wealbk01-第71章

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price　of　butcher's　meat。　The　price　both　of　the　great　and　small

cattle；　which　are　fed　on　improved　and　cultivated　land；　must　be

sufficient　to　pay　the　rent　which　the　landlord　and　the　profit

which　the　farmer　has　reason　to　expect　from　improved　and

cultivated　land。　If　it　is　not；　they　will　soon　cease　to　feed　them。

Whatever　part　of　this　price；　therefore；　is　not　paid　by　the　wool

and　the　hide　must　be　paid　by　the　carcase。　The　less　there　is　paid

for　the　one；　the　more　must　be　paid　for　the　other。　In　what　manner

this　price　is　to　be　divided　upon　the　different　parts　of　the　beast

is　indifferent　to　the　landlords　and　farmers；　provided　it　is　all

paid　to　them。　In　an　improved　and　cultivated　country；　therefore；

their　interest　as　landlords　and　farmers　cannot　be　much　affected

by　such　regulations；　though　their　interest　as　consumers　may；　by

the　rise　in　the　price　of　provisions。　It　would　be　quite　otherwise；

however；　in　an　unimproved　and　uncultivated　country；　where　the

greater　part　of　the　lands　could　be　applied　to　no　other　purpose

but　the　feeding　of　cattle；　and　where　the　wool　and　the　hide　made

the　principal　part　of　the　value　of　those　cattle。　Their　interest

as　landlords　and　farmers　would　in　this　case　be　very　deeply

affected　by　such　regulations；　and　their　interest　as　consumers

very　little。　The　fall　in　the　price　of　wool　and　the　hide　would　not

in　this　case　raise　the　price　of　the　carcase；　because　the　greater

part　of　the　lands　of　the　country　being　applicable　to　no　other

purpose　but　the　feeding　of　cattle；　the　same　number　would　still

continue　to　be　fed。　The　same　quantity　of　butcher's　meat　would

still　come　to　market。　The　demand　for　it　would　be　no　greater　than

before。　Its　price；　therefore；　would　be　the　same　as　before。　The

whole　price　of　cattle　would　fall；　and　along　with　it　both　the　rent

and　the　profit　of　all　those　lands　of　which　cattle　was　the

principal　produce；　that　is；　of　the　greater　part　of　the　lands　of

the　country。　The　perpetual　prohibition　of　the　exportation　of

wool；　which　is　commonly；　but　very　falsely；　ascribed　to　Edward

III；　would；　in　the　then　circumstances　of　the　country；　have　been

the　most　destructive　regulation　which　could　well　have　been

thought　of。　It　would　not　only　have　reduced　the　actual　value　of

the　greater　part　of　the　lands　of　the　kingdom；　but　by　reducing　the

price　of　the　most　important　species　of　small　cattle　it　would　have

retarded　very　much　its　subsequent　improvement。

　　　　　The　wool　of　Scotland　fell　very　considerably　in　its　price　in

consequence　of　the　union　with　England；　by　which　it　was　excluded

from　the　great　market　of　Europe；　and　confined　to　the　narrow　one

of　Great　Britain。　The　value　of　the　greater　part　of　the　lands　in

the　southern　counties　of　Scotland；　which　are　chiefly　a　sheep

country；　would　have　been　very　deeply　affected　by　this　event；　had

not　the　rise　in　the　price　of　butcher's　meat　fully　compensated　the

fall　in　the　price　of　wool。

　　　　　As　the　efficacy　of　human　industry；　in　increasing　the

quantity　either　of　wool　or　of　raw　hides；　is　limited；　so　far　as　it

depends　upon　the　produce　of　the　country　where　it　is　exerted；　so

it　is　uncertain　so　far　as　it　depends　upon　the　produce　of　other

countries。　It　so　far　depends；　not　so　much　upon　the　quantity　which

they　produce；　as　upon　that　which　they　do　not　manufacture；　and

upon　the　restraints　which　they　may　or　may　not　think　proper　to

impose　upon　the　exportation　of　this　sort　of　rude　produce。　These

circumstances；　as　they　are　altogether　independent　of　domestic

industry；　so　they　necessarily　render　the　efficacy　of　its　efforts

more　or　less　uncertain。　In　multiplying　this　sort　of　rude　produce；

therefore；　the　efficacy　of　human　industry　is　not　only　limited；

but　uncertain。

　　　　　In　multiplying　another　very　important　sort　of　rude　produce；

the　quantity　of　fish　that　is　brought　to　market；　it　is　likewise

both　limited　and　uncertain。　It　is　limited　by　the　local　situation

of　the　country；　by　the　proximity　or　distance　of　its　different

provinces　from　the　sea；　by　the　number　of　its　lakes　and　rivers；

and　by　what　may　be　called　the　fertility　or　barrenness　of　those

seas；　lakes；　and　rivers；　as　to　this　sort　of　rude　produce。　As

population　increases；　as　the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and

labour　of　the　country　grows　greater　and　greater；　there　come　to　be

more　buyers　of　fish；　and　those　buyers；　too；　have　a　greater

quantity　and　variety　of　other　goods；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；

the　price　of　a　greater　quantity　and　variety　of　other　goods　to　buy

with。　But　it　will　generally　be　impossible　to　supply　the　great　and

extended　market　without　employing　a　quantity　of　labour　greater

than　in　proportion　to　what　had　been　requisite　for　supplying　the

narrow　and　confined　one。　A　market　which；　from　requiring　only　one

thousand；　comes　to　require　annually　ten　thousand　tons　of　fish；

can　seldom　be　supplied　without　employing　more　than　ten　times　the

quantity　of　labour　which　had　before　been　sufficient　to　supply　it。

The　fish　must　generally　be　fought　for　at　a　greater　distance；

larger　vessels　must　be　employed；　and　more　expensive　machinery　of

every　kind　made　use　of。　The　real　price　of　this　commodity；

therefore；　naturally　rises　in　the　progress　of　improvement。　It　has

accordingly　done　so；　I　believe；　more　or　less　in　every　country。

　　　　　Though　the　success　of　a　particular　day's　fishing　may　be　a

very　uncertain　matter；　yet；　the　local　situation　of　the　country

being　supposed；　the　general　efficacy　of　industry　in　bringing　a

certain　quantity　of　fish　to　market；　taking　the　course　of　a　year；

or　of　several　years　together；　it　may　perhaps　be　thought　is

certain　enough；　and　it　no　doubt　is　so。　As　it　depends　more；

however；　upon　the　local　situation　of　the　country　than　upon　the

state　of　its　wealth　and　industry；　as　upon　this　account　it　may　in

different　countries　be　the　same　in　very　different　periods　of

improvement；　and　very　different　in　the　same　period；　its

connection　with　the　state　of　improvement　is　uncertain；　and　it　is

of　this　sort　of　uncertainty　that　I　am　here　speaking。

　　　　　In　increasing　the　quantity　of　the　different　minerals　and

metals　which　are　drawn　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　that　of　the

more　precious　ones　particularly；　the　efficacy　of　human　industry

seems　not　to　be　limited；　but　to　be　altogether　uncertain。

　　　　　The　quantity　of　the　precious　metals　which　is　to　be　found　in

any　country　is　not　limited　by　anything　in　its　local　situation；

such　as　the　fertility　or　barrenness　of　its　own　mines。　Those

metals　frequently　abound　in　countries　which　possess　no　mines。

Their　quantity　in　every　particular　country　seems　to　depend　upon

two　different　circumstances；　first；　upon　its　power　of　purchasing；

upon　the　state　of　its　industry；　upon　the　annual　produce　of　its

land　and　labour；　in　consequence　of　which　it　can　afford　to　employ

a　greater　or　a　smaller　quantity　of　labour　and　subsistence　in

bringing　or　purchasing　such　superfluities　as　gold　and　silver；

either　from　its　own　mines　or　from　those　of　other　countries；　and；

secondly；　upon　the　fertility　or　barrenness　of　the　mines　which　may

happen　at　any　particular　time　to　supply　the　commercial　world　with

those　metals。　The　quantity　of　those　metals　in　the　countries　most

remote　from　the　mines　must　be　more　or　less　affected　by　this

fertility　or　barrenness；　on　account　of　the　easy　and　cheap

transportation　of　those　metals；　of　their　small　bulk　and　great

value。　Their　quantity　in　China　and　Indostan　must　have　been　more

or　less　affected　by　the　abundance　of　the　mines　of　America。

　　　　　So　far　as　their　quantity　in　any　particular　country　depends

upon　the　former　of　those　two　circumstances　（the　power　of

purchasing）；　their　real　price；　like　that　of　all　other　luxuries

and　superfluities；　is　likely　to　rise　with　the　wealth　and

improvement　of　the　country；　and　to　fall　with　its　poverty　and

depression。　Countries　which　have　a　great　quantity　of　labour　and

subsistence　to　spare　can　afford　to　purchase　any　particular

quantity　of　those　metals　at　the　expense　of　a　greater　quantity　of

labour　and　subsistence　than　countries　which　have　less　to　spare。

　　　　　So　far　as