whatsoever is some where gotten is some where lost) There be but three Things which one Nation selleth unto another; The Commoditie as Nature yeeldeth it; The Manufacture; and the Vecture or Carriage. So that if these three wheeles goe, Wealth will flow as in a Spring tide. And it commeth many times to passe that Materiam superabit Opus,[1] That the Worke and Carriage is more worth then the Materiall, and enricheth a State more; As is notably scene in the Low-Countrey-men, who have the best Mines, above ground, in the World.
Above all things, good Policie is to be used, that the Treasure and Moneyes in a State be not gathered into few Hands. For otherwise, a State may have a great Stock and yet starve. And Money is like Muck[2], not good except it be spread. This is done, chiefly, by suppressing, or, at the least, keeping a strait[3] Hand upon the Devouring Trades of Usurie, Ingrossing,[4] great Pasturages, and the like.
For Removing Discontentments, or at least the danger of them; There is in every State (as we know) two Portions of Subiects, The Noblesse and the Commonaltie. When one of these is Discontent,[5] the danger is not great; For Common People are of slow Motion, if they be not excited by the Greater Sort;[6] And the Greater Sort are of small strength, except the Multitude be apt and ready to move of themselves. Then is the danger, when the Greater Sort doe but wait for the Troubling of the Waters amongst the Meaner, that then they may declare themselves. The Poets faigne that the rest of the Gods would have bound Iupiter; which he hearing of, by the Counsell of Pallas sent for Briareus, with his hundred Hands, to come in to his Aid: An Einbleme, no doubt, to shew how safe[7] it is for Monarchs to make sure of the good Will of Common People.
To give moderate Liberty for Griefes and Discontent ments to evaporate, (so[8] it be without too great Insolency
