wealbk04-第31章

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had　any　reasonable　grounds　for　expecting。

　　　　　The　first　adventurers　of　all　the　other　nations　of　Europe　who

attempted　to　make　settlements　in　America　were　animated　by　the

like　chimerical　views；　but　they　were　not　equally　successful。　It

was　more　than　a　hundred　years　after　the　first　settlement　of　the

Brazils　before　any　silver；　gold；　or　diamond　mines　were　discovered

there。　In　the　English；　French；　Dutch；　and　Danish　colonies；　none

have　ever　yet　been　discovered；　at　least　none　that　are　at　present

supposed　to　be　worth　the　working。　The　first　English　settlers　in

North　America；　however；　offered　a　fifth　of　all　the　gold　and

silver　which　should　be　found　there　to　the　king；　as　a　motive　for

granting　them　their　patents。　In　the　patents　to　Sir　Walter

Raleigh；　to　the　London　and　Plymouth　Companies；　to　the　Council　of

Plymouth；　etc。；　this　fifth　was　accordingly　reserved　to　the　crown。

To　the　expectation　of　finding　gold　and　silver　mines；　those　first

settlers；　too；　joined　that　of　discovering　a　northwest　passage　to

the　East　Indies。　They　have　hitherto　been　disappointed　in　both。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PART　2

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Causes　of　Prosperity　of　New　Colonies　

　　　　　THE　colony　of　a　civilised　nation　which　takes　possession

either　of　a　waste　country；　or　of　one　so　thinly　inhabited　that　the

natives　easily　give　place　to　the　new　settlers；　advances　more

rapidly　to　wealth　and　greatness　than　any　other　human　society。

　　　　　The　colonists　carry　out　with　them　a　knowledge　of　agriculture

and　of　other　useful　arts　superior　to　what　can　grow　up　of　its　own

accord　in　the　course　of　many　centuries　among　savage　and　barbarous

nations。　They　carry　out　with　them；　too；　the　habit　of

subordination；　some　notion　of　the　regular　government　which　takes

place　in　their　own　country；　of　the　system　of　laws　which　support

it；　and　of　a　regular　administration　of　justice；　and　they

naturally　establish　something　of　the　same　kind　in　the　new

settlement。　But　among　savage　and　barbarous　nations；　the　natural

progress　of　law　and　government　is　still　slower　than　the　natural

progress　of　arts；　after　law　and　government　have　been　go　far

established　as　is　necessary　for　their　protection。　Every　colonist

gets　more　land　than　he　can　possibly　cultivate。　He　has　no　rent；

and　scarce　any　taxes　to　pay。　No　landlord　shares　with　him　in　its

produce；　and　the　share　of　the　sovereign　is　commonly　but　a　trifle。

He　has　every　motive　to　render　as　great　as　possible　a　produce；

which　is　thus　to　be　almost　entirely　his　own。　But　his　land　is

commonly　so　extensive　that；　with　all　his　own　industry；　and　with

all　the　industry　of　other　people　whom　he　can　get　to　employ；　he

can　seldom　make　it　produce　the　tenth　part　of　what　it　is　capable

of　producing。　He　is　eager；　therefore；　to　collect　labourers　from

all　quarters；　and　to　reward　them　with　the　most　liberal　wages。　But

those　liberal　wages；　joined　to　the　plenty　and　cheapness　of　land；

soon　make　those　labourers　leave　him；　in　order　to　become　landlords

themselves；　and　to　reward；　with　equal　liberality；　other

labourers；　who　soon　leave　them　for　the　same　reason　that　they　left

their　first　master。　The　liberal　reward　of　labour　encourages

marriage。　The　children；　during　the　tender　years　of　infancy；　are

well　fed　and　properly　taken　care　of；　and　when　they　are　grown　up；

the　value　of　their　labour　greatly　overpays　their　maintenance。

When　arrived　at　maturity；　the　high　price　of　labour；　and　the　low

price　of　land；　enable　them　to　establish　themselves　in　the　same

manner　as　their　fathers　did　before　them。

　　　　　In　other　countries；　rent　and　profit　eat　up　wages；　and　the

two　superior　orders　of　people　oppress　the　inferior　one。　But　in

new　colonies　the　interest　of　the　two　superior　orders　obliges　them

to　treat　the　inferior　one　with　more　generosity　and　humanity；　at

least　where　that　inferior　one　is　not　in　a　state　of　slavery。　Waste

lands　of　the　greatest　natural　fertility　are　to　be　had　for　a

trifle。　The　increase　of　revenue　which　the　proprietor；　who　is

always　the　undertaker；　expects　from　their　improvement；

constitutes　his　profit　which　in　these　circumstances　is　commonly

very　great。　But　this　great　profit　cannot　be　made　without

employing　the　labour　of　other　people　in　clearing　and　cultivating

the　land；　and　the　disproportion　between　the　great　extent　of　the

land　and　the　small　number　of　the　people；　which　commonly　takes

place　in　new　colonies；　makes　it　difficult　for　him　to　get　this

labour。　He　does　not；　therefore；　dispute　about　wages；　but　is

willing　to　employ　labour　at　any　price。　The　high　wages　of　labour

encourage　population。　The　cheapness　and　plenty　of　good　land

encourage　improvement；　and　enable　the　proprietor　to　pay　those

high　wages。　In　those　wages　consists　almost　the　whole　price　of　the

land；　and　though　they　are　high　considered　as　the　wages　of　labour；

they　are　low　considered　as　the　price　of　what　is　so　very　valuable。

What　encourages　the　progress　of　population　and　improvement

encourages　that　of　real　wealth　and　greatness。

　　　　　The　progress　of　many　of　the　ancient　Greek　colonies　towards

wealth　and　greatness　seems　accordingly　to　have　been　very　rapid。

In　the　course　of　a　century　or　two；　several　of　them　appear　to　have

rivalled；　and　even　to　have　surpassed　their　mother　cities。

Syracuse　and　Agrigentum　in　Sicily；　Tarentum　and　Locri　in　Italy；

Ephesus　and　Miletus　in　Lesser　Asia；　appear　by　all　accounts　to

have　been　at　least　equal　to　any　of　the　cities　of　ancient　Greece。

Though　posterior　in　their　establishment；　yet　all　the　arts　of

refinement；　philosophy；　poetry；　and　eloquence　seem　to　have　been

cultivated　as　early；　and　to　have　been　improved　as　highly　in　them

as　in　any　part　of　the　mother　country。　The　schools　of　the　two

oldest　Greek　philosophers；　those　of　Thales　and　Pythagoras；　were

established；　it　is　remarkable；　not　in　ancient　Greece；　but　the　one

in　an　Asiatic；　the　other　in　an　Italian　colony。　All　those　colonies

had　established　themselves　in　countries　inhabited　by　savage　and

barbarous　nations；　who　easily　gave　place　to　the　new　settlers。

They　had　plenty　of　good　land；　and　as　they　were　altogether

independent　of　the　mother　city；　they　were　at　liberty　to　manage

their　own　affairs　in　the　way　that　they　judged　was　most　suitable

to　their　own　interest。

　　　　　The　history　of　the　Roman　colonies　is　by　no　means　so

brilliant。　Some　of　them；　indeed；　such　as　Florence；　have　in　the

course　of　many　ages；　and　after　the　fall　of　the　mother　city；　grown

up　to　be　considerable　states。　But　the　progress　of　no　one　of　them

seems　ever　to　have　been　very　rapid。　They　were　all　established　in

conquered　provinces；　which　in　most　cases　had　been　fully　inhabited

before。　The　quantity　of　land　assigned　to　each　colonist　was　seldom

very　considerable；　and　as　the　colony　was　not　independent；　they

were　not　always　at　liberty　to　manage　their　own　affairs　in　the　way

they　judged　was　most　suitable　to　their　own　interest。

　　　　　In　the　plenty　of　good　land；　the　European　colonies

established　in　America　and　the　West　Indies　resemble；　and　even

greatly　surpass；　those　of　ancient　Greece。　In　their　dependency

upon　the　mother　state；　they　resemble　those　of　ancient　Rome；　but

their　great　distance　from　Europe　has　in　all　of　them　alleviated

more　or　less　the　effects　of　this　dependency。　Their　situation　has

placed　them　less　in　the　view　and　less　in　the　power　of　their

mother　country。　In　pursuing　their　interest　their　own　way；　their

conduct　has；　upon　many　occasions；　been　overlooked；　either　because

not　known　or　not　understood　in　Europe；　and　upon　some　occasions　it

has　been　fairly　suffered　and　submitted　to；　because　their　distance

rendered　it　difficult　to　restrain　it。　Even　the　violent　and

arbitrary　government　of　Spain　has；　upon　many　occasions；　been

obliged　to　recall　or　soften　the　orders　which　had　been　given　for

the　government　of　her　colonies　for　fear　of　a　general

insurrection。　The　progress　of　all　the　European　colonies　in

wealth；　population；　and　improvement；　has　accordingly　been　very

great。

　　　　　The　crown　of　Spain；　by　its　share　of　the　gold　and　silver；

derived　some　revenue　from　its　colonies　from　the　moment　of　their

first　establishment。　It　was　a　revenue；　too；　of　a　nature　to　excite

in　human　avidity　the　most　extravagant　expectations　of　still

greater　riches。　The　Spanish　colonies；　therefore；　from　the　moment

of　their　first　establishment；　attracted　very　much　the　attention

of　their　mother　country；　while　those　of　the　other　European

nations　were　for　a　long　time　in　a　great　measure　neglected。　The

former　did　not；　perhaps；　thrive　the　better　in　consequence　of　this

attention；　nor　the　latter　the　worse　in　consequence　of　this

neglect。　In　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the　country　which　they　in

some　measure　possess；　the　Spanish　colonies　are　considered　as　less

populous　and　thriving　than　those　of　almost　any　other　European

nation。　The　progress　even　of　the　Spanish　colonies；　however；　in

population　and　improvement；　has　certainly　been　very　rapid　and

very　great。　The　city　of　Lima；　founded　since　the　conquest；　is

represented　by　Ulloa　as　containing　fifty　thousand　inhabitants

near　thirty　years　ago。　Quito；　which　had　been　but　a　miserable

hamlet　of　Indians；　is　represented　by　the　same　author　as　in　his

time　equally　populous。　Gemelli　Carreri；　a　pretended　traveller；　it

is　said；　indeed；　but　who　seems　everywhere　to　have　written　upon

extremely　good　information；　represents　the　city　of　Mexico　as

containing　a　hundred　thousand　inhabitants；　a　number　which；　in

spite　of　all　the　exaggerations　of　the　Spanish　writers；　is；

probably；　more　than　five　times　greater　than　what　it　contained　in

the　time　of　Montezuma。　These　numbers　exceed　greatly　those　of

Boston；　New　York；　and　Philadelphia；　the　three　greatest　cities　of

the　English　colonies。　Before　the　conquest　of　the　Spaniards　there

were　no　cattle　fit　for　draught　either　in　Mexico　or　Peru。　The

llama　was　their　only　beast　of　burden；　and　its　strength　seems　to

have　been　a　good　deal　inferior　to　that　of　a　common　ass。　The

plough　was　unknown　among　them。　They　were　ignorant　of　the　use　of

iron。　They　had　no　coined　money；　nor　any　established　instrument　of

commerce　of　any　kind。　Their　commerce　was　carried　on　by　barter。　A

sort　of　wooden　spade　was　their　principal　instrument　of

agriculture。　Sharp　stones　served　them　for　knives　and　hatchets　to

cut　with；　fish　bones　and　the　hard　sinews　of　certain　animals

served　them　for　needles　to　sew　with；　and　these　seem　to　have　been

their　principal　instruments　of　trade。　In　this　state　of　things；　it

seems　impossible　that　either　of　those　empires　could　have　been　so

much　improved　or　so　well　cultivated　as　at　present；　when　they　are

plentifully　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　European　cattle；　and　when

the　use　of　iron；　of　the　plough；　and　of　many　of　the　arts　of

Europe；　has　been　introduced　among　them。　But　the　populousness　of

every　country　must　be　in　proportion　to　the　degree　of　its

improvement　and　cultivation。　In　spite　of　the　cruel　destruction　of

the　natives　which　followed　the　conquest；　these　two　great　empires

are；　probably；　more　populous　now　than　they　ever　were　before：　and

the　people　are　surely　very　different；　for　we　must　acknowledge；　I

apprehend；　that　the　Spanish　creoles　are　in　many　respects　superior

to　the　ancient　Indians。

　　　　　After　the　settlements　of　the　Spania