ChapterTwoBookOne93

As regards the grains and other foodstuffs that are necessary for man’s life, they are often used in foreign ways when there are plenty of them, (357) which greatly contributes to this fear that grips minds when the slightest food shortage appears. With the arrangement that I have indicated above, by withdrawing the superfluous quantity of grains and putting it in public granaries and by giving it back at the right time or by exchanging it with neighboring states in case it becomes unnecessary for the people, the prince will partly prevent this foreign use that is contrary to the natural order. And to prevent it better, he will put considerable taxes on all the commodities that are made from grains and other things needed to feed men. In a state, it is only necessary that we can only use our superfluities of any kind in ways that are (358) suitable for public opulence and that it is always more useful for  individuals to exchange them with others than to keep them in the hope or from the fear of the two extremes I mentioned above. And to avoid all the inconveniences that could arise from an opposite situation, it will not be useless to take for almost all things the same measures that I have noted with regard to money and grains, which will completely uproot the ways of getting rich by ruining others and, consequently, of reducing the state’s wealth.

Before finishing this point, I must forestall two objections that could be made against what I have just put forward. First, one (359) might agree with me that to make the prince master and arbiter of the superfluous money and grains in his states would be an excellent remedy against excessive dearness and against a depreciation that is harmful to the state. But I would be told that in the event that the prince or his ministers misused these weapons that they had in their hands, the harm would become greater than the good one could have hoped for, and that on comparing the two, it would be better to leave things as they are. Nevertheless, one may also agree with me that the best discoveries and the best maxims in the world are subject to the same drawbacks, (360) just as the best dishes and the most excellent liquors can accelerate death when they are abused, and just as the best medicine can turn into poison when it is taken improperly and when the dose is exceeded.