wealbk02-第19章

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go　to　a　play　or　a　puppetshow；　and　so　contribute　his　share　towards

maintaining　one　set　of　unproductive　labourers；　or　he　may　pay　some

taxes；　and　thus　help　to　maintain　another　set；　more　honourable　and

useful　indeed；　but　equally　unproductive。　No　part　of　the　annual

produce；　however；　which　had　been　originally　destined　to　replace　a

capital；　is　ever　directed　towards　maintaining　unproductive　hands

till　after　it　has　put　into　motion　its　full　complement　of

productive　labour；　or　all　that　it　could　put　into　motion　in　the

way　in　which　it　was　employed。　The　workman　must　have　earned　his

wages　by　work　done　before　he　can　employ　any　part　of　them　in　this

manner。　That　part；　too；　is　generally　but　a　small　one。　It　is　his

spare　revenue　only；　of　which　productive　labourers　have　seldom　a

great　deal。　They　generally　have　some；　however；　and　in　the　payment

of　taxes　the　greatness　of　their　number　may　compensate；　in　some

measure；　the　smallness　of　their　contribution。　The　rent　of　land

and　the　profits　of　stock　are　everywhere；　therefore；　the　principal

sources　from　which　unproductive　hands　derive　their　subsistence。

These　are　the　two　sorts　of　revenue　of　which　the　owners　have

generally　most　to　spare。　They　might　both　maintain　indifferently

either　productive　or　unproductive　hands。　They　seem；　however；　to

have　some　predilection　for　the　latter。　The　expense　of　a　great

lord　feeds　generally　more　idle　than　industrious　people。　The　rich

merchant；　though　with　his　capital　he　maintains　industrious　people

only；　yet　by　his　expense；　that　is；　by　the　employment　of　his

revenue；　he　feeds　commonly　the　very　same　sort　as　the　great　lord。

　　　　　The　proportion；　therefore；　between　the　productive　and

unproductive　hands；　depends　very　much　in　every　country　upon　the

proportion　between　that　part　of　the　annual　produce；　which；　as

soon　as　it　comes　either　from　the　ground　or　from　the　hands　of　the

productive　labourers；　is　destined　for　replacing　a　capital；　and

that　which　is　destined　for　constituting　a　revenue；　either　as　rent

or　as　profit。　This　proportion　is　very　different　in　rich　from　what

it　is　in　poor　countries。

　　　　　Thus；　at　present；　in　the　opulent　countries　of　Europe；　a　very

large；　frequently　the　largest　portion　of　the　produce　of　the　land

is　destined　for　replacing　the　capital　of　the　rich　and　independent

farmer；　the　other　for　paying　his　profits　and　the　rent　of　the

landlord。　But　anciently；　during　the　prevalency　of　the　feudal

government；　a　very　small　portion　of　the　produce　was　sufficient　to

replace　the　capital　employed　in　cultivation。　It　consisted

commonly　in　a　few　wretched　cattle；　maintained　altogether　by　the

spontaneous　produce　of　uncultivated　land；　and　which　might；

therefore；　be　considered　as　a　part　of　that　spontaneous　produce。

It　generally；　too；　belonged　to　the　landlord；　and　was　by　him

advanced　to　the　occupiers　of　the　land。　All　the　rest　of　the

produce　properly　belonged　to　him　too；　either　as　rent　for　his

land；　or　as　profit　upon　this　paltry　capital。　The　occupiers　of

land　were　generally　bondmen；　whose　persons　and　effects　were

equally　his　property。　Those　who　were　not　bondmen　were　tenants　at

will；　and　though　the　rent　which　they　paid　was　often　nominally

little　more　than　a　quit…rent；　it　really　amounted　to　the　whole

produce　of　the　land。　Their　lord　could　at　all　times　command　their

labour　in　peace　and　their　service　in　war。　Though　they　lived　at　a

distance　from　his　house；　they　were　equally　dependent　upon　him　as

his　retainers　who　lived　in　it。　But　the　whole　produce　of　the　land

undoubtedly　belongs　to　him　who　can　dispose　of　the　labour　and

service　of　all　those　whom　it　maintains。　In　the　present　state　of

Europe；　the　share　of　the　landlord　seldom　exceeds　a　third；

sometimes　not　a　fourth　part　of　the　whole　produce　of　the　land。　The

rent　of　land；　however；　in　all　the　improved　parts　of　the　country；

has　been　tripled　and　quadrupled　since　those　ancient　times；　and

this　third　or　fourth　part　of　the　annual　produce　is；　it　seems；

three　or　four　times　greater　than　the　whole　had　been　before。　In

the　progress　of　improvement；　rent；　though　it　increases　in

proportion　to　the　extent；　diminishes　in　proportion　to　the　produce

of　the　land。

　　　　　In　the　opulent　countries　of　Europe；　great　capitals　are　at

present　employed　in　trade　and　manufactures。　In　the　ancient　state；

the　little　trade　that　was　stirring；　and　the　few　homely　and　coarse

manufactures　that　were　carried　on；　required　but　very　small

capitals。　These；　however；　must　have　yielded　very　large　profits。

The　rate　of　interest　was　nowhere　less　than　ten　per　cent；　and

their　profits　must　have　been　sufficient　to　afford　this　great

interest。　At　present　the　rate　of　interest；　in　the　improved　parts

of　Europe；　is　nowhere　higher　than　six　per　cent；　and　in　some　of

the　most　improved　it　is　so　low　as　four；　three；　and　two　per　cent。

Though　that　part　of　the　revenue　of　the　inhabitants　which　is

derived　from　the　profits　of　stock　is　always　much　greater　in　rich

than　in　poor　countries；　it　is　because　the　stock　is　much　greater：

in　proportion　to　the　stock　the　profits　are　generally　much　less。

　　　　　That　part　of　the　annual　produce；　therefore；　which；　as　soon

as　it　comes　either　from　the　ground　or　from　the　hands　of　the

productive　labourers；　is　destined　for　replacing　a　capital；　is　not

only　much　greater　in　rich　than　in　poor　countries；　but　bears　a

much　greater　proportion　to　that　which　is　immediately　destined　for

constituting　a　revenue　either　as　rent　or　as　profit。　The　funds

destined　for　the　maintenance　of　productive　labour　are　not　only

much　greater　in　the　former　than　in　the　latter；　but　bear　a　much

greater　proportion　to　those　which；　though　they　may　be　employed　to

maintain　either　productive　or　unproductive　hands；　have　generally

a　predilection　for　the　latter。

　　　　　The　proportion　between　those　different　funds　necessarily

determines　in　every　country　the　general　character　of　the

inhabitants　as　to　industry　or　idleness。　We　are　more　industrious

than　our　forefathers；　because　in　the　present　times　the　funds

destined　for　the　maintenance　of　industry　are　much　greater　in

proportion　to　those　which　are　likely　to　be　employed　in　the

maintenance　of　idleness　than　they　were　two　or　three　centuries

ago。　Our　ancestors　were　idle　for　want　of　a　sufficient

encouragement　to　industry。　It　is　better；　says　the　proverb；　to

play　for　nothing　than　to　work　for　nothing。　In　mercantile　and

manufacturing　towns；　where　the　inferior　ranks　of　people　are

chiefly　maintained　by　the　employment　of　capital；　they　are　in

general　industrious；　sober；　and　thriving；　as　in　many　English；　and

in　most　Dutch　towns。　In　those　towns　which　are　principally

supported　by　the　constant　or　occasional　residence　of　a　court；　and

in　which　the　inferior　ranks　of　people　are　chiefly　maintained　by

the　spending　of　revenue；　they　are　in　general　idle；　dissolute；　and

poor；　as　at　Rome；　Versailles；　Compiegne；　and　Fontainebleu。　If　you

except　Rouen　and　Bordeaux；　there　is　little　trade　or　industry　in

any　of　the　parliament　towns　of　France；　and　the　inferior　ranks　of

people；　being　elderly　maintained　by　the　expense　of　the　members　of

the　courts　of　justice；　and　of　those　who　come　to　plead　before

them；　are　in　general　idle　and　poor。　The　great　trade　of　Rouen　and

Bordeaux　seems　to　be　altogether　the　effect　of　their　situation。

Rouen　is　necessarily　the　entrepot　of　almost　all　the　goods　which

are　brought　either　from　foreign　countries；　or　from　the　maritime

provinces　of　France；　for　the　consumption　of　the　great　city　of

Paris。　Bordeaux　is　in　the　same　manner　the　entrepot　of　the　wines

which　grow　upon　the　banks　of　the　Garonne；　and　of　the　rivers　which

run　into　it；　one　of　the　richest　wine　countries　in　the　world；　and

which　seems　to　produce　the　wine　fittest　for　exportation；　or　best

suited　to　the　taste　of　foreign　nations。　Such　advantageous

situations　necessarily　attract　a　great　capital　by　the　great

employment　which　they　afford　it；　and　the　employment　of　this

capital　is　the　cause　of　the　industry　of　those　two　cities。　In　the

other　parliament　towns　of　France；　very　little　more　capital　seems

to　be　employed　than　what　is　necessary　for　supplying　their　own

consumption；　that　is；　little　more　than　the　smallest　capital　which

can　be　employ