. 307 



mlng depopulation of the ifland, an evil, which has kept pace with 

 the growth, and profperity of trade, and manufaftures ; and now advances 

 with fuch rapid ftrides, that it threatens to annihilate them, in the end. 

 T^oung* in his account of Lyons, gives a pifture of the condition of 

 manufafturers, in large towns; which, I think, is a fall refutation of 

 his own doftrine. " No people work longer, or fare harder, than the 

 " manufafturers of Lyons; they rife before the fun; and work till 

 " late at night, yet they continue poor ; they laji," (note the expref- 

 fion) " but for three generations ; the firft is feeble ; the fecond dif- 

 " eafed ; the third never comes to maturity, unlefs tranfplanted 1" 



An enlightened legiflator, when he confiders the flate of the manu- 

 fafturing poor, will not view them, in the light of mere machines, or 

 confider, only, by what means they may be brought to produce, the 

 greatefl poflible quantity of a certain fabric. He will find himfelf in- 

 vefted, with the important ofBce, of confulting the health, the peace, 

 the morals, the happinefs, both prefent and future, of this moft ufe- 

 ful part of the community; aud I am fare, all thefe may be promo- 

 ted more effeftually, by placing the manufafturers, in the country, 

 and giving them fmall farms, than by crouding them together, in 

 large and populous cities, alike the graves of the human fpccies, and 

 of morality ; where the phyfical and mental atmofpheres are equally 

 impure, and general intercourfe is general infeftion. — With examples of 

 vice ever before them, the poor are trained, by prevailing diffipation ; 

 they fee riches fquandered, on a variety of enjoyments, to which they 

 mull not be admitted. Their peace is embittered. Their fouls 

 are filled with envy, at the fight of various gratifications of luxury, 

 which are fet far, far beyond their reach. On the other hand, many 

 of the fubordinate and bafer gratifications of appetite, are ever near, 



( 9^q 2 ) and 



* Young's Tour in France. 



