wealbk01-第52章

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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　their　quantity　in　any　particular　country　depends

upon　the　latter　of　those　two　circumstances　（the　fertility　or

barrenness　of　the　mines　which　happen　to　supply　the　commercial

world）；　their　real　price；　the　real　quantity　of　labour　and

subsistence　which　they　will　purchase　or　exchange　for；　will；　no

doubt；　sink　more　or　less　in　proportion　to　the　fertility；　and　rise

in　proportion　to　the　barrenness　of　those　mines。

　　　　　The　fertility　or　barrenness　of　the　mines；　however；　which　may

happen　at　any　particular　time　to　supply　the　commercial　world；　is

a　circumstance　which；　it　is　evident；　may　have　no　sort　of

connection　with　the　state　of　industry　in　a　particular　country。　It

seems　even　to　have　no　very　necessary　connection　with　that　of　the

world　in　general。　As　arts　and　commerce；　indeed；　gradually　spread

themselves　over　a　greater　and　a　greater　part　of　the　earth；　the

search　for　new　mines；　being　extended　over　a　wider　surface；　may

have　somewhat　a　better　chance　for　being　successful　than　when

confined　within　narrower　bounds。　The　discovery　of　new　mines；

however；　as　the　old　ones　come　to　be　gradually　exhausted；　is　a

matter　of　the　greatest　uncertainty；　and　such　as　no　human　skill　or

industry　can　ensure。　All　indications；　it　is　acknowledged；　are

doubtful；　and　the　actual　discovery　and　successful　working　of　a

new　mine　can　alone　ascertain　the　reality　of　its　value；　or　even　of

its　existence。　In　this　search　there　seem　to　be　no　certain　limits

either　to　the　possible　success　or　to　the　possible　disappointment

of　human　industry。　In　the　course　of　a　century　or　two；　it　is

possible　that　new　mines　may　be　discovered　more　fertile　than　any

that　have　ever　yet　been　known；　and　it　is　just　equally　possible

the　most　fertile　mine　then　known　may　be　more　barren　than　any　that

was　wrought　before　the　discovery　of　the　mines　of　America。　Whether

the　one　or　the　other　of　those　two　events　may　happen　to　take　place

is　of　very　little　importance　to　the　real　wealth　and　prosperity　of

the　world；　to　the　real　value　of　the　annual　produce　of　the　land

and　labour　of　mankind。　Its　nominal　value；　the　quantity　of　gold

and　silver　by　which　this　annual　produce　could　be　expressed　or

represented；　would；　no　doubt；　be　very　different；　but　its　real

value；　the　real　quantity　of　labour　which　it　could　purchase　or

command；　would　be　precisely　the　same。　A　shilling　might　in　the　one

case　represent　no　more　labour　than　a　penny　does　at　present；　and　a

penny　in　the　other　might　represent　as　much　as　a　shilling　does

now。　But　in　the　one　case　he　who　had　a　shilling　in　his　pocket

would　be　no　richer　than　he　who　has　a　penny　at　present；　and　in　the

other　he　who　had　a　penny　would　be　just　as　rich　as　he　who　has　a

shilling　now。　The　cheapness　and　abundance　of　gold　and　silver

plate　would　be　the　sole　advantage　which　the　world　could　derive

from　the　one　event；　and　the　dearness　and　scarcity　of　those

trifling　superfluities　the　only　inconveniency　it　could　suffer

from　the　other。　

　　　　　CONCLUSION　OF　THE　DIGRESSION　CONCERNING　THE　VARIATIONS　IN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　VALUE　OF　SILVER　

　　　　　The　greater　part　of　the　writers　who　have　collected　the　money

prices　of　things　in　ancient　times　seem　to　have　considered　the　low

money…price　of　corn；　and　of　goods　in　general；　or；　in　other　words；

the　high　value　of　gold　and　silver；　as　a　proof；　not　only　of　the

scarcity　of　those　metals；　but　of　the　poverty　and　barbarism　of　the

country　at　the　time　when　it　took　place。　This　notion　is　connected

with　the　system　of　political　economy　which　represents　national

wealth　as　consisting　in　the　abundance；　and　national　poverty　in

the　scarcity　of　gold　and　silver；　a　system　which　I　shall　endeavour

to　explain　and　examine　at　great　length　in　the　fourth　book　of　this

inquiry。　I　shall　only　observe　at　present　that　the　high　value　of

the　precious　metals　can　be　no　proof　of　the　poverty　or　barbarism

of　any　particular　country　at　the　time　when　it　took　place。　It　is　a

proof　only　of　the　barrenness　of　the　mines　which　happened　at　that

time　to　supply　the　commercial　world。