Ch. X. and Commerce combined. 151 



level between the profits of agriculture and manu- 

 factures. And upon the same principle the stock 

 of the country will be distributed through its va- 

 rious and distant provinces, according to the ad- 

 vantages presented by each situation for the em- 

 ployment, either of agricultural or manufacturing- 

 capital. 



A country, in which in this manner agriculture, 

 manufactures, and commerce, and all the diffe- 

 rent parts of a large territory, act and re-act upon 

 each other in turn, might evidently go on increas- 

 ing in riches and strength, although surrounded 

 by Bishop Berkely's wall of brass. Such a coun- 

 try would naturally make the most of its foreign 

 commerce, whatever might be the actual state of 

 it ; and its increase or decrease would be the ad- 

 dition or removal of a powerful stimulus to its 

 own produce ; but still the increase of this pro- 

 duce, to a very considerable extent, would be in- 

 dependent of foreign countries ; and though it 

 might be retarded by a failure of foreign com- 

 merce, it could not either be stopped or be made 

 retrograde. 



A fourth advantage derived from the union of 

 agriculture and manufactures, particularly when 

 they are nearly balanced, is, that the capital and 

 population of such a country can never be forced 

 to make a retrograde movement, merely by the 

 natural progress of other countries to that state 

 of improvement to which they are all constantly 

 tending. 



According to all general principles, it will finally 



