III.

vants, unproductive of any value, and does not CHA P. fix or realize itself in any permanent fubject, or vendible commodity, which endures after that labour is past, and for which an equal quantity of labour could afterwards be procured. The fovereign, for example, with all the officers both of justice and war who serve under him, the whole army and navy, are unproductive labourers. They are the fervants of the public, and are maintained by a part of the annual produce of the industry of other people. Their fervice, how honourable, how useful, or how neceffary foever, produces nothing for which an equal quantity of fervice can afterwards be procured. The protection, security, and defence of the commonwealth, the effect of their labour this year, will not purchase its protection, fecurity, and defence for the year to come. In the fame clafs must be ranked, fome both of the gravest and most important, and fome of the moft frivolous profeffions: churchmen, lawyers, phyficians, men of letters of all kinds; players, buffoons, musicians, opera-fingers, opera-dancers, &c. The labour of the meaneft of thefe has a certain value, regulated by the very fame principles which regulate that of every other fort of labour; and that of the nobleft and moft ufeful, produces nothing which could afterwards purchafe or procure an equal quantity of labour. Like the declamation of the actor, the harangue of the orator, or the tune of the musician, the work of all of them perishes in the very inftant of its production.

BOOK

II.

Both productive and unproductive labourers, and those who do not labour at all, are all equally maintained by the annual produce of the land and labour of the country. This produce, how great foever, can never be infinite, but must have certain limits. According, therefore, as a fmaller or greater proportion of it is in any one year employed in maintaining unproductive hands, the more in the one cafe and the lefs in the other will remain for the productive, and the next year's produce will be greater or fmaller accordingly; the whole annual produce, if we except the spontaneous productions of the earth, being the effect of productive labour.

Though the whole annual produce of the land and labour of every country, is, no doubt, ultimately deftined for fupplying the confumption of its inhabitants, and for procuring a revenue to them; yet when it first comes either from the ground, or from the hands of the productive labourers, it naturally divides itself into two parts. One of them, and frequently the largeft, is, in the firft place, deftined for replacing a capital, or for renewing the provifions, materials, and finished work, which had been withdrawn from a capital; the other for conftituting a revenue either to the owner of this capital, as the profit of his ftock; or to fome other perfon, as the rent of his land. Thus, of the produce of land, one part replaces the capital of the farmer; the other pays his profit and the rent of the landlord; and thus conftitutes a revenue both to the owner of this capital, as the profits of his stock;

and

III.

and to fome other perfon, as the rent of his land. CHA P. Of the produce of a great manufactory, in the fame manner, one part, and that always the largeft, replaces the capital of the undertaker of the work; the other pays his profit, and thus conftitutes a revenue to the owner of this capital.

That part of the annual produce of the land and labour of any country which replaces a capital, never is immediately employed to maintain any but productive hands. It pays the wages of productive labour only. That which is immediately deftined for conftituting a revenue either as profit or as rent, may maintain indifferently either productive or unproductive hands.

Whatever part of his ftock a man employs as a capital, he always expects it to be replaced to him with a profit. He employs it, therefore, in maintaining productive hands only; and after having ferved in the function of a capital to him, it conftitutes a revenue to them. Whenever he employs any part of it in maintaining unproduc tive hands of any kind, that part is, from that moment, withdrawn from his capital, and placed in his stock referved for immediate confumption.

Unproductive labourers, and those who do not labour at all, are all maintained by revenue; either, firft, by that part of the annual produce which is originally deftined for conftituting a revenue to fome particular perfons, either as the rent of land or as the profits of flock; or, fecondly, by that part which, though originally destined for replacing a capital and for maintaining productive labourers only, yet when it comes into

B 3

II.

BOOK into their hands, whatever part of it is over and
above their neceffary fubfiftence, may be em-
ployed in maintaining indifferently either pro-
ductive or unproductive hands. Thus, not only
the great landlord or the rich merchant, but even
the common workman, if his wages are confider-
able, may maintain a menial servant; or he may
fometimes go to a play or a puppet-show, and fo
contribute his share towards maintaining one fet
of unproductive labourers; or he may pay some
taxes, and thus help to maintain another fet,
more honourable and useful, indeed, but equally
unproductive. No part of the annual produce,
however, which had been originally destined to
replace a capital, is ever directed towards main-
taining unproductive hands, till after it has put
into motion its full complement of productive
labour, or all that it could put into motion in the
way in which it was employed. The workman
must have earned his wages by work done, before
he can employ any part of them in this manner.
That part too is generally but a small one.
is his fpare revenue only, of which productive
labourers have feldom a great deal.. They gene-
rally have fome, however; and in the payment
of taxes the greatnefs of their number may com-
penfate, in fome measure, the fmallness of their
contribution. The rent of land and the profits
of stock are every-where, therefore, the principal
fources from which unproductive hands derive
their fubfiftence. Thefe are the two forts of
revenue of which the owners have generally moft
to spare. They might both maintain indif

It

III.

ferently either productive or unproductive c HA P. hands. They feem, however, to have fome predilection for the latter. The expence of a great lord feeds generally more idle than induftrious people. The rich merchant, though with his capital he maintains induftrious people only, yet by his expence, that is, by the employment of his revenue, he feeds commonly the very fame fort as the great lord.

The proportion, therefore, between the productive and unproductive hands, depends very much in every country upon the proportion between that part of the annual produce, which, as foon as it comes either from the ground or from the hands of the productive labourers, is destined for replacing a capital, and that which is destined for conftituting a revenue, either as rent, or as profit. This proportion is very dif ferent in rich from what it is in poor countries.

Thus, at prefent, in the opulent countries of Europe, a very large, frequently the largest portion of the produce of the land, is destined for replacing the capital of the rich and independent farmer; the other for paying his profits, and the rent of the landlord. But anciently, during the prevalency of the feudal government, a very finall portion of the produce was fufficient to replace the capital employed in cultivation. It confifted commonly in a few wretched cattle, maintained altogether by the fpontaneous produce of uncultivated land, and which might, therefore, be confidered as a part of that spontaneous produce. It generally too belonged to the landlord, and