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fame office with regard to the free man, is ma- CHAP. naged by the free man himfelf. The diforders which generally prevail in the economy of the rich, naturally introduce themselves into the management of the former: The ftrict frugality and parfimonious attention of the poor as naturally establish themfelves in that of the latter. Under fuch different management, the fame purpose must require very different degrees of expence to execute it. It appears, accordingly, from the experience of all ages and nations, I believe, that the work done by freemen comes cheaper in the end than that performed by flaves. It is found to do fo even at Bofton, New York, and Philadelphia, where the wages of common labour are so very high.

The liberal reward of labour, therefore, as it is the effect of increafing wealth, fo it is the cause of increafing population. To complain of it, is to lament over the neceffary effect and caufe of the greatest public profperity.

It deferves to be remarked, perhaps, that it is in the progreffive ftate, while the fociety is advancing to the further acquifition, rather than when it has acquired its full complement of riches, that the condition of the labouring poor, of the great body of the people, feems to be the happiest and the moft comfortable. It is hard in the stationary, and miserable in the declining ftate. The progreffive ftate is in reality the cheerful and the hearty ftate to all the different orders of the fociety. The ftationary is dull; the declining melancholy,

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The liberal reward of labour, as it encourages the propagation, fo it increases the industry of the common people. The wages of labour are the encouragement of industry, which, like every other human quality, improves in proportion to the encouragement it receives. A plentiful fubfiftence increases the bodily ftrength of the labourer, and the comfortable hope of bettering his condition, and of ending his days perhaps in eafe and plenty, animates him to exert that strength to the utmost. Where wages are high, accordingly, we fhall always find the workmen more active, diligent, and expeditious, than where they are low; in England, for example, than in Scotland; in the neighbourhood of great towns, than in remote country places. Some workmen, indeed, when they can earn in four days what will maintain them through the week, will be idle the other three. This, however, is by no means the cafe with the greater part. Workmen, on the contrary, when they are liberally paid by the piece, are very apt to overwork themselves, and to ruin their health and conftitution in a few years. A carpenter in London, and in fome other places, is not fupposed to last in his utmost vigour above eight years. Something of the fame kind happens in many other trades, in which the workmen are paid by the piece; as they generally are in manufactures, and even in country labour, whereever wages are higher than ordinary. Almoft every clafs of artificers is fubject to fome peculiar infirmity occafioned by exceffive application

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to their peculiar fpecies of work. Ramuzzini, CHA P. an eminent Italian phyfician, has written a particular book concerning fuch difeafes. We do not reckon our foldiers the most induftrious fet

of people among us. Yet when foldiers have been employed in fome particular forts of work, and liberally paid by the piece, their officers have frequently been obliged to stipulate with the undertaker, that they should not be allowed to earn above a certain fum every day, according to the rate at which they were paid. Till this ftipulation was made, mutual emulation and the defire of greater gain, frequently prompted them to over-work themselves, and to hurt their health by exceffive labour. Exceffive application during four days of the week, is frequently the real caufe of the idleness of the other three, fo much and fo loudly complained of. Great labour, either of mind or body, continued for feveral days together, is in moft men naturally followed by a great defire of relaxation, which, if not restrained by force or by fome ftrong neceffity, is almoft irrefiftible. It is the call of nature, which requires to be relieved by fome indulgence, fometimes of eafe only, but fometimes too of diffipation and diverfion. If it is not complied with, the confequences are often dangerous, and fometimes fatal, and fuch as almoft always, fooner or later, bring on the peculiar infirmity of the trade. If mafters would always liften to the dictates of reafon and humanity, they have frequently occafion rather to moderate, than to animate the application of many of

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every fort of trade, that the man who works fo moderately, as to be able to work constantly, not only preferves his health the longest, but, in the courfe of the year, executes the greatest quantity of work.

In cheap years, it is pretended, workmen are generally more idle, and in dear ones more induftrious than ordinary. A plentiful fubfiftence therefore, it has been concluded, relaxes, and a fcanty one quickens their industry. That a little more plenty than ordinary may render fome workmen idle, cannot well be doubted; but that it should have this effect upon the greater part, or that men in general should work better when they are ill fed than when they are well fed, when they are difheartened than when they are in good spirits, when they are frequently fick than when they are generally in good health, feems not very probable. Years of dearth, it is to be obferved, are generally among the common people years of fickness and mortality, which cannot fail to diminish the produce of their industry.

In years of plenty, fervants frequently leave their masters, and trust their fubfiftence to what they can make by their own industry. But the fame cheapness of provifions, by increasing the fund which is deftined for the maintenance of fervants, encourages masters, farmers efpecially, to employ a greater number. Farmers upon fuch occafions expect more profit from their corn by maintaining a few more labouring fervants, than

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by felling it at a low price in the market. The CHA P, demand for fervants increases, while the number of those who offer to fupply that demand diminishes. The price of labour, therefore, frequently rifes in cheap years.

In years of fcarcity, the difficulty and uncertainty of fubfiftence make all fuch people eager to return to fervice. But the high price of provifions, by diminishing the funds deftined for the maintenance of fervants, disposes masters rather to diminish than to increase the number of those they have. In dear years too, poor independent workmen frequently confume the little stocks with which they had used to supply themselves with the materials of their work, and are obliged to become journeymen for fubfiftence. More people want employment that can easily get it; many are willing to take it upon lower terms than ordinary, and the wages of both fervants and journeymen frequently fink in dear years.

Masters of all forts, therefore, frequently make better bargains with their fervants in dear than in cheap years, and find them more humble and dependent in the former than in the latter. They naturally, therefore, commend the former as more favourable to industry. Landlords and farmers, befides, two of the largest claffes of masters, have another reason for being pleased with dear years. The rents of the one and the profits of the other depend very much upon the price of provifions. Nothing can be more abfurd, however, than to imagine that men in general

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