Now if the People must retrench, they must do some or all of these Things; viz. wear fewer and worse Cloaths, etc. eat less and worse Victuals; imploy fewer or no Servants; occupy less House-room, and use less Light and Fewel, and spend little or no Money in any Pleasure or Diversion; and instead of Wine or Strong Beer, drink small Beer or Water; and avoid Marriage, as many certainly do, because it creates a greater Expence than they can support. Now wou'd not this lessen the Consumption of every Thing, and hinder many from supporting themselves and Families, by making so much less Business amongst the People, and thereby greatly increase the Number of Poor; who, if no other Way be found to imploy them, which tillage alone in this Case can do, must become a much greater Burthen than they are? Besides that where the Poor increase, the Profits of Trade will be still more and more reduced, through Losses, and Want of Trade, and the Efforts of such great Numbers of indigent People, as must be striving to support themselves in that business that remains. And must not the Revenue be greatly diminish'd likewise, since in this Case the Consumption of Things, on which the Revenue intirely depends, must be lessen'd very much? Besides, 'tis certain a poor People can't pay great Taxes, any more than they can pay great Rents.
Therefore, instead of urging the People to be less Consumers, Things should be made so plentiful, that they might be greater Consumers, that Business might increase, and not abate amongst the People. And then Luxury would find its natural and proper bounds, which if any Man transgressed in any extraordinary Measure he would be sufficiently whipt with his own Rod.
But farther; as to Luxury, those that are not influenced by the natural Motives to Frugality, will not easily be restrained by any other whatsoever.
The natural Motives to Frugality are these; present Provision for Families, and Fortunes for Children.
They who neglect the first, must soon suffer Want; and they who would provide for the latter, must consider what the Term of Life is which they may reasonably hope for, and take care that their Gains and Expences are proportioned to the End designed.
Now as Persons must, generally at least, have handsome Fortunes themselves, who shall provide Fortunes for their Children, let it be supposed, that a Man sets out with 2000 l.
and by skilful and prudent Management he gains, one Year with another, about 500 l. If Men who have such Fortunes must not live a little decently, I can't see whence Trade, which intirely depends on, and terminates wholly in the Consumption of things, can arise; nor how Landlords can expect any considerable Rents for their Houses, etc. and I am certain that to pay Rent, and Taxes, and all other Charges, and maintain a middling Family in London, 250 l. per annum, is but a scanty Pattern, even where all Things are managed with the utmost Frugality. Nay 50 or 60 l.
more per annum, as the Rents and the Rates of Things now go, shall hereafter be shewn to be but a very moderate Expence.
But suppose, in this Case, such a Man should lay up, one Year with another, 200 l. and that for 20 years, which is I believe much about the Term Men have to raise and provide for Families, he then would add 4000 l. to his first 2000 l. which makes 6000l. together, to be divided amongst four Children, which I take to be the Number of one Marriage with another raises; this Sum therefore will be but 1200 l. for each Child's Share, if a like Sum be reserved for the Widow; and if there should be now Widow, but 1500 l. for each Child, which will not often set them in better Circumstances than their Parents set out it: But if Things must be worse than this, Families must soon sink into Poverty.
And since these Things are subject to many and great Contingencies, nobody ought to think 25 l. per cent per annum even on such a Capital imployed in Trade, too great a Gain;especially considering what Skill and Pains are necessary to reach this End, and to what great Risk Money imployed in Trade is always exposed, beside the present and future Provision with which Families are to be supplied out of it.
Nothing ought to be deemed Luxury in a Tradesman, whilst he lives at about half the income of his Business; yet in Prudence he ought not to make too great a figure, because of the uncertain and fluctuating Nature of Trade, which may happen some time or other, by Misfortune, if not otherwise, to turn against him; and because the more he can lay up for his Children, the more will he have done towards raising them to better Stations in Life.
Nor ought it to be deemed Luxury in a Tradesman if he spends the whole Income of his business, if such Expence is unavoidable, when the utmost Frugality and good Management are exercised in such a Man's Family.
Peace and Plenty comprehend all the Felicity Mankind were designed to enjoy in this mortal State; and are so well known to constitute the Happiness of the World, that they are proverbial Terms to express the compleatest general Felicity; which undoubtedly suggests, that they have by Experience been found to answer the End.
Wherefore, if there be any Difficulty amongst the People, it must be owing to the Defect of one or both of these.
As we are now in Peace, it must be owing to the Deficiency of Plenty, that the Trade of this Nation is in such a languishing Condition; the Truth of which the numerous Complaints to the Parliament, and great Number of empty Houses abundantly evince.
Where Tillage and Cultivation of Land are not annually to a considerable Degree increased, Peace, and the natural Increase of Mankind do necessarily produce a general Decay of Trade.