zens are idle. The riches of the feveral members of a community contribute to increase my riches, whatever profession I may follow. They confume the produce of my industry, and afford me the produce of theirs in return.

Nor need any state entertain apprehensions, that their neighbours will improve to fuch a degree in every art and manufacture, as to have no demand from them. Nature, by giving a diverfity of geniufes, climates, and foils to different nations, has fecured their mutual intercourfe and commerce, as long as they all remain industrious and civilized. Nay, the more the arts increase in any ftate, the more will be its demands from its induftrious neighbours. The inhabitants, having become opulent and skilful, defire to have every commodity in the utmost perfection; and as they have plenty of commodities to give in exchange, they make large importations from every foreign country. The industry of the nations from whom they import, receives encouragement: Their own is also increased, by the fale of the commodities which they give in exchange.

But what if a nation has any staple commodity, fuch as the woollen manufacture, is to ENGLAND? Muft not the interfering of their neighbours in that manufacture be a lofs to them? I answer, that when any commodity is denominated the staple of a kingdom, it is fuppofed that that kingdom has fome peculiar and natural advantages for raifing the commodity; and if, notwithstanding these advantages, they lofe fuch a manufactory, they ought to blame their own idlenefs, or bad government, not the industry of their neighbours. It ought alfo to be confidered, that by the increafe of industry among the neighbouring nations, the consumption of every particular fpecies

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fpecies of commodity is alfo incrcafed; and though foreign manufactures interfere with us in the market, the demand for our product may ftill continue, or even increafe. And even fhould it diminish, ought the confequence to be efteemed fo fatal? If the spirit of induftry be preferved, it may cafily be diverted from one branch to another; and the manufactures of wool, for instance, be employed in linen, filk, iron, or any other commodities, for which there appears to be a demand. We need not apprehend, that all the objects of industry will: be exhausted, or that, our manufacturers, while they remain on an equal footing with thofe of our neighbours, will be in danger of wanting employment. The emulation among rival nations ferves rather to keep industry alive in all of them: And any people is happier who poffefs a variety of manufactures, than if they enjoyed one fingle great manufacture, in which they are all employed. Their fituation is. lefs preca-. rious, and they will feel lefs fenfibly thofe revolutions and uncertainties to which every particular branch of commerce will always be expofed,

The only commercial flate which ought to dread the im-. provements and industry of their neighbours, is such a one as HOLLAND, which enjoying no extent of land, nor, poffeffing any native commodity, flourishes only by being the brokers,. and factors, and carriers of others. Such a people may natu-. rally apprehend, that as foon as the neighbouring states come to know and pursue their intereft, they will take into their own hands the management of their affairs, and deprive their brokers of that profit, which they formerly reaped from it.. But though this confequence may naturally be dreaded, it is

very long before it takes place; and by art and industry it may be warded off for many generations, if not wholly eluded. The advantage of fuperior ftocks and correfpondence is fo great, that it is not eafily overcome; and as all the tranfactions in-crease by the increase of industry in the neighbouring ftates,, even a people whose commerce flands on this precarious bafis,, may at first reap a confiderable profit from the flourishing con-dition of their neighbours. The DUTCH, having mortgaged all their revenues, make not such a figure in political trans-actions as formerly; but their commerce is furely equal to what it was in the middle of the laft century, when they were: reckoned among the great powers of EUROPE..

Were our narrow and malignant politics to meet with fuccefs, we should reduce all our neighbouring nations to the fame ftate of floth and ignorance that prevails in MOROCCO and the coast of BARBARY. But what would be the confequence? They could fend us no commodities: They could take none. from us. Our domeftic commerce itself would languish for want of emulation, example, and inftruction: And we ourfelves fhould foon fall into the fame abject condition to which we had reduced them. I fhall therefore venture to acknowlege, that not only as a man, but as a BRITISH fubject, I pray for the flourishing commerce of GERMANY, SPAIN, ITALY, and even FRANCE itself. I am at least certain, that GREATS BRITAIN, and all these nations, would flourish more, did, their fovereigns and ministers adopt fuch enlarged and benevo lent fentiments towards each other..

IT is a question, whether the idea of the balance of

power

be owing intirely to modern policy, or whether the phrase only has been invented in these latter ages? 'Tis certain, that XENOPHON*, in his inftitution of CYRUS, reprefents the combination of the ASIATIC powers to have arifen from a jealousy of the increafing force of the MEDES and PERSIANS; and though that elegant compofition fhould be fuppofed altogether a romance, this fentiment, afcribed by the author to the eastern princes, is at least a proof of the prevailing notions of antient times.

In all the politics of GREECE, the anxiety with regard to the balance of power, is moft apparent, and is exprefly pointed out to us, even by the antient hiftorians. THUCYDIDES † reprefents the league which was formed against ATHENS, and which produced the PELOPONNESIAN war, as intirely owing to this principle. And after the decline of ATHENS, when the THEBA NS and LACEDEMONIANS difputed for fovereignty, we find, that the ATHENIANS (as well as many other republics) threw themselves always into the lighter

* Lib. I.

+ Lib. 1.

fcale,

fcale, and endeavoured to preserve the balance. They fupported THEBES against SPARTA, till the great victory gained by EPAMINONDAS at LEUCTRA; after which they immediately went over to the conquered, from generofity, as they pretended, but, in reality, from their jealousy of the conquerors t.

Whoever will read DEMOSTHENES's oration for the ME-.. GALOPOLITANS, may fee the utmost refinements on this principle, which ever entered into the head of a VENETIAN. or ENGLISH fpeculatift. And upon the first rise of the MA-CEDONIAN power, this orator immediately discovered the danger, founded the alarm through all GREECE, and at last affembled that confederacy under the banners of ATHENS,, which fought the great and decifive battle of CHAERONEA.

"Tis true, the GRECIAN wars are regarded by historians as wars of emulation rather than politics; and each state feems to have had more in view the honour of leading the reft,, than any well-grounded hopes of authority and dominion. If we confider, indeed, the fmall number of inhabitants in any one republic, compared to the whole, the great difficulty of forming fieges in those times, and the extraordinary bravery and difcipline of every freeman among that noble people; we fhall conclude, that the balance of power was, of itself, fuffi-. ciently fecured in GREECE, and needed not to be guarded with: that caution which may be requifite in other ages.. But whe-. ther we afcribe the shifting fides in all the GRECIAN republics. to jealous emulation or cautious politics, the effects were alike,,

XENOPH. Hift. GRAEC. lib. 6. & 7..

and