Wereindustryandfrugalityfoundtoprevailequallyineverypartofthesegreatpoliticalbodies，orwereluxuryandsuperfluousconsumptioneverywherecarriedtothesameheight，trademight，withoutanyhurt，bethrownentirelyopen。Itwouldthenceasetobeanobjectofastatesman’scareandconcern。Ontheotherhand，wereallnationsequallycarefultocheckeverybranchofunprofitablecommerce，ageneralstagnationoftradewouldsoonbebroughtabout。Manufactureswouldnomorebetheobjectoftraffic；everynationwouldsupplyitself，andnothingwouldbeeitherexportedorimported，butnaturalproductions。
Butasindustryandidleness，luxuryandfrugality，areconstantlychangingtheirbalancethroughoutthenationsofEurope，ablemerchantsmakeittheirbusinesstoinformthemselvesofthesefluctuations，andablestatesmenprofitofthediscoveryforthere-establishmentoftheirowncommerce；andwhentheyfindthatthiscannomorebecarriedonwiththemanufacturesorproduceoftheirowncountry，theyengagetheirmerchantstobecomecarriersfortheirneighbours，andbythesemeans，formasitwereathirdandlastentrenchment，which，whiletheycandefendit，willnotsuffertheirforeigntradetobequiteextinguished；because，bythislastexpedient，itmaycontinueforsometimetoincreasetheirnationalstock。Itisinordertocutoffeventhisresource，thatsomenationslaynotonlyimportationsunderrestraint，butalsotheimporters。Letsuchprecautionsbecarriedtoacertainlengthonallhands，andweshallseeanendtothewholesystemofforeigntrade，somuch*-la-mode，thatitappearstobecomemoreandmoretheobjectoftheattentionaswellasoftheimitationofallmodernstatesmen。
Chap。XXV
WhenarichNationfindsherForeignTradereducedtotheArticlesofNaturalProduce，whatisthebestPlantobefollowed？andwhataretheConsequencesofsuchaChangeofCircumstances？
Thereisnownomorequestionofatradingnation；thischaracterislost，themomentthereisastopputtotheexportofthelabourandingenuityofherpeople。