ChapterTwoBookOne52

The second reason they invoke against cutting and clearing the forests is that wood to burn and build with would become too rare. If the wood in the state where it is considered a very precious commodity provided its principal revenue and if it were traded to all the neighboring states in exchange for all the other necessities of life, this reason could have some truth to it. But since this is not the case anywhere, it must never win over the general goal of a state, which is to increase the number of people. Besides, this fear that wood to burn and (199) build with would become too rare is so fanciful in most of the German Provinces: there is an infinite quantity everywhere that rots and another large quantity that is uselessly consumed. Both faults could be corrected by reducing the forests, which they so often oppose against their true interests. As for buildings, it would be good to have to construct them with stones, which are plentiful everywhere, and to be less prone to the fires that are so often destructive in our country and ruin an infinite number of families.

I could make one more observation on the advantage that Protestant states have over Catholic states with regard (200) to marriages. All the Catholic clergy, who make up a considerable portion of the people, are excluded from marriage, whereas Protestant ministers, who are firstly not very numerous, are almost all married. But since my plan is to consider the wealth of states in general, without entering in any way into the consideration of the religious principles that could prevail in certain states, everyone can examine whether the principles that I propose for enriching a state can be combined with the principles of its particular religion.