fomentarlos y cultivarlos. Su mejor política es adaptarse a la inclinación común de la humanidad y darle todas las mejoras de las que sea susceptible. Ahora bien, según el curso más natural de las cosas, la industria, las artes y el comercio aumentan el poder del soberano así como la felicidad de los súbditos; y es violenta aquella política que engrandece al Estado mediante la pobreza de los particulares. Esto se desprenderá fácilmente de unas pocas consideraciones que nos presentarán las consecuencias de la pereza y la barbarie.
Where manufactures and mechanic arts are not cultivated, the bulk of the people must apply themselves to agriculture; and if their skill and industry increase, there {p8} must arise a great superfluity from their labour beyond what suffices to maintain them.
They have no temptation, therefore, to increase their skill and industry; since they cannot exchange that superfluity for any commodities which may serve either to their pleasure or vanity. A habit of indolence naturally prevails. The greater part of the land lies uncultivated. What is cultivated yields not its utmost, for want of skill or assiduity in the farmer.
If at any time the public exigencies require that great numbers should be employed in the public service, the labour of the people furnishes now no superfluities by which these numbers can be maintained. The labourers cannot increase their skill and industry on a sudden. Lands uncultivated cannot be brought into tillage for some years. The armies, meanwhile, must either make sudden and violent conquests, or disband for want of subsistence. A regular attack or defence, therefore, is not to be expected from such a people, and their soldiers must be as ignorant and unskilful as their farmers and manufacturers.
Todo en el mundo se compra mediante el trabajo, y nuestras pasiones son las únicas causas del trabajo.