Wesley Corpus

3. But to descend from generals to particulars. Why is breadcorn so dear Because such immense quantities of it are continually consumed by distilling. Indeed, an eminent distiller near London hearing this, warmly replied, Nay, my partner and I generally distil but a thousand quarters of corn a week.' Perhaps so. Suppose five-and-twenty distillers in and near the town consume each only the same quantity. Here are five-and-twenty thousand quarters a week --that is, above twelve hundred and fifty thousand quarters a year--consumed in and about London! Add the distillers throughout England, and have we not reason to believe that half of the wheat produced in the kingdom is every year consumed, not by so harmless a way as throwing it into the sea, but by converting it into deadly poison--poison that naturally destroys, not only the strength and life, but also the morals of our countrymen! Well, but this brings in a large revenue to the King.' Is this an equivalent for the lives of his subjects Would His Majesty sell an hundred thousand of his subjects yearly to Algiers for four hundred thousand pounds Surely no. Will he, then, sell them for that sum to be butchered by their own countrymen But otherwise the swine for the Navy cannot be fed.' Not unless they are fed with human flesh not unless they are fatted with human blood O tell it not in Constantinople that the English raise the royal revenue by selling the blood and flesh of their countrymen! 4. But why are oats so dear Because there are four times the horses kept (to speak within compass), for coaches and chaises in particular, than were some years ago. Unless, therefore, four times the oats grew now as grew then, they cannot be at the same price. If only twice as much is produced (which perhaps is near the truth), the price will naturally be double to what it was. As the dearness of grain of one kind will naturally raise the price of another, so whatever causes the dearness of wheat and oats must raise the price of barley too. To account, therefore, for the dearness of this we need only remember what has been observed above, although some particular causes may concur in producing the same effect.