The ancient Egyptians had a superstitious antipathy to the sea; a superstition nearly of the same kind prevails among the Indians; and the Chinese have never excelled in foreign commerce.

The propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another is common to all men, and to be found in no other race of animals.

The importation of gold and silver is not the principal, much less the sole benefit which a nation derives from its foreign trade.

Upstart greatness is everywhere less respected than ancient greatness.

Great nations are never impoverished by private, though they sometimes are by public prodigality and misconduct.

That a joint stock company should be able to carry on successfully any branch of foreign trade, when private adventurers can come into any sort of open and fair competition with them, seems contrary to all experience.

The sneaking arts of underling tradesmen are thus erected into political maxims for the conduct of a great empire; for it is the most underling tradesmen only who make it a rule to employ chiefly their own customers. A great trader purchases his good always where they are cheapest and best, without regard to any little interest of this kind.