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The policy of Europe considers the labour of all mechanics,

artificers, and manufacturers, as skilled labour; and that of all

country labourers as common labour. It seems to suppose that of

the former to be of a more nice and delicate nature than that of

the latter. It is so perhaps in some cases; but in the greater

part it is quite otherwise, as I shall endeavour to shew by and

by. The laws and customs of Europe, therefore, in order to

qualify any person for exercising the one species of labour,

impose the necessity of an apprenticeship, though with different

degrees of rigour in different places. They leave the other free

and open to every body. During the continuance of the

apprenticeship, the whole labour of the apprentice belongs to his

master. In the meantime he must, in many cases, be maintained by

his parents or relations, and, in almost all cases, must be

clothed by them. Some money, too, is commonly given to the master

for teaching him his trade.