young’s Travels in erance.

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an eftate In Provence . I obferved, that I was glad to hear he had property: for Infuch revolutions, it was a necefiary hold on a man, that he will not drive every thingto confulion, in order to poflefs a confequence and importance which cannot attendhim in peaceable and quiet times. But to be at Marfeilles without feeing Abbe Ray-nal, one of the undoubted precurfors of the prefent revolution in France , would bemortifying. Having no time to wait longer for letters, I took the refolution to intro-duce myfelf. He was at the houfe of his friend Monf. Bertrand. I told the Abbe myfituation: and with that eafe and politenefs which flows from a man’s knowledge ofthe world, he replied, that he was always happy to be of ufe to any gentleman of mynation ; and, turning to his friend, faid, here alfo is one, Sir, who loves the Englifh,and underftands their language. In converfing on agriculture, which I had mentionedas the objeCt of my journey, they both expreflfed their furprife to find, by accountsapparently authentic, that we imported great quantities of wheat, inftead of exportingas we formerly did ; and defired to know, if this were really the cafe, to what it wasto be afcribed : and recurring, at the fame time, to the Mercure de France for a ftate-ment of the export and import of corn, they read it as a quotation from Mr. ArthurYoung. This gave me the opportunity of faying, that I was the perfon, and it proveda lucky introduction ; for it was not poflible to be received with more politenefs, orwith more offers of fervice and afliftance. I explained, that the change had takenplace in confequence of a vafl increafe of population, a caufe ftill increasing more ra-pidly than ever.—We had an interefting converfation on the agriculture of France ,and on the prefent fituation of affairs, which they both think going on badly ; areconvinced of the necefflty of an upper houfe in the legiflature, and dread nothingmore than a mere democratical government, which they deem a fpecies of re-public, ridiculous for fuch a kingdom as France . I faid that I had often re-flected with amazement, that Monfieur Necker did not affemble the ftates in fucha form, and under fuch regulations, as would have naturally led to adopt theconflitution of England, free from the few faults which time has difcovered in it.On which Monf. Bertrand gave me a pamphlet he had publifhed, addreffed to hisfriend Abbe Raynal , propofing feveral circumftances in the Englifh conflitution to beadopted in that of France. Monf. l’Abbe Raynal remarked, that the American revo-lution had brought the French one in its train : I obferved, that if the refult in France fliould be liberty, that revolution had proved a blefling to the world, but much morefo to England than to America . This they both thought fuch a paradox, that I explain-ed it by remarking, that I believed the profperity which England had enjoyed fince thepeace, not only much exceeded that of any other fimilar period, but alfo that of anyother country, in any period fince the eftablifhment of the European monarchies : afaCt that was fupported by the increafe of population, of confumption, of induftry,of navigation, fhipping, and failors : by the augmentation and improvement of agricul-ture, manufactures, and commerce; and in a peculiar mafs and aggregate, flowingfrom the whole, the rifing eafe and felicity of the people. I mentioned the authenticdocuments and public regifters which fupported fuch a reprefentation j and I found,that Abbe Raynal , who attended clofely to what I faid, had not feen or heard ofthefe circumftances, in which he is not Angular, for I have not met with a Angle per-fon in France acquainted with them; yet they unqueftionably form one of themod remarkable and Angular experiments in the Science of politics that the world hasfeen ; for a people to lofe an empire—thirteen provinces, and to gain, by that lofs, anincreafe of wealth, felicity, and power! When will the obvious concluAons, to bedrawn from that prodigious event, be adopted ? that all tranfmarine, or diftant domi-vol, iv. a g nions,