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Particular metals are valuable, because they are fcarce; and they are fcarce, because the mines that yield them are emptied in time. But the furface of the earth is more liberal than its caverns. The field, which is this autumn laid naked by the fickle will be covered, in the fucceeding fummer, by a new harvest; the grafs, which the cattle are devouring, shoots up again when they have paffed over it.

Agriculture, therefore, and Agriculture alone, can fupport us without the help of others, in certain. plenty and genuine dignity. Whatever we buy from without, the fellers may refufe; whatever we fell, manufactured by art, the purchafers may reject; but, while our ground is covered with corn and cattle, we can want nothing; and if imagination fhould grow fick of native plenty, and call for delicacies or embellifhments from other countries, there is nothing which corn and cattle will not purchase.

Our country is, perhaps, beyond all others, productive of things neceffary to life. The pine-apple thrives better between the tropicks, and better furs are found in the northern regions. But let us not envy these unneceffary privileges. Mankind cannot fubfift upon the indulgencies of nature, but must be supported by her more common gifts. They muft feed upon bread, and be cloathed with wool; and the nation that can furnish these univerfal commodities, may have her fhips welcomed at a thoufand ports, or fit at home and receive the tribute of foreign countries, enjoy their arts, or treafure up their gold.

It is well known to those who have examined the ftate of other countries, that the vineyards of France

are

are more than equivalent to the mines of America; and that one great ufe of Indian gold, and Peruvian filver, is to procure the wines of Champaigne and Burgundy. The advantage is indeed always rifing on the fide of France, who will certainly have wines, when Spain, by a thousand natural or accidental causes, may want filver. But furely the vallies of England have more certain ftores of wealth. Wines are chofen by caprice; the products of France have not always been equally efteemed; but there never was any age, or people, that reckoned bread among fuperfluities, when once it was known. The price of wheat and barley fuffers not any variation, but what is caufed by the uncertainty of feafons.

I am far from intending to perfuade my countrymen to quit all other employments for that of manuring the ground. I mean only to prove, that we have, at home, all that we can want, and that therefore we need feel no great anxiety about the fchemes of other nations for improving their arts, or extending their traffick. But there is no neceffity to infer, that we should ceafe from commerce, before the revolution of things fhall transfer it to fome other regions! Such viciffitudes the world has often seen; and therefore fuch we have reafon to expect. We hear many clamours of declining trade, which are not, in my opinion, always true; and many imputations of that decline to governors and minifters, which may be fometimes juft, and fometimes calumnious. But it is foolish to imagine, that any care or policy can keep commerce at a stand, which almost every nation has enjoyed and loft, and which we must expect to lofe as we have long enjoyed it.

There

There is fome danger, left our neglect of Agriculture fhould haften its departure. Our induftry has for many ages been employed in deftroying the woods which our ancestors have planted. It is well known that commerce is carried on by fhips, and that ships are built out of trees; and therefore, when I travel over naked plains, to which tradition has preferved the name of forefts, or fee hills arifing on either hand, barren and useless, I cannot forbear to wonder, how that commerce, of which we promife ourselves the perpetuity, shall be continued by our defcendants; nor can restrain a figh, when I think on the time, a time at no great diftance, when our neighbours may deprive us of our naval influence, by refufing us their timber.

By Agriculture only can commerce be pepetuated; and by Agriculture alone can we live in plenty without intercourse with other nations. This, therefore, is the great art, which every government ought to protect, every proprietor of lands to practife, and every inquirer into nature to improve.

THE

VISION OF THEODORE,

The HERMIT of TENERIFFE,

FOUND IN HIS CELL.

ON of Perfeverance, whoever thou art, whofe

SON

curiofity has led thee hither, read and be wife. He that now calls upon thee is Theodore, the Hermit of Teneriffe, who in the fifty-feventh year of his retreat left this inftruction to mankind, left his folitary hours fhould be spent in vain.

I was once what thou art now, a groveller on the earth, and a gazer at the sky; I trafficked and heaped wealth together, I loved and was favoured, I wore the robe of honour and heard the musick of adulation; I was ambitious, and rofe to greatnefs; I was unhappy, and retired. I fought for fome time what I at length found here, a place where all real wants might be easily supplied, and where I might not be under the neceffity of purchafing the affiftance of men by the toleration of their follies. Here I faw fruits and herbs and water, and here determined to wait the hand of death, which I hope, when at laft it comes, will fall lightly upon me.

Forty-eight years had I now paffed in forgetfulnefs of all mortal cares, and without any inclination

to wander farther than the neceffity of procuring fuftenance required; but as I ftood one day beholding the rock that overhangs my cell, I found in myself a defire to climb it; and when I was on its top, was in the fame manner determined to scale the next, till by degrees I conceived a wish to view the fummit of the mountain, at the foot of which I had fo long refided. This motion of my thoughts I endeavoured to fupprefs, not becaufe it appeared criminal, but because it was new; and all change, not evidently for the better, alarms a mind taught by experience to diftruft itself. I was often afraid that my heart was deceiving me, that my impatience of confinement arofe from fome earthly paffion, and that my ardour to furvey the works of nature was only a hidden longing to mingle once again in the fcenes of life. I therefore endeavoured to fettle my thoughts into their former ftate, but found their dif traction every day greater. I was always reproaching myself with the want of happiness within my reach, and at last began to question whether it was not lazinefs rather than caution that reftrained me from climbing to the fummit of Teneriffe.

I rofe therefore before the day, and began my journey up the steep of the mountain; but I had not advanced far, old as I was and burthened with provifions, when the day began to fhine upon me; the declivities grew more precipitous, and the fand flided from beneath my feet; at laft, fainting with labour, I arrived at a small plain almoft inclofed by rocks, and open only to the eaft. I fat down to reft awhile, in full perfuafion, that when I had recovered mỹ Arength I should procced on my defign; but when

Once

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