he wears next his skin, the shoes which cover his feet, the bed which he lies on, and all the different parts which compose it, the kitchen grate at which he prepares his victuals, the coals which he makes ufe of for that purpose, dug from the bowels of the earth, and brought to him perhaps by a long fea and a long land carriage, all the other utenfils of his kitchen, all the furniture of his table, the knives and forks, the earthen or pewter plates upon which he ferves up and divides his victuals, the different hands employed in preparing his bread and his beer, the glass window which lets in the heat and the light, and keeps out the wind and the rain, with all the knowledge and art requifite for preparing that beautiful and happy invention, without which these northern parts of the world could fcarce have afforded a very comfortable habitation, together with the tools of all the different workmen employed in producing thofe different conveniencies; if we examine, I fay, all these things, and confider what a variety of labour is employed about each of them, we shall be fenfible that without the affistance and cooperation of many thousands, the very meaneft perfon in a civilized country could not be provided, even according to what we very falfely imagine the easy and fimple manner in which he is commonly accommodated. Compared, indeed, with the more extravagant luxury of the great, his accommodation muft no doubt appear extremely fimple and eafy; and yet it may be true perhaps that the accommodation of an European prince does not always fo much exceed that of an induftrious and frugal peafant, as the accommodation of the latter exceeds that of many an African king, the abfolute master of the lives and liberties of ten thousand naked favages.'

In the fecond chapter the author treats of the principle which gives occafion to the divifion of labour. This, he obferves, is not originally the effect of any human wisdom, that forefees and intends the general opulence of fociety, but the flow and gradual confequence of exchanging one thing for another; whether a propensity to fuch exchange be one of those original principles in human nature, of which no further account can be given; or whether, as feems more probable, it be the neceffary confequence of the faculties of reafon and speech. Dr. Smith is at fome pains to convince his readers that this propenfity to barter, or indeed any other fpecies of contract, is totally unknown to every other race of animals; a propofition which, we imagine, will be readily admitted without any particular proof. We must confefs that we are not fatisfied with refpect to the juftnefs of afcribing barter, or the exchange of commodities, to a propenfity in human nature. The various neceffities of individuals may, in our apprehenfion, fufficiently account for the fact, exclusive of any fuch principle. Nor do we find that mankind in general are

ever actuated by any inherent difpofition to traffick, when neither their neceflity, nor the defire of fome particular object, fuggefts the expedient; which we cannot fuppofe would be the cafe, if they were actuated by an innate principle in

nature.

In the third chapter, the author fhews that the divifion of labour is limited by the extent of the market; obferving, that when the market is very fmall, no perfon can have any encouragement to dedicate himself entirely to one employment, for want of the power to exchange all that furplus part of the produce of his labour, which exceeds his own confumption, for fuch parts of the produce of other mens labour as he has occafion for. We are here prefented with a striking illuftration of the advantages derived to fociety from the convenience of water-carriage, or navigation.

As by means of water carriage a more extenfive market is opened to every fort of industry than what land-carriage alone can afford it, fo it is upon the fea coaft, and along the banks of navigable rivers, that induftry of every kind naturally begins to fubdivide and improve itfelf; and it is frequently not till a long time after that thofe improvements extend themfelves to the inJand parts of the country. A broad-wheeled waggon, attended by two men and drawn by eight horfes, in about fix weeks time carries and brings back between London and Edinburgh near four ton weight of goods. In about the fame time a fhip navigated by fix or eight men, and failing between the ports of London and Leith, frequently carries and brings back two hundred ton weight of goods. Six or eight men, therefore, by the help of water-carriage, can carry and bring back in the fame time the fame quantity of goods between London and Edinburgh as fifty broad-wheeled waggons, attended by an hundred. men, and drawn by four hundred horfes. Upon two hundred tons of goods, therefore, carried by the cheapest land carriage from London to Edinburgh, there must be charged the maintenance of a hundred men for three weeks, and both the maintenance, and, what is nearly equal to the maintenance, the wear and tear of four hundred horfes as well as of fifty great waggons. Whereas upon the fame quantity of goods carried by water, there is to be charged only the maintenance of fix or eight men, and the wear and tear of a fhip of two hundred tons burden, together with the value of the fuperior risk of the difference of the infurance between land and water-carriage. Were there no other communication between thofe two places, therefore, but by land-carriage, as no goods could be tranf ported from the one to the other except fuch whofe price was very confiderable in proportion to their weight, they could carry on but a small part of that commerce which is at prefent carried on between them, and confequently could give but a fmall

fmall part of that encouragement which they at prefent mutually afford to each other's industry. There could be little or no commerce of any kind between the diftant parts of the world. What goods could bear the expence of land-carriage between London and Calcutta? Or if there was any fo precious as to be able to fupport this expence, with what fafety could they be transported through the territories of fo many barbarous nations? Those two cities, however, at prefent carry on together a very confiderable commerce, and, by mutually affording a market, give a good deal of encouragement to each other's induftry.'

In the fourth chapter Dr. Smith takes a view of the origin and use of money. He obferves, it is probable that many different commodities were fucceffively employed for this purpofe. In particular, it appears, that in ancient Greece, cattle were the inftruments of commerce, Thus we are told by Homer, that the armour of Diomed cost only nine oxen; but that of Glaucus, a hundred. Salt is faid to be the common inftrument of commerce and exchanges in Abyffinia; a fpecies of fhells in fome parts of the coafts of India; dried cod at Newfoundland; tobacco in Virginia; fugar in some of our West India colonies; hides or dreffed leather in fome other -countries; and our author informs us there is at this day a village in Scotland, where he is told it is not uncommon for a workman to carry nails, inftead of money, to the baker's fhop or the alehoufe. In all countries, however, he obfervas, men have at last been determined to give the preference, for this employment, to metals. Thefe are attended with the advantage, that they cannot only be kept with as little-lofs as any other commodity, hardly any thing being less perishable; but they can likewife, without lofs, be divided into any number of parts, as by fufion those parts can be easily reunited; a quality which no other equally durable commodities poffefs, and which renders them peculiarly fit to be the inftruments of commerce and circulation.

This remark, however, can only be applied to thofe times when metals were used in weight, and not by tale; as moft countries now afford coins of different denominations, for the convenience of commerce.-The author afterwards proceeds to examine what are the rules naturally obferved in exchanging commodities, either for money or for one another. He juftly obferves, that the world value has two different meanings, expreffing fometimes the utility of a particular object, and fometimes the power of purchafing other goods which the poffeffion of that object conveys. The one may be called "value in ufe;" the other, " value in exchange." In order

to

to investigate the principles which regulate the exchangeable value of commodities, the author endeavours to shew, first, what is the real measure of, this exchangeable value; or, wherein confifts the real price of all commodities; fecondly, what are the different parts of which this real price is composed; and laftly, what are the different circumstances which fometimes raise fome or all of thefe different parts of price above, and sometimes fink them below their natural or ordinary rate; or, what are the causes which fometimes hinder the market price, or actual price, of commodities, from coinciding exactly with what may be called their natural price. Thefe inquiries form the subject of the three fucceeding chapters in the work; previous to which the learned author entreats both the patience and attention of the reader :

His patience, fays he, in order to examine a detail which may perhaps in fome places appear unneceffarily tedious; and his attention in order to understand what may, perhaps, after the fulleft, explication which I am capable of giving it, appear ftill in fome degree obfcure. I am always willing to run fome hazard of being tedious in order to be fure that I am perfpicuous; and after taking the utmost pains that I can to be perfpicuous, fome obscurity may still appear to remain upon a fubject which is in its own nature extremely abstracted.'

We fhall defer the further account of this work with obferving, for the encouragement of our readers, that their attention will be amply rewarded by the importance of the author's obfervations; and that they cannot feel any disgust from fuch apt and agreeable explanations as those with which he illuftrates the fubject.

[To be continued. ]

V. Notes and various Readings to Shakespeare, Part the firft. With a general Glossary. 4to. 10s. 6d. Dilly.

S feveral months have elapfed fince the publication of this volume, it is proper that we should, by way of apology, inform our readers of the extraordinary accident which, contrary to the general rule we obferve, has fo long prevented the account of it from appearing in our Review. The cafe is, that the gentleman to whofe care the examination of this performance was entrusted, after having read a few pages of it, fell into a deep flumber, from which he did not awake till late in the month of February; and, to avoid further lofs of time, was obliged to dismiss his task while he could keep his eyes open over the Notes and various Readings of

mafter

thafter Edward Capell, which operate more powerfully

than

6

poppy or mandragora,

Or all the drowfy fyrups of the world.'

From this circumftance we hope to be pardoned, not only for our delay, but prefent brevity. It might indeed be juftly confidered as an abufe of time, to spend many words upon a production which is entitled to fo little regard; though we are informed by the author that thefe elaborate annotations have employed his attention feven years.

In the Gloffary prefixed to the volume, we meet with near thirty words falfely explained. Many others which wanted explanation, are omitted, and as many illuftrated unneceffarily. But thefe, however important, are not the only faults with which this author is chargeable. He has frequently indulged himself in indelicate, and even indecent illuftrations. Inftances of this kind may be found under the words bolster,' 6 mammet,' 'tup,'' unfeminar'd,' and' unstaunch'd.'

6

With respect to the annotations, they are dull, tedious, and uninteresting; as may be feen by the following extract from the beginning of the work, which is by no means the most exceptionable part.

1. 10. rather than flack it.] The verb in the old editions is *lack;" but this, having no active fignification, that is, not implying action, cannot properly be oppos'd to "fir up"

lack," a reading of the three latter moderns, is the very term the place calls for; and fo natural a correction, that he who does not embrace it, muft be under the influence of fome great preposseffion.

4, 2. O, that had! how fad a paffage 'tis !] Seeing Helena disorder'd; affected, as the imagines, by the mention of her father. "Paffage" has no extraordinary force in this place, but means fimply a paffing over : "bow fad a paffage "tis!" how hard to be paff'd over without emotion and forrow!com "Play," in l. 5, has been alter'd to-play'd; but very unne ceffarily, to fay no more of it: it is a fubftantive of known fignification, and oppos'd to another fubftantive work."

66

66

D°, 23. ber difpositions fhe inherits &c.] The change of terms in this paffage, and the very uncommon fenfe that is put upon fome of them, have involv'd it in too much obfcurity. Dif positions," mean natural difpositions; by implication, good ones and gifts," the acquirements of education; good ones, likewise the first he calls afterwards, fimpleness; and then, *honefty" the other, with too much licence, "virtuous quae lities, virtues," and (finally) goodness." If the reader will carry this in his mind, he may be able to decypher the fpeech without a paraphrase; and will fee too the propriety of chang VOL. XLI. March, 1776.

P

ing