ri6 STUDIES CF NATURE. 



trade j Lift as he pleafed. Moft of the fifhermen, 

 dilheartened by the fmallnefs of their profits, quit» 

 ted the employment; and the fifhery, which was 

 formerly a mine of wealth to the place, is no\y 

 dwindled to almoft nothing. 



On the other hand, if I objeft to a monoply, 

 which would engrofs the means of fubfiftence be- 

 flowed by Nature on every order of Society, and 

 on both fexes, much lefs would I confent to a mo- 

 nopoly that fliould grafp at thofe which fhe has 

 afijgned to every man in particular. For example, 

 the Author of a book, of a machine, or of any in- 

 vention, whether ufeful or agreeable, to which a 

 man has devoted his time, his attention, in a word, 

 his genius, ought to be, at leaft, as well fecured in 

 a perpetual right over thofe who fell his book, or 

 avail themfelves of his invention, as a feudal Lord 

 is to exaâ: the rights of fines of alienation, from 

 perfons who build on his grounds, and even from 

 thofe who re-fell the property of fuchhoufes. This 

 claim would appear to me ftill better founded, on 

 the natural right, than that of fines of alienation. 

 If the Public fuddenly lays hold of a ufeful inven- 

 tion, the State becomes bound to indemnify the 

 Author of it, to prevent the glory of his difcovery 

 from proving a pecuniary detriment to him. Did 

 a Law fo equitable exift, we fliould not fee a fcore 

 of bookfellers wallowing in affluence at the ex- 



penfs 



