212 Of increasing Wealthy as it Bk. iii. 



Upon a nearer examination, however, it will be 

 found that the funds for the maintenance of labour 

 do not necessarily increase with the increase of 

 wealth, and very rarely increase in proportion to 

 it; and that the condition of the lower classes of 

 society does not depend exclusively upon the in- 

 crease of the funds for the maintenance of labour, 

 or the power of supporting a greater number of 

 labourers. 



Adam Smith defines the wealth of a state to be 

 the annual produce of its land and labour. This 

 definition evidently includes manufactured produce 

 as well as the produce of the land. Now, upon 

 the supposition that a nation, from peculiar situa- 

 tion and circumstances, was unable to procure an 

 additional quantity of food, it is obvious that the 

 produce of its labour would not necessarily come 

 to a stand, although the produce of its land or its 

 power of importing corn were incapable of further 

 increase. If the materials of manufactures could 

 be obtained either at home or from abroad, im- 

 proved skill and machinery might work them up 

 to a greatly increased amount with the same 

 number of hands, and even the number of hands 

 might be considerably increased by an increased 

 taste for manufactures, compared with war and 

 menial service, and by the employment conse- 

 quently of a greater proportion of the whole po- 

 pulation in manufacturing and commercial labour. 



That such a case does not frequently occur will 

 be most readily allowed. It is not only however 

 possible, but forms the specific limit to the in- 



