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in　general　be　in　great　prosperity；　there　frequently　arises　a

suspicion　that　the　riches　and　industry　of　the　whole　are　decaying。

　　　　　The　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　England；　for

example；　is　certainly　much　greater　than　it　was；　a　little　more

than　a　century　ago；　at　the　restoration　of　Charles　II。　Though；　at

present；　few　people；　I　believe；　doubt　of　this；　yet　during　this

period；　five　years　have　seldom　passed　away　in　which　some　book　or

pamphlet　has　not　been　published；　written；　too；　with　such

abilities　as　to　gain　some　authority　with　the　public；　and

pretending　to　demonstrate　that　the　wealth　of　the　nation　was　fast

declining；　that　the　country　was　depopulated；　agriculture

neglected；　manufactures　decaying；　and　trade　undone。　Nor　have

these　publications　been　all　party　pamphlets；　the　wretched

offspring　of　falsehood　and　venality。　Many　of　them　have　been

written　by　very　candid　and　very　intelligent　people；　who　wrote

nothing　but　what　they　believed；　and　for　no　other　reason　but

because　they　believed　it。

　　　　　The　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　England；　again；

was　certainly　much　greater　at　the　Restoration；　than　we　can

suppose　it　to　have　been　about　an　hundred　years　before；　at　the

accession　of　Elizabeth。　At　this　period；　too；　we　have　all　reason

to　believe；　the　country　was　much　more　advanced　in　improvement

than　it　had　been　about　a　century　before；　towards　the　close　of　the

dissensions　between　the　houses　of　York　and　Lancaster。　Even　then

it　was；　probably；　in　a　better　condition　than　it　had　been　at　the

Norman　Conquest；　and　at　the　Norman　Conquest　than　during　the

confusion　of　the　Saxon　Heptarchy。　Even　at　this　early　period；　it

was　certainly　a　more　improved　country　than　at　the　invasion　of

Julius　Caesar；　when　its　inhabitants　were　nearly　in　the　same　state

with　the　savages　in　North　America。

　　　　　In　each　of　those　periods；　however；　there　was　not　only　much

private　and　public　profusion；　many　expensive　and　unnecessary

wars；　great　perversion　of　the　annual　produce　from　maintaining

productive　to　maintain　unproductive　hands；　but　sometimes；　in　the

confusion　of　civil　discord；　such　absolute　waste　and　destruction

of　stock；　as　might　be　supposed；　not　only　to　retard；　as　it

certainly　did；　the　natural　accumulation　of　riches；　but　to　have

left　the　country；　at　the　end　of　the　period；　poorer　than　at　the

beginning。　Thus；　in　the　happiest　and　most　fortunate　period　of

them　all；　that　which　has　passed　since　the　Restoration；　how　many

disorders　and　misfortunes　have　occurred；　which；　could　they　have

been　foreseen；　not　only　the　impoverishment；　but　the　total　ruin　of

the　country　would　have　been　expected　from　them？　The　fire　and　the

plague　of　London；　the　two　Dutch　wars；　the　disorders　of　the

Revolution；　the　war　in　Ireland；　the　four　expensive　French　wars　of

1688；　1702；　1742；　and　1756；　together　with　the　two　rebellions　of

1715　and　1745。　In　the　course　of　the　four　French　wars；　the　nation

has　contracted　more　than　a　hundred　and　forty…five　millions　of

debt；　over　and　above　all　the　other　extraordinary　annual　expense

which　they　occasioned；　so　that　the　whole　cannot　be　computed　at

less　than　two　hundred　millions。　So　great　a　share　of　the　annual

produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　country　has；　since　the

Revolution；　been　employed　upon　different　occasions　in　maintaining

an　extraordinary　number　of　unproductive　hands。　But　had　not　those

wars　given　this　particular　direction　to　so　large　a　capital；　the

greater　part　of　it　would　naturally　have　been　employed　in

maintaining　productive　hands；　whose　labour　would　have　replaced；

with　a　profit；　the　whole　value　of　their　consumption。　The　value　of

the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　country　would

have　been　considerably　increased　by　it　every　year；　and　every

year's　increase　would　have　augmented　still　more　that　of　the

following　year。　More　houses　would　have　been　built；　more　lands

would　have　been　improved；　and　those　which　had　been　improved

before　would　have　been　better　cultivated；　more　manufactures　would

have　been　established。　and　those　which　had　been　established

before　would　have　been　more　extended；　and　to　what　height　the　real

wealth　and　revenue　of　the　country　might；　by　this　time；　have　been

raised；　it　is　not　perhaps　very　easy　even　to　imagine。

　　　　　But　though　the　profusion　of　government　must；　undoubtedly；

have　retarded　the　natural　progress　of　England　towards　wealth　and

improvement；　it　has　not　been　able　to　stop　it。　The　annual　produce

of　its　land　and　labour　is；　undoubtedly；　much　greater　at　present

than　it　was　either　at　the　Restoration　or　at　the　Revolution。　The

capital；　therefore；　annually　employed　in　cultivating　this　land；

and　in　maintaining　this　labour；　must　likewise　be　much　greater。　In

the　midst　of　all　the　exactions　of　government；　this　capital　has

been　silently　and　gradually　accumulated　by　the　private　frugality

and　good　conduct　of　individuals；　by　their　universal；　continual；

and　uninterrupted　effort　to　better　their　own　condition。　It　is

this　effort；　protected　by　law　and　allowed　by　liberty　to　exert

itself　in　the　manner　that　is　most　advantageous；　which　has

maintained　the　progress　of　England　towards　opulence　and

improvement　in　almost　all　former　times；　and　which；　it　is　to　be

hoped；　will　do　so　in　all　future　times。　England；　however；　as　it

has　never　been　blessed　with　a　very　parsimonious　government；　so

parsimony　has　at　no　time　been　the　characteristical　virtue　of　its

inhabitants。　It　is　the　highest　impertinence　and　presumption；

therefore；　in　kings　and　ministers；　to　pretend　to　watch　over　the

economy　of　private　people；　and　to　restrain　their　expense；　either

by　sumptuary　laws；　or　by　prohibiting　the　importation　of　foreign

luxuries。　They　are　themselves　always；　and　without　any　exception；

the　greatest　spendthrifts　in　the　society。　Let　them　look　well

after　their　own　expense；　and　they　may　safely　trust　private　people

with　theirs。　If　their　own　extravagance　does　not　ruin　the　state；

that　of　their　subjects　never　will。

　　　　　As　frugality　increases　and　prodigality　diminishes　the　public

capital；　so　the　conduct　of　those　whose　expense　just　equals　their

revenue；　without　either　accumulating　or　encroaching；　neither

increases　nor　diminishes　it。　Some　modes　of　expense；　however；　seem

to　contribute　more　to　the　growth　of　public　opulence　than　others。

　　　　　The　revenue　of　an　individual　may　be　spent　either　in　things

which　are　consumed　immediately；　and　in　which　one　day's　expense

can　neither　alleviate　nor　support　that　of　another；　or　it　may　be

spent　in　things　more　durable；　which　can　therefore　be　accumulated；

and　in　which　every　day's　expense　may；　as　he　chooses；　either

alleviate　or　support　and　heighten　the　effect　of　that　of　the

following　day。　A　man　of　fortune；　for　example；　may　either　spend

his　revenue　in　a　profuse　and　sumptuous　table；　and　in　maintaining

a　great　number　of　menial　servants；　and　a　multitude　of　dogs　and

horses；　or　contenting　himself　with　a　frugal　table　and　few

attendants；　he　may　lay　out　the　greater　part　of　it　in　adorning　his

house　or　his　country　villa；　in　useful　or　ornamental　buildings；　in

useful　or　ornamental　furniture；　in　collecting　books；　statues；

pictures；　or　in　things　more　frivolous；　jewels；　baubles；　ingenious

trinkets　of　different　kinds；　or；　what　is　most　trifling　of　all；　in

amassing　a　great　wardrobe　of　fine　clothes；　like　the　favourite　and

minister　of　a　great　prince　who　died　a　few　years　ago。　Were　two　men

of　equal　fortune　to　spend　their　revenue；　the　one　chiefly　in　the

one　way；　the　other　in　the　other；　the　magnificence　of　the　person

whose　expense　had　been　chiefly　in　durable　commodities；　would　be

continually　increasing；　every　day's　expense　contributing

something　to　support　and　heighten　the　effect　of　that　of　the

following　day：　that　of　the　other；　on　the　contrary；　would　be　no

greater　at　the　end　of　the　period　than　at　the　beginning。　The

former；　too；　would；　at　the　end　of　the　period；　be　the　richer　man

of　the　two。　He　would　have　a　stock　of　goods　of　some　kind　or　other；

which；　though　it　might　not　be　worth　all　that　it　cost；　would

always　be　worth　something。　No　trace　or　vestige　of　the　expense　of

the　latter　would　remain；　and　the　effects　of　ten　or　twenty　years

profusion　would　be　as　completely　annihilated　as　if　they　had　never

existed。

　　　　　As　the　one　mode　of　expense　is　more　favourable　than　the　other

to　the　opulence　of　an　individual；　so　is　it　likewise　to　that　of　a

nation。　The　houses；　the　furniture；　the　clothing　of　the　rich；　in　a

little　time；　become　useful　to　the　inferior　and　middling　ranks　of

people。　They　are　able　to　purchase　them　when　their　superiors　grow

weary　of　them；　and　the　general　accommodation　of　the　whole　people

is　thus　gradually　improved；　when　this　mode　of　expense　becomes

universal　among　men　of　fortune。　In　countries　which　have　long　been

rich；　you　will　frequently　find　the　inferior　ranks　of　people　in

possession　both　of　houses　and　furniture　perfectly　good　and

entire；　but　of　which　neither　the　one　could　have　been　built；　nor

the　other　have　been　made　for　their　use。　What　was　formerly　a　seat

of　the　family　of　Seymour　is　now　an　inn　upon　the　Bath　road。　The

marriage…bed　of　James　the　First　of　Great　Britain；　which　his　queen

brought　with　her　from　Den