l804« Re'ole'w of Leiters to a Noble Lordy Isfc, CI09 



public revenue is augmented in a fourfold degree. Unanimity 

 prevails at home, and the government's refptdcd abroad. 



At a time when inconteilible evidences of public profperlty 

 are to be found on every hand, it cannot fail to excite fur- 

 prife, that a v^^riter, certainly gifted with many talents for 

 difcuifing political fubjedls, Ihould have brought forward fuch 

 a picture of national difeafe as is llcetched in thefe letters. What 

 is ilili more furprifmg, he redricls the dark lines of the pidure 

 to the northern part of the ifland, while, according to his deferip- 

 tion, every branch in the fouthern hde fhows a green and verdant 

 afpeft. If luxury and fpeculation are evils wdiich will eat up our 

 flrength, and tumble us into the grave, furely thefe evils prevail 

 as extenfively in South Britain, as with us. Luxury, taking the 

 word in the fenfe in which it is generally underftood, is a necef- 

 fary concomitant of wealth, and fo is fpeculation of trade. In 

 retail trade fpeculation may be avoided ; but where large whole- 

 fcile dealings are carried on, fpeculation, in one way or other, una- 

 voidably takes place. 



But leaving thefe general topics to the confideration of others, 

 in whofe department they are more aptly fituated, we Ihall exa- 

 mine a few pafiages wherein the fubje6l of agriculture is noticed. 

 According to our author, * The central point — the pivot on which 

 ©ur landowners, with all their w^ealth, and our citizens with all 

 their folly, whirl round, is agriculture. ' 



On this fubje6t it is difficult to prefent our author's ideas in a 

 corred manner. P. 1 2. he fays, * Certain it is, that to the ad- 

 vancement of our manufadures for thefe laft twenty years may- 

 be afcribed, if not the rapid improvements in agriculture, at leait, 

 in a great degree, the uncommon rife in the value of landed pro- 

 perty. ' P. 13. * That the fpeculation of our manufadlurers pro- 

 duced a fpirit of fpeculation in our farmers, there cannot be a 

 ihadow of doubt :' And, in p. 43. ^ It would be an infult to 

 your Lordfhip's penetration to recapitulate what has been already 

 brought forward, to prove incontelfibly, that on the liability of 

 our prefent Itate of agriculture depends our prefent greatnefs. ' 

 "What is all this, but arguing in a circle ? To the fuccefs of ma- 

 nufadures, improvements in agriculture are attributed. The fpe- 

 culations of the m.anufadurer encouraged a like fpirit in the farm- 

 er ; and now when agriculture is improved, upon its ftabiUty de- 

 pends the profperity of the whole nation. How can this be, if it 

 was the advancement of manufadlures that firft raifed the value 

 of landed property ? 



Speaking^ of Scotch country gentlemen, the following carica- 

 ture, p. 20, is given : 



VOL. V. KO. 1?. O • The 



