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 ferve 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 service can afterwards be procured. The protection, fecurity, 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 class must be ranked, fome both of the gravest and most important, and fome of the most frivolous profeffions: churchmen, lawyers, phyficians, men of letters of all kinds; players, buffoons, musicians, opera-fingers, opera-dancers, &c. The labour of the meanest of these 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 most useful, produces nothing which could afterwards purchase 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 instant of its production.

11.

BOOK BOTH productive and unproductive labourers, and thofe 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 muft 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 less in the other will remain for the productive, and the next year's produce will be greater or smaller accordingly; the whole annual produce, if we except the fpontaneous 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 destined for fupplying the confumption of its inhabitants, and for procuring a revenue to them; yet when it firft 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 first 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 ftock;

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 destined for conftituting a revenue either as profit or as rent, may maintain indifferently either productive or unproductive hands.

WHATEVER part of his stock a man employs as a capital, he always expects is 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 unproductive 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, first, by that part of the annual produce which is originally destined for conftituting a revenue to fome particular perfons, either as the rent of land or as the profits of stock; or, fecondly, by that part which, though originally destined for replacing a capital and for maintaining productive labourers only, yet when it comes

II.

BOOK into their hands, whatever part of it is over and above their neceffary fubfiftence, may be employed in maintaining indifferently either productive or unproductive hands. Thus, not only the great landlord or the rich merchant, but even the common workman, if his wages are confiderable, may maintain a menial fervant; or he may sometimes go to a play or à puppet-show, and fo contribute his fhare towards maintaining one fet of unproductive labourers; or he may pay fome 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 maintaining 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 muft 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. It is his fpare revenue only, of which productive labourers have feldom a great deal. They generally have fome, however; and in the payment of taxes the greatnefs of their number may compenfate, 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. These are the two forts of revenue of which the owners have generally most to fpare. They might both maintain indiffer

4

ently

III.

ently either productive or unproductive hands. CHAP, They seem, however, to have fome predilection for the latter. The expence of a great lord feeds generally more idle than industrious people. The rich merchant, though with his capital he maintains industrious 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 deftined for conftituting a revenue, either as rent, or as profit. This proportion is very different 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 deftined 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 small 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 fpontaneous produce. It generally too belonged to the landlord, and