defence of usury-第14部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ng　even　public　interest　out　of　the　question；　and　considering　nothing　but　the　feelings　of　the　individuals　immediately　concerned；　a　legislator　would　scarcely　do　so；　who　knew　the　value　of　hope；　〃the　most　precious　gift　of　heaven。〃　　　　　Consider；　Sir；　that　it　is　not　with　the　invention…lottery　（that　great　branch　of　the　project…lottery；　for　the　sake　of　which　I　am　defending　the　whole；　and　must　continue　so　to　do　until　you　or　somebody　else　can　shew　me　how　to　defend　it　on　better　terms）；　it　is　not　I　say　with　the　invention…lottery；　as　with　the　mine…lottery；　the　privateering…lottery；　and　so　many　other　lotteries；　which　you　speak　of；　and　in　no。　instance；　I　think；　very　much　to　their　advantage。　In　these　lines；　success　does　not；　as　in　this；　arise　out　of　the　embers　of　ill　success；　and　thence　propagate　itself；　by　a　happy　contagion；　perhaps　to　all　eternity。　let　Titius　have　found　a　mine；　it　is　not　the　more　easy；　but　by　so　much　the　less　easy；　for　Sempronius　to　find　one　too：　let　Titius　have　made　a　capture；　it　is　not　the　more　easy；　but　by　so　much　the　less　easy；　for　Sempronius　to　do　the　like。　But　let　Titius　have　found　out　a　new　dye；　more　brilliant　or　more　durable　than　those　in　use；　let　him　have　invented　a　new　and　more　convenient　machine；　or　a　new　and　more　profitable　mode　of　husbandry；　a　thousand　dyers；　ten　thousand　mechanics；　a　hundred　thousand　husbandmen；　may　repeat　and　multiply　his　success：　and　then；　what　is　it　to　the　public；　though　the　fortune　of　Titius；　or　of　his　usurer。　should　have　sunk　under　the　experiment？　　　　　Birmingham　and　Sheffield　are　pitched　upon　by　you　as　examples；　the　one　of　a　projecting　town；　the　other　of　an　unprojecting　one。（31*）　Can　you　forgive　my　saying；　I　rather　wonder　that　this　comparison　of　your　own　chosing；　did　not　suggest　some　suspicions　of　the　justice　of　the　conceptions　you　had　taken　up；　to　the　disadvantage　of　projectors。　Sheffield　is　an　old　oak：　Birmingham；　but　a　mushroom。　What　if　we　should　find　the　mushroom　still　vaster　and　more　vigorous　than　the　oak？　Not　but　the　one　as　well　as　the　other；　at　what　time　soever　planted；　must　equally　have　been　planted　by　projectors：　for　though　Tubal　Cain　himself　were　to　be　brought　post　from　Armenia　to　plant　Sheffield；　Tubal　Cain　himself　was　as　arrant　a　projector　in　his　day；　as　ever　Sir　Thomas　Lombe　was；　or　Bishop　Blaise：　but　Birmingham；　it　seems；　claims　in　common　parlance　the　title　of　a　projecting　town；　to　the　exclusion　of　the　other；　because；　being　but　of　yesterday；　the　spirit　of　project　smells　fresher　and　stronger　there　than　elsewhere。　　　　　When　the　odious　sound　of　the　word　projector　no　longer　tingles　in　your　ears；　the　race　of　men　thus　stigmatized　do　not　always　find　you　their　enemy。　Projects；　even　under　the　name　of　〃dangerous　and　expensive　experiments；〃　are　represented　as　not　unfit　to　be　encouraged；　even　though　monopoly　be　the　means：　and　the　monopoly　is　defended　in　that　instance；　by　its　similarity　to　other　instances　in　which　the　like　means　are　employed　to　the　like　purpose。　　　　　〃When　a　company　of　merchants　undertake　at　their　own　risk　and　expence　to　establish　a　new　trade；　with　some　remote　and　barbarous　nation；　it　may　not　be　unreasonable〃　（you　observe）　〃to　incorporate　them　into　a　joint…stock　company；　and　to　grant　them；　in　case　of　their　success；　a　monopoly　of　the　trade　for　a　certain　number　of　years。　It　is　the　easiest　and　most　natural　way；　in　which　the　state　can　recompense　them；　for　hazarding　a　dangerous　and　expensive　experiment；　of　which　the　public　is　afterwards　to　reap　the　benefit。　A　temporary　monopoly　of　this　kind　may　be　vindicated；　upon　the　same　principles；　upon　which　a　like　monopoly　of　a　new　machine　is　granted　to　its　inventor；　and　that　of　a　new　book　to　its　author。〃　　　　　Private　respect　must　not　stop　me　from　embracing　this　occasion　of　giving　a　warning；　which　is　so　much　needed　by　mankind。　If　so　original　and　independent　a　spirit　has　not　been　always　able　to　save　itself　from　being　drawn　aside　by　the　fascination　of　sounds；　into　the　paths　of　vulgar　prejudice；　how　strict　a　watch　ought　not　men　of　common　mould　to　set　over　their　judgments；　to　save　themselves　from　being　led　astray　by　similar　delusions？　　　　　I　have　sometimes　been　tempted　to　think；　that　were　it　in　the　power　of　laws　to　put　words　under　proscription；　as　it　is　to　put　men；　the　cause　of　inventive　industry　might　perhaps　derive　scarcely　less　assistance　from　a　bill　of　attainder　against　the　words　project　and　Projectors；　than　it　has　derived　from　the　act　authorizing　the　grant　of　patents。　I　should　add；　however；　for　a　time：　for　even　then　the　envy；　and　vanity；　and　wounded　pride；　of　the　uningenious　herd；　would　sooner　or　later　infuse　their　venom　into　some　other　word；　and　set　it　up　as　a　new　tyrant；　to　hover；　like　its　predecessor；　over　the　birth　of　infant　genius；　and　crush　it　in　its　cradle。　　　　　Will　not　you　accuse　me　of　pushing　malice　beyond　all　bounds；　if　I　bring　down　against　you　so　numerous　and　respectable　a　body　of　men；　as　the　members　of　the　Society　for　the　Encouragement　of　Arts？　I　do　not；　must　not；　care：　for　you　command　too　much　respect　to　have　any　claim　to　mercy。　At　least　you　will　not　accuse　me　of　spiriting　up　against　you　barbarian　enemies；　and　devoting　you　to　the　vengeance　of　Cherokees　and　Chicasaws。　　　　　Of　that　popular　institution；　the　very　professed　and　capital　object　is　the　encouragement　of　projects；　and　the　propagating　of　that　obnoxious　breed；　the　crushing　of　which　you　commend　as　a　fit　exercise　for　the　arm　of　power。　But　if　it　be　right　to　crush　the　acting　malefactors；　it　would　be　downright　inconsistency　not　to　crush；　at　the　same　time；　or　rather　not　to　begin　with　crushing；　these　their　hirers　and　abettors。　Thank　then　their　inadvertence；　or　their　generosity；　or　their　prudence；　if　their　beadle　has　not　yet　received　orders　to　burn　in　ceremony；　as　a　libel　on　the　society；　a　book　that　does　honour　to　the　age。　　　　　After　having　had　the　boldness　to　accuse　so　great　a　master　of　having　fallen　unawares　into　an　error；　may　I　take　the　still　farther　liberty；　of　setting　conjecture　to　work　to　account　for　it？　Scarce　any　man；　perhaps　no　man；　can　push　the　work　of　creation；　in　any　line；　to　such　a　pitch　of　compleatness；　as　to　have　gone　through　the　task　of　examining　with　his　own　eyes　into　the　grounds　of　every　position；　without　exception；　which　he　has　had　occasion　to　employ。　You　heard　the　public　voice；　strengthened　by　that　of　law；　proclaiming　all　round　you；　that　usury　was　a　sad　thing；　and　usurers　a　wicked　and　pernicious　set　of　men：　you　heard　from　one　at　least　of　those　quarters；　that　projectors　were　either　a　foolish　and　contemptible　race；　or　a　knavish　and　destructive　one：　hurried　away　by　the　throng；　and　taking　very　naturally　for　granted；　that　what　every　body　said　must　have　some　ground　for　it；　you　have　joined　the　cry；　and　added　your　suffrage　to　the　rest。　Possibly　too；　among　the　crowd　of　projectors　which　the　lottery　of　occurrences　happened　to　present　to　your　observation；　the　prejudicial　sort　may　have　borne　such　a　proportion　to　the　beneficial；　or　shewn　themselves　in　so　much　stronger　colours；　as　to　have　given　the　popular　notion　a　firmer　hold　in　your　judgment；　than　it　would　have　had；　had　the　contrary　proportion　happened　to　present　itself　to　your　notice。　To　allow　no　more　weight　to　examples　that　fall　close　under　our　eyes；　than　to　those　which　have　fallen　at　ever　so　great　a　distance　　to　suffer　the　judgment　on　no　occasion　to　indulge　itself　in　the　licence　of　a　too　hasty　and　extensive　generalisation　　not　to　give　any　proposition　footing　there；　rill　after　all　such　defalcations　have　been　made；　as　are　necessary　to　reduce　it　within　the　limits　of　rigid　truth　　these　are　laws；　the　compleat　observance　whereof　forms　the　ultimate；　and　hitherto；　perhaps　for　ever；　ideal　term　of　human　wisdom。　　　　　You　have　defended　against　unmerited　obloquy　two　classes　of　men；　the　one　innocent　at　least；　the　other　highly　useful；　the　spreaders　of　English　arts　in　foreign　climes；（32*）　and　those　whose　industry　exerts　itself　in　distributing　that　necessary　commodity　which　is　called　by　the　way　of　eminence　the　staff　of　life。　May　I　flatter　myself　with　having　succeeded　at　last　in　my　endeavours；　to　recommend　to　the　same　powerful　protection；　two　other　highly　useful　and　equally　persecuted　sets　of　men；　usurers　and　projectors。　　Yes　　I　will；　for　the　moment　at　least；　indulge　so　flattering　an　idea：　and；　in　pursuance　of　it；　leaving　usurers；　for　whom　I　have　said　enough　already；　I　will　consider　myself　as　joined　now　with　you　in　the　same　commission；　and　thinking　with　you　of　the　best　means　of　relieving　the　projector　from　the　load　of　discouragement　laid　on　him　by　these　laws；　in　so　far　as　the　pressure　of　them　falls　particularly　upon　him。　In　my　own　view　of　the　matter；　indeed；　no　temperament；　no　middle　course；　is　either　necessary　or　proper：　the　only　perfectly　effectual；　is　the　only　perfectly　proper　remedy；　　a　spunge。　But；　as　nothing　is　more　common　with　mankind；　than　to　give　opposite　receptions；　to　conclusions　flowing　with　equal　necessity　from　the　same　principle；　let　us　accommodate　our　views　to　that　contingency。　According　to　this　idea；　the　object；　as　far　as　confined　to　the　present　case；　should　be；　to　provide；　in　favour　of　projectors　only；　a　dispensation　from　the　rigour　of　the　anti…usurious　laws：　such；　for　instance；　as　is　enjoyed　by　persons　engaged　in　the　carrying　trade；　in　virtue　of　the　indulgence　given　to　loans　made　on　the　footing　of　respondentia　or　bottomry。　As　to　abuse；　I　see　not　why　the　danger　of　it　should　be　greater　in　this　case　than　in　those。　Whether　a　sum　of　money　be　embarked；　or　not　embarked；　in　such　or　such　a　new　manufacture　on　land；　should　not；　in　its　own　nature；　be　a　fact　much　more　difficult　to　ascertain；　than　whether　it　be　embarked；　or　not　embarked；　in　such　or　such　a　trading　adventure　by　sea：　and；　in　the　one　case　as　in　the　other；　the　payment　of　the　interest；　as　well　as　the　repayment　of　the　principal；　might　be　made　to　depend　upon　the　success　of　the　adventure。　To　confine　the　indulgence　to　new　undertakings；　the　having　obtained　a　patent　for　some　invention；　and　the　continuance　of　the　term　of　the　patent；　might　be　made　conditions　of　the　allowance　given　to　the　bargain：　to　this　might　be　added　affidavits；　expressive　of　the　intended　application；　and　bonds；　with　sureties；　conditioned　for　the　performance　of　the　intention　so　declared；　to　be　registered　in　one　of　the　patent…offices　or　elsewhere。　After　this；　affidavits　once　a　year；　or　oftener；　during　the　subsistence　of　the　contract