B. Just because my own hunger touches me, and the hunger of a nation does not touch legislators.

F. Well, I can tell you that your plan would fail, and that no superintendence would be sufficiently vigilant, when the people were hungry, to prevent the crowns from going out and the corn from coming in.

B. If so, this plan, whether erroneous or not, would effect nothing; it would do neither good nor harm, and therefore requires no further consideration.

F. You forget that you are a legislator.  A legislator must not be disheartened at trifles, when he is making experiments on others.  The first measure not having succeeded, you ought to take some other means of attaining your end.

B. What end?

F. You must have a bad memory.  Why, that of increasing, in the midst of your people, the quantity of cash, which is presumed to be true wealth.

B. Ah! to be sure; I beg your pardon.  But then you see, as they say of music, a little is enough; and this may be said, I think, with still more reason, of political economy.  I must consider.  But really I don’t know how to contrive—­

F. Ponder it well.  First, I would have you observe that your first plan solved the problem only negatively.  To prevent the crowns from going out of the country is the way to prevent the wealth from diminishing, but it is not the way to increase it.

B. Ah! now I am beginning to see ... the corn which is allowed to come in ... a bright idea strikes me ... the contrivance is ingenious, the means infallible; I am coming to it now.

F. Now, I, in turn, must ask you—­to what?

B. Why, to a means of increasing the quantity of cash.

F. How would you set about it, if you please?

B. Is it not evident that if the heap of money is to be constantly increasing, the first condition is that none must be taken from it?

F. Certainly.

B. And the second, that additions must constantly be made to it?

F..  To be sure.

B. Then the problem will be solved, either negatively or positively, as the Socialists say, if on the one hand I prevent the foreigner from taking from it, and on the other I oblige him to add to it.

F. Better and better.

B. And for this there must be two simple laws made, in which cash will not even be mentioned.  By the one, my subjects will be forbidden to buy anything abroad; and by the other, they will be required to sell a great deal.

F. A well-advised plan.

B. Is it new?  I must take out a patent for the invention.

F. You need do no such thing; you have been forestalled.  But you must take care of one thing.

B. What is that?

F. I have made you an absolute king.  I understand that you are going to prevent your subjects from buying foreign productions.  It will be enough if you prevent them from entering the country.  Thirty or forty thousand custom-house officers will do the business.