FRANCE. 73 



any common hufbandry, and will continue 

 as long as tlje exemption from taxc^ lafts. 

 This is twenty years. But what, faid I ) 

 would you do at the end of twenty years ? 

 Would you then fubmit to the taille ? By 

 no means, faid he : I defign, when my 

 twenty years are elapfed in this farm, to 

 raife fome fmall buildings at convenient 

 places, and to divide the eftate into three 

 or four farms, and let them to fuch farmers 

 as will hire them : after which, if I have 

 an opportunity, I fliall fell the whole, and 

 fix myfelf on a frefh wafte, to begin again, 

 under the fame advantage, for twenty years, 

 as before j and this I take to be, of all others, 

 the moft profitable hufbandry that can be 

 carried on in any part of France. 



This was the fubftance of our evening's 

 eonverfation, with which I was highly 

 pleafed, and the honed farmer no Icfs fb 

 at my liftening to him with fo much atten- 

 tion. I retired to fleep, in a neat room, 

 decently furnimed, promifing him that I 

 would take a ride through his improvements 

 in the morning. We were up by break of 

 day, and the farmer exprefled great chear- 



fulnefs 



