D E D I C A ' T I 6 m 
defpaired. By this Means Pofterity was encouraged to undertake ft ill greater Things 
and the farther this Art was extended, ftill the greater and more Benefits accrued 
therefrom : So that fuch as diftinguifhed themfelves by their Talents for Politicks? 
Toon perceived how neceflary it was to encourage Navigation in all its Branches ; 
and this Neceffity eftabliftied, fooner or later, almoft under every Government, this 
Maxim, That whoever was Majler at Sea , mujl be Majler at Lard likewije* 
But, at prefent, we will meddle no farther with Naval Power, as defigning only 
to ffiew, that it derives its Being from, and can never fubfift otherwife than by Com- 
merce. Yet it is not the Sea only that is indebted to Trade ; on the contrary, 
there is nothing contributes fo much to the thorough Cultivation of Countries, as ap- 
pears plainly from ancient and modern Hiftories, which Ihew that it is capable of 
rendering the moft barren Soil fruitful, and the moft defert Places pleafant. The 
following Sheets explain this fufficiently, with refpeCt to the ancient Republick of 
Tyre, to which, if Nature denied moft Things, Traffick brought all ; as alfo in re- 
gard to Palmyra , which, by its Trade, became a Paradife, though feated in a Wil- 
dernefs. And the fame Thing may be faid of the Province of Holland at this Day. 
But, without travelling abroad, the Truth of this Obfervation may be fufficiently 
known from the amazing Alteration which our Application to Trade has made in our 
own Country, with refpeCt to the Improvement and Value of Land in the laft and 
prefent Century. This is a Thing fo apparent, and fo certain, that, as on the one 
Hand, it does the greateft Honour to the Mercantile Part of our People; on the 
other, it demonftrates the great Confequence of Trade to the whole Nation: So 
that there can be no Divifion of Intereft: in this Refped, that of Land and Trade 
being reciprocal, or rather the felf-fame Thing, 
To Commerce we owe our Wealth; for though Labour may improve, though 
Arms may extend, yet Commerce only can enrich a Country. It is this that en- 
courages People, not barely to labour for the Supply of their own Wants, but to 
have an Eye to thofe of other Nations, even fuch as are at the greateft; Diftance. It 
is this that eftablifhes and extends Manufactures, and while it employs all Ranks of 
People, provides fuitable Rewards for their feveral Employments. It is this, and 
this alone, that can excite and encourage univerfal Induftry, by providing, that all 
who take Pains, {hall reap Profit, and that what raifes the Fortunes of Individuals, 
{hall prove at the fame Time, and in the fame Degree, beneficial to Society ; fo 
that an Application to their private Interefts, in their feveral honefi: Employments, 
has, at the fame Time, all the Effects, and is, in reality, the trueft Teftimony of 
publick Spirit. 
Hence arifes another -great Advantage, which is the equal and juft: Diftributlon of 
Property, a Thing that Legiflators have attempted in vain, tho’ by attempting it, 
they have fufficiently (hewn, how material, and how requifite it is, under' all Go- 
vernments. But Commerce performs this effectually, and tho* it may fometimes 
raife particular Fortunes to an envied Point of Greatnefs, yet this Envy, which can 
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