wealbk04-第78章

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science。　Though　in　representing　the　labour　which　is　employed　upon

land　as　the　only　productive　labour；　the　notions　which　it

inculcates　are　perhaps　too　narrow　and　confined；　yet　in

representing　the　wealth　of　nations　as　consisting；　not　in　the

unconsumable　riches　of　money；　but　in　the　consumable　goods

annually　reproduced　by　the　labour　of　the　society；　and　in

representing　perfect　liberty　as　the　only　effectual　expedient　for

rendering　this　annual　reproduction　the　greatest　possible；　its

doctrine　seems　to　be　in　every　respect　as　just　as　it　is　generous

and　liberal。　Its　followers　are　very　numerous；　and　as　men　are　fond

of　paradoxes；　and　of　appearing　to　understand　what　surpasses　the

comprehension　of　ordinary　people；　the　paradox　which　it　maintains；

concerning　the　unproductive　nature　of　manufacturing　labour；　has

not　perhaps　contributed　a　little　to　increase　the　number　of　its

admirers。　They　have　for　some　years　past　made　a　pretty

considerable　sect；　distinguished　in　the　French　republic　of

letters　by　the　name　of　The　Economists。　Their　works　have　certainly

been　of　some　service　to　their　country；　not　only　by　bringing　into

general　discussion　many　subjects　which　had　never　been　well

examined　before；　but　by　influencing　in　some　measure　the　public

administration　in　favour　of　agriculture。　It　has　been　in

consequence　of　their　representations；　accordingly；　that　the

agriculture　of　France　has　been　delivered　from　several　of　the

oppressions　which　it　before　laboured　under。　The　term　during　which

such　a　lease　can　be　granted；　as　will　be　valid　against　every

future　purchaser　or　proprietor　of　the　land；　has　been　prolonged

from　nine　to　twenty…seven　years。　The　ancient　provincial

restraints　upon　the　transportation　of　corn　from　one　province　of

the　kingdom　to　another　have　been　entirely　taken　away；　and　the

liberty　of　exporting　it　to　all　foreign　countries　has　been

established　as　the　common　law　of　the　kingdom　in　all　ordinary

cases。　This　sect；　in　their　works；　which　are　very　numerous；　and

which　treat　not　only　of　what　is　properly　called　Political

Economy；　or　of　the　nature　and　causes　of　the　wealth　of　nations；

but　of　every　other　branch　of　the　system　of　civil　government；　all

follow　implicitly　and　without　any　sensible　variation；　the

doctrine　of　Mr。　Quesnai。　There　is　upon　this　account　little

variety　in　the　greater　part　of　their　works。　The　most　distinct　and

best　connected　account　of　this　doctrine　is　to　be　found　in　a

little　book　written　by　Mr。　Mercier　de　la　Riviere；　some　time

intendant　of　Martinico；　entitled；　The　Natural　and　Essential　Order

of　Political　Societies。　The　admiration　of　this　whole　sect　for

their　master；　who　was　himself　a　man　of　the　greatest　modesty　and

simplicity；　is　not　inferior　to　that　of　any　of　the　ancient

philosophers　for　the　founders　of　their　respective　systems。　〃There

have　been；　since　the　world　began；〃　says　a　very　diligent　and

respectable　author；　the　Marquis　de　Mirabeau；　〃three　great

inventions　which　have　principally　given　stability　to　political

societies；　independent　of　many　other　inventions　which　have

enriched　and　adorned　them。　The　first　is　the　invention　of　writing；

which　alone　gives　human　nature　the　power　of　transmitting；　without

alteration；　its　laws；　its　contracts；　its　annals；　and　its

discoveries。　The　second　is　the　invention　of　money；　which　binds

together　all　the　relations　between　civilised　societies。　The　third

is　the　Economical　Table；　the　result　of　the　other　two；　which

completes　them　both　by　perfecting　their　object；　the　great

discovery　of　our　age；　but　of　which　our　posterity　will　reap　the

benefit。〃

　　　　　As　the　political　economy　of　the　nations　of　modern　Europe　has

been　more　favourable　to　manufactures　and　foreign　trade；　the

industry　of　the　towns；　than　to　agriculture；　the　industry　of　the

country；　so　that　of　other　nations　has　followed　a　different　plan；

and　has　been　more　favourable　to　agriculture　than　to　manufactures

and　foreign　trade。

　　　　　The　policy　of　China　favours　agriculture　more　than　all　other

employments。　In　China　the　condition　of　a　labourer　is　said　to　be

as　much　superior　to　that　of　an　artificer　as　in　most　parts　of

Europe　that　of　an　artificer　is　to　that　of　a　labourer。　In　China；

the　great　ambition　of　every　man　is　to　get　possession　of　some

little　bit　of　land；　either　in　property　or　in　lease；　and　leases

are　there　said　to　be　granted　upon　very　moderate　terms；　and　to　be

sufficiently　secured　to　the　lessees。　The　Chinese　have　little

respect　for　foreign　trade。　Your　beggarly　commerce！　was　the

language　in　which　the　Mandarins　of　Pekin　used　to　talk　to　Mr。　de

Lange；　the　Russian　envoy；　concerning　it。　Except　with　Japan；　the

Chinese　carry　on；　themselves；　and　in　their　own　bottoms；　little　or

no　foreign　trade；　and　it　is　only　into　one　or　two　ports　of　their

kingdom　that　they　even　admit　the　ships　of　foreign　nations。

Foreign　trade　therefore　is；　in　China；　every　way　confined　within　a

much　narrower　circle　than　that　to　which　it　would　naturally　extend

itself；　if　more　freedom　was　allowed　to　it；　either　in　their　own

ships；　or　in　those　of　foreign　nations。

　　　　　Manufactures；　as　in　a　small　bulk　they　frequently　contain　a

great　value；　and　can　upon　that　account　be　transported　at　less

expense　from　one　country　to　another　than　most　parts　of　rude

produce；　are；　in　almost　all　countries；　the　principal　support　of

foreign　trade。　In　countries；　besides；　less　extensive　and　less

favourably　circumstanced　for　inferior　commerce　than　China；　they

generally　require　the　support　of　foreign　trade。　Without　an

extensive　foreign　market　they　could　not　well　flourish；　either　in

countries　so　moderately　extensive　as　to　afford　but　a　narrow　home

market　or　in　countries　where　the　communication　between　one

province　and　another　was　so　difficult　as　to　render　it　impossible

for　the　goods　of　any　particular　place　to　enjoy　the　whole　of　that

home　market　which　the　country　could　afford。　The　perfection　of

manufacturing　industry；　it　must　be　remembered；　depends　altogether

upon　the　division　of　labour；　and　the　degree　to　which　the　division

of　labour　can　be　introduced　into　any　manufacture　is　necessarily

regulated；　it　has　already　been　shown；　by　the　extent　of　the

market。　But　the　great　extent　of　the　empire　of　China；　the　vast

multitude　of　its　inhabitants；　the　variety　of　climate；　and

consequently　of　productions　in　its　different　provinces；　and　the

easy　communication　by　means　of　water　carriage　between　the　greater

part　of　them；　render　the　home　market　of　that　country　of　so　great

extent　as　to　be　alone　sufficient　to　support　very　great

manufactures；　and　to　admit　of　very　considerable　subdivisions　of

labour。　The　home　market　of　China　is；　perhaps；　in　extent；　not　much

inferior　to　the　market　of　all　the　different　countries　of　Europe

put　together。　A　more　extensive　foreign　trade；　however；　which　to

this　great　home　market　added　the　foreign　market　of　all　the　rest

of　the　world…　especially　if　any　considerable　part　of　this　trade

was　carried　on　in　Chinese　ships…　could　scarce　fail　to　increase

very　much　the　manufactures　of　China；　and　to　improve　very　much　the

productive　powers　of　its　manufacturing　industry。　By　a　more

extensive　navigation；　the　Chinese　would　naturally　learn　the　art

of　using　and　constructing　themselves　all　the　different　machines

made　use　of　in　other　countries；　as　well　as　the　other　improvements

of　art　and　industry　which　are　practised　in　all　the　different

parts　of　the　world。　Upon　their　present　plan　they　have　little

opportunity　except　that　of　the　Japanese。

　　　　　The　policy　of　ancient　Egypt　too；　and　that　of　the　Gentoo

government　of　Indostan；　seem　to　have　favoured　agriculture　more

than　all　other　employments。

　　　　　Both　in　ancient　Egypt　and　Indostan　the　whole　body　of　the

people　was　divided　into　different　castes　or　tribes；　each　of　which

was　confined；　from　father　to　son；　to　a　particular　employment　or

class　of　employments。　The　son　of　a　priest　was　necessarily　a

priest；　the　son　of　a　soldier；　a　soldier；　the　son　of　a　labourer；　a

labourer；　the　son　of　a　weaver；　a　weaver；　the　son　of　a　tailor；　a

tailor；　etc。　In　both　countries；　the　caste　of　the　priests　held　the

highest　rank；　and　that　of　the　soldiers　the　next；　and　in　both

countries；　the　caste　of　th