354 Of the Modes of correcting the Bk. iv. 



to society would be almost incalculable.* In 

 some conversations with labouring men, during 



* Adam Smith proposes, that the elementary parts of geometry 

 and mechanics should be taught in these parish schools ; and I 

 cannot help thinking, that the common principles by which markets 

 are regulated might be made sufficiently clear, to be of consider- 

 able use. It is certainly a subject that, as it interests the lower 

 classes of people very nearly, would be likely to attract their atten- 

 tion. At the same time it must be confessed, that it is impossible 

 to be in any degree sanguine on this point, recollecting how very 

 ignorant in general the educated part of the community is of these 

 principles. If, however, political economy cannot be taught to the 

 common people, I really think that it ought to form a branch of 

 university education. Scotland has set us an example in this re- 

 spect, which we ought not to be so slow to imitate. It is of the 

 utmost importance, that the gentlemen of the country, and parti- 

 cularly the clerg3% should not from ignorance aggravate the evils 

 of scarcity, every time that it unfortunately occurs. During the 

 late dearths, half of the gentlemen abd clergymen in the kingdom 

 richly deserved to have been prosecuted for sedition. After in- 

 flaming the minds of the common people against the farmers and 

 corn dealers, by the manner in which they talked of them or 

 preached about them, it was but a feeble antidote to the poison 

 which they had infused, coldly to observe that, however the poor 

 might be oppressed or cheated, it was their duty to keep the peace. 

 It was little better than Antony's repeated declaration, that the 

 conspirators were all honourable men ; which did not save either 

 their houses or their persons from the attacks of the mob. Politi- 

 cal economy is perhaps the only science, of which it may be said 

 that the ignorance of it is not merely a deprivation of good, but 

 produces great positive evil. 



[1825.] This note was written in 1803 ; and it is particularly 

 gratifying to me, at the end of the year 1825, to see that what I 

 stated as so desirable twenty-two years ago, seems to be now on 

 the eve of its accomplishment. The increasing attention which 

 in the interval has been paid generally to the science of political 

 economy; the lectures which have been given at Cambridge, Lon- 

 don, and Liverpool ; the chair which has lately been established 



