wealbk01-第3章

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facilitate　and　abridge　labour；　and　enable　one　man　to　do　the　work

of　many。

　　　　　First；　the　improvement　of　the　dexterity　of　the　workman

necessarily　increases　the　quantity　of　the　work　he　can　perform；

and　the　division　of　labour；　by　reducing　every　man's　business　to

some　one　simple　operation；　and　by　making　this　operation　the　sole

employment　of　his　life；　necessarily　increased　very　much　dexterity

of　the　workman。　A　common　smith；　who；　though　accustomed　to　handle

the　hammer；　has　never　been　used　to　make　nails；　if　upon　some

particular　occasion　he　is　obliged　to　attempt　it；　will　scarce；　I

am　assured；　be　able　to　make　above　two　or　three　hundred　nails　in　a

day；　and　those　too　very　bad　ones。　A　smith　who　has　been　accustomed

to　make　nails；　but　whose　sole　or　principal　business　has　not　been

that　of　a　nailer；　can　seldom　with　his　utmost　diligence　make　more

than　eight　hundred　or　a　thousand　nails　in　a　day。　I　have　seen

several　boys　under　twenty　years　of　age　who　had　never　exercised

any　other　trade　but　that　of　making　nails；　and　who；　when　they

exerted　themselves；　could　make；　each　of　them；　upwards　of　two

thousand　three　hundred　nails　in　a　day。　The　making　of　a　nail；

however；　is　by　no　means　one　of　the　simplest　operations。　The　same

person　blows　the　bellows；　stirs　or　mends　the　fire　as　there　is

occasion；　heats　the　iron；　and　forges　every　part　of　the　nail：　in

forging　the　head　too　he　is　obliged　to　change　his　tools。　The

different　operations　into　which　the　making　of　a　pin；　or　of　a

metal　button；　is　subdivided；　are　all　of　them　much　more　simple；

and　the　dexterity　of　the　person；　of　whose　life　it　has　been　the

sole　business　to　perform　them；　is　usually　much　greater。　The

rapidity　with　which　some　of　the　operations　of　those　manufacturers

are　performed；　exceeds　what　the　human　hand　could；　by　those　who

had　never　seen　them；　be　supposed　capable　of　acquiring。

　　　　　Secondly；　the　advantage　which　is　gained　by　saving　the　time

commonly　lost　in　passing　from　one　sort　of　work　to　another　is　much

greater　than　we　should　at　first　view　be　apt　to　imagine　it。　It　is

impossible　to　pass　very　quickly　from　one　kind　of　work　to　another

that　is　carried　on　in　a　different　place　and　with　quite　different

tools。　A　country　weaver；　who　cultivates　a　small　farm；　must　lose　a

good　deal　of　time　in　passing　from　his　loom　to　the　field；　and　from

the　field　to　his　loom。　When　the　two　trades　can　be　carried　on　in

the　same　workhouse；　the　loss　of　time　is　no　doubt　much　less。　It　is

even　in　this　case；　however；　very　considerable。　A　man　commonly

saunters　a　little　in　turning　his　hand　from　one　sort　of　employment

to　another。　When　he　first　begins　the　new　work　he　is　seldom　very

keen　and　hearty；　his　mind；　as　they　say；　does　not　go　to　it；　and

for　some　time　he　rather　trifles　than　applies　to　good　purpose。　The

habit　of　sauntering　and　of　indolent　careless　application；　which

is　naturally；　or　rather　necessarily　acquired　by　every　country

workman　who　is　obliged　to　change　his　work　and　his　tools　every

half　hour；　and　to　apply　his　hand　in　twenty　different　ways　almost

every　day　of　his　life；　renders　him　almost　always　slothful　and

lazy；　and　incapable　of　any　vigorous　application　even　on　the　most

pressing　occasions。　Independent；　therefore；　of　his　deficiency　in

point　of　dexterity；　this　cause　alone　must　always　reduce

considerably　the　quantity　of　work　which　he　is　capable　of

performing。

　　　　　Thirdly；　and　lastly；　everybody　must　be　sensible　how　much

labour　is　facilitated　and　abridged　by　the　application　of　proper

machinery。　It　is　unnecessary　to　give　any　example。　I　shall　only

observe；　therefore；　that　the　invention　of　all　those　machines　by

which　labour　is　so　much　facilitated　and　abridged　seems　to　have

been　originally　owing　to　the　division　of　labour。　Men　are　much

more　likely　to　discover　easier　and　readier　methods　of　attaining

any　object　when　the　whole　attention　of　their　minds　is　directed

towards　that　single　object　than　when　it　is　dissipated　among　a

great　variety　of　things。　But　in　consequence　of　the　division　of

labour；　the　whole　of　every　man's　attention　comes　naturally　to　be

directed　towards　some　one　very　simple　object。　It　is　naturally　to

be　expected；　therefore；　that　some　one　or　other　of　those　who　are

employed　in　each　particular　branch　of　labour　should　soon　find　out

easier　and　readier　methods　of　performing　their　own　particular

work；　wherever　the　nature　of　it　admits　of　such　improvement。　A

great　part　of　the　machines　made　use　of　in　those　manufactures　in

which　labour　is　most　subdivided；　were　originally　the　inventions

of　common　workmen；　who；　being　each　of　them　employed　in　some　very

simple　operation；　naturally　turned　their　thoughts　towards　finding

out　easier　and　readier　methods　of　performing　it。　Whoever　has　been

much　accustomed　to　visit　such　manufactures　must　frequently　have

been　shown　very　pretty　machines；　which　were　the　inventions　of

such　workmen　in　order　to　facilitate　and　quicken　their　particular

part　of　the　work。　In　the　first　fire…engines；　a　boy　was　constantly

employed　to　open　and　shut　alternately　the　communication　between

the　boiler　and　the　cylinder；　according　as　the　piston　either

ascended　or　descended。　One　of　those　boys；　who　loved　to　play　with

his　companions；　observed　that；　by　tying　a　string　from　the　handle

of　the　valve　which　opened　this　communication　to　another　part　of

the　machine；　the　valve　would　open　and　shut　without　his

assistance；　and　leave　him　at　liberty　to　divert　himself　with　his

playfellows。　One　of　the　greatest　improvements　that　has　been　made

upon　this　machine；　since　it　was　first　invented；　was　in　this

manner　the　discovery　of　a　boy　who　wanted　to　save　his　own　labour。

　　　　　All　the　improvements　in　machinery；　however；　have　by　no　means

been　the　inventions　of　those　who　had　occasion　to　use　the

machines。　Many　improvements　have　been　made　by　the　ingenuity　of

the　makers　of　the　machines；　when　to　make　them　became　the　business

of　a　peculiar　trade；　and　some　by　that　of　those　who　are　called

philosophers　or　men　of　speculation；　whose　trade　it　is　not　to　do

anything；　but　to　observe　everything；　and　who；　upon　that　account；

are　often　capable　of　combining　together　the　powers　of　the　most

distant　and　dissimilar　objects。　In　the　progress　of　society；

philosophy　or　speculation　becomes；　like　every　other　employment；

the　principal　or　sole　trade　and　occupation　of　a　particular　class

of　citizens。　Like　every　other　employment　too；　it　is　subdivided

into　a　great　number　of　different　branches；　each　of　which　affords

occupation　to　a　peculiar　tribe　or　class　of　philosophers；　and　this

subdivision　of　employment　in　philosophy；　as　well　as　in　every

other　business；　improves　dexterity；　and　saves　time。　Each

individual　becomes　more　expert　in　his　own　peculiar　branch；　more

work　is　done　upon　the　whole；　and　the　quantity　of　science　is

considerably　increased　by　it。

　　　　　It　is　the　great　multiplication　of　the　productions　of　all　the

different　arts；　in　consequence　of　the　division　of　labour；　which

occasions；　in　a　well…governed　society；　that　universal　opulence

which　extends　itself　to　the　lowest　ranks　of　the　people。　Every

workman　has　a　great　quantity　of　his　own　work　to　dispose　of　beyond

what　he　himself　has　occasion　for；　and　every　other　workman　being

exactly　in　the　same　situation；　he　is　enabled　to　exchange　a　great

quantity　of　his　own　goods　for　a　great　quantity；　or；　what　comes　to

the　same　thing；　for　the　price　of　a　great　quantity　of　theirs。　He

supplies　them　abundantly　with　what　they　have　occasion　for；　and

they　accommodate　him　as　amply　with　what　he　has　occasion　for；　and

a　general　plenty　diffuses　itself　through　all　the　different　ranks

of　the　society。

　　　　　Observe　the　accommodation　of　the　most　common　artificer　or

day…labourer　in　a　civilised　and　thriving　country；　and　you　will

perceive　that　the　number　of　people　of　whose　industry　a　part；

though　but　a　small　part；　has　been　employed　in　procuring　him　this

accommodation；　exceeds　all　computation。　The　woollen　coat；　for

example；　which　covers　the　day…labourer；　as　coarse　and　rough　as　it

may　appear；　is　the　produce　of　the　joint　labour