Life of the Duke 1 5 i 



XI 



That trade and traffick brings honey to the hive; 

 that is to say, riches to the commonwealth; whereas 

 other professions are so far from that, that they 

 rather rob the commonwealth, instead of enriching it. 



XII 



That it is not so much unseasonable weather that 

 makes the countrey complain of scarcit}^ but want 

 of commerce ; for whensoever commodities are cheap, 

 it is a sign that commerce is decayed; because the 

 cheapness of them shews a scarcity of money; for 

 example, put the case five men came to market to 

 buy a horse, and each of them had no more but ten 

 pounds, the seller can receive no more then what the 

 buyer has, but must content himself with those ten 

 pounds, if he be necessitated to sell his horse ; but if 

 each one of the buyers had an hundred pounds to 

 lay out for a horse, the seller might receive as much. 

 Thus commodities are cheap or dear, according to the 

 plenty or scarcity of money; and though we had 

 mynes of gold and silver at home, and no traffick 

 into foreign parts, yet we should want necessities 

 from other nations, which proves that no nation can 

 live or subsist well, without foreign trade and com- 

 merce; for God and nature have ordered it so, that 

 no particular nation is provided with all things. 



XIII 



That merchants by carrying out more commodities 

 then they bring in; that is to say, by selling more 

 then they buy, do enrich a state or kingdom with 

 money, that hath none in its own bowels; but what 



