144 ON THE MEASURE OF TALUE

given to 10 men for their labour, is equal in
value to the labour of ten men, which is just equi-
valent to saying, that the number of shillings
which any one gives fora yard of cloth, is equal
in value to the yard of cloth for which the
shillings are exchanged! In a word, Mr. Mal-
thus sets out from the premises, that 120 quar-
ters of corn are given as wages to 10 men, and,
after journeying through two columns of figures,
he arrives at the conclusion, that the said 120
quarters are worth the labour for which they
are given. In the same manner he goes through
all the other cases, and as whatever quantity of
corn is given to 10 men as their wages must be
equal in value to that for which it is exchanged,
that is, to the labour of 10 men, he constantly
succeeds in alighting at the point from which
he set out. Having accomplished thus much,
he appears to proceed as follows: «If I give
a commodity, which is as valuable at one time
as at another, for another commodity at each of
these periods, that other commodity must be
equally constant in value. Now the wages of