Book I. AGRICULTURE OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 33 



tlie emperors in the third ; and the removal of the seat of empire to Constantinople in the 

 middle of that which followed, prepared the way for the entrance of the Goths in the 

 beginning of the fifth century, which completed the downfal of agriculture and every 

 peaceful art. It declined at the same time in all the western provinces : in Africa and 

 Spain, from the incursions of the Moors ; in France, from the inroads of the Germans ; 

 in Germany and Helvetia, from the inhabitants leaving their country and preferring a 

 predatory life in other states ; and in Britain, from the invasion of the Saxons, and the 

 inroads of the Scots and Picts. 



Chap. IIL 



History of Agriculture during the Middle Ages, or from the Fifth to the Seventeenth 



Century. 



179. In the ages of anarchy and barbarism which succeeded the fall of the Roman pouter 

 in Europe, agriculture appears to have been abandoned, or at least extremely neglected. 

 Pasturage, in troublesome times, is always preferred to tillage, because sheep or cattle 

 may be concealed from an enemy, or driven away on his approach ; but who would 

 sow without a certainty of being able to reap ? Happily, the weaknesses of mankind 

 sometimes serve to mitigate the effects of their vices. Thus, the credulity of the bar- 

 barians of those times led them to respect the religious establishments, and in these were 

 preserved such remains of letters and of arts as had escaped from utter destruction. 

 These institutions were at first very limited, both in their buildings and possessions, and 

 the inhabitants frugal and virtuous in their habits ; but in a very few years, by the grants 

 of the rich warriors, they acquired extensive possessions ; erected the most magnificent 

 buildings, and lived in abundance and luxuiy. Their lands were cultivated by servants, 

 under the direction of the priests, who would have recourse for information to the Roman 

 agricultural writers, which, in common with such other books as then existed, were almost 

 exclusively to be found in their libraries. We know little of tlie progress of agriculture 

 under these circumstances for nearly ten centuries, when it began to revive throughout 

 Europe among the lay proprietors. We shall notice some particulars relative to this 

 revival, first in Italy, and next in Germany, France, and England. So little is known 

 of the husbandry of Spain and the Netherlands during this period, that we shall defer 

 what we have to say of those countries till we treat of their modern state. 



Sect. I. History of Agriculture in Italy, during the Middle Ages. 



180. Little is known of the agriculture of Italy from the time of Pliny till that of 

 Crescenzio, a senator of Bologna, whose work In Commodum Ruralium, written in 

 1300, was first printed at Florence in 1478. He was soon followed by several of his 

 countrymen, among whom Tatti, Stefano, Augustino Gallo, Sansovino, Lauro, and 

 Torello deserve to be mentioned with honour. From some records, however, it appears 

 that irrigation had been practised in Italy previously to 1037. Tlie monks of Chiarevalle 

 had formed extensive works of this kind, and had become so celebrated as to be consulted 

 and employed as hydraulic engineers, by the Emperor Frederic I., in the thirteenth 

 century. Silkworms were imported from Greece into Sicily by Roger, the first king of 

 that island, in 1146 ; but they did not extend to the Continental states for many years 

 afterwards. 



181. In the early part of the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of tlie south of Italy 

 were strangers to many of the conveniences of life ; they were ignorant of the proper 

 cultivation of the vine, and the common people were just beginning to wear shirts. 

 The Florentines were the only people of Italy who, at that time, traded with England and 

 France. The work of Crescenzio is, in great part, a compilation from tlie Roman 

 authors; but an edition published at Basil in 1548, and illustrated with figures, may 

 probably be considered as indicating the implements then in use. The plough is drawn 

 by only one ox : but different kinds to be drawn by two and four oxen are described in 

 the text. A driver is also mentioned, which shows that the ploughmen in those days were 

 less expert than during the time of the Romans, who did not use drivers. A waggon is 

 described with a wooden axle and low wooden wheels j each wheel formed 

 either of one piece or of four pieces joined together. Knives, scythes 

 (fg. 21.), and grafting tools, as well as the mode of performing the 

 operation, are figured. Sowing was then performed exactly as it was 

 among the Romans, and is still in most parts of Europe, where a sowing 

 machine is not employed. The various hand tools for stirring and 

 turning the soil are described and exliibited ; and the Roman bidens 

 shown as in use for cultivating the vine. All the agricultural and horti- 

 cultural plants described by Pliny are treated of, but no others. 



D 



