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productive　labour　than　any　equal　capital　employed　in

manufactures；　but　in　proportion；　too；　to　the　quantity　of

productive　labour　which　it　employs；　it　adds　a　much　greater　value

to　the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　country；　to

the　real　wealth　and　revenue　of　its　inhabitants。　Of　all　the　ways

in　which　a　capital　can　be　employed；　it　is　by　far　the　most

advantageous　to　the　society。

　　　　　The　capitals　employed　in　the　agriculture　and　in　the　retail

trade　of　any　society　must　always　reside　within　that　society。

Their　employment　is　confined　almost　to　a　precise　spot；　to　the

farm　and　to　the　shop　of　the　retailer。　They　must　generally；　too；

though　there　are　some　exceptions　to　this；　belong　to　resident

members　of　the　society。

　　　　　The　capital　of　a　wholesale　merchant；　on　the　contrary；　seems

to　have　no　fixed　or　necessary　residence　anywhere；　but　may　wander

about　from　place　to　place；　according　as　it　can　either　buy　cheap

or　sell　dear。

　　　　　The　capital　of　the　manufacturer　must　no　doubt　reside　where

the　manufacture　is　carried　on；　but　where　this　shall　be　is　not

always　necessarily　determined。　It　may　frequently　be　at　a　great

distance　both　from　the　place　where　the　materials　grow；　and　from

that　where　the　complete　manufacture　is　consumed。　Lyons　is　very

distant　both　from　the　places　which　afford　the　materials　of　its

manufactures；　and　from　those　which　consume　them。　The　people　of

fashion　in　Sicily　are　clothed　in　silks　made　in　other　countries；

from　the　materials　which　their　own　produces。　Part　of　the　wool　of

Spain　is　manufactured　in　Great　Britain；　and　some　part　of　that

cloth　is　afterwards　sent　back　to　Spain。

　　　　　Whether　the　merchant　whose　capital　exports　the　surplus

produce　of　any　society　be　a　native　or　a　foreigner　is　of　very

little　importance。　If　he　is　a　foreigner；　the　number　of　their

productive　labourers　is　necessarily　less　than　if　he　had　been　a

native　by　one　man　only；　and　the　value　of　their　annual　produce　by

the　profits　of　that　one　man。　The　sailors　or　carriers　whom　he

employs　may　still　belong　indifferently　either　to　his　country　or

to　their　country；　or　to　some　third　country；　in　the　same　manner　as

if　he　had　been　a　native。　The　capital　of　a　foreigner　gives　a　value

to　their　surplus　produce　equally　with　that　of　a　native　by

exchanging　it　for　something　for　which　there　is　a　demand　at　home。

It　as　effectually　replaces　the　capital　of　the　person　who　produces

that　surplus；　and　as　effectually　enables　him　to　continue　his

business；　the　service　by　which　the　capital　of　a　wholesale

merchant　chiefly　contributes　to　support　the　productive　labour；

and　to　augment　the　value　of　the　annual　produce　of　the　society　to

which　he　belongs。

　　　　　It　is　of　more　consequence　that　the　capital　of　the

manufacturer　should　reside　within　the　country。　It　necessarily

puts　into　motion　a　greater　quantity　of　productive　labour；　and

adds　a　greater　value　to　the　annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour

of　the　society。　It　may；　however；　be　very　useful　to　the　country；

though　it　should　not　reside　within　it。　The　capitals　of　the

British　manufacturers　who　work　up　the　flax　and　hemp　annually

imported　from　the　coasts　of　the　Baltic　are　surely　very　useful　to

the　countries　which　produce　them。　Those　materials　are　a　part　of

the　surplus　produce　of　those　countries　which；　unless　it　was

annually　exchanged　for　something　which　is　in　demand　there；　would

be　of　no　value；　and　would　soon　cease　to　be　produced。　The

merchants　who　export　it　replace　the　capitals　of　the　people　who

produce　it；　and　thereby　encourage　them　to　continue　the

production；　and　the　British　manufacturers　replace　the　capitals　of

those　merchants。

　　　　　A　particular　country；　in　the　same　manner　as　a　particular

person；　may　frequently　not　have　capital　sufficient　both　to

improve　and　cultivate　all　its　lands；　to　manufacture　and　prepare

their　whole　rude　produce　for　immediate　use　and　consumption；　and

to　transport　the　surplus　part　either　of　the　rude　or　manufactured

produce　to　those　distant　markets　where　it　can　be　exchanged　for

something　for　which　there　is　a　demand　at　home。　The　inhabitants　of

many　different　parts　of　Great　Britain　have　not　capital　sufficient

to　improve　and　cultivate　all　their　lands。　The　wool　of　the

southern　counties　of　Scotland　is；　a　great　part　of　it；　after　a

long　land　carriage　through　very　bad　roads；　manufactured　in

Yorkshire；　for　want　of　capital　to　manufacture　it　at　home。　There

are　many　little　manufacturing　towns　in　Great　Britain；　of　which

the　inhabitants　have　not　capital　sufficient　to　transport　the

produce　of　their　own　industry　to　those　distant　markets　where

there　is　demand　and　consumption　for　it。　If　there　are　any

merchants　among　them；　they　are　properly　only　the　agents　of

wealthier　merchants　who　reside　in　some　of　the　greater　commercial

cities。

　　　　　When　the　capital　of　any　country　is　not　sufficient　for　all

those　three　purposes；　in　proportion　as　a　greater　share　of　it　is

employed　in　agriculture；　the　greater　will　be　the　quantity　of

productive　labour　which　it　puts　into　motion　within　the　country；

as　will　likewise　be　the　value　which　its　employment　adds　to　the

annual　produce　of　the　land　and　labour　of　the　society。　After

agriculture；　the　capital　employed　in　manufactures　puts　into

motion　the　greatest　quantity　of　productive　labour；　and　adds　the

greatest　value　to　the　annual　produce。　That　which　is　employed　in

the　trade　of　exportation　has　the　least　effect　of　any　of　the

three。

　　　　　The　country；　indeed；　which　has　not　capital　sufficient　for

all　those　three　purposes　has　not　arrived　at　that　degree　of

opulence　for　which　it　seems　naturally　destined。　To　attempt；

however；　prematurely　and　with　an　insufficient　capital　to　do　all

the　three　is　certainly　not　the　shortest　way　for　a　society；　no

more　than　it　would　be　for　an　individual；　to　acquire　a　sufficient

one。　The　capital　of　all　the　individuals　of　a　nation　has　its

limits　in　the　same　manner　as　that　of　a　single　individual；　and　is

capable　of　executing　only　certain　purposes。　The　capital　of　all

the　individuals　of　a　nation　is　increased　in　the　same　manner　as

that　of　a　single　individual　by　their　continually　accumulating　and

adding　to　it　whatever　they　save　out　of　their　revenue。　It　is

likely　to　increase　the　fastest；　therefore；　when　it　is　employed　in

the　way　that　affords　the　greatest　revenue　to　all　the　inhabitants

of　the　country；　as　they　will　thus　be　enabled　to　make　the　greatest

savings。　But　the　revenue　of　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　country　is

necessarily　in　proportion　to　the　value　of　the　annual　produce　of

their　land　and　labour。

　　　　　It　has　been　the　principal　cause　of　the　rapid　progress　of　our

American　colonies　towards　wealth　and　greatness　that　almost　their

whole　capitals　have　hitherto　been　employed　in　agriculture。　They

have　no　manufactures；　those　household　and　courser　manufactures

excepted　which　necessarily　accompany　the　progress　of　agriculture；

and　which　are　the　work　of　the　women　and　children　in　every　private

family。　The　greater　part　both　of　the　exportation　and　coasting

trade　of　America　is　carried　on　by　the　capitals　of　merchants　who

reside　in　Great　Britain。　Even　the　stores　and　warehouses　from

which　goods　are　retailed　in　some　provinces；　particularly　in

Virginia　and　Maryland；　belong　many　of　them　to　merchants　who

reside　in　the　mother　country；　and　afford　one　of　the　few　instances

of　the　retail　trade　of　a　society　being　carried　on　by　the　capitals

of　those　who　are　not　resident　members　of　it。　Were　the　Americans；

either　by　combination　or　by　any　other　sort　of　violence；　to　stop

the　importation　of　European　manufactures；　and；　by　thus　giving　a

monopoly　to　such　of　their　own　countrymen　as　could　manufacture　the

like　goods；　divert　any　considerable　part　of　their　capital　into

this　employment；　they　would　retard　instead　of　accelerating　the

further　increase　in　the　value　of　their　annual　produce；　and　would

obstruct　instead　of　promoting　the　progress　of　their　country

towards　real　wealth　and　greatness。　This　would　be　still　more　the

case　were　they　to　attempt；　in　the　same　manner；　to　monopolize　to

themselves　their　whole　exportation　trade。

　　　　　The　course　of　human　prosperity；　indeed；　seems　scarce　ever　to

have　been　of　so　long　continuance　as　to　enable　any　great　country

to　acquire　capital　sufficient　for　all　those　three　purposes；

unless　perhaps；　we　give　credit　to　the　wonderful　accounts　of　the

wealth　and　cultivation　of　China；　of　those　of　ancient　Egypt；　and

of　the　ancient　state　of　Indostan。　Even　those　three　countries；　the

wealthiest；　according　to　all　accounts；　that　ever　were　in　the

world；　are　chiefly　renowned　for　their　superiority　in　agriculture

and　manufactures。　They　do　not　appear　to　have　been　eminent　for

foreign　trade。　The　ancient　Egyptians　had　a　superstitious

antipathy　to　the　sea；　a　superstition　nearly　of　the　same　kind

prevails　among　the　Indians；　and　the　Chinese　have　never　excelled

in　foreign　commerce。　The　greater　part　of　the　surplus　produce　of

all　those　three　countries　seems　to　have　been　always　exported　by

foreigners；　who　gave　in　exchange　for　it　something　else　for　which

they　found　a　demand　there；　frequently　gold　and　silver。

　　　　　It　is　thus　that　the　same　capital　will　in　any　country　put

into　motion　a　grea