wealbk04-第80章

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The　price；　however；　which　a　lady；　it　is　said；　would　sometimes　pay

for　a　piece　of　very　fine　linen；　seems　to　have　been　equally

extravagant；　and　as　linen　was　always　either　a　European；　or　at

farthest；　an　Egyptian　manufacture；　this　high　price　can　be

accounted　for　only　by　the　great　expense　of　the　labour　which　must

have　been　employed　about　it；　and　the　expense　of　this　labour　again

could　arise　from　nothing　but　the　awkwardness　of　the　machinery

which　it　made　use　of。　The　price　of　fine　woollens　too；　though　not

quite　so　extravagant；　seems　however　to　have　been　much　above　that

of　the　present　times。　Some　cloths；　we　are　told　by　Pliny；　dyed　in

a　particular　manner；　cost　a　hundred　denarii；　or　three　pounds　six

shillings　and　eightpence　the　pound　weight。　Others　dyed　in　another

manner　cost　a　thousand　denarii　the　pound　weight；　or　thirty…three

pounds　six　shillings　and　eightpence。　The　Roman　pound；　it　must　be

remembered；　contained　only　twelve　of　our　avoirdupois　ounces。　This

high　price；　indeed；　seems　to　have　been　principally　owing　to　the

dye。　But　had　not　the　cloths　themselves　been　much　dearer　than　any

which　are　made　in　the　present　times；　so　very　expensive　a　dye

would　not　probably　have　been　bestowed　upon　them。　The

disproportion　would　have　been　too　great　between　the　value　of　the

accessory　and　that　of　the　principal。　The　price　mentioned　by　the

same　author　of　some　Triclinaria；　a　sort　of　woollen　pillows　or

cushions　made　use　of　to　lean　upon　as　they　reclined　upon　their

couches　at　table；　passes　all　credibility；　some　of　them　being　said

to　have　cost　more　than　thirty　thousand；　others　more　than　three

hundred　thousand　pounds。　This　high　price；　too；　is　not　said　to

have　arisen　from　the　dye。　In　the　dress　of　the　people　of　fashion

of　both　sexes　there　seems　to　have　been　much　less　variety；　it　is

observed　by　Doctor　Arbuthnot；　in　ancient　than　in　modern　times；

and　the　very　little　variety　which　we　find　in　that　of　the　ancient

statues　confirms　his　observation。　He　infers　from　this　that　their

dress　must　upon　the　whole　have　been　cheaper　than　ours；　but　the

conclusion　does　not　seem　to　follow。　When　the　expense　of

fashionable　dress　is　very　great；　the　variety　must　be　very　small。

But　when；　by　the　improvements　in　the　productive　powers　of

manufacturing　art　and　industry；　the　expense　of　any　one　dress

comes　to　be　very　moderate；　the　variety　will　naturally　be　very

great。　The　rich；　not　being　able　to　distinguish　themselves　by　the

expense　of　any　one　dress；　will　naturally　endeavour　to　do　so　by

the　multitude　and　variety　of　their　dresses。

　　　　　The　greatest　and　most　important　branch　of　the　commerce　of

every　nation；　it　has　already　been　observed；　is　that　which　is

carried　on　between　the　inhabitants　of　the　town　and　those　of　the

country。　The　inhabitants　of　the　town　draw　from　the　country　the

rude　produce　which　constitutes　both　the　materials　of　their　work

and　the　fund　of　their　subsistence；　and　they　pay　for　this　rude

produce　by　sending　back　to　the　country　a　certain　portion　of　it

manufactured　and　prepared　for　immediate　use。　The　trade　which　is

carried　on　between　these　two　different　sets　of　people　consists

ultimately　in　a　certain　quantity　of　rude　produce　exchanged　for　a

certain　quantity　of　manufactured　produce。　The　dearer　the　latter；

therefore；　the　cheaper　the　former；　and　whatever　tends　in　any

country　to　raise　the　price　of　manufactured　produce　tends　to　lower

that　of　the　rude　produce　of　the　land；　and　thereby　to　discourage

agriculture。　The　smaller　the　quantity　of　manufactured　produce

which　in　any　given　quantity　of　rude　produce；　or；　what　comes　to

the　same　thing；　which　the　price　of　any　given　quantity　of　rude

produce　is　capable　of　purchasing；　the　smaller　the　exchangeable

value　of　that　given　quantity　of　rude　produce；　the　smaller　the

encouragement　which　either　the　landlord　has　to　increase　its

quantity　by　improving　or　the　farmer　by　cultivating　the　land。

Whatever；　besides；　tends　to　diminish　in　any　country　the　number　of

artificers　and　manufacturers；　tends　to　diminish　the　home　market；

the　most　important　of　all　markets　for　the　rude　produce　of　the

land；　and　thereby　still　further　to　discourage　agriculture。

　　　　　Those　systems；　therefore；　which；　preferring　agriculture　to

all　other　employments；　in　order　to　promote　it；　impose　restraints

upon　manufactures　and　foreign　trade；　act　contrary　to　the　very　end

which　they　propose；　and　indirectly　discourage　that　very　species

of　industry　which　they　mean　to　promote。　They　are　so　far；　perhaps；

more　inconsistent　than　even　the　mercantile　system。　That　system；

by　encouraging　manufactures　and　foreign　trade　more　than

agriculture；　turns　a　certain　portion　of　the　capital　of　the

society　from　supporting　a　more　advantageous；　to　support　a　less

advantageous　species　of　industry。　But　still　it　really　and　in　the

end　encourages　that　species　of　industry　which　it　means　to

promote。　Those　agricultural　systems；　on　the　contrary；　really　and

in　the　end　discourage　their　own　favourite　species　of　industry。

　　　　　It　is　thus　that　every　system　which　endeavours；　either　by

extraordinary　encouragements　to　draw　towards　a　particular　species

of　industry　a　greater　share　of　the　capital　of　the　society　than

what　would　naturally　go　to　it；　or；　by　extraordinary　restraints；

force　from　a　particular　species　of　industry　some　share　of　the

capital　which　would　otherwise　be　employed　in　it；　is　in　reality

subversive　of　the　great　purpose　which　it　means　to　promote。　It

retards；　instead　of　accelerating；　the　progress　of　the　society

towards　real　wealth　and　greatness；　and　diminishes；　instead　of

increasing；　the　real　value　of　the　annual　produce　of　its　land　and

labour。

　　　　　All　systems　either　of　preference　or　of　restraint；　therefore；

being　thus　completely　taken　away；　the　obvious　and　simple　system

of　natural　liberty　establishes　itself　of　its　own　accord。　Every

man；　as　long　as　he　does　not　violate　the　laws　of　justice；　is　left

perfectly　free　to　pursue　his　own　interest　his　own　way；　and　to

bring　both　his　industry　and　capital　into　competition　with　those

of　any　other　man；　or　order　of　men。　The　sovereign　is　completely

discharged　from　a　duty；　in　the　attempting　to　perform　which　he

must　always　be　exposed　to　innumerable　delusions；　and　for　the

proper　performance　of　which　no　human　wisdom　or　knowledge　could

ever　be　sufficient；　the　duty　of　superintending　the　industry　of

private　people；　and　of　directing　it　towards　the　employments　most

suitable　to　the　interest　of　the　society。　According　to　the　system

of　natural　liberty；　the　sovereign　has　only　three　duties　to　attend

to；　three　duties　of　great　importance；　indeed；　but　plain　and

intelligible　to　common　understandings：　first；　the　duty　of

protecting　the　society　from　violence　and　invasion　of　other

independent　societies；　secondly；　the　duty　of　protecting；　as　far

as　possible；　every　member　of　the　society　from　the　injustice　or

oppression　of　every　other　member　of　it；　or　the　duty　of

establishing　an　exact　administration　of　justice；　and；　thirdly；

the　duty　of　erecting　and　maintaining　certain　public　works　and

certain　public　institutions　which　it　can　never　be　for　the

interest　of　any　individual；　or　small　number　of　individuals；　to

erect　and　maintain；　because　the　profit　could　never　repay　the

expense　to　any　individual　or　small　number　of　individuals；　though

it　may　frequently　do　much　more　than　repay　it　to　a　great　society。

　　　　　The　proper　performance　of　those　several　duties　of　the

sovereign　necessarily　supposes　a　certain　expense；　and　this

expense　again　necessarily　requires　a　certain　revenue　to　support

it。　In　the　following　book；　therefore；　I　shall　endeavour　to

explain；　first；　what　are　the　necessary　expenses　of　the　sovereign

or　commonwealth；　and　which　of　those　expenses　ought　to　be　defrayed

by　the　general　contribution　of　the　whole　society；　and　which　of

them　by　that　of　some　particular　part　only；　or　of　some　particular

members　of　the　society；　secondly；　what　are　the　different　methods

in　which　the　whole　society　may　be　made　to　contribute　towards

defraying　the　expenses　incumbent　on　the　whole　society；　and　what

are　the　principal　advantages　and　inconveniences　of　each　of　those

methods；　and　thirdly；　what　are　the　reasons　and　causes　whic