3 804. 071 the ManufaBures, Agriculture, \:ifc. of Scotland. 2 1 1 



duft of propriety, decency, and judicious economy, — the very reverCe of 

 ptjrvading luxury an<i iclinemt^nt. ' 



It does not become us to fay wl\at degree of truth or jufticc 

 there is in thefe two pallagcs ; but we know very well, that coun- 

 try gentlemen in botli kingdoms are equally fond of a town lire in 

 winter-, nor do we wonder at it, when we eonfukr how little they 

 have to cngrofs their attention at home in that dull feafon of the 

 year. A ftranger would be led to believe from thefe letters, that 

 the 2cra when country gentlemen began to take up their winter re- 

 iidence in great cities was cotemporary with the introduction of 

 improvemLnts. With regard to the * decency and judicious eco- 

 nomy ' of the lower ranks in England, we believe the imnienfe 

 load of poor's rates affords fufiicient teftimony, tliat fuch are not 

 one whit more frugal and induitrious than their brethren in this 

 country. 



We perfectly agree with the author, that th-^ farmer at this 

 moment Hands on very tickliih and precarious ground ; but our 

 opinion is founded on very different reafons from thofe which 

 feem to have influenced him. The value of produce is confeffed- 

 ly below that of money ; hence a continuance of the prefent rates 

 for any confiderable time mufl neceffarily bear hard upon agricul- 

 turiils. We are far from thinking, that fpeculation occafioned 

 the rife of rents which has taken pkce within the lad ten years. 

 in fa£l, the firft; great advance upon land appeared in i795> when 

 markets for ail forts of grain were uncommonly high. This ad- 

 vance was ftiil farther augmented by the prices of 1799, i8co» 

 and 1 80 1 ; though undoubtedly thofe, who calculated (if any fuch 

 there were) upon thefe prices being lading, ad:ed very fooliflily. 

 Thofe who argued from the depreciation of mioney, feem to have 

 had at leaft reafon on thei^ Tide. They found that a (liilling would 

 not command fo much of any other commodity at market as for- 

 merly ; and therefore very fairly inferred, that its value would be 

 proportionally reduced when offered in excliange for grain. That 

 the inference, however pi,<ufible, has proved fallacious, is unque- 

 flionubly true. In fadl, the price of grain, like that of every 0- 

 ther bulky and perifliable commodity, m.uft be regulated at mar- 

 ket, according to the quantity thereof prefented, and not by the 

 plendfulnefs or fcarcity of money. 



We obferve fome very iliiberai fentlments concerning the diC- 

 tillerics, and the credits received by farmers at petty banks. Ca 

 thefe matters our author difplays much ignorance. He freaks 

 of the didillers ceaf ng to work in 1797, whereas, except a fl.ort 

 cefTation in 1795, thvy carried on to fpring i8co, and opened 

 sgain in November i8oi. With regard to farmers keeping up 

 wheat when it fold at 3I., and felling it afterwards at 305. or 

 ?5S., this is an old fong, which has been fung fo often as to be* 



O 3 com^ 



