son John," and dedicated to the Earl of Southampton, lord high treasurer. Influenced by his work as a merchant and his time spent as the director of the East India Company, the book covers a wide array of topics. Most notably, however, England's Treasure is considered to be a direct repudiation of arguments made in regards to foreign trade by Gerard de Malynes and Edward Misselden. Mun was opposed to a fixed exchange rate, as proposed by Malynes, and saw it as more of an impairment than a benefit to the economy. In the book we also find the first notion of Mun's theory of the balance of trade. It should be the focus of English policy, argued Mun, to export at a higher rate than it imports from abroad. In doing so, the wealth of the country will inevitably increase. The publication, however, was not as optimistic as it is widely perceived it to be. A large portion of the book is spent chastising the British for being too unlike the Dutch. A strong work ethic, a restraint from conspicuous consumption, and a vigorous trade regiment are all qualities which led to the overall prosperity of the Dutch. They are also qualities, Mun contends, that the British did not possess. See also Mercantilism East India Company Balance of trade Bullionism History of economic thought Privy Council of the United Kingdom References Literature External links Peter Jensen, 'Thomas Mun' 1571 births 1641 deaths 17th-century English economists Mercantilists 17th-century English male writers 16th-century English businesspeople 17th-century English businesspeople