Father. That is not what I mean. When I wanted the new stables built, what did I do?
Sam. You sent for Mr. Bond, Papa, and told him to do it.
Father. But what should make Mr. Bond willing to take the trouble of building stables for me?
Sam. You told him you would pay him for doing it.
Father. Very well: then you see, money is the first thing requisite when any great work is to be performed. If a man wants nothing but what he can procure for himself, he has no need of money: but then he must be content to live upon wild fruits, and to shelter himself in a cavern: this is what is called savage life. The use of money is to make men help each other: and when men help each other, they are able to do a hundred times more than when every one only prepares what he wants for his own use.
The next day the three boys were taken by their Father to Guildhall. As soon as John perceived the two gigantic figures which stand at the end of the hall, he exclaimed,—“There now, Papa, I dare say the men who built St. Paul’s were just such men as those figures; if they were real men, they would be able to handle the great stones as easily as the bricklayers handle the bricks.”
Father. We shall presently see if men cannot contrive ways of doing every thing they want to be done, without waiting till they can find giants to help them.
They afterwards walked down to the river side. A vessel was lying at one of the wharfs, laden with very large blocks of Portland Stone. The conversation was resumed.
Father. John, do you see what is in that vessel?
John. Yes, Papa; very large square stones: I wonder they don’t make the vessel sink to the bottom.