20. On the other side， if the largeness of a publick Exhibition should leave less money then is necessary to drive the nations Trade， then the mischief thereof would be the doing of less work， which is the same as lessening the people， or their Art and Industry； for a hundred pound passing a hundred hands for Wages， causes a 10000 l. worth of Commodities to be produced， which hands would have been idle and useless， had there not been this continual motive to their employment.
21. Taxes if they be presented expended upon our own domestick Commodities， seem to me， to do little harm to the whole Body of the people， onely they work a change in the Riches and Fortunes of particular men； and particulary by transferring the same from the Landed and Lazy， to the Crafty and Industrious. As for example， if a Gentleman have let his Lands to Farm for a hundred pound per annum， for several years or lives， and he be taxed twenty pound per annum， to maintain a Navy； then the effect hereof will be， that this Gentlemans twenty pounds per annum， will be distributed amongst Seamen， Ship-Carpenters， and other Trades relating to Naval matters； but if the Gentleman had his Land in his own hands， then being taxed a Fifth part， he would raise his Rents near the same proportion upon his under Tenants， or would sell his Cattle， Corn and Wooll a Fifth part dearer； the like also would all other subdependents on him do； and thereby recover in some measure， what he paid. Lastly， but if all the money levied were thrown into the Sea， then the ultimate effect would onely be， that every man must work a fifth part the harder， or retrench a fifth part of his consumptions， viz. the former， if forreign Trade be improveable， and the latter， if it be not.
22. This， I conceive， were the worst of Taxes in a well policyed State； but in other States， where is not a certain prevention of Beggary and Theevery， that is a sure livelihood for men， wanting imployment； there， I confess， an excessive Taxe， causes excessive and insuperable want， even of natural necessities， and that on a sudden， so as ignorant particular persons， cannot finde out what way to subsist by； and this， by the law of Nature， must cause sudden effects to relieve it self， that is， Rapines， Frauds； and this again must bring Death， Mutilations， and Imprisonments， according to the present Laws which are Mischiefs， and Punishments， as well unto the State， as to the particular sufferers of them.
第一章Chapter 4 Of the Several wayes of Taxe， and first， of setting a part， a proportion of the whole Territory for Publick uses， in the nature of Crown Lands； and secondly， byt way of Assessement， or Land-taxe.
But supposing， that the several causes of Publick Charge are lessened， as much as may be， and that the people be well satisfied， and contented to pay their just shares of what is needfull for their Government and Protection， as also for the Honour of their Prince and Countrey： It follows now to propose the several wayes， and expedients， how the same may be most easily， speedily， and insensibly collected. The which I shall do， by exposing the conveniences and inconveniences of some of the principal wayes of Levyings， used of later years within the several States of Europe： unto which others of smaller and more rare use may be referred.
2. Imagine then， a number of people， planted in a Territory， who had upon Computation concluded， that two Millions of pounds per annum， is necessary to the publick charges. Or rather， who going more wisely to work， had computed a twenty fifth part of the proceed of all their Lands and Labours， were to be the Excisium， or the part to be cut out， and laid aside for publick uses. Which proportions perhaps are fit enough to the affairs of England， but of that hereafter.
3. Now the question is， how the one or the other shall be raised. The first way we propose， is， to Excize the very Land it self in kinde； that is， to cut out of the whole twenty five Millions， which are said to be in England and Wales， as much Land in specie， as whereof the Rack-rent would be two Millions， viz. about four Millions of Acres， which is about a sixth part of the whole； ****** the said four Millions to be Crown Lands， and as the four Counties intended to be reserved in Ireland upon the forfeitures were. Or else to excize a sixth part of the rent of the whole， which is about the proportion， that the Adventurers and Souldiers in Ireland retribute to the King， as Quit Rents. Of which two wayes， the latter is manifestly the better， the King having more security， and more obliges； provided the troubl and charge of this universal Collection， exceed not that of the other advantage considerably.
4. This way in a new State would be good， being agreed upon， as it was in Ireland， before men had even the possession of any Land at all； wherefore whosoever buyes Land in Ireland hereafter， is no more concerned with the Quit Rents wherewith they are charged， then if the Acres were so much the fewer； or then men are， who buy Land， out of which they know Tythes are to be paid.
And truly that Countrey is happy， in which by Original Accord， such a Rent is reserved， as whereby the Publick charge may be born， without contingent， sudden， superadditions， in which lies the very Ratio of the burthen of all Contributions and Exactions.
For in such cases， as was said before， it is not onely the Landlord payes， but every man who eats but an Egg， or an Onion of the growth of his Lands； or who useth the help of any Artisan， which feedeth on the same.
