his own interest, to treat them, even in years of scarcity, pretty much in the same manner as the prudent master of a vessel is sometimes obliged to treat his crew. When he foresees that provisions are likely to run short, he puts them upon short allowance. Though from excess of caution he should sometimes do this without any real necessity, yet all the inconveniencies which his crew can thereby suffer are inconsiderable, in comparison of the danger, misery, and ruin, to which they might sometimes be exposed by a less provident conduct. Though from excess of avarice, in the same manner, the inland corn merchant should sometimes raise the price of his corn somewhat higher than the scarcity of the season requires, yet all the inconveniencies which the people can suffer from this conduct, which effectually secures them from a famine in the end of the season, are inconsiderable, in comparison of what they might have been exposed to by a more liberal way of dealing in the beginning of it. The corn merchant himself is likely to suffer the most by this excess of avarice; not only from the indignation which it generally excites against him, but, though he should escape the effects of this indignation, from the quantity of corn which it necessarily leaves upon his hands in the end of the season, and which, if the next season happens to prove favourable, he must always sell for a much lower price than he might otherwise have had.
Si fuera posible, en verdad, que una gran compañía de mercaderes se adueñara de toda la cosecha de un país extenso, tal vez les interesaría actuar con ella como se dice que hacen los holandeses con las especias de las Molucas: destruir o desechar una parte considerable de ella con el fin de mantener alto el precio del resto. Pero es casi imposible, incluso mediante la violencia de la ley, establecer un monopolio tan extenso respecto al grano; y siempre que la ley deja el comercio en libertad, es, de todas las mercancías, la menos propensa a ser acaparada o monopolizada por la fuerza de unos pocos grandes capitales que compren la mayor parte de la misma. No solo su valor supera con