1826.] The Corn Laws. 39 
The Corn Monopoly must come down; we shall have people starving 
if it does not; and that people will not starve, even the land-owners will 
have wit enough to know. For the war, the heavy taxation, that is so 
loudly complained of, let it be abated ; but every kind of capital seems 
to have thrived under it. The landed interest raised their rents and 
their style of living under it. The monied interest arose almost out of 
it. It seems, with all the abuse we hear of it, to have gone on blessing 
every interest—enriching every interest, but one,—the interest of the 
labouring classes—agricultural or manufacturing, through the country. 
~ This is a branch of our subject to which, perhaps, we may return; at pre- 
sent, to touch upon it would carry us far beyond our limits. The whole 
question of the Corn Trade, indeed, has been argued so laboriously, that a 
few loose hints upon it are all that we can venture to throw out. We are 
not among those who would hold it of no importance that no more corn 
were ever grown in England, provided we could obtain it at a cheaper 
rate by purchasing it abroad. We do not forget what would be the dan- 
ger of placing the supply of so material a commodity at the discretion of 
powers, with whom accident, to-morrow, might embroil us. But, on 
the other hand, we can see no objection, beyond the personal interest of 
one class of persons, to such a restricted importation of foreign grain, 
as, maintaining the agriculture of this country still vigorous, would 
keep it in a state always capable of extension. One, moreover, of the 
greatest blessings, perhaps, that would be derived from the introduction 
ofa fixed duty upon the importation, will be the abatement of that mass 
of jobbing and fraud which has been carried on under the system of the 
averages. Without going quite back to the prejudices, or being entirely 
prepared to condemn them, which formerly existed against regrating and 
monopoly, where the supply of so vital an article to a country, as Food, 
is at stake, we think all details between the producer and the consumer 
should be simplified as far as possible. 
On the reported Death of a Friend whom I had celebrated in an Elegy, 
; and afterwards met at a Party. 
Wuy, Richard, my boy, where the deuce have you been ? 
You know not the trouble you’ve given ; 
I was told you had suddenly left us in spleen, 
And, ’twas hoped, you had travelled to heaven: 
The news took me rather, I own, by surprise ; 
I pondered awhile what to do, 
Till, suddenly brushing the dew from my eyes, 
I thought I would write something new. 
I began on your virtues ("twas difficult work); 5} 
” Eesaty Then your graces too cost me much trouble; 
Your wit and good-humour I could not well shirk, 
Though wit often proves but a bubble. 
Yes, all was in vain, though I worked night and day ! 
Poor poet ! what troubles await ye ! ¢ 
I found that my elegy many made gay, fa 
And the eye-lids of other folks weighty. 
Now the least you can do, my dear sensible fellow, 
BED ai Is to contradict all I have said ; 
ie” Aid To assure your kind friends when I wrote I was mellow, 
ie ‘a _Or not, perhaps, right in my head. Q. 
