[ 220 ] 



The property fo held and circumftanced, like the 

 fall of empires, falls into the hands of a new landlord 

 by purchafc. He is too wife to be guided by the 

 experience of others, and is abfurd enough to give 

 cut that he means to grant no frelh leafcs: he is ac- 

 companied with a reftor, who infills on extravagant 

 compenfations, or tithes in kind. The tenants at will 

 immediately crofs crop, and continue that practice 

 till they are turned out ; and they whofe leafes are 

 nearly expired farm accordingly, or fubmit to un- 

 reafonable reftriflions, and an advance of rent, to 

 obtain a few years longer term : but as thefe reftric- 

 tions, and all human laws, have the fame fource, 

 they have alfo the fame fate ; if mankind were per- 

 fectly virtuous, neither would be necelfary or wanted. 

 The tenant avails himfelf of this addition to his leafe, 

 to wear out that amendment he formerly put into 

 the land, and having accompliflied this objeft, quits 

 the farm at the end of his leafe. 



Having thus given, as I hope, a due preference to 

 landlords and rectors of a certain defcription, I fhall 

 endeavour to match them with tenants. A farm is 

 to be let to a tenant at will, at a certain annual rent; 

 a farmer, who really has fufEcient property, no 

 matter how he acquired it, views the farm, and per- 

 ceives that fomething is ftill left to be taken out of 

 the lands therein; he confiders that he is to be 

 tenant at will ; therefoYe under no covenants or re- 



ftri(Stions, 



