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THE EDITORS' ADDRESS

TO THE PUBLICK.

THE Editors of the Anthology have so repeatedly solicited the attention of the publick, that it is not without hesitation that they again ask its indulgence. The circumstance, however, of a change of their printers, seems to offer a favourable opportunity; and the liberal establishment on which the work is now placed, seems to call for some exertions on their part to justify them in accepting it.

It is not our intention to complain of neglected genius, or to aceuse the world of want of perspicacity, for not discerning our merit. We venture not to say that our patronage has not equalled our deserts. Of this, however, the publick will judge, when it is told, that our receipts have never much exceeded the necessary expenses of conducting the work. But this is not our plea. Our patronage, if not extensive enough to flatter our vanity, has been of a kind to content our ambition, and personal remuneration we never required, or would accept. The ground, on which we feel justified in making our request, is, that we do not beg for ourselves, but for the Athenæum, to which, after the necessary expenses are deducted, all the profits of the work are faithfully devoted. This is a plea, which excuses our request, and would, we think, authorize the importunity of the most sturdy mendicancy. He who gives us his subscription, is secure of not throwing away his money; for, however worthless he may find the Anthology, he is certain that he will contribute to the pro-perity of an institution, which, we'venture to foretel, will become the honour and pride of our city.

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But we will not affect more humility than we feel. We are not willing to think, that the Anthology is altogether unworthy the patronage of the publick. The objects, to which it is devoted, however imperfectly attained, are all honourable. We have the feelings of men, who think themselves not unworthily employed. Our literary chivalry is honest, and, we hope, harmless; if it be not either useful or wise, and if our exploits in the republick of letters have gained us no renown, it is not, we are persuaded, because there are no monsters there to be quelled. We seriously think that a work cannot be perfectly contemptible, which is supported by men, certainly above venality, who, if they do not deceive themselves, are desirous of raising the reputation of American literature, and who are pledged to no party in religion or politicks, though, indeed, having their opinions on both, as every man must have, who loves his country and his God. But, after three years labour, the publick haye the means of forming a judgment, which our representations cannot alter or avert. If the decision is against us, we can appeal to no other tribunal. If we have not yet gained any claim to favour, it is hopeless to attempt to obtain it now by confident assertions or magnificent promises. Without any more observations then, we throw ourselves on the goodness of the publick, and request a larger share of its favour, than we have hitherto received; repeating only, that he who subscribes for the Anthology, may have the feelings of a patron of the Athenæum.

THE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY.

FOR

MARCH, 1808.

For the Anthology.

VIEW OF MODERN FRANCE.

No. II.

Paris, December 17, 1805. cipal regulations suitable encour

MY DEAR FRIEND,

IN a former letter I gave you some details as to the territorial extent and population of France. I shall now proceed to some reflections and facts in relation to the wealth and power of this nation. I need not say any thing to convince you, that the wealth and force of a great nation depends vaftly more on the produce of its soil, and the consumption of that and of the produce of its own industry, than on its foreign commerce, though foreign commerce adds an almost incalculable value to the products of labour. Some remarks which I have seen on the statistical history of Great Britain, and which I dare say you have often perused, prove, that even in that country whose external commerce is so extensive, the profits, resulting to the nation from foreign trade, are very small compared to the produce of the soil, and the profits made by internal induftry in fab ricating articles, which are consumed among themselves. Indeed it is obvious, that if a great and populous nation possessed within itself a sufficient variety of soil and climate, if it afforded by its muni

agement to the developement of its industry, it might become incalculably rich and powerful without exchanging a single article of its produce, against those of any other nation, though this remark is applicable only to old nations whose capital is great, and whose industry has been devoted to manufactures. Perhaps there never existed a country, to which these remarks were more applicable, than to France. Except Normandy, (which I propose to visit in the Spring,) I have seen almost every part of this vast empire, and my own observation has explained a phenomenon, which I could never before understand, and that is, that France should have been çapable of such astonishing efforts, though her commerce was annihilated, and that she should come out of such a revolution and of such destructive wars, with all the vigour of youth and the appearance of abundance. Such, however, is the fact, and notwithstanding all which the English writers or parliamentary haranguers may say on the subject, she is now infinitely stronger and richer than Great Britain.

You will understand me as speaking of the nation only and not of in

dividuals. The truth is, that France, having soon exterminated her invaders, had a state of internal tranquil. ity, and so vast are her internal resources, so prodigious the efforts of her industry, that she scarcely feels the loss of external commerce. I now proceed to give you the details of the productions of her soil, and of her industry.

It is remarked, that neither the revolution nor the wars, in which France has been engaged during the last ten years, have had any sensible effect on the population or produce of this country, and I think this is well accounted for by their writers, "from the abolition of the feudal rights, the duties and burdensome taxes, to which the tenants were subject, not only to the state but to the feudal Seignor; and the facility, with which the cultivators have been enabled to procure titles to land, a thing before the revolution impossible." And as to population, they think that has augmented by the encouragement given to early marriages, "a married man being exempted from the military conscriptions." These reasonings appear to be well founded, and the facts fupport the theory.

The Agricultural division of France has been borrowed from the remarks of Arthur Young, whose work is highly commended here. He divides it as follows, and I have added to each division the computed quantity of each.

1st. 28,218,908 acres of rich and fat land.

2d. 28,355,004 acres of heath, or lands like the plains of Dan

vers.

3d. 13,574,904 acres of Chalky land. 4th. 3,840,070 acres of gravelly

land.

5th. 19,016, 136 acres of stony, or rocky land.

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Arthur Young, after inquiring into the value of the productions of each species of land in 1787, estimated as a mean value of the annual produce of an acre of land in France, taking into calculation all the lands of France, 44 livres as the annual produce of one acre or 5,390,000.000 francs as the gross annual value of all the productions of France.

Mons. Lavoisier estimated the gross annual value of the productions of France, (not comprising the fisheries, mines, butter, cheese, fruit, green vegetables consumed, or oil,) at 2,750,000,000 livres.

his difference is so considerable, that I think you would be better pleased to see the basis of their respective calculations.

Arthur Young computes the quantity of land,employed in raising grain of different species, at 20,000,000 acres; and according to his remarks, he estimates their produce at 75,000,000 setiers; the setier is about 12 bushels.

A French writer estimates the whole produce of the lands of France in grain at 17,300,000,000 pounds. But it must be under

stood that rye, wheat and barley are all included in the above esti

mate.

Mr. Lavoisier computed from the consumption of grain, and upon 24,000,000 inhabitants, he computed the consumption of grain at 14,000,000,000 of pounds weight. Adding to this then the same proportion for the territories added to France, and we have 19,000,000,000 pounds for the present consumption of France. This is a pretty fair estimate because France in any period of ten years, exports more grain than she imports, so that the produce is rather above than below this estimate.

Let me observe here that the fertility of the lands in France appears to be extremely great. There are some rich lands which yield 12 setiers to the acre, or 144 bushels, but they are rare. The ordinary good lands of Picardy and the vicinity of Paris yield 8 setiers or 96 bushels; and the less good lands yield 10 quintals or 4 setiers per acre. But it must be recollected that I speak of the French bushel, which weighs only 20 pounds, whereas I think a bushel of wheat with us weighs 60, if I recollect correctly. Still the produce in France is very great.

The average result of the calculations of five different writers upon the quantity of grain, annually produced in France prior to the revolution gives 61,519,672 setiers of 12 bushelseach, weighing 20lbs. ; which would give for the pounds weight of grain, 14,764,721,280 pounds, or a result very nearly similar to that of Mons. Lavoisier.

Adding to this sum the increase arising from the extended territory of France, and we have 20,000,000,000 lbs. as the result of the annual produce of grain in France.

This immense produce may be es

timated at the present average price of about 3 sous the pound, and forms the aggregate of 3,000,000,000, or 125,000,000l. sterling.

But as a considerable part of this grain is rye and barley, it is thought it may be reduced to about 2 sous per pound, or to a sum one third less.

They computed the quantity of cats raised in France at 400,000,000 French bushels before the revolution and at present at 500,000,000, which they estimate at 10 sous the bushel, equal to about 30 sous for our bushel, giving for the value of the oats raised in France, 250,000,000 francs. In the departments of the two Netherlands lately acquired by France, and in Normandy and Brittany, great quantities of hemp and linen flax are

raised.

They estimate the quantity of flax and hemp at 6,300,000 pounds, which, at 6 sous per pound, gives 1,890,000 francs.

The produce of their artificial meadows and pasturage lands, which are wholly employed in raising grass and vegetables, is to be added to the above estimates. It is impossible to arrive at a precise estimate of this species of crop, because a considerable part of it is consumed green by their cattle, but taking the whole quantity of this species of land, and estimating it at 20 quintals per acre, which I believe is as much as the fact will warrant, and estimating this produce at 2 francs the quintal, as I see is the nett value of it in France, we have the following refult: 14,094,672 acres, producing equal to one ton of hay each, which ton is worth 40 francs nett, amounting to 563,786,880 francs.

The next, and a very important source of produce, is their forests; and though Arthur Young estimates them at 16,000,000 acres as I have

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