102 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 the foil occupied with vines ? or is the fy? 

 ftem which has appeared at various times in 

 the conduct of the French government 

 right, that of not allowing new vineyards, 

 left they mould increafe too much ? It ap- 

 pears plainly to me, that it is highly advan- 

 tageous to have vineyards, as well as oorn ; 

 and for many reafons ; firft, the land that 

 yields vines would not, in general, yield 

 corn, if they were rooted out ; or at leaft 

 not fuch crops pf corn as anfwer either to 

 the farmer or the ftate. This is an unan- 

 fwerable reafon, even upon the very prin- 

 ciples of thofe who object to vineyards. In 

 the next place, an acre of vines yields a 

 grofs produce, far beyond that of any corn, 

 and confequently enriched the ftate in pro- 

 portion : for a greater number of people gain 

 an income from the foil, and fome of them 

 a greater income than from corn. Among 

 thefe the prince ranks iirft, who receives in 

 taxes far more from' an acre of vines than 

 from many acres of corn. Upon what prin- 

 ciples, therefore, the government of France 

 can have declared fo much againft vines, 

 unlefs with the direct view of decreafing 

 the population of the kingdom, I cannot 



devife. 



