wealbk02-第19节

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the　misery　of　that　declension。

　　　　　The　quantity　of　money；　on　the　contrary；　must　in　every

country　naturally　increase　as　the　value　of　the　annual　produce

increases。　The　value　of　the　consumable　goods　annually　circulated

within　the　society　being　greater　will　require　a　greater　quantity

of　money　to　circulate　them。　A　part　of　the　increased　produce；

therefore；　will　naturally　be　employed　in　purchasing；　wherever　it

is　to　be　had；　the　additional　quantity　of　gold　and　silver

necessary　for　circulating　the　rest。　The　increase　of　those　metals

will　in　this　case　be　the　effect；　not　the　cause；　of　the　public

prosperity。　Gold　and　silver　are　purchased　everywhere　in　the　same

manner。　The　food；　clothing；　and　lodging；　the　revenue　and

maintenance　of　all　those　whose　labour　or　stock　is　employed　in

bringing　them　from　the　mine　to　the　market；　is　the　price　paid　for

them　in　Peru　as　well　as　in　England。　The　country　which　has　this

price　to　pay　will　never　be　long　without　the　quantity　of　those

metals　which　it　has　occasion　for；　and　no　country　will　ever　long

retain　a　quantity　which　it　has　no　occasion　for。

　　　　　Whatever；　therefore；　we　may　imagine　the　real　wealth　and

revenue　of　a　country　to　consist　in；　whether　in　the　value　of　the

annual　produce　of　its　land　and　labour；　as　plain　reason　seems　to

dictate；　or　in　the　quantity　of　the　precious　metals　which

circulate　within　it；　as　vulgar　prejudices　suppose；　in　either　view

of　the　matter；　every　prodigal　appears　to　be　a　public　enemy；　and

every　frugal　man　a　public　benefactor。

　　　　　The　effects　of　misconduct　are　often　the　same　as　those　of

prodigality。　Every　injudicious　and　unsuccessful　project　in

agriculture；　mines；　fisheries；　trade；　or　manufactures；　tends　in

the　same　manner　to　diminish　the　funds　destined　for　the

maintenance　of　productive　labour。　In　every　such　project；　though

the　capital　is　consumed　by　productive　hands　only；　yet；　as　by　the

injudicious　manner　in　which　they　are　employed　they　do　not

reproduce　the　full　value　of　their　consumption；　there　must　always

be　some　diminution　in　what　would　otherwise　have　been　the

productive　funds　of　the　society。

　　　　　It　can　seldom　happen；　indeed；　that　the　circumstances　of　a

great　nation　can　be　much　affected　either　by　the　prodigality　or

misconduct　of　individuals；　the　profusion　or　imprudence　of　some

being　always　more　than　compensated　by　the　frugality　and　good

conduct　of　others。

　　　　　With　regard　to　profusion；　the　principle　which　prompts　to

expense　is　the　passion　for　present　enjoyment；　which；　though

sometimes　violent　and　very　difficult　to　be　restrained；　is　in

general　only　momentary　and　occasional。　But　the　principle　which

prompts　to　save　is　the　desire　of　bettering　our　condition；　a

desire　which；　though　generally　calm　and　dispassionate；　comes　with

us　from　the　womb；　and　never　leaves　us　till　we　go　into　the　grave。

In　the　whole　interval　which　separates　those　two　moments；　there　is

scarce　perhaps　a　single　instant　in　which　any　man　is　so　perfectly

and　completely　satisfied　with　his　situation　as　to　be　without　any

wish　of　alteration　or　improvement　of　any　kind。　An　augmentation　of

fortune　is　the　means　by　which　the　greater　part　of　men　propose　and

wish　to　better　their　condition。　It　is　the　means　the　most　vulgar

and　the　most　obvious；　and　the　most　likely　way　of　augmenting　their

fortune　is　to　save　and　accumulate　some　part　of　what　they　acquire；

either　regularly　and　annually；　or　upon　some　extraordinary

occasions。　Though　the　principle　of　expense；　therefore；　prevails

in　almost　all　men　upon　some　occasions；　and　in　some　men　upon

almost　all　occasions；　yet　in　the　greater　part　of　men；　taking　the

whole　course　of　their　life　at　an　average；　the　principle　of

frugality　seems　not　only　to　predominate；　but　to　predominate　very

greatly。

　　　　　With　regard　to　misconduct；　the　number　of　prudent　and

successful　undertakings　is　everywhere　much　greater　than　that　of

injudicious　and　unsuccessful　ones。　After　all　our　complaints　of

the　frequency　of　bankruptcies；　the　unhappy　men　who　fall　into　this

misfortune　make　but　a　very　small　part　of　the　whole　number　engaged

in　trade；　and　all　other　sorts　of　business；　not　much　more　perhaps

than　one　in　a　thousand。　Bankruptcy　is　perhaps　the　greatest　and

most　humiliating　calamity　which　can　befall　an　innocent　man。　The

greater　part　of　men；　therefore；　are　sufficiently　careful　to　avoid

it。　Some；　indeed；　do　not　avoid　it；　as　some　do　not　avoid　the

gallows。

　　　　　Great　nations　are　never　impoverished　by　private；　though　they

sometimes　are　by　public　prodigality　and　misconduct。　The　whole；　or

almost　the　whole　public　revenue；　is　in　most　countries　employed　in

maintaining　unproductive　hands。　Such　are　the　people　who　compose　a

numerous　and　splendid　court；　a　great　ecclesiastical

establishment；　great　fleets　and　armies；　who　in　time　of　peace

produce　nothing；　and　in　time　of　war　acquire　nothing　which　can

compensate　the　expense　of　maintaining　them；　even　while　the　war

lasts。　Such　people；　as　they　themselves　produce　nothing；　are　all

maintained　by　the　produce　of　other　men's　labour。　When　multiplied；

therefore；　to　an　unnecessary　number；　they　may　in　a　particular

year　consume　so　great　a　share　of　this　produce；　as　not　to　leave　a

sufficiency　for　maintaining　the　productive　labourers；　who　should

reproduce　it　next　year。　The　next　year's　produce；　therefore；　will

be　less　than　that　of　the　foregoing；　and　if　the　same　disorder

should　continue；　that　of　the　third　year　will　be　still　less　than

that　of　the　second。　Those　unproductive　hands；　who　should　be

maintained　by　a　part　only　of　the　spare　revenue　of　the　people；　may

consume　so　great　a　share　of　their　whole　revenue；　and　thereby

oblige　so　great　a　number　to　encroach　upon　their　capitals；　upon

the　funds　destined　for　the　maintenance　of　productive　labour；　that

all　the　frugality　and　good　conduct　of　individuals　may　not　be　able

to　compensate　the　waste　and　degradation　of　produce　occasioned　by

this　violent　and　forced　encroachment。

　　　　　This　frugality　and　good　conduct；　however；　is　upon　most

occasions；　it　appears　from　experience；　sufficient　to　compensate；

not　only　the　private　prodigality　and　misconduct　of　individuals；

but　the　public　extravagance　of　government。　The　uniform；　constant；

and　uninterrupted　effort　of　every　man　to　better　his　condition；

the　principle　from　which　public　and　national；　as　well　as　private

opulence　is　originally　derived；　is　frequently　powerful　enough　to

maintain　the　natural　progress　of　things　towards　improvement；　in

spite　both　of　the　extravagance　of　government　and　of　the　greatest

errors　of　administration。　Like　the　unknown　principle　of　animal

life；　it　frequently　restores　health　and　vigour　to　the

constitution；　in　spite；　not　only　of　the　disease；　but　of　the

absurd　prescriptions　of　the　doctor。

　　　　　The　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　any　nation　can

be　increased　in　its　value　by　no　other　means　but　by　increasing

either　the　number　of　its　productive　labourers；　or　the　productive

powers　of　those　labourers　who　had　before　been　employed。　The

number　of　its　productive　labourers；　it　is　evident；　can　never　be

much　increased；　but　in　consequence　of　an　increase　of　capital；　or

of　the　funds　destined　for　maintaining　them。　The　productive　powers

of　the　same　number　of　labourers　cannot　be　increased；　but　in

consequence　either　of　some　addition　and　improvement　to　those

machines　and　instruments　which　facilitate　and　abridge　labour；　or

of　a　more　proper　division　and　distribution　of　employment。　In

either　case　an　additional　capital　is　almost　always　required。　It

is　by　means　of　an　additional　capital　only　that　the　undertaker　of

any　work　can　either　provide　his　workmen　with　better　machinery　or

make　a　more　proper　distribution　of　employment　among　them。　When

the　work　to　be　done　consists　of　a　number　of　parts；　to　keep　every

man　constantly　employed　in　one　way　requires　a　much　greater

capital　than　where　every　man　is　occasionally　employed　in　every

different　part　of　the　work。　When　we　compare；　therefore；　the　state

of　a　nation　at　two　different　periods；　and　find；　that　the　annual

produce　of　its　land　and　labour　is　evidently　greater　at　the　latter

than　at　the　former；　that　its　lands　are　better　cultivated；　its

manufactures　more　numerous　and　more　flourishing；　and　its　trade

more　extensive；　we　may　be　assured　that　its　capital　must　have

increased　during　the　interval　between　those　two　periods；　and　that

more　must　have　been　added　to　it　by　the　good　conduct　of　some　than

had　been　taken　from　it　either　by　the　private　misconduct　of　others

or　by　the　public　extravagance　of　government。　But　we　shall　find

this　to　have　been　the　case　of　almost　all　nations；　in　all

tolerably　quiet　and　peaceable　times；　even　of　those　who　have　not

enjoyed　the　most　prudent　and　parsimonious　governments。　To　form　a

right　judgment　of　it；　indeed；　we　must　compare　the　state　of　the

country　at　periods　somewhat　distant　from　one　another。　The

progress　is　frequently　so　gradual　that；　at　near　periods；　the

improvement　is　not　only　not　sensible；　but　from　the　declension

either　of　certain　branches　of　industry；　or　of　certain　districts

of　the　country；　things　which　sometimes　happen　though　the　country

in　general　be　in　great　prosperity；　there　frequently　arises　a

sus