50 TRAVELS THROUGH 



The perfonal fervice which the peafants per- 

 form here in the roads, and other works, 

 lies very heavy upon them ; and the taxes 

 they pay, exceed, in the amount, the rent 

 of the land. The people complained much, 

 and, from what I was able to remark, not 

 without reafon -, for, though cultivation 

 feemed much extended, yet could I not fee 

 any iigns of farmers that were in good cir- 

 cumftances. 



At Verdun there is a manufactory of 

 {lockings, which was flourishing before the 

 lad war; but, fmce that period, it has 

 much declined. The people make very 

 trifling earnings in it, yet fufficient to keep 

 thern^ better than begging. This lownefs 

 of the price of labour, one would think, 

 would prove highly beneficial to the manu- 

 facture j yet is not this fufficient for fup- 

 porting the fabric. I met accidentally with 

 an Irifhman, a matter manufacturer : he 

 complained, that the working hands were, 

 in fad:, dearer at a few fous a day, than a 

 fteady attentive perfon would be at one 

 ihilling ; for the manner they do their 

 work in, difcredits the commodity. He fur- 

 ther affured me, that an Englifh flocking- 



weaver 



