ADAM SMITH. 171 



Genovesi, a Neapolitan, in 1768, supported the position 

 of perfect freedom in the corn trade, though not in 

 that of other merchandise or of manufactures. But in 

 1769, Pillo Verri, a Milanese, in his work, ' Sulle Leggl 

 Vincolanti' maintained the doctrine of absolute and 

 universal freedom of commerce. The same thing was 

 maintained about the same period in the work of Ferdi- 

 nando Paoletti, a Florentine, entitled, * Veri mezzi di 

 rendere feiice le Societal So that, both before and 

 after the French economists began their useful and 

 enlightened labours, the fundamental doctrine of Adam 

 Smith's celebrated work had been laid down by a great 

 number of writers in the different parts of the Italian 

 Peninsula.* 



The progress made in France by the same class of 

 philosophers and statesmen was very considerable, and 

 about the same time. Although the Italian writers 

 rather preceded, yet there is no doubt their works were 

 unknown beyond the Alps for many years after the 

 French had applied themselves successfully to the cul- 

 tivation of economical science. It is supposed, and 

 apparently with reason, that a mercantile man, who 

 also held the rank of a landed gentleman, Vincent 

 Seigneur de Gournay of St. Malo, educated for trade 

 at Cadiz, but always a bold thinker and a diligent 

 student, was the first who adopted the principles of a 

 liberal and enlightened commercial policy. His repu- 

 tation both as an eminent merchant and as a learned 

 inquirer had become considerable, when he was ap- 

 pointed, in 1751, to the office ofJntendant de Commerce, 

 answering in some sort to our President of the Board 

 of Trade. His administration was a constant struggle 

 with the narrow prejudices of the old system, which 

 rests on encouragement, protection, prohibition, end- 



* Not having access to Custodi's work, and only having seen some of 

 the treatises contained in it, I have relied on the statement given in the 

 learned article on Political Economy, ('Penny Cyclopaedia,' vol. xviii., 

 p. 389-40.) 



