Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/434

 together, our King has imitated the two most famous Works of the wisest of ancient Kings; who at the same time sent to Ophir for Gold, and compos'd a Natural History from the Cedar to the Shrub.

Nor ought our Gentry to be averse from the promoting of Trade, out of any little Jealousy, that thereby they shall debase themselves, and corrupt their Blood: For they are to know, that Trafic and Commerce have given Mankind a higher Degree than any Title of Nobility, even that of Civility and Humanity itself. And at this time especially above all others, they have no reason to despise Trade as below them, when it has so great an influence on the very Government of the World. In former Ages indeed this was not so remarkable. The Seats of Empire and Trade were seldom or never the same. Tyre, and Sydon, and Cades and Marseilles had more Trafic, but less Command than Rome, or Athens, or Sparta, or Macedon. But now it is quite otherwise. It is now most certain that in those Coasts, whither the greatest Trade shall constantly flow, the greatest Riches and Power will be establish'd. The Cause of this Difference between the ancient Times and our own, is hard to be discover'd: perhaps it is this, that formerly the greatest Part of the World liv'd rudely on their own Natural Productions: but now so many Nations being civiliz'd, and living splendidly, there is a far greater Consumption of all foreign Commodities; and so the Gain of Trade is become great enough to over-balance all other Strength: Whether this be the Reason or no, it matters not; but the Observation is true. And this we see is sufficiently known to all our Neighbours, who are earnestly bent upon the advancing of Commerce, as the best means not only to enrich particular Merchants, but to enlarge the Empire.

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