2SS ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book VI. 



things, that children, who fhould be brought up in the open air, and 

 allowed to play themfelves there, like the young of other animals, caa 

 ever come to be ftrong and healthy men and women, when they are. 

 brought up and kept at work in a prilbn. 



I will conclude what I have to fay upon the occupations of the 

 people of England with obferving, that if, inftead of manufajftures,, 

 which are carried on in factories and great towns, where fo many 

 men are confumed by vices and difeafes, the commodity we export- 

 ed were corn, which is produced by agriculture, the mod healthy of 

 all occupations, we fhould, at the fame time that we improve the- 

 country, give health and ftrength to the people, and numbers too§ 

 if the farms are not too large, and are cultivated by cottagers. About 

 JO or 60 years ago, as I am informed, we exported corn to the value of 

 feveral hundred thoufand pounds; but now things are fo much altered,^ 

 that in England we do not produce corn fufficient for the maintenance 

 ©f the inhabitants, as we may learn from the experience of the year 

 in which I wrote this, viz. 1795 ; when there' was a very great fcarcity 

 in England, not by the badnefs of the crop, but by the war preventing 

 the importation of grain, which is now ufually brought from Poland 

 and other northern countries. In this year, 1796, when 1 am printing 

 what I wrote ia 1795, the fcarcity of grain is fo great, that it has 

 been imported into England, not only from the northern countries 

 of Europe but from Africa and America, and rice ^Vom the Eaft 

 Indies. I would, therefore, have our governors confKler, whetlieR 

 we fhould not, in our prefent fituation, ftudy 



rather than think of making conquefts in the Wefl Indies, which are 

 not only made, but kept even in time of peace, at an expence of 

 men fuch as Britain cannot afford. 



Thus, 



