15 



V 



to it. In one nation the supplies may be more 

 abundant in proportion to the numbers, or, what 

 is the same thing, the people less numerous in 

 proportion to the supplies than in another na- 

 tion. Now, in such circumstances, the nation 

 whose abundance is the greatest, though it use 

 its whole supplies in peace by the various modes 

 of consumption, may, in war, by a retrench- 

 ment of its consumption, yield larger supplies 

 than its poorer neighbour can do, to the main- 

 tenance of an army, and of those arts necessary 

 to the supply of an army, and, of course, sup- 

 port a larger army. Its population, though in 

 numbers only equal to that of its rival, yields 

 in war a greater disposable proportion without 

 diminishing the land produce, provided the 

 consumption in the richer nation be diminish- 

 ed in the same proportion. The richer nation 

 can support an army of 120,000 men, equally 

 well appointed and supplied, as the poorer can 

 support an army of 100,000 men. Or, the 

 richer nation can support an army of 100,000 

 men better appointed and supplied than the 

 poorer nation can support the same num- 

 ber. 



It appears, therefore, that the public strength 

 of a state, as well as its domestic prosperity, is 

 in proportion to the amount of its supplies. 



