An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of

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The Wealth of Nations

sue in any court of record. Both these regulations, though they

have been confirmed by a public law of the kingdom, are evi-

dently dictated by the same corporation-spirit which enacted the

bye-law of Sheffield. The silk-weavers in London had scarce been

incorporated a year, when they enacted a bye-law, restraining any

master from having more than two apprentices at a time. It re-

quired a particular act of parliament to rescind this bye-law.

Seven years seem anciently to have been, all over Europe, the

usual term established for the duration of apprenticeships in the

greater part of incorporated trades. All such incorporations were

anciently called universities, which, indeed, is the proper Latin

name for any incorporation whatever. The university of smiths,

the university of tailors, etc. are expressions which we commonly

meet with in the old charters of ancient towns. When those par-

ticular incorporations, which are now peculiarly called universi-

ties, were first established, the term of years which it was necessary

to study, in order to obtain the degree of master of arts, appears

evidently to have been copied from the term of apprenticeship in

common trades, of which the incorporations were much more

ancient. As to have wrought seven years under a master properly

qualified, was necessary, in order to entitle my person to become a

master, and to have himself apprentices in a common trade; so to

have studied seven years under a master properly qualified, was

necessary to entitle him to become a master, teacher, or doctor

(words anciently synonymous), in the liberal arts, and to have

scholars or apprentices (words likewise originally synonymous) to

study under him.

By the 5th of Elizabeth, commonly called the Statute of Ap-

prenticeship, it was enacted, that no person should, for the future,

exercise any trade, craft, or mystery, at that time exercised in En-

gland, unless he had previously served to it an apprenticeship of

seven years at least; and what before had been the bye-law of many

particular corporations, became in England the general and pub-

lic law of all trades carried on in market towns. For though the

words of the statute are very general, and seem plainly to include

the whole kingdom, by interpretation its operation has been lim-

ited to market towns; it having been held that, in country villages,

a person may exercise several different trades, though he has not

served a seven years apprenticeship to each, they being necessary

for the conveniency of the inhabitants, and the number of people

frequently not being sufficient to supply each with a particular set

of hands. By a strict interpretation of the words, too, the opera-

tion of this statute has been limited to those trades which were

established in England before the 5th of Elizabeth, and has never

been extended to such as have been introduced since that time.

This limitation has given occasion to several distinctions, which,

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Adam Smith

considered as rules of police, appear as foolish as can well be imag-

ined. It has been adjudged, for example, that a coach-maker can

neither himself make nor employ journeymen to make his coach-

wheels, but must buy them of a master wheel-wright; this latter

trade having been exercised in England before the 5th of Eliza-

beth. But a wheel-wright, though he has never served an appren-

ticeship to a coachmaker, may either himself make or employ jour-

neymen to make coaches; the trade of a coachmaker not being

within the statute, because not exercised in England at the time

when it was made. The manufactures of Manchester, Birming-

ham, and Wolverhampton, are many of them, upon this account,

not within the statute, not having been exercised in England be-

fore the 5th of Elizabeth.

In France, the duration of apprenticeships is different in differ-

ent towns and in different trades. In Paris, five years is the term

required in a great number; but, before any person can be quali-

fied to exercise the trade as a master, he must, in many of them,

serve five years more as a journeyman. During this latter term, he

is called the companion of his master, and the term itself is called

his companionship.

In Scotland, there is no general law which regulates universally

the duration of apprenticeships. The term is different in different

corporations. Where it is long, a part of it may generally be re-

deemed by paying a small fine. In most towns, too, a very small fine

is sufficient to purchase the freedom of any corporation. The weav-

ers of linen and hempen cloth, the principal manufactures of the

country, as well as all other artificers subservient to them, wheel-

makers, reel-makers, etc. may exercise their trades in any town-cor-

porate without paying any fine. In all towns-corporate, all persons

are free to sell butchers’ meat upon any lawful day of the week.

Three years is, in Scotland, a common term of apprenticeship, even

in some very nice trades; and, in general, I know of no country in

Europe, in which corporation laws are so little oppressive.

The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the

original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred

and inviolable. The patrimony of a poor man lies in the strength

and dexterity of his hands; and to hinder him from employing

this strength and dexterity in what manner he thinks proper, with-

out injury to his neighbour, is a plain violation of this most sacred

property. It is a manifest encroachment upon the just liberty, both

of the workman, and of those who might be disposed to employ

him. As it hinders the one from working at what he thinks proper,

so it hinders the others from employing whom they think proper.

To judge whether he is fit to be employed, may surely be trusted

to the discretion of the employers, whose interest it so much con-

cerns. The affected anxiety of the lawgiver, lest they should em-

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