第182章 BOOK II.(144)

30. "The landlord can afford to try experiments and is generally disposed to do so. His unsuccessful experiments occasion only a moderate loss to himself. His successful ones contribute to the improvement and better cultivation of the whole country." B. V. c. II.

31. Life of Smith 32. This is a possible supposition, but it is more probable he would neglect it, perhaps cut it down for the sake of reaching more easily the fruit it carried.

33. Note E.

34. C. C. Galli. Eleg. I. The whole elegy is illustrative of that isolation of feeling and action, and consequent individual misery, and general weakness that pervaded the Empire at the time.

35. µ µ µ µ µ. µ. µ µ. Demophili Similitudines 36. µ . µ µ µ µ µ.

Xenoph. Memorabilia 37. Indolence and improvidence are, in our system, reduced to one defect. Indolence is, the not laying out present labor to secure future abundance. Improvidence, the squandering present abundance, in disregard of future coming want. They both proceed from the predominance of the present over the future, the low strength of the effective desire of accumulation.

38. Where the press is merely a brush, and the types are blocks of wood, which a common workman carves out for a few pence it must of necessity be essentially free; the best proof of this is, that books for which there is a demand, licentious publications for instance are extensively circulated, notwithstanding all the efforts of the magistrate.

39. La Harp. Vol. 8. p. 289. Lettres edifiantes.

Vol. X. p. 107.

40. * Staunton, Vol. 2; p. 244. Ellis, p..268 and 316; the best proof perhaps is in the premiums offered for their cultivation.

See Lettres edifiantes. Vol. xi. p. 525.

41. Lettres Edifiantes, Tom. XII. p. 199. The father Parennin seems to have been one of the most intelligent of the Jesuits, and had the very best opportunities for observation, having spent a long life among the Chinese of all classes. His testimony is much more to be depended on, concerning such a fact -- than that of passing travellers, whose cursory observations extend only to what may be seen on the exterior of the habitations.

42. Note F.

43. Horace V. Satire II Book. It is worth while observing, that, according to this satire, to cheat these parasites into the service, by holding out a reward they were never to get, was reckoned a thing to be laughed at probably the practice existed from a very early age, though I cannot give authority for it. parasites are in Plautus' Plays, but these are in a great measure translations. The following quotation from that author, however, expresses a feeling, which I should suppose prevailed in Roman society at the time:

"Quaride habeo multos cognates, quid opus mihi sit liberis.

Nunc bene rive et fortunate, atque animo ut lubet, Mea bona meet morte cognatis dicam interpartiant, Illi apud me edunt, me curant, visunt quid again, ecquid velim, Qui mihi mittunt munera, ad prandium, ad caenam recant.

44. Quia plerumque parentes sine cause liberos suns exheredunt vel omittunt. Inst. Lib. II. Tit. 18. Capiunt quidem cognati omnia, et extranei, vel cure liberate servi; filii veto licet multi consistent;etiamsi nihil offenderint parentes, confunduntur, etc. Novel. XVIII. Pref.

45. µ µ . Suet. A similar proverb "a pres nous le deluge," is said to have been often in the mouth of Madame Pompadour, one of the purest self-worshippers ever existing. It is perhaps worthy of remark, as showing the propensity of selfishness to grasp the present, that both the Romans and the lady were very prodigals even in what was entirely their own. The former it is well known rapidly exhausted their constitutions by every sort of debauchery and excess, the latter was as little economical of her personal charms. At twenty her lips are said to have been livid from the too constant application of her teeth to make them pout, at thirty she was haggard.

46. Merito dicatur genitos esse, quinec ipsi habere possent res familiares, nec alios pati."47. Nam et negotiatoribus certa lucra proposuit, suscepto in se damno si cui quid per tempestates accidisset; et naves mercaturae causa fabricantibus magna commoda constituit, pro conditione enjusque:

civibus vacationera legis Pappeae: Latinis jus quiritum: faeminis jus quatuor liberormn; quae constituta. hodie servantur. Suet. in vita Claudii, XIX.

48. Tacit. Ann. C. 55. L. III.

49. Wealth of Nations, Book I. c. IV.

50. Wealth of Nations, Book V. c. III

51. Ganilh Des systemes d'economie politique. Tome II. p. 155.

52. Storch, Cours d'economie Tome II. p..353.

53. Market price, which is fluctuating, is here spoken of. What is termed the natural price of things, or their general average price, is that alone treated of in other parts of this inquiry, it being only the permanent causes affecting the increase and diminution of stock, that it was proposed to investigate. On this account, the view here given of phenomena resulting in a great measure from the operation.

of temporary causes, is somewhat confined and imperfect.

54. See Note G.

55. Thus the Knight parted with a link or two of his gold chin, when, in need, and in more ancient times the traveller carried his bag of gold dust.

56. Wealth of Nations, Book I. c. III.

57. Wealth of Nations.

58. Histoire de l'usure par Boucher Paris 1819.

p. 35. The laws against usury, there, as elsewhere, increased, instead of diminishing the evil.

59. It is a matter of indifference, it may be observed, to the hat maker, which of the two he disposes of. Both hats are to him instruments for procuring labor, or some equivalent to it. Of all his stock, it is only the qualities of the one he makes choice of for his own wear, that can, in any degree, indicate the strength of his own effective desire of accumulation.