young's TRAVELS IN FRANCE.

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it. The fall of a government, however, which has fubfifted with great reputation fomuch longer than any other exilting at prefent, ought to be efteemed a great political lofs,fince the eftablifliment of new fyftems is not at prefent wanted for the benefit of man-kind, fo much as the improvement of old ones ; and if by any amelioration of the Vene-tian ariftocracy, the benefit of the common people could be better fecured, it might yetlaft in enlightened ages, as well as through thofe of darknefs and ignorance.

Bologna. —The government of the church, though in fo many refpe&s confideredas one of the word in Europe , ought not to be condemned too generally, for foine dif-crimination fhould be ufed. Thus in point of taxation, there are few countries thathave lefs to complain of than this, as I have (hewn in the proper place ; and anothercircumftance was mentioned to me here, which proves that it is not the Pope ’s faultthat it is not better—His Holinefs was ready to abolifh all fetes, confining them to Sun-day ; and made the offer to the Senate of Bologna, if they would apply to him for thepurpofe; great debates enfued in that body, and it was determined not to make the ap-plication.

Tuscany. —The government of the Grand Duke is, as every one knows, abfolute ;it admits therefore of no other difcrimination, than what refults from the perfonalcharadter of the Prince. The circumftances l noted, during my refidence at Florence,will fhew that few fovereigns have deferved better of their fubjedts than Leopold : thedetails, however, which I (hall enter into, will be very flight, not that the fubjedf wantsimportance, but becaufe many other books contain large accounts of this period ; andefpecially the colledtion of his * laws, of which I wilh to fee a complete Englilh tranfla-tion, for the ufe of our legiflators. The encouragements which this wife and benevolentfovereign has given to his fubjedts, are of various defcriptions ; to clafs them with anydegree of regularity, would be to abridge that colledtion; a few, that bear more or lefsupon agriculture, I fhall mention.

I. He has abolilhed ty thes, which will be explained more at large, under the properhead.

II. He has eftablilhed an abfolute freedom in the trade of corn.

III. He has for many years contributed one-fourth part of the expence of buildings,in the Val de Nievole, and the lower province of Siena.

IV He has this year made the culture of tobacco free, and engaged to buy all that israifed at 16/1 the pound.

V. He has extinguilhed the national debt of Tufcany, which had exifted from thetime of the republic ; for it deferves noting (in order for fome future hiftorian f of themodern ages, to mark the fadt that the richeft people run in debt the moil) that the re-public of Florence was one of the mod commercial and rich in Europe . Two evils at-tended this debt, which the Grand Duke bent his operations to remove ; jirji , three orfour millions of it were due to foreigners, particularly to the Geonefe, which carriedmuch money out of Tufcany ; and, fecondly, there were diftindt bureaus of colledtionand payment, for tranfadting the bufinefs of thefe debts. To remedy this double mif-chief, he firft bought up all that part of the debt due to ftrangers, which he effedted by

• CoV.czione tfi Lcggi, 8vo. to vols.—Siena .

f There is no work in the whole range of literature, more wanted than a Modern Hiftory of Europe ,written philofophically; that is to fay. with due attention to fhe progrcfsof arts, fciences, and government-;and with none paid to wars, battles, fieges, intrigues, generals, heroes, and cut throats, more than briefly tocondemn them : in fuch a work, the circumftance of the richeft countries in Europe , having plunged them-felves the detpeft and moil ruinoufly in debts, to fupport wars of commerce and ambition, fhould be particu-larly explained and condemned.

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