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BOOK which it gives occafion. It is the neceffary, I. though very flow and gradual, confequence of

a certain propenfity in human nature which has in view no fuch extenfive utility; the propenfity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another.

Whether this propenfity be one of thofe 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 fpeech, it belongs not to our prefent fubject to enquire. It is common to all men, and to be found in no other race of animals, which feem to know neither this nor any other species of contracts. Two greyhounds, in running down the fame hare, have fometimes the appearance of acting in fome fort of concert. Each turns her towards his companion, or endeavours to intercept her when his companion turns her towards himfelf. This, however, is not the effect of any contract, but of the accidental concurrence of their paffions in the fame object at that particular time. Nobody ever faw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog. Nobody ever faw one animal by its geftures and natural cries fignify to another, this is mine, that yours; I am willing to give this for that. When an animal want

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vours by a thousand attractions to engage the CHA P. attention of its mafter who is at dinner, when it wants to be fed by him. Man fometimes uses the fame arts with his brethren, and when he has no other means of engaging them to act according to his inclinations, endeavours by every fervile and fawning attention to obtain their good will. He has not time, however, to do this upon every occafion. In civilized fociety he ftands at all times in need of the co-operation and affiftance of great multitudes, while his whole life is fcarce fufficient to gain the friendship of a few perfons. In almoft every other race of animals each individual, when it is grown up to maturity, is intirely independent, and in its natural ftate has occafion for the affiftance of no other living crea ture. But man has almoft conftant occafion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be more likely to prevail if he can intereft their felf-love in his favour, and fhew them that it is for their own advantage. to do for him what he requires of them. Whoever offers to another a bargain of any kind, propofes to do this: Give me that which I want, and you shall have this which you want, is the meaning of every fuch offer; and it is in this manner that we obtain from one another the far greater part of thofe good offices which we ftand in need of. It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard

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BOOK regard to their own intereft. We addrefs ourI. felves, not to their humanity but to their felflove, and never talk to them of our own neceffities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chufes to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens. Even a beggar does not depend upon it entirely. The charity of well-difpofed people, indeed, fupplies him with the whole fund of his fubfiftence. though this principle ultimately provides him with all the neceffaries of life which he has occafion for, it neither does nor can provide him with them as he has occafion for them. The greater part of his occafional wants are fupplied in the fame manner as thofe of other people, by treaty, by barter, and by purchase. With the money which one man gives him he purchases food. The old cloaths which another beftows upon him he exchanges for other old cloaths which fuit him better, or for lodging, ør for food, or for money, with which he can buy either food, cloaths, or lodging, as he has occafion.

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As it is by treaty, by barter, and by purchase, that we obtain from one another the greater part of thofe mutual good offices which we ftand in need of, fo it is this fame trucking difpofition which originally gives occafion to the divifion of labour. In a tribe of hunters or fhepherds a particular perfon makes bows and arrows, for example, with more readiness and dexterity than any other. He frequently exchanges them for cattle or for venison with his companions;

and

II.

and he finds at laft that he can in this manner get CHAP more cattle and venifon, than if he himself went to the field to catch them. From a regard to his own intereft, therefore, the making of bows and arrows grows to be his chief bufinefs, and he becomes a fort of armourer, Another excels in making the frames and covers of their little huts or moveable houfes. He is accustomed to be of use in this way to his neighbours, who reward him in the fame manner with cattle and with venifon, till at last he finds it his intereft to dedicate himself entirely to this employment, and to become a fort of houfe-carpenter. In the fame manner a third becomes a fmith or a brazier; a fourth a tanner or dreffer of hides or skins, the principal part of the clothing of favages. And thus the certainty of being able to exchange all that furplus part of the produce of his own labour, which is over and above his own confumption, for fuch parts of the produce of other men's labour as he may have occafion for, encourages every man to apply himself to a particular occupation, and to cultivate and bring to perfection whatever talent or genius he may poffefs for that particular species of bufinefs.

The difference of natural talents in different men is, in reality, much lefs than we are aware of; and the very different genius which appears to diftinguish men of different profeffions, when grown up to maturity, is not upon many occafions fo much the caufe, as the effect of the divifion of labour. The difference between the

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I.

BOOK moft diffimilar characters, between a philofopher. and a common ftreet porter, for example, feems to arife not fo much from nature, as from habit, cuftom, and education. When they came into the world, and for the firft fix or eight years of their existence, they were, perhaps, very much alike, and neither their parents nor playfellows could perceive any remarkable difference. About that age, or foon after, they come to be employed in very different occupations. The difference of talents comes then to be taken notice of, and widens by degrees, till at laft the vanity of the philofopher is willing to acknowledge fcarce any refemblance. But without the difpofition to truck, barter, and exchange, every man must have procured to himself every neceffary and conveniency of life which he wanted. All must have had the fame duties to perform, and the fame work to do, and there could have been no fuch difference of employment as could alone give occafion to any great difference of talent.

As it is this difpofition which forms that dif ference of talents, fo remarkable among men of different profeffions, fo it is this fame difpofition which renders that difference ufeful. Many tribes of animals acknowledged to be all of the fame fpecies, derive from nature a much morę remarkable diftinction of genius, than what, antecedent to custom and education, appears to take place among men. By nature a philofo pher is not in genius and difpofition half fo different from a street porter, as a mastiff is from a

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