194 



Its endowment and advantages ; that we may the better judge what ma- 

 nufaftures can be profitably purfued, what fliould be felinquiflied, as 

 defperate, and where the principal force, of legiflative encouragement, or 

 relief ought to be applied. 



Sect. 4. 



General fietch of Manufaflures to which the natural jidvantages of Ire- 

 land might be fuppofed to lead her Inhabitants . 



Induftry may bring to perfeftion, may combine, modify, and employ 

 in different produftions of art, the productions of nature; llie cannot 

 change their cfTence. Nature is liberal to thofe who cultivate her ; 

 but, it is for man, to follow and embelhfli, not to force, to violate, 

 or counteraft her. Taking nature for our guide, the induftry of 

 the country mull be various, as the face of nature, in different regi- 

 ons. It mufl wear one form on the coaft, another in the inland 

 province, one among the mountain crags, another in the rich loamy 

 vale. The deep and inexhauftible foil of Rujfta is favourable to the 

 produftion of hemp ; the mountains pregnant with iron, and the vafl 

 forells fupplying timber to fmelt the ore, lead the hardy natives of 

 Sweden, to turn up the flinty entrails of the foil. The abundance of 

 the murex on their coafts, formerly led the induftrious Tyrians to ef- 

 tablifh manufaftories of that precious dye, fo famous in the hiftory of 

 ancient commerce. 



General fertility of foil, affording an abundant fupply of provifions, 

 fcems, at firft view, equally propitious to every kind of manufactures ; 

 as it facilitates the fupport of all thofe whofe labour is productive, 

 though they do not cultivate the earth. But the nature of the foil, 

 and the kind of hufbandry, to which it neceffarily leads the intelli- 

 gent farmer, mufl have a confzderable connection, with the prevalence 

 of one fpecies of manufacture, with which they are connected. 



For 



