170 ADAM SMITH. 



In the eighteenth century, the writers of Italy ap- 

 pear to have taken the lead in these inquiries. The 

 active and lively genius of the people, the division of 

 the country into small states, the access to the ears of 

 the Government which this naturally gives to learned 

 men, the interest in the improvement of his country 

 which the citizen of a narrow community is apt to feel, 

 gave rise to such a multitude of writers on subjects of 

 political economy, that when the Government of the 

 Italian Republic, with a princely liberality, directed 

 Custodi to publish a collection of their works at the 

 public expense, in 1803, they were found to fill no less 

 than fifty octavo volumes. 



The earliest of these writings, which lay down sound 

 principles to guide commercial legislation, is the Memoir 

 ('Discorso Economico') of Antonio Bandini of Siena, 

 addressed in 1737 to the Grand Duke of Tuscany upon 

 the improvement of the great Maremma district. The 

 author recommended free trade in corn ; advised the 

 granting of leases to tenants, that they might have an 

 interest in the soil ; and proposed the repeal of all 

 vexatious imposts, and a substitution in their stead of 

 one equal tax upon all real property, without excepting 

 either the lands of the nobles or of the church. This 

 able and enlightened work, in which the germs of the 

 French economical doctrines are plainly unfolded, was 

 only published in 1 775 ; but when Leopold succeeded 

 his brother in 1765, he showed his accustomed wisdom 

 and virtue in the government of Tuscany, by adopting 

 many of Bandini's suggestions for improving the Mar- 

 emma. Other writers followed in the same course. 

 Fernando Galiani, of Naples, published in 1750 his 

 treatise, ' Delia Moneta,' explaining on sound principles 

 that the precious metals are only to be regarded as 

 merchandise, and showing clearly the connexion be- 

 tween value and labour. The discourse, Sopra i Bilanci 

 delle Nazione, by Carli, of Capo dTstria, in 1771, laid 

 down the true doctrine respecting the balance of trade. 



