gofpel. The invention of the compass was the occafion of it. Providence had affigned a precife time for this great event. The moment

could neither be advanced nor retarded. Hence it was that this discovery had been so long deferred, and was afterwards fo fuddenly and fo couragiously executed.

After thefe obfervations, which I thought ufeful to many of my readers, I fhall proceed to my fubject. I fhall divide all that relates to the arts and sciences into three books. In the first I fhall treat of agriculture, commerce, architecture, fculpture, painting, and mufick. In the fecond, I fhall treat of the art-military, and what regards the raifing and maintaining troops; battles, and fieges, both by fea and land. In the laft book, with which my work will conclude, I fhall run over the arts and fciences, that have moft relation to the mind: Grammar, poetry, history, rhetorick, and philofophy, with all the branches, that either depend on, or have any relation to them.

I must observe beforehand, with the fame freedom I have profeffed hitherto, that I undertake to treat a fubject, of which many parts are almost entirely unknown to me. For this reafon I fhall have occafion for new indulgence. I demand permiffion therefore to make use freely, as I have always done, (and am now reduced to do more than ever) of all the helps I fhall meet with in my way. I fhall hazard lofing the glory of being an author and inventor: But I willingly renounce it, provided I have that of pleafing my readers, and of being any way, ufeful to them. Profound erudition muft not be expected here, though the fubject feems to imply it. I do not pretend to inftruct

the

the learned; my aim is to make choice of that from all the arts, which may best fuit the capacities of the generality of readers.

273

CHAPTER I.

OF AGRICULTURE.

ARTICLE I.

Antiquity of agriculture. Its utility. The esteem it was in amongst the antients. How important it is to place it in honour, and how dangerous to neglect the application to it.

I

MAY with justice place agriculture at the head of the arts, which has certainly the advantage of all others, as well with regard to its antiquity as utility. It may be faid to be as antient as the world, having taken birth in the terrestrial paradice itself, when Adam, newly ne forth from the hands of his Creator, ftill poffeffed the precious but frail treasure of his innocence; God having placed him in the garden of delights, commanded him to culti vate it; ut operaretur illum: to dress and keep Gen. ii. it. That culture was not painful and laborious, 15. but eafy and agreeable; it was to serve him for amufement, and to make him contemplate in the productions of the earth the wisdom and liberality of his Master,

The fin of Adam having overthrown this order, and drawn upon him the mournful decree, which condemned him to eat his bread by the fweat of his brow; God changed his VOL. X. delight

T

delight into chastisement, and fubjected him to hard labour and toil, which he had never known, had he continued ignorant of evil. The earth, become ftubborn and rebellious to his orders, to punish his revolt against God, brought forth thorns and thiftles. Violent means were neceffary to compel it to pay man the tribute, of which his ingratitude had rendered him unworthy, and to force it, by labour, to fupply him every year with the nourishment, which before was given him freely and without

trouble.

It is in effect the fource

From hence therefore we are to trace the origin of agriculture, which from the punifhment it was at firft, is become, by the fingular goodness of God, in a manner the mother and nurfe of human race! of folid wealth and treasures of a real value, which do not depend upon the opinion of men ;. which fuffice at once to neceflity and enjoyment, by which a nation is in no want of its neighbours, and often neceffary to them; which make the principal revenue of a state, and fupply the defect of all others, when they happen to fail. Though mines of gold and filver fhould be exhaufted, and the fpecies made of them loft; though pearls and diamonds fhould remain hid in the womb of the earth and sea; though commerce with ftrangers fhould be prohibited; though all arts, which have no other object than embellishment and fplendor, should be abolished; the fertility of the earth alone would afford an abundant fupply for the occafions of the publick; and furnish fubfiftence both for the people and armies to defend it.

We ought not to be furprized therefore, that agriculture was in fo much honour, amongft the antients; it ought rather to feem wonderful

thas

that it ever fhould ceafe to be fo, and that of all profeffions the moft neceffary and most indifpenfable fhould have fallen into fo great con.tempt. We have feen in the whole courfe of our hiftory, that the principal attention of the wifeft princes, and the most able minifters, was to fupport and encourage hufbandry.

Rom. 1. 2.

Amongst the Affyrians and Perfians the Satrape were rewarded, in whofe governments the lands were well cultivated, and thofe punifhed who neglected that part of their duty. Numa Pompilius, one of the wifeft kings an- Dion. Hatiquity mentions, and who beft understood and licarn. difcharged the duties of the fovereignty, divi- Antiq. ded the whole territory of Rome into different p. 135. cantons. An exact account was rendered him of the manner in which they were cultivated," and he caused the hufbandmen to come before him, that he might praife and encourage thofe, whofe lands were well manured, and reproach others with their want of industry. The riches of the earth, fays the hiftorian, were looked upon as the jufteft and moft legitimate of all riches, and much preferred to the advantages obtained by war, which are of no long duration. An- Id. 1. 3. cus Martius, the fourth king of the Romans, p. 177. who piqued himself upon treading in the fteps of Numa, next to the adoration of the gods, and reverence for religion, recommended nothing fo much to the people, as the cultivation of lands, and the breeding of cattle. The Romans long retained this difpofition, and in the latter times, whoever did not difcharge this duty well, drew upon himself the animadverfion of of the cenfor.

*Agrum male colere Cenforium probrum adjudicabatur. Plin. l. 18. c. 3.

VOL. X,

T 2

It.

It is known from never-failing experience, that the culture of lands and the breeding of cattle, which is a confequence and neceffary part of it, has always been a certain and inexhauftible fource of wealth and abundance. Agriculture was in no part of the world in higher confideration than in Egypt, where it was the particular object of government and policy; and no country was ever better peopled, richer or more powerful. The ftrength of a state is not to be computed by extent of country, but by the number of its citizens, and the utility of their labour.

It is hard to conceive, how so small a tract as the land of Promise fhould be able to contain and nourish an almoft innumerable multitude of inhabitants: this was from the whole country's being cultivated with extreme applica

tion.

What hiftory relates of the opulence of feveral cities in Sicily, and in particular of the immenfe riches of Syracufe, of the magnificence of its buildings, of the powerful fleets it fitted out, and the numerous armies it had on foot, would appear incredible, if not attefted by all the antient authors. From whence can we believe, that Sicily could raise wherewith to fupport fuch enormous expences, if not from the encrease of their lands, which were improved with wonderful induftry? We may judge of their application to the culture of land, from the care taken by one of the most powerful kings of Syracufe, (Hiero II.) to compofe a book upon that fubject, in which he gave wife advice and excellent rules, for fupporting and augmenting the fertility of the country.

Befides