第 62 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9322
  those times of violence and disorder; besides; it was convenient
  to have a hoard of money at hand; that in case they should be
  driven from their own home they might have something of known
  value to carry with them to some place of safety。 The same
  violence which made it convenient to hoard made it equally
  convenient to conceal the hoard。 The frequency of treasure…trove;
  or of treasure found of which no owner was known; sufficiently
  demonstrates the frequency in those times both of hoarding and of
  concealing the board。 Treasure…trove was then considered as an
  important branch of the revenue of the sovereign。 All the
  treasure…trove of the kingdom would scarce perhaps in the present
  times make an important branch of the revenue of a private
  gentleman of a good estate。
  The same disposition to save and to hoard prevailed in the
  sovereign as well as in the subjects。 Among nations to whom
  commerce and manufactures are little known; the sovereign; it has
  already been observed in the fourth book; is in a situation which
  naturally disposes him to the parsimony requisite for
  accumulation。 In that situation the expense even of a sovereign
  cannot be directed by that vanity which delights in the gaudy
  finery of a court。 The ignorance of the times affords but few of
  the trinkets in which that finery consists。 Standing armies are
  not then necessary; so that the expense even of a sovereign; like
  that of any other great lord; can be employed in scarce anything
  but bounty to his tenants and hospitality to his retainers。 But
  bounty and hospitality very seldom lead to extravagance; though
  vanity almost always does。 All the ancient sovereigns of Europe
  accordingly; it has already been observed; had treasures。 Every
  Tartar chief in the present times is said to have one。
  In a commercial country abounding with every sort of
  expensive luxury; the sovereign; in the same manner as almost all
  the great proprietors in his dominions; naturally spends a great
  part of his revenue in purchasing those luxuries。 His own and the
  neighbouring countries supply him abundantly with all the costly
  trinkets which compose the splendid but insignificant pageantry
  of a court。 For the sake of an inferior pageantry of the same
  kind; his nobles dismiss their retainers; make their tenants
  independent; and become gradually themselves as insignificant as
  the greater part of the wealthy burghers in his dominions。 The
  same frivolous passions which influence their conduct influence
  his。 How can it be supposed that he should be the only rich man
  in his dominions who is insensible to pleasures of this kind? If
  he does not; what he is very likely to do; spend upon those
  pleasures so great a part of his revenue as to debilitate very
  much the defensive power of the state; it cannot well be expected
  that he should not spend upon them all that part of it which is
  over and above what is necessary for supporting that defensive
  power。 His ordinary expense becomes equal to his ordinary
  revenue; and it is well if it does not frequently exceed it。 The
  amassing of treasure can no longer be expected; and when
  extraordinary exigencies require extraordinary expenses; he must
  necessarily call upon his subjects for an extraordinary aid。 The
  present and the late king of Prussia are the only great princes
  of Europe who; since the death of Henry IV of France in 1610; are
  supposed to have amassed any considerable treasure。 The parsimony
  which leads to accumulation has become almost as rare in
  republican as in monarchical governments。 The Italian republics;
  the United Provinces of the Netherlands; are all in debt。 The
  canton of Berne is the single republic in Europe which has
  amassed any considerable treasure。 The other Swiss republics have
  not。 The taste for some sort of pageantry; for splendid
  buildings; at least; and other public ornaments; frequently
  prevails as much in the apparently sober senate…house of a little
  republic as in the dissipated court of the greatest king。
  The want of parsimony in time of peace imposes the necessity
  of contracting debt in time of war。 When war comes; there is no
  money in the treasury but what is necessary for carrying on the
  ordinary expense of the peace establishment。 In war an
  establishment of three of four times that expense becomes
  necessary for the defence of the state; and consequently a
  revenue three or four times greater than the peace revenue。
  Supposing that the sovereign should have; what he scarce ever
  has; the immediate means of augmenting his revenue in proportion
  to the augmentation of his expense; yet still the produce of the
  taxes; from which this increase of revenue must be drawn; will
  not begin to come into the treasury till perhaps ten or twelve
  months after they are imposed。 But the moment in which war
  begins; or rather the moment in which it appears likely to begin;
  the army must be augmented; the fleet must be fitted out; the
  garrisoned towns must be put into a posture of defence; that
  army; that fleet; those garrisoned towns must be furnished with
  arms; ammunition; and provisions。 An immediate and great expense
  must be incurred in that moment of immediate danger; which will
  not wait for the gradual and slow returns of the new taxes。 In
  this exigency government can have no other resource but in
  borrowing。
  The same commercial state of society which; by the operation
  of moral causes; brings government in this manner into the
  necessity of borrowing; produces in the subjects both an ability
  and an inclination to lend。 If it commonly brings along with it
  the necessity of borrowing; it likewise brings along with it the
  facility of doing so。
  A country abounding with merchants and manufacturers
  necessarily abounds with a set of people through whose hands not
  only their own capitals; but the capitals of all those who either
  lend them money; or trust them with goods; pass as frequently; or
  more frequently; than the revenue of a private man; who; without
  trade or business; lives upon his income; passes through his
  hands。 The revenue of such a man can regularly pass through his
  hands only once in a year。 But the whole amount of the capital
  and credit of a merchant; who deals in a trade of which the
  returns are very quick; may sometimes pass through his hands two;
  three; or four times a year。 A country abounding with merchants
  and manufacturers; therefore; necessarily abounds with a set of
  people who have it at all times in their power to advance; if
  they choose to do so; a very large sum of money to government。
  Hence the ability in the subjects of a commercial state to lend。
  Commerce and manufactures can seldom flourish long in any
  state which does not enjoy a regular administration of justice;
  in which the people do not feel themselves secure in the
  possession of their property; in which the faith of contracts is
  not supported by law; and in which the authority of the state is
  not supposed to be regularly employed in enforcing the payment of
  debts from all those who are able to pay。 Commerce and
  manufactures; in short; can seldom flourish in any state in which
  there is not a certain degree of confidence in the justice of
  government。 The same confidence which disposes great merchants
  and manufacturers; upon ordinary occasions; to trust their
  property to the protection of a particular government; disposes
  them; upon extraordinary occasions; to trust that government with
  the use of their property。 By lending money to government; they
  do not even for a moment diminish their ability to carry on their
  trade and manufactures。 On the contrary; they commonly augment
  it。 The necessities of the state render government upon most
  occasions willing to borrow upon terms extremely advantageous to
  the lender。 The security which it grants to the original creditor
  is made transferable to any other creditor; and; from the
  universal confidence in the justice of the state; generally sells
  in the market for more than was originally paid for it。 The
  merchant or monied man makes money by lending money to
  government; and instead of diminishing; increases his trading
  capital。 He generally considers it as a favour; therefore; when
  the administration admits him to a share in the first
  subscription for a new loan。 Hence the inclination or willingness
  in the subjects of a commercial state to lend。
  The government of such a state is very apt to repose itself
  upon this ability and willingness of its subjects to lend it
  their money on extraordinary occasions。 It foresees the facility
  of borrowing; and therefore dispenses itself from the duty of
  saving。
  In a rude state of society there are no great mercantile or
  manufacturing capitals。 The individuals who hoard whatever money
  they can save; and who conceal their hoard; do so from a distrust
  of the justice of government; from a fear that if it was known
  that they had a hoard; and where that