Marseilles 2 1 1 



rather trust to a rogue of abilities, than put any confidence in an 

 honest man of no talents ; not, however, meaning to assert that 

 Monsieur de Mirabeau deserved any such appellation. They say 

 he has an estate in Provence. I observed, that I was glad to 

 hear he had property ; for in such revolutions it was a necessary 

 hold on a man that he will not drive everything to confusion, 

 in order to possess a consequence and importance which cannot 

 attend him in peaceable and quiet times. But to be at Mar- 

 seilles without seeing Abbe Raynal, one of the undoubted precur- 

 sors of the present revolution in France, would be mortifying. 

 Having no time to wait longer for letters, I took the resolution 

 to introduce myself. He was at the house of his friend Monsieur 

 Bertrand. I told him my situation: and, with that ease and 

 politeness which flows from a man's knowledge of the world, he 

 replied, that he was always happy to be of use to any gentleman 

 of my nation; and, turning to his friend, said, here also is one, 

 Sir, who loves the English and understands their language. In 

 conversing on agriculture, which I had mentioned as the object 

 of my journey, they both expressed their surprise to find, by 

 accounts apparently authentic, that we imported great quanti- 

 ties of wheat, instead of exporting, as we formerly did; and 

 desired to know, if this was really the case, to what it was owing; 

 and recurring, at the same time, to the Mercure de France for a 

 statement of the export and import of corn, he read it as a 

 quotation from Mr. Arthur Young. This gave me the oppor- 

 tunity of saying that I was the person, and it proved a lucky 

 introduction; for it was not possible to be received with more 

 politeness or with more offers of service and assistance. I 

 explained that the change had taken place in consequence of a 

 vast increase of population, a cause still increasing more rapidly 

 than ever. — We had an interesting conversation on the agri- 

 culture of France and on the present situation of affairs, which 

 they both think going on badly; are convinced of the necessity 

 of an upper house in the legislature; and dread nothing more 

 than a mere democratical government, which they think a species 

 of republic ridiculous for such a kingdom as France. I remarked 

 that I had often reflected with amazement that Monsieur 

 Necker did not assemble the states in such a form, and under 

 such regulations, as would have naturally led to adopt the con- 

 stitution of England, free from the few faults which time has dis- 

 covered in it. On which Monsieur Bertrand gave me a pamphlet 

 he had pubHshed, addressed to his friend Abbe Raynal, propos- 

 ing several circumstances in the English constitution to be 



