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tools； and wages advanced to them by their employer； and is the
fund destined for their employment and maintenance。 Its profits
are the fund destined for the maintenance of their employer。
Their employer； as he advances to them the stock of materials；
tools； and wages necessary for their employment； so he advances
to himself what is necessary for his own maintenance； and this
maintenance he generally proportions to the profit which he
expects to make by the price of their work。 Unless its price
repays to him the maintenance which he advances to himself； as
well as the materials； tools； and wages which he advances to his
workmen； it evidently does not repay to him the whole expense
which he lays out upon it。 The profits of manufacturing stock
therefore are not； like the rent of land； a net produce which
remains after completely repaying the whole expense which must be
laid out in order to obtain them。 The stock of the farmer yields
him a profit as well as that of the master manufacturer； and it
yields a rent likewise to another person； which that of the
master manufacturer does not。 The expense； therefore； laid out in
employing and maintaining artificers and manufacturers does no
more than continue； if one may say so； the existence of its own
value； and does not produce any new value。 It is therefore
altogether a barren and unproductive expense。 The expense； on the
contrary； laid out in employing farmers and country labourers；
over and above continuing the existence of its own value；
produces a new value； the rent of the landlord。 It is therefore a
productive expense。
Mercantile stock is equally barren and unproductive with
manufacturing stock。 It only continues the existence of its own
value； without producing any new value。 Its profits are only the
repayment of the maintenance which its employer advances to
himself during the time that he employs it； or till he receives
the returns of it。 They are only the repayment of a part of the
expense which must be laid out in employing it。
The labour of artificers and manufacturers never adds
anything to the value of the whole annual amount of the rude
produce of the land。 It adds； indeed； greatly to the value of
some particular parts of it。 But the consumption which in the
meantime it occasions of other parts is precisely equal to the
value which it adds to those parts； so that the value of the
whole amount is not； at any one moment of time； in the least
augmented by it。 The person who works the lace of a pair of fine
ruffles； for example； will sometimes raise the value of perhaps a
pennyworth of flax to thirty pounds sterling。 But though at first
sight he appears thereby to multiply the value of a part of the
rude produce about seven thousand and two hundred times； he in
reality adds nothing to the value of the whole annual amount of
the rude produce。 The working of that lace costs him perhaps two
years' labour。 The thirty pounds which he gets for it when it is
finished is no more than the repayment of the subsistence which
he advances to himself during the two years that he is employed
about it。 The value which； by every day's； month's； or year's
labour； he adds to the flax does no more than replace the value
of his own consumption during that day； month； or year。 At no
moment of time； therefore； does he add anything to the value of
the whole annual amount of the rude produce of the land： the
portion of that produce which he is continually consuming being
always equal to the value which he is continually producing。 The
extreme poverty of the greater part of the persons employed in
this expensive though trifling manufacture may satisfy us that
the price of their work does not in ordinary cases exceed the
value of their subsistence。 It is otherwise with the work of
farmers and country labourers。 The rent of the landlord is a
value which； in ordinary cases； it is continually producing； over
and above replacing； in the most complete manner； the whole
consumption； the whole expense laid out upon the employment and
maintenance both of the workmen and of their employer。
Artificers； manufacturers； and merchants can augment the
revenue and wealth of their society by parsimony only； or； as it
in this system； by privation； that is； by depriving themselves a
part of the funds destined for their own subsistence。 They
annually reproduce nothing but those funds。 Unless； therefore；
they annually save some part of them； unless they annually
deprive themselves of the enjoyment of some part of them； the
revenue and wealth of their society can never be in the smallest
degree augmented by means of their industry。 Farmers and country
labourers； on the contrary； may enjoy completely the whole funds
destined for their own subsistence； and yet augment at the same
time the revenue and wealth of their society。 Over and above what
is destined for their own subsistence； their industry annually
affords a net produce； of which the augmentation necessarily
augments the revenue and wealth of their society。 Nations
therefore which； like France or England； consist in a great
measure of proprietors and cultivators can be enriched by
industry and enjoyment。 Nations； on the contrary； which； like
Holland and Hamburg； are composed chiefly of merchants；
artificers； and manufacturers can grow rich only through
parsimony and privation。 As the interest of nations so
differently circumstanced is very different； so is likewise the
common character of the people： in those of the former kind；
liberality； frankness and good fellowship naturally make a part
of that common character： in the latter； narrowness； meanness；
and a selfish disposition； averse to all social pleasure and
enjoyment。
The unproductive class； that of merchants； artificers； and
manufacturers； is maintained and employed altogether at the
expense of the two other classes； of that of proprietors； and of
that of cultivators。 They furnish it both with the materials of
its work and with the fund of its subsistence； with the corn and
cattle which it consumes while it is employed about that work。
The proprietors and cultivators finally pay both the wages of all
the workmen of the unproductive class； and of the profits of all
their employers。 Those workmen and their employers are properly
the servants of the proprietors and cultivators。 They are only
servants who work without doors； as menial servants work within。
Both the one and the other； however； are equally maintained at
the expense of the same masters。 The labour of both is equally
unproductive。 It adds nothing to the value of the sum total of
the rude produce of the land。 Instead of increasing the value of
that sum total； it is a charge and expense which must be paid out
of it。
The unproductive class； however； is not only useful； but
greatly useful to the other two classes。 By means of the industry
of merchants； artificers； and manufacturers； the proprietors and
cultivators can purchase both the foreign goods and the
manufactured produce of their own country which they have
occasion for with the produce of a much smaller quantity of their
own labour than what they would be obliged to employ if they were
to attempt； in an awkward and unskilful manner； either to import
the one or to make the other for their own use。 By means of the
unproductive class； the cultivators are delivered from many cares
which would otherwise distract their attention from the
cultivation of land。 The superiority of produce； which； in
consequence of this undivided attention； they are enabled to
raise； is fully sufficient to pay the whole expense which the
maintenance and employment of the unproductive class costs either
the proprietors or themselves。 The industry of merchants；
artificers； and manufacturers； though in its own nature
altogether unproductive； yet contributes in this manner
indirectly to increase the produce of the land。 It increases the
productive powers of productive labour by leaving it at liberty
to confine itself to its proper employment； the cultivation of
land； and the plough goes frequently the easier and the better by
means of the labour of the man whose business is most remote from
the plough。
It can never be the interest of the proprietors and
cultivators to restrain or to discourage in any respect the
industry of merchants； artificers； and manufacturers。 The greater
the liberty which this unproductive class enjoys； the greater
will be the competition in all the different trades which compose
it； and the cheaper will the other two classes be supplied； both
with foreign goods and with the manufactured produce of their own
country。
It can never be the interest of the unproductive class to
oppress the other two classes。 It is the surplus produce of the
land； or what remains after deducting the maintenance； first； of
the cultivators； and afterwards of the proprietors； that
maintains and employs the unproductive class。 The greater this
surplus the greater must likewise be the maintenance and
employment of that