f 228 ] 



give him a commanding profpeft of his duty; his 

 glebe contains one hundred acres, and enables him 

 to farm with eifeft, and within the letter of the law; 

 his reftory, in point of revenue, is a little biflioprick; 

 and his farm, in point of neatnefs and fertility, a little 

 paradife, by his judicious improvements. What a 

 happinefs it is for the hufbandry of this extenfive 

 parifli, that their reftor is a good farmer! Many ra- 

 tional and valuable improvements might have been 

 expefted from many other clergymen, had not the 

 door to agricultural praftice been fliut againfl fome 

 of the ablefl: men in the kingdom. The inveftiga- 

 tion of the foil leads to the remedy: empower the 

 clergy by law, to farm lands, and grant leafes of 

 their tithes for twenty-one years certain, if they think 

 proper fo to do. If they negleft the duties annexed 

 to their facred functions, by their attention to agri- 

 culture, or any lefs worthy purfuit, punifli them; 

 but let not the meafure of their punifliment extend 

 to a total deprivation of one of the mofl: rational 

 amufements the human mind is capable of enjoying ; 

 for be it remembered, this primary art in the cata- 

 logue of peace and plenty is cultivated by the firft 

 eftate of the realm. 



That the interefts of the church may not fufFer by 

 collufion, let the power be vefted in the patron and 

 bifhop of the diocefe to appoint competent perfons, 

 to fettle and approve the rent to be given, and to 



witnefs 



