STUDY VII. 9^ 



** of them in the fields, is as a prize exhibited in 

 " the middle of the theatre, to crown the con- 

 *' queror.^ 



Such is the danger to which exceffive inequality 

 of property expofes a State outwardly; let us take 

 a look of the internal mifchief which it produces. 

 I have heard a perfon of undoubted veracity re- 

 late, that an old Comptroller-general having re- 

 tired to his native province, made a very confider- 

 able purchafe in land. His eftate was furrounded 

 by about fifty fmali manors, the annual rent of 

 which might be from fifteen hundred to two thou- 

 fand livres each *. The proprietors of thefe were 

 good country-gentlemen, who had through a fuc- 

 cefiion of generations fupplied their Country with 

 gallant officers and refpeftable matrons. The 

 Comptroller-general, defirous of extending his 

 landed property, invited them to his caftle, enter- 

 tained them magnificently, gave them a tafte for 

 Parifian luxury, and concluded with an offer of 

 double the value of their efi:ates, if they thought 

 proper to difpofe of them. They to a man ac- 

 cepted his offer, imagining they were going to 

 double their revenue, and in the hope, no kfs falla- 

 cious to a country gentleman, of fecuring a power- 

 ful proteftor at Court. But the difficulty of laying 



* About from fixty to fourfcore guineas. 



out 



