wealbk03-第7章

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improvement　of　these　last　could　not　take　place　but　in　consequence

of　the　extension　and　improvement　of　agriculture　the　last　and

greatest　effect　of　foreign　commerce；　and　of　the　manufactures

immediately　introduced　by　it；　and　which　I　shall　now　proceed　to

explain。　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IV



How　the　Commerce　of　the　Towns　Contributed　to　the　Improvement　of

the　Country



　　　　　THE　increase　and　riches　of　commercial　and　manufacturing

towns　contributed　to　the　improvement　and　cultivation　of　the

countries　to　which　they　belonged　in　three　different　ways。

　　　　　First；　by　affording　a　great　and　ready　market　for　the　rude

produce　of　the　country；　they　gave　encouragement　to　its

cultivation　and　further　improvement。　This　benefit　was　not　even

confined　to　the　countries　in　which　they　were　situated；　but

extended　more　or　less　to　all　those　with　which　they　had　any

dealings。　To　all　of　them　they　afforded　a　market　for　some　part

either　of　their　rude　or　manufactured　produce；　and　consequently

gave　some　encouragement　to　the　industry　and　improvement　of　all。

Their　own　country；　however；　on　account　of　its　neighbourhood；

necessarily　derived　the　greatest　benefit　from　this　market。　Its

rude　produce　being　charged　with　less　carriage；　the　traders　could

pay　the　growers　a　better　price　for　it；　and　yet　afford　it　as　cheap

to　the　consumers　as　that　of　more　distant　countries。

　　　　　Secondly；　the　wealth　acquired　by　the　inhabitants　of　cities

was　frequently　employed　in　purchasing　such　lands　as　were　to　be

sold；　of　which　a　great　part　would　frequently　be　uncultivated。

Merchants　are　commonly　ambitious　of　becoming　country　gentlemen；

and　when　they　do；　they　are　generally　the　best　of　all　improvers。　A

merchant　is　accustomed　to　employ　his　money　chiefly　in　profitable

projects；　whereas　a　mere　country　gentleman　is　accustomed　to

employ　it　chiefly　in　expense。　The　one　often　sees　his　money　go

from　him　and　return　to　him　again　with　a　profit；　the　other；　when

once　he　parts　with　it；　very　seldom　expects　to　see　any　more　of　it。

Those　different　habits　naturally　affect　their　temper　and

disposition　in　every　sort　of　business。　A　merchant　is　commonly　a

bold；　a　country　gentleman　a　timid　undertaker。　The　one　is　not

afraid　to　lay　out　at　once　a　large　capital　upon　the　improvement　of

his　land　when　he　has　a　probable　prospect　of　raising　the　value　of

it　in　proportion　to　the　expense。　The　other；　if　he　has　any

capital；　which　is　not　always　the　case；　seldom　ventures　to　employ

it　in　this　manner。　If　he　improves　at　all；　it　is　commonly　not　with

a　capital；　but　with　what　he　can　save　out　of　his　annual　revenue。

Whoever　has　had　the　fortune　to　live　in　a　mercantile　town　situated

in　an　unimproved　country　must　have　frequently　observed　how　much

more　spirited　the　operations　of　merchants　were　in　this　way　than

those　of　mere　country　gentlemen。　The　habits；　besides；　of　order；

economy；　and　attention；　to　which　mercantile　business　naturally

forms　a　merchant；　render　him　much　fitter　to　execute；　with　profit

and　success；　any　project　of　improvement。

　　　　　Thirdly；　and　lastly；　commerce　and　manufactures　gradually

introduced　order　and　good　government；　and　with　them；　the　liberty

and　security　of　individuals；　among　the　inhabitants　of　the

country；　who　had　before　lived　almost　in　a　continual　state　of　war

with　their　neighbours　and　of　servile　dependency　upon　their

superiors。　This；　though　it　has　been　the　least　observed；　is　by　far

the　most　important　of　all　their　effects。　Mr。　Hume　is　the　only

writer　who；　so　far　as　I　know；　has　hitherto　taken　notice　of　it。

　　　　　In　a　country　which　has　neither　foreign　commerce；　nor　any　of

the　finer　manufactures；　a　great　proprietor；　having　nothing　for

which　he　can　exchange　the　greater　part　of　the　produce　of　his

lands　which　is　over　and　above　the　maintenance　of　the　cultivators；

consumes　the　whole　in　rustic　hospitality　at　home。　If　this　surplus

produce　is　sufficient　to　maintain　a　hundred　or　a　thousand　men；　he

can　make　use　of　it　in　no　other　way　than　by　maintaining　a　hundred

or　a　thousand　men。　He　is　at　all　times；　therefore；　surrounded　with

a　multitude　of　retainers　and　dependants；　who；　having　no

equivalent　to　give　in　return　for　their　maintenance；　but　being　fed

entirely　by　his　bounty；　must　obey　him；　for　the　same　reason　that

soldiers　must　obey　the　prince　who　pays　them。　Before　the　extension

of　commerce　and　manufacture　in　Europe；　the　hospitality　of　the

rich；　and　the　great；　from　the　sovereign　down　to　the　smallest

baron；　exceeded　everything　which　in　the　present　times　we　can

easily　form　a　notion　of。　Westminster　Hall　was　the　dining…room　of

William　Rufus；　and　might　frequently；　perhaps；　not　be　too　large

for　his　company。　It　was　reckoned　a　piece　of　magnificence　in

Thomas　Becket　that　he　strewed　the　floor　of　his　hall　with　clean

hay　or　rushes　in　the　season；　in　order　that　the　knights　and

squires　who　could　not　get　seats　might　not　spoil　their　fine

clothes　when　they　sat　down　on　the　floor　to　eat　their　dinner。　The

great　Earl　of　Warwick　is　said　to　have　entertained　every　day　at

his　different　manors　thirty　thousand　people；　and　though　the

number　here　may　have　been　exaggerated；　it　must；　however；　have

been　very　great　to　admit　of　such　exaggeration。　A　hospitality

nearly　of　the　same　kind　was　exercised　not　many　years　ago　in　many

different　parts　of　the　highlands　of　Scotland。　It　seems　to　be

common　in　all　nations　to　whom　commerce　and　manufactures　are

little　known。　〃I　have　seen；〃　says　Doctor　Pocock；　〃an　Arabian

chief　dine　in　the　streets　of　a　town　where　he　had　come　to　sell　his

cattle；　and　invite　all　passengers；　even　common　beggars；　to　sit

down　with　him　and　partake　of　his　banquet。〃

　　　　　The　occupiers　of　land　were　in　every　respect　as　dependent

upon　the　great　proprietor　as　his　retainers。　Even　such　of　them　as

were　not　in　a　state　of　villanage　were　tenants　at　will；　who　paid　a

rent　in　no　respect　equivalent　to　the　subsistence　which　the　land

afforded　them。　A　crown；　half　a　crown；　a　sheep；　a　lamb；　was　some

years　ago　in　the　highlands　of　Scotland　a　common　rent　for　lands

which　maintained　a　family。　In　some　places　it　is　so　at　this　day；

nor　will　money　at　present　purchase　a　greater　quantity　of

commodities　there　than　in　other　places。　In　a　country　where　the

surplus　produce　of　a　large　estate　must　be　consumed　upon　the

estate　itself；　it　will　frequently　be　more　convenient　for　the

proprietor　that　part　of　it　be　consumed　at　a　distance　from　his　own

house　provided　they　who　consume　it　are　as　dependent　upon　him　as

either　his　retainers　or　his　menial　servants。　He　is　thereby　saved

from　the　embarrassment　of　either　too　large　a　company　or　too　large

a　family。　A　tenant　at　will；　who　possesses　land　sufficient　to

maintain　his　family　for　little　more　than　a　quit…rent；　is　as

dependent　upon　the　proprietor　as　any　servant　or　retainer　whatever

and　must　obey　him　with　as　little　reserve。　Such　a　proprietor；　as

he　feeds　his　servants　and　retainers　at　his　own　house；　so　he　feeds

his　tenants　at　their　houses。　The　subsistence　of　both　is　derived

from　his　bounty；　and　its　continuance　depends　upon　his　good

pleasure。

　　　　　Upon　the　authority　which　the　great　proprietor　necessarily

had　in　such　a　state　of　things　over　their　tenants　and　retainers

was　founded　the　power　of　the　ancient　barons。　They　necessarily

became　the　judges　in　peace；　and　the　leaders　in　war；　of　all　who

dwelt　upon　their　estates。　They　could　maintain　order　and　execute

the　law　within　their　respective　demesnes；　because　each　of　them

could　there　turn　the　whole　force　of　all　the　inhabitants　against

the　injustice　of　any　one。　No　other　persons　had　sufficient

authority　to　do　this。　The　king　in　particular　had　not。　In　those

ancient　times　he　was　little　more　than　the　greatest　proprietor　in

his　dominions；　to　whom；　for　the　sake　of　common　defence　against

their　common　enemies；　the　other　great　proprietors　paid　certain

respects。　To　have　enforced　payment　of　a　small　debt　within　the

lands　of　a　great　proprietor；　where　all　the　inhabitants　were　armed

and　accustomed　to　stand　by　one　another；　would　have　cost　the　king；

had　he　attempted　it　by　his　own　authority；　almost　the　same　effort

as　to　extinguish　a　civil　war。　He　was；　therefore；　obliged　to

abandon　the　administration　of　justice　through　the　greater　part　of

the　country　to　those　who　were　capable　of　administering　it；　and

for　the　same　reason　to　leave　the　command　of　the　country　militia

to　those　whom　that　militia　would　obey。

　　　　　It　is　a　mistake　to　imagine　that　those　territorial

jurisdictions　took　their　origin　from　the　feudal　law。　Not　only　the

highest　jurisdictions　both　civil　and　criminal；　but　the　power　of

levying　troops；　of　coining　money；　and　even　that　of　making

bye…laws　for　the　government　of　their　own　people；　were　all　rights

possessed　allodially　by　the　great　proprietors　of　land　several

centuries　before　even　the　name　of　the　feudal　law　was　known　in

Europe。　The　authority　and　jurisdiction　of　the　Saxon　lords　in

England　appear　to　have　been　as　great　before　the　Conquest　as　that

of　any　of　the　Norman　lords　after　it。　But　the　feudal　law　is　not

supposed　to　have　become　the　common　law　of　England　till　after　the

Conquest。　That　the　most　extensive　authority　and　jurisdictions

were　possessed　by　the　great　lords　in　France　allodially　long

before　the　feudal　law　was　introduced　into　that　country　is　a

matter　of　fact　that　admits　of　no　doubt。　That　authority　and　those

jurisdictions　all　necessarily　flowed　from　the　state　of　property

and　manners　just　now　described。　Without　remounting　to　the　remote

antiquities　of　either　the　French　or　English　monarchies；　we　may

find　in　much　later　times　many　proofs　that　such　effects　must

always　flow　from　such　causes。　It　is　not　thirty　years　ago　since

Mr。　Cameron　of　Lochiel；　a　gentleman　of　Lochabar　in　Scotland；

without　any　legal　warrant　whatever；　not　being　what　was　then

called　a　lord　of　regality；　nor　even　a　tenant　in　chief；　but　a

vassal　of　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　and　without　being　so　much　as　a

justice　of　peace；　used；　notwithstanding；　to　exercise　the　highest

criminal　jurisdiction　over　his　own　people。　He　is　said　to　have

done　so　with　great　equity；　though　without　any　of　the　formalities

of　justice；　and　it　is　not　improbable　that　the　state　of　that　part

of　the　country　at　that　time　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　assume

this　authority　in　order　to　maintain　the　public　peace。　That

gentleman；　whose　rent　never　exceeded　five　hundred　pounds　a　year；

carried；　in　1745；　eight　hundred　of　his　own　people　into　the

rebellion　with　him。

　　　　　The　introduction　of　the　feudal　law；　so　far　from　extending；

may　be　regarded　as　an　attempt　to　moderate　the　authority　of　the

great　allodial　lords。　It　established　a　regular　subordination；

accompanied　with　a　long　train　of　services　and　duties；　from　the

king　down　to　the　smallest　proprietor。　During　the　minority　of　the

proprietor；　the　rent；　together　with　the　management　of　his　lands；

fell　into　the　hands　of　his　immediate　superior；　and；　consequently；

those　of　all　great　proprietors　into　the　hands　of　the　king；　who

was　charged　with　the　maintenance　and　education　of　the　pupil；　and

who；　from　his　authority　as　guardian；　was　supposed　to　have　a　right

of　disposing　of　him　in　marriage；　provided　it　was　in　a　manner　not

unsuitable　to　his　rank。　But　though　th