OF NORFOLK. I33 



raifing themfelves in life, as there will be no chan- 

 nel for their introduction. Population will like- 

 wife receive an irrecoverable blow from the fun- 

 prefhon of thofe little hives of plenty (c). But 

 moft great farmers, and, I am afraid, fome authors 

 of eminence upon agriculture, and even upon po- 

 pulation, may, perhaps, differ with me in opinion. 

 I am not vain enough to fuppofe, that any thing I 

 can fay will alter their opinion, but, for the fake 

 of the community, and the particular comfort of 

 the middling and lower claffes of fociety, I hope it 

 may have fome weight with gentlemen of landed 

 eflates, who are the natural guardians of the latter, 

 and who would find their confequence much aug- 

 mented, by a clofer attention to the inferior huf- 

 bandmen; and, I am greatly miftaken, if their 

 fortunes would not like wife be improved by it. 



The inhabitants of this county are naturally 

 induftrious, active, and perfevering, and have cer- 

 tainly the merit of having brought thoufands of 

 acres into cultivation, which in any other part of 

 England, except Suffolk, (where there is a conge- 

 nial difpofition) would have been defpifed, and 

 fufFered to lie m an unproductive ftate, which is 

 a lufficicnt conhduation to induce gentlemen of 

 landed property to encourage as many hands as 

 polhble in fuch ufeful cultivation. 



The complaint againft great farms is not of any 

 long ftanding— the evil (if I may be allowed (■> 



call 



