foon repented of having trufted fuch a perfon, could do to thwart it. The conquerors of Chili and Peru, and of almoft all the other Spanish fettlements upon the continent of America, carried out with them no other public encouragement, but a general permiffion to make fettlements and conquefts in the name of the King of Spain. Thofe adventures were all at the private risk and expence of the adventurers. The government of Spain contributed scarce any thing to any of them. That of England contributed as little towards effectuating the establishment of fome of its most important colonies in North America. When those establishments were effectuated, and had become fo confiderable as to attract the attention of the mother country, the first regulations which fhe made with regard to them had always in view to secure to herself the monopoly of their commerce; to confine their market, and to enlarge her own at their expence, and, consequently, rather to damp and difcourage, than to quicken and forward the course of their profperity. In the different ways in which this monopoly has been exercifed, confifts one of the most effential differences in the policy of the different European nations with regard to their colonies. The beft of them all, that of England, is only fomewhat lefs illiberal and oppreffive than that of any of the reft. In what way, therefore, has the policy of Europe contributed either to the firft eftablifhment, or to the prefent grandeur of the colonies of VII. IV. BOOK of America? In one way, and in one way only, it has contributed a good deal. Magna virúm Mater! It bred and formed the men who were capable of atchieving fuch great actions, and of laying the foundation of fo great an empire; and there is no other quarter of the world of which the policy is capable of forming, or has ever actually and in fact formed fuch men. The colonies owe to the policy of Europe the education and great views of their active and enterprifing founders; and fome of the greatest and most important of them, fo far as concerns their internal government, owe to it fcarce any thing elfe. PART THIRD. Of the Advantages which Europe has derived from the Dif covery of America, and from that of a Paffage to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope. SUCH CH are the advantages which the colonies of America have derived from the policy of Europe. What are those which Europe has derived from the discovery and colonization of America? Thofe advantages may be divided, firft, into the general advantages which Europe, confidered as one great country, has derived from those great events; and, fecondly, into the particular advantages which each colonizing country has derived from the colonies which particularly belong to it, in confequence of the authority or dominion which it exercifes over them. VII. The general advantages which Europe, con- C H A P. fidered as one great country, has derived from the discovery and colonization of America, confift, firft, in the increafe of its enjoyments; and fecondly, in the augmentation of its industry. The furplus produce of America, imported into Europe, furnishes the inhabitants of this great continent with a variety of commodities which they could not otherwife have poffeffed, fome for conveniency and use, fome for pleasure, and fome for ornament, and thereby contributes to increase their enjoyments. The difcovery and colonization of America, it will readily be allowed, have contributed to augment the industry, firft, of all the countries which trade to it directly; fuch as Spain, Portugal, France, and England; and, fecondly, of all thofe which, without trading to it directly, fend, through the medium of other countries, goods to it of their own produce; fuch as Auftrian Flanders, and fome provinces of Germany, which, through the medium of the countries before mentioned, fend to it a confiderable quantity of linen and other goods. All fuch countries have evidently gained a more extensive market for their furplus produce, and must confequently have been encouraged to increase its quantity. But, that thofe great events fhould likewife have contributed to encourage the industry of countries, such as Hungary and Poland, which may never, perhaps, have fent a fingle commo dity IV. BOOK dity of their own produce to America, is not, perhaps, altogether fo evident. That thofe events have done fo, however, cannot be doubted. Some part of the produce of America is confumed in Hungary and Poland, and there is fome demand there for the fugar, chocolate, and tobacco, of that new quarter of the world. But thofe commodities must be purchased with fomething which is either the produce of the industry of Hungary and Poland, or with fomething which had been purchased with fome part of that produce. Thofe commodities of América are new values, new equivalents, introduced into Hungary and Poland to be exchanged there for the furplus produce of thofe countries. By being carried thither they create a new and more extenfive market for that furplus produce. They raife its value, and thereby contribute to encourage its increase. Though no part of it may ever be carried to America, it may be carried to other countries which purchase it with a part of their share of the furplus produce of America; and it may find a market by means of the circulation of that trade which was originally put into motion by the furplus produce of America. Thofe great events may even have contributed to increafe the enjoyments, and to aug. ment the industry of countries which, not only never fent any commodities to America, but never received any from it. Even fuch countries may have received a greater abundance of other commodities from countries of which the furplus produce VII. produce had been augmented by means of the CHA P. American trade. This greater abundance, as it muft neceffarily have increafed their enjoyments, fo it must likewife have augmented their induftry. A greater number of new equivalents of fome kind or other must have been prefented to them to be exchanged for the furplus produce of that industry. A more extenfive market muft have been created for that furplus produce, fo as to raise its value, and thereby encourage its increase. The mafs of commodities annually thrown into the great circle of European commerce, and by its various revolutions annually diftributed among all the different nations comprehended within it, must have been augmented by the whole furplus produce of America. A greater fhare of this greater mafs, therefore, is likely to have fallen to each of those nations, to have increased their enjoyments, and augmented their industry. The exclufive trade of the, mother countries tends to diminish, or, at least, to keep down below what they would otherwife rife to, both the enjoyments and induftry of all thofe nations in general, and of the American colonies in particular. It is a dead weight upon the action of one of the great fprings which puts into motion a great part of the business of mankind. By rendering the colony produce dearer in all other countries, it leffens its confumption, and thereby cramps the industry of the colonies, and both the enjoyments and the industry of all other countries, which both enjoy lefs when they pay more DD 2 for |