The Theory And Practice Of Commerce And Maritime Affairs PDF Download

Excerpt from The Theory and Practice of Commerce and Maritime Affairs: Written Originally in Spanish This is the true plan of reading lectures in politicks: to detect and expofe the misfortunes of a {late in a full and affeeting View, and, at the fame time, recommend fuch meafures for a remedy, as frequent experience has fhewn to be effectual, and fare to fucceed. There have been politicians, that were willing to have their projects re ceived, even while they are fupporting one piece of fpecu lation with' another; no eafy undertaking upon any fub jeel. It a'gficulz', as Plato fays tafiew great #22t clear 1y wit/you: examples. Extremely difficult it is, in the affairs of civil polity, where the practice of general maxims will meet with obfiacles at every llep, let a perfonbe ever fo attentive to the publick good, and vigilant to avoid them; for general precepts are not fufficient in politicks, when the confideration of particular circumfiances does not {hew them to be practicable. In this fcience, few are the axioms or principles that have the credit of being infallible in the execution fo that there is conflantly a door open to de bate and oppofition, more efpecially when a climate a bounds with fuch fpirits as are apt to take a difta e at every thing, which is not the fruit of their own genius. This is ufually the cafe in Spain, where, to our very great dif grace, no propofal can be offered, but it is treated with contempt, even before it be taken into confideration. It is this which made our author have recourfe to a me thod of perfuafion more powerful and certain, that which is fupported by examples. Though reafoning has its due weight with a clear under anding, example is poffeffed of an extraordinary privilege. Mankind, as Dionyfius of Ha. Licarnafl'us thinks ea /y learn what their iatere, and what not, wben they fee it explained by many examples. Their perfuafion is very powerful; for the will is ready enough to embrace an advantage, after it has been {hewn by exam; ples to be attainable. It was the grand policy of the em. Peror Alexander Severus, to have always, in his court, minillers that were well verfed in billory; and upon any particular emergence, inflead of demanding their opinions. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."