2 50 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



also a table of the population of several towns through- 

 out England in 1861 as compared with 1837, which 

 will conclusively prove how greatly the population of 

 England was increasing, even at that time ; and this 

 was even more the case a hundred years ago, since the 

 State, although they executed near upon two thousand 

 persons during the year, thereby seriously diminishing 

 the population in a ludicrous yet terrible fashion, did 

 not then afford the same encouragfement to emiafration. 

 Between 1751 and 1781 the population had increased 

 at the rate of one million two hundred thousand ; and 

 there was a still larger increase, of more than one 

 million and a half, from 1781 to 1801 ; in fact, about 

 the latter half of this twenty years, France having 

 recovered from the effects of the Revolution, a new 

 impetus appears to have been given to the great 

 industries throughout Europe, although they were 

 greatly interfered with by the successive wars of 

 Napoleon. As for the condition of English husbandry 

 during the last century, it was in the most deplorable 

 state. Agricultural science was almost unknown ; in 

 some respects, the condition and manners of the 

 rural population were worse than they are now ; in 

 other respects, they were a trifle better. 



The country squires and squireens were, in those 

 days, coarse and uneducated, and very intemperate in 

 their habits. Amongst the country gentlemen it was 

 thouQfht to be almost a dissfrace to rise from the table 

 sober, and no disgrace to be found after dinner lying 

 under it outrageously drunk. It is difficult to imagine 

 that from such rough material could be created the 

 educated, courteous landowners of another century. 

 Fielding, the novelist, has given us in his novels some 

 excellent types of the country gentlemen of those 



