wealbk04-第79章

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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　the　rich；　who　exercised　them

for　the　benefit　of　their　masters；　whose　wealth；　power；　and

protection　made　it　almost　impossible　for　a　poor　freeman　to　find　a

market　for　his　work；　when　it　came　into　competition　with　that　of

the　slaves　of　the　rich。　Slaves；　however；　are　very　seldom

inventive；　and　all　the　most　important　improvements；　either　in

machinery；　or　in　the　arrangement　and　distribution　of　work　which

facilitate　and　abridge　labour；　have　been　the　discoveries　of

freemen。　Should　a　slave　propose　any　improvement　of　this　kind；　his

master　would　be　very　apt　to　consider　the　proposal　as　the

suggestion　of　laziness；　and　a　desire　to　save　his　own　labour　at

the　master's　expense。　The　poor　slave；　instead　of　reward；　would

probably　meet　with　much　abuse；　perhaps　with　some　punishment。　In

the　manufactures　carried　on　by　slaves；　therefore；　more　labour

must　generally　have　been　employed　to　execute　the　same　quantity　of

work　than　in　those　carried　on　by　freemen。　The　work　of　the　former

must；　upon　that　account；　generally　have　been　dearer　than　that　of

the　latter。　The　Hungarian　mines；　it　is　remarked　by　Mr。

Montesquieu；　though　not　richer；　have　always　been　wrought　with

less　expense；　and　therefore　with　more　profit；　than　the　Turkish

mines　in　their　neighbourhood。　The　Turkish　mines　are　wrought　by

slaves；　and　the　arms　of　those　slaves　are　the　only　machines　which

the　Turks　have　ever　thought　of　employing。　The　Hungarian　mines　are

wrought　by　freemen；　who　employ　a　great　deal　of　machinery；　by

which　they　facilitate　and　abridge　their　own　labour。　From　the　very

little　that　is　known　about　the　price　of　manufactures　in　the　times

of　the　Greeks　and　Romans；　it　would　appear　that　those　of　the　finer

sort　were　excessively　dear。　Silk　sold　for　its　weight　in　gold。　It

was　not；　indeed；　in　those　times　a　European　manufacture；　and　as　it

was　all　brought　from　the　East　Indies；　the　distance　of　the

carriage　may　in　some　measure　account　for　the　greatness　of　price。

The　price；　however；　which　a　lady；　it　is　said；　would　sometimes　pay

for　a　piece　of　very　fine　linen；　seems