Nicholas Barbon on a Discourse of Trade 1690 (Classic Reprint)

Explore how trade shapes wealth, power, and national strength in a pivotal 17th‑century treatise.

This edition presents a clear, accessible look at Barbon’s argument that commerce is essential to a nation’s riches and security, and that the rules of trade affect land, money, and governance.

The work explains what trade is, how markets move, and why a country’s staples—whether native or foreign—drive its prosperity. It also surveys how different nations exchange goods, how money and credit work, and why interest rates matter for farmers, merchants, and rulers alike. Readers will see Barbon compare empires, armor, and armaments with the needs of commerce, and how policy can either promote growth or hinder it.

• Understand the basic concepts of trade, stock, and wares
• Learn how price, money, and credit influence everyday business
• See why geography, climate, and staple commodities matter
• Compare English and Dutch trading practices and their effects on national wealth

Ideal for readers of early economic thought and those curious about the historical roots of global trade and its link to state power.