Henry Constantin Cras. La Sagesse du Souverain dans la Inoyens de Rendre le Commerce Florissant [“The Wisdom of the Sovereign in Finding Ways to Establish a Flourishing Trade.”]

The author describes here the economies of different countries during the course of various eras. He posits that freedom of religion is one of the prerequisites for creating a prosperous national economy, examples of failure in that regard is France - who drove out the Huguenots and Spain and Portugal who expelled the Jews. “Certainly the Inquisition is blind, superstitious and cruel for pushing the Jews to desert Portugal and Spain - [eventually] bringing them to Amsterdam, where wise-men welcomed them with kindness. There, the [Jews] encouraged flourishing trade practices which they spread around the world, while in Spain and Portugal [trade] collapsed. That is why in order to populate our provinces and have them grow prosperous, our wiser nations should welcome the stranger… and let all freely practice his religion” (p. 16).