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.

Avarice and injustice are always shortsighted, and they did not foresee how much this regulation must obstruct improvement, and thereby hurt in the long-run the real interest of the landlord.

He is led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention

People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.

Defense is superior to opulence.

That the chance of gain is naturally over-valued, we may learn from the universal success of lotteries.

The division of labour was limited by the extent of the market