Benedetto Cotrugli – The Book of the Art of Trade (eBook)

Carlo Carraro is Professor of Economics at Ca’Foscari University, Venice, Italy. He was President of the University of Venice from 2009 to 2014 and Director of the Department of Economics from 2005-2008. Carraro is Scientific Director of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Director of the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG). He is also President Elect of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), Co-Chair of the Green Growth Knowledge Platform Advisory Committee and the Editor of the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.Giovanni Favero is Associate Professor of Economic history  at the Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy, in the Department of Management, where he is Deputy Dean for Research. His research interests focus on the history of quantification, from statistics to accounting, and business history in a long-term perspective.

Preface 5
Contents 9
Part I: Introduction 11
Benedetto Cotrugli, Book of the Art of Trade (Libro del’arte dela mercatura) 12
Foreword 12
A New Edition of Benedetto Cotrugli’s The Book of the Art of Trade 18
A Changing Book 18
This Edition 20
The Author: Benedetto Cotrugli (Benedikt Kotrulj/Benedictus de Cotrullis) 21
The Book: il Libro del’arte dela mercatura 24
Part II: The Book of the Art of Trade 29
Preface 30
Part 1: On the Origins and Principles of Trade 34
Chapter I 34
Chapter II On the Essence and Definition of Trade 38
Chapter III On the Personal Qualities of the Merchant 41
(f. 12’) Chapter IV On the Proper Location for the Merchant 46
Chapter V On Exchange Selling 49
Chapter VI On Selling for Cash 51
Chapter VII Selling on Credit 52
Chapter VIII On Receiving Payment 59
Chapter IX On Paying Your Debts 60
Chapter X On the Manner and Universal System of Trading 62
Chapter XI On Exchanges 70
Chapter XII Of Deposits and Pledges 75
Chapter XIII On Keeping One’s Books in a Mercantile Manner 77
Chapter XIV Of Insurance and Insurers 81
Chapter XV On Jewellers 82
Chapter XVI Of Drapers and Haberdashers 83
Chapter XVII On Wool Merchants and Other Specific Trade Merchants 84
Chapter XVIII Things Forbidden to Merchants 85
Chapter XIX Of Seven-Year Balances 88
Part 2: On the Religion Incumbent on the Merchant 91
Chapter I On the Mass 92
Chapter II On Prayer 95
Chapter III On the Giving of Alms 98
Chapter IV On Matters of Conscience: What Is And What Is Not Permissible
Part 3: On the Civic Life of the Merchant 116
Exordium 116
Chapter I On the Honour and Dignity of the Merchant 117
Chapter II On Prudence and the Merchant 121
Chapter III On the Education of the Merchant 122
Chapter IV Where a Merchant Should Place His Trust 127
Chapter V On the Luck of the Merchant 128
Chapter VI On the Merchant’s Integrity 128
Chapter VII On the Merchant’s Diligence 129
Chapter VIII On the Merchant’s Fluency of Action 130
Chapter IX On the Merchant’s Shrewdness 131
Chapter X On the Civility of the Merchant 132
Chapter XI On the Merchant’s Sense of Fairness 133
Chapter XII On the Steadfastness of the Merchant 134
Chapter XIII On the Presence of the Merchant 134
Chapter XIV On the Merchant’s Generosity 135
Chapter XV On the Merchant’s Composure 137
Chapter XVI On the Merchant’s Modesty 139
Chapter XVII On the Praiseworthy Personal Attributes of the Merchant 140
Chapter XVIII On the Merchant’s Temperance 141
Part 4: On the Economic Virtues of the Merchant 145
Exordium 145
Chapter I On the House 147
Chapter II On the Villa 148
Chapter III On a Man as Administrator of His Household 149
Chapter IV On Clothes and Ornaments 150
Chapter V On Tableware and Furnishings 154
Chapter VI On His Wife 155
Chapter VII On His Children 166
Chapter VIII On Servants 170
Chapter IX On Landholdings 172
Chapter X On the Merchant’s Last Years 172
Part III: Essays 177
Benedetto Cotrugli, Merchant Writer 178
The Printed Editions of Benedetto Cotrugli’s Treaty 215
A Note on the Text 221
References 225
Index 234