higher in the fcale of comparative riches than he ftands at prefent; but he had no money, nor wanted much; he lived upon the productions of his own eftate, in a plentiful but flovenly hofpitality. If once in half a year the hard hands of his tenants brought him a few guineas, they were all owing long before they came, and the carpenter, the bricklayer, the taylor, and the fhopkeeper were all waiting in the hall for their arrival, anxious to seize them before they escaped. He feldom went farther from home than to a club or a feffions, and then he was obliged to take up half a guinea, on account of rent, to defray his expences. If a Scotch pedlar came into the yard, the whole family were in as great an uproar as the dogs, furveyed the contents of his opened pack with longing eyes, but could not raise cash amongst them fufficient to purchase a dozen or two of pocket handkerchiefs, or a few fmocks for the miffes. A filk gown never faw day-light except on Sun

days.

days. The High Sheriff's laced waiftcoat was preferved amongst the family archives, and the wedding coach wheeled flowly through the dirt for three generaions. A fcarcity of money was visible over the whole face of the country; the wastes were uncultivated, the marshes undrained, the roads almost impaffable, and the conveyances tedious and uncomfortable. The metropolis, compared with the prefent, was of fmall extent; the streets were narrow, ill paved, ill lighted, few coaches or chairs, few places of public amusement, no bankers fhops, except of working goldfmiths, and, had there been any, no cash to be depofited in them. None but fome of the first nobility had houses; the country gentleman feldom or never came to town, unless he was fent a representative to parliament, and then in the stage coach, unaccompanied by his wife and family, to a lodging up three pair of tairs in fome obfcure ftreet, for want of

VOL. II.

U

money

money to procure a better; and the minifter had none to give him.

Let us now take a view of the aftonishing contrast of our prefent opulence and luxury, which has gradually grown up and kept pace with our debt. The landed gentleman, fitted by education for fome honourable and lucrative profeffion, is no longer to be found amidst the dirt and penury of the country, but appears with affluence and dignity in the character of a general or admiral, a judge or a bishop; our commerce is extended, and our manufactures improved; our lands are better cultivated, and our people in every rank of life better fed, clothed, and lodged, than in any former period. Our roads throughout every part of the kingdom are gravel walks, furnished with carriages and poft horses at every stage always ready to receive travellers, who are always ready to fill them, and have money in their pockets fufficient to pay them. Our inns are palaces, in which we are fure to find a vari

ety

ety of wines and provifions of the best kinds, beds and fophas, plate, linen, china, with every elegant accommodation promised by their external appearance; even those of inferior rank are not deficient in every convenience and comfort; have a screen, a carpet, and a mahogany table in every room, and good fowls and mutton in the larder. Our metropolis has spread itself over fome thousands of acres, covered with wide streets and spacious fquares, adorned with churches, palaces, hofpitals, and bridges; streets, courts, and alleys, are full of fhops, thefe shops full of customers, and these customers full of money. Plays, operas, oratorios, and concerts, are exhibited every night, and all to audiences fo crowded, that multitudes are turned back with half guineas in their hands, unable to obtain admiffion. Thousands are collected from the idle and extravagant for feeing dogs, horfes, men, and monkies perform feats of activity, and, in fome places, for the U 2 privilege

privilege only of feeing one another. Players, fingers, and musicians are rewarded with a ridiculous profufion; an actor on the stage receives as much as one in the fenate; and a fidler of the first eminence acquires as good an income as 1 lord of the treasury. Our houses are filled with the richest furniture, and adorned with pictures and ftatues of the highest price; our fideboards are covered with plate, our tables with delicacies, our fervants with lace, and our wives with diamonds. All these infallible marks of riches have commenced and progreffively increased with our debt, and are therefore undoubtedly derived from it. No small part indeed of them have flowed in from the East and Weft Indies; but thefe ought also to be placed to the fame account; because, without the aid of this fictitious wealth, we could never have fo far extended our commerce or our conquefts.

It may be faid, that, although we allow