( s ) 



it with forefl trees, which would be many 

 years in coming to perfection ; and for the 

 fake of a few deer, turn adrift fo large a body 

 of his induftrious fubjeds, who might have 

 contributed fo much to the increafe of his 

 revenues*. 



Voltaire's conclufion may be juil: : but his 

 reafoning is certainly ill-founded. It proceeds 

 on the improbability of fo wide a defolation ; 

 whereas it might have proceeded better on 

 the impqjjibility of it. For how could William 

 have fpread fuch depopulation in a country, 

 which, from the nature of it, mufl have 

 been from the firfh very thinly inhabited ? 

 The ancient Ytene was undoubtedly a woody 

 tra(fl long before the times of William. 

 Voltaire's idea therefore of planting a forejl 

 is abfurd, and is founded on a total ignorance 

 of the country. He took his ideas merely 

 from a French foreft, which is artificially 

 planted, and laid out in viflas, and alleys. 

 It is probable, that William rather opened 

 his chaces by cutting down wood ; than that 

 he had occafion to plant more. Befides, the 

 the internal ftrata of the foil of New-forefl: 



■■■^ See his abridgment of univerfal liiftory. 



B 3 are 



