"The poor, in order to obtain the means of subsistence, are obliged to undergo the drudgery and hardships of the meanest employments, and to expose themselves to the greatest dangers, in order to gain …"

"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which t…"

"The difference between the most dissimilar characters, between a philosopher and a common street porter, for example, seems to arise not so much from nature, as from habit, custom, and education."

"The common people are always more afraid of the king, and the nobility, than of each other."

"The great object of the political economy of every country is to increase the riches and power of that country."