tation by penal laws; forgetting that gold and filver will never be exported while the balance of trade is on their fide, and that they muft neceffarily be exported when the balance is against them. Neither do they confider, that if a people continue induftrious, they cannot be long afflicted with an unfavourable balance; for the value of money, rifing in proportion to its fcarcity, will lower the price of their manufactures, and promote exportation: the balance will turn in their favour; and money will flow in, till by plenty its value be reduced to a par with that of neighbouring nations.

It is an important question, Whether a bank, upon the whole, be friendly to commerce. It is undoubtedly a fpur to induftry, like a new influx of money; but then, like fuch influx, it raises the price of labour and of manufactures. Weighing these two facts in a juft balance, the refult feems to be, that in a country where money is scarce, a bank properly constituted is a great bleffing, as it in effect increafes the quantity of money, and promotes induftry and manufactures; but that in a country which poffeffes money fufficient for extensive commerce, the only bank that will not injure foreign commerce, is what is erected for supplying the merchant with ready money by difcounting bills. At the fame time, much caution and circumfpection is neceffary with refpect to banks of both kinds. A bank erected for discounting bills, ought to be confined to bills really grant

ed

ed in the course of commerce; rejecting fictitious bills drawn merely for procuring a loan of money. And with respect to a bank purpofely erected for lending money, there is great danger of extending credit too far; not only with refpect to the bank itself, but with respect to the nation in general, by raifing the price of labour and of manufactures, which is the never-failing refult of too great plenty of money, whether coin or paper.

The different effects of plenty and scarcity of money, have not escaped that penetrating genius, the Sovereign of Pruffia. Money is not fo plentiful in his dominions as to make it neceffary to withdraw a quantity by heaping up treasure. He indeed always retains in his treasury fix or seven millions Sterling for answering unforeseen demands: but being fenfible that the withdrawing from circulation any larger fum would be prejudicial to commerce, every farthing faved from the neceffary expence of government, is laid out upon buildings, upon operas, upon any thing rather than cramp circulation. In that kingdom, a bank established for lending money would promote industry and. manufactures.

SKETCH

bitation, even in their original fimplicity, require fome art. Many other arts are of fuch antiquity as to place the inventors beyond the reach of tradition. Several have gradually crept into existence, without an inventor. The bufy mind, however, accustomed to a beginning in things, cannot reft till it find or imagine a beginning to every art. Bacchus is faid to have invented wine; and Staphylus the mixing water with wine. The bow and arrow are ascribed by tradition to Scythos, fon of Jupiter, though a weapon all the world over. Spinning is fo useful, that it must be honoured with fome illuftrious inventor: it was afcribed by the Egyptians to their goddefs Ifis; by the Greeks to

Minerva ;

Minerva; by the Peruvians to Mamma Ella, wife to their firft fovereign Mango Capac; and by the Chinese to the wife of their Emperor Yao. Mark here by the way a connection of ideas: fpinning is a female occupation, and it must have had a female inventor *.

In the hunter-ftate, men are wholly employed upon the procuring food, clothing, habitation, and other neceffaries; and have no time nor zeal for studying conveniences. The ease of the shepherdftate affords both time and inclination for useful arts; which are greatly promoted by numbers who are relieved by agriculture from bodily labour: the foil, by gradual improvements in hufbandry, affords plenty with lefs labour than at firft; and the furplus hands are employed, first, in ufeful arts, and, next, in thofe of amufement. Arts accordingly make the quickest progrefs in a fertile foil, which produces plenty with little labour. Arts flourished early in Egypt and Chaldea, countries extremely fertile.

When men, who originally lived in caves like fome wild animals, began to think of a more commodious

* The Ilinois are industrious above all their American neighbours. Their women are heat-handed: they fpin the wool of their horned cattle, which is as fine as that of English fheep. The stuffs made of it are dyed black, yellow, or red, and cut into garments fewed with roe-buck finews. After drying these finews in the fun, and beating them, they draw out threads as white and fine as any that are made of flax, but much tougher.

modious habitation, their firft houfes were extremely fimple; witness thofe of the Canadian favages, than which none can be more fimple, even at prefent. Their houfes, fays Charlevoix, are built with lefs art, neatness, and folidity, than those of the beavers; having neither chimneys nor windows a hole only is left in the roof, for admitting light and emitting smoke. That hole must be stopped when it rains or fnows; and, of course, the fire is put out, that the inhabitants may not be ftifled with fmoke. To have paffed fo many ages in that manner without thinking of any improvement, shows how greatly men are influenced by cuftom. The blacks of Jamaica are still more rude in their buildings: their huts are erected without even a hole in the roof; and, accordingly, at home they breathe nothing but smoke.

Revenge produced early hoftile weapons. The club and the dart are obvious inventions: not fo the bow and arrow; and for that reafon it is not easy to say how that weapon came to be univerfal. As iron differs from other metals, being feldom found pure, it was a late discovery: at the fiege- of Troy, fpears, darts, and arrows, were headed with brafs. Meneftheus, who fucceeded Thefeus in the kingdom of Athens, and led fifty fhips to the fiege of Troy, was reputed the first who marshalled an army in battle-array. Inftruments of defence are made neceffary by thofe of offence. Trunks of trees, interlaced with branches, VOL. I.

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and