太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > wealbk04 >

第70节

wealbk04-第70节

小说: wealbk04 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



ships; or in those of foreign nations。

     Manufactures; as in a small bulk they frequently contain a

great value; and can upon that account be transported at less

expense from one country to another than most parts of rude

produce; are; in almost all countries; the principal support of

foreign trade。 In countries; besides; less extensive and less

favourably circumstanced for inferior commerce than China; they

generally require the support of foreign trade。 Without an

extensive foreign market they could not well flourish; either in

countries so moderately extensive as to afford but a narrow home

market or in countries where the communication between one

province and another was so difficult as to render it impossible

for the goods of any particular place to enjoy the whole of that

home market which the country could afford。 The perfection of

manufacturing industry; it must be remembered; depends altogether

upon the division of labour; and the degree to which the division

of labour can be introduced into any manufacture is necessarily

regulated; it has already been shown; by the extent of the

market。 But the great extent of the empire of China; the vast

multitude of its inhabitants; the variety of climate; and

consequently of productions in its different provinces; and the

easy communication by means of water carriage between the greater

part of them; render the home market of that country of so great

extent as to be alone sufficient to support very great

manufactures; and to admit of very considerable subdivisions of

labour。 The home market of China is; perhaps; in extent; not much

inferior to the market of all the different countries of Europe

put together。 A more extensive foreign trade; however; which to

this great home market added the foreign market of all the rest

of the world… especially if any considerable part of this trade

was carried on in Chinese ships… could scarce fail to increase

very much the manufactures of China; and to improve very much the

productive powers of its manufacturing industry。 By a more

extensive navigation; the Chinese would naturally learn the art

of using and constructing themselves all the different machines

made use of in other countries; as well as the other improvements

of art and industry which are practised in all the different

parts of the world。 Upon their present plan they have little

opportunity except that of the Japanese。

     The policy of ancient Egypt too; and that of the Gentoo

government of Indostan; seem to have favoured agriculture more

than all other employments。

     Both in ancient Egypt and Indostan the whole body of the

people was divided into different castes or tribes; each of which

was confined; from father to son; to a particular employment or

class of employments。 The son of a priest was necessarily a

priest; the son of a soldier; a soldier; the son of a labourer; a

labourer; the son of a weaver; a weaver; the son of a tailor; a

tailor; etc。 In both countries; the caste of the priests held the

highest rank; and that of the soldiers the next; and in both

countries; the caste of the farmers and labourers was superior to

the castes of merchants and manufacturers。

     The government of both countries was particularly attentive

to the interest of agriculture。 The works constructed by the

ancient sovereigns of Egypt for the proper distribution of the

waters of the Nile were famous in antiquity; and the ruined

remains of some of them are still the admiration of travellers。

Those of the same kind which were constructed by the ancient

sovereigns of Indostan for the proper distribution of the waters

of the Ganges as well as of many other rivers; though they have

been less celebrated; seem to have been equally great。 Both

countries; accordingly; though subject occasionally to dearths;

have been famous for their great fertility。 Though both were

extremely populous; yet; in years of moderate plenty; they were

both able to export great quantities of grain to their

neighbours。

     The ancient Egyptians had a superstitious aversion to the

sea; and as the Gentoo religion does not permit its followers to

light a fire; nor consequently to dress any victuals upon the

water; it in effect prohibits them from all distant sea voyages。

Both the Egyptians and Indians must have depended almost

altogether upon the navigation of other nations for the

exportation of their surplus produce; and this dependency; as it

must have confined the market; so it must have discouraged the

increase of this surplus produce。 It must have discouraged; too;

the increase of the manufactured produce more than that of the

rude produce。 Manufactures require a much more extensive market

than the most important parts of the rude produce of the land。 A

single shoemaker will make more than three hundred pairs of shoes

in the year; and his own family will not; perhaps; wear out six

pairs。 Unless therefore he has the custom of at least fifty such

families as his own; he cannot dispose of the whole produce of

his own labour。 The most numerous class of artificers will

seldom; in a large country; make more than one in fifty or one in

a hundred of the whole number of families contained in it。 But in

such large countries as France and England; the number of people

employed in agriculture has by some authors been computed at a

half; by others at a third; and by no author that I know of; at

less than a fifth of the whole inhabitants of the country。 But as

the produce of the agriculture of both France and England is; the

far greater part of it; consumed at home; each person employed in

it must; according to these computations; require little more

than the custom of one; two; or at most; of four such families as

his own in order to dispose of the whole produce of his own

labour。 Agriculture; therefore; can support itself under the

discouragement of a confined market much better than

manufactures。 In both ancient Egypt and Indostan; indeed; the

confinement of the foreign market was in some measure compensated

by the conveniency of many inland navigations; which opened; in

the most advantageous manner; the whole extent of the home market

to every part of the produce of every different district of those

countries。 The great extent of Indostan; too; rendered the home

market of that country very great; and sufficient to support a

great variety of manufactures。 But the small extent of ancient

Egypt; which was never equal to England; must at all times have

rendered the home market of that country too narrow for

supporting any great variety of manufactures。 Bengal;

accordingly; the province of Indostan; which commonly exports the

greatest quantity of rice; has always been more remarkable for

the exportation of a great variety of manufactures than for that

of its grain。 Ancient Egypt; on the contrary; though it exported

some manufactures; fine linen in particular; as well as some

other goods; was always most distinguished for its great

exportation of grain。 It was long the granary of the Roman

empire。

     The sovereigns of China; of ancient Egypt; and of the

different kingdoms into which Indostan has at different times

been divided; have always derived the whole; or by far the most

considerable part; of their revenue from some sort of land tax or

land rent。 This land tax or land rent; like the tithe in Europe;

consisted in a certain proportion; a fifth; it is said; of the

produce of the land; which was either delivered in kind; or paid

in money; according to a certain valuation; and which therefore

varied from year to year according to all the variations of the

produce。 It was natural therefore that the sovereigns of those

countries should be particularly attentive to the interests of

agriculture; upon the prosperity or declension of which

immediately depended the yearly increase or diminution of their

own revenue。

     The policy of the ancient republics of Greece; and that of

Rome; though it honoured agriculture more than manufactures or

foreign trade; yet seems rather to have discouraged the latter

employments than to have given any direct or intentional

encouragement to the former。 In several of the ancient states of

Greece; foreign trade was prohibited altogether; and in several

others the employments of artificers and manufacturers were

considered as hurtful to the strength and agility of the human

body; as rendering it incapable of those habits which their

military and gymnastic exercises endeavoured to form in it; and

as thereby disqualifying it more or less for undergoing the

fatigues and encountering the dangers of war。 Such occupations

were considered as fit only for slaves; and the free citizens of

the state were prohibited from exercising them。 Even in those

states where no such prohibition took place; as in Rome and

Athens; the great body of the people were in effect excluded from

all the trades which are; now commonly exercised by the lower

sort of the inhabitants of towns。 Such trades were; at Athens and

Rome; all occupied by the slaves of th

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的