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penfive as to the price of its particular ar- 

 ticles, but, upon the whole, it is not more 

 fo ; for farmers, principal farmers, now 

 keep left company than they did in thofe 

 a times. One of them obferved, that he 

 ' pays the fame price for a coat, and the 

 { fame for a fhirt, he did formerly ; and as 

 1 to market, and other perfonal expences, he 

 ' is clear, that among capital fanners, they 

 tf are lefs now than they were then. The 

 ' poors-rate, it is true, falls heavy at prefent ; 

 ' but he fays, that he pays only fourteen 

 ' pounds now, for what he then paid ten 

 pounds ; this, therefore, is not of material 

 confequence : And this excellent hufband- 

 inan, fenfible and well-informed as he is, 

 * c feemed willing to affign the caufe to fome 

 44 inexplicable hidden myftery, 



" At length, however, he produced an 

 " idea, which goes a great way towards ex- 

 cc plaining the apparent riches of former, and 

 M the apparent poverty of the prefent times. 

 " In every corner there are monied men. 

 " Formerly they diffufed their riches through 

 " the neighbourhood they lived in. It was 

 " no uncommon circumftance for a farmer 

 " even to be aiked to take money ; whereas 



" now, 



