diamonds and pearls fhould remain concealed in the bowels of the earth, and the womb of the fea; though commerce with ftrangers be prohibited; though all arts which have no other object than fplendor and embellishment, fhould be abolished; yet the fertility of the earth alone would afford an abundant fupply for the occafions of an induftrious people, by furnishing fubfiftence for them, and fuch armies as fhould be mustered 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 feem wonderful that it fhould ever ceale to be fo, and that the most neceffary and moft indifpenfable 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 supplied from thence with almost all their corn, both for the use of the city, and the fubfiftence 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 ftore-houses: for thofe cities fent fuch numerous VOL. II. fleets

Cc

fleets every year, freighted with corn to Rome, that Alexandria alone annually supplied twenty millions of bufhels: and, when the harveft happened to fail in one of these provinces, the other came in to its aid, and supported the metropolis of the world; which, without this fupply, would have been in danger of perifhing by famine. Rome actually faw herfelf reduced to this condition under Auguftus; for there remained only three days provifion of corn in the city: and that prince was fo full of tenderness for the people, that he had refolved to poifon himself, if the expected fleets did not arrive before the expiration of that time; but they came; and the prefervation 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 feat of empire was transplanted to Conftantinople, that city was fupplied in the fame manner: and when the emperor Septimius Severus died, there was corn in the publick magazines for feven years, expending daily 75,000 bushels in bread, for 600,000

men.

The ancients were no lefs 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 discovered the use 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 first to experience the fweets of this gift; from whence it was imparted to Europe and Africa, Greece and Italy, which were diftinguifhed in fo many other refpećts, were particularly fo by the excellency of their wines.

Greece

Greece was most celebrated for the wines of Cyprus, Lefbos, and Chio; the former of which is in great esteem at present: though the cultivation of the vine has 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 beft of which were produced in the country of Capua, and were called the Maffick, Calenian, Formian, Cacuban, and Falernian, fo much celebrated by Horace. Domitian paffed an edict for destroying all the vines, and that no more should be planted throughout the greateft part of the weft; which continued almost two hundred years afterwards, when the emperor Probus employed his foldiers 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 husbandry: 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 pasture 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 alfo find from Latinus in Virgil, and Ulyffes in Homer, that the wealth of thofe princes confifted in cattle. It was likewife the faine ainong 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 Ccz country,

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 speedy 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 will not admit of thefe vices. The honest Farmer lives in a wife and happy ftate, which inclines him to juftice, temperance, fobriety, fincerity, and every virtue that can dignify human nature. This

gave room for the poets to feign, that Aftræa, the Goddess of Justice, had her last refidence among husbandmen, 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 posterity upon the utility of the husbandman's profeffion. 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 fubject; and Cato, the cenfor, followed his example. Nor have Plato, Xenophon, and Ariftotle, omitted this article, which makes an effential part of their politicks. And Cicero, fpeaking of the writings of Xenophon, fays, "How fully "and excellently does he, in that book called his Oeconomicks, fet out the advantages of husbandry, "and a country life?"

When Britain was fubject to the Romans, fhe annually supplied them with great quantities of corn; and the Isle of Anglesea was then looked upon as the granary

for

for the western provinces: but the Britons, both under the Romans and Saxons, were employed like flaves 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 eftates.

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 esteem, 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 eftates, is the enrichment of the kingdom: for, without this, how could we carry on our manufactures, or profecute our commerce? We Thould look upon the English Farmer as the most useful member of fociety. His arable grounds not only fupply his fellow-fubjects with all kinds of the best 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, 1,920 of oatmeal, 1,329 of rye, and 153,343 of wheat ; the bounty on which amounted to 72,433 pounds. What a fund of treasure arifes from his pasture lands, which breed fuch innumerable flocks of fheup, and afford fuch fine herds of cattle, to feed Britons, and cloath

Cc 3