第579页 / 共2651页

The quantity of brass and iron annually brought from the mine to

the market, is out of all proportion greater than that of gold

and silver. We do not, however, upon this account, imagine that

those coarse metals are likely to multiply beyond the demand, or

to become gradually cheaper and cheaper. Why should we imagine

that the precious metals are likely to do so? The coarse metals,

indeed, though harder, are put to much harder uses, and, as they

are of less value, less care is employed in their preservation.

The precious metals, however, are not necessarily immortal any

more than they, but are liable, too, to be lost, wasted, and

consumed, in a great variety of ways.