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But though all things would have become cheaper in reality, in

appearance many things might have become dearer, than before, or

have been exchanged for a greater quantity of other goods. Let us

suppose, for example, that in the greater part of employments the

productive powers of labour had been improved to tenfold, or that

a day's labour could produce ten times the quantity of work which

it had done originally; but that in a particular employment they

had been improved only to double, or that a day's labour could

produce only twice the quantity of work which it had done before.

In exchanging the produce of a day's labour in the greater part

of employments for that of a day's labour in this particular one,

ten times the original quantity of work in them would purchase

only twice the original quantity in it. Any particular quantity

in it, therefore, a pound weight, for example, would appear to be

five times dearer than before. In reality, however, it would be

twice as cheap.