90 ON COMPARING COMMODITIES

the labour in B; and again in 1811, 40s. is to
20s., the values of the commodities, as 36s. to
18s., the values of the labour.
The author appears to me to have vacillated
unconsciously between two essentially distinct
propositions. He has begun (not an uncommon
 case) by proposing one as the object of
his attack, and ended by contending with the
other.
This will be seen at a glance when they are
placed together.
1. A and B are to each other in value as the
values of the producing labour.
2. The value of aA at one period is to the
value of the producing labour, as the value of
a at another period is to the value of the producing
 labour; or, to conform the expression
of it to the preceding instance, the value of a
in 1810, 40s., is to the value of the labour at
that period, 24s., as the value of aA in 1811,
40s., to the value of the producing labour in
the same year, 36s., which is manifestly ab-