226 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 be fufficient for the hazard of keeping fo 

 much cattle. This is owing to the taille 

 bearing fo hard upon cattle and their in- 

 creafe ; and you fee, that this improve- 

 ment, without the increafe of live ftock, 

 would die away of itfelf. If this circum- 

 ftance was well under/rood in France, it is 

 impoffible that fo pernicious a fyftem mould 

 be adhered to. I agreed entirely with him; 

 and he, to illuftrate the idea, farther ob- 

 ferved, that his tax, at prefent, would 

 amount to 218!. 155. Now, faid he, if, at 

 the end/of twenty years, when I am to pay 

 taille, the King would compound in future 

 for that fum, without any change, I mould 

 readily pay it, and continue to cultivate the 

 land ; for then, being at liberty in my fy- 

 flern, I mould not be with-held from any 

 work, by the idea of the multiplying tax j 

 but, on the contrary, whenever I come to 

 pay, I mall let all the lands that I have im- 

 proved, and begin a frem improvement, 

 with a new fet of buildings, in order for a 

 frem exemption from taille : the confe- 

 quence of which will be, that, inftead of 

 raifing above 200!. in tax from my old im- 

 provement, the utmoil the tenants will pay, 



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