Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CLX. Whether Trading derogate from Gentility. (Book 160)

'TIs the part of the slothful and such as live by the sweat of others to blame Industry. 'Twere tolerable indeed to reject out of the rank of liberal Arts such as have any thing of baseness or sordidness, but to do the like by an Employment ca∣pable alone to enrich States, furnish them with all necessaries, and maintain them in Amity and good Intelligence with their Neighbours, is too great a piece of Niceness, the result where∣of is that then the Gentry must either remain poor or else live by robberies and other unlawful courses. For notwithstanding

the precaution of most places in adjudging almost the whole estate to the eldest sons of Gentlemen, (which would not be necessary if they were left in a condition of getting, as all other sorts of persons are) yet the cadets of either Sex cannot have so small a portion, but the succession which before was able to support the dignity of the name, at length either comes to no∣thing or so small that the principal Heirs are forc'd either to dye of hunger, or to sustain their lives by some exercise, the choice whereof is not so freely left to them as to their Predecessors. For the benefit alliances bring them is oftentimes not very con∣siderable; the Daughters being by the same customs very ill provided, and that benefit commonly accompani'd with new ex∣pences. Indeed some Legislators have absolutely forbidden Tra∣fick, as Lycurgus; others have only permitted it to the inferior people, as Romulus, which induc'd Plato to found his Common∣wealth far from the Sea-ports, for fear it should be corrupted by the delights ordinarily introduc'd by strangers, and his Citi∣zens getting their livelihood by Merchandize should learn to lye and deceive, the common vices of Merchants, which Cicero saith likewise of the Carthaginians, that being good of their own nature, they learn'd by the converse of Merchants to addict themselves to frauds and lyes, out of their great desire of getting. But as Trading begets dissimulation, so it makes men more prudent by the knowledge of several per∣sons manners. Whence Homer in the beginning of his Odys∣seus makes this remark of Ʋlysses, that he had seen many Cities, which is proper to Merchants: but every body knows that one may lye, dissemble, and deceive without being a Merchant, nor ought the abuse of some hinder all from the use.

The Second said, That the reason why Trading is interdict∣ed to Gentry, is, lest the sweetness of gain should retard them from the Wars for the service of the King and defence of the State, whereof they are the support and the right hand. And Gentlemen having no other exercise but Arms must needs be better skill'd therein then if their Minds and Bodies were shar'd amongst several Occupations, and upon occasion they are more ready and free from other employment to execute the orders they receive, then if they were in some long Voyage, or busied about examining an Account-Book; an errour wherein, some∣times imports their whole estate. Besides, Souldiers more cheerfully obey him who they see leads a life far from all Tra∣ding. This was the practise of the Romans, among whom 'twas not lawful for a Citizen to exercise Merchandize; but only for freed Servants, or others of the low vulgar. Much more was it forbidden to the Senators, who for that reason had the Port of their Ship limited, lest they should Trafick under pretext of transporting their Fruits and Rents; all profit seeming to them dishonest. And the Thebans admitted no man to any Magi∣stracy, unless he had discontinu'd Trading at least ten years be∣fore.

The reason is given by Aristotle; because Merchandize is an enemy to Vertue. Hence all access to Honours hath been by the Laws interdicted to Merchants, or so much as to bear Arms; so that Gentility and Merchandize seem inconsistent. Add hereunto, that God forbids his people to have any Mer∣chant amongst them; because, saith the Wise man, the Mer∣chant can hardly have his hands clean from sin: And so Chry∣sostome adventures to say, that a Merchant cannot please God, by reason of his perjuries and frauds; qualities directly contrary to true Gentility.

The Third said, That seeing this life needs Action more then Contemplation; therefore good Polititians invite, by all sorts of Honors and Priviledges, those that are able to contribute most to the benefit, quiet, and increase of the State. But, so are Merchants; who bring plenty of all kinds of Goods to the most desolate places, and enrich the more fruitful by distributing their commodities, which otherwise would be poor amidst their abundance. Nor are they oblig'd to Trade in Person, so that they are not hindred from paying the personal Service they owe to their King and Countrey; for whose good they are oft-times best advertis'd by their Forreign Correspondences, and give the certainest Intelligence of an Enemies Designs: besides that, ha∣ving travell'd into his Countrey in time of Peace, they the bet∣ter know what way to mannage a War against him; and the mo∣ney wherewith they abound more then Gentlemen, gives them large Credit amongst the Souldiers. The Roman Law that for∣bad Senators to Traffick, was extinct in the dayes of Hortensius, as he complains: whereby it appears to have been lawful not on∣ly for them, but also for the Equites, or Knights to negotiate ei∣ther by themselves or by others; as at this day the Nobles of Spain, England, Venice, and especially those of Florence do. Thus Cicero speaks of Lucius Pretius an illustrious Roman Knight that Traffickt at Panormus, and of Q. Mutius of the same quality at Syracuse. That God forbad his people Traffick, 'twas probably to keep them from being corrupted by the Idolatry of other Na∣tions; and 'tis no more to be drawn into consequence for us then abstinence from Swines Flesh and their other Ceremonies: But should all that hath been said against Merchants be admitted for good, it must be onely against Merchants by Retail, not a∣gainst those that Trade in Gross, who have alwayes been except∣ed from the rank of others.

The Fourth said, That Utility is not more incompatible with Honesty then Trade is with Nobility, which nevertheless is dif∣ferent, according to the several sentiments of Nations, being ra∣ted by extraction amongst Christians by warlike exercises a∣mongst the Turks, by learning amongst the Chineses; as also the Nobles live in the Countrey in France and England, but in Ci∣ties in Spain and Italy; from which circumstances Nobility receives several Estimations, according to the several opinions of Nati∣ons.

But in general, Commerce, as 'tis the exercise of the peo∣ple, so it hath been more honor'd in popular States then in Mo∣narchies, where the power of Sovereigns shines brightest in War (which is opposite to Merchandize) and the fear of Monopolies (which would easily prevail here) renders odious the trading of Grandees, who incurre the peoples envy as soon as they under∣take the employments belonging to them. Moreover, the gain of Merchants is contrary to the liberality of a Gentleman, whose donations are interpreted in Law more extensively, when there is question about them, then those of Yeomen. And our Savi∣our, so gentle towards other sinners, whipt the Tradesmen out of the Temple, calling them Robbers, and their Shops Dens of Thieves. As accordingly, Pagan Antiquity assign'd them for their Patron Mercury, the Patron of Thieves, and the most infamous of the Gods. And the Emperours forbad Merchandize, not on∣ly to Senators by the Lex Clodia, but also to Nobles by extracti∣on, L. Nobiliores. C. De Comerciis & Mercat. to Officers Leg. Ne quis C. de dignit. and even to Souldiers, L. Milites C. Loca, & L. eos C. ne milites negotientur. And if some Nations, confounding Utility with Honesty, have authorized the Trading of Nobles, 'tis but as base Money is, upon some necessity, allow'd current in one Countrey, and rejected in all others. And their own Do∣ctors agree, that the Splendor of such Nobility is much diminisht by negotiation; the distinction of Gross and Retail, not chang∣ing the Species of the Question, any more then more and less do in all others. Nor is it material whether they negotiate by the intervention of others, since 'tis not lawful to do by another what we may not do our selves; besides, that such intervention draws in the Honor of a Gentleman to vouch anothers Fact. Last∣ly, the poverty intended to be avoided thereby, is oftentimes met with instead of Riches; and were it otherwise, yet Poverty commonly serves for a spur to Virtue. Hence ordinarily Cadets are more courageous then Elder Brothers; and the poor Epami∣nondas and Phocion were the more Warlike; but Crassus the Rich was overcome and slain by the Parthians.