第1章
- Of Money
- David Hume
- 991字
- 2016-03-04 10:45:00
Money is not, properly speaking, one of the subjects of commerce;but only the instrument which men have agreed upon to facilitate the exchange of one commodity for another. It is none of the wheels of trade: It is the oil which renders the motion of the wheels more smooth and easy. If we consider any one kingdom by itself, it is evident, that the greater or less plenty of money is of no consequence; since the prices of commodities are always proportioned to the plenty of money, and a crown in HARRY VII's time served the same purpose as a pound does at present. It is only the public which draws any advantage from the greater plenty of money; and that only in its wars and negociations with foreign states. And this is the reason, why all rich and trading countries from CARTHAGE to GREAT BRITAIN and HOLLAND, have employed mercenary troops, which they hired from their poorer neighbours. Were they to make use of their native subjects, they would find less advantage from their superior riches, and from their great plenty of gold and silver; since the pay of all their servants must rise in proportion to the public opulence. Our small army of 20,000 men is maintained at as great expence as a FRENCH army twice as numerous. The ENGLISH fleet, during the late war, required as much money to support it as all the ROMAN legions, which kept the whole world in subjection, during the time of the emperors.
The greater number of people and their greater industry are serviceable in all cases; at home and abroad, in private, and in public. But the greater plenty of money, is very limited in its use, and may even sometimes be a loss to a nation in its commerce with foreigners.
There seems to be a happy concurrence of causes in human affairs, which checks the growth of trade and riches, and hinders them from being confined entirely to one people; as might naturally at first be dreaded from the advantages of an established commerce. Where one nation has gotten the start of another in trade, it is very difficult for the latter to regain the ground it has lost; because of the superior industry and skill of the former, and the greater stocks, of which its merchants are possessed, and which enable them to trade on so much smaller profits. But these advantages are compensated, in some measure, by the low price of labour in every nation which has not an extensive commerce, and does not much abound in gold and silver.
Manufactures, therefore gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whither they are allured by the cheapness of provisions and labour; till they have enriched these also, and are again banished by the same causes. And, in general, we may observe, that the dearness of every thing, from plenty of money, is a disadvantage, which attends an established commerce, and sets bounds to it in every country, by enabling the poorer states to undersell the richer in all foreign markets.
This has made me entertain a doubt concerning the benefit of banks and paper-credit, which are so generally esteemed advantageous to every nation. That provisions and labour should become dear by the encrease of trade and money, is, in many respects, an inconvenience;but an inconvenience that is unavoidable, and the effect of that public wealth and prosperity which are the end of all our wishes. It is compensated by the advantages, which we reap from the possession of these precious metals, and the weight, which they give the nation in all foreign wars and negociations. But there appears no reason for encreasing that inconvenience by a counterfeit money, which foreigners will not accept of in any payment, and which any great disorder in the state will reduce to nothing. There are, it is true, many people in every rich state, who having large sums of money, would prefer paper with good security; as being of more easy transport and more safe custody. If the public provide not a bank, private bankers will take advantage of this circumstance; as the goldsmiths formerly did in LONDON, or as the bankers do at present in DUBLIN: And therefore it is better, it may be thought, that a public company should enjoy the benefit of that paper-credit, which always will have place in every opulent kingdom. But to endeavour artificially to encrease such a credit, can never be the interest of any trading nation; but must lay them under disadvantages, by encreasing money beyond its natural proportion to labour and commodities, and thereby heightening their price to the merchant and manufacturer. And in this view, it must be allowed, that no bank could be more advantageous, than such a one as locked up all the money it received, and never augmented the circulating coin, as is usual, by returning part of its treasure into commerce. A public bank, by this expedient, might cut off much of the dealings of private bankers and money-jobbers; and though the state bore the charge of salaries to the directors and tellers of this bank (for, according to the preceding supposition, it would have no profit from its dealings), the national advantage, resulting from the low price of labour and the destruction of paper-credit, would be a sufficient compensation. Not to mention, that so large a sum, lying ready at command, would be a convenience in times of great public danger and distress; and what part of it was used might be replaced at leisure, when peace and tranquillity was restored to the nation.
But of this subject of paper credit we shall treat more largely hereafter. And I shall finish this essay on money, by proposing and explaining two observations, which may, perhaps, serve to employ the thoughts of our speculative politicians.
天之下
昆侖紀元,分治天下的九大門派為新一屆盟主之位明爭暗斗,關外,薩教蠻族卷土重來……亂世中,蕓蕓眾生百態沉浮,九大家英杰輩出,最終匯成一首大江湖時代的磅礴史詩,并推動天下大勢由分治走向大一統。
長安的荔枝(雷佳音、岳云鵬主演影視劇原著小說)
同名實體書新鮮上市,馬伯庸歷史短小說“見微”系列神作!大唐天寶十四年,長安城小吏李善德突然接到一個任務:要在貴妃誕日之前,從嶺南運來新鮮荔枝。荔枝保鮮期只有三天,而嶺南距長安五千余里,山水迢迢,這是個不可能完成的任務。為了家人,李善德只得放手一搏……古裝版社畜求生記,帝國夾縫中的小人物史詩。
明朝那些事兒(全集)
《明朝那些事兒》主要講述的是從1344年到1644年這三百年間關于明朝的一些故事。以史料為基礎,以年代和具體人物為主線,并加入了小說的筆法,語言幽默風趣。對明朝十七帝和其他王公權貴和小人物的命運進行全景展示,尤其對官場政治、戰爭、帝王心術著墨最多,并加入對當時政治經濟制度、人倫道德的演義。它以一種網絡語言向讀者娓娓道出明朝三百多年的歷史故事、人物。其中原本在歷史中陌生、模糊的歷史人物在書中一個個變得鮮活起來。《明朝那些事兒》為我們解讀歷史中的另一面,讓歷史變成一部活生生的生活故事。
棺香美人
我出生的時候,江水上漲,沖了一口棺材進了我家。十五年后,棺材打開,里面有個她……風水,命理……寫不盡的民間傳說,訴不完的光怪陸離。
奪嫡
【古風群像+輕松搞笑+高甜寵妻】【有仇必報小驕女X腹黑病嬌九皇子】《與君歡》作者古言甜寵新作!又名《山河美人謀》。磕CP的皇帝、吃瓜的朝臣、大事小事都要彈劾一下的言官……古風爆笑群像,笑到停不下來!翻開本書,看悍婦和病嬌如何聯手撬動整個天下!未婚夫又渣又壞,還打算殺人滅口。葉嬌準備先下手為強,順便找個背鍋俠。本以為這個背鍋俠是個透明病弱的“活死人”,沒想到傳言害人,他明明是一個表里不一、心機深沉的九皇子。在葉嬌借九皇子之名懲治渣男后。李·真九皇子·策:“請小姐給個封口費吧。”葉嬌心虛:“你要多少?”李策:“一百兩。”葉嬌震驚,你怎么不去搶!!!