ïld STUDIES OF NATURE. 



guards, in fpies, in houfes of correâiion, and in 

 gaols, are a burthen to that very people, and be- 

 comes an expenfe of punifhments, when they 

 might be transformed into benefits. Befides, thefe 

 methods are repercuffions merely, whereby the 

 people are thrown into concealed irregularities, 

 which are not the leaft dangerous. 



The firft ftep toward relieving the indigence of 

 the commonalty, is to diminifli the exceflive opu- 

 lence of the rich. It is not by them that the 

 people live, as modern politicians pretend. To 

 no purpofe do they inftitute calculations of the 

 riches of a State, the mafs of them is undoubtedly 

 limited ; and if it is entirely in the pofleflion of a 

 fmail number of the citizens, it is no longer in the 

 fervice of the multitude. As they always fee in 

 detail men, for whom they care very little, and in 

 overgrown capitals money, which they love very 

 much, they infer, that it is more advantageous for 

 the kingdom, that a revenue of a hundred thou- 

 fand crowns Ihould be in the pofTeflion of a lingle 

 perfon, rather than portioned out among a hun- 

 dred families, becaufe, fay they, the proprietors of 

 large capitals engage in great enterprizesj but 

 here they fall into a moft pernicious error. The 

 financier who polfefTes them, only maintains a few 

 footmen more, and extends the reft of his fuper- 

 fluity to objeds of luxury and corruption : more- 

 over. 



