[9] With Mr. Buchanan in the following passage, if it refers to temporary states of misery, I so far agree, that "the great evil of the labourer's condition, is poverty, arising either from a scarcity of food or of work; and in all countries, laws without number have been enacted for his relief. But there are miseries in the social state which legislation cannot relieve; and it is useful therefore to know its limits, that we may not, by aiming at what is impracticable, miss the good which is really in our power."--_Buchanan_, page 61. [10] The reader is desired to bear in mind, that for the purpose of making the subject more clear, I consider money to be invariable in value, and therefore every variation of price to be referable to an alteration in the value of the commodity. [11] The reader is aware, that we are leaving out of our consideration the accidental variations arising from bad and good seasons, or from the demand increasing or diminishing by any sudden effect on the state of population. We are speaking of the natural and constant, not of the accidental and fluctuating price of corn. [12] The 180 quarters of corn would be divided in the following proportions between landlords, farmers, and labourers, with the above-named variations in the value of corn. Price per qr. Rent. Profit. Wages. Total. _L. s. d._ In Wheat. In Wheat. In Wheat. 4 0 0 None. 120 qrs. 60 qrs.} 4 4 8 10 qrs. 111.7 58.3 } 4 10 0 20 103.4 56.6 } 180 4 16 0 30 95 55 } 5 2 10 40 86.7 53.5 } and, under the same circumstances, money rent, wages, and profit, would be as follows: Price per qr. Rent. Profit. Wages. Total. _L. s. d._ _L. s. d._ _L. s. d._ _L. s. d._ _L. s. d._ 4 0 0 None. 480 0 0 240 0 0 720 0 0 4 4 8 42 7 6 473 0 0 247 0 0 762 7 6 4 10 0 90 0 0 465 0 0 255 0 0 810 0 0 4 16 0 144 0 0 456 0 0 264 0 0 864 0 0 5 2 10 205 13 4 445 15 0 274 5 0 925 13 4 [13] See Adam Smith, book i. chap. 9.