the R u s s i A N 1033 
fore it cannot be denied, that in fo Ihort a Titne, and fim Trade; and of what is derived from other Nations 
Chap. III. 
notvvithftanding the many Obftacles they had to fur- 
mount, this Nation has carried its Power to fo unex- 
pected a Height, and render*d its Authority and In- 
fluence fo very extenfive, why fhould we doubt, that 
upon turning their Thoughts to the promoting of In- 
duftry, encouraging Manufactures, and improving their 
Trade, all which, it is very certain, are Points that 
have for fome Years occupied their Thoughts. I fay, , „ /r u . 
whv fhould we doubt, that in Procefs of Time they five of their own, the Ri^.ans rnay be able to export 
rc 1 • .1 • larn-f> rAn^inrifipc nf fnrpion Cnnimndifies and Ma- 
that inhabit either on or near the Shores ot the Cafpian 
Sea ; and from all thefe Places there is 1 conftant and 
prodigious Refort to the great City of Mofcow,^ where a 
very large Traffick is driven by Merchants of all Na- 
tions. 1 fay nothing of the Laplmid Trade, which cen- , 
ters at Archangel^ or of what is ftill carried on at lAovo- 
gorod from Caurland^ Poland.:^ Lithuania^ and other Pla- 
from all which it manifeftly appears, that exdu- 
ces 
fhould become as fuccefsful in this, as in the aggrandi- 
zing themfelves by their military Expeditions, and their 
polftical Negociations, for both, which they were 
thought infinitely more incapable, but forty or fifty 
Years ago, than they can be now, with refpeCl to Im- 
provements in Trade and Navigation ? 
I know very well, that it has been efleemed the 
Foible of this Nation, that they efteem themfelves ab- 
folutely Matters of any Science, by that Time they have 
acquired the firtt Principles of it, and are apt to boatt 
very large Quantities of foreign Commodities .and Ma- 
nufactures, which they procure in the Way of Exchange, 
and may confequently enlarge their Tradfethat Way. 
It may be indeed objeCted againtt what has been ad- 
vanced, that as Luxury increafes as fail: or fatter in MuJ- 
ct)vy than in almoft any other Country, the Balance of 
Trade is' not like to be much in their Favour ; but to 
this it may be anfwered. That the general Notions 
about Luxury are very falfe, both with refpeCl to the 
Thing it felfj and in regard to its Confequences. In 
of Things as accomplifhed almott as foon as they have common Speech, we take Luxury for the Defire of en- 
formed a Defign of undertaking them •, but as this is joying many Things that are not abfolutely nf effary ; 
natural to all Nations, upon their firtt emerging out of whereas in Truth, Luxury only confifts in the Abufe 
a State of Barbarity, it may be probably concluded, that of Things, whether neceffary or not neceffary ; and 
this is in fome Meafure worn off, and that in Confe- tho’ it be true, that Luxury taken in either, or in both 
Quence of their beinr^ more familiar with the Sciences, thefe Senfes, impoveriflies and brings to Dettruttion 
and having a create? Intercourfe with other Nations, particular and private Families, yet it may be juttly 
thev are become'^both more knowing and more polite ^ queftioned, whether Luxury is highly deftruClivc to a 
which if it was at all neceffary, might alfo be made Nation ; for if we confider it ferioutty, it will be founds 
good with relped to Fads, and that from the mott au- that fuch as affert this Talk m a Circle, and having firtt 
thentick Evidence But fuppofing they have ftill fome confounded their own Notions, labour next to difturb 
Remains of this Humour flicking upon them, as has thofe of others. For what is it that encourages and 
been before admitted in the Cafe of Difcoveries, where, promotes .Induttry amongtt the lower Sort of People, 
without quettion, their Gonclufions have been a little but the Luxury of their Betters ? What has been the 
too hatty, and their Expectations not a little too fan- 
guine, yet this is no kind of Proof that they fhall not 
fucceed by Degrees, or that they may not acquire a 
very profitable and extenfive Commerce, though not 
quite fo profitable and extenfive -perhaps, as they have 
flattered themfelves. 
For if we refleCl, that notwithttanding the Rigour of 
the Climate, and the Sterility of the Soil in fome parts 
of their Territories, yet there is within the Dominions 
of Rujfta, not only as rich and fertile Countries as any 
in Europe, but a much larger Quantity of rich and fer- 
tile Ground than in the Pofleffion of any European 
Tower whatever, we lhall furely fee fome Caufe to alter 
our Opinion. Another ttrong Argument to this Pur- 
pofe, may be drawn from the Staple Commodities of 
Ru[fia, which, are very numerous, of general Ufe, and 
of great Value •, they have Hemp, Flax, and Timber ; 
Tar, Wax, Hides, Tallow, Cfc. in vatt Quantities 5 and 
Source of all fine ManufaCliires at Home, of importing 
rich Goods unmanufaClured or manufactured from 
Abroad, but Luxury ? Or what Juttice is there in re- 
proaching a Nation as barbarous, that in their Enter- 
tainments, Cloaths and Buildings, fall infinitely below 
their Neighbours, and then charging them with Luxury 
for endeavouring to live like their Neighbours ? 
The Truth of the Matter is this, that if the Ruffians 
confine themfelves to the bare Search of Neceffaries, 
they may find them with very little Trouble, and remain 
as poor, as idle, and as barbarous as before the Reign 
of Peter the Great ; or fuppofe they would confine 
themfelves to the barePurfiiit ot Conveniencies, thefe alfo 
may be had without any great Dealing with their Neigh- 
bours. But if in Confequence of travelling abroad, of 
receiving Foreigners holpitably at home, and of imi- 
tating fuch as pafs for the wifeft and mott polite Na- 
tions, they come to enlarge their Circle of Conveniences, 
if their Lands were improved, they might have as great and thereby create innumerable Wants that they never 
Abundance of Corn as any Nation in the World * 
neither are the wortt part of their Dominions unpro- 
ductive of very rich Commodities, fuch as vaft C^uanti- 
ties of the finett and mott valuable Furs, Iron in the 
o-reatett Plenty, Salt, and many more Things than we 
have not either Leifure or Neceffity to enumerate, fince 
enough have been already mentioned to prove that they 
knew before, what will the Confequences of this be ? Not 
living in Huts, leaving their Lands untilied, and fpend- 
ing their Lives in eating dry’d Fifh, and drinking Malt 
Spirits, or Mead, as they were wont to do •, but in fet- 
ting themfelves to improve their Country, to increafe 
its Produce, to bring their Commodities to Light, to 
vend them to Strangers, and thereby acquire thofe 
are in a Capacity of exporting as many and as valuable Goods that they want, or which is exaClly the fame 
Commodities as their Neighbours, from the immediate Thing, thofe Goods they think they want, from Scran- 
Produce of the feveral Provinces of their vaft Empire. gers. That Spirit of Luxury therefore that is faid to 
But farther ftill, a third and no lefs weighty Argu- prevail in Ruffja, is fo far from being an Impediment 
ment may be advanced from their Inland Commerce, to their becoming a trading Nation, that in Reality the 
which is very confiderable, as will appear from the Pla- Prevalence of this Spirit will make them fo. 
ces in which their great Cuftom-houies are ereCled, and Another Argument which plainly proves that this 
which are become fo many Staples for different Branches Nation begins to have a Turn, and that a very ferious 
of Trade. As for Inftance, there is a Cuftom-houfe at one too towards Commerce, is the feveral Treaties they 
Kiow in the Ukrain, to which City there is a prodigious 
Refort of furkijh, Tartarian, Polijh, Armenian, and 
Rffcian Merchants. At Tomski in Siberia, there are 
likewife crreat Magazines of rich and valuable Commo- 
dities, brought thither by all the various Nations inha- 
biting the Heart of Afm, and with whom no other A«- 
Nation have any Intercourfe or Trade. Thither 
alfo and to Tobohki are brought the Commodities and theTime the original Treaty in which this Claufe is in- 
Manufaftures China, Corea, and of all the Nations ferted, was concluded. Before that Time, the Czar 
which inhabit to the North and North-eaft of the River ■ Peter had no lefs than 200 Sail of Men of War, Gallies 
Amur, The City of AJiracan is the Center of the Per- and Brigantines of his own upon that Sea, and we need 
have concluded both with European and Afiatick Na- 
tions, for the encouraging, fecuring, and promoting it 
of which Treaties many Inftances might be given. Ii; 
is true, that by* their laft Treaty with the Turks, they 
are reftrained from Trading in the Black except in 
Turkifh Bottoms ; but this is only an accidental Re- 
ftridtion arifing from the Circumftances of their Affairs at 
