ACCOUNT OF THE CITf 0F HlEfttfS, 



At the beginning of thefe remarks on Hieres I fpoke 

 in commendation of the good difpoiitions of the inhar 

 bitants of thefe parts. I ihall here add, that they feem. 

 to me to be an induftrious and frugal people. Early in 

 the morning one fees whole families going out of the 

 town to labour in the fields. The mothers carry their 

 fucking children with them in a cradle on their heads, 

 and in the evenings return to town in the like manner. 

 On their little parcels of land, they have fmall ftone 

 buildings, in which they repofe in the middle of the. 

 4ay, and where they find a Ihelter from the heat and 

 xain. .. • . 



The fields are well-cultivated throughout ; and are 

 turned up by the fpade, on accouut of the deficiency 

 of cattle. They are very attentive to collecl: and 

 make ufe of every thing that may be employed as ma* 

 nure. On the mountains I very frequently found fpots 

 newly grubbed up, and difpofed for agriculture. 



It often flruck me to draw a comparifon between^ 

 thefe people anil the inhabitants of fmaller towns in 

 Switzerland and different parts of Germany ; and the 

 comparifon never terminated in favour of the latter. 

 Thefe, who moftly have conliderable pofTeflions in 

 common,' whereof a part at lean: of the produce comes 

 to the burghers, are by far not fo laborious as the 

 burghers of Hieres. One frequently fees whole troops 

 of them Handing idle in their flreets, or iitting over 

 their drink in the wine-houfes. They prefer living 

 indigently at home, to the bettering of their condition 

 by induftry and labour. 



We may hence conclude that man, in the ftate of 

 uncultivated nature, hates work and is fond of idlenefs ; 



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