Preface.
Reducing the present Rates of Labour, appears to me so absolutely necessary to increase our foreign and domestick Trade, that I have endeavour'd to shew how it may be effected, to the great Advantage of every Person, from the highest to the lowest, in the Community: and that reducing the Rates of Labour, the Way propos'd in this Essay, which is the only Way it can possibly be done, will together with it effect all the Things I have mentioned in the Title Page; and this Method will cause Multitudes to become the Owners and Possessors of Property, who otherwise never will have a Shilling to spare.
I am sorry I am not, in all Respects, equal to this most important Undertaking; yet I doubt not, that I have sufficiently made out what I have undertaken; and though not with the Accuracy and Conciseness of a Scholar, yet with that Perspicuity and Evidence which may be expected from an ordinary Tradesman.
And as this is the utmost I am capable of, I hope the Inaccuracy and Prolixity of this Performance will be overlooked by the candid and ingenious Reader, for the Sake of the Importance of the Subject, and that Evidence with which I have supported my Arguments. And I the rather hope for this Indulgence, since the Path I tread is not only unfrequented, but perhaps entirely new: And as the Principles of Trade, I proceed on, are founded in the Nature of Things, and Constitution of the World itself, so I doubt not that they are capable of strict Demonstration, in which Way I should be glad to see them handled by such as have Abilities for it.
An Essay To Make Money sufficiently plentiful amongst all Ranks of People, etc.
The bad Circumstances Trade in general hath been in for some time, which instead of mending seems still growing worse, induced me to consider the Causes, which the sudden and extraordinary Rise of Victuals a few Years ago did, in my Opinion, clearly enough point out and discover. For I observed, that Rise was not intirely owing to the Seasons, which will always influence the Price of Necessaries; but rather, and indeed chiefly, to the Want of Cultivating and Tilling a great deal more Land, to make the Plenty greater: And as the Rise of any Thing implies some Degree of Scarcity, so this suggests that too few of the People are imploy'd in Cultivation of Land, and the Affairs thereof, and consequently too many in all Trades, Manufactures, and Professions; whence these being thus overstock'd with Numbers, must needs be depressed and embarrassed; as they certainly are, in Reference to the great End of the them, which is solely Profit; whilst the other wants the Surplusage of Hands to increase the Plenty, and keep down the Price of Necessaries from rising as they did at that Time.