FRANCE. 151 



Thefe gentlemen aflured me, that, if the 

 true political condudt was followed by the 

 Miniflry, in reducing the land-taxes of 

 France to a proportion of the nett produce, 

 that, in fuch cafe, the revenue of the king- 

 dom might, with great eafe, and without 

 one fortieth part of the prefent opprefiion, 

 be carried to five and twenty millions fter- 

 ling a year. This would render France 

 once more formidable, at the fame time 

 that the agriculture of the kingdom wou!4 

 t>e every day reviving. 



MANUFACTURES. 



MY informants, upon this head, feemetf 

 in their exprefllons to have adopted rather a 

 prejudice againft manufactures, which, in 

 fuch enlightened men, appeared to me very 

 furprifmg. They did not feem to allow 

 that manufactures were a fource of national 

 wealth, further than as fubfervient to agri- 

 culture j and this idea ran fo much through 

 their opinions, that I could not much agree 

 with them : however, the fadls they gave 

 me were no lefs valuable, and deferving at- 

 L 4 tention. 



