FRANCE. 15 



lation of taxes occafioned by the war. The 

 Government found it neceflary to continue 

 thefe ; and the poverty of the people con- 

 tinued with them. Now, a people kept 

 fo poor with taxes, mufl be very bad cuf- 

 tomers to the manufacturers : nor did fo- 

 reign trade revive fo foon as they expected ; 

 for fome of it was abfolutely deftroyed, and 

 fome of it got into other channels. From 

 all which circumflances, I could eafily be- 

 lieve one piece of information they gave me, 

 that they have not at prefent half fo good 

 a trade as they had in the year 1756, nor 

 make half fo many goods ; and yet they have 

 been almoft regularly rifing ever.fmce : but 

 they are ftrongly imprefTed with the notion, 

 and I believe it is a juft one, that they ne- 

 ver will regain the ground they loft by the 

 laft war. A circumftance, which, as an. 

 Englishman, I have reafon to wifti may be 

 the cafe throughout all France, as 1 believe 

 it is. 



The 1 3th, in the morning, I left Metz, 

 where I did not get all the information I 

 wimed. I had a letter to Moyenvie, and 

 was recommended to take the road by Mer- 

 chingen, from being much plcafanter: I 



was 



