CHAP. XX.

INCREASED PRICES.

109

dered all property which, like that of the produceof the soil, could be serviceable to hostile bodiesextremely insecure. Italy and Germany weredivided into such a great number of separatesovereignties perpetually at variance with eachother, that any property exposed in the fieldsor the villages was constantly liable to militaryseizure.

In those countries the operative cultivators musthave been benefited by the advance of prices, suchat least of them as escaped the rude hands of themilitary depredators; but their experience musthave warned them from investing it in agriculturalstock and implements, and they could have hadno occasion to expose themselves to such hazardousexperiments when the landowners were quite readyto furnish stock, and thus incur all the risk, whilstthe cultivator was to be a sharer of the benefit.Other causes may have contributed to give toEnglish agriculture that peculiarly beneficial di-r ection which it received at the period when theinflux of the precious metals had its greatest in-fluence on prices. It is, however, grateful to ourfeelings to trace the rise of a class in society whichis known in no other country, that of capitalistscultivating the lands of proprietors, paying fixeds ums for the use of the lands, and exercising theirskill and industry for their own benefit in the firstinstance; for the benefit of the proprietor, if he bea wise and good landlord; and for the benefit of