STUDY VII. 93 



perfonal nobility, or by buying off the impolis 

 under which they labour. 



I know well, that a celebrated Farmer-general, 

 fome years ago, greatly cried up the over-grown 

 proprietors, becaufe, as he alleged, they could af- 

 ford to give a better bargain than the fmaller : 

 but without confidering whether they could fell 

 corn cheaper, and all the other confequences of 

 the nett produce , which attempts have been made 

 to eftablifli as the alone ftandard and objeft of 

 agriculture, nay, of morality ; it is certain, that 

 if any given number of wealthy families were, year 

 after year, to purchafe the lands which might lie 

 commodioufly for them, fuch family bargains 

 would fpeedily become fatal to the State. I have 

 often been aftoniQied, that there is no law in 

 France, to prevent the unbounded accumulation 

 of landed property. The Romans had cenfors, 

 who limited, in the firfl inftance, the extent of a 

 man's poffeflion to feven acres, as being fufficient 

 for the fubfiftence of one family. By the word 

 which we tranflate acre, was underftood as much 

 land as a yoke of oxen could plow in one day. 

 As Rome increafed in luxury, it was extended to 

 five hundred : but even this Law, though indul- 

 gent in the extreme, was foon infringed, and the 

 infradion hurried forward the ruin of the Re- 

 public. 



** Extenfive 



