Page images
PDF
EPUB

Grant this Argument all it can prove, and what is the Conclufion? That to relieve the French is a good Action, but that a better may be conceived. This is all the Refult, and this All is very little. To do the beft can seldom be the Lot of Man; it is fufficient if, when Opportunities are prefented, he is ready to do Good. How little Virtue could be practifed, if Beneficence were to wait always for the most proper Objects, and the nobleft Occafions; Occafions that may never happen, and Objects that may never be found?

It is far from certain, that a fingle Englishman will fuffer by the Charity to the French. New Scenes of Mifery make new Impreffions; and much of the Charity which produced these Donations, may be supposed to have been generated by a Species of Calamity never known among us before. Some imagine that the Laws have provided all neceffary Relief in common Cases, and remit the Poor to the Care of the Public; fome have been deceived by fictitious Misery, and are afraid of encouraging Impofture; many have obferved Want to be the Effect of Vice, and confider casual Almfgivers as Patrons of Idleness. But all thefe Difficulties vanish in the prefent Cafe: We know that for the Prisoners of War there is no legal Provifion; we see their Distress, and are certain of its Caufe; we know that they are poor and naked, and poor and naked without a Crime.

But it is not neceffary to make any Conceffions. The Opponents of this Charity must allow it to be good, and will not eafily prove it not to be the best. That Charity is beft, of which the Confequences are most extenfive: The Relief of Enemies has a Tendency to unite Mankind in fraternal Affection; to foften the Acrimony of adverse Nations, and difpofe them to Peace and Amity: In the mean Time, it alleviates Captivity, and takes away fomething from

the

the Miseries of War. The Rage of War, however mitigated, will always fill the World with Calamity and Horror: Let it not then be unneceffarily ex-: tended; let Animosity and Hoftility cease together ; and no Man be longer deemed an Enemy, than while his Sword is drawn against us.

The Effects of these Contributions may, perhaps, reach still further. Truth is best supported by Virtue: We may hope from those who feel or who fee our Charity, that they shall no longer deteft as Herefy that Religion, which makes its Profeffors the Followers of Him, who has commanded us to do good ' to them that hate us.'

SOME

SOME

THOUGHTS on AGRICULTURE;

вот н

ANCIENT AND MODERN:

With an Account of the Honour that is due to an ENGLISH FARMER.

AG

GRICULTURE, in the primeval Ages, was the common Parent of Traffick; for the Opulence of Mankind then confifted in Cattle, and the Product of Tillage; which are now very effential for the Promotion of Trade in general, but more particularly fo to fuch Nations as are most abundant in Cattle, Corn, and Fruits. The Labour of the Farmer gives Employment to the Manufacturer, and yields a Support for the other Parts of a Community: It is now the Spring which fets. the whole grand Machine of Commerce in Motion; and the Sail could not be spread without the Assistance of the Plough. But, though the Farmers are of fuch Utility in a State, we find them in general too much difregarded among the politer Kind of People in the prefent Age: While we cannot help obferving the Honour that Antiquity has always paid to the Profeffion of the Hufbandman: Which naVOL. II. turally

M

turally leads us into fome Reflections upon that Oc

cafion.

Though Mines of Gold and Silver should be exhaufted, and the Species made of them loft; though Diamonds and Pearls fhould remain concealed in the Bowels of the Earth, and the Womb of the Sea; though Commerce with Strangers be prohibited ; though all Arts, which have no other Object than Splendor and Embellishment, fhould be abolished yet, the Fertility of the Earth alone would afford an abundant Supply for the Occafions of an industrious People, by furnishing Subfiftence for them, and fuch Armies as fhould be muftered in their Defence. We, therefore, ought not to be furprized, that Agriculture was in fo much Honour among the Ancients : For it ought rather to seem wonderful that it should ever ceafe to be fo, and that the most neceflary and moft indifpenfible of all Profeffions fhould have fallen into any Contempt.

Agriculture was in no Part of the World in higher Confideration than Egypt, where it was the particular Object of Government and Policy: Nor was any Country ever better peopled, richer, or more powerful. The Satrapa, among the Affyrians and Perfians, were rewarded, if the Lands in their Governments were well cultivated; but were punished, if that Part of their Duty was neglected. Africa abounded in Corn; but the most famous Countries were Thrace, Sardinia, and Sicily.

Cato, the Cenfor, has juftly called Sicily the Magazine and nurfing Mother of the Roman People, who were fupplied from thence with almost all their Corn, both for the Ufe of the City, and the Subfiftence of her Armies: Though we alfo find in Livy, that the Romans received no inconfiderable Quantities of Corn from Sardinia. But, when Rome had made herself Mistress of Carthage and Alexandria, Africa and Egypt became her Store-houfes: For

those

thofe Cities fent fuch numerous Fleets every Year, freighted with Corn to Rome, that Alexandria alone annually fupplied twenty Millions of Bufhels: And, when the Harvest happened to fail in one of these Provinces, the other came in to its Aid, and fupported the Metropolis of the World; which, without this Supply, would have been in Danger of perifhing by Famine. Rome actually faw herself reduced to this Condition under Auguftus; for there remained only three Days Provision of Corn in the City: And that Prince was fo full of Tenderness for the People, that he had refolved to poifon himfelf, if the expected Fleets did not arrive before the Expiration of that Time; but they came; and the Preservation of the Romans was attributed to the good Fortune of their Emperor: But wife Precautions were taken to avoid the like Danger for the future.

When the Seat of Empire was tranfplanted to Conftantinople, that City was fupplied in the fame Manner: And when the Emperor Septimus Severus died, there was Corn in the publick Magazines for feven Years, expending daily 75,000 Bufhels in Bread, for 600,000 Men.

The Ancients were no less induftrious in the Cultivation of the Vine than in that of Corn, though they applied themselves to it later: For Noah planted it by Order, and difcovered the Ufe that might be made of the Fruit, by preffing out, and preferving the Juice. The Vine was carried by the Offspring of Noah into the feveral Countries of the World: But Afia was the firft to experience the Sweets of this Gift; from whence it was imparted to Europe and Africa. Greece and Italy, which were diftinguifhed in fo many other Refpects, were particularly fo by the Excellency of their Wines. Greece was most celebrated for the Wines of Cyprus, Lesbos, and Chio; the former of which is in great Efteem at prefent: Though the Cultivation of the Vine has

M 2

been

« PreviousContinue »