OF LABOUR. 
53 
we can correctly judge of the rate of profit, 
rent, and wages, but by the quantity of labour 
required to obtain that produce. By improve- 
ments in machinery and agriculture, the whole 
produce may be doubled ; but if wages, rent, 
and profit be also doubled, these three will bear 
the same proportions to one another as before, 
and neither could be said to have relatively 
varied. But if wages partook not of the whole 
of this increase; if they, instead of being 
doubled, were only increased one half; if rent, 
instead of being doubled, were only increased 
three-fourths, and the remaining increase went 
to profit, it would, I apprehend, be correct for 
me to say, that rent and wages had fallen while 
profits had risen; for if we had an invariable 
standard by which to measure the value of this 
produce, we should find that a less value had 
fallen to the class of labourers and landlords, 
and a greater to the class of capitalists, than 
had been given before. We might find, for 
example, that though the absolute quantity of 
commodities had been doubled, they were the