第32章

3。ThattheWantsofthePeopleintheSoutharedifferentfromthoseoftheNorth。InEuropethereisakindofbalancebetweenthesouthernandnorthernnations。Thefirsthaveeveryconvenienceoflife，andfewofitswants：thelasthavemanywants，andfewconveniences。Toonenaturehasgivenmuch，anddemandsbutlittle；totheothershehasgivenbutlittle，anddemandsagreatdeal。Theequilibriumismaintainedbythelazinessofthesouthernnations，andbytheindustryandactivitywhichshehasgiventothoseinthenorth。Thelatterareobligedtoundergoexcessivelabour，withoutwhichtheywouldwanteverything，anddegenerateintobarbarians。Thishasneutralisedslaverytothepeopleofthesouth：astheycaneasilydispensewithriches，theycanmoreeasilydispensewithliberty。Butthepeopleofthenorthhaveneedofliberty，forthiscanbestprocurethemthemeansofsatisfyingallthosewantswhichtheyhavereceivedfromnature。Thepeopleofthenorth，then，areinaforcedstate，iftheyarenoteitherfreeorbarbarians。Almostallthepeopleofthesouthare，insomemeasure，inastateofviolence，iftheyarenotslaves。

4。TheprincipalDifferencebetweentheCommerceoftheAncientsandtheModerns。Theworldhasfounditself，fromtimetotime，indifferentsituations；bywhichthefaceofcommercehasbeenaltered。ThetradeofEuropeis，atpresent，carriedonprincipallyfromthenorthtothesouth；andthedifferenceofclimateisthecausethattheseveralnationshavegreatoccasionforthemerchandiseofeachother。Forexample，theliquorsofthesouth，whicharecarriedtothenorth，formacommercelittleknowntotheancients。Thustheburdenofvessels，whichwasformerlycomputedbymeasuresofcorn，isatpresentdeterminedbytunsofliquor。

Theancientcommerce，sofarasitisknowntous，wascarriedonfromoneportintheMediterraneantoanother；andwasalmostwhollyconfinedtothesouth。Nowthepeopleofthesameclimate，havingnearlythesamethingsoftheirown，havenotthesameneedoftradingamongthemselvesaswiththoseofadifferentclimate。ThecommerceofEuropewasthereforeformerlylessextendedthanatpresent。

ThisdoesnotatallcontradictwhatIhavesaidofourcommercetotheIndies：forheretheprodigiousdifferenceofclimatedestroysallrelationbetweentheirwantsandours。

5。OtherDifferences。Commerceissometimesdestroyedbyconquerors，sometimescrampedbymonarchs；ittraversestheearth，fliesfromtheplaceswhereitisoppressed，andstayswhereithaslibertytobreath：

itreignsatpresentwherenothingwasformerlytobeseenbutdeserts，seas，androcks；andwhereitoncereignednowthereareonlydeserts。

ToseeColchisinitspresentsituation，whichisnomorethanavastforest，wherethepeopleareeverydaydiminishing，andonlydefendtheirlibertytosellthemselvesbypiecemealtotheTurksandPersians，onecouldneverimaginethatthiscountryhadever，inthetimeoftheRomans，beenfullofcities，wherecommerceconvenedallthenationsoftheworld。Wefindnomonumentofthesefactsinthecountryitself；

therearenotracesofthem，exceptinPliny[3]andStrabo。[4]

Thehistoryofcommerceisthatofthecommunicationofpeople。Theirnumerousdefeats，andthefluxandrefluxofpopulationsanddevastations，hereformthemostextraordinaryevents。

6。OftheCommerceoftheAncients。TheimmensetreasuresofSemiramis，[5]whichcouldnotbeacquiredinaday，giveusreasontobelievethattheAssyriansthemselveshadpillagedotherrichnations，asothernationsafterwardspillagedthem。

Theeffectofcommerceisriches；theconsequenceofriches，luxury；andthatofluxurytheperfectionofarts。WefindthattheartswerecarriedtogreatperfectioninthetimeofSemiramis；[6]whichisasufficientindicationthataconsiderablecommercewasthenestablished。

IntheempiresofAsiatherewasagreatcommerceofluxury。Thehistoryofluxurywouldmakeafinepartofthatofcommerce。TheluxuryofthePersianswasthatoftheMedes，astheluxuryoftheMedeswasthatoftheAssyrians。

GreatrevolutionshavehappenedinAsia。ThenortheastpartsofPersia，viz。，Hyrcania，Margiana，Bactria，&c。，wereformerlyfullofflourishingcities，[7]whicharenownomore；andthenorthofthisempire，[8]thatis，theisthmuswhichseparatestheCaspianandtheEuxineSeas，wascoveredwithcitiesandnations，whicharenowdestroyed。

EratosthenesandAristobulus[9]learnedfromPatroclus[10]thatthemerchandiseofIndiapassedbytheOxusintotheseaofPontus。MarcusVarro[11]tellsusthatatthetimewhenPompeycommandedagainstMithridates，theywereinformedthatpeoplewentinsevendaysfromIndiatothecountryoftheBactrians，andtotheriverIcarus，whichfallsintotheOxus；thatbythismethodtheywereabletobringthemerchandiseofIndiaacrosstheCaspianSea，andtoenterthemouthofCyrus；whenceitwasonlyfivedays’passagetothePhasis，ariverthatdischargesitselfintotheEuxineSea。ThereisnodoubtbutitwasbythenationsinhabitingtheseseveralcountriesthatthegreatempiresoftheAssyrians，Medes，andPersianshadcommunicationwiththemostdistantpartsoftheeastandwest。

Anentirestopisnowputtothiscommunication。AllthesecountrieshavebeenlaidwastebytheTartars，[12]andarestillinfestedbythisdestructivenation。TheOxusnolongerrunsintotheCaspianSea；theTartars，forsomeprivatereasons，havechangeditscourse，anditnowlosesitselfinthebarrensands。[13]

TheJaxartes，whichwasformerlyabarrierbetweenthepoliteandbarbarousnations，hashaditscourseturnedinthesamemannerbytheTartars，anditnolongeremptiesitselfintothesea。[14]

SeleucusNicatorformedtheprojectofjoiningtheEuxinetotheCaspianSea。[15]Thisproject，whichwouldhavegreatlyfacilitatedthecommerceofthosedays，vanishedathisdeath。[16]Wearenotcertainitcouldhavebeenexecutedintheisthmuswhichseparatesthetwoseas。Thiscountryisatpresentverylittleknown；itisdepopulated，andfullofforests；however，waterisnotwanting，foraninfinitenumberofriversrollintoitfromMountCaucasus；butasthismountainformsthenorthoftheisthmus，andextendsliketwoarms[17]towardsthesouth，itwouldhavebeenagrandobstacletosuchanenterprise，especiallyinthosetimes，whentheyhadnottheartofmakingsluices。

ItmaybeimaginedthatSeleucuswouldhavejoinedthetwoseasintheveryplacewherePeterIhassincejoinedthem；thatis，inthatneckoflandwheretheTanaisapproachestheVolga；butthenorthoftheCaspianSeawasnotthendiscovered。

WhiletheempiresofAsiaenjoyedthecommerceofluxury，theTyrianshadthecommerceofeconomy，whichtheyextendedthroughouttheworld。

BochardhasemployedthefirstbookofhisCanaaninenumeratingallthecolonieswhichtheysentintoallthecountriesborderinguponthesea；

theypassedthepillarsofHercules，andmadeestablishmentsonthecoastsoftheocean。[18]

Inthosetimestheirpilotswereobligedtofollowthecoasts，whichwere，ifImaysoexpressmyself，theircompass。Voyageswerelongandpainful。ThelaboriousvoyageofUlysseshasbeenthefruitfulsubjectofthefinestpoemintheworld，nexttothatwhichalonehasthepreference。

Thelittleknowledgewhichthegreatestpartoftheworldhadofthosewhowerefardistantfromthemfavouredthenationsengagedintheeconomicalcommerce。Theymanagedtradewithasmuchobscurityastheypleased；theyhadalltheadvantageswhichthemostintelligentnationscouldtakeoverthemostignorant。

TheEgyptians——apeoplewhobytheirreligionandtheirmannerswereaversetoallcommunicationwithstrangers——hadscarcelyatthattimeanyforeigntrade。Theyenjoyedafruitfulsoilandgreatplenty。TheircountrywastheJapanofthosetimes；itpossessedeverythingwithinitself。

Solittlejealouswerethesepeopleofcommerce，thattheyleftthatoftheRedSeatoallthepettynationsthathadanyharboursinit。HeretheysufferedtheIdumeans，theSyriansandtheJewstohavefleets。

SolomonemployedinthisnavigationtheTyrians，whoknewthoseseas。[19]

Josephus[20]saysthatthisnation，beingentirelyemployedinagriculture，knewlittleofnavigation：theJews，therefore，tradedonlyoccasionallyintheRedSea。TheytookfromtheIdumeansElothandEziongeber，fromwhomtheyreceivedthiscommerce；theylostthesetwocities，andwiththemlostthiscommerce。

ItwasnotsowiththePhoenicians：theirswasnotacommerceofluxury；

norwastheirtradeowingtoconquest；theirfrugality，theirabilities，theirindustry，theirperils，andthehardshipstheysuffered，renderedthemnecessarytoallthenationsoftheworld。

BeforeAlexander，thepeopleborderingontheRedSeatradedonlyinthissea，andinthatofAfrica。TheastonishmentwhichfilledtheglobeatthediscoveryoftheIndianSea，underthatconqueror，isasufficientproofofthis。Ihaveobserved[21]thatbullionwasalwayscarriedtotheIndies，andneveranybroughtthence；nowtheJewishfleets，whichbroughtgoldandsilverbythewayoftheRedSea，returnedfromAfrica，andnotfromtheIndies。[22]

Besides，thisnavigationwasmadeontheeasterncoastofAfrica；forthestateofnavigationatthattimeisaconvincingproofthattheydidnotsailtoaverydistantshore。

IamnotignorantthatthefleetsofSolomonandJehoshaphatreturnedonlyevery