Retro spectivc View of British Hushandry for 1803. 535 



tent has afcended to its iitmolt pitch, and, a;s tilings in this world 

 feldom remain l^ationary, may now receive a fall of Icfs or more 

 extent, are questions of an intricate nature, out of our way to 

 difcufs. One circumltance, however, deferves attention. From 

 the increafe of manufadures, the fcale has, within thefe few 

 years, mounted up to a height which the keenefl of our an- 

 ■cient valuators never, for a mom&nt, fuppofed it could at- 

 tain ; therefore, by analogy, it may be inferred, that if the 

 trade of Britain continues to flouriili, as it afl'uredly lias done for 

 many years paft, a greater rife may ftill be c^xpefted. Ihe in- 

 ference is plaufible, tliough we are not difpofed to place much 

 ftrefs upon it, efpecially when we reflect upon the great bur- 

 dens latterly impofed upon tlie tenantry, which tend much t« 

 enfeeble their exertions, confequently to lefTen their ability for 

 paying high rents. The trade of the agriculturilt, like that of 

 the manufa6lurer, is a delicate affair ; and, when once checked, 

 will not foon be revived j nor will capital, if once extracted, be 

 eafily reftored. No doubt, agricultural capital will lland many 

 blalts, before it is diflipated ; but once wafted away from a coun- 

 try, it rarely, if ever, returns. The litua.tion of other coun- 

 tries, once the granarie^of the world, now converted into bar- 

 ren defarts, illuftrates fufficiently the truth of our general doc- 

 trine. Britain, at this moment, is hardly better cultivated than 

 ancient Italy once was, and yet we fee the alloniihing change 

 which has taken place in the courfe of 17 or 18 centuries. Spain, 

 till the end of the i6th century, w^as internally a rich and fiou- 

 riihing kingdom, or rather kingdoms ; and now, alas ! how mi- 

 ferabiy is she reduced- We do net mean to maintain, that this 

 or that meafure will produce this or that confequence ; but are 

 merely fupporting the truth of the general pofition, that agricul- 

 ture, like trade, if once injured and driven backward, is not ea- 

 fily reftored to its former (late. 



Some confolatory reflections occur, and we cannot avoid no- 

 ticing them, becaufe they afford full proof that the adminiftra- 

 tion of Britain is not inattentive to her national profperity. The 

 bill, paffed in laft feffion of Parliament, for promoting improve- 

 ment in the Highlands of Scotland, will, in our humble opinion, 

 produce the moll falutary and benencial confequences ; and, at 

 all events, proves that the welfare of the country is regarded, 

 by thofe in pov^er, with a pateVnal care. We rejoice at ob- 

 ferving fuch attention fl^ewn by the Legillature to thoie remote 

 diftricts, and augur, from fuch attention at the prefent dilhirbed 

 moment, that, when the dirt of arms has ceafed, many other ru- 

 ral grievances will be inveftigated and redrelled. Vv'^e need not 

 be more explicit in this place ; our opinions on the grievances 

 which affect agriculture, bein^^ fufficiently undcvilood. In the 



^y y y 3 cafe 



