^ 
12 A PHILOSOPHICAL Discourse. 
>o me 
If by public encouragement, or by any other means, knowledge: 
in general, and particularly natural knowledge, be fuppofed.equal 
án any two or more nations, their different modes of applying it 
will produce very different effects ; which, taken togetber in. 
tach, may be equally valuable and ufeful : and if thofe effects. 
come under the names of manufactures, they may be exchang-. 
ed for each other to:mutual benefit, even where the natural ma~- 
terials are the fame in. kind. and. quality : but where the mate-. 
rials differ in thefe refpects, . the greater muft be the difference 
in thofe artificial productions, and the greater the benefit arifing 
from the exchange.. 
The various. productions, natural and artificial; of different 
countries, and the benefit refulting from a mutual exchange of 
them, give rife to commerce, navigation, and their attendants + 
in regard of which, the balance of advantage will always be in- 
favour of that people, whofe fkill, induftry, and cheapnefs of la- 
bour, enable them to manufacture ; and export, the greateft quanti-. 
ty of commodities: whether manufa&ured from the rough pro- 
ducts of their own, or of other countries. And that. balance, 
if the government of fuch a people be wifely adminiftred, will. 
give them a national fuperiority in riches, influence, and prof-. 
perity : which are principal objects with the honeft and well- 
informed politician. EN 
With refpe&t to the. mie saddens of this country, icy 
are perhaps as numerous as thofe of any other : but it doth not 
appear by any publications on the fubje&, that they have been. 
examined to any great extent : fo that our natural hiftory is very 
imperfe&, not only in relation to fuch productions as we have in 
common with other countries, but fuch as are peculiar to our 
own, 
