To explain in what has consisted the revenue of the great body of the
people, or what has been the nature of those funds, which, in different ages
and nations, have supplied their annual consumption, is the object of these
four first books. The fifth and last book treats of the revenue of the
sovereign, or commonwealth. In this book I have endeavoured to shew, first,
what are the necessary expenses of the sovereign, or commonwealth ; which of
those expenses ought to be defrayed by the general contribution of the whole
society, and which of them, by that of some particular part only, or of some
particular members of it: secondly, what are the different methods in which
the whole society may be made to contribute towards defraying the expenses
incumbent on the whole society, and what are the principal advantages and
inconveniencies of each of those methods ; and, thirdly and lastly, what are
the reasons and causes which have induced almost all modern governments to
mortgage some part of this revenue, or to contract debts; and what have been
the effects of those debts upon the real wealth, the annual produce of the
land and labour of the society.




BOOK I.

OF THE CAUSES OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTIVE POWERS OF LABOUR, AND OF THE ORDER ACCORDING TO WHICH ITS PRODUCE IS NATURALLY DISTRlBUTED AMONG THE DIFFERENT RANKS OF THE PEOPLE.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE DIVISlON OF LABOUR.

The greatest improvements in the productive powers of labour, and the
greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgment, with which it is