wealbk01-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



when　the　annual　produce　of　its　labour　becomes　gradually　greater

and　greater；　a　greater　quantity　of　coin　becomes　necessary　in

order　to　circulate　a　greater　quantity　of　commodities；　and　the

people；　as　they　can　afford　it；　as　they　have　more　commodities　to

give　for　it；　will　naturally　purchase　a　greater　and　a　greater

quantity　of　plate。　The　quantity　of　their　coin　will　increase　from

necessity；　the　quantity　of　their　plate　from　vanity　and

ostentation；　or　from　the　same　reason　that　the　quantity　of　fine

statues；　pictures；　and　of　every　other　luxury　and　curiosity；　is

likely　to　increase　among　them。　But　as　statuaries　and　painters　are

not　likely　to　be　worse　rewarded　in　times　of　wealth　and　prosperity

than　in　times　of　poverty　and　depression；　so　gold　and　silver　are

not　likely　to　be　worse　paid　for。

　　　　　The　price　of　gold　and　silver；　when　the　accidental　discovery

of　more　abundant　mines　does　not　keep　it　down；　as　it　naturally

rises　with　the　wealth　of　every　country；　so；　whatever　be　the　state

of　the　mines；　it　is　at　all　times　naturally　higher　in　a　rich　than

in　a　poor　country。　Gold　and　silver；　like　all　other　commodities；

naturally　seek　the　market　where　the　best　price　is　given　for　them；

and　the　best　price　is　commonly　given　for　every　thing　in　the

country　which　can　best　afford　it。　Labour；　it　must　be　remembered；

is　the　ultimate　price　which　is　paid　for　everything；　and　in

countries　where　labour　is　equally　well　regarded；　the　money　price

of　labour　will　be　in　proportion　to　that　of　the　subsistence　of　the

labourer。　But　gold　and　silver　will　naturally　exchange　for　a

greater　quantity　of　subsistence　in　a　rich　than　in　a　poor　country；

in　a　country　which　abounds　with　subsistence　than　in　one　which　is

but　indifferently　supplied　with　it。　If　the　two　countries　are　at　a

great　distance；　the　difference　may　be　very　great；　because　though

the　metals　naturally　fly　from　the　worse　to　the　better　market；　yet

it　may　be　difficult　to　transport　them　in　such　quantities　as　to

bring　their　price　nearly　to　a　level　in　both。　If　the　countries　are

near；　the　difference　will　be　smaller；　and　may　sometimes　be　scarce

perceptible；　because　in　this　case　the　transportation　will　be

easy。　China　is　a　much　richer　country　than　any　part　of　Europe；　and

the　difference　between　the　price　of　subsistence　in　China　and　in

Europe　is　very　great。　Rice　in　China　is　much　cheaper　than　wheat　is

anywhere　in　Europe。　England　is　a　much　richer　country　than

Scotland；　but　the　difference　between　the　money…price　of　corn　in

those　two　countries　is　much　smaller；　and　is　but　just　perceptible。

In　proportion　to　the　quantity　or　measure；　Scotch　corn　generally

appears　to　be　a　good　deal　cheaper　than　English；　but　in　proportion

to　its　quality；　it　is　certainly　somewhat　dearer。　Scotland

receives　almost　every　year　very　large　supplies　from　England；　and

every　commodity　must　commonly　be　somewhat　dearer　in　the　country

to　which　it　is　brought　than　in　that　from　which　it　comes。　English

corn；　therefore；　must　be　dearer　in　Scotland　than　in　England；　and

yet　in　proportion　to　its　quality；　or　to　the　quantity　and　goodness

of　the　flour　or　meal　which　can　be　made　from　it；　it　cannot

commonly　be　sold　higher　there　than　the　Scotch　corn　which　comes　to

market　in　competition　with　it。

　　　　　The　difference　between　the　money　price　of　labour　in　China

and　in　Europe　is　still　greater　than　that　between　the　money　price

of　subsistence；　because　the　real　recompense　of　labour　is　higher

in　Europe　than　in　China；　the　greater　part　of　Europe　being　in　an

improving　state；　while　China　seems　to　be　standing　still。　The

money　price　of　labour　is　lower　in　Scotland　than　in　England

because　the　real　recompense　of　labour　is　much　lower；　Scotland；

though　advancing　to　greater　wealth；　advancing　much　more　slowly

than　England。　The　frequency　of　emigration　from　Scotland；　and　the

rarity　of　it　from　England；　sufficiently　prove　that　the　demand　for

labour　is　very　different　in　the　two　countries。　The　proportion

between　the　real　recompense　of　labour　in　different　countries；　it

must　be　remembered；　is　naturally　regulated　not　by　their　actual

wealth　or　poverty；　but　by　their　advancing；　stationary；　or

declining　condition。

　　　　　Gold　and　silver；　as　they　are　naturally　of　the　greatest　value

among　the　richest；　so　they　are　naturally　of　the　least　value　among

the　poorest　nations。　Among　savages；　the　poorest　of　all　nations；

they　are　of　scarce　any　value。

　　　　　In　great　towns　corn　is　always　dearer　than　in　remote　parts　of

the　country。　This；　however；　is　the　effect；　not　of　the　real

cheapness　of　silver；　but　of　the　real　dearness　of　corn。　It　does

not　cost　less　labour　to　bring　silver　to　the　great　town　than　to

the　remote　parts　of　the　country；　but　it　costs　a　great　deal　more

to　bring　corn。

　　　　　In　some　very　rich　and　commercial　countries；　such　as　Holland

and　the　territory　of　Genoa；　corn　is　dear　for　the　same　reason　that

it　is　dear　in　great　towns。　They　do　not　produce　enough　to　maintain

their　inhabitants。　They　are　rich　in　the　industry　and　skill　of

their　artificers　and　manufacturers；　in　every　sort　of　machinery

which　can　facilitate　and　abridge　labour；　in　shipping；　and　in　all

the　other　instruments　and　means　of　carriage　and　commerce：　but

they　are　poor　in　corn；　which；　as　it　must　be　brought　to　them　from

distant　countries；　must；　by　an　addition　to　its　price；　pay　for　the

carriage　from　those　countries。　It　does　not　cost　less　labour　to

bring　silver　to　Amsterdam　than　to　Dantzic；　but　it　costs　a　great

deal　more　to　bring　corn。　The　real　cost　of　silver　must　be　nearly

the　same　in　both　places；　but　that　of　corn　must　be　very　different。

Diminish　the　real　opulence　either　of　Holland　or　of　the　territory

of　Genoa；　while　the　number　of　their　inhabitants　remains　the　same：

diminish　their　power　of　supplying　themselves　from　distant

countries；　and　the　price　of　corn；　instead　of　sinking　with　that

diminution　in　the　quantity　of　their　silver；　which　must

necessarily　accompany　this　declension　either　as　its　cause　or　as

its　effect；　will　rise　to　the　price　of　a　famine。　When　we　are　in

want　of　necessaries　we　must　part　with　all　superfluities；　of　which

the　value；　as　it　rises　in　times　of　opulence　and　prosperity；　so　it

sinks　in　times　of　poverty　and　distress。　It　is　otherwise　with

necessaries。　Their　real　price；　the　quantity　of　labour　which　they

can　purchase　or　command；　rises　in　times　of　poverty　and　distress；

and　sinks　in　times　of　opulence　and　prosperity；　which　are　always

times　of　great　abundance；　for　they　could　not　otherwise　be　times

of　opulence　and　prosperity。　Corn　is　a　necessary；　silver　is　only　a

superfluity。

　　　　　Whatever；　therefore；　may　have　been　the　increase　in　the

quantity　of　the　precious　metals；　which；　during　the　period　between

the　middle　of　the　fourteenth　and　that　of　the　sixteenth　century；

arose　from　the　increase　of　wealth　and　improvement；　it　could　have

no　tendency　to　diminish　their　value　either　in　Great　Britain　or　in

any　other　part　of　Europe。　If　those　who　have　collected　the　prices

of　things　in　ancient　times；　therefore；　had；　during　this　period；

no　reason　to　infer　the　diminution　of　the　value　of　silver；　from

any　observations　which　they　had　made　upon　the　prices　either　of

corn　or　of　other　commodities；　they　had　still　less　reason　to　infer

it　from　any　supposed　increase　of　wealth　and　improvement。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　PERIOD　

　　　　　But　how　various　soever　may　have　been　the　opinions　of　the

learned　concerning　the　progress　of　the　value　of　silver　during

this　first　period；　they　are　unanimous　concerning　it　during　the

second。

　　　　　From　about　1570　to　about　1640；　during　a　period　of　about

seventy　years；　the　variation　in　the　proportion　between　the　value

of　silver　and　that　of　corn　held　a　quite　opposite　course。　Silver

sunk　in　its　real　value；　or　would　exchange　for　a　smaller　quantity

of　labour　than　before；　and　corn　rose　in　its　nominal　price；　and

instead　of　being　commonly　sold　for　about　two　ounces　of　silver　the

quarter；　or　about　ten　shillings　of　our　present　money；　came　to　be

sold　for　six　and　eight　ounces　of　silver　the　quarter；　or　about

thirty　and　f