ABSTRACT
From the time when men first entered into social union, they must have occupied themselves with the common interests originating in their wealth. From the beginning of societies, a portion of the public wealth was set apart to provide for public wants. The levying and management of this national revenue, which no longer pertained to each, became an essential part in the science of statesmen. It is what we call finance. Besides, self-interest does not wait for philosophers to outline to it a theory of wealth before seeking it; and the ruins of the ancient civilizations of the Greeks and Romans which we see still standing, bear witness that the wealth of nations can be brought almost to the highest state without the science having been practiced which teaches how to hasten its development.
