This Reasoning holds as to our Laws; which are multiplied almost to Immensity, but ought to be reduced to so small a Volume, and be so clear and easy, that the meanest Subject may know the Laws of his Country as well as the greatest. This is the Case in Denmark, and might be the same here; and then a vast Number of Hands would be gained to contribute to the Good of Society, in a Way congruous to the Circumstances of Mankind.
And as to the Practitioners in Physick, I am sure many of them must get their Livelihood this useful Way, because most of the Diseases and Vices which Mankind are so generally over-run with, will be prevented: For industry, and every social Virtue will certainly take Place,and remove those Vices and Corruptions, which have drawn in such prodigious Numbers, as this Profession is so horribly surcharged with.
And many of those who (for want of this useful Way to employ them) are now brought up to Divinity, would soon find the Way to be more usefully employed for their own Comfort and Support, than the Generality of that Profession now are, or ever can be, till such a Demand for their Skill and Industry is produced, as the full and sufficient Execution of this Proposal alone can effect.
For can it be imagined, that if so much Business could be made as I am aiming at, such a vast Number as now follows this Profession, the Generality of whom are not only insufficiently but scandalously rewarded, would not prefer the Profit, which, in every Employ, must be necessarily connected with such a Quantity of Business, as leaves it doubtful whether Hands sufficient can be found to perform and transact it?
As to the Sword, I would have every Person in the Kingdom trained to all the needful military Exercises, in the utmost Perfection, and that from their earliest Capacity to receive any such Instructions; which, I am sure, would as effectually preserve us from the unjust Attacks of our Neighbours, as any Body of mercenary Forces we can maintain will ever do. And, Ithink, we should be less liable to make any unjust Attacks on our Neighbours, in this Case; since Men will not easily be induced to leave their Families and Livelihoods, to carry War and Destruction to those that have not made it necessary. But War seems now a civil Game, to divert Princes, and employ the numerous Troops they keep in Arms; whilst it is become so general a Practice to keep a standing Force, that they are almost become necessary even to free Kingdoms and States.
But if, after all, it should be found true, that we can't get Hands enough into Tillage, etc. to carry this proposal compleatly to the End I am aiming at, yet this must itself be a cogent Reason for carrying this Mater as far as may be; since it is infinitely for the Happiness of Mankind, rather to want Hands to do all the work that may arise, than to have such a vast number of hands to spare, as are now degenerated into Vagabonds, relieved by the Publick, or almost perishing for want of Work enough to render Labour so valuable, as to be a sufficient, fit and natural Motive to make them industrious.
But, besides this Difficulty of wanting Hands sufficient to execute this Proposal effectually, 'tis objected, that the working People will not now work above 3 or 4 Days in a Week, but get drunk the other 2 or 3 days; and that this would be worse, if Necessaries were rendered so cheap as I am contending for. In answer to which I must observe, that Necessaries can't be rendered so cheap, as I am aiming at, without employing more of the labouring Peoples Time and Labour, to raise such a Plenty of them as may make them cheaper. Nor can there be this additional Employment for their Time and Labour, till the Reduction of the Price of Necessaries shall not only be this Way attempted, but proceeded in: If therefore I can prove that, notwithstanding the working People do waste a great deal of their Time, they nevertheless do Work enough, and too much too, as Things now stand; and that they would do more, if it were provided in a Way that would encourage their Industry; I hope no such Stress ought to be laid on this Objection, as to hinder the Execution of this Proposal.
And, First, I say the working People do work enough; because there is always such a Plenty of all Kinds of Goods in the Hands of the Venders, that the Consumers can always buy what they want.
This being undeniably true, shews that the working People, who alone make all these, do Work enough; the End of making them being to supply the Wants of the Consumers.
Again, I say, if it is become a Custom to hawk Goods about, to such an extraordinary Degree, that the Traders and Shopkeepers in most Parts of the Kingdom have petition'd the Parliament to have it prevented, because it disabled many of them to live, and pay their Rents, as they justly alledge; then there is not only Work enough, but too much done; since it hurts both the Traders, and Landlords of Houses, by a greater Plenty of Goods than those who should be the Consumers of them are able to purchase: For this too great Plenty of Goods is the sole Foundation of Hawking them.
The like may be said of giving any considerable Credit, either as to Sums or Time. I wish I could say, the Plenty of the Necessaries of Life was as great as the Plenty of all other Things always is: But this is so far otherwise, that but 4 or 5Years ago, many Thousands of Poor, in several Parts of the Kingdom, were forced to live on such unwholesome Trash, as introduced a Distemper little less than Pestilential, and almost, if not altogether as fatal to them; whole Families being frequently swept away by it in a few Days, and probably many were actually starved to Death. See Mr Richard Bradley's Philosophical Enquiry into the late severe Winter, and Scarcity and Dearness of Provision.