13* TRAVELS THROUGH 



There is not a perfon that reads in Eng- 

 land, but what may acquire as good an idea 

 of the buildings of Paris, from the variety 

 of accounts that have been publimed of 

 them, as of thofe of London, by feeing 

 them. However, he can acquire at lean: as 

 good an one as I could give him, and it is 

 the fame with ftatues and pictures : it would, 

 therefore, be idle to fill a book with defcrip- 

 tions of what is fo well known. As I de- 

 ligned to continue my journey through 

 France early in the following Spring, I 

 fhould at once pafs over that city, had I 

 not been fortunately introduced to feveral 

 well-known perfons there, who gave me 

 intelligence concerning the hufbandry, ma- 

 nufactures, finances, and commerce of 

 France fince the Peace of 1762; fuch as, I 

 think, can hardly fail of being interefting 

 to the reader. The books that have been 

 publifhed go farther back, to periods in 

 which every circumftance is changed : nay, 

 whoever, with the beft information, gave 

 accounts of thefe matters as they were be- 

 tween the Peace of 1748, and the war of 

 1 755, would convey a very poor idea of the 

 Ihte of that kingdom fmce 1762. Thus, 



in 



