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 improvements
 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