In  that  early  and  rude  period  of  society  which  precedes
both  the  accumulation  of  capital  and  the  appropriation  of
land,  the  price  of  every  commodity  which  then  existed
would  consist  or  be  made  up  wholly  of  but  one  part — wages ;
because,  antecedent  to  that  period,  every  article  possessing
the  character  of  wealth  was  produced  by  labour  alone.  But
subsequently  to  that  period,  that  is,  as  soon  as  any  consi-
derable quantity  of  wealth  was  saved  and  applied  to  assist


*  Book  i.  chap.  6.
t  The  amount  of  which  expenditure,  as  of  all  other  value,  is  still  of
course  measured  by  labour,  as  explained  in  chapter  3d  of  this  book.
242  CAUSES  WHICH  REGULATE  BOOK  II.
in  the  work  of  production,  and,  after  such  increase  in  the
numbers  of  people  had  taken  place  as  required  all  the  land
in  a  particular  neighbourhood  or  country  to  be  cultivated
and  made  private  property,  both  rent  and  profit,  or  interest,
would  thenceforward  form  distinct  constituent  parts  in  the
price  of  the  great  mass  of  commodities  ;  although  it  would
be  altogether  impossible,  by  any  analysis,  or  any  practicable
means,  to  determine  exactly  in  what  proportions  they  were
combined  in  any.
