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of export or import, which are formed upon the merchants entries, 

 are frequently fallacious ; becaufe the entries from which they are com- 

 piled, do not actually give a true reprefcntation of the real amount 

 of export and import, for, as if is well known, merchants are in the 

 habit of making their entries larger than the truth. 



I have carefully endeavoured to avoid thofe pernicious pradoxes, 

 which are too frequent in the hafty produftions of modern writers, 

 and which proceed from the rage for advancing fomething new. This 

 rage has its fource in vanity, a miftaken vanity, for novelty is not al- 

 ways the character of fuperior knowledge, nor is bold affertion always 

 talent. Many pofitions have been neglefted for their abfurdity, by the 

 good fenfe of times paft, and referved, to give the writers of the pre- 

 fent hour, who are not afliamed to hazard any thing, the praife of 

 novelty. Thus, for inftance, I have known it to be aflerted, by a wri- 

 ter on economics, that agriculture may be too much purfued ; that a 

 country may be too highly cultivated. 



( Z 2 ) ESSAY 



