wealbk01-第31章

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they　were　then　paid；　they　could　earn　from　six　to　ten　shillings　a

day。　Six　shillings　are　about　four　times　the　wages　of　common

labour　in　London；　and　in　every　particular　trade　the　lowest　common

earnings　may　always　be　considered　as　those　of　the　far　greater

number。　How　extravagant　soever　those　earnings　may　appear；　if　they

were　more　than　sufficient　to　compensate　all　the　disagreeable

circumstances　of　the　business；　there　would　soon　be　so　great　a

number　of　competitors　as；　in　a　trade　which　has　no　exclusive

privilege；　would　quickly　reduce　them　to　a　lower　rate。

　　　　　The　constancy　or　inconstancy　of　employment　cannot　affect　the

ordinary　profits　of　stock　in　any　particular　trade。　Whether　the

stock　is　or　is　not　constantly　employed　depends。　not　upon　the

trade；　but　the　trader。

　　　　　Fourthly；　the　wages　of　labour　vary　accordingly　to　the　small

or　great　trust　which　must　be　reposed　in　the　workmen。

　　　　　The　wages　of　goldsmiths　and　jewellers　are　everywhere

superior　to　those　of　many　other　workmen；　not　only　of　equal；　but

of　much　superior　ingenuity；　on　account　of　the　precious　materials

with　which　they　are　intrusted。

　　　　　We　trust　our　health　to　the　physician：　our　fortune　and

sometimes　our　life　and　reputation　to　the　lawyer　and　attorney。

Such　confidence　could　not　safely　be　reposed　in　people　of　a　very

mean　or　low　condition。　Their　reward　must　be　such；　therefore；　as

may　give　them　that　rank　in　the　society　which　so　important　a　trust

requires。　The　long　time　and　the　great　expense　which　must　be　laid

out　in　their　education；　when　combined　with　this　circumstance；

necessarily　enhance　still　further　the　price　of　their　labour。

　　　　　When　a　person　employs　only　his　own　stock　in　trade；　there　is

no　trust；　and　the　credit　which　he　may　get　from　other　people

depends；　not　upon　the　nature　of　his　trade；　but　upon　their　opinion

of　his　fortune；　probity；　and　prudence。　The　different　rates　of

profit；　therefore；　in　the　different　branches　of　trade；　cannot

arise　from　the　different　degrees　of　trust　reposed　in　the　traders。

　　　　　Fifthly；　the　wages　of　labour　in　different。　employments　vary

according　to　the　probability　or　improbability　of　success　in　them。

　　　　　The　probability　that　any　particular　person　shall　ever　be

qualified　for　the　employment　to　which　he　is　educated　is　very

different　in　different　occupations。　In　the　greater　part　of

mechanic　trades；　success　is　almost　certain；　but　very　uncertain　in

the　liberal　professions。　Put　your　son　apprentice　to　a　shoemaker；

there　is　little　doubt　of　his　learning　to　make　a　pair　of　shoes；

but　send　him　to　study　the　law；　it　is　at　least　twenty　to　one　if

ever　he　makes　such　proficiency　as　will　enable　him　to　live　by　the

business。　In　a　perfectly　fair　lottery；　those　who　draw　the　prizes

ought　to　gain　all　that　is　lost　by　those　who　draw　the　blanks。　In　a

profession　where　twenty　fail　for　one　that　succeeds；　that　one

ought　to　gain　all　that　should　have　been　gained　by　the

unsuccessful　twenty。　The　counsellor…at…law　who；　perhaps；　at　near

forty　years　of　age；　begins　to　make　something　by　his　profession；

ought　to　receive　the　retribution；　not　only　of　his　own　so　tedious

and　expensive　education；　but　that　of　more　than　twenty　others　who

are　never　likely　to　make　anything　by　it。　How　extravagant　soever

the　fees　of　counsellors…at…law　may　sometimes　appear；　their　real

retribution　is　never　equal　to　this。　Compute　in　any　particular

place　what　is　likely　to　be　annually　gained；　and　what　is　likely　to

be　annually　spent；　by　all　the　different　workmen　in　any　common

trade；　such　as　that　of　shoemakers　or　weavers；　and　you　will　find

that　the　former　sum　will　generally　exceed　the　latter。　But　make

the　same　computation　with　regard　to　all　the　counsellors　and

students　of　law；　in　all　the　different　inns　of　court；　and　you　will

find　that　their　annual　gains　bear　but　a　very　small　proportion　to

their　annual　expense；　even　though　you　rate　the　former　as　high；

and　the　latter　as　low；　as　can　well　be　done。　The　lottery　of　the

law；　therefore；　is　very　far　from　being　a　perfectly　fair　lottery；

and　that；　as　well　as　many　other　liberal　and　honourable

professions；　are；　in　point　of　pecuniary　gain；　evidently

under…recompensed。

　　　　　Those　professions　keep　their　level；　however；　with　other

occupations；　and；　notwithstanding　these　discouragements；　all　the

most　generous　and　liberal　spirits　are　eager　to　crowd　into　them。

Two　different　causes　contribute　to　recommend　them。　First；　the

desire　of　the　reputation　which　attends　upon　superior　excellence

in　any　of　them；　and；　secondly；　the　natural　confidence　which　every

man　has　more　or　less；　not　only　in　his　own　abilities；　but　in　his

own　good　fortune。

　　　　　To　excel　in　any　profession；　in　which　but　few　arrive　at

mediocrity；　is　the　most　decisive　mark　of　what　is　called　genius　or

superior　talents。　The　public　admiration　which　attends　upon　such

distinguished　abilities　makes　always　a　part　of　their　reward；　a

greater　or　smaller　in　proportion　as　it　is　higher　or　lower　in

degree。　It　makes　a　considerable　part　of　that　reward　in　the

profession　of　physic；　a　still　greater　perhaps　in　that　of　law；　in

poetry　and　philosophy　it　makes　almost　the　whole。

　　　　　There　are　some　very　agreeable　and　beautiful　talents　of　which

the　possession　commands　a　certain　sort　of　admiration；　but　of

which　the　exercise　for　the　sake　of　gain　is　considered；　whether

from　reason　or　prejudice；　as　a　sort　of　public　prostitution。　The

pecuniary　recompense；　therefore；　of　those　who　exercise　them　in

this　manner　must　be　sufficient；　not　only　to　pay　for　the　time；

labour；　and　expense　of　acquiring　the　talents；　but　for　the

discredit　which　attends　the　employment　of　them　as　the　means　of

subsistence。　The　exorbitant　rewards　of　players；　opera…singers；

opera…dancers；　etc。；　are　founded　upon　those　two　principles；　the

rarity　and　beauty　of　the　talents；　and　the　discredit　of　employing

them　in　this　manner。　It　seems　absurd　at　first　sight　that　we

should　despise　their　persons　and　yet　reward　their　talents　with

the　most　profuse　liberality。　While　we　do　the　one；　however；　we

must　of　necessity　do　the　other。　Should　the　public　opinion　or

prejudice　ever　alter　with　regard　to　such　occupations；　their

pecuniary　recompense　would　quickly　diminish。　More　people　would

apply　to　them；　and　the　competition　would　quickly　reduce　the　price

of　their　labour。　Such　talents；　though　far　from　being　common；　are

by　no　means　so　rare　as　is　imagined。　Many　people　possess　them　in

great　perfection；　who　disdain　to　make　this　use　of　them；　and　many

more　are　capable　of　acquiring　them；　if　anything　could　be　made

honourably　by　them。

　　　　　The　overweening　conceit　which　the　greater　part　of　men　have

of　their　own　abilities　is　an　ancient　evil　remarked　by　the

philosophers　and　moralists　of　all　ages。　Their　absurd　presumption

in　their　own　good　fortune　has　been　less　taken　notice　of。　It　is；

however；　if　possible；　still　more　universal。　There　is　no　man

living　who；　when　in　tolerable　health　and　spirits；　has　not　some

share　of　it。　The　chance　of　gain　is　by　every　man　more　or　less

overvalued；　and　the　chance　of　loss　is　by　most　men　undervalued；

and　by　scarce　any　man；　who　is　in　tolerable　health　and　spirits；

valued　more　than　it　is　worth。

　　　　　That　the　chance　of　gain　is　naturally　overvalued；　we　may

learn　from　the　universal　success　of　lotteries。　The　world　neither

ever　saw；　nor　ever　will　see；　a　perfectly　fair　lottery；　or　one　in

which　the　whole　gain　compensated　the　whole　loss；　because　the

undertaker　could　make　nothing　by　it。　In　the　state　lotteries　the

tickets　are　really　not　worth　the　price　which　is　paid　by　the

original　subscribers；　and　yet　commonly　sell　in　the　market　for

twenty；　thirty；　and　sometimes　forty　per　cent　advance。　The　vain

hope　of　gaining　some　of　the　great　prizes　is　the　sole　cause　of

this　demand。　The　soberest　people　scarce　look　upon　it　as　a　folly

to　pay　a　small　sum　for　the　chance　of　gaining　ten　or　twenty

thousand　pounds；　though　they　know　that　even　that　small　sum　is

perhaps　twenty　or　thirty　per　cent　more　than　the　chance　is　worth。

In　a　lottery　in　which　no　prize　exceeded　twenty　pounds；　thou