i4 MINUTES JAX, 



58. At length, however, he produced an idea 



FARMERS. which goes a great way towards explaining the 

 apparent riches of former, and the apparent 

 poverty of the prefent,, times. 



In every corner there are moneyed men : for- 

 merly they diffufed their riches through the 

 neighbourhood they lived in : it was no un- 

 common circumftance for a farmer even to be 

 afked to take money; whereas, now, through 

 a want of private credit and moneyed faith be- 

 tween man and man, and (till more through the 

 prefent high rate of intereft to be made on go- 

 vernment fecurity, the monies which were dif- 

 perfed in the country among farmers and tradef- 

 men are now all called in, 



This explains very fully the apparent riches 

 of former times and the apparent poverty of the 

 prefent : but it does not explain why farmers 

 formerly grew rich, but now grow poor. 



The late rife of rents at once fully developed 

 the whole myftery. For although the ufurer's 

 money might affift the farmer in purchasing 

 flock, &c. to an advantage ; yet this advantage 

 was in great meafure cancelled by the intereft 

 which he had annually to pay for it : whereas 

 the money anting from the comparative low- 

 nefs of rent required neither intereft nor even 



principal to be repaid. 



Thus, 



