Agriculture of the Environs of Paris. 11 



the neighbourhood of Paris, women may be seen performing 

 the offices of masons' labourers, holding the plough, driving 

 harrows, digging, picking, wheeling a barrow, and splitting 

 timber for fuel. This state of things is perhaps in a great 

 measure the result of the long and continued wars which have 

 drained the country of the men of this class ; and it is to be 

 wished, above all other things, that the mass of this and of 

 every other people might speedily become sufficiently enlight- 

 ened to know their own power and importance in society; 

 sufficiently united to cooperate in abolishing all slavery, men- 

 tal and corporal ; to put down monopolies of every kind ; 

 render trade universally free ; and to resist all attempts of 

 their rulers to lead them into wars, or to greater expense in 

 any way than is necessary for the ends of good government. 

 The first step to attain these objects, and to maintain them, 

 is the establishment of representative, or what the noble Jef- 

 ferson calls self, government ; and to this approaches are gra- 

 dually preparing in both countries, and, it may be said, 

 throughout Europe. 



The progress which the French have made in the improve- 

 ment of Paris and its environs, since we first saw them in 1815, 

 is very considerable ; and what is the more gratifying, this 

 improvement is most obvious in public works applicable to the 

 uses of every body. Such, for example, as widening the 

 streets, adding foot pavements, lighting by gas, the formation 

 of commercial markets of a variety of kinds, the establishment 

 of manufactories, &c. &c. The improvements in the environs 

 are not quite so obvious ; but, still, the number of nurseries, 

 tea-gardens, and small villas, has increased. It is gratifying to 

 observe that not much expense has been bestowed on the royal 

 palaces ; the present king has introduced the culture of the 

 pine-apple in the royal forcing-ground at Versailles, but he 

 has done little to the buildings there or elsewhere. It is well 

 for a French king of the present day to have sagacity enough 

 to think it unnecessary to care for his successors. 



Whatever may be the difference in the wealth, prosperity, 

 and happiness of the two countries at present, we may be 

 certain that they are ultimately destined to become as nearly 

 the same in these particulars as the difference in geogra- 

 phical circumstances will permit. France, we have given 

 it as our opinion in former parts of this tour, and in the 

 Magazine of Natural History (Vol. II. p. 75.), possesses a 

 climate more favourable to the developement of human hap- 

 piness than that of Britain. It will not, therefore, we trust, 

 be alleged against us that any part of the preceding general 



