wealbk02-第21章

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full　value　of　their　consumption。　The　same　quantity　of　money　would

in　this　case　equally　have　remained　in　the　country；　and　there

would　besides　have　been　a　reproduction　of　an　equal　value　of

consumable　goods。　There　would　have　been　two　values　instead　of

one。

　　　　　The　same　quantity　of　money；　besides；　cannot　long　remain　in

any　country　in　which　the　value　of　the　annual　produce　diminishes。

The　sole　use　of　money　is　to　circulate　consumable　goods。　By　means

of　it；　provisions；　materials；　and　finished　work；　are　bought　and

sold；　and　distributed　to　their　proper　consumers。　The　quantity　of

money；　therefore；　which　can　be　annually　employed　in　any　country

must　be　determined　by　the　value　of　the　consumable　goods　annually

circulated　within　it。　These　must　consist　either　in　the　immediate

produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　country　itself；　or　in

something　which　had　been；　purchased　with　some　part　of　that

produce。　Their　value；　therefore；　must　diminish　as　the　value　of

that　produce　diminishes；　and　along　with　it　the　quantity　of　money

which　can　be　employed　in　circulating　them。　But　the　money　which　by

this　annual　diminution　of　produce　is　annually　thrown　out　of

domestic　circulation　will　not　be　allowed　to　lie　idle。　The

interest　of　whoever　possesses　it　requires　that　it　should　be

employed。　But　having　no　employment　at　home；　it　will；　in　spite　of

all　laws　and　prohibitions；　be　sent　abroad；　and　employed　in

purchasing　consumable　goods　which　may　be　of　some　use　at　home。　Its

annual　exportation　will　in　this　manner　continue　for　some　time　to

add　something　to　the　annual　consumption　of　the　country　beyond　the

value　of　its　own　annual　produce。　What　in　the　days　of　its

prosperity　had　been　saved　from　that　annual　produce；　and　employed

in　purchasing　gold　and　silver；　will　contribute　for　some　little

time　to　support　its　consumption　in　adversity。　The　exportation　of

gold　and　silver　is；　in　this　case；　not　the　cause；　but　the　effect

of　its　declension；　and　may　even；　for　some　little　time；　alleviate

the　misery　of　that　declension。

　　　　　The　quantity　of　money；　on　the　contrary；　must　in　every

country　naturally　increase　as　the　value　of　the　annual　produce

increases。　The　value　of　the　consumable　goods　annually　circulated

within　the　society　being　greater　will　require　a　greater　quantity

of　money　to　circulate　them。　A　part　of　the　increased　produce；

therefore；　will　naturally　be　employed　in　purchasing；　wherever　it

is　to　be　had；　the　additional　quantity　of　gold　and　silver

necessary　for　circulating　the　rest。　The　increase　of　those　metals

will　in　this　case　be　the　effect；　not　the　cause；　of　the　public

prosperity。　Gold　and　silver　are　purchased　everywhere　in　the　same

manner。　The　food；　clothing；　and　lodging；　the　revenue　and

maintenance　of　all　those　whose　labour　or　stock　is　employed　in

bringing　them　from　the　mine　to　the　market；　is　the　price　paid　for

them　in　Peru　as　well　as　in　England。　The　country　which　has　this

price　to　pay　will　never　be　long　without　the　quantity　of　those

metals　which　it　has　occasion　for；　and　no　country　will　ever　long

retain　a　quantity　which　it　has　no　occasion　for。

　　　　　Whatever；　therefore；　we　may　imagine　the　real　wealth　and

revenue　of　a　country　to　consist　in；　whether　in　the　value　of　the

annual　produce　of　its　land　and　labour；　as　plain　reason　seems　to

dictate；　or　in　the　quantity　of　the　precious　metals　which

circulate　within　it；　as　vulgar　prejudices　suppose；　in　either　view

of　the　matter；　every　prodigal　appears　to　be　a　public　enemy；　and

every　frugal　man　a　public　benefactor。

　　　　　The　effects　of　misconduct　are　often　the　same　as　those　of

prodigality。　Every　injudicious　and　unsuccessful　project　in

agriculture；　mines；　fisheries；　trade；　or　manufactures；　tends　in

the　same　manner　to　diminish　the　funds　destined　for　the

maintenance　of　productive　labour。　In　every　such　project；　though

the　capital　is　consumed　by　productive　hands　only；　yet；　as　by　the

injudicious　manner　in　which　they　are　employed　they　do　not

reproduce　the　full　value　of　their　consumption；　there　must　always

be　some　diminution　in　what　would　otherwise　have　been　the

productive　funds　of　the　society。

　　　　　It　can　seldom　happen；　indeed；　that　the　circumstances　of　a

great　nation　can　be　much　affected　either　by　the　prodigality　or

misconduct　of　individuals；　the　profusion　or　imprudence　of　some

being　always　more　than　compensated　by　the　frugality　and　good

conduct　of　others。

　　　　　With　regard　to　profusion；　the　principle　which　prompts　to

expense　is　the　passion　for　present　enjoyment；　which；　though

sometimes　violent　and　very　difficult　to　be　restrained；　is　in

general　only　momentary　and　occasional。　But　the　principle　which

prompts　to　save　is　the　desire　of　bettering　our　condition；　a

desire　which；　though　generally　calm　and　dispassionate；　comes　with

us　from　the　womb；　and　never　leaves　us　till　we　go　into　the　grave。

In　the　whole　interval　which　separates　those　two　moments；　there　is

scarce　perhaps　a　single　instant　in　which　any　man　is　so　perfectly

and　completely　satisfied　with　his　situation　as　to　be　without　any

wish　of　alteration　or　improvement　of　any　kind。　An　augmentation　of

fortune　is　the　means　by　which　the　greater　part　of　men　propose　and

wish　to　better　their　condition。　It　is　the　means　the　most　vulgar

and　the　most　obvious；　and　the　most　likely　way　of　augmenting　their

fortune　is　to　save　and　accumulate　some　part　of　what　they　acquire；

either　regularly　and　annually；　or　upon　some　extraordinary

occasions。　Though　the　principle　of　expense；　therefore；　prevails

in　almost　all　men　upon　some　occasions；　and　in　some　men　upon

almost　all　occasions；　yet　in　the　greater　part　of　men；　taking　the

whole　course　of　their　life　at　an　average；　the　principle　of

frugality　seems　not　only　to　predominate；　but　to　predominate　very

greatly。

　　　　　With　regard　to　misconduct；　the　number　of　prudent　and

successful　undertakings　is　everywhere　much　greater　than　that　of

injudicious　and　unsuccessful　ones。　After　all　our　complaints　of

the　frequency　of　bankruptcies；　the　unhappy　men　who　fall　into　this

misfortune　make　but　a　very　small　part　of　the　whole　number　engaged

in　trade；　and　all　other　sorts　of　business；　not　much　more　perhaps

than　one　in　a　thousand。　Bankruptcy　is　perhaps　the　greatest　and

most　humiliating　calamity　which　can　befall　an　innocent　man。　The

greater　part　of　men；　therefore；　are　sufficiently　careful　to　avoid

it。　Some；　indeed；　do　not　avoid　it；　as　some　do　not　avoid　the

gallows。

　　　　　Great　nations　are　never　impoverished　by　private；　though　they

sometimes　are　by　public　prodigality　and　misconduct。　The　whole；　or

almost　the　whole　public　revenue；　is　in　most　countries　employed　in

maintaining　unproductive　hands。　Such　are　the　people　who　compose　a

numerous　and　splendid　court；　a　great　ecclesiastical

establishment；　great　fleets　and　armies；　who　in　time　of　peace

produce　nothing；　and　in　time　of　war　acquire　nothing　which　can

compensate　the　expense　of　maintaining　them；　even　while　the　war

lasts。　Such　people；　as　they　themselves　produce　nothing；　are　all

maintained　by　the　produce　of　other　men's　labour。　When　multiplied；

therefore；　to　an　unnecessary　number；　they　may　in　a　particular

year　consume　so　great　a　share　of　this　produce；　as　not　to　leave　a

sufficiency　for　maintaining　the　productive　labourers；　who　should

reproduce　it　next　year。　The　next　year's　produce；　therefore；　will

be　less　than　that　of　the　foregoing；　and　if　the　same　disorder

should　continue；　that　of　the　third　year　will　be　still　less　than

that　of　the　second。　Those　unproductive　hands；　who　should　be

maintained　by　a　part　only　of　the　spare　revenue　of　the　people；　may

consume　so　great　a　share　of　their　whole　revenue；　and　thereby

oblige　so　great　a　number　to　encroach　upon　their　capitals；　upon

the　funds　destined　for　the　maintenance　of　productive　labour；　that

all　the　frugality　and　good　conduct　of　individuals　may　not　be　able

to　compensate　the　waste　and　degradation　of　produce　occasioned　by

this　violent　and　forced　encroachment。

　　　　　This　frugality　and　good　conduct；　however；　is　upon　most

occasions；　it　appears　from　experience；　sufficient　to　compensate；

not　only　the　private　prodigality　and　misconduct　of　individuals；

but　the　public　extravagance　of　government。　The　uni