what they were able to acquire in hunting. As agriculture was held in contempt, no one had lands or boundaries of his own. The prince parcelled out the whole country; and obliged the tenants of each portion to move their quarters every year. They were, however, much addicted to pasturage; and their industry was partially exercised in tending their flocks and herds. This information is afforded us by Cesar'; to which Tacitus adds a paragraph, that speaks volumes in favour of husbandry: since, he says, it were far more easy to persuade them to acquire that by blood, which they might much more effectually obtain by the sweat of their brows. XI. 2 One of the most oppressive laws, ever imposed upon a conquered people, was enacted by the Carthaginians against the islanders of Corsica and Sardinia. It was this:-that the inhabitants of those islands should not, under pain of death, either plough, plant, or sow! This unique species of barbarity, never before heard of, and never since practised, was exercised for the purpose of compelling them to resort to Africa for whatever they might want. The relative fate of these states was not many years afterwards determined. No commercial country can ever last, while laws, in any way approaching to barbarism, are tolerated. In respect to the comparative value of mines and soils, there cannot be a better exemplification, than that, afforded by the Mexican jesuit, 1 De Bell. Gall. lib. vi. c. 21. De Morib. Germ. c. xxvi. 3 Montesquieu, b. xxi. ch. 17.—From Aristotle, lib. viii. Miguel Venegas. There is not, says he, in his Natural and Civil History of California', a richer or a poorer province in all the world, than that of Sonora. Its veins of silver ore almost exceed belief, in point of extent and value; and yet the inhabitants are wretched in their want of all the necessaries of life. The separation of the silver by fire and mercury is so expensive, and the distance, which it has to be carried on the backs of mules so great, that little or no profit remains. Thus we see how comparatively poor are all countries, where agriculture is neglected. Numa taught even the savages of early Rome to see this principle in its genuine light. When the Roman ambassadors announced to him, that they had elected him king of their city, and desired him to accept so sacred a dignity, he replied, "I have been educated in the severe discipline of the Sabines, and, except the time I devote to the study of the Deity, through the objects he has placed before me, my time is occupied in husbandry, and in tending my flocks. What you see in me, therefore, must disqualify me for the dignity, to which you invite me. I love ease; am devoted to retirement, and application to study; and, above all, I despise war and love peace." This reply strengthened the good opinion, the Roman deputation had before entertained: they induced Numa therefore to accept the crown: not one acre was added to the territory of the city during his reign, and the military spirit was softened into agricultural industry. Vol. i. p. 289. ed. 1759. XII. What a delightful picture has Flechier given of M. de Lamignon!" Why cannot I represent him to you," says he, "such as he was? When he enjoyed repose after his labours in the court of judicature at his retreat at Basville. There you might see him sometimes applying himself to husbandry, raising his meditations to the invisible objects of the Deity by the visible wonders of Nature. Sometimes establishing the repose of a poor family on a tribunal of turf in a shady part of his garden, and then reflecting on the decisions, he would have to pronounce, relative to great interests on the supreme seat of justice." How much more delightful is such a picture as this, than those afforded by the splendour of tyrants! We will contrast it. Hyder Ally having been, one day, observed by one of his intimate friends, Gholaun Ali', to start in his sleep, he was asked by his friend, when he awoke, whether he had not been dreaming. 'My friend," replied Hyder, "the state of a yokee2 is more,— far more,-delightful and to be envied than my entire monarchy. Awake, he sees no conspirators; asleep, he dreams of no assassins." 66 When Napoleon returned from Waterloo to Paris, he was waited upon in his palace by a little boy, for whom he had a great partiality. The boy took him some coffee. The emperor sat with his hands over his eyes. "Take some," said the little valet; "it will comfort you." "Did you not come from Gonesse ?". “No, 1 Wilks' Sketches of the South of India. 2 A religious mendicant. sire: from Pierre Fite." "Your parents have some few acres of land and a cottage there, have they not ?”"Yes, sire." "It is indeed a happy life!" ejaculated the emperor, and again covered his eyes and face with his hand. Exiled on a rock, far from the scenes of his former errors, victories, crimes, illegitimate glories, and intrigues, this military meteor now disgraces the science of Nature by handling the spade, and cultivating his garden with his own hands-a fate, far too poetical for a man, who, in an age willing to gravitate towards perfection, turned the arms of liberty against itself; and perverted science to the purposes of enslaving the body and disgracing the mind. The name of this personage might have been classed with Trajan and Claudius the Second; -it now ranks with Tamerlane, Frederick the Great, and Charles the Twelfth. CHAPTER IX. ONE branch of rural economy is, in the present age, but little attended to; though in France, in the time of Charlemagne, it formed a considerable article of profit, viz. the culture of bees:-insects which have been treated of, says Columella, diligently by Hyginus, gracefully by Virgil, and elegantly by Celsus. Pliny was a lover of bees; and his natural history contains all, that the ancients knew of their economy. Before his time there were only two practical writers: Aristomachus of Soli, who occupied himself entirely in the care of them; and Philiscus of Thasia, who lived all his life in forests, for the purpose of watching their manners and gathering their honey. There are many passages in the scripture, commemorating the produce of this admirable insect. The sons of Jacob are described, as taking Joseph, their brother, a little balm and a little honey for a present; and a curious and entertaining account of a trial of wisdom, between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, which was decided by a swarm of bees, is related in the Talmud. Galen says, that he had observed honey frequently upon trees and plants, in parts of the country, where no bees lived; and that the peasants, on those occasions, called out, "Jupiter has rained honey." Some writers have confused manna with dew; but manna was a round substance falling upon the dew, and as small as hear frost 1. When the sun waxed hot, it melted; its colour resembled that of bdellium; it resembled coriander seed; and its taste was like fresh oil; but if kept till the next day, it bred worms and stank. Grinding it in mills, the Israelites made cakes of it, and baked it in pans; and for forty years lived almost entirely upon it 5. St. Paul styles this food "spiritual meat ";" David calls it "angel's food";" and Nehemiah and St. John9 give it the appellation of "bread from heaven." 1 Numbers, xi. v. 9. Psalms, lxxviii. v. 24. 2 Exod. xvi. v. 14, 21. + Exod. xvi. v. 20. G 1 Corinth. ch. x. v. 3. 8 Neh. ix. v. 15. 9 Ch. vi. v. 3. |