C 278 J 



purchafc, be eflimated at three millions flerling. 

 Now admitting only a moiety of thefe parifhes to be 

 occupied by the owners, may we not reafonably 

 conclude that fuch owners or occupiers are a million 

 richer than they were fifty years fince, or before 

 fuch manors were difmembered? However, iliould 

 this calculation be confidered as erroneous, as ap- 

 plied to the above ten parlflies; will it not, upon in- 

 veftigation, be found ?nore than true if applied to the 

 whole marfh? 



From the above flatement, you cannot but fee 

 that if, upon the divifion of one hundred manors, 

 more or lefs, one million of money were thus diftri- 

 buted amongft a fet of indaftrious and honeft prac- 

 tical marfli-farmers, it will have a much better effect 

 upon fociety, as applied to agriculture, than if it had 

 continued in the hands of the few former propri- 

 etors! Hence, the name of Diaper will be had in 

 remembrance, by thofe who believe his fatirical poem 

 upon Brcnt-Marfli to have contributed to the divi- 

 fion of the manors ; and our fons, when in poffef- 

 fion of our title-deeds, will fmile at the folly of land- 

 tajibig^ to fee for what a fmall fum we enabled them 

 to drink their wine after dinner.* 



* The readers of Drayton the poet may obferve, in his Poly- 

 Olbion, how this flat part of Somerfetfliire was flooded in his time. 

 He makes the Ifland of Avalon (now Glafton twelve hides) to be 

 woo'd by the furrounding Marih, in the following language : 



« Though 



