wealbk01-第70章

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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　of

the　commodity　renders　it　not　quite　so　proper　for　being

transported　to　distant　markets　as　wool。　It　suffers　more　by

keeping。　A　salted　hide　is　reckoned　inferior　to　a　fresh　one；　and

sells　for　a　lower　price。　This　circumstance　must　necessarily　have

some　tendency　to　sink　the　price　of　raw　hides　produced　in　a

country　which　does　not　manufacture　them；　but　is　obliged　to　export

them；　and　comparatively　to　raise　that　of　those　produced　in　a

country　which　does　manufacture　them。　It　must　have　some　tendency

to　sink　their　price　in　a　barbarous；　and　to　raise　it　in　an

improved　and　manufacturing　country。　It　must　have　had　some

tendency；　therefore；　to　sink　it　in　ancient　and　to　raise　it　in

modern　times。　Our　tanners；　besides；　have　not　been　quite　so

successful　as　our　clothiers　in　convincing　the　wisdom　of　the

nation　that　the　safety　of　the　commonwealth　depends　upon　the

prosperity　of　their　particular　manufacture。　They　have　accordingly

been　much　less　favoured。　The　exportation　of　raw　hides　has；

indeed；　been　prohibited；　and　declared　a　nuisance；　but　their

importation　from　foreign　countries　has　been　subjected　to　a　duty；

and　though　this　duty　has　been　taken　off　from　those　of　Ireland　and

the　plantations　（for　the　limited　time　of　five　years　only）；　yet

Ireland　has　not　been　confined　to　the　market　of　Great　Britain　for

the　sale　of　its　surplus　hides；　or　of　those　which　are　not

manufactured　at　home。　The　hides　of　common　cattle　have　but　within

these　few　years　been　put　among　the　enumerated　commodities　which

the　plantations　can　send　nowhere　but　to　the　mother　country；

neither　has　the　commerce　of　Ireland　been　in　this　case　oppressed

hitherto　in　order　to　support　the　manufactures　of　Great　Britain。

　　　　　Whatever　regulations　tend　to　sink　the　price　either　of　wool

or　of　raw　hides　below　what　it　naturally　would　be　must；　in　an

improved　and　cultivated　country；　have　some　tendency　to　raise　the

price　of　butcher's　meat。　The　price　both　of　the　great　and　small

cattle；　which　are　fed　on　improved　and　cultivated　land；　must　be