wealbk01-第23章

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Doctor　Davenant；　computed　the　ordinary　income　of　labourers　and

out…servants　to　be　fifteen　pounds　a　year　to　a　family；　which　he

supposed　to　consist；　one　with　another；　of　three　and　a　half

persons。　His　calculation；　therefore；　though　different　in

appearance；　corresponds　very　nearly　at　bottom　with　that　of　Judge

Hales。　Both　suppose　the　weekly　expense　of　such　families　to　be

about　twenty　pence　a　head。　Both　the　pecuniary　income　and　expense

of　such　families　have　increased　considerably　since　that　time

through　the　greater　part　of　the　kingdom；　in　some　places　more；　and

in　some　less；　though　perhaps　scarce　anywhere　so　much　as　some

exaggerated　accounts　of　the　present　wages　of　labour　have　lately

represented　them　to　the　public。　The　price　of　labour；　it　must　be

observed；　cannot　be　ascertained　very　accurately　anywhere；

different　prices　being　often　paid　at　the　same　place　and　for　the

same　sort　of　labour；　not　only　according　to　the　different

abilities　of　the　workmen；　but　according　to　the　easiness　or

hardness　of　the　masters。　Where　wages　are　not　regulated　by　law；

all　that　we　can　pretend　to　determine　is　what　are　the　most　usual；

and　experience　seems　to　show　that　law　can　never　regulate　them

properly；　though　it　has　often　pretended　to　do　so。

　　　　　The　real　recompense　of　labour；　the　real　quantity　of　the

necessaries　and　conveniences　of　life　which　it　can　procure　to　the

labourer；　has；　during　the　course　of　the　present　century；

increased　perhaps　in　a　still　greater　proportion　than　its　money

price。　Not　only　grain　has　become　somewhat　cheaper；　but　many　other

things　from　which　the　industrious　poor　derive　an　agreeable　and

wholesome　variety　of　food　have　become　a　great　deal　cheaper。

Potatoes；　for　example；　do　not　at　present；　through　the　greater

part　of　the　kingdom；　cost　half　the　price　which　they　used　to　do

thirty　or　forty　years　ago。　The　same　thing　may　be　said　of　turnips；

carrots；　cabbages；　things　which　were　formerly　never　raised　but　by

the　spade；　but　which　are　now　commonly　raised　by　the　plough。　All

sort　of　garden　stuff；　too；　has　become　cheaper。　The　greater　part

of　the　apples　and　even　of　the　onions　consumed　in　Great　Britain

were　in　the　last　century　imported　from　Flanders。　The　great

improvements　in　the　coarser　manufactures　of　both　linen　and

woollen　cloth　furnish　the　labourers　with　cheaper　and　better

clothing；　and　those　in　the　manufactures　of　the　coarser　metals；

with　cheaper　and　better　instruments　of　trade；　as　well　as　with

many　agreeable　and　convenient　pieces　of　household　furniture。

Soap；　salt；　candles；　leather；　and　fermented　liquors　have；　indeed；

become　a　good　deal　dearer；　chiefly　from　the　taxes　which　have　been

laid　upon　them。　The　quantity　of　these；　however；　which　the

labouring　poor　are　under　any　necessity　of　consuming；　is　so　very

small；　that　the　increase　in　their　price　does　not　compensate　the

diminution　in　that　of　so　many　other　things。　The　common　complaint

that　luxury　extends　itself　even　to　the　lowest　ranks　of　the

people；　and　that　the　labouring　poor　will　not　now　be　contented

with　the　same　food；　clothing；　and　lodging　which　satisfied　them　in

former　times；　may　convince　us　that　it　is　not　the　money　price　of

labour　only；　but　its　real　recompense；　which　has　augmented。

　　　　　Is　this　improvement　in　the　circumstances　of　the　lower　ranks

of　the　people　to　be　regarded　as　an　advantage　or　as　an

inconveniency　to　the　society？　The　answer　seems　at　first　sight

abundantly　plain。　Servants；　labourers；　and　workmen　of　different

kinds；　make　up　the　far　greater　part　of　every　great　political

society。　But　what　improves　the　circumstances　of　the　greater　part

can　never　be　regarded　as　an　inconveniency　to　the　whole。　No

society　can　surely　be　flourishing　and　happy；　of　which　the　far

greater　part　of　the　members　are　poor　and　miserable。　It　is　but

equity；　besides；　that　they　who　feed；　clothe；　and　lodge　the　whole

body　of　the　people；　should　have　such　a　share　of　the　produce　of

their　own　labour　as　to　be　themselves　tolerably　well　fed；　clothed；

and　lodged。

　　　　　Poverty；　though　it　no　doubt　discourages；　does　not　always

prevent　marriage。　It　seems　even　to　be　favourable　to　generation。　A

half…starved　Highland　woman　frequently　bears　more　than　twenty

children；　while　a　pampered　fine　lady　is　often　incapable　of

bearing　any；　and　is　generally　exhausted　by　two　or　three。

Barrenness；　so　frequent　among　women　of　fashion；　is　very　rare

among　those　of　inferior　station。　Luxury　in　the　fair　sex；　while　it

inflames　perhaps　the　passion　for　enjoyment；　seems　always　to

weaken；　and　frequently　to　destroy　altogether；　the　powers　of

generation。

　　　　　But　poverty；　though　it　does　not　prevent　the　generation；　is

extremely　unfavourable　to　the　rearing　of　children。　The　tender

plant　is　produced；　but　in　so　cold　a　soil　and　so　severe　a　climate；

soon　withers　and　dies。　It　is　not　uncommon；　I　have　been　frequently

told；　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　for　a　mother　who　has　borne

twenty　children　not　to　have　two　alive。　Several　officers　of　great

experience　have　assured　me；　that　so　far　from　recruiting　their

regiment；　they　have　never　been　able　to　supply　it　with　drums　and

fifes　from　all　the　soldiers'　children　that　were　born　in　it。　A

greater　number　of　fine　children；　however；　is　seldom　seen　anywhere

than　about　a　barrack　of　soldiers。　Very　few　of　them；　it　seems；

arrive　at　the　age　of　thirteen　or　fourteen。　In　some　places　one

half　the　children　born　die　before　they　are　four　years　of　age；　in

many　places　before　they　are　seven；　and　in　almost　all　places

before　they　are　nine　or　ten。　This　great　mortality；　however；　will

everywhere　be　found　chiefly　among　the　children　of　the　common

people；　who　cannot　afford　to　tend　them　with　the　same　care　as

those　of　better　station。　Though　their　marriages　are　generally

more　fruitful　than　those　of　people　of　fashion；　a　smaller

proportion　of　their　children　arrive　at　maturity。　In　foundling

hospitals；　and　among　the　children　brought　up　by　parish　charities；

the　mortality　is　still　greater　than　among　those　of　the　common

people。

　　　　　Every　species　of　animals　naturally　multiplies　in　proportion

to　the　means　of　their　subsistence；　and　no　species　can　ever

multiply　beyond　it。　But　in　civilised　society　it　is　only　among　the

inferior　ranks　of　people　that　the　scantiness　of　subsistence　can

set　limits　to　the　further　multiplication　of　the　human　species；

and　it　can　do　so　in　no　other　way　than　by　destroying　a　great　part

of　the　children　which　their　fruitful　marriages　produce。

　　　　　The　liberal　reward　of　labour；　by　enabling　them　to　provide

better　for　their　children；　and　consequently　to　bring　up　a　greater

number；　naturally　tends　to　widen　and　extend　those　limits。　It

deserves　to　be　remarked；　too；　that　it　necessarily　does　this　as

nearly　as　possible　in　the　proportion　which　the　demand　for　labour

requires。　If　this　demand　is　continually　increasing；　the　reward　of

labour　must　necessarily　encourage　in　such　a　manner　the　marriage

and　multiplication　of　labourers；　as　may　enable　them　to　supply

that　continually　increasing　demand　by　a　continually　increasing

population。　If　the　reward　should　at　any　time　be　less　than　what

was　requisite　for　this　purpose；　the　deficiency　of　hands　would

soon　raise　it；　and　if　it　should　at　any　time　be　more；　their

excessive　multiplication　would　soon　lower　it　to　this　necessary

rate。　The　market　would　be　so　much　understocked　with　labour　in　the

one　case；　and　so　much　overstocked　in　the　other；　as　would　soon

force　back　its　price　to　that　proper　rate　which　the　circumstances

of　the　society　required。　It　is　in　this　manner　that　the　demand　for

men；　like　that　for　any　other　commodity；　necessarily　regulates　the

production　of　men；　quickens　it　when　it　goes　on　too　slowly；　and

stops　it　when　it　advances　too　fast。　It　is　this　demand　which

regulates　and　determines　the　state　of　propagation　in　all　the

different　countries　of　the　world；　in　North　America；　in　Europe；

and　in　China；　which　renders　it　rapidly　progressive　in　the　first；

slow　and　gradual　in　the　second；　and　altogether　stationary　in　the

last。

　　　　　The　wear　and　tear　of　a　slave；　it　has　been　said；　i