Adam Smith：The Wealth of Nations, Book V, Chapter III, Paragraph 2115

In a rude state of society, there are no great mercantile or manufacturing capitals. The individuals, who hoard whatever money they can save, and who conceal their hoard, do so from a distrust of the justice of government; from a fear, that if it was known that they had a hoard, and where that hoard was to be found, they would quickly be plundered. In such a state of things, few people would be able, and nobody would be willing to lend their money to government on extraordinary exigencies. The sovereign feels that he must provide for such exigencies by saving, because he foresees the absolute impossibility of borrowing. This foresight increases still further his natural disposition to save.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300
Locator：Book V, Chapter III, paragraph 2115 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Exact match

This is a direct reading: the original and source are kept; commentary will be added later.

公版英文原典；批量导入，未附中文解读。

This text is in the public domain. The edition and source link are above. Copyright

← Back to the library