can be, till such a Demand for their Skill and Industry is produced, as the full and sufficient Execution of this Proposal alone can effect. For can it be imagined, that if so much Business could be made as I am aiming at, such a vast Number as now follows this Profession, the Generality of whom are not only insufficiently but scandalously rewarded, would not prefer the Profit, which, in every Employ, must be necessarily connected with such a Quantity of Business, as leaves it doubtful whether Hands sufficient can be found to perform and transact it? As to the Sword, I would have every Person in the Kingdom trained to all the needful military Exercises, in the utmost Perfection, and that from their earliest Capacity to receive any such Instructions; which, I am sure, would as effectually preserve us from the unjust Attacks of our Neighbours, as any Body of mercenary Forces we can maintain will ever do. And, I think, we should be less liable to make any unjust Attacks on our Neighbours, in this Case; since Men will not easily be induced to leave their Families and Livelihoods, to carry War and Destruction to those that have not made it necessary. But War seems now a civil Game, to divert Princes, and employ the numerous Troops they keep in Arms; whilst it is become so general a Practice to keep a standing Force, that they are almost become necessary even to free Kingdoms and States. But if, after all, it should be found true, that we can't get Hands enough into Tillage, etc. to carry this proposal compleatly to the End I am aiming at, yet this must itself be a cogent Reason for carrying this Mater as far as may be; since it is infinitely for the Happiness of Mankind, rather to want Hands to do all the work that may arise, than to have such a vast number of hands to spare, as are now degenerated into Vagabonds, relieved by the Publick, or almost perishing for want of Work enough to render Labour so valuable, as to be a sufficient, fit and natural Motive to make them industrious. But, besides this Difficulty of wanting Hands sufficient to execute this Proposal effectually, 'tis objected, that the working People will not now work above 3 or 4 Days in a Week, but get drunk the other 2 or 3 days; and that this would be worse, if Necessaries were rendered so cheap as I am contending for. In answer to which I must observe, that Necessaries can't be rendered so cheap, as I am aiming at, without employing more of the labouring Peoples Time and Labour, to raise such a Plenty of them as may make them cheaper. Nor can there be this additional Employment for their Time and Labour, till the Reduction of the Price of Necessaries shall not only be this Way attempted, but proceeded in: If therefore I can prove that, notwithstanding the working People do waste a great deal of their Time, they nevertheless do Work enough, and too much