wealbk01-第62节

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with　very　little：　and　as　they　are　the　materials　of　many

manufactures；　the　industry　of　other　countries　may　occasion　a

demand　for　them；　though　that　of　the　country　which　produces　them

might　not　occasion　any。

　　　　　In　countries　ill　cultivated；　and　therefore　but　thinly

inhabited；　the　price　of　the　wool　and　the　hide　bears　always　a　much

greater　proportion　to　that　of　the　whole　beast　than　in　countries

where；　improvement　and　population　being　further　advanced；　there

is　more　demand　for　butcher's　meat。　Mr。　Hume　observes　that　in　the

Saxon　times　the　fleece　was　estimated　at　two…fifths　of　the　value

of　the　whole　sheep；　and　that　this　was　much　above　the　proportion

of　its　present　estimation。　In　some　provinces　of　Spain；　I　have

been　assured；　the　sheep　is　frequently　killed　merely　for　the　sake

of　the　fleece　and　the　tallow。　The　carcase　is　often　left　to　rot

upon　the　ground；　or　to　be　devoured　by　beasts　and　birds　of　prey。

If　this　sometimes　happens　even　in　Spain；　it　happens　almost

constantly　in　Chili；　at　Buenos　Ayres；　and　in　many　other　parts　of

Spanish　America；　where　the　horned　cattle　are　almost　constantly

killed　merely　for　the　sake　of　the　hide　and　the　tallow。　This；　too；

used　to　happen　almost　constantly　in　Hispaniola；　while　it　was

infested　by　the　Buccaneers；　and　before　the　settlement；

improvement；　and　populousness　of　the　French　plantations　（which

now　extend　round　the　coast　of　almost　the　whole　western　half　of

the　island）　had　given　some　value　to　the　cattle　of　the　Spaniards；

who　still　continue　to　possess；　not　only　the　eastern　part　of　the

coast；　but　the　whole　inland　and　mountainous　part　of　the　country。

　　　　　Though　in　the　progress　of　improvement　and　population　the

price　of　the　whole　beast　necessarily　rises；　yet　the　price　of　the

carcase　is　likely　to　be　much　more　affected　by　this　rise　than　that

of　the　wool　and　the　hide。　The　market　for　the　carcase；　being　in

the　rude　state　of　society　confined　always　to　the　country　which

produces　it；　must　necessarily　be　extended　in　proportion　to　the

improvement　and　population　of　that　country。　But　the　market　for

the　wool　and　the　hides　even　of　a　barbarous　country　often

extending　to　the　whole　commercial　world；　it　can　very　seldom　be

enlarged　in　the　same　proportion。　The　state　of　the　whole

commercial　world　can　seldom　be　much　affected　by　the　improvement

of　any　particular　country；　and　the　market　for　such　commodities

may　remain　the　same　or　very　nearly　the　same　after　such

improvements　as　before。　It　should；　however；　in　the　natural　course

of　things　rather　upon　the　whole　be　somewhat　extended　in

consequence　of　them。　If　the　manufactures；　especially；　of　which

those　commodities　are　the　materials　should　ever　come　to　flourish

in　the　country；　the　market；　though　it　might　not　be　much　enlarged；

would　at　least　be　brought　much　nearer　to　the　place　of　growth　than

before；　and　the　price　of　those　materials　might　at　least　be

increased　by　what　had　usually　been　the　expense　of　transporting

them　to　distant　countries。　Though　it　might　not　rise　therefore　in

the　same　proportion　as　that　of　butcher's　meat；　it　ought　naturally

to　rise　somewhat；　and　it　ought　certainly　not　to　fall。

　　　　　In　England；　however；　notwithstanding　the　flourishing　state

of　its　woollen　manufacture；　the　price　of　English　wool　has　fallen

very　considerably　since　the　time　of　Edward　III。　There　are　many

authentic　records　which　demonstrate　that　during　the　reign　of　that

prince　（towards　the　middle　of　the　fourteenth　century；　or　about

1339）　what　was　reckoned　the　moderate　and　reasonable　price　of　the

tod；　or　twenty…eight　pounds　of　English　wool；　was　not　less　than

ten　shillings　of　the　money　of　those　times；　containing　at　the　rate

of　twentypence　the　ounce；　six　ounces　of　silver　Tower　weight；

equal　to　about　thirty　shillings　of　our　present　money。　In　the

present　times；　one…and…twenty　shillings　the　tod　may　be　reckoned　a

good　price　for　very　good　English　wool。　The　money…price　of　wool；

therefore；　in　the　time　of　Edward　III；　was　to　its　money…price　in

the　present　times　as　ten　to　seven。　The　superiority　of　its　real

price　was　still　greater。　At　the　rate　of　six　shillings　and

eightpence　the　quarter；　ten　shillings　was　in　those　ancient　times

the　price　of　twelve　bushels　of　wheat。　At　the　rate　of　twenty…eight

shillings　the　quarter；　one…and…twenty　shillings　is　in　the　present

times　the　price　of　six　bushels　only。　The　proportion　between　the

real　prices　of　ancient　and　modern　times；　therefore；　is　as　twelve

to　six；　or　as　two　to　one。　In　those　ancient　times　a　tod　of　wool

would　have　purchased　twice　the　quantity　of　subsistence　which　it

will　purchase　at　present；　and　consequently　twice　the　quantity　of

labour；　if　the　real　recompense　of　labour　had　been　the　same　in

both　periods。

　　　　　This　degradation　both　in　the　real　and　nominal　value　of　wool

could　never　have　happened　in　consequence　of　the　natural　course　of

things。　It　has　accordingly　been　the　effect　of　violence　and

artifice：　first；　of　the　absolute　prohibition　of　exporting　wool

from　England；　secondly；　of　the　permission　of　importing　it　from

Spain　duty　free；　thirdly；　of　the　prohibition　of　exporting　it　from

Ireland　to　any　other　country　but　England。　In　consequence　of　these

regulations　the　market　for　English　wool；　instead　of　being

somewhat　extended　in　consequence　of　the　improvement　of　England；

has　been　confined　to　the　home　market；　where　the　wool　of　several

other　countries　is　allowed　to　come　into　competition　with　it；　and

where　that　of　Ireland　is　forced　into　competition　with　it。　As　the

woollen　manufactures；　too；　of　Ireland　are　fully　as　much

discouraged　as　is　consistent　with　justice　and　fair　dealing；　the

Irish　can　work　up　but　a　small　part　of　their　own　wool　at　home；　and

are；　therefore；　obliged　to　send　a　greater　proportion　of　it　to

Great　Britain；　the　only　market　they　are　allowed。

　　　　　I　have　not　been　able　to　find　any　such　authentic　records

concerning　the　price　of　raw　hides　in　ancient　times。　Wool　was

commonly　paid　as　a　subsidy　to　the　king；　and　its　valuation　in　that

subsidy　ascertains；　at　least　in　some　degree；　what　was　its

ordinary　price。　But　this　seems　not　to　have　been　the　case　with　raw

hides。　Fleetwood；　however；　from　an　account　in　1425；　between　the

prior　of　Burcester　Oxford　and　one　of　his　canons；　gives　us　their

price；　at　least　as　it　was　stated　upon　that　particular　occasion；

viz。；　five　ox　hides　at　twelve　shillings；　five　cow　hides　at　seven

shillings　and　threepence；　thirty…six　sheep　skins　of　two　years　old

at　nine　shillings；　sixteen　calves　skins　at　two　shillings。　In

1425；　twelve　shillings　contained　about　the　same　quantity　of

silver　as　four…and…twenty　shillings　of　our　present　money。　An　ox

hide；　therefore；　was　in　this　account　valued　at　the　same　quantity

of　silver　as　4s。　four…fifths　of　our　present　money。　Its　nominal

price　was　a　good　deal　lower　than　at　present。　But　at　the　rate　of

six　shillings　and　eightpence　the　quarter；　twelve　shillings　would

in　those　times　have　purchased　fourteen　bushels　and　four…fifths　of

a　bushel　of　wheat；　which；　at　three　and　sixpence　the　bushel；　would

in　the　present　times　cost　51s。　4d。　An　ox　hide；　therefore；　would

in　those　times　have　purchased　as　much　corn　as　ten　shillings　and

threepence　would　purchase　at　present。　Its　real　value　was　equal　to

ten　shillings　and　threepence　of　our　present　money。　In　those

ancient　times；　when　the　cattle　were　half　starved　during　the

greater　part　of　the　winter；　we　cannot　suppose　that　they　were　of　a

very　large　size。　An　ox　hide　which　weighs　four　stone　of　sixteen

pounds　avoirdupois　is　not　in　the　present　times　reckoned　a　bad

one；　and　in　those　ancient　times　would　probably　have　been　reckoned

a　very　good　one。　But　at　half…a…crown　the　stone；　which　at　this

moment　（February　1773）　I　understand　to　be　the　common　price；　such

a　hide　would　at　present　cost　only　ten　shillings。　Though　its

nominal　price；　therefore；　is　higher　in　the　present　than　it　was　in

those　ancient　times；　its　real　price；　the　real　quantity　of

subsistence　which　it　will　purchase　or　command；　is　rather　somewhat

lower。　The　price　of　cow　hides；　as　stated　in　the　above　account；　is

nearly　in　the　common　proportion　to　that　of　ox　hides。　That　of

sheep　skins　is　a　good　deal　above　it。　They　had　probably　been　sold

with　the　wool。　That　of　calves　skins；　on　the　contrary；　is　greatly

below　it。　In　countries　where　the　price　of　cattle　is　very　low；　the

calves；　which　are　not　intended　to　be　reared　in　order　to　keep　up

the　stock；　are　generally　killed　very　young；　as　was　the　case　in

Scotland　twenty　or　thirty　years　ago。　It　saves　the　milk；　which

their　price　would　not　pay　for。　Their　skins；　therefore；　are

commonly　good　for　little。

　　　　　The　price　of　raw　hides　is　a　good　deal　lower　at　present　than

it　was　a　few　years　ago；　owing　probably　to　the　taking　off　the　duty

upon　sealskins；　and　to　the　allowing；　for　a　limited　time；　the

importation　of　raw　hides　from　Ireland　and　from　the　plantations

duty　free；　which　was　done　in　1769。　Take　the　whole　of　the　present

century　at　an　average；　their　real　price　has　probably　been

somewhat　higher　than　it　was　in　those　ancient　times。　The　nature