ISAAC GERVAISE

The Riches or Strength of a Nation consists in the Number of its Inhabitants

Credit is of pernicious consequence to that Nation, that uses or encourages it beyond Nature.

When several Nations are at war together, it may happen, that other Nations may reap the benefit thereof: Because War disturbs and lessens the Labor of those Nations that are at war, by taking off their Poor from their usual Labor, and employing them in the Defense of the State; so that those Nations not furnished unto the World their Proportion of Labor, cannot retain their former Proportion of the grand Denominator of the World; and those Nations which are at peace, and keep at work their whole Proportion of Poor, draw from those that are at war, besides their own Proportion, such a part of the grand Denominator, as is proportioned to the number of Men employed in the War.

I think proper to take notice, that a Nation must look upon a foreign Debt, as part of its All; which, tough negative, acts positively on that Nation, and, according to the Rules of this system, as long as both the Confidence and Fear of Strangers keep them in a balance. But when those two Passions fly from their Equilibrium, the Debt acts beyond the Rules, in proportion to the Distance of that Equilibrium, and to the Largeness of the Debt. Thus is an indebted Nation not only obliged to keep those strange Creditors out of its own Labor, but also its Coin and Bullion are ever subject to their Passions and Occasions; they having it in their power, at will, irregularly to turn the Balance.

The Manufactures of the World may be reduced to two sorts; that is, the Necessary, which consist in all that is wrought for Man's Necessities or conveniences; and the Superfluous, which consist in all that is wrought, and serves to gratify his Vanity or Pleasures.

No Nation can encourage or enlarge its Proportion of any private and natural Manufacture, without discouraging the rest; because whether an Allowance be given, either to the Manufacturer, or Transporter, that Allowance serves, and is employed to attract the Workmen from those other Manufactures, which have some likeness to the encouraged Manufacture: So that what is transported of the encouraged Manufacture, beyond nature, only balances the Diminution of the others.

When a Nation exports more or less Labour, than is imported into it, that difference between Exports and Imports of Labour, is called Ballance of Trade

I think proper to take notice, that a Nation must look upon a foreign Debt, as part of its All; which, tough negative, acts positively on that Nation, and, according to the Rules of this system, as long as both the Confidence and Fear of Strangers keep them in a balance. But when those two Passions fly from their Equilibrium, the Debt acts beyond the Rules, in proportion to the Distance of that Equilibrium, and to the Largeness of the Debt. Thus is an indebted Nation not only obliged to keep those strange Creditors out of its own Labor, but also its Coin and Bullion are ever subject to their Passions and Occasions; they having it in their power, at will, irregularly to turn the Balance.

Credit is of pernicious consequence to that Nation, that uses or encourages it beyond Nature.

The Manufactures of the World may be reduced to two sorts; that is, the Necessary, which consist in all that is wrought for Man's Necessities or conveniences; and the Superfluous, which consist in all that is wrought, and serves to gratify his Vanity or Pleasures.

No Nation can encourage or enlarge its Proportion of any private and natural Manufacture, without discouraging the rest; because whether an Allowance be given, either to the Manufacturer, or Transporter, that Allowance serves, and is employed to attract the Workmen from those other Manufactures, which have some likeness to the encouraged Manufacture: So that what is transported of the encouraged Manufacture, beyond nature, only balances the Diminution of the others.

When a Nation exports more or less Labour, than is imported into it, that difference between Exports and Imports of Labour, is called Ballance of Trade

The Riches or Strength of a Nation consists in the Number of its Inhabitants

When several Nations are at war together, it may happen, that other Nations may reap the benefit thereof: Because War disturbs and lessens the Labor of those Nations that are at war, by taking off their Poor from their usual Labor, and employing them in the Defense of the State; so that those Nations not furnished unto the World their Proportion of Labor, cannot retain their former Proportion of the grand Denominator of the World; and those Nations which are at peace, and keep at work their whole Proportion of Poor, draw from those that are at war, besides their own Proportion, such a part of the grand Denominator, as is proportioned to the number of Men employed in the War.