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been generally fuppreffed in the Turkish Dominions. As the Romans were indebted to the Grecians for the Arts and Sciences, fo were they likewife for the Improvement of their Wines; the best of which were produced in the Country of Capua, and were called the Maffic, Calenian, Formian, Cacuban, and Falernian, fo much celebrated by Horace. Domitian passed an Edict for destroying all the Vines, and that no more fhould be planted throughout the greatest Part of the Weft; which continued almost two hundred Years afterwards, when the Emperor Probus employed his Soldiers in planting Vines in Europe, in the fame Manner as Hannibal had formerly employed his Troops in planting Olive-trees in Africa. Some of the Ancients have endeavoured to prove, that the Cultivation of Vines is more beneficial than any other Kind of Hufbandry: But, if this was thought fo in the Time of Columella, it is very different at prefent; nor were all the Ancients of his Opinion, for feveral gave the Preference to pafture Lands.

The Breeding of Cattle has always been confidered as an important Part of Agriculture. The Riches of Abraham, Laban, and Job, confifted in their Flocks and Herds. We also find from Latinus in Virgil, and Ulyffes in Homer, that the Wealth of thofe Princes confifted in Cattle. It was likewife the fame among the Romans, till the Introduction of Money, which put a Value upon Commodities, and established a new Kind of Barter. Varro has not difdained to give an extenfive Account of all the Beafts that are of any Ufe to the Country, either for Tillage, Breed, Carriage, or other Conveniencies of Man. And Cato, the Cenfor, was of Opinion, that the Feeding of Cattle was the most certain and fpeedy Method of enriching a Country.

Luxury, Avarice, Injuftice, Violence, and Ambition, take up their ordinary Refidence in populous Cities: While the hard and laborious Life of the Husbandman

Husbandman will not admit of thefe Vices. The honeft Farmer lives in a wife and happy State, which inclines him to Justice, Temperance, Sobriety, Sincerity, and every Virtue that can dignify the human Nature. This gave Room for the Poets to feign, that Aftræa, the Goddefs of Juftice, had her laft Refidence among Hufbandmen, before the quitted the Earth. Hefiod and Virgil have brought the Affiftance of the Mufes in Praife of Agriculture. Kings, Generals, and Philofophers, have not thought it unworthy their Birth, Rank, and Genius, to leave Precepts to Pofterity upon the Utility of the Huf bandman's Profeflion. Hiero, Attalus, and Archelaus, Kings of Syracufe, Pergamus, and Cappadocia, have compofed Books for fupporting and augmenting the Fertility of their different Countries. The Carthaginian General, Mago, wrote twenty-eight Volumes upon this Subject; and Cato, the Cenfor, followed his Example. Nor have Plato, Xenophon, and Ariftotle, omitted this Article, which makes an eflential Part of their Politicks. And Cicero, fpeaking of the Writings of Xenophon, fays, How fully and excellently does he, in that Book called his Oeconomics, fet out the Advantages of Husbandry, and a * country Life?"

When Britain was fubject to the Romans, fhe annually fupplied them with great Quantities of Corn; and the Isle of Anglesea was then looked upon as the Grainary for the Weftern Provinces: But the Britons, both under the Romans and Saxons, were employed like Slaves at the Plough. On the Intermixture of the Danes and Normans, Poffeffions were better regulated, and the State of Vaffalage gradually declined, till it was entirely wore off under the Reigns of Henry VII. and Edward VI. for they hurt the old Nobility by favouring the Commons, who grew rich by Trade, and purchased Estates.

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The Wines of France, Portugal, and Spain, are now the beft; while Italy can only boast of the Wine made in Tuscany. The Breeding of Cattle is now chiefly confined to Denmark and Ireland. The Corn of Sicily is ftill in great Efteem, as well as what is produced in the Northern Countries: But England is the happiest Spot in the Universe for all the principal Kinds of Agriculture, and especially its great Produce of Corn.

The Improvement of our landed Estates, is the Enrichment of the Kingdom: For, without this,. how could we carry on our Manufactures, or profecute our Commerce? We fhould look upon the English Farmer as the moft ufeful Member of Society. His arable Grounds not only fupply his Fellow-fubjects with all Kinds of the beft Grain, but his Industry enables him to Export great Quantities to other Kingdoms, which might otherwife ftarve; particularly Spain and Portugal: For, in one Year, there have been exported 51,520 Quarters of Barley, 219,781 of Malt, 1920 of Oatmeal, 1329 of Rye, and 153,343 of Wheat; the Bounty on which amounted to 72,433 Pounds. What a Fund of Treasure arifes from his pafl ure Lands, which breed fuch innumerable Flocks of Sheep, and afford fuch fine Herds of Cattle, to feed Britons, and cloath Mankind? He rears Flax and Hemp for the making of Linen; while his Plantations of Apples and Hops fupply him with generous Kinds of Li

quors.

The Land-tax, when at four Shillings in the Pound, produces 2,000,000 Pounds a Year. This arifes from the Labour of the Husbandman: It is a great Sum: But how greatly is it increased by the Means it furnishes for Trade? Without the Induftry of the Farmer, the Manufacturer could have no Goods to fupply the Merchant, nor the Merchant find any Employment for the Mariners: Trade

would

would be ftagnated; Riches whould be of no Advantage to the Great; and Labour of no Service to the Poor.

The Romans, as Hiftorians all allow,

Sought, in extreme Diftrefs, the rural Plough;
Jo Triumphe for the village Swain
Retir'd to be a Nobleman again.

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INTRODUCTION

TO THE

WORLD DISPLAYED.

JAVIGATION, like other Arts, has been

N perfected by Degrees. It is not eafy to con

ceive that any Age or Nation was without fome Veffel, in which Rivers might be paffed by Travellers, or Lakes frequented by Fishermen; but we have no Knowledge of any Ship that could endure the Violence of the Ocean, before the Ark of Noah.

As the Tradition of the Deluge has been transmitted to almoft all the Nations of the Earth; it must be fuppofed that the Memory of the Means by which Noah and his Family were preferved, would be continued long among their Defcendants, and that the Poffibility of paffing the Seas could never be doubted.

What Men know to be practicable, a thousand Motives will incite them to try; and there is Reason to believe, that from the Time that the Generations of the poftdiluvian Race spread to the Sea Shores, there were always Navigators that ventured upon the Sea, though, perhaps, not willingly beyond the Sight of Land.

Of the ancient Voyages little certain is known, and it is not neceffary to lay before the Reader fuch Conjectures as learned Men have offered to the World. The Romans by conquering Carthage, put a Stop to a great Part of the Trade of diftant Nations with one another, and because they thought only on War and Conqueft, as their Empire en

creafed,

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