principal part of their subsistence from it. It was, besides, a foreign
manufacture, and must have paid some duty, the ancient custom of tonnage and
poundage at least, to the king. This duty, indeed, would not probably be
very great. It was not then the policy of Europe to restrain, by high
duties, the importation of foreign manufactures, but rather to encourage it,
in order that merchants might be enabled to supply, at as easy a rate as
possible, the great men with the conveniencies and luxuries which they
wanted, and which the industry of their own country could not afford them.

The consideration of these circumstances may, perhaps, in some measure
explain to us why, in those ancient times, the real price of the coarse
manufacture was, in proportion to that of the fine, so much lower than in
the present times.

Conclusion of the Chapter.

I shall conclude this very long chapter with observing, that every
improvement in the circumstances of the society tends, either directly or
indirectly, to raise the real rent of land to increase the real wealth of
the landlord, his power of purchasing the labour, or the produce of the
labour of other people.

The extension of improvement and cultivation tends to raise it directly. The
landlord's share of the produce necessarily increases with the increase of
the produce.

That rise in the real price of those parts of the rude produce of land,
which is first the effect of the extended improvement and cultivation, and
afterwards the cause of their being still further extended, the rise in the
price of cattle, for example, tends, too, to raise the rent of land