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labour；　the　whole　of　every　man's　attention　comes　naturally　to　be

directed　towards　some　one　very　simple　object。　It　is　naturally　to

be　expected；　therefore；　that　some　one　or　other　of　those　who　are

employed　in　each　particular　branch　of　labour　should　soon　find　out

easier　and　readier　methods　of　performing　their　own　particular

work；　wherever　the　nature　of　it　admits　of　such　improvement。　A

great　part　of　the　machines　made　use　of　in　those　manufactures　in

which　labour　is　most　subdivided；　were　originally　the　inventions

of　common　workmen；　who；　being　each　of　them　employed　in　some　very

simple　operation；　naturally　turned　their　thoughts　towards　finding

out　easier　and　readier　methods　of　performing　it。　Whoever　has　been

much　accustomed　to　visit　such　manufactures　must　frequently　have

been　shown　very　pretty　machines；　which　were　the　inventions　of

such　workmen　in　order　to　facilitate　and　quicken　their　particular

part　of　the　work。　In　the　first　fire…engines；　a　boy　was　constantly

employed　to　open　and　shut　alternately　the　communication　between

the　boiler　and　the　cylinder；　according　as　the　piston　either

ascended　or　descended。　One　of　those　boys；　who　loved　to　play　with

his　companions；　observed　that；　by　tying　a　string　from　the　handle

of　the　valve　which　opened　this　communication　to　another　part　of

the　machine；　the　valve　would　open　and　shut　without　his

assistance；　and　leave　him　at　liberty　to　divert　himself　with　his

playfellows。　One　of　the　greatest　improvements　that　has　been　made

upon　this　machine；　since　it　was　first　invented；　was　in　this

manner　the　discovery　of　a　boy　who　wanted　to　save　his　own　labour。

　　　　　All　the　improvements　in　machinery；　however；　have　by　no　means

been　the　inventions　of　those　who　had　occasion　to　use　the

machines。　Many　improvements　have　been　made　by　the　ingenuity　of

the　makers　of　the　machines；　when　to　make　them　became　the　business

of　a　peculiar　trade；　and　some　by　that　of　those　who　are　called

philosophers　or　men　of　speculation；　whose　trade　it　is　not　to　do

anything；　but　to　observe　everything；　and　who；　upon　that　account；

are　often　capable　of　combining　together　the　powers　of　the　most

distant　and　dissimilar　objects。　In　the　progress　of　society；

philosophy　or　speculation　becomes；　like　every　other　employment；

the　principal　or　sole　trade　and　occupation　of　a　particular　class

of　citizens。　Like　every　other　employment　too；　it　is　subdivided

into　a　great　number　of　different　branches；　each　of　which　affords

occupation　to　a　peculiar　tribe　or　class　of　philosophers；　and　this

subdivision　of　employment　in　philosophy；　as　well　as　in　every

other　business；　improves　dexterity；　and　saves　time。　Each

individual　becomes　more　expert　in　his　own　peculiar　branch；　more

work　is　done　upon　the　whole；　and　the　quantity　of　science　is

considerably　increased　by　it。

　　　　　It　is　the　great　multiplication　of　the　productions　of　all　the

different　arts；　in　consequence　of　the　division　of　labour；　which

occasions；　in　a　well…governed　society；　that　universal　opulence

which　extends　itself　to　the　lowest　ranks　of　the　people。　Every

workman　has　a　great　quantity　of　his　own　work　to　dispose　of　beyond

what　he　himself　has　occasion　for；　and　every　other　workman　being

exactly　in　the　same　situation；　he　is　enabled　to　exchange　a　great

quantity　of　his　own　goods　for　a　great　quantity；　or；　what　comes　to

the　same　thing；　for　the　price　of　a　great　quantity　of　theirs。　He

supplies　them　abundantly　with　what　they　have　occasion　for；　and

they　accommodate　him　as　amply　with　what　he　has　occasion　for；　and

a　general　plenty　diffuses　itself　through　all　the　different　ranks

of　the　society。

　　　　　Observe　the　accommodation　of　the　most　common　artificer　or

day…labourer　in　a　civilised　and　thriving　country；　and　you　will

perceive　that　the　number　of　people　of　whose　industry　a　part；

though　but　a　small　part；　has　been　employed　in　procuring　him　this

accommodation；　exceeds　all　computation。　The　woollen　coat；　for

example；　which　covers　the　day…labourer；　as　coarse　and　rough　as　it

may　appear；　is　the　produce　of　the　joint　labour　of　a　great

multitude　of　workmen。　The　shepherd；　the　sorter　of　the　wool；　the

wool…comber　or　carder；　the　dyer；　the　scribbler；　the　spinner；　the

weaver；　the　fuller；　the　dresser；　with　many　others；　must　all　join

their　different　arts　in　order　to　complete　even　this　homely

production。　How　many　merchants　and　carriers；　besides；　must　have

been　employed　in　transporting　the　materials　from　some　of　those

workmen　to　others　who　often　live　in　a　very　distant　part　of　the

country！　How　much　commerce　and　navigation　in　particular；　how　many

ship…builders；　sailors；　sail…makers；　rope…makers；　must　have　been

employed　in　order　to　bring　together　the　different　drugs　made　use

of　by　the　dyer；　which　often　come　from　the　remotest　corners　of　the

world！　What　a　variety　of　labour；　too；　is　necessary　in　order　to

produce　the　tools　of　the　meanest　of　those　workmen！　To　say　nothing

of　such　complicated　machines　as　the　ship　of　the　sailor；　the　mill

of　the　fuller；　or　even　the　loom　of　the　weaver；　let　us　consider

only　what　a　variety　of　labour　is　requisite　in　order　to　form　that

very　simple　machine；　the　shears　with　which　the　shepherd　clips　the

wool。　The　miner；　the　builder　of　the　furnace　for　smelting　the　ore；

the　seller　of　the　timber；　the　burner　of　the　charcoal　to　be　made

use　of　in　the　smelting…house；　the　brickmaker；　the　brick…layer；

the　workmen　who　attend　the　furnace；　the　mill…wright；　the　forger；

the　smith；　must　all　of　them　join　their　different　arts　in　order　to

produce　them。　Were　we　to　examine；　in　the　same　manner；　all　the

different　parts　of　his　dress　and　household　furniture；　the　coarse

linen　shirt　which　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　use　of　for　that　purpose；　dug

from　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　and　brought　to　him　perhaps　by　a

long　sea　and　a　long　land　carriage；　all　the　other　utensils　of　his

kitchen；　all　the　furniture　of　his　table；　the　knives　and　forks；

the　earthen　or　pewter　plates　upon　which　he　serves　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　requisite　for　preparing　that　beautiful　and

happy　invention；　without　which　these　northern　parts　of　the　world

could　scarce　have　afforded　a　very　comfortable　habitation；

together　with　the　tools　of　all　the　different　workmen　employed　in

producing　those　different　conveniences；　if　we　examine；　I　say；　all

these　things；　and　consider　what　a　variety　of　labour　is　employed

about　each　of　them；　we　shall　be　sensible　that；　without　the

assistance　and　co…operation　of　many　thousands；　the　very　meanest

person　in　a　civilised　country　could　not　be　provided；　even

according　to　what　we　very　falsely　imagine　the　easy　and　simple

manner　in　which　he　is　commonly　accommodated。　Compared；　indeed；

with　the　more　extravagant　luxury　of　the　great；　his　accommodation

must　no　doubt　appear　extremely　simple　and　easy；　and　yet　it　may　be

true；　perhaps；　that　the　accommodation　of　a　European　prince　does

not　always　so　much　exceed　that　of　an　industrious　and　frugal

peasant　as　the　accommodation　of　the　latter　exceeds　that　of　many

an　African　king；　the　absolute　master　of　the　lives　and　liberties

of　ten　thousand　naked　savages。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　II　



　　Of　the　Principle　which　gives　occasion　to　the　Division　of　Labour





　　　　　THIS　division　of　labour；　from　which　so　many　advantages　are

derived；　is　not　originally　the　effect　of　any　human　wisdom；　which

foresees　and　intends　that　general　opulence　to　which　it　gives

occasion。　It　is　the　necessary；　though　very　slow　and　gradual

consequence　of　a　certain　propensity　in　human　nature　which　has　in

view　no　such　extensive　utility；　the　propensity　to　truck；　barter；

and　exchange　one　thing　for　another。

　　　　　Whether　this　propensity　be　one　of　those　original　principles

in　human　nature　of　which　no　further　account　can　be　given；　or

whether；　as　seems　more　probable；　it　be　the　necessary　consequence

of　the　faculties　of　reason　and　speech；　it　belongs　not　to　our

present　subject　to　inquire。　It　is　common　to　all　men；　and　to　be

found　in　no　other　race　of　animals；　which　seem　to　know　neither

this　nor　any　other　species　of　contracts。　Two　greyhounds；　in

running　down　the　same　hare；　have　sometimes　the　appearance　of

acting　in　some　sort　of　concert。　Each　turns　her　towards　his

companion；　or　endeavours　to　intercept　her　when　his　companion

turns　her　towards　himself。　This；　however；　is　not　the　effect　of

any　contract；　but　of　the　accidental　concurrence　of　their　passions

in　the　same　object　at　that　particular　time。　Nobody　ever　saw　a　dog

make　a　fair　and　deliberate　exchange　of　one　bone　for　another　with

another　dog。　Nobody　ever　saw　one　animal　by　its　gestures　and

natural　cries　signify　to　another；　this　is　mine；　that　yours；　I　am

willing　to　give　this　for　that。　When　an　animal　wants　to　obtain

something　either　of　a　man　or　of　another　animal；　it　has　no　other

means　of　persuasion　but　to　gain　the　favour　of　those　whose　service

it　requires。　A　puppy　fawns　upon　its　dam；　and　a　spaniel　endeavours

by　a　thousand　attractions　to　engage　the　attention　of　its　master

who　is　at　dinner；　when　it　wants　to　be　fed　by　him。　Man　sometimes

uses　the　same　arts　with　his　brethren；　and　when　he　has　no　other

means　of　engaging　them　to　act　according　to　his　inclinations；

endeavours　by　every　servile　and　fawning　attention　to　obtain　their

good　will。　He　has　not　time；　however；　to　do　this　upon　every

occasion。　In　civilised　society　he　stands　at　all　times　in　need　of

the　cooperation　and　assistance　of　great　multitudes；　while　his

whole　life　is　scarce　sufficient　to　gain　the　friendship　of　a　few

persons。　In　almost　every　other　race　of　animals　each　individual；

when　it　is　grown　up　to　maturity；　is　entirely　independent；　and　in

its　natural　state　has　occasion　for　the　assistance