222 TRAVELS THROUGH 



much more from the falling-off in the 

 home confumption. Confider, Sir, that 

 every man in France grew poorer every day 

 that the war lafted; how then was he to buy 

 filks as formerly ? You forget that we have 

 no people, however low, but wear a great 

 deal of filk. The general poverty that 

 came cut fhort all their confumption, and 

 filk amongft the reft. In fuch a flate, the 

 effect of the war at home was much worfe 

 to us than it was abroad, in depriving us of 

 our export. Beiides, there was another 

 evil : when the manufactures in the pro- 

 vinces are in fuch fituations, thofc in the 

 capital, from their vicinity to the market, 

 get too much of the demand -, for where 

 men can have the beft chance for employ- 

 ment, there they are apt to flock ; for, if 

 one thing there does not yield it, they have 

 a chance of turning their hand to fomething^ 

 elfe. This would be no lofs, if it carried 

 off from the provinces only the hands out 

 of work ; but it carries off the bell: and mod 

 fkilful, which is another fource of the di- 

 ftrefs which falls on the fabrics of the pro- 

 vinces. 



The 



