England's Treasure by Forraign Trade E-Book

Thomas Mun

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In "England's Treasure by Forraign Trade," Thomas Mun articulates a seminal treatise on economic theory and trade policy during the early 17th century. Written in a clear, persuasive style that blends empirical argumentation with a narrative flow, Mun emphasizes the vital role of foreign trade in enriching England's coffers and fostering national prosperity. His work builds upon the burgeoning principles of mercantilism, advocating for export-oriented policies while critiquing excessive importation as detrimental to economic health. Mun's insights provide a fascinating glimpse into the foundational ideas of commerce that would later influence modern economic thought. As a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company, Thomas Mun'Äôs expertise in trade and commerce informed his beliefs. His commitment to understanding the interplay between national policy and economic practice shines through in this work. Mun's experiences in international trade and his active role in promoting English commercial interests likely inspired his robust defense of mercantilist principles, addressing the contemporary debates on wealth accumulation and resource management. "England's Treasure by Forraign Trade" is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone intrigued by the evolution of economic thought. Mun's arguments resonate across centuries, providing timeless insights into the dynamics of trade and the importance of national wealth, making it a vital resource for understanding the foundations of economic policy.

Leseprobe

Thomas Mun

England's Treasure by Forraign Trade

Published by Good Press, 2021

[email protected]

EAN 4064066443993

Table of Contents

The knowledge and qualities, which are required to be in a perfect Merchant of forraign trade.

The general rule whereby the kingdom is enriched, and our Treaſure augmented.

The particular ways and means to encreaſe the exportation of our commodities, and to decreaſe our conſumption of forraign wares.

The Exportation of our Monies in Trade of Merchandize, is a means to encreaſe our Treaſure.

Forraign Trade is the only means to improve the price of our Lands.

The Spaniſh treaſure cannot be kept from other Kingdoms, by any prohibition made in Spain.

The Diverſity of gain by forraign Trade.

The enhancing or debaſing our moneys cannot enrich the Kingdom with treaſure, nor hinder the exportation thereof.

The general rule whereby the kingdom is enriched, and our Treaſure augmented.

The obſervation of the Statute of Imployments to be made by Strangers cannot encreaſe nor yet preſerve our treaſure.

It will not encreaſe our treaſure to enjoyn the Merchant that exporteth Fiſh, Corn, or munition, to return all or part of the value in mony.

The undervaluation of our mony which is delivered or received by bills of Exchange here or beyond the Seas cannot decreaſe our treaſure.

The Merchant who is a meer Exchanger of Mony by bills, cannot encreaſe or decreaſe our treaſure.

The admirable feats ſuppoſed to be done by Bankers, and the Merchants Exchange.

Of ſome Exceſſes and Evils in the Commomwealth, which notwithſtanding decay not our trade, nor treaſure

How the Revenues and In-comes of Princes may juſtly be raiſed.

Whether it be neceſſary for great Princes to lay up store of treaſure.

How much treaſure a Prince may conveniently lay up yearly.

Of ſome different effects which proceed from natural and artificial wealth.

The order and means whereby we may draw up the ballance of our forraign trade, which is the rule of our treaſure.

The concluſion upon all that hath been faid concerning the Exportation, or Importation of treaſure.

The knowledge and qualities, which are required to be in a perfect Merchant of forraign trade.

Table of Contents

Chap. I

The Qualities which are required in a perfect Merchant of Forraign Trade.

The love and service of our Country consisteth not so much in the knowledge of those duties which are to be performed by others, as in the skilful practice of that which is done our selves; and therefore (my Son) it is now fit that I say something of the Merchant, which I hope in due time shall be thy Vocation: Yet herein are my thougths free from all Ambition, although I rank thee in a place of so high esteem; for the Merchant is worthily called The Steward of the Kingdoms Stock, by way of Commerce with other Nations; a work of no less Reputation than Trust, which ought to be performed with great skill and conscience, that so the private gain may ever accompany the publique good. And because the nobleness of this profession may the better stir up thy desires and endeavours to obtain those abilities which may effect it worthily, I well briefly set down the excellent qualities which are required in a perfect Merchant.

1. He ought to be a good Penman, a good ​Arithmetician, and a good Accomptant, by that noble order of Debtor and Creditor, which is used onely amongst Merchants; also to be expert in the order and form of Charter-parties. Bills of Lading, Invoyces, Contracts, Bills of Exchange, and policies of Ensurance.

2. He ought to know the Measures, Weights. and Monies of all forraign Countries, especially where we have Trade, & the Monies not onely by their several denominations, but also by their intrinsique values in weight & fineness, compared with the Standard of this Kingdome, without which he cannot well direct his affaires.

3. He ought to know the Customs, Tolls, Taxes, Impositions, Conducts and other charges upon all matters of Merchandize exported or imported to and from the said Forraign Countries.

4. He ought to know in what several commodities each Country abounds, and what be the wares which they want, and how and from whence they are furnished with the same.

5. He ought to understand, and to be a diligent observer of the rates of Exchanges by Bills, from one State to another, whereby he may the better direct his affairs,and remit over and receive home his Monies to the most advantage possible.

6. He ought to know what goods are prohibited to be exported or imported in the said forraign Countreys, lest otherwise he should incur great danger and loss in the ordering of his affairs. ​

7. He ought to know upon what rates and conditions to fraight his Ships, and ensure his adventures from one Countrey to another, and to be well acquainted with the laws, orders and customes of the Ensurance office both here and beyond the Seas, in the many accidents which may happen upon the damage or loss of Ships or goods, or both these.

8. He ought to have knowledge in the goodness and in the prices of all the several materials which are required for the building and repairing of Ships, and the divers workmanships of the same, as also for the Masts, Tackling, Cordage, Ordnance, Victuals, Munition and Provisions of many kinds; together with the ordinary wages of Commanders, Officers and Mariners, all which concern the Merchant as he is an Owner of Ships.

9. He ought (by the divers occasions which happen sometime in the buying and selling of one commodity and sometimes in another) to have indifferent if not perfect knowledge in all manner of Merchandize or wares, which is to be as it were a man of all occupations and trades.

10. He ought by his voyaging on the Seas to become skilful in the Art of Navigation.

11. He ought as he is a Traveller, and sometimes abiding in forraign Countreys to attain to the speaking of divers Languages, and to be a diligent observer of the ordinary Revenues and expences of forraign Princes, together with their strength both by Sea and Land, their laws, customes, policies, manners, religions, arts, and ​the like; to be able to give account thereof in all occasions for the good of his Countrey.

12. Lastly, although there be no necessity that such a Merchant should be a great Scholar; yet is it (at least) required, that in his youth he learn the Latine tongue, which will the better enable him in all the rest of his endeavours.

Thus have I briefly shewed thee a pattern for thy diligence, the Merchant in his qualities; which in truth are such and so many, that I find no other profession which leadeth into more worldly knowledge. And it cannot be denied but that their sufficiency doth appear likewise in the excellent government of State at Venice, Luca, Genoua, Florence, the low Countreys, and divers other places of Christendom. And in those States also where they are least esteemed, yet is their skill and knowledge often used by those who sit in the highest places of Authority: It is therefore an act beyond rashness in some, who do dis-enable their Counsel and judgment (even in books printed) making them uncapable of those ways and means which do either enrich or empoverish a Common-wealth, when in truth this is only effected by the mystery of their trade, as I shall plainly shew in that which followeth. It is true indeed that many Merchants here in England finding less encouragement given to their profession than in other Countreys, and seeing themselves not so well esteeemed as their Noble Vocation requireth, and according to the great consequence of the same, doe not therefore labour to attain ​There is more honour and profit in an Industrious life, than in a great Inheritance which wasteth for want of vertue. unto the excellencie of their profession, neither is it practised by the Nobility of this Kingdom as it is in other States from the Father to the Son throughout their generations, to the great encrease of their wealth, and maintenance of their names and families: Whereas the memory of our richest Merchants is suddenly extinguished; the Son being left rich, scorneth the profession of his Father, conceiving more honor to be a Gentleman (although but in name) to consume his estate in dark ignorance and excess, than to follow the steps of his Father as an Industrious Merchant to maintain and advance his Fortunes. But now leaving the Merchants praise we will come to his practice, or at least to so much thereof as concerns the bringing of Treasure into the Kingdom.

The general rule whereby the kingdom is enriched, and our Treaſure augmented.

Table of Contents

Chap. II

The Means to enrich this Kingdom, and to encrease our Treasure.

Although a Kingdom may be enriched by gifts received, or by purchase taken from some other Nations, yet these are things uncertain and of small consideration when they happen. Forraign Trade is the Rule of our Treasure.The ordinary means therefore to encrease our wealth and treasure is by Forraign Trade, wherein wee must ever observe this rule; to sell more to strangers yearly than wee consume of theirs in value. For suppose that when this Kingdom is pletifully served with the Cloth, Lead, Tinn, Iron, Fish and other native commodities, we doe yearly export the overplus to forraign Countries to the value of twenty two hundred thousand pounds; by which means we are enabled beyond the Seas to buy and bring in forraign wares for our use and Consumption, to the value of twenty hundred thousand pounds; By this order duly kept in our trading, we may rest assured that this order duly kept in our trading, we may rest assured that the Kingdom shall be enriched yearly two hundred thousand pounds, which must be brought to us in so much Treasure; because that part of our stock which is not returned to us ​in wares must necessarily be brought home in treasure.

For in this case it cometh to pass in the stock of a Kingdom, as in the estate of a private man; who is supposed to have one thousand pounds yearly revenue and two thousand pounds of ready money in his Chest: If such a man through excess shall spend one thousand five hundred pounds per annum, all his ready mony will be gone in four years; and in the like time his said money will be doubled if he take a Frugal course to spend but five hundred pounds per annum; which rule never faileth likewise in the Common-wealth, but in some cases (of no great moment) which I will hereafter declare, when I shall shew by whom and in what manner this ballance of the Kingdoms account ought to be drawn up yearly, or so often as it shall please the State to discover how much we gain or lose by trade with forraign Nations. But first I will say something concerning those ways and means which will encrease our exportations and diminish our importations of wares; which being done, I will then set down some other arguments both affirmative and negative to strengthen that which is here declared, and thereby to shew that all the other means which are commonly supposed to enrich the Kingdom with Treasure are altogether insufficient and meer fallacies.

The particular ways and means to encreaſe the exportation of our commodities, and to decreaſe our conſumption of forraign wares.

Table of Contents

Chap. III.

The particular ways and means to encrease the exportation of our commodities, and to decrease our Consumption of forraign wares.

The revenue or stock of a Kingdom by which it is provided of forraign wares is either Natural or Artificial. The Natural wealth is so much only as can be spared from our own use and necessities to be exported unto strangers. The Artificial consists in our manufactures and industrious trading with forraign commodities, concerning which I will set down such particulars as may serve for the cause we have in hand.

1. First, although this Realm be already exceeding rich by nature, yet might it be much encreased by laying the waste grounds (which are infinite) into such employments as should no way hinder the present revenues of other manufactured lands, but hereby to supply our selves and prevent the importations of Hemp, Flax, Cordage, Tobacco, and divers other things which now we fetch from strangers to our great impoverishing.