ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION. THE firft Edition of the following Work was printed in the end of the year 1775, and in the beginning of the year 1776. Through the greater part of the Book, therefore, whenever the present state of things is mentioned, it is to be understood of the ftate they were in, either about that time or at fome earlier period, during the time I was employed in writing the Book. To the third Edition, however, I have made feveral additions, particularly to the chapter upon Drawbacks, and to that upon Bounties; likewise a new chapter entitled, The Conclufion of the Mercantile Syftem; and a new article to the chapter upon the expenses of the fovereign. In all these additions, the prefent ftate of things means always the state in which they were during the year 1783 and the beginning of the year 1784 ADVERTISEMENT то тнЕ FOURTH EDITION. IN this fourth Edition I have made no alterations of any kind. I now, however, find myself at liberty to acknowledge my very great obligations to Mr. HENREY HOP of Amfterdam. To that Gentleman I owe the most diftinct, as well as liberal information, concerning a very interesting and important fubject, the Bank of Amsterdam; of which no printed account had ever appeared to me fatisfactory, or even intelligible. The name of that Gentleman is fo well known in Europe, the information which comes from him muft do fo much honor to whoever has been favored with it, and my vanity is fo much interested in making this acknowledgment, that I can no longer refufe myself the pleasure of prefixing this Advertisement to this new Edition of my Book. I CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUM E. Reflections on the Formation and Distribution of Riches INTRODU NTRODUTION AND PLAN OF THE WORK. BOOK I Of the Causes of Improvement in the pro- 6 ibid. 19 Of the real and nominal Price of Commodities 33 43 70 82 Of the Wages of Labor 96 CHA P. IX. Of the Profits of Stock 133 СНАР. Х. Of Wages and profit in the different Employ- Page 151 PART I. Inequalities arifing from the Nature 152 PART II. Of the Produce of Land which PART III. Of the Variations in the Propor- Digreffion concerning the Variations in the Firft Period Second Period Third Period 227 252 V 273 276 299 301 |