A Contribution to The Critique Of The Political Economy


Page 57 of 62



[83] Mandeville, Sir John, "Voyages and Travels," London, 1705, p. 105: "This Emperor (of Cattay or China) may dispende ols muche as he wile withouten estymacion. For he despendethe not, nor makethe no money, but of lether empredeth, or of papyre. And when that money bathe ronne so longe that it begynethe to waste, than men beren it to the Emperoure Tresorye, and then they taken newe Money for the old. And that money gothe thorghe out all the contree, and thorge out all his Provynces.... They make no money neither of Gold nor of Sylver," and "therefore," thinks Mandeville, "he may despende ynew and outrageously."

[84] Benjamin Franklin, "Remarks and Facts Relative to the American Paper Money," 1764, p. 348, l. c. "At this very time, even the silver money in England is obliged to the legal tender for part of its value; that part which is the difference between its real weight and its denomination. Great part of the shillings and sixpences now current are by wearing become 5, 10, 20, and some of the sixpences even 50 per cent., too light. For this difference between the real and the nominal you have no intrinsic value. You have not so much as paper, you have nothing. It is the legal tender, with the knowledge that it can easily be repassed for the same value, that makes three-pennyworth of silver pass for a sixpence."

[85] Berkeley, l. c., p. 5-6. "Whether the denominations being retained, although the bullion were gone ... might not nevertheless ... a circulation of commerce (be) maintained?"

[86] "Non solo i metalli ricchi son segni delle cose ...; ma vicendevolmente le cose ... sono segni dell'oro e dell'argento." (A. Genovesi, "Lezioni di Economia Civile," 1765. p. 281 in Custodi, Parte Mod. 1. VIII.) ("Not only are precious metals tokens of things, but vice versa, things are tokens of gold and silver.")

[87] Petty. "Gold and silver are universal wealth." (Political Arithmetic, l. c., p. 242.)

[88] E. Misselden. "Free Trade, or the Means to Make Trade Flourish," etc., London, 1622. "The natural matter of Commerce is Merchandise, which Merchants from the end of Trade have stiled Commodities. The Artificiall matter of Commerce is Money, which hath obtained the title of sinewes of warre and of State.... Money, though it be in nature and time after Merchandise, yet forasmuch as it is now in use become the chiefe." (p. 7.) He compares his own treatment of merchandise and money with the manner of "Old Jacob, who, blessing his Grandchildren, crost his hands, and laide his right hand on the yonger, and his left hand on the elder." (l. c.) Boisguillebert, "Dissert. sur la Nature Des Richesses," etc. "Voil donc l'esclave du commerce devenu son matre.... La misre des peuples ne vient que de ce qu'on a fait un matre, ou plutt un tyran de ce qui tait un esclave." (p. 395, 399.)

[89] Boisguillebert, l. c. "On a fait une idole de ces mtaux (l'or et l'argent) et laissant l, l'objet et l'intention pour lesquels ils avaient t appels dans le commerce, savoir, pour y servir de gages dans l'change et la tradition rciproque, on les a presque quitts de ce service pour en former des divinits, aux quelles on a sacrifi et sacrifie toujours plus de biens et de besoins prcieux et mme d'hommes, que jamais l'aveugle antiquit n'en immola ces fausses divinits," etc. (l. c., p. 395.)

[90] In the first halt of the perpetuum mobile, i. e., in the suspension of the function of money as a medium of circulation, Boisguillebert at once suspects its independent existence from commodities. Money, he says, must be "in constant motion, it can be money only by being mobile, but as soon as it becomes motionless all is lost." ("Dans un mouvement continuel, ce qui ne peut tre que tant qu'il est meuble, mais sitt qu'il devient immeuble tout est perdu." ("Le Dtail de la France," p. 231.) What he overlooks is that this halt constitutes the condition of its movement. What he really wants is that the value form of commodities should appear merely in the transitory form of their change of matter, but should never become an end in itself.

[91] " ... The more the stock ... is ... encreased in wares, the more it decreaseth in treasure." (E. Misselden, l. c., p. 23.)

[92] l. c., p. 11-13 passim.

[93] Petty, "Political Arith.," l. c., p. 196 (1899 edition, v. I, p. 269. Transl.)

[94] Francois Bernier, "Voyage contenant la description des tats du Grand Mogul." (Paris edition, 1830, t. l., conf., p. 312-314.

[95] Dr. Martin Luther, "Bcher vom Kaufhandel und Wucher," 1524. In the same passage Luther says: "Gott hat uns Deutsche dahin geschleidert, dass wir unser gold und silber mssen in fremde Lnder stossen, alle Welt reich machen und selbst Bettler Bleiben. England sollte wohl weniger Goldes haben, wenn Deutschland ihm sein Tuch liesse, und der Knig von Portugal sollte auch weniger haben, wenn wir ihm die Wrze liessen. Rechne Du, wie viel eine Messe zu Frankfurt aus Deutschen Landen gefrt wird, ohne Not und Ursache: so wirst Du Dich wundern, wie es zugehe, dass noch ein heller in Deutschen Landen sei. Frankfurt ist das Silber- und Goldloch, dadurch aus Deutschem Lande fleisst, was nur guillet und wchst, gemnzt oder geschlagen wird bei uns; wre das Loch zuegestopft, so drft man itzt der Klage nicht hren, die allethalben eitel Schuld und kein Geld, alle Land und Stdte ausgewuchert sind. Aber lass gehen, es will doch also gehen; wir Deutsche mssen Deutsche bleiben! wir lassen nicht ab, wir mssen denn."

In the work quoted above Misselden wishes to retain the gold and silver at least within the confines of Christendom: "The other forreine remote causes of the want of money, are the Trades maintained out of Christendome to Turky, Persia and the East Indies, which trades are maintained for the most part with ready money, yet in a different manner from the trades of Christendome within itselfe. For although the trades within Christendome are driven with ready monies, yet those monies are still contained and continued within the bounds of Christendome. There is indeede a fluxus and refluxus, a flood and ebbe of the monies of Christendome traded within it selfe; for sometimes there is more in one part of Christendome, sometimes there is lesse in another, as one Country wanteth and another aboundeth: It cometh and goeth, and whirleth about the Circle of Christendome, but is still contained within the compasse thereof. But the money that is traded out of Christendome into the parts aforesaid is continually issued out and never returneth againe." (p. 19-20.)



Free Learning Resources