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future. Agriculture, on the other hand, 

 though it, offers no great wealth, or holds it 

 out only as a diftant profpecft, always aflures 

 us of the means of fubfiftence while we fol- 

 low it, as well as of health and pleafures en- 

 tirely unknown to the manufacturer confined 

 in an unhealthy worklhop, or the ftiopkeep- 

 er confined in his lhop, who have fcarce ever 

 liberty to breathe the common air, or to fee 

 the light of the fun. 



We are not, however, to imagine, that a- 

 griculture is inconfiftent with any kind of 

 commerce or manufacture, ufeful or necef- 

 fary to mankind. It has already been fhewn 

 that it is the foundation of thefe ; and that 

 by encouraging agriculture, we encourage 

 alfo commerce and manufactures. It is evi- 

 dent, indeed, that all the people of a nation 

 cannot be merchants or manufacturers ; for, 

 in that cafe, who mould buy the goods ? But 

 great numbers might cultivate the ground ; 

 and while they did fo, the vaft increafe of 

 population would undoubtedly raife a much 

 greater demand for manufactures of all 

 kinds, than even can be procured by the me- 

 thods followed at prefent. 



Should the plan of fmall farms and villages 



come 



