UMASS/AMHERST aiSDLbDDSmiSl? M UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Special Collections & Rare Books m m 1^^ ^^ '^M ftl This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS only, and is subject to a fine of TWO CENTS a day thereafter. It will be due on the day indicated below. MB 30^ ^^M uAiva tHi: C>^ai^^£^/^^ l/'^^'i RURAL SOCRATES ; O^ AN ACCOUNT OF A CELEBRATED Philosophical farmer. **SrATi^viJo^.-. LATELY LIVING Xi» SWl^ZERLd^ty ^*^' AN1> 0tu9^9 >:^j> •M i'^ 1:. ^J4e is, J^ 1*^ •: K L I Y O G G. KNOWN BY THE NAME OF^;^ X_^^ ^ Seeft ihou a man diligent in bufinefs, lie (hall ftand before kingi. Proverbs xxii, 29* — — Spiritus unos ?er cunilas habitat partes. Manila AfironMikon^ I. IL y^^j^oit>p^^^rk^^ )m^ HAIiLOWELL (district op maine) ^pnted hy Pitbr Edes; and fold by the bookfelkrs in the pnncip553 towns of the United States, He I 115. 'Ji.'U im CONTENT S. PART i. ^i£i, I, KtijsgP*s eriglfi^ HU enif&nce tfpen hhfarin. His agflcuU iural plaKSi pare i Seft. n, V\\\\o{oi;h\c &uel ^on-e^xo particulars in hu ckara^er^ 4s S£(f^. III. Pnjeiis for iha ad^anumertt of agriculture^ to nxhich Kli^ jogg gave rfe in she Ri^-^h >' '■-'■ ^ '•->- - %z Si'ft. I. ^ffiiie: ^'ffptai?!g hio: ,* nj^iih rheir 'infjierst ^j St^. il' I'urvietjo at the Helvetic Society b:tn.Veen Prince Louis Eu^eTtf of iVirtcmber^ and Kh\ ogg, 1 1 3 Se^. til. Pajticulars concermvg fhe add -ionil farm cf Kltyogg. rartbfr accounts veftifdivg his family* Hii hthnvior at the nvtd- din^ of his fccr nd Jon^ 1 2 J Scft« IV, Ucxv 'vifis /.J him. AV-u; liii-v^s cf his htr/handry, philofa. J>hyt and family t His fecend marriage^ His laf iilnefs) Z40 PART ilL Sp(5h T. The cehhrrJed^^ynrtr u^fcrih-s hift7i l6'J Sedi. II, Ffffj teftimonifs concerninz him. Dijcvfjflrjn; ttfpeclit^g his preference of oxen to horjcr^ and his patriarchal plan'st 1 74 S^t\. Ill, Additional particulars in kis charatiet and feniimcKts^ com' muf^icatcd hy a cotrefpondtKt^ ;C9 No. I, Mr, Arthur Yomtg's preface to the nmor}, 5 II, Fragments from the tranfathn: cf tki Rural ^JCfdic^i omiiled i» the body of the ivorki 31 VJ. Another fvagmiJiCt V IV, Jxothert v! Vv. Hari'(uly turns however ftyie Hiiti Kleinjogg, Kliyogg, Klyiogg, and Klyogg. As fuch ciiverfiry prevails among his countrymen, when defcribing him in a foreigt^ language, a liberty in iavorof fimplicity ought perhaps to have been ufed in the prefent work in Englilh, by calling him Kliog or Klyog, Dr. Hirzel, who firil made known this perfon to the public, wrote in German ; which is ihe language of the largeft portion of Switzerland. He was by office, firfl: phyfician to the Republic of Zurich, a member of its Council, and occafionally Secretary to its Senate. His accounts were publifl-ied at difTerenr periods, in proportion as the life of Kliyogg furniili- cd the materials. — The principal of thefe accounts were gradually tranfl.i- ted into French by a friend of the prefent edicor, a native of Bafie ; who had a majority in a Swifs regiment in the pay of France, with the rank of LieurenaritColoncI. Mr. Arthur Young,^ fince honorably known by his publications, and lately made Secretary to the Englilh Board of Agricul- ture ; flruck with the firll part of the French publication, procured for it an EnghJ^y drefs ; atid anriexed it to one of his own works ; adding the preface given in our appendix, wiih the notes ftill icraiued in their pla- ces.— Mr. Young's own work, and a /«?■/ of the Englifh trannaiionip were reprinted in New-'erfey in America, in 171^2. The Englilh franfl,.uon pu' lilhed under the liircdion of Mr. Young, h nonainally adopted liere for the pari to which it reb:e«. It required^ ' ' and ' PREFACE. V artid has received, corre^ions in every line. Yet fince marr faults hav® fceen ftill left in it, and fome have even been introduced in confeqoenr« of an internriixture of ftyles ; a new rranflation would have been more fa- tisfaffiory, and cercainly more eafy ; but the couviciion of this occurred too late. The prefent compilation offers only one original article, befides a fensr notes ; but it is as full of hiftorical raafter as the German ej he h delivered np to Vh eiieroies, and on a raoft ma- * Itcious piof'.!cut!On brought to his trial ; iRiie?.d of having rccourfe to * the ufua! wp!y cf fuppijcation, and applying to the pafilons ol his judges ; * he proves to, thcai, th?t \)\zy ought not to av5rrjit of any fuch application ; * he infoi.Tis their reafon, and appeals to their confcience ; and proceeds * ordy (b ht in his o vn defence, as would be juft fufficient to aflert his * inr^ocence and (hew thitn the greatyfa of perfecuting and opprclling it.. < Inftead cf ufing or permitting any ether means to avoid his death, he? * HgniHes that it was free and voluntary in him, beca^ifc it was become * ieceir^ry for the world 4 and meets the inftruments thereof with the * orm';il calnrjncfs and fercr.ity. ' He left none oi his philofophy in writing, but tovok good care, as he ^ frilui to imprint it deeply \\\ the hearts ot hi'. veen the charasf^ers of So« crates and KHyogg, we miift not be thought to piace ihem upon an equa- lity. The one labored for the hiunan race, prcfeat and future ; the of.hcr for himfelf, hia family, and ira.ricOiate neighborhood. The one \v,i3 an enlightened teacher of philofophers ; and the otl.er, a felf-taUght ruf>v% The one gave precept and eKatnple ; and ih; other, chieSy exarripl?. We are- explicitly and pointedly iaRruifled by the one, ?.nd we muft ga« thcr ioftru^ion for ourfelvea from the other. But each in bis turn may be ufefol ; and Kh'yogg, for cur time and for ilie many, fi:>3y even be the moft ufefuU It cannot belong to every one to legillate f.-r the human lacc, like a Socrates or a Confucius ; but eve?y one has a private ftatioB to fulfil ; and, if he is difpofed to fulSI it wcllj he may profit by the hifto- zy of a KHyogg. We * fFfjea Alcihiades tuaf ivounded and a prifoner, Socrates nfcued him J ^Vihen Xenophcn ivas di/mounted avdfutigued hi a rtlreaty Socrates c/irried him off upon his Jhouldcrs, Secretes hgd hih theft ir€;;iirahti rmifor hii ^upiU^ find the hji for hi: hifiorian^ fiii r R E F A C r. Wd have intlfnated th.it KHyogg was little friendly lo learning.— He did not diftinguilh, it feems, between knowledge and learning, between books ufefol and not ufeful. Among vegetable?, fome are ferviceable, fame indifferent, fome noxious ; but Kli>oggi as a farruer, certainly would not have rejeded the ufe of the gifts ot nature, becaufe of this mixture in them. In viewing an extenfive library, a better inftruGed man than Kli- yogg iTiight exclaim, ** how many of thefe things do I not want !" but even a cafe like this leads to no ©ther conclufion, than that good books re- quire to be ftlefted, and their nuiiber to be increafed. — Though many fermoos for exannpie, have been primed in diSerent countries, which are of little ufe in faniilics ; it does not follow that fets of family fermons, in- tercfting hy their matter and couched in forcible houfhold languagCi fo as to fuit at once both children and domeftics, as well as the heads of families, would not be ferviceable. Kllyogg, like other men of limited education, had his rrind too much fixed on fi igle points, He fergot that idle hour? neceHariiy occur through ieifure, through ficknefs, and through ^ge, which req^jirc to be filled up ; that all farmers have not a mind as ori- ginal as his own, and requiring as little inilru^lion j that if bad books are ihe vvritten fpeech of the foclith, good books are the written fpeech of the wife, which all perfons are tlius permitted to read and to confider at Iei- fure ; and that there is no better tie to our homes, and to a domeftic and a fobar life, than books, of which unfortunately the number is too fmall, lather than too gre^t. Let us employ the inftance of Kllyogg againft himfelf. Had Kliyogg wade an occafiona! ufe of books, he might perhaps have fnunned the dan- ger of drinking ;into which he for a time fell, when he firft planted his own vineyard. He might alfo have borne with more refignation and dignity lU8 la{^ iHnefb ; for experience (hews, that no better fupport is to be found on thefe occdfions, than religion and reading. If his prejudices againft books were juft, even the account of his own life would be fupprefTcd, and the benefit of his own example thus be loft to the world. Kliyogg perhaps had no opportunity to fee good books 3 and therefore itiighc have been excufed, had he condsmned the majority of books, or had he reproved tlw dearth of good books for perfons in inferior iitua* lions, as well at ccnfured the ititewpaate ufe of reading. — But to arraign attention to all written knowledge, is in effe^ among the reft to arraign attention to a knowledge of nature ; which is indeed one of the mofl im- portant branchi^s of fcience. Whoever truly pofTefTes this, has ftored tip a bleifing : ( Ttlix qui potuit rerum cegnofeere cevjui :) for nothing then paff. e8» which does not carry an intereft with it. In fhorr, whatever the rich and the ambitious may think, obfervation wijl afcertsin, that where out- ward circumllat:ce9 do not trouble, he is the happieft of men who has a labcripg hand, a thinking head, and a feeling heart. Kliyogg's aveifnn to hypocricy and oftentation in religion, comes next for explanation. — lo Zurich, an antient and very Ori^i^ fe6^ prevails 5 which has encouraged many to affed great zeal for the outward forms ot itligion, Kliyogg, a pious wan, who read at Vfa(t one ^o^i; his bible, daily an^i PREFACE. ife and much ; conceived that a Pharlfce under Chrif^, was fiill woife than a Phaiifce under Mofes. He oppofed then ihcfe modern Pharifees ; and had for it the authority of his mailer Jefus, who thus attacked the Phari-* fees of old. — * Do not ye after the works of the Scribes and Pharifees, fot < they Jay and do nor. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be < borne, and Uy them on men's (boulders ; but they therafclves will not * rr.ove them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to * htfeen of men* — And again, < Two men went up into the temple to < pray ; the one a Pharifee and the other a Publican. The Pharifee flood * and prayed thus with himfelf : "God I thank thee, that I am not as *' other men arc ; extortioners, unjuft, adulterous ; or even as this Publi- ** can : I fall twice in the week ; I give tithes of all I poflefs.** And the * Publican, Handing afar ofF, would not lift fo mnch as his eyes unto hea- < yen, but fmote upon his bread, faying, *♦ God be merciful unto me a fin « ner." I tell you, this raaa went down to his houfe juftified, rather ihan^ < the other.* — And again more pointedly : * Not every one ihat/zi//) un- < to me, Lardi Lord, Ihall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that * doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will fay to roe * in that day : ** Lord, Lordy have we not prophefied in thy name ? and *' in thy name have call out devils ? and in thy name done many wonder-: <• ful works V* And then will I profefs unto ihem, * I never knew ye s * depart from me, ye thatwcr^ iniquity*'^. — Kliyogg, in ailing under im- prellions like thefe, deferved the thanks of the clergy ; and we find that he received them. It was tn(y to be a friend to religion, without being friendly to thofe who debafed and made a mall; of it. The indudry of Ktiyogg rofe peihaps beyond the necefiary ftandard - finee few can propofe to themfelves to purfue only one occupaipn or to poflefs only one amufement, namely that of bodily labor. Kliyogg's thirft for fuch labor was incelTant and implacable, and ifsefftfls bore down every thing before it. It was the piecife iliuftraiion of Virgil's * Labor * om7iia*vi»cJt Im/>rohus.*-"But if everyone cannot attain to Kliyogg'a paffion for fuch induftry, (of which however he fucceeded in infufing a portion into his family ;) yet at leaft the powers of thi'j cieaiive quality have become fufiiciently raanifeft in his hands, to make ftrenuous and Hea- dy exertions appear in the light of a profitable duty.-. It muft be obfetved here, that the induftry of Kliyogg was accompanied with judgn^enr, (yi. tern, and economy ; and operated through a long period of time. Without going through the whole of Kliyogg's perfuafions in the con- duct of his lifeand of his family, let it be obferved once for all, that it is neither pretended here to recommend his example, nor even to vindicate him from cenfure, in every particular.— The variety which occurs in the fituationa of mankind, form likewife a new xeafoDj fot leaving the chiet^ b * Set Matthc-jj xxiii. 3— «: ; Luie xviii, 19—13 ; tt^JMaithcrQ v^^ 5 P R E F A C F« of his fyftems to ihe quiet comment of the reader. Whatever was rightl'T' thefe, was right by the force of his reajon ; but we rauft not conceire that be was therefore reaJov.ahU in all things* The faraereferve will be applied to the chief of Kliyogg's farming ideas; for it is not prcpofed here to prefent a complete farming fyftem, but only to rehte the proceedings of an individual farmer. One of the agricultural ideas of Kliyogg will alone be noticed as bear- 3 ;j a particular relation to the fituation of agriculture in the United States.— Kiiyorig thought that a fmall farm well cultivated, is more pro- iUifiive and more profitable, than a large farm ill cultivated.— He appears in this to hare formed ajull decifion. A large landed property kept un- der cultivation, implies a large inveftment oi capital in the foil, large tax- es, large fences, and large ploughing* ; fuch a property is not eafily trav- elled over by th; proprietor, by his laborers, or by his teams ; it is more diflfhxih to infpei^ it from the farmhoufe by the eye; more impraflicable to prote<^ it from robbery and inroads ; it demands more attendants, and more feed % when it becomes likewife the common fyllem of others in the counfry, it will be found, frocn the Kirgc fize of each farm, that the rr^irkct, the church, the neighbor, and (he artifan's (hop, mud each in cfFt«f\ bo thrown at a gjeatcr diftaoce ; roads alfo becoming longer, rauft thence be kept in worfe repair ; ihe country will be found Tcfs populous within the fame extent ; nnd negligent habits will too certainly prevail in every ihir.p:, which utli in time f«^Jze even the moral character of the cultivator. Hit be faid, th«t in the TJniied States each cultivator has to provide for a growioa family, as well as to ir.ake a Inge refcrvc of woodland for fuel, the plea flial! be allowed, and with it a comparatively large pofTeffion ; but the conchifion does not follow, that the principal cuUvvatien of the farmer GDght to he extended beyoml a fiiiall portion of this very land."« The monopoljH will not the lefs readily convert his lands into cafih, under fuch a fydcm ; for \{ contratis are eafily made for large trails of land, fmall tra(5t» aic thofe which raoft readily command z proTnpt pr.yment ; and when the fanner has become thriving, he can then eafily extend his purchdfes to the fatisf-^^ion of the proprietor. The elder PrufcflTor Martyn of Cambridge in England, has a fenfible note in his edition of Virgil, upon the maxim as applied to vines, of Law, data ingsvtia rura : Exiguum colito : (Praife large farms, but cultivate fmall ones.) He obferves, ♦ This is an imitation of a verie of Hefiod, The < meaning of the poet feems to be, that ycu may admire the fplendor of a ' large vineyard, but \\viX } ou had better cultivate a fmall one ; becaufe » the labor of cultivating tines isfo great, that the roafter cannot extend « his care of a very Inge fpot of ground.- Columella relates a iloiy from * Groccinua, in confirmation of «his. A m«n had two daughters, and a * large vineyard, ot which he gave a third part with the el>leil daughter is * luarii.igc : and yet lie gathered as much fruit, as he did before, After- < wards he married the younger daughter, with another third for her pur- * tion, and flill fonnd that his remaining third part produced as much as the » whclc had done : N'vhich could arife iiiio^ no ether caufe, ihaa that h*3 E F Jvi ginians, that a field ought to be ^weaker than the hujlandman. * Columella adds, that, aher the expulficn of :he kings, feven acres was ihe * allowance to each perfon, iiom which they derived more profit, than they * did in his time from large plantations.*— -5^? Dr, Martja's Edition of the Georgicsi book 2, /. 41 2---4i3.-*-The reafoning in this note applies to other farms, as well as to vineyards ; provided the labor on the farm is increafed at the fame time that the farm is divided. Cut if a large fdf.n is kept, as it often is in the United States, with little or no attention ; and it the parts are treated in like raanner,upon being divided ;the parts will not profper for being feparated ; and this will net be found one of the caf<;s ta which the proverb applies, that the half is better than the 'whole. That cultivation indeed in the United States fufFers from the high prices of labor and other circumftances, is well known; but it is equally certain that it is favored by the land being cheap and by the taxes being low, 2s well as by the freedom of the governmerir. The woods toa i.- bound with the means of making manure, after the mannei fuggeficd by ICliyogg ; as likewife with a fubftltute for comnion fodder, liuh as h.-i? been ufed by many fartners, antient and modern*. Little more remains to be fdid here of Kliyogg. — If he bad fau!j?, as well as virtues, the virtues largely predominated ; and his faults werefojre- tiroes even occafioned by his virtues. The latter may however be for- given, not only as he was hun[>an, and hitfffelf candid to the faults cf others ; but as he wanted the help of exa-rples, of advifers, and cf book , to perfedl hira. It will be chiefly important however to think of his ex- cellencies J which were numerous, important, and often uncommon. And i"urely we may pardon much to a man, who formed his charadier by the powetr ci his rcafon ; who raifed his forfune by the merit of his condo(^ ; who being uncorrupted by fLztitxy and profpeiif}', rennaincd to the lafl what he was in the beginning; who prcfcribed nothing to others, to which he did not firit hixfelf fabinitj who h vedthe poor, and was hof;ored by the rich ; who was a difmteiefted friend to the public ; and to public im- prcvements ; who examined the tendency of every acfion, and never did a thing which was not founded on fome well-deliberated principle ; who was a Chriftian after the manner of Jefus, that if, abounding in chari - ty and good works j and finally died at a good old age, bequeathing tc the latelf pofterity, an example of profeffional n^ill, undaunted perfever- ance, perfonal worth, civic viiiue, and a religion copied from ihe words ofChrift. A few particulats ftill remain to be told to the reader refpefling the work before him. - The * That ist lea'vei end tnjulgSj eaten by ths cattle drj\ See Mfa Teung* : AnmVs of /Igriculture^^KA, i, t^ 207. xu R E F A The notes tcrminatfd by the letter F, arc taken from the French trani^- latlon ; ihofe by the letter Y, are Mr. Young's ; and thofc by ihe lettet E, are new ones added to the prefent edition. The denominations of money ufed, are generally Englifh, (or fterling) j j»nd the amounts exprelTed are generally copied from the Englilh tranlla. lion published by Mr. Young, without any examination. T he word hoijeau has been traollated hujhel ; and perhaps it has the fjme origin in point ol etymology; but no dependence can be placed on itsTcprefenting the fame nieafure as the Wincheftcr bulhel of England. In truth, the meaning of the word boijfeau differs exceedingly in variou? parts oi the continent of Europe. Tnis is an.embarrafTtnent vhich can- not cafily be removedi and happily it will not be found a very important one. . , Various paffages in the following hiftory are in efFedl given in the form of dialogue, though the change of the Speaker is often marked only by the ufe of iyroertecl comtnau The editor had to copy what was before him, in this refped^; and Marn-ontel in the preface to his Moral Tales, gives the foUo^ving j.iftiticaaon of the method.— *• I propofed fome years * fmce, under the article Dialogue in the [French] Encyclopedia, to bar^- * ifli \\\zfaid he and jaiJ //jey from lively and animated dialogue, I have * f»ad« the experimeuf in thefe Tales, and I think it has fucceeded. This * manner of rendering the narrative more rapid, is troublefome only at * fiift : As foon as we are accuftomed to it, it makes the talent of readm^ < w^//, appear to greater advantage." R R A T A. N. 8. SUCH ernta only ai aitefl the fenfe in the following pages, ar* here noticed. The occurrence cf the chief of thcfs errata being explain- ed in the preface, the printer will be fcuni'i to have to anfvver for little ref- pef^ing thcT. The reader who detef^s the exiftence of others ftiU paff^d over in theyf;//^i will refiifyand allow for them, as he proceeds. Page r^". line 23 of the note, for raw, read, grain, n. b. This cor- reftion mut^ he made throughout the work ; corn^ in the countries colo- cize^ from Great Britain, meaning in general Indian corn or maize, p. 25. 1. 20, read, unwinnowed for the end of the I. 22 and for the hft line, read, three malters:|: and twelve bufnels of unwinnowed grain, with full thirty bortcs (or bundles.) n. b. Botte is a French word for a bundle (of hay or ftraw.) — St the end of the firft note F, add, n, b. Kliyogg at lafl: be- came a ftrorg advocate for clover. E. p. 27. I. 8. ffons the bottonn, after feafonf read, facilitates his work by permitting p. 28. laft line, for hi him. to thist read, confirmed his p. 30. expunge from 1. 23 to 1. 28 ; and in !. 22, after *whfat ; read, and confequently the comparative value of an acre of potatoes, to an acre of wheat, is, as ten to fix : a \ziy cfTential difference 1 The comparifjn is no iefs unfavorable to fpelt ; fince an acre produces but four maLers of fpelt, which are net more in value than fix rauids cf wheat.—-. We may likewife add, that \ht root of the potatoe remains p. 64. 1. 5. read, impatience, p. 71, for the third fentence in the fecond paragraph, beginning thus, His animated ejesf &c, fubftitute what will be found in the fentence tow- ards (the bottom 'of p. 172, beginning with the words, His eyes ; print- ing the paffage in Roman letters. p. 89. laft line of the note, after except^ infert, in the fecond fe6\icn of the third p^rf, and p. no. for the lad fentence in the note fubflftute what follows. By this adl cf Kliycgg, the purpofes alfo of the Sunday, as a day of reft^ arc violated ; in which view the Sunday is valuable in the eyes of the mere philanthrapift. Sure!/ then the preparation for the Monday's work might either have taken place on the Saturday night or on the Monday morning, without giving the example of premedirated bhor on the Sun- day ; the weight of which labor ra^y not fall upon raan, but upon cat- tle. E. p. 123. in the note after j^Z/ooy and before the femicolon, infert, refift- ing the adionof fire and of the chetrical acids, and coaiiiionly more of Iefs tranfparent p. 129. ERRATA. p. 129. In the mUt 1. >o« fo>f correaion, read, colleftion p. 140, In the title, ftrikc out, and death, p. 158. 1. 8. for i»as not^ read, had not been p. 184. In the note, for «, read, may be p. 198. 1. 14 and 15. ftrike out, an outnuard application K. B. In p. 44, 97, 100, 102, 113. 141* i54> ane attended to by all Englidi farmers and others, who have an opportunitj^ of making a choice between horfcs and oxen for the works of huibandry» *aFhi» peafant attended to the minutiae of the comparifon with an accuracy onattainable in his fuperiors. He worked them, fed them, arid perform'- ^ every office relative to theon, himfrif. How particularly judiciout therefore cnuft be his idea* of the matter !— The proportion of tivo to on; M a pi'odigious fuperiority to oxen, abfolutely dccifivc ; it is the difcoverf ©fa proporiion that was greatly wajiied in hulbandryt and fhould be kept ^k fneau/f^ as a poiiU of knowledge- Y . ^ Tofl»iHre2a, ^ 7^HE IIUHAL S0CIIATE5. 7 ^' duces their miik ; and to remedy tliis inconveni- '' ence, the manger mufl be filled with freHi grais ^' when they are biouplit home at nigiit ; which *' necelTai ily occviilons a diminution of winter riores. ^' Scarcity of hay mvifl imply a call for flraw ; which ' * ought to have been entirely appropriated to the life of '' the dunghill, as without it no improvement of foil can '^ beexpcded : befides which, bad food is the fouice of '' an infinite variety of diilempers/^ In tlui maiiner the judicious Kliyogg pointed cut a principal caule of the decline of agricukuje in this country. — It is a ccitain fa6V^ that many of our farmers keep more cattle than they can conveniently fapport in winter, 'i he arable and miCadow lands are, by this bad management, depriv- ed of part of the manme they require. The cattle be- ing enfeebled for want ofwhoiefomiC nourlfhment, (par- ticularly towards the fpring) lofe their milk, or tlicir laboring flrength, and frequently die of difeafes eahly accounted for ! Thefe are melancholy tiuths which e^^- perience too \\ cll evinces !* 'Oar fagacious hufbandman keeps no more live frock than he can amply fupport with grafs and hay Irom his own fields. The (traw is carefully prefer ved, and ufed only * Tfils pnrt of Kltyo£g*s econorriy is very particular ! The S^ifs firmers muft manage very differently from the Britifh ones, to be (o over- flocked wiih caule. — The misforiune in England is, the rot keepinj; enough ;— but how a rcan Ihculd in general overnock hiaifelf in winter, I knew not, without fuppofii g the moil egregious folly. Large Tock? of cattle are the {oul of good hiffnandry ; but winter food fhould certainly be provided.. — The writer oi this v.ork does not fiifficiently explain ths article of winter food : I apprehend it is hay alone : all ihe ^.x»iv is for liuer : turnips sre mentioned, but fj very fi'tghtly, thai- one can difcover nothing of their management. If therefore hay is ths orilv food, the over- flocking is explained j but the hufbandry is wretched. Y. [Qnery. Doc3 Mr. Young re flefi that turnips in countnes where (he cold fetsin caib, , accompanied w^ih fnow which remains till fprir.g, have not the firre advantages 'a hicb they pofTvfa in England* of which the cli- mate is mild : E. J 8 THE RURAL SOCRATES. onl}^ for Utter, of which he is fo liberal in his liallS; that the beads are baried ia it up to the knees.* He is attentive alio to gather all the dried leaves, mofs^ and rnfhes from his ground, tliat can ferve foj- litter. The finall dead boughs and pointed leaves of fir trees in particular, afford plentiful materials for this purpofe ; and he employs in this occupation the greater part of the tia:ie he can ipare from his other work. — A compoil: dunghill appears to him an objrvft of fo great importance to the imprcvement of laiid, that, of all branches of labor, he regrets the want of allidants in this the mod ; and waits as a fmgular bleding, the time when his children d^all be capable of contributing tiieir ihare : So thoroughly is he jjerfuaded that he wants on- ly laboring hands, to procure fifty loads more of ma- rnre, v^ithout increafing the number of his cattle* 2n profecution of this defign, in autumn, during thp rncoTi's increafe, Kiiyogg goes into his wood wM*i:h a liCuge bill to prune the fupernuracrary branches of fa* jiud j>ine trees ; even of thofe which he thinks it ufeful to leave ; boldly venturing to cut the lower dioots of young trees clofe to the trunk. Thefc he binds into faggots and carries home ; placing them under a died till a proper feafon for piofccuting his work. — At Icifure hours, and efpecially in long winter evenings, he pre- pares thefe faggots for the purJDofes intended : an em- ployment fo little difagreeable or fatiguing, that it ferves him for recreation. He begins wiih cutting the imail boughs away from the larger ones ; laying them, with the pointed leaves of thefe trees, in little heaps, tcj be ufed for litter ; while the Inrger and tougher boughs arc rcfervqd for fuel. By this method he amadcs many proper materials for good manure, that are commonly iuffsred to rot ufelefsly in the woods, which is fo much real •'■ A moil excellent praiPore tliat r?nnot he too much aihnireJ. It is^ sirriBzing I'lft qoantity of manufc th''(«T>aybe raifed by fjch p'sfikcs^-v »ht» a a^^'^ can coar> oani a phnty of liucr» Y, THE RURAL SOCRATES. f real lofstohufbandry. To Kliyogg^ this difcovery js an ineftimable treafure, of which we were either ignorant or forgetful. The opinion is farther verified in Zell- weguer's defcription of the mode of hufoandry iifcd in the canton of Appenzell, They fcatter there dead branches of fir and pine-trees in great roads to be tram- pled by cattle and paiTengers ; by which means they acquire a beginning of putrefa£lion, and are converted into manure though of a very indifferent quality. — But Kliyogg, who had experienced how defc^ive this me- thod was, has fucceeded in what at firft feemed-hard to accomplifh t namaly, converting thefe very materials into excellent manure. It is known that the refinous and aromatic juices contained in the prickly leaves of pines are powerful enemies to putrefa£lion : but what obfl:a- cles are not to be furmounted by reafon feconded by in- duftry ? Kliyogg fubdued them all, by obferving cer- tain rules in the preparation of litter for his cattle, and of the different flrata of his dunghilL In regard to the firfl article, he feldom removes the litter under a week, firewing frefh upon the top once a day ; by which means it becomes impregnated with ani- mal falts, and acquires a very evident degree of fer- mentation before it is removed to th^ dunghill,— An obje£lion may arife to this pra£lice,. which I my felf could not avoid making : namely, that the flrong effluvia ari- fing from the fermented litter, muft be prejudicial to the health of the cattle. But Kliyogg afTured me, that experience contradicted this ; and thanked God that his beads had always been remarkably healthfni and vigo- rous. Nor does this method prevent cleanlinefs, if a conftant fupply of frefh litter is attended to ; and the cattle are, at the fame time, more warm and comforta- ble. This exa£i:nefs is equally confpjcuous in the manage- ment of the litter when taken away. It is placed in le- parate layers upon the dunghill ; fo methodized, that thofe where the fermentation is fooncft to be CKPeiHied, a# THE RURAL SOCRATESk gn ay accelerate the putrefaction of others where it U more flow.-;-In the beginning of autumn he litters hia cattle with flraw during two months ; the next two months he litters them with twigs and fpines (or point- ed leaves) from fir and pine trees ; then flraw again, or ruflies and dried leaves 5 then twigs and fpines y and £0 on alternately. The regulation of his compofl dunghill is as fol- lows—Left the fermentation fhould be totally fuppreC* fed or even checked by drought, he is afliduoufly atten- tive to the prefervation of a certain degree of moifture. The celebrated M. de Reaumur, in his treatife on hatch- ing eggs in ovens or hot houfes, obicrves, that when the heat of the hot- bed decreafes, it fnould be watered to increafe fermentation. The fagacity of our philofopher has explained to him,, that to obtain a manure thorough- ly rotten, he has nothing to do but to preferve a con- ilant fermentation by frequent waterings. — To facilitate this, he has funk near his dunghill feven large fquarc pits, which are planked with wood in the form of boxes* In thefe pits he keeps the prolific water, efiential to £0 anany operations. Firll:, putting fome thoroughly fer- mented cow- dung at the bottom of his wooden boxes, he pours in a pretty confiderable quantity of boiling "Water ; and then fills up the pit with frefh water from his wells : this brings on, in three weeks, -a ftate of putrefcence ; which, without boiling water, could not be attainable in two months. He has thus a perpetual fupply of corrupted water, as well for the purpofes of vegetation, as to keep his dunghill in a conftant flate of humidity.*— But as the expence and labor o£ fuch a work • Were the encourtgert of agriculture to compare what Is here related with part 1 1, fcd^ion ^» of that incomparable work of Dto Francis Hoire%> in'itled, the Principles of Agrkulirne and Vegetation, tbcy would certainly beftruck with the exaO fiir.ilarity that appears in the prad^ical hufbandiy of our iudirious peafijnf, and the Dolor's precepts given as new obfer« vstioct, K^liy^gg <3ircover9d ihfrri by the light ©f oiaiOfe ; Home, by h«i THE RURAL SOCRATES. it work ihight far exceed the profit : Kliyogg has thought of a means, that, in a great meafure, reduces both s this he calls, in his language, '' going the (horteft way to work ,'' which is a fundamental maxim in all his proceedings. In purfuance of it, he dug a well in an orchard adjoining to his bleaching- ground, at a pro* per height, to convey whatever quantity of water he has occafion for by a wooden pipe dire^Slly into the copper* His refervoirs of flagnant water arc funk below his flails and ftables, with the fame view to conveuiency. There is likewife a trough at the declivity of the dunghill to receive the water that drains from it ; which gi\es an cafy opportunity of moiftening the dunghill frequently, without robbing the foil of its fhare of the ftagnant water. The fuccefs of this method of watering his dunghill, fbggefted an idea of putrefying finall twigs of fir or pine, without ufing them for litter. He Jays them in clofe heaps, preffed down, and covered with earth, to prevent evaporation ; and pours flagnated water on them every- day, till converted into rich mould. Kliyogg is Co perfectly convinced of the efEcacy of heat in accelerating putrefaction, that he believes all foils, fceowlejge in cbymitlry !— ** Let us make," fays he, page 6r, "foma ** praflical obfcrvations with regard to tke msBagement of dunghills ; fot '♦ this is in affair of confidera'islc importance, and in which hf.vtxt (eem " to be very ignorant. Dry vegetables require a comfiderablc degree of ** moifture before they can be brought to putrefy. I think donghills are *' genaraliy kept too dry, as they are commonly placed on a high fit- *' uation, and are themfelves raif»d to a confiderablc height, A hollow fit- *• uation, which will retain the raoifture, is the beff-. Too nsoch moifture •* is likewife bad. This may be prevented by having hollow places with **clay bottoms at the fide of the dunghill, into which the foperfluoag «* iroirTorc may be allowed to run, and from whence it may be rcftored ** again by pumps to the dunghill at pleafure." — —And again, "there *• are ferments for the potrefa^ive fermentaiion as well as the Tinoas. ** Hence Slahl, Corpus in pjitredine exi^enSi Sec, Sec,** If the urine of Jiorfe* «nd ftall-fed cattle is carried into proper refervoirs, and there allowed to tarn ftale, it will, if thtowiion th« duoghill, very mijclj quickfs tl'.e h^^ isiMtation. F. is THE RURAL SOCRATES^ foilsj even the moft barren, may be rendered ferlile by warmthv — Upon this principle * he infers, that an ex^ iremely hot dry fummer will be fucceeded by a remarka- bly fruitful one. ^' Heat," fays Kliyogg, *' putreliest and enriches." In confequence of this opinion he told me, about the middle of the winter I75'9, that the en- fuing harvefl would yield three (heaves inflcad of two : The event confirmed the prediction. He repeated the lime thing inamed lately after the drought of lad year, • ■ which * It may be neceffary to obfervcthar where the foil fs irrpregnated with troo, fife will, on the contrary, increafe its fterility. The fatmer cannot be too careful in examining the quality of his lands by the u{yal expeii- jnents, which it would be well to perfed. F. i We (hall be fenHble of the truth of this obfcrvation of our judiciou* pcafant, if we extend our refiexions to thofe countries where the climatep without being excclTively hot, h yet much warmer than our own ; and ivhere we (hall find a nmch nacre vigorous- vegetation, than can be ac- counted for from difTerence of foil or labor, — Herodotus allures us that the lands of Babylon produced fro»ii two to three hundred ears of corn for one. Piioy fays, that in Lybia, the proportion was one hundred and fifty i Chili produces from fixty to eighty and a hundred. The fertility inpat- ficular didric^s of Peru, is ftill greater i There are fields where the reap- ers gather tour or five hundred for one, of all kinds «f giain. Mr. Ad- amfonj an ingenious naturalill, attributes theextraori^inary frcitfulnefs of ihefands of Senegal to the efl'efts of heat. He informs us, that he fowed ieveral forts of leguminous (t/^r/»j. Kliyugg's teftimony In this aCair coincide* vjih that of the beft hufbandmeo from the beginning of the world to thi^ ^ay J and I have found it true from ihe proof of foms hendredi of parti- |M^ar «xptrijncnts on bsth grarelly ar;d clayry bani». "^ - T^E RURAL SOC!lAT£!l, 15 bid Icifure to plough his lands according to the rnles laid down by Tull and ,his imitators, after having iirft well dreffcd them with proper manure,* W« *"Fredctic William, King of Pruffia, an exccJIcnt financier In manf •^'refprfts, and who applied ooanj greai ideas to the defail of praf^ice, rea- «< foncd very jaftly in making it an cftaijlinied principle cf his politicaf «* fyftem, that agriculture is the fo •yidatiorr^ the opuUnre and ptofperity of ** cfiate. He encouraged it in the ftrongeft mamc , a'.id made reguU- **tion8 in its fivotw, of which the wifdom was unperctived till after mairjr •• years. The conftant attention he paid to the ohfervance of thcfc regu- «* iations completed their' falutary efFcOs. — This monarch had underftand- •* ing to know (and all finartciers ought to be proud of receiving inftrtic « tioos fror« a mafter) that the «roft ftubborn and infrnile foils are roeliJV «• rated by manuring and ploughibg ; and that rich lar.ds ai« made I^HI «* richer. He therefore infifted that the farm«rs of his demefnes, and th» <• proprietors of eflatcs in lands, Ihould manure them fulHciently, and «» plough them deeply and frequently. — When the king was expefted to «* pafs thrcbgh any of the provinces,the gentlemen, the farmer?, nay evefithe •* peafaots, thought they could not pay their ceuri better, than in placing <• a large dunghill before ibsu doors ! A powdered courtier might freer- *^* ingly deny to this economical attention a place amorgft the royal vjr- <' tae* I but the fagacioas monarch was fenfible, that thefe dunghills fpread <* over the fields would produce a c?op of doc^tts. — He accordirgly ha^ ** the fatistat^ion t'^ fee, after reigning Tonne years^ the fands of the Mar- *' che of Brandenburg, and the heattis and moralfes of Pruflla, covered with a plentiful harvcft of the fineft corn in the \7^:Id.— The king, hi» ' foB, fapplicd all that was wanting to bring this nobie plan to perfection j -' and we have feen in a very (hort fpace of time, the fandy def^rr, thates- ** tended to the very gates of Berlin, converted into excellent land by « *• kin'! of economical enchantment," (Political Inllitutes, by Baron Bid- feld. Vol. i.p. 18O. This monarch in the yrar 1727, founded in the nnlveffuy of Halle, tbs ii\%. profefforfhip of Rural economy which bad been feea in Europe"; and the example has fince been happily copied in rcany other univeifities of Gerrrany, F. [Without entering into a wide detail of tae caufes which have farored ^l?e improved ftate of ggricultore feen in fome parts of Germany, we may obferve that fome cf the^i may have arifen from the fources here m^tiocj- ed. Another fourc-is to be found in the impofubility of gaining money by fiSTtgation in •'. prircJpal portion of Germany, Another a'ifohas proceed- ed from the covneclio;^ which has fubfi'^cd betweenAufuia and Flanders j jn confequence of which the latter has furnished to the Auftrian domsnlocjt not only many improvements in agiiculture, but feme capital in monera When improvements were efiahl-fhed ia fotKC diilil^^iSj tbey gradually dF improving the foil To extremely advantageous, that the difference is very immaterial between the crops of a meadow well v/atered or well manured.* This, in- deed, greatly depends on the properties of the water, and the method of condu(3;ing it over the ground. Spring-water is, in Kliyogg's opinion, the befl: ; efpc- cially vyhen it can be procured immediately from the fpring ; for he obferves that it infenfibly decreafes in virtue, in proportion to the diftance, I confefs that I could affign no fatisfa£tory t reafon for *This is a part of hufbsndry (trangely negMeci in England, but of un- doubted importance : I experienced it in my Su0blk farm, and yet ftrong- €r in my prefent Hertfordihire one ; where any perfon that will call on me* may fee the vaft difference between a meadow in the parts watered and unwatered. I had thia year (1769) as much hay fronm ofFone watered acre, as all the oifeer four unwatered ones in the fame field. Y. f The difEcuhy 15 not perhaps h great as niay be imagined, to fupport this obfervation of Kliyogg's by philofophlcal reafoning. A deep fpring prcferves near its fource, a temperature nearly the fame in all feafons. From eight to ten degrees above freezing, is, according loReauwur's. ther- mometer, the greateft variation. But a dream, wimfe furface conftdcrar bly exceeds its depth, will acquire, during the fummer folftice, an incseafe of heat in proportion to its diftancc from its fource. When this is too great, it has been proved, that fjr from refi-efhing the grafs, it turns it yellow and infures it in many refpef^s — It is alfo cuftomary in fome coun- tries to overftow meadow land in winter, efpecially towards the fpring • when the water gradually melts the ice that may h?ve lodged ; %! if this operation were left to the aflion of the fun, the fiFecis would be too precip- itate, and prove highly pernicious to the young blades of grafs. — One inar rjaturally conclude, that the water beft (lakulaied for enriching a foil, hat that degree of temperature already faid to be inherent in water, near Tts; fovirce : and that af^ream which from the length of its courfehas confid- trably augmented its original heat or cold, according to the feafcn, nsUft be more hurjful than beneficial.— It is alfj to be remarked, that water takea near to its fource prsferves its original purify ; while that which paffca over different lands, ir.ay be inipregaated in its couife, with particles of tufo (or calcarious grit-ftone) or comrade a chaiybeat or other vicious qual- ity, which may render it injurious to the meadow over which it is to be fpread- On the other hand, there may be inftances of water being found perniciouB to adjacent rweadows, but falubrious to thofe more reuiOtely Ciuaied 5 Orting tc- noxious paiticica;; vvl;)<.h it iray deDoHt jn the bedfi C ^ of 28 THE KVKAL SOCRATES. for fiich a diminution, but did not think myfelf author- ized to difputs the truth of his obfervation ; having, on all other occafions, found in him thofe qualities necefTary to form the accurate obferver : namely, a facility in em- bracing luminous views of a fabjecSt, joined to a perfc- vering attention and an intire freedom from prejudice. I have only to regret, that he is not more anxious to pre^- fcnt his ideas with dillinc'tnefs, and to determine in all his obfervations the preciie proportions and degrees of things. It is fufficient indeed for his own purpofes, to have his own conceptions clear ; but this perfpicuity, which exifls only in his own underftanding, does not enable him to communicate exad ideas to others ; — and it is in this particular,that natural genius difFejs fromthat which is f^////t;rt/^^ and poIiQied by art and application* The ideas of the perfon who poffefles only natural ge- nius, are peculiarly diflindl in his own mind, and de#» Icend to the flnalled: minutiae with great precifion ; but the party neither gives himfelf pains to deveiope nor to attach words to them. He makes himielf mafter of the dimenfions of his objerings, forgeta that this temperature viiries in difif rent climares, elevation'', and expo* turcs ; correfponding, ^*' it ii confide rahlc cxaditefs, to the average cffedla of the fnn'ji hcac through ihc ycai^in the vUot whsrc ihc fj^ring ii lound. E» THE RURAL SOCRATES, i^ as to others.* I thought it incumbent on me to engage him to correal thefe defeats. I inflriKfted him in the method of keeping regular accounts of his receipts and cxpences.j' and recommended his fending one ofhis fons to learn writing and arithmetic : nor had 1 any difficul- ty in making him comprehend, that by. particularizing every article of labor, expence and profit, and marking the progrefs and minute circumflances which altend-ed his improvements, he would be much better enabled to form a precife and adequate judgment of their value ; whillt the wiieft man may fufFer himfelf to be deceived a«5 well as deceive others, if he trulls to the uncertainty and deceitfulnefs of memory .t But it is time to clofe this digreflion, and return to the detail of Kliyogg's obiervations on the watering of mea- dows. — He finds that water^from mofTy grounds is very injurious to greifs, and deflroys it entirely. Water loaded witli' calcarious grit-ftone, may likewife be of the worft confequence to a meadow ; fo that the huf- bandman cannot attend too carefully to his v^ater, oth- erwife his lands may faffer more from overflowing than from drought. — Nothing afcertains the falubrity of wa- ter more than the produ<^ion of crefTes, brookline, and fiicculent plants. But when a river is choaked with ruflies^ * An important praf^ical remark ! — Men inSrufted by mhers, remere- l)er how they were taught. Men felf-inftrufted, where they attempt fo explain, cofniuonly overlook fome efifential articles ; their own fyftenns being founded opoa a fort of inftinvftive perfuafion, or upon broken proofpj, rather than upon reguhr dedudlons. Few things then belter mark 2 knowledge of things and of the world, or form a more iroponant qualifi- cation in a teacher, than an accurate meafure of the ignorance of othcrgc joined to a happy mode of conveying information, E. f An excellent remark ! which cannot be too often repeated to at! farmers. — The experience arifiog from praftical agrtcultnrc, bears no pro- portion to that which is gained from the regilter of pra^iciil pgricuhurc, A farmer kno^^s whether he ^rsins or lofes, but in vvhai articles f and in what proportions ? How coj-liafd li his knov?!edge b '^hefe fefpcd^« ! Y. 20 THE RURAL SOCRATES- * rudies, fpear-wort, or'tncfs, its water v/ill be de- ilr LKftive to vegetation. The rules neceiTary to be obferved in fluking of lands, are, according to Kliyogg, to take particular care that the principal and dependent channels, be placed in^ a proper fituation to diftributc the water over as much of the meadow as poffiblc. The direction of the prin- cipal trench ought to run acrofs the mofl elevated part of the ground, in order to give a due inclination to the collateral branches : nor fhould it be cut too deep, which would prevent the inundation from being gradually ex-^ tended over the whole furface. It is likewife efTentially neceiTary to (lope the trenches in fuch a manner, that the water may be carried off with facility, and no part remain ftagnant, which would immediately occafion putrefadlion : for the turf being once injured, the mea- dow would foon become fwampy and the grafs bad. It will alfo be neceffary to change the trenches frequently, fJling up thofe firfl made ; fo that every part of the land may reap, in turn, bei^efit from this operation.— Our cultivator confidcrably augments the vegetative properties of the water by mould, procured, as I have already aientioned, from green turf cut from eminences in pafture or fallow land. This he throws into the prin- cipal head of v^^ater, fo that the lefTer channels may im- bibe and communicate fertilitv over the meadow. t * This IS occaficnci? Uy the feeds of mcfiea-snd rufnes, which ths water fpreads in its courfe. Thofe of mofs foon rife and multiply exceedingly, covering ;he furface of the ground and entangling the fibres of the herbage and grafs, till they are ftified, without fapplyinp any nourifhing food t^! rheir room ; for mofs never rifes high enough to bz touched with a fcyihzf Or, if hay coold he made of it, the cattle v/ould not eat it. — To obviara Jihis misfortune, cind«<% and a(hesraay be ftrewed, which will kill all kindt of mofs. And rufhra may be extirpated if they ere carefully diii/tn ou' by the roots ; and ihc ground drained that produces them, F. •i Thir, is a good thought 5 but the benefit (on fo.-^c foils) of caftio? vnf/akfdVimz'imo the (trcam woc^ld be much gre:\(cr, and ?••.•■", ' ■: ; .."iL'rh lefs cxp*nre, V, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 2r The autumnal grafs, which Kliyogg converts into inanurc, fupplies him with a third method of improving his meadow ; for he thinks it very hurtful to the ground to luffer cattle to graze late in the year.* Inde- pendently ofthelolsof fo mucli manure, the bcafls breajk the turf; and in a rainy feafon, which comnionly happens in autunnn, the impre^.on of tiieir feet forms (b ziiany ceils for the water ; and this water congealing in winter, greatly injures the roots of the grafs. — This is a new proof of the bad hufoandry of maintaining a dif- proportionate number of horned cattle, Vv^hich occafions the farmer to let them devour every blade of grafs for their fapport, and run the hazard of robbing the earth of its befl fubflance, till, by degrees, the farm is en- tirely ruined. Kliyogg is not fatisfied with the improvement of his meadows, but feeks to extend them ; without however deviating from his grand principle, never to purchafe mere ground, till he has carried the culture of what he, pofTeflTes to the highefl; degree of perfection it is capa- ble of attaining.! How is it poflible, lays he, if a cul- tivator has not been able to cultivate properly what he .-^JreadypofTefTes, that he lliould be able to do it, if, by ncreafinghis pofTeilions, he flill more overloads himfelf with care and work ? The fertility of an eftate is always in proportion to the culture bedowed ; nay, it will even be found, that if a IP.sn doubles his number of acres, and employs only the fame * This h mofl cxccllenr advice : but through vafi: trafb of country its England, they fcffer their cattle to remain in the fields all x^intcr, and even fefd wiih hay ia thepaRures ; there cannot t>c a more cxccraWe fyftcm of conduC't. Y. •f I cannot read this work without expreffing my furprife, that a book Hvhich certaii.ly contains resny ideas of culture, equal, at leaft, to any that have been offered to the public, fnould have remained fo long; unknown in Kngland. The nwft refined experience could not ftart a juder obferva- fion : it is 2 kffjn to all the firmers of every country in the vvoild. Y. zz THE RUQ^L SOCRATES. fame mimber of laboring hands as when he had only half the number, that his eflatc will clear Jcfs than it did before the additional purchafe. Thus it is evident, that a tarmer may have too much ground, as well as tuo much Jive flock. — For our conviction, nothing more is required, than to take a ftirvey of an over-grown farm badly occupied ; where lands, with every advan- tage of (ituation, will not produce more than a fourth part of what lands of the fame quantity and quality af- ford, divided into equal allotments, amongfl the inhab* itants of a populous village* f When Kliyogg converts one of his fields into a mea- dow, he always choofes the befl foil ; and commences the work by clearing it of ftones with the utmoft affidu- iity. He then pionglYs it, and gathers the ftones a fe- cond time that lodge in the furrows ; harrows it over ; and when it is quite level and all the fmall ftones pick- ed up in a third gathering, he fows it with grafs-feed. — Nor is he vcvy anxious in the choice of feed ; for experi- ence has tau^^ht him, that the difference of herbage de- pends entirely on the nature of the ioil and the prepa- ration of the ground. The fame meadow that is mat- ted with mofs and every kind of unprofitable beggarly weeds, will produce trefoil of the bcfl quality when improved by mr^nure, adapted to its nature."^ In this - ' inflancCj * Kliyo2;g» in this remark, difpl^p hh real experrencr.-J have offen made the fatr^e oblervation : (bat it fiiouid he liaiireil ; for if the nature oi prrenfiia! ^\:\nX'\ be bnd, manuring will improve their liiicuriance as well aa l!iat of the beft vei^etahies.) -.The following inftance, mentioned by that excellent cultivator Sir Dlgby Legard, is a very ftrong proof. *' I havs •* ofren obferved flr'lds covered with wiiiteclover.where pafture has preced- «*^ed arable land,, withoot any perfon's remembering the fowlngofit; ** and often^ in an old worn-out meadow or pafture, a crop of this will ap- '< pear after plentiful dunging. --Thi^ kaCi. of the whiie clover fpringing f' in great cjunntiiies on land, coploufly manured, where there was before " fuch ri^anuring no appearaace of it, is very cuiions : but frequent in •* nonhern parts of Ragland and in Scotland*— -It is not confined to manuF- ** ing; \]x\\ divncr ; bnj ihe fame rvmt f-jllowF, where ?. change of foil is ^.» raadt THE RURAL SOCRATES. 23 inflance, we find a manifefl proof of the infinite wifdom and goodnefs of the Creator. Let but the hufbandman fulfil his part of the obligation by induflrious culture, and leave the refult to Providence. The mofl whole- fome and nutricious plants will grow fpontaneoufiy ; the winds will wafc from diflant fields the moft ufeful feeds, which want nothing but a proper bed to make them vegetate ; vvhilfl noxious weeds, not finding fuita- blc nourifhment, will wither for want of the juices ap- propriated for them. . Till lately, Kliyogg never heard of artificial grafTes. The firft account of them engaged his attention. The Philofophical Society of Zurich remitted him fomc pounds of Flanders trefoil feed {trifQlium pyatenje pur- piireum majus. Ray. HijI. 944) requefling him to make fome experiments. — For this purpoie he prepared a piece of ground near his houfe, in the manner I have defcribed, and divided it into two equal parts ; in one he fowed the Flanders trefoil, in the other common grafs- feeds ; both divifions were manured in the lame manner and carefully watered^ from the ilagnant pools , and he accurately obferved the comparative produce, in waiting the refult, he made feveral other trials of the Flanders trefoil in fmaller fpots of ground ; fome richly manured, otheus of the fame fize in an unimproved ftate. — Thefe various experiments tended to convince kim that this foreign trefoil, like the grafTes common to our own country, was more or lefs luy-uriant chiefly ac- cording " made by Here or maile, hvl on in great qir^ntines. I hate an accoant ** by me of an Dnconnn)on Ijrge crop, no lefs chan thjee tons an a<:rc heirg ''produced at Ke<'ge!y-]V!oor, in Northumbeiland^t in confcquencc of a " large qoantiiy of lime being laid on fome acres of black moor land cnv- ♦* crcd wi.h heaih : the heaih was entirely killed, and this great btii^hen «» of whi'e cl')vcr fucceeded, without any aifignable nr.eans ot conveyance «< of the feed. ..-I find from other account;', that the fame commonly lap- 4* pens in the county of Galloway, where great quantities of fuch moor « land have been lately brought into caltiv;ition. Very copious manur- «< ing with lime, dung or marlc, appears there to deftroy the heath, and pro- 55 du:s whijc elavcr," McnQirs sf A^rkuliurs^ VcK I. p. 3^6, i. 24 THE RURAL SOCPiATES. cording as the foil w?s more or lefs manured. — In re^ gard to the grand experiment to find the difference of produce from the feed of trefoil and that of common jgrarfs, in ground where the culture and preparation are the fame ; Kliyogg declares he cannot difcern any that is material.— -It is^ much to be wifhcd that fenfible and unprejadiced f irmers would take equal pains in making experiments on lucerne, faint-foin, and other fpecies of exotic graffes, whofe excellepcies are fo highly extolled in the prefent age; as by a calculation of their jud advan- tages over our natural herbage, we (houid be able to determine whether the fubflitution of them would an^ wer. Some enlightened friends of agriculture have al- ready informed me, that the trials they have hitherto made, fall fbort of the defired fuccefs ; and that they find at much more profitable to continue the old method of hufbandry, than to ufe thefe articles of modern difcov- ery ; for inflance, the Flanders trefoil ; which, in ftip- plying a very fucculent nutrition, excites cattle to feed immoderately, and occailons very alarming dlflempers.* Kliyogg . * I fhoull irr:3ginc the only thing wanting to prevent this inconven. senoe, is a due regulation of the quantify of irefoil which a beall may eat \vithout hazirc?, and which never ought to he cxeeded. A proportion not difScuk to afcertain, «.v!ih the afljftanceot a little attention anHI experience. -r-The idvaloarh-t Colleciion of ohferiatiofis hy the ^Agricultural Society cf Britannjy recorn; ends, in fevera! places, what, to me, appears. an excel- lent meihod. "It had been remarked by the Baron de Pontual, thai to ^* fodder cattle \s\\S tfefoil only, heated th'^m xo^ tt^.Och. A native ** of Flanders taught hiai to temper this heat by a very ufeful piece of *• economy. — Arr.ongll the Flemings, where the meadows abound with "this grafs, they make layers in their hay-lofflj fix or feven inches deep, ••of {haw and trefoil alternately. The ftraw imbibes the fcent of •* the trefoil fo fuongly, ^'hat oxen and hcrfes eat both, with equal *• avidity. By this means the value of (haw becomes equivalent to that ** of trefoil, and ihe cattle are preferved fii'ek and cool." There h. great probflbiliiy likewife that Kliyogg was unacquainted with the l)cU method for the culture of trefoil. The fame Ob/eii.ationi inform tts, *' that it mcceeded very well when fo^vjj with oats, which is the laft *• cropin rotatijii berue the ground is fuffered to lie fHllo^.-'-Preft^lent wc MjuiIuc, 'vbo began t.Q wake cxperiitcRis in 175S, has had remark- *' ably •:, i THE RURAL SOCRATES. -S ,, Kliyogg made me attend to a circnmftance which may prove the deflruiflion ®f a meadow if not corrci^ed. This is when the plantane is faiFered to predominate ; whofe large leaves fo totally cover the farface of the ground, that no other herbage can fpring up.^ He pointed to my obfervation a meadow, where the plan- tane was fpread over the foil and reduced it to flcrili- ty. -—The fole remedy for this evil, in his opinion, is to plough up the meadow and fow it with grain for fome years ; and afterwards, in the manner already defcribed, i& may be converted into meadow again. Let us now confider Kllyogg's hufbandry in his grain lands ; which, in the diilridl where he lives, it is the general cuftom to feparate into three divifions. Kli- yogg has fifteen acres in each.- — The firfl allotment is for wheat ; his rule is fix loads of manure and thirty bufliels of wheat or fpeit,t (which iall: grain he com- monly prefers) for each acre. The produce is, in ge- neral, more than one hundred (heaves, which, wheti thrcrtied, yield fix facks of winnowed grain .* th^ Tack containing ten bufhels, or two coombs and a half. Thus the clear profit of an acre of land is three maiters,;^ twelve bufliels of grain, and full thirty bottles (or bun- dles) *< ably fine crops of oats. At ihe time \hiy were ripe, the trefoil was in <* great luxuriancy below, about two feet in height. The cKaniire ilill re- ** maining in the ground after the firft crops are mowed, and the plotjgh- *♦ ing neceffary for the oats are equally beneficial to the treloH. Kxpe- " rience has convinced hiw, that with only the additional prica of «* feed, a man may have, for feveral fucceffive feafons, a rich meadow oC <• trefoil, which may be mowed in inoft years twice> and in favorable ones ** three and four tioaes.** F. * This 13 precifely the cafe in England ; but the narrow leaved plan- tane, called in the north lib grafs, is an excellent pafture. Y. ^ + Spelr, a kind of baftard wheat, which, in a good foil, becomes genu- ine. Y. ^ :j: The Zurich malter contains four muids. The muid is divided into four quarters, and when prefled down, weighs about 125 pounds cf ;hc SBarc. F« D ^6 THE RURAL SOCRATES. dies) of ilraw. — The feconddivifion is fowed either with rye, beans, pcafcjor oats. The allowance is three bulhcls and an half of feed an acre. He gathers from this eighty iheaves an acre, which yield annually at leall five coombs of grain and forty bundles offtraw. The third divifion remains fallow.— Kliyogg has alfo fomc inclofures, which he fows every year. Thefe are manured twice in three years, which he is peculiarly careful never to negled $ conftantly varying the grain every time. His computation for ploughing is, a complete day's^ labor for two men and four oxen for each acre.* Purfuant to the cuflom of the country^ be gives to the firfl diviiion three ploughings : namely, in the fpring before the month of May, immediately after hay fea- fon, and at the endof harveft. — The fecond divifion, if it does not interfere with more material bufinefs, and can be accomplifhed without great inconvefiience, is ploughed twice; namely, at theconclufion of harveft and immediately before the feed-time.— -Light foils, fays he^ requite to be lightly ploughed; and on the contrary, heavy clayey ground fnould be ploughed very deep, that thefinefibres of the roots may infmuate themfelves with eafe among the particles of the broken clods ; but in a light foil, we mufl endeavor to preCerve fufficient folidity for the roots to flrike. — Wheat (hoots ftrongeft when there is an interval between the time of plough^ jng and fovving. Barley is mofl vegetativ*i when fowed- immediately after the plough. Light lands are be ft fop barley, but wheat thrives beft on a IViff foil. Kliyogg likewife obferves, that whoever is defirous of conPcantly plentiful crops, (hould be fcnfible how very effential * Thi» is a rei^arkablc U6{. I have, in a former naffc, (hewn, that a Zurich acre is hut a liitie more ihaii three roodsEngllQi ; confequently this i? very pmit work tor four oxen to perform, efpecially under the eye of fa inrluflrious atnan as Kliyogg. I conclude from hence, that the beads are very mean cnrs. I iifed oxen in Suflfolk, and a fingle pair ploughed m-e 2n acre a day withow^ any eHtraordinary cxtruon. They roll roc 1 5J. a pair, \% THE RURAL SOCRATES. &y effential it is, frequently to vary the feed upon the fame ground. Thus he is indefatigable in the aearch of new ; and is Co thoroughly convinced of the utility > of this rule, that he affirms that there is ar. advantage- ous difference in the produce, if he buys iced at a vil- lage only four leagues diflant from his own. This remark is worthy the attention of fomc curious natidralifl. Our induflrious laborer beflows on his arable lands a kind of manure, whofe effeiSts appeared fingularly aflonifhing to me, when he took me into one of his in-'' clofures a little before harvefl. A third part of this ' field, from a deficiency of hands and leisure that year, had been without this manure. 1 Inftantly perceived, though little accuflomed to thde minute obfervations, a very lerfible difference betv,een that part of tiie field which had been manured, and the other. Kliyogg com- puted this difference to be one thiid lols in the crop. — The manure he made ufe of, v/as a fmall gravel of a blueifh hue, and bordering upon marie ; the foil en which it was fpread being a greafy, reddifli fand. Kli- yogg difcovered veins of this gravel running along the lides of fome barren uncultivated hills, in the neigh- borhood ; commonly on the fuperficies, or a very few feet below it. — In loading his carts, he throws afide the larger flones, flrewing only th« fineparton light landso T^his is one of his occupations on winter days ; which the generality of Jiufbandmen devote to indolence, or at lead to domeflic engagements of fmall advantagCc The deep fnow that covers the ground during great part of the winter feafon, greatly facilitates his woric by the ufe of fledges, and confiderably lelFens the fatigue of the oxen. I faw him lafl v/inter in high delight at the appearance of a fettled frofl:, which gave him hopes of a good road for fledges for fome weeks. — There feems a great analogy between the operation of this gravel and that afcribed to marie, if it is not indeed the produftion iDfr.he marie itfelf which is difcovcrable among the fmall particles 28 THE RURAL SOCRATES c pcirticles of gravel. — Kliyogg apprehends the falutary efFe£ls of this ipecies of manure to arife from the heat communicated to the earth : he alfo attributes to it the virtue of extirpating baneful herbs, and particularly a Icind of pjudiculaire {rhinanthus chrifia galli^ Linn.^ a plane fo deftru6livc to barley, that when it gets the ma{^ tery in a field, there is little to be reaped. By the a-riuance of this manure, Kliyogg has convert- ed the worft land imaginable into excellent grain fields. He lately bought near an acre cf flerile ground for 4I. 14s. 6d. and hopes to make it worth 21I. J7s. 6d. within a few years : a thing by no means improbable, as he has already given fpccimens of equal improvement, on foils that had beer? given up from their barrennefs or diflant fituation. — Alterations fo aftonlQiing, prove, in a forcible.manner, how much foundation there is for his afTertion ; that we ought to attribute it to the lazinefs and unfldifulnefs of thepeafants, Tf our country does not produce even a fuperfluity of grain ! * Dreffing larids with this manure is not a newdifcov- ery ; the negligence of the peafant;s feems the reafon why it is not more prapointment even in the n7oit unfriendly years. He will cultivate, within a trifle, the fame t^uantiiy of arable land, and will be able to carry to market the pf ofits of his harvcfl almoin entire ; whilfl, before this dilcovery, he expended a very confiderable part in his houfhcld. This advantage is fo manifcfl/ that the culture of potatoes is already common in many diftriills of Switzerland, particularly in thofe whole vi- cinity to the Alps expofes them mofl to the inclemency of winter. — I apprehend it will not be thought an ufe- I'efs procefs, if wc enter into a circumflantial detail of Xliyogg's huibandry in this cfTential branch. When be has felecn Cons of food, vvill not touch them. Y, Horned cattle devout ihcm in the Douhcro parwef theUoitedStares. E, t^HE RURAL SOCRATES* ^f : Kliyogg, as I have already obfervedj allows his fami- ly a buQiel of potatoes each day. They are boiled till fufficieirtiy fbft, and brought to table, wliere each per- fon peels his own fhare, and eats it with fait : fometimes they ftew them, taking care to pare them f:rl"t, as the cows and pigs find the parings very acceptable. — ^Our hiifbandman determined* to try if bread could be made of potatoes, but had no fuccefs Vt^hilft he ufed no other ingredient ; but with the addition of fome of the flour with which they made houfhold bread, they anfwered his purpofe. His method is as follows : Pare and cut them into the kneading-trough ; pour in boiling water enough to cover them 5 bruife them till thoroughly fmooth : neither time nor pains fliould be fpared to per- fedl: this operation, becaufeit is efTential to the msk'wg of good bread, that there be no lumps. They fome- times with the common dough take equal parts of raafheJ potatoes, fometimes a third or fourth part : the bread mufl be exceedingly well kneaded, and is then \ery excellent. Nor is it found lefs noiTrifliing or in- vigorating to the conflitution than when made entirely of wheat. — Kliyogg dried fome potatoes in an oven, and then had them ground, in order to fee if the flour would make bread witlxout wheat ; but hitherto the experi- ment has been unfuccefsful.* To iinifh the circum- Aantial defcription I purpofed giving of Kliyogg's huf- bandry, there li ill remains ail account of his paflurage and woods o P^fl lire ground^ in this country, is fcattered amongfh the woods in detached pieces. The foil is in general extremely * Potatoes are one of the nftoft va'uab'e prcfsnts wz Iisve received frora {b.t new worU. — They furnifii the country people with 3 pleafant, whoie- ibme, nutritious kind of aliment, favorable to pppalation. A great pare of German Lorraine finds in them a confiant fjpport ; and the young villagers there are ftout, well-fnadc, and of exceeding robuft conflitutions, I have fcldom ieen diftempcrs amcngft foldier?, when they had putatoea lo bcil iu their kettle, F, E 34 THE RURAL SOCRATES. eKtremely bad, and the cattle find but little fudcnance from its natural produce of rattle- grafs, inilk-thiftle, ^c. — There is great probability that thefe fpots of ground v/ere formerly covered with wood, which has been felled ; and that according to the pernicious cu^- torn, too prevalent in Switzerland, cattle were imme- diately turned in to feed. Thus the tender (lioots which %ould have fprouted again, and produced frefh trees, have been nibbled or broken down by the beafls, till by degrees the woods became totally deftroyed ; iTnd thefe grounds thus dripped, have been appropriated to paf- turage. — I have taken notice of the little advantage ufu- ally reaped from them, when I mentioned the exertions of Kliyoggin augmenting his compofl dunghill.-— He at Urd treated his pailiures like other peafants ; fowing them with wheat every (ixth year, and every feventh with oats : at all other times the cattle grazed there. But he was foon (enfible, that by perfeverance and affidu- ous labor, a much more confiderable advantage might; be gained by turning them into fruitful corn-fields frtr grain. This was a long time obliged to be omitted for ^want of laboring hands ; and the greater proximity of l>is other grounds prefcnted fo many immediate objedL;^ of cultivation, that he could fcarcely devote a moment to his paflures. It is only fmce his children have made a beginning to affifl: him, that he has applied his indus- try tovvards this improvement. — The firfl: ilep is dig- ging a ditch of about three or four feet broad and two or three deep round each pallure ; cading the earth In the form of a parapet bank, which remains two years in that Hate, expoled to the weather : it is then made ufe of to fpread on the moil barren fpots of the pallure, and to fill up fmall inequalities of ground ; and ^here there are large holes, he fills them with ftones before he covers them with mould. The land is then dreiTed with marley gravel and manure, according to the rules obferved in his fields for grain ; and it is lo -im^'iiingly improved, that^ ia general, it affords his beft crops, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 35 crops,' which he takes care to vary. — One of thefc paf^ tures he has made uie of for hemp ; and it is well known that the bed foil is always feleded for this purpofe.— He delights more in this part of his eftate, becaufe he is at liberty to farm it as he pleafes, without thofe reflric- tions which confine him to cftablifhed cuftoms in the culture of lands dependent, in fome refpeds, on the Village of Wcrmetchweil. Five acres of this pafture knd, which lie mod conti- guous to his IVoods^ are fet afide for planting. — He leaves to nature the care of fowing pines and firs ; not having been able as yet, to gain proper information in reg^ard to planting trees ; aipecies of knowledge with which our country is unfortunately little acquainted. Woods in Switzerland are regarded as wild uncultiva- ted jpots, fclf fown, and requiring no other attention than to cut them down at a proper age. — To this falfe .prejudice, the offspring of indolence and ignorance, we may attribute.thatfcarcity of wood for fuel, which is more lenfibly apparent every day. — I remarked jujfl now, that the pafturage dependent on the village of Wcrmetch- weil, had its origin from new-felled parts of the forefb, which the cattle had rendered incapable of bearing far- ther wood, by wounding the young (hoots. — To the fame caufe i.s ovv^ing thofe defart trads, fometimes of confiderable extent, which are to be met with in our forefls, in places where the foil and expofure are re- markably favorable. Happy (liould I be, were I capa- ble of awakening th,c attention of my countrymen to an objet^ fo efTential to public utility, where ncgle£t will, in time, infallibly be produ<5live of ruin. Kliyogg beflows a kind of culture on his woods ; but Avith a viev/ very different from what 1 fpeak of. His prime motive^ as evidently appears, is the increafe of ma- nure ; for which purpole, he colleds, with the utmofl indudry^fmall branches of pines and firs,with dead leaves and mofs. It is with thi^ view alfo, that he carefully roots out 3^ THE RURAL SOCRATES. 0ut all weeds, ventilates the young (hoots, and firips his trees from time to tunc of branches, almoft to the top ; a method which contributes, in no fraail degree, to ac- celerate the growth of the trees and augment the beauty of their trunk. The neighboring farmers reject this manner of treating trees as extremely prejudicial ; jbut Kliyogg troubles himfelf but very little about their approbation, fo long as he is convinced that his pines and firs are equal, and often fuperior in growth jtotliofe of his neighbors.- — It iriuft be allowed, that, on the firll view, his woods appear thinner, from the open- ings vifiblie between the trunks where the branches are- taken off • but after a more accurate examination, I found his opinion well founded. I did not fee one fm- gle young fir that Teemed withered and decayed, though t,he branches cf ail were confiderably lopped. — He made experiments Ibme years fince how far he might carry the operation with fafecy : he reduce^^i the branch- es of fo many trees as thfe compafs of a quarter of an acre afforded, leaving only three knots on any ; the trunks were from fix inches to a foot in circumference^ He did not lole more than four trees ; the refl, to fpeak truly, were a longer time than ufual in making their fhoois, but they afterwards grew as vigoroufiy as oth- ers. Kliyogg oblerved that every year produced a new head to the fir tree, till it arrived at its pcrfedion ; he inferred that the lower circle might be taken off every year without injury to the tree ; and that if pruning had even been omitted feveral years together, the fame num- ber of circles might be taken off with confidence.^ I know this pracftice is cbntraditftory to the generally ef- tabliflied theory of the vegetation of trees, and the ex- periments of the mofl: difcinguiflied naturalifts of the prefcnt times (fuch as Kales, Bonnet, and du Haniel ;) who ' * This method of pruning fir-trees I have hefore heard cf afif'wering greatly : but how Kliyogg's pruning his woods for manure can be advan- tageous I can conceive only by fuppofing the Swifs woods and our Eoglifii >0'< Qn?s totdlly diffcient. Y, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 37 who have demonflrated that trees receive their princi- pal nQurifhmcnt from the humid particles with which the air is impregnated, and which the leaves draw in by futftion. — Yet the fuccefs of thefe experiments made by Kiiyogg, feems to point out one exception at leafl, in. favor of fnch aromatic and refinons trees as have fpines inflead of leaves, which may be pruned with lefs hazard than other woods. I acknowledge that there has not been fufficient time for a courie of experiments capable of eflablifiiing this as a rule ; but at the fame time I cannot help thinking that the opinion of a man, who difplays in fo many inftances the greatefl difcern- jnent, and whofe obfervations are fo totally free from prejudice, merits a degree of attention which may ani-^ mate us in the purfuit of more ample difcoveries.* Thus * The rea<3er, perhaps, will not be difpIeafeJ with o^fervirg the agree- ment between what is faid above, on the nature and culture of trees, with forre paffages drawn from the article /^rhre (irce) in the Encyciopedie, f* The roots of tree*, and cf plants in general, ire analogous to the ftomach " animals. It is there the firft and principal preparacion of the juices •* picurs.** *♦ The culture of a tree, by pruning away part of its branches, contri- " buies more than any other method of induitry to their luxuriancy ; fo •* that it may be trcly faid, the more limbs they retrench in vegetable " life, to a certain point, the more they multiply. Thofe who have never •*feen a tree entirely ftripped of its branches to the very root, will ccnfider <* it in this mangled lUte as incapable of recovery, and fit only to be ** hewn down : yet if an oak, sn gIoi, a poplar, or any tree, uhofe trunk <' rifes in a perpendicular diredion, is firipped of its branches from top to «* bottom, it will throw out from the loweft amputated parts to the top, an <• infinite number of buds every where ; which burfting into leaves round <♦ a trunk thirty or forty feet in height, form a clothing of thick branches ** that almoft conceals the body of the tree. — In the fame manner, a per- f* fon who firft beholds a tree that has loft its head by a hurricane, or an ** axe, clofe to the neck of ihe branches, wcuKi narurally conclude for fix *' monihs after, that it was a dead trunk, whcfe vegetation could never be ** renewed. But how great the furprife toobferve a tree in rhefc circum- <* (dances (booting forth, below the wounded part, a profuuon cf young <^' branches that form another head ! This (hews the almoft inexhaufliblc <» refourccs of vegetable nature! For it may be confidently afferted, thas '^' from the extremity of the branches to the root ef th€ tree, there is no ** perceptible 38 THE RUPX.AL SOCRATES. Thus far may be afHrmcd with certainty ; that th€ roots fiipplythe tree with a vaft coIle£lion of nutritious ]uices, which are communicated through proper tube$ to all the branches, whether their number be great or fniall. If> then, according to the method propofed, th$ number of branches are conliderably diminiQied by an- nual prunings, this coIle(9:lon of lap will be employed almofl entirely to the benefit of the trunk itfelf ;* and :i tree that is pruned with difcretion at a proper feafon, will increafe in llze.— I obferve farther, that the efFe^Sl of a conftant attention to clearing the foil from weeds, is, the trees^ throwing up a vaffc number of fuckers ; where- 3.3 in the fame foil, when covered withmofs and briars^ the young twigs are fo entangled that few can make ' their way ; and thefe fuckers furni(h a perpetual fupply cF materials proper for manure ; — fo that Kliyogg re- gards his woods as refources fo much the more valua- ble, as he draws annually from every a^re tv/o loads of litter for his ilalls. The more attentively I examine the economical iyf- lemof our rural philofopher, which I have endeavor- ed to explain, the rnorc I am confirmed in my opinion, that if we are not fupplied at home with grain for our fubfiflence, it ought much lefs to be imputed to the (le- rility of the foil ; than to falfe maxims introduced, co- operating with the floth and inattention of our hufband- n3en. — I conclude farther, tlut the heavy weight of debt' « perceptihle fpace that ilots not enclofe a portion of erabryo life ready to ** appeir, whenever the fituation of the tree requires an extraordinary ex- •< eftion of the fecret fprings of vegetation." F. * Erg 1, cut a man's arms off and you will Increafe his height amazing«> ty f — -In theory, ani! according to my obfervation, all this reafoning is falfe. How comes it that pollard trees (thofe whofe heads are regularly cut off for faggotf) do nor near equal, even in girt, good timber one* l' Even the fize they doattainis defotrocd and odious. Y. THE RURAL SOCRATES. 39 Jcbt under which many of the peafants fink, is not an infurmountable objeiTbion to the re eflablKhment of agri- culture. We have Teen in the inflance before us an cflate, whofe appearances denounced ruin and decay, having few natural advantages, and being loaded with a confiderable mortgage : yet in a few years improved to a height almofl: incredible, and yielding very near dou- ble the crops of grain and hay which it formerly pro- duced. Some of KHyogg's neighbors, who are far from being partial in his favor, have afTured me, that when he engaged in his undertaking, the lands which be- longed to him were ranked among the worft ; and thab now; in proportion to their extent, they always produce tlie finefl crops in that divifion. They iikewife regard- ed his enterprise, as I have before obferved, as themofl: rafh imprudence, which could not fail in a very iliort time, to involve the tv/o brothers in dedruclion ; and' they expe them) imagine that they have fulfilled all that rcli- *' gion requires, in going to church, faying their pray- ^^ crs, and finging pfalms ! and that they may then in- " dulge .^ 'rHE RURAL SOCRATES e ^■^ ciaige themfelves with impunity, in luxury * of ap- *' parel, and exccflivfr- gluttony in eating and drinkingl ^' Thus they begin by diflipating their patrimony, and ^' end by defrauding their neighbors. There is, in my ■^^ opinion^ ten times more evil in cheating a man of a *' fingle farthing, that in omitting to hear a fermon. — *' Nbne have a right to expcfb d benedidion from hea- ^' ven, but thofe whofe probity is irreproachable, and *^ their in duflry indefatigable ; and ivho thus earn their ^' bread by the fweat of their brows 1 A diligent huf- ^' bandman knows nt/t what a bad year is, nor fuf- *' fers the ferenity of his mind to be iufHed at ilerms *' andtempefls. ' An indolent one, on the contrary, ex« *' pedis all from Providence ; and complains of the par- *' tiality of fortune, becaiife his har veil is worfe than *' thofe of his induftrious neighbor.— The magifirate of ^' the difl:ri£ts, ought^ oh their fide, to enforce corporal *' puniQimehts and' pecuniary 'fines on perfons, who ** refufe to labor hbtwithHianding the exhortations of the *' clergy. F6r this purpofe, they (hould make frequent *^ and regular circuits in their diftrid:, and examine ac- *' curately the cultui'e of the farms : they fiiould diltin- ^^ guiOi and reward thofe amongjfl: the fubordinate huf- *^ bandmenwho give the nloU: evident proofs of labor ** and application ; whilft they fnould treat with the ut- *' moil feverity, fuch as are notorious for lazinefs and ^' ina«5livity. Good God !'' exclaimed he, *' What would ''' be the profpcrity of thefe cantons, if fuch meafures *' were purfiied 1 and what an abundant enjoyment wc *• fliould have of all the necelfarles of life i"t Kliyogg '' 'Viany readers may be lurprifed to hear peafanJs accofec^ of luxury in spparel; but thofe who have been in Switzerland, arc fenfible how rnucb the women, in fome diftricis, particularly the unmarried, merit tins !«• p roach, F, -' Tb- polic*} of the $mU admitted of iht JiboTC tseafursso IHE RURAL SOCRATES. 4^ *Kliyogg cxercifes all the duties o^th-tmafferoftt family y though he is the younger brother. He who has the "priority of birth, has a iiifficient degree of information and ■ * As tiieEng1i/h tranflator has here pa/Ted ovei moFC thaii nine pages un- noticed, containing a converfation between Kliyogg and oar author, aft cxtrafl foKows of fo much of the paflage as is intereftiog. •' When yx)u ha?e meditated well upon objeih tending to th?; pa'olic ,«* utility (fays Kliyogg) propofe them with etjergy and zeal, and let the c< manner of executing theoi be a naodei of feriior acd zCiWiiy ; and the •• blefling of Providciice will not be wanting. Yon will always obtain «« apart of what yoo feek ; and the firft frc^fT-^?. hov^ever faint, will not •«;s pfpcftxng a diftnttrejled pu ifuit of vijctHC acd pf v;b*t i% ufe ful, ^^ THE RURAL SOCRATES. 47 ^^ pie ; there will not be a fervant in his hoiifliold but *^ will glory to emulate their mafler's condu£t. *'Iwas requeftcd by a particular friend (faid KI1-. " yogg lately to me) to (hew his fervant my method of *' manuring with marley gravel. This lad, docs not *' want capacity, and is, as you fee, ftrongand robufl ; *' the misfortune is, he is not always hearty in his work, *' I took the lad into the field with me : he fhared my fa- ** tigue early in the morning, and worked clofe by my *' fide late in thecveningc He feconded my labor bet- *' ter and better evdry day ; and I could not avoid " admiring his vigor, dexterity, and diligence. ** The next time I faw my friend, I could not for- *' bear obferving the great injuflice he did his fervant *^ in accufing him of idlencfs, fbr F had never feen any* *' body fo remarkably indefatigable. — He protefted to ^* me, on the contrary, that whenever he went to over- '* look his laborers, he always found him'unemployed. tt — Is he equally idle, faid I, when he works in the *' fame fpot of ground vi^ith your (elf? — That is a point, " replied my friend, I cannot determine. I hii-e him *' to do the 1: lavieft part of the bufineis, in order to be ** exempted from tt)o great fatigue myfelf : all that *' fecms ncceffary for me to undertake is, to give proper *' diredlions, and to have an eye to their execution. — * " Yoii regard the rougher part of manual labor, inter- *' ruptigd i, as a painful employment f — I at lead think, "faid he, it is permitted us, when we are rich enough ** to afford it, to enjoy a reputable and honorable rc- " leafe from it. Were we denied this privilege, " whatdifferencev/ould there be between opulence and ** poverty I And where would be the advantage thatPro- ** vidence has difpenfedto us a larger portion of wealth f *' — If this is your way of thinking; 1 replied, it no lon- ^' ger amazes me that your fervant is idle during your *' abfence ; for, fairly fpeaking, is it not natural that '^ every one (hould be folicitous to pafs hi^ time as com- ** fortably as he can I But I find we think in a very dif- ferent 4^ THE RURAL SOCRATES. ^' ferent manner 5 I am never more fatisfied and happ^r *' than when 1 am working myfelf. And I muit ^' be a convert to your way of tbhiking, my dear ^' Kliyogg. purfued my friend^ from a fenfe that it is* *' founded on reafon ! I v/ill never, for the future, com- *' piaifantly iiften to my wife's opinion, when fhe per- *' fuades me not to harrafs myfelf fo much ; and tells *' me that I have enough to live upon, and am not un- *.^ der the neceiiity of fhortening my days by hard la- «* bor V" Kliyogg no fooner forms a refolution, of whofe pro- priety and retflitude he is convinced, than, with uncon- querable firmnefs, he infifls that all the family (hall concur in it ; and when he regards any cullom as per- BJcious, or even of no real benefit, he obliges every bo- dy to rcjeiH: and abllain from it. — It is one of his prin- cipal maxims in farming, to begin by re7nov:ng all weeds before he attempts to mend the joil ; otherwife, manure,- inftead of being ad vantageoits, only ferves to multiply thofe fpbngy plants which fuck all nourifliment from the crop. On the fame principle, he fays, a houfe can- not fupport itfelf where idlenefs, luxury, and diliipa* tion are predominant, though the moft proper meafures m other refpe^s are taken to make it profper. — From this perfuaflon he made ufe of the mod vigorous efforts for extirpating all' bad habits which had crept into his family. Many prejudices had he to encounter 3 many contradi£lions to cope with from wife and fifter, whom he found great difficulty in convincing that they ought to rciflify domeftic abufes, which long habit had, in fome meafure, rendered facred : yet his fortitude always triumphed over their refiflance. — The applaufe and ap- probation his economic improvements met with from fome of the princip:d psrioiis in the canton, contributed not a little to reduce to reafon thefe intefline fermenta- tions. — At prcfent, concord prefides at bis board, and there fccms but one heart and one wiil- So true is it th:it THE KURAL SOCRATES, jtf Hiat the encouragement with which' a government hon- €>rs the rubje<5J:s who diftinguiQi themieives by ufefu! fiifcoveries, or bencfieial examples^ makes an imprcfiiorf on others, and induces them to endeavor at an imitation^ Kliyogg kept the only tavern which there was in the village ; from which there rcfblted, in appearance, con- fiderabie profit towards honie-keeping. — Accurate exa- mination foon convinced him that this was a miftake •: he fhuddered at the thought of the bad imprefTions and dangerous examples his children would receive from the guells who frequented his houfe ; the greater part of whom wafle in a tavern that time, which is mof!:' precious for work 5 wantonly difiipating tiie money which ought to be employed to the advantage of their domeilic affairs, till their flrength is enervated, their under flan ding and reafon totally degenerate, and they are incapable of applying to the occupations or dutie^- of life. — ^Thefe reflexions led him to a determined refo* lution not to allow any of his cuflomers more wine thaa Was ncceffary to recover and recruit the confumptiorj! of rpirits, occafioned by hard labor, or the fatigue of a journey : the fole ufe for which wine feemed deilined by the Creator. He fixed, from his own experience, that quantity to a pint ; and maintained his reiblutiod v/iih the moll rigid exaftnefs; 8uch a proceeding was very Toon attended with the lofs of the greatefl part of his company, and with theme of tire profit arifing from his buftnels.— The two fiflcrs (one of whom had been brought up in a tavern) were filled with refentment ; and attacked him. in very fever^ terms. ". We have always foreleen, faid they, that '^ your unaccountable fingularity would prove the *' ruin of your family. The v/orld has long taken no- '^ tice of it ; and the better part has prophefied that no ^' luck would happen ever fincG you began to deviate *' from the cudoms of cur wile forefathers 1 You fee *^ what fine effects your obllinate caprice has produced, G '' m ^m, THE RURAL SOCRATES. ** in depriving us of the ready money we were daily r€^ " ceiving from our cuflomers! Is not this to take the *' bread from your children's mouths ? Our poor little *^ ones, muftfoon be reduced to beg from door to door I *^ --Hope better things, good folks ! (replfed Kliyogg^ ** with a compofed tone of voice, and a fmiling counte- ^^ nance ;) Examine all circumftances vviih delibera- *' tion before you condemn me. Have I ever refufcd *' my children any thing neceffary to their happinefs ? ** I thank God for having enabied me to fupply them ^^ with wholefome food and proper cloathing 1"— ^'Wc *' do not deny it, (faid they) but as they grow older^ *' will it not require more to maintain them J" — "True; ^^ but their (Irength will increafe in proportion, and *' confequently the time is dravt^ing nearer^ xvhen they ^' will be able to aflift in improving our eftate. Are *' not the crops coniiderably larger than when I firfl en- *' tered upon farming I And is not it apparent that noth- ^^ ing is wanting but more hands to make a further aug- *' mentation of our income r'^-— ^'^ We have no objec- *^' tion to make to that point. But why is the profit we '• draw from the tavern to be defpifed ? This, added *' to wh-at you make by farming, would be a great affiil- '^ ancc to the family/'—'' You omit in your calcula- '' tion, (faid Kliyogg) that there mufl be one fervant '^ extraordinary to wait on tlie company, whofe labor *' h entirely loft to the farm." — " We acknowledge *' that the article of hufoandry ma^y fufFer a little ; yet '^ the advantage is far fuperior to the lofs.''-— '' I am '^ rendy to admit, (faid Kliyogg) that our advantage ^' from the tavern is proportionably more lucrative ^^ than fromthe farm ; yet can you believe that the mo- '^ ney acquired by indulging the vices of our fellow-crea- '' tures will be attended with a bleffing ? Are you deaf '' to the fad complaints which are poured forth incei- '' fantly by the wives of profell«?d drunkards and dc- ''- bauchees, at the caufe of their unhappinefs ? Does ^' tK)t every ckv nfforfl inftances r-f Tons who have great ** wealth THE RURAL SOCRATES, p^^ ■^^ wealth left them by their fathers, advancing with ** hady ftrides towards ruin, by abandoning themfclves ** to intoxication and floth I Is it rot realonable to fcar^ ** that thele unfortunate families plunged into mifery, **. will cry aloud for vengeance againfl the infamous a- *'varicc of tavern keepers, who have contributed to ** the diflipation of their wealth !*'— ^' There are, how- ** ever, to be found, landlords who may be called for- ** tunate ; and, who have acquired great wealth by •' their bufinefs/^-— '' Acknowledged ; yet how rare *' are the inilances of their continuing rich to the third *' generation ? Their children iulenfibly accuftomed to *^ a libertine life, lofe all inclination for induftry ; in *' accumulating riches at the expencc of others, they " grow impoiing and wicked : and would you wifh *^ to expofc your children to the like temptations ? *' Would you wifh that ail the fatigue and trouble wc ** have endured in the culture of our land (hould prove ** ufelefs ? and that our children, corrupted by bad ex- " amples, (hould be abandoned to beggary, and ey.pend *' more in one day than they can gain in twenty years *' by this unworthy occupation ? — Heaven forbid, but " no one ever aUerted that thefe confcquences mull in- " difpenfably happen." — " The probability is furely *' that this muft happen ; and do you not daily fee with *^ what facility children adopt bad examples ^''— >'^ We ^' muft allow it/' — '' Suppofe then that to happen, *' which you thus admit to be poffiblc ; with wbatNun- *' ceafmg reproaches would your minds be deprcfTed, *^ for having been the caufc of your children's depravi- "^^ ty ? Whereas, if you follow my advice, you may in ** truth, amafs lefs money ; but our children, inured to *' labor, will be contented with the produce of their *' land, and the blefiing of heaven will vifit them,as it has *^ vifited us !'' — *^ Weil then you mull purfue your own *' courfe ; we are always obliged to fubmit to your *' opinion) even though w« arc fure you are in the *^ wrong ; 52 THE RURAL SOCRATES. *' wrong;. but remember, if the event involves us in ^' want and mirery, yoa are anlwerabic for it." Such was commonly the parting word of that contra*^ di'flory fpirit which oppofed the invincible conflancy of our philofophcr, who perfifled here in the wiie refolii- tion he had taken. — The inhabitants of the village made it the objcifl of the'ir derifion, and engaged one of their companions to open another tavern, but to their greae detriment ; and many parents, diflreifed with the irre- gniaritics of their Tons, which daily grew worfe and worfe, complained to Kliyogg himfelf of the bad ten- dency of taverns, and that the money fcjuandered there would reduce them to ruin o He dlfcovered another caufe injmious to the profpe- rity of families, in the ciiftom of making little prefents to children at chrijlenin^s^ or for fjew-y ear's gifts, — ► *^ Thefe gratuities (faid Kliyogg) habituate them early *' in life to acquifitions by other ways than induflry ; *' which is lowing the feeds of iazinefs, that fource of *' all evils : beiides, preients on thefe occafions, con- *' fifl of unwholefome delicacies, which are at Jeafl {{i- *' perflaous ; or of expenfive toys of no real ufe. People ** are obliged to return thefe civilities to their acquain- " tance ; and, hovv^cver fmall in appearance fuch trifles *' may be, they amount to a fnm in the end of the year, ^' very often burthenfome toa family/' — He made it a rule, therefore, to receive no prefents whatfcever for himfelf or children, from godfathers or relations ; and never to make any, except to real objcds of charity, fuch as perfons whonl age or accident had rendered in- capable of procuring a fubfiilencc. He blames all thofe who bcftow alms on midejerving chjeCls ; confidering it as an injury to fociety ; and that thofe who diilribute their wealth in injudicious bene- facvhen he finds himieif fiaking \inder the burthen of la* J)or, He fattens /^«?^j" for the iife^ofhis family, like other farmers ; yet pork is never a (eparate didi at his table $ ijut a certain quantity of bacon is dreffed daily, cut in fmall pieces, and mixed with iome kind of vegetable : this, he finds, renders the vegetable a more ir.vigorat- :ng diet. — He is of opinion that food of thehardcft di- gefrion, affords the greatefl: degree of nourifhment. For this reafon he gives potatoes the preference over other roots, and 'rye bread over wheat. — This convi - ^'■ f nooth the road that leads to true happinefs ; convinced THE PiURAL SOCRATES* 55; convinced that juHicc would be required of him, faould lie direct tliem wrong. — His great principle on this head is to prevent the entry of falie ideas and irregular dc- fires into the mind while tender, t^bfervation has taught him that children imitate the manners and ac- tions of older perfons, with whom they live ; and be apprehends that, by a due government of his ow^n pai- fions, he can avoid fetting any bad examples before them, if they could be equally prefer ved from conta- gion from others. — To prevent this evil, he is defirou3> to have his childien always with him ; and infifls that they [liall attend him in all his labors^nd Ihare in them in proportion to their fli ength*^ Thus he endeavois to give them an early talle for his ov;n kind of life, and for his own way of thinking and ailing ; and hopes to infpire into them that true contetit which he regards as the only foundation of happinefs ; vvhilii by remov- ing them, as far as he is able from all other fociety, whcfe bad cnftoms and depraved manners he has taken pains to banifh from his own houfe, they are not expo- ied to the danger of imitation. — This rock, on which fc many fplit, prevents him from fending them to a pub- lic fchool ; lefl communication with unprincipled and ill educated young perfons in their walks and hours of recreation, (hould, by injuring their morals, mske them too dearly purchafc the arts of reading and wri* ting. Kliyogg undertakes to teach them himfelf, and ^^Xs fome hours in the Sunday, apart for this occupation. — In confequence of this, the brothers attend their duty at church alternately. * One of them always ilaysat home \ as well as to pieferve decency of behavior amongf!: the children ; as to hear them repeat the catechifmjand give them lefTons in reading and wiiting. The Tame motive infinences our philofophcr to forbid his children from partaking in public diverlions; fuch as fairs, village feads, &c. a prohibition that has, in triith^ fubie with one of them, and I will make his fortune in the ** army/' — '^ I am infinitely obliged, Sir, replied Kli- •* yogg, for your kind intentions j and feel for you aU V the refpe '' from, or confide to another. The duties, Sir, *' conneded with your employment, will not admit " of your beflov/ing the attention which my fon may *' require ; and with what facility will not a young *' man fufFer himfelf to be drawn into the allurements *' of vice, when he falls into bad company !— Do yoU *' think, interrupted my friend, that there are no men '' of honor and virtue in the fervice I Only allow them '^ as much probity and religion as any other profeiiion.^*= " —I am fully peiTuaded it abounds in both, and have " too ftriking an example before me, not to be convin- ^^ ccd of it y yet is my ion dvvays to meet with fuch ; ** may 6j> THE RURAL SOCRATES. " may he not often aflociate with the diffipated part of " mankind ? - 1 will guard him from it as much as pof- '' fible, faid the generous officer.'' — '' Whatever reli- *' ance I have on your goodnefs, Sir, (replied Kliyogg) " I beo; ag un to .-obferve, that your itation in life will ** not allow you to watch his condu6"i with the vigilance *' necefTary to my tranquillity. My children are Icarce- *' ly a momernt out of my fight : they accompany either *' mv brother or mvfeif through the whole^courfe *' of country bufmefs ; and on Sundays I pais m.y time *' agreeably, in reading with them, or in fmging pfalms, *' or in waikjng over fields which our hands have culti- *' vated ; where I explain to them the different parts of *' agriculture, and remark with what fii'guiar liberality *' Providence has rewarded our labor. By this fyflem ^' of education they will efcape the evil of bad example ; ^' fo long, ^t leaft, as my own life continues irreproach- '' able.- — I find (faid my friend) your maxims of educa- ^' tion prudent end fenlible ; but you have feven fons in *' your family, who cannot always be kept at home : ^' you mufl by fome means or other, endeavor to pro- *^' cure them (bme eflabllQiment ; and on this fuppofition *' the army is not to be defpifed : many a worthy man *' makes his fortune there.'' — -".I acknowledge it, Sir, ^' but 1 have a competency for all my fons, provided ^^ they unite to regularity of condu(5]:, that ardor for ^' work, which nothing ought toextiwguifli. This very "' eftate, which has fupported me hitherto, will fupport *' them and their defcendants, if Providence thinks fit^ ^^ when cultivate d with care and induffcry." — '' But '^' furcly happinefs is to be found in other flates, as well "■^ as in huibandry." — '' Indiiputabiy it may, by thofe *' who have been habituated to them from their infan- '•^ cy, and have made themtiicir conllant iludy. Prov- '^^ idertce having placed me in a farm, 1 have inflruifted *-^ my children in agriculture : Hiey are ignorant of eve- '-' ry thing elfe : their ideas, their hopes of happinefs, '■ ^r-^ br-:^pdcfi to the blciTmg ^vf favorable feafons on *^ their THE RURAL SOCRATES. 6t << their labors, and to the enjoyment of the real ncceffaries *' of life ! The moment they enlifl in the army, they *' would find themfelves tranfplanted into a new fcencj. " The cares and fatigues attending a military Jife, would >' to them appear painful and difagreeable : whereas the *' employments of the hufbandman have hitherto been ^' fubniitted to with fatisfaiHiion."-—" Would not the ^^ fam.e thing foon happen in military exercifes ? A mind .^' without prcj jdicc which applies with zeal to the pur- *' fuit of any profeflion (no matter what) will enter into '' it with readinefs, and may beaffured of fucceeding/* ^^ — Be it fo, Sir, but my fon would at lead forget his ^' firfl occupation, to which a variety of circumftances " m'ay oblige him to return; and fiiould this happen, *' could he relume it with the fame ardor and alac- '*' rity I He will have contracted abroad anothet *' fyftem of life; the hour and the nature of his meals *^ will be different ] and, if unfortunately he knows *' not how to lay afide vi^hat cuflom has rendered ^' a fecond nature, his houfe will be the feat of dif- '^ order. Sincerely (peaking, it appears to me fear ce- *' ly poffible for any one to b^ truly happy out of that '' circle of life to which he has been early accuflcmed. *' You would, in all probability, be much to be pitied, " where you reduced to the neceility of dining on the " coarfe food, which furnillies me with a continual *' feafl. And I, on the contrary^ ihould be equally fo, *' were I obliged to habituate myfelf to your delicate '' meats with high fauces : I flionld not enjoy {o good a ' flate of health, and fhould be far- lef^ contended than '^ with my homely fare. It is the fame thing in regard ^' to labor. I have praclifed bodily labor without re* '^ laxation, day after day ; and I am i^o much the more *' robufl and more difpofed to work : but if I cxercife '^ my m.ind long upon any abflrufe point, it foon brings '-'• on difgufl and fatigue. In fhort cuflom is all. — If I '' am not miflaken in your opinion, my dt^^r Kliyogg, ^^ that children Ihould alv/ays follow the occupation of '^ their 62 THE RURAL SOCRATES. ** their father; the rcfult of it would be, that there *' v/ould only be one profeflion in the world." — '* And ** where woLiId*bc the misfortune if there was not ? re- ^* plied Kliyogg^ with a fmilc. If agriculture was the ** uni'/crfal employment of mankind, and every one ** found his fupport from the labor of his hands, *' v/e (Iiould hear no more of treachery or violence. ** Peace, tranquillity, and contentment of mind and of ** heart would cflabiifh their refidence on earth t For I <« faithfully afRireyoUj Sir, I have never yet met with *' the perfon with whom I would willingly change fitua- dangerous innovator, him. who. ventures to attack *' eflablilhed cuftoms, however pernicious." ^.Kliyogg left to his brother the care of inflruding the children, and purfued himlelf the more indcfatigably^ I the ' Thofe wlio are dcfirous of more public and csore geceral exaniples, mzy fi«(i them in Jofephus's account of ihc Efleoea ; a people, whofe tenor of life naay throw (ome probability on che opinion of Kliyogg,— Sec alfo i^ t^e fcquel, the Marqois tie Mirabeau's firft Letter ; and th^ accounts iiktK\' from the Count dc Treffan and the Journal (Xcpn^oai^^jce, 'i\ 66 THE RURAL SOCRATES, the labors of the hnfbandman : referving to bimfelf the £nging-fchool ; where he employed, as is cuftomary, the hours after fupper, on Saturdays.-— Vocal rtiufic has ever been his mofl delightful recreation ; and he has the notes of LobwafTer's pfalms by heart j* whilft his bro- ther has much lefs (kill and tafte. Kliyogg * Claude Goud'meh a famous mufician of Franche Comte, (who ww 3nurd€red at Lyons on St, Bartholomew's day) coirpofed the mufiC) for a poetical tranflation of the Pfalter by Clement Marot and Theodore de Beze. Lobwafferj publifhed foon after a German tranflation in the fame meafure, adapted to the raufic of Goudimcl. — The greaterpartof thePro- tcftant chorcbes, (lill ufe mufic, which, without difcoveringany great fci- ence, has fomething folemn and harmonious. — The French churches have fubftituted Conrart's verficn of the pfalms, for that by Beze and Ma- rot; though the former difplays no extraordinary genius in poetry. — The Swifs and feme of the Germans, ftill fing the words of LobwafTer ; nclwithftanding his language is more obfoleie and unintellfjgible to them, than that of Marot and Beze to the French. A proof that ancient cuftoms are often preferred to common fenfe, is, that the vcrfion publifhed about twenty years ftnce, by M. Spring, profcffor of rhetoric at Bafie, Ihould not yet be adopted in all thefe churches; though made to corref- pond with Goudimers mufic, and fuperior even to the new French ver- jion. — But on the other hand, the attention employed in teaching the peo- ple, particularly in country parifnes, to fing with propriety, is worthy of obfervation. A ft ranger woyld be furprifed to hear pfalms in four parts, fung with judgment in a village church. The canton of Zurich is re- markable forgooil finging. I (hall tranfcrihe a ftill more furprlftrg faft, related by the penetrating and ingenious author of ** EJfojs on various fubjedSi inter^Jiing u politics ^* and morality^*' which perhaps will not be thought inapplicable to the prefent fub}?d. ♦' The difcoveiies of the learned" (fays that diflinguiih- ed writer^ whom my country honors) ** would he an ufelefs acqoifition, •« if they did cot extend to the proprietors of eftates, and remained unin» «« telligible to the hufbandman^ For the information of the laborer, ac- •• curate abridgments ought to be complied ; explaining in clear and •* fimple terms, thefirft elements of agriculture, and the beft praflical lo- ** cal rules. Thefe abridgments (hould be introduced into fchoojs where *• the children of the peifantp are educated ; a meihod that has been often ** recommended, and cannot be too often addreffed to the coniideration of •* government. — Noi let it be regarded as chimerical, to inforoi the mindo «* of the common people ; for experience proves its prafticability. A «« German prince, E/neft the pious, Duke of SaxeGotha, entirely changed ♦• chc fac» of bis principality, more than a cer.tary ajo, Tiuly gteat bjr »«lii* THE RURAL SOCRATES. 6y Kliyogg entered upon his office at the fingiiig fchooi by ablblutely forbidding his mulical fcholars to ramble about the ftreets after they left fchooi at night, or to call in at the tavern : a prohibition that raifed anew the cla- mor of the village againft him. He was menaced on every fide ^ but his courage remained unconquerable. He (hut his fchooi againft all who were refrave earned by indufcrious application. -# /o THE RURAL SOCRATES, application, without envying the poffefiions of an- cther. Kliyogg recommends to all the members of his fami- ly, a condant attention to neatneis in their drefs ; but forbids every appearance of luxury. The flrongefi and leafl expenfive fluffs and linens, are v/hat he prefers. Extravagance in clothes, in his opinion, is one of the moft frequent caufes of misfortune to families ; and is, #>f all pafTions, the mod ridiculous and irrational. — When bufinefs calls him to the city, he wears a coarfe grey furtout coat, with Aeel clafps ; and this is to be confidered as his holiday fuit. His brother puts it on in turn, and it fcrves both of them for their journeys to the city. As the grand purfuit in all his operations, is to arrive St the end propofed by the fhorteil: way ; and as his na- tive fagacity readily points that out ; the mod exadb or- der and decorum prevail in every part of his houfe, and every utenfil is placed in the very fpot \yhere it will be mod convenient. — This principle is not only the foundation of his economical fydem, ^' but ferves as a guide to his moral condu6l. Nothing appears to him more clear and determinate, than the ideas we ought to entertain of judice and hon- or. — ''Every man (fays lie) may read in his own *^ bread, what he ought to do or avoid, in fuch or fuch *^ cireumdances. All that is required, when our inte'r- ^'^ ed happens to be in oppodtion to that of another, is ** to inquire Vvathln, how we diould wiOi to be treated *^ in a iimilar fituation ; and to obferve during the *' courfe of this proceeding, whether our heart is tran- '' quil * Thofc, only, who have e -/pfjlencfd how moch a fpicit of order farihtatnj, as well 3s nccekrata all operations, can conceive how our cul- ii^vatorhas been able to accomplilo. wi:h fo fe-v alfiflants, ihefeveral taOts THE RURAL SOCRATES. 71 ^' quil and fatisfied.'* — It is in felf-approbation for hav- ing fulfilled our duty ; it is in inward complacency re- fulting from fuch convifs)f fioccns who, at the conclufion of his difcourfe, were not flruck with amazement at his good lenfe ; and did not confefs to m_e, that my recftal of his vi^rtues had infpircd them with cfceem for a man fo extraordinary ; but that beholding and converiing with him, had raifed that efleem to the higheft pitch. I have known fome perfons peculiarly lavifhln their en- comiums, after having employed their keeneft fatir^ in throwing Kiiyogg and his admirers intp ridicule. Reiterated trials have convinced me that, in general, the regard paid to his character is in proportion to the difcernment and integrity of the perfon who beftows it ; which will explain why feveral of the moil: in- telligent and virtuous members of the republic, find infinite pleafure in talking with him, and in hear- ing his fentiments on the duties^ of thofe who hold thlb reins of government. He traces before them, in ef^c^ and without intending it, the admired outline of their own way of thinking and ading for the public good. The diflindlion and approbation which Kiiyogg meets withj do not awaken in hiia the leaft fpark of vanity. K Limiting 74 THE RURAL SOCRATES. JLimiting ail prctenfion to the advantages of enlarging andimproving bis ideas of men and things, by frequent converlations with perfons of fuperior rank and know- ledge ; he preferves invariabl}^, his fimple and natural manners. — -When I acquainted him with my intention of communicating his character to the world : If you think, faid he, with a natural fmil^, it will in any refpC(^ be the better for it, you are welcome ; but whe- ther men praife or blame me, I fhall be neither better nor worfe. Who would believe that envy does not ceafe to per- feeute this worthy being ? Fortunately all its eiForts only furniih fredi fubjcvftfor praife. — I was diverted one day with hearing one of the mofl: rancorous of his neighbors exclaim, *^ This Kliyogg is no better than a beafl of *' burthen ; he is Ihortening his days by hard working, *' and forces ail his family to bear him company! ! His '' whole difcourfe is about making people labor and do *^ good ; though they fay that he does not allow himfclf *' much time to pray !" " But, tell me, is he guilty of ^' thefmallefl degree of injuflicd I Or, do you hear ma- '' ny reports of his fwearing, or of his Handering his '' neighbor ?" '' I cannot pretend that I do 5 it mufl '' even be granted;, that he is punctual in keeping his ^* engagements. I alio do not recollecl ever to have " heard him fwcar, or fpeak ill of any man ; But he ^* tires you with the repetition of his methods of farm- *' ing ; and is always particular in his way of thinking. ^' For inftance, he will not fuffer his children to fet their '' feet in a tavern, or partake of any diverfion ; ^ and makes them wear the fame clothes on Sundays *' and Feftivals, as on w^orking days.— He has the art, *' however, of fpeaking fo fluently, that there is no dif- *' puting againfl him. A near relation of mine, fum^ *' moned him lately before a magillrate, about an af- '' fair that had provoked him to the higheft pitch. He '^ confelFed to me, on coming out of tl^e court, that he '' had TflE RURAL SOCRATES. 75 .*< had been forced, inprefence of the judge, to acknow- *' ledge that Kliyogg was in the right in every article ; ** though he was convinced then, as well as afterwards, ^'' that he was in the wrong ; and that furely he muft >*' have bewitched hisrcafon." — Would to heaven (laid I inwardly) that all my enemies may have no worfc things of which to accuie me. I had no farther view in. commencing an acquaintance r^nth Kliyogg, than that of extending and improving my knowledge in rural economy. I rated my own abil- ities much above the fimplicity of a peafant ; and meant to irvftrucl him ; and, by attacking and fubduing any ■prejudices he might have contracted to put him into the method of trying nev/ experiments in hufDandry. I in- tended communicating thefe to the Philofophical Socie- ty ; which at that period, piirpofed to excite by premi- lims, the mofi: rational and induflrious cultivatois to put in pradlice fuch rules for the improvement of land, as fhouid be acknowledged befb to anfwer that pur- pofe.' — But what was my c^flonifnmenr, to fird in this villager, a man entirely divefled of prejudice ; anden- dowed v/ith a judgment as perfcil as tliat of the moR- celebrated pbilorc])her ; his fentiments and \vill be- ing abfolutely fublervient to reafon 1 His turn of re- jection, his wcrds, his adlions, Itemed always in p^iitcx harmony with each, other. When he dwelt on twc duties of the various ranks in fociety, and the univerfai happinefs attendant on their obfervation, I was ftrack with veneration : whilfl I liftened, my cheeks were inoidened with tears ; an4 f fancied myfelf tranfported into the company of one of the fages of ancient Greece^ m One day he found me in a deep melancholy ; and i could not forbear expreffing my anguifli in his pre- fence. He eacrerly fought to comfort my deprefled fpir- its, with all the zeal of fricnd(bip.— '' My dear doctor, ' iWid he to me (in the courfe of a converfation on the " nature 76' THE RURAL SOCRATES^ nature o'ijocial obligations) when I fee a man give evi- dent to|cens of difquiet and agitation, I conclude he begins to be dlfiatisfied with the former part of his condu^ ; and that he thinks ferioufly of correcting his errors, and entering upon a new plan of life. But when the miud is a prey to gloomy refiecllons, there is great danger of our making an improper choice, — How many are there who fancy they have done all that is required, when they pour forth a profufion of groans and lamentable exclamations 1 and who ap- prehend that religion conliils in conflantly praying, and in reading pious authors j whilil: they have not refolution to do well in othei: refpet^s. Loft to tlicmfelves and to lociely, felf reproach is continu- ally increallng ; and grafi^ing the fhadow, they re- move farther and faither from the lubftance of vir- tue ; like a man., when the wind has blown duft in his eyes, who thinks to get it out by rubbing them ; but the more he rubs, the more they be^ come inflamed and painful. — You vifited our friend N— — lately on his death bed. Neither his know- ledge, piety, nor irreproachable life, furnhhed him with fufficient motives of confolation. It is ma- ny years lince he fell into the (late which I have de- (cribed, and funk into a gloomy defpondency, which made him burthenfome to himlelf and others. — In fuch TTiomcnts, a man ought to recolle£l that he has fome duty to fullil ; and that an attentive per» formance of it, is the moft acceptable worfhip he can pay to the fupreme Being. The dcfire of reforma- tion is unavailing, unlefs accompanied with endeavors to be ufcful to mankind by fome exertion correfpond- ent t^ur ftation. Induftry and exercile will reftorc that tranquillity we have loft, and awaken in the ioul, fenfatfcns highly delightful 1 — I am no flrangcr to the fir ft ft ate of mind I have been dejcribing, 1 had my youthful follies, as well as other people ; I grew fen- iible of my errors ; I felt the pangs of remorfe, '' and THE RURAL SOCRATES. 77 ff and was overwhelmed with melancholy. In this {ItUt f* ation, I fufFered mylelf to be feduced by thofe wht) *' ftyje themfelves, Pietifls or the Ele£l (being Herren- *' hiiters or the followers of Zin^endorf) ; and 1 pafTed *' all my hours in reading and praying ; but I grew flill *' more reftlefs and diflarbed, 1 am obliged to my ex- *' cejlent wife for leading me back to true religion : It *' was fhe who feprefented to me the ruin that threat- '*ened our affairs, and perfuaded me again to fet my !^' band to the plough. An immediate reflexion fuc- *5 cceded, that being placed, by Providence, in the clafs ** of peaHints, I was caljed upon to cultivate the earth ; *' and to bring up my children to the lame bufinefs. '^ From that inflaiu, I refolved to appjy my whole at- *' tention to my farm, and never to be a moment idle. " I iikewife refolved to acfl towards all men, as i wiflied *' in fimilar circUmriances, they fiiould a6l towards me ; *' a maxim which, according to the words of our Sa- *' viour, includes all the law aftd the prop/iets,^ After *' thefe refolutions my heart grew lighter every day ; " and when, in hoursof relaxation,! read a chapter of the ^' bible, every thing appeared clear and diflincl: ; whilft *' before all feemed clouded with oblcurity. Whenever ^' I prayed, I experienced the mod comforting fenfa- *^tions; and I was then convinced of the inefficacy of "- devout forms, wher^ practical duties are neglected ; " though when theie are fulfilled, they give an extraord]- '' nary force to the mind.'- Kliyogg was now filent, I thus continued the con-^ veriatiQU — '' You have reafoned admirably, my" dear "Kliyogg and I acknowledge the truth of all you ad- *' vance ; but your labors and mine are extremely dif^ '' ferent. Yours confift in manual exercife, mine "chiefly in what is contemplative ; which this deje£tion " of ipiritsrenders me incapable of purlui'ng, what ever " efforts * MatN xxii. 40. fays, << On thefe two comrTsndirenfs ijot'e cf Gjd snd /5Xf cfourndghhor) hang aU tbe hvt and the prcohcts/' F :8 THK RURAL SOCRATESo « *' efforts I make, or however llrong is my inclination. ^' Corporal are:id tlic nfe of whatever he has difcovered. *^ Walking may alfo be made an inffru^tive as well as '• healthful recreation ; by enabling you to examine, ^^ with your own eyes, the culture of our farms ; to dif- '^ ccrnthe errors our huibandfiien commit ; and vv'hat ^' defe£ls (land mofl in need of a general correction." — '" You are in the right, my dear Kliyogg, (I repljed.) f^ I will pay obedience co your advice, and feize every "^ occafma of performing my duty. From this moment ^^ I will fet myfelf to the tafk ; that I may feel the fweet ^'' confcioufnefi of being a ufeful member of lociety, and f" regular in the practice of all its obligations; happy f* 4^5. be able, whenever it fhall pleafe heaven, to quit ** with ilitisfaclion, a life ipcnt in glorifying my Ci eater. *' bv b/:"Mo- MiVri'l f:o rviv f'U-.v.v-creiturt-s/' # THE RURAL SOCRATES. 79 t may fafely afiirni, that the admonitions, and above all, the example of this worthy man, produced in me fa- latary effects. — Let it not be thought an extravagance of fancy, if I compare his wifdom with that of Socrates I The parallel would have been much more ftriking, and vh'tue would have gained the admiration and honor it deferves ; had Kliyogg met with a Xenophon, whofe energetic pen could have made the world properly ac- quainted with his charaiSter. I am yet tempted to hope that this faint fivctch will not be abfolutely void of utility, if the features I have endeavored to mark, imprefs on the mind of my read- ers only a part of thofe fenfations I have experienced in contemplating the original. — Perhaps the defcrip- tion I have given, may be an inducement to men of fur pcrior fcience and abilities, ibmetimes to turn their thoughts and obfervations upon the lower clafs of peo- ple. Our knowledge of the various properties and faculties of the human foul might be rnore complete ; and our ideas of happinef?, and true greatnefs of mind more certain and determined ;* nay, I apprehend the queftion debated by the philofophers of the prefent age,^ whether fcience and literature have been more beneficial 6r injurious to fociety, might again be refumed with great benefit. — My Rural Socrates is to aie a proof, that the human mind is capable, in all llations, of difplaying the whole ♦ This author is not the di^ philcfoplcr who has entered into fuch invef- tigations. There was a book pubiifried in 1756, nearly upon the fame plan, intiiled, Tae Moral Philcfoph/rf by Mr. Hoffrpan of Drcfden ; with a copper-plate and this infcripiion : Johannes Ludeiuig^ agri ac 'vivea co-^ lonus^ Philofophnsy Maihematkasy Oratory Atttodida8us» Cajfehud^s frope Dre/dasJi A, lyj^. JEtatis 41. — In the Jourrml Etrangert for Auguft^ 2758, p. 188, there ?s a curious exiraft fioiB this work. F. Having prefented to the Fiench tranflator the life of Ludwig in Ger- man, he remarked, that Ludwig had inftrufled himfelf in various articleg under great difficoltie?, but had done little which wasorigisah — The opin- ion of my friend appears juftified by the account given of Ludwig, in the 3!rft volume of the EngUft; Annoal KegiSer, bting that for the year 125&, See there p. 24.7, K, 8» THE RURAL SOCRATES. whole extent of its powers ; that great talents are never lofl to fociety in whatlocver rank he who pofTefles them .^s phced ; and that the real grandeur oi man confifls in adling cpnfonhably to the faculties beftowed. The hufbandnaij, the artifan, the fch )lar, the magiftrate^ ev- ery man accordi'ig to his occupation, will Mnd fufficient opportunities for the exertion of thefe faculties ; and will render hitnfelf pleali ig to that Being, whole be- nevolent eye co nprehendi ^.tonce what is uiefultothe human race ; provided he makes a good ale of the taFent he has received, accordiiig ra his (laiion. A' wile and inteHigent farmer may be., as injflrumental to the general pro 1 peri cy, as the moft confummate legif- lator. The influence of his example will infenfibly op- erate upon his neighbors ; good morals will prevail in the village to which he belongs, and from thence be ipread ambngft thofe adjacent ; till, by degrees, the whole country w?ll reap t^e benefit of io excellent a mo- del. Such happinefs cannot elcsipe the eyes of atten- tive flatefmen, who are defirons to revTrify errors in gov* ernment ; and the utility v/ill then become general. This confideration has induced me to confiply with the importunities of my friends-, in communicating to the public, a work atfirfl undertaken with the fole view of ftiniukting Tome of my countrymen to ofe their ut- moft efforts for the re-eflabliihrnent of agriculture cj'mongfl: us ; and of pointing out the fliortefl way for the attainment of this laudable purpofe. The inflancc before us proves the pollibilitv of fucceeding \ and aC the fame time indicates the moil efficacious means ; that is to fay, unremitting ardor and alfiduity in labor ; with a more precife and comprehenfive knowledge of the belt methodic of irn pro vement. The tirll: obje*i requires a general reformation in the moral conduct!: of the pea- fants ; the fecond depends upon experiments and obfer- "^ations. The flrongeft incitements to irdefatigable toil are Cither the pecuniary adYanta2:es arifing from it ^ or hon- * THE RURAL SOCRATES. 81 ofary rewards beflowed by the government and particu- lar Ibcieties. The defire of public marks of din.irid:ion, is one of the mofl powerful fprihgs that can influence human nature : and, in obferving it ad fb univerrally on all men in all governments, how is it pofUble to niidake the wife intention of the Creator, which feems flrongly to invite all legiflators to employ it ?— Indeed, flatefmen of fuperior abilities, in every age, have con- flantly availed themfelves of its efficacy. The misfor- tune is, that they ere not always circumlpe£b and juft, in the diflribution of marks of honor ; which occafions the profligate and ignorant to confound the marks of honor with honor itfelf ; for fince thofe who have the leafl pretenfions, frequently ufurp them through intrigue, they infenfibly lofe their value. — -If nobility or knighthood always fur- nifhcd living teflimonials of fervices rendered to a country, the appearance of a nobleman or a knight, would animate every heart with glorious emulation, to arrive at tiie fame diflinction by the fame path ! But on the contrary, when we behold men the mofl defpicable attaining it, as ^vell as the mod eflimable ; and that ti- tles of honor are often the reward of infamy and lewd- nefs ; all the effed: will be to give rife to bafe intrigues, which alone will be fure to obtain the prize, however unworthy the candidate.— In republican governmenlSj to be chofen into the magiflracy is an honorable diftinc- tion : and happy is that ftate where dignities are the af- fared recompcnfe of virtue and merit ! Thereall things flouriQi ; and every citizen is animated with zeal for the public, fince that alone can render him an ol>jecl cf efteem. There the firfl lefTon of infancy is, that probi- ty, talents, and application, procure confideration, and conduA to honors.-^ But all is loft in a nation, where honors are lavidied on idlenefs, intemperarce, and a thoufand other vices 1 All that is good becomes cxtindl ; the mofl important affairs are confided to bafe a^d iiiadive men, and become negleded ; emulation L vanifhes ; g2 THE KU^AL SOCRATES. vahiflies ; and a mean, ferviie condudl is the only metV cd employed to obtain fjcccfs* asSSBE SECTION III. Qif th& Projeds for the advancement of Agriculture^ fff- uukich Kliyogg gaverije in the canton of Zurich. THE following* is an account of what pafTcd at a meeting of peafants at Zurich, chofen from the beft far- mers of the canton, in confequence of an invitation' from the Philoiophical Society. I endeavor to catch every particular of the life of our good Kliyogg, which tends to iiiflriicEl: and interefl ; though I fear that the more this v/orthy man mixes in our city, and the mere he frequents' a certain flile of company, the more diffi- cult will it be to difliflgnidi in him what is his ovrn^ from what is borrowed. What feems hitherto mofc to have diilinguifhed our country philofopher, is his riiiug Xjb the fublicic heights of philofophy, by the folc force of his own genius and re fie dl ion ; unaflifted by books or the converfatitm of the learned. My defcriptionsof Kliyogg had put the finiQiingRrokc in Zurich, to the intcrell taken in his characSler. Every «ne now wifhed to fee him, and to hear him converfe : fome, becaufe they felt warmly in his favor ; and oth- ers, from the hope of an opportunity of being able to de- tc£l errors in my relation concerning him. The lafb could neither comprehend nor rclifh the fa6l, that a fimplc villager fhould be wifcr and better informed, than many of our magiflratcs, clergy, men of letters, and wealthy merchants. They maintained with vclie- mcnce every where, that fuck a charaifler could not ex- ift. The * The firft part of this fc6iion 13 cxtraf^ed from a lelter written by Dr. Hirzrl to the French tranflatuFy Auguft i, 176,3 ;.for the purpofe of bciflg iafsricd in the Sijpplemect to the fecrtnd Frerich, edjilcn af the Rn- ral Socrates t Et THE RURAL SOCRATES. 83 Tiie d^fire of meeting with Kliyogg, therefore, be- came general. — When it was found with what frank- nefs and good fcnfe he jfpoke, envy itfelf was conflrain^ ed to do him jaliice, and men of fenfe and virtue gave him their friend(bif). The wifeH: and belt infirudlcd cf our magiflratcs did not dlfdain to converfe with him reC- pe£ling ths improyerncnt of agriculture and many fubjecls of cl vl\ orovernment. — I Ixid now an opportuai* ty of admiiing his wonderful fagaclty, and how deeply he had advanced in the art of penetrating into charac- ters , He feized in a moment the diflindlive qualities of each perfon ; a»nd in his different conferences foon found whether tlie notice paid him was owing to curi- ofity, to a love for truth, to vanity, or to a turn for contradiction. — He (aw at the fame time, wiih the high- efl: fatisfaiSlion, thsit his reaibnings did not fail to make imprciTion ; and that he gained fufiicient influence to in- duce him to hope, that he might be ufeful. No other motive W2s now neceiTary to engage him to continue frequently to vifit thofe, whofe difpofitions inclined them to relifiii, and whofe fituation enabled them to af- (Ifr, the plans for the public good, which he wiflied to fee executed. Kliyogg had it particuWIy at heart to perfaade the pcafants of his community to confent to inclofing their common paRure ; which is an extenfivetratft of land, very fvvampy and wet, and in its prefent Hate, of fma)! ad-^ vantage ; but, in his opinion, when inclofed, capable of furnifhtng every farmer with food for a rruich greater number of cattle, and of augmenting manure in the ^kme proportion, lb material to good culttire. Kliyc^g was fenilble that the Pbilofophical' Society was occupied with vievv^ congenial to his own, and ani- mated v/ith the fajne zeal. He cam« often to its aOcm- blies, and communicated his ideas on the methods to be pnrfued,in cafe they defired that agriculture (bould flour- ifh.'T^He above all recommended their extending their complaifance 84 THE RUHAL SOCIIA TES. complaifance fo far as to hear the opinion of the peafants from their own mouths, and rcgularl}/ to confer with them. '^ It can only be by thefe conferences (laid he) ^' that you will ever' form jufl ideas of the flate of our *' agriculture ; determine the precife pofition our cuU ^' tivators have reached ; and afcertainthe caufes which *' have prevented their farther progrefs. Thefe marks ^^ of confideration for their flation and underftanding, " will engage their attention, and excite a fpirit of aiSli- ^* vity, to make refiedlions and obfervations on the vari- *' ous parts of hufbandry. By placing a confidence in ^' them^ you will gain theirs ; and they wijl fall infen- ''^ fibly into your opinion, when once they are perfuaded *' that it is net from author ity, but convi(rrion5 that ^' you wifti them to purfue new tracks. — You fre- *' quently reafcn upon what concerns our profeflion : ^' will you permit rae^ gentlemen, to bring fbme of my *' brethren to reafon in their turn before you upon fub- *' je^ls with which they likewiie are acquainted. The f farmer imagines thai he is better informed than your- *^ felves,in matters v;hich concern him ; and you mufi: be ''•' careful not to oppoie this opinion. You (liould rather ^' flatter him ; and leave him to fuppofe that you have a ^' high idea of his capacity, if you mean to excite his *' emulation and incline him to feck inflrnn of interefts procure ojr country all thofe blef- fmgs which there is reafon tocxpedl from it." — I had the fatisfadlion m finiihing my difcourfe, to ohferve fomc emotions in the countenai^.ce of my auditors^ cxprcllivc of their approbation. The ■THE RURAL SOCRATES, 2^' The Society, as a teflimony of regard and good will to their gneds, had provided a dinner ; where there was fo general an appearance of cordiality and kind-, ncfs, that the conclufion of the day was not leis atieft- if}g to a v/eil-v/i{her to mankind, than the beginning. THE Philofophical Society having difcovcrcd, that Z^/^iy-'" written by pcrfons/zc?.^ engaged in practical agricul- ture, had little comparative weight with the peaiantry ; propofed (as has been related) ^4nnual prize quejliom^ to which the pta(ants replied in writing.* At the end of tlieyear, the information contained in the papers of the peaiants was extraded ; and recommended with the more confidence to the inhabitants of the coun- try, as it had been fuggefiied by fome of their com- rades. The firfi objecl propofed for difcufilon regarded the care oi forejls. The increaflng confumption of wood from the progrefs of luxury and manufadlures and from an augmented population, joined to the decreafe of the forefbs, made this a neceifary fubjeift of attention ; and yet it had wholly been neglected by the peafantry, who even thought it ridiculous in any cafe to plant wood. The prize queflions v/hich were iirit propofed in 1763, and continued in 1764, refpected the fowing5the care, the cutting, *In the fecond volume of the French eJiiion of the Ksral ^sc^ate;^ % letter is inferted dated 24 Sept. 1774 ; and written by Dr. Hirzel, to the Baron de Tchoudi, an officc-r in the Krcnch fervlce, and author of an Ef- {zyoT\ReJinom and cone hearing trees and of of her perfor.>.ance3. It chief! 5? legards the improvemcns? in rhc canton of Zurich which fefohed fron? the hiot furnifiied by the conference between the Philofophical Society of Zurich and certain peafants of the canton ; a conference, as we have feen, iirft propofed by Kiiyogg. — From this letter, the following part of the above fedion of this work isextrn<^^ed and tianflated. Mr. Young's tranfiator from this period of our work will no isore be ^card of; except in our Appendix, E, IVI 9!^: THE RURAL SOCRATES. cutting, and the employment of wood. The anfwerS ftftoniflied the propolers; and proved the important truth^ ;^hat found rcalbn well directed can never mifs the truth. Profeflor Ulleri, digefled the whole into a body of in- ilruftions, which uere approved even among the Ger- mans, with whom the art of the Forefier has approach- ed the moil towards perfeftion. Among thefe papers, the bcfl was the work of a cooper ; whoie bufinels often led him into the woods. It was fo well drawn up, that it needed no alteration to fit it for the prels ; and the author of it in confeqiiente, was made the diiedlor of a confiderable wood. At the fame time, commiflioners were appointed to take care of the foreils — The prin- ciples upon this fubjed thus becomipg more generally known, the Society was encouraged to proceed far- ther. It was now determined to difcnfs every branch of ru- ral economy, in order to arrive at a fyflematic fet of infl:ra£lions for the country ; — and the next topic pro- pofed, regarded the means, of preparing, afTcmbling and multiplytng maiiures^ compoils, t&c. This was the more natural, as the pcafantry ^xrc already convinced of the necelfity of attention on this head, according to the maxim prevailing among them, that 7nanure is better than contrivance ; {_M[ft ijl v.her lift ; mieux vaut fum'er qne finefTe \\ and much had been done on this fabjccl, eipecially for the increafe of liqoid manure [mare.] — It was alfo neccfTary to attack the cuilom of turning out beafls into fallows, as alfo into flubble, after harvefl ; a fort of commonage called /-/re*// de parcours ; which diminifhed the quan* tity of dung in the feafon of the year, when it was bell in quantity and kind, and when the fermentation was luoft favored by the heat of the feafon ; and injured a l-^ fo the turn for improvement, by checking the cultiva- tor in the free difpofition of his land. — This ) ew expe- riment was equally liiccefsful with the former ; many fyflematic thinkers were found among the pcafantry. THE RURAL SQCRATES. 9 1 ai>d tiic fpecies - of commonage above-mentioned was finally abolifhcd. The following year the fubjedi: of the Society^s prize was the employment of the manure of the far jn- yard ; for as it was eilablilhed in the difcuflions of the preced- ing year, that there were diffeient fpecies of manure, the examination now was, how bell to «pp1y each, of them ; both as to the objed of cuhure, and the fpecies of ibil. More inform atioo was obtained on this head than was ei;peded ; and the memoir of Captain Tog- guenburguer of Martelen, an experienced and intelli* gent cultivator, was printed without any change being made in it. — In the reiult, the peafantry received here again much inflrudtion. It v/as even found profitable to manure lefs laud, provided it v/as done upon a better fyflem ;for the manure ought to be fo laid, as to increale tlie future means of manuring, by augmenting the quantity both of forage for cattle and of itrav/. Thefe fucceffes led to another object ftill more diffi- cult and almod unknown in the country ; namely, the rmxiure of differ era earths^ and the decifion of the ^perimcii!:s, A 96 THE RURAL SOCRATES. A part of this land has been devoted to the forma- tion of a botanical garden^ in which every year are feen 200D ditFerent plants, of which fome arc extremely rare ; and this garden v^as placed under the care of Tii\ Locker, All thcfe dilFcrcnt operations, of the Philofophlcal Society, let it be repeated, are the conlequence of its fit^fl CQ7incciion with Kliyo^g* Thus the virtues of private lUe may extend their influeiace to the whole of human focietv ; jnft as nn oak by its aQorns may furround it- Icli' with other oaks, which ailing in like manner, the original oak becomes attended by a majefUc foreil.''^ * The French editor in a notCj informs us of a clergytnan of the name of Cciofnbel, who every year provided dliterent prizes for his parifhion- rrs, of which tlie Agrtculiural Sncieiy of Alencor had the dillrihution. — ^ Ihi^ relates olfo, th:t M. de la Pt-rriere, Jin aiuient tmiflceteer of the King ofFrar-ce, gave afeftival yearly; to whjcrt thcfe only were admitted, wha had c^iflinguilhe.i thedifclves by their exer(ions and fuccefs in zgriculture. Ag! jcjltural concerns foraic J the fuhj^ii^ of a conf^ji-ence upr>n this occafion, and tiiC pre-eminence tf ihofe who had done rnnft in the year was decsd- rd by a tribunal. The ptrifli of Cepsde, in the old duchy of Aguiljon, n {aid by this means lo h:!ve becooie ihe beft culdvaied of any iri its neighborhood, Ir is affir-ned in a French puViication, that in Alface they have fuc- ceedcd in relfing fo'-nc of the fineft vegetables in Europe ; owing to the magiiharcs at Strafburg giving a fmall gratification to thofc bringing ta market the fincft bcefj cjbb?ge, &c. Gardr-nin^ iind fruit trees fuinifii fubje(51s which might properly fail within (he ol j?rt9 of a le^urer in agriculture, Premiunns lilfo may fie ot find among ///^fWperfons the mofl remarkable for their merit and talents. The neighbors of our philofupher feek to ridi<:ule hina as a lingular man, who always endeavors to be wi- fer than other perfons. — One exclaims, that iie deflroys his woods, in order to augment his manure with the ipoils of his firs and pines. Another pretends, that he luins Ills poflerity, by ufing a mixture of different foils ; or by exhauflinghis arable lands and depriving them of their juices. Others wi(h to make him pafs for a vain and Vvorldly man, little occupied with his Creator, and trufling only to his own efforts : though in fa61 he only regards labor as the furefl means of obtaining the divine blefirng. Others again make liim a flatterer, who infi- nuates himfelf into the favor of men in place, in order to dcprefs his neighbors ; though the only ufe which he has made of the accefs which the fublime fimplicity of his cha'rai^ler procures him among the moll refpci^ted and beft intentioned membersof our government,, lies been, to acquaint thciji with the true flate of what hap- pens in the country, and to lead them to favor the in- duflrious cultivator. Others, in fhort^ laugh at all of his enlerprizes v/hich vary from the common courfe ; and leave nothing undone which envy and malice can fuggeO:, in oider to diftrafl or injure him.^ — He, on the other hand, always tranquil in the midCt of their in- trigues, proceeds in his courfe ; and oppofcs nothing to his enemies but the fruits of his labors ; rich harvclls ; , children, who are well brought up, and on whofc coun- tenances are to be obferved .the figns of an interiial tranquillity and content, and whofe obedience and alert- nefij in their labors every day increafcs his happinefs 5 and laftly, the diflingniflied favor of our governmen':. I have never properly difcovercd him in anger : mi>ch Icfs have I remarked in him the fhiallcfl difpcfition t6 rrientmcnt, I have fcen him' i':; the difputc^ between ore' . THE RURAL SOCRATES. 9^ K>ne parifli and another (where great vehemence is ufu- al) employing only a frauk, fimple, and molt accurate llatiemeiit of fails, in oppofilion to the lieat of the ad- verfe party ; and more than once, I have obferved him Seizing with a kind of enthuiiafm, the means of procur- ing accefs to his patrons for thofe, who envied and op- pofed him ; feekir.g to regain their good will by marks of the moft unequivocal frieuddiip and by fcrv ices the mofi: important. — Such proceedings are exceedingly rare in the inhabitants of the country. I notice care- fully every occurrence which can make me acquainted with this clais of people ; and 1 am every day more and more confirmed in the pei faafion, that genius is as com- mon in this clafs, as in any other whatfoevcr ; but that generofity and difintercfLcdnefs are of all their natural u^ualitiesj thofe v/hlch develope themfclves the leaft* ; the * The French tranfl^tor cites here two meixoraWe excepiicns. One isfaken Uom ilie Marqnis de Miraheau, who gives »he folloviing Telation in the Ef.hf;ieri(/es du Citojen for 1769. *• The farmers and vaf- *' his of M. de Kergroadez (io the diocefe of Leon, in France) learring ** ihat h,e defigneu to fell his cftate, affembled and deputed to him (omt ct *< ti.elr chiefs, to rf queft that he nuould mt f:ll the-vi to any in the admins •* ijhatkn of the faancfSy and ta kno-jj in n.vhat they had cffen.-fed him.'* — My friends, faiJ he vviih e^TiOtion, the ncafure is nefeff.iry ^fom the de- fanged ftate of my affairs ; I can no longer live in my ufual i^yle ; and I rnuli fell, that I may at lealr leave a wreck of my fortune to my children. — Your children, replied the old mer, cannot be in letter hands than ours ; but 33 we know thai they ought not to owe their fuhfulence 10 us, and our only wifh is to reinPtaie the f.imsly, con-.^efcenJ to Introll: your rfFaJfi fo us. What iii the amount of your debts, for ihey belong to us all ?— Your kindnefs penecr/itcs trie, lie replied; but lowe above X.i2,oco fieriing, and 1 muft cf neccffiiy q-jit you. — The deputies rc;ired with this inrormaiion ; thanking hiaa, and pfOiTiifirg him a fpeedy anfwer. In effed, ^ftcr fomr lifT.e ihey returned with ihe j^.12,000, and flgned a contra^ wiih hia-, of which the minute ftill fubfifls ; leaving him half his income to fupporc him according to his r^nk, an.i providing fi>r their reiixburfement in for- ty years ; and to conclude all, they prcfentcd him iviih eight catriage hor- fes, that, in their own phrafe, his lady might go to church ,n a pro^tt mari- ner, > The fecond anecdote refpe^^a the generoGty and delicacy cfanold An- abaptiit of the country of Walc'tc'^f • I' ': ' ^"'°n recited. In th? year 1 76^, M. ds tot) THE RURAL SOCRATES. the p^afant being too feldom in a iituation to cxercifc them. Limitted generally to the fingle care of procur- ing bis fubfiftenre, he fees and habitually meets in oth- ers fcarcely any thing befides attempts, in one fhape or other, to deprive him gf the fruits of his labor. — But as to Kliyogg, we know how capable he is of railing him- 4elf above his fellows ; and that friendfliip, conciefcen- fion, and forgivencfs of injuries, are each as natural to him, as his allonhhingadlivity in his ruftic labors ; and thefe are the virtues which not only preferve him in a conflant ftate oftranquillity and content, which nothing can alter, but which manifcri: themfelvcs in the divine character of his countenance. 1 have lately made him avifitin company with Baron Rudbeck and the learned M. de Biornflal, two SwediHi travellers of merit, whofe obfcrving eye fuffers nothing to cfcape them, which can interefl humanity.**"*. We found Kliyogg jufl returned from a fatiguing journey, having that moment taken his fe^t at the dinner- table. He rofe immediately to receive us ; and, much as he Hood in need of reft and refrellunent, it was in vain that we ufcd every poflible intreaty to oblige hint to linifh his repaft. He entertained us with a thoufand intcredip.g things, conducted us into his fields, and (hew- ed us the improvements which then occupied him. At our M. f^e S£r.(?Ier, aiJ (le camp to the count de Stainville, having orders to il-arcn for f»eldi of grain where the horfes of his general rr,ight forage ; met ao Ar.abaptift, vvhaia be enjoined to conduct him lo fuch fields. — The jgood man endeavored to cxcufe himfelf, with a degree of calmneG equal- }v removed from infrnence and from fear j but being conHrained, he de- ilred M de Stadlcr to follow him. They had proceeded through a wood ■A confiderahle way, uhen M. de Stadler found that they had pafled a Tuimber of, fields of grain, ot vthich the Anabaptift had taken rio notic*. When he afked the reafon, i!>c old man ftill advancing, faid, *' the othe^ *» fields do not belong to me, bur this does ; fend therefore mowers, and •"* tzW mc the quantity of forage yon want." — The French iranflator, adds, jrer;'efting the Anahaptifts, that a petfon, who had been for fifty years at tthe head of ihc magiftracy of Amfterdam, affiired hi:r», that during the vi-holc of that time, ^^ had never fcund one jerious accufation in the fii,hlic 1 ,-ffij}(fi cgairH an Anahtipiiji^ THE RURAL SOCRATES. loi i^ur return, he gave us a country collation. ?.nd tl was with difficulty that we prevented him from re conduiS^- ing us to Zurich. This trait will fliew you, to what a point cordiality and courtefy have become ingrafted in- to his charau have worked on the afternoon of holy ^'Thuriday, after having taken the facrament in the " morning; and that on a Sunday you have carried ^'your plough from one field to another, to be ready ^^ for your v;ork on the Monday morning/'' no THE RURAL SOCRATES, */ true (faid KHyogg ;) but as to the holy Thurfday^ ^- the magillrate did not order me to refrain from v/ork j ^^ and fince, when I took the f'acramci^l, I made a frefh '^ prpmifc to God to fulfil all my duties j I thought it *' no lirLon that afternoon to attend to my calling, which '' is the mod important of the duties which God has ^' impofed upon me. 1 agree alfo that I have carried *' my plough from one field to another, on the Sunday 5 *' but is there more evil in this, than in playing at Piine- '^ pins on that day, as_)/or 07. ihe S'jndsy, which may not only fali up-.nnian, bat npnn cattle. ?- THE RURAL SOCRATES. ' tti adopted, formerly overwhelmed him. He is now fo well confirmed in his principles that nothing can fliake them. — The youngcft cf his children died not long iince, of a malignant fever, in the eighth year of his act;, KliyojTg had a fingnlar affevflion for him, becaufe from his infancy he had (hewn a very peculiar tafle for agri- culture ; all his plays being only fo many imitations of ploughing, manuring, and other agricultural v^orks. The diforder had thrown the child into a delirium v^hich never quitted him ; and in his r?imblings he ahvays conceived himfelf to be in the fields at v»^ork. His mother thought thefe not the proper objc6ls of contem- plation for a dying perfon ; and wifhed to prepare him for death, by reading the forms of prayer adapted to the occafion. '' Of what ufe is this,, (faid Kliyogg,) *"' when the poor child is not in a condition to compre- *' Jiend any of thefe things : Pray for yourfelf only ; '^ fmce (lowering his tone of voice,) reading aloud can *' have no other effed: than to diflurb our dear pa- '' tient." — '^ But what if he (liould die, (faid tb.e moth- '^ er,) without our. having prayed v.'ith him :'* — '-''• \^ '« he dies, (faid Kliyogg,) he will die in his calling, '* fince his whole thoughts are bent upon agricultj;re ; " and fee how tranquil he is wilh it ; while your Y'^zy-, *' ing aloud, I repeat, will only difturb this tranqaillity, '^ Pray yourfelf to God in filence, that he will deign to *' receive him into his favor, if fuch is his will." — ^' But what v/ill people fay, if we neglccr thefe *' things r"— '' It does not concern us, what people will '* fay, when the quefiion is only what is right ; snd I *' fee no u(e in repeating to a child who is out of his '' mind, things which he cannot comprehend, I am " perfuaded on tlie contrary, that it would be unpar- '^ donable to rifque diilurbing the fcienitv of our *' child in the lalh n^oments of his life ; antl I defiie " you would be contented, at prefenr, with recom- ^' mending him to God 'divA his divine providence.'"' — Saying this, he took l;er book and (hut it ; adhering thuif a I v/ ays u^ THE RUilAL S0GR.ATE5. always to his grand principle, that the exlericr of reli-^ gion is only good when reaibn avows it and the heart participates in itt We may lee from hence that very found and very vigorous good fenfe properly forms the diftinguifhing quality of our philofopher. Not that he wants imagi- nation, as we may jndge from the illnftrations he em- ploys to give clearnefs to his ideas, (of which my narra- tive reipeiSling him farnifhes more than one example ;) but his imagination is always kept in fubordination to his reafon, and only ferves to furnifh him Vv'ith figures to render his difcoiirfe more impretiive. As to poetic thoughts ; I do not recolleft his having difcovered a iingle one. Neverthelefs he feizes and feels with force, whatever is beautiful in nature or in morals ; and what- ever he feels, he perfe^lly knows how to cxprefs ; but it is more by the animated and heavenly movements of his countenance, than by any choice of words.— PF'hat redly renders him an extraordinary man^ is the pcrfcH and mfeparahle a^^recment of his thoughts^ his ivords^ and his aClions, This agreement I never fiiw £o forcible in any other man ; and it is this which at- taches to him the admiration and good-will of thofe who know him ;and renders him worthy of the feelings which certain' refpec^able perfons have for him, in con- iequeilce of the feeble portrait by which I have made him known. Their elleeni for him I am perfuaded would increnfe, could they h?. eye-witneffes to a life,; the whole of which is in harwovy ivitk itjelf. ciEGTIOM tfHE llUPiAL SdcrtATES. it^ SECTION it Qfths Tniervievj between Prince Louis Eugene of PVir^ temberg and Kliyogg^ at the Helvetic Society* . IT was in the year 1765, at the baths of, Schintznatch and in the midft of the Helvetic Society y that his Serene Highnefs prince Eugene of Wirtembcrg% defired to fee Kliyogg, my defcription of whom had been fo for- tunate as to excite in him fomc interefl.*** He had written me a letter of which the following are extra(Si:,3* -r— *V I have often v/ept over the ravifhing and affecting V pi6lure you have drawn of this philolophical peafant* ". He confirras me more aiid more in*the opinion which ^*- I have long entertained, that the man who is the *' happiefl:, is at the fame time the greatefl. We are *' great, when we fulfil with zeal and exa(n:nefs our du- " ties towards our country and our fellow creatures J . * The account in this feftion, ?« extracted from a letter written by Dr^ Hirzel, to Mr. Gleim canon of Halberftadt, a celebrated German poet. + This was a worthy, but bigoited prince, not ipuch in favor with Mr, Gibbon, (See the pofturoous publications of that gentleman.} He Joined the coalition of fovereigns againft France with great zeal ; but ac laft was obliged to think of negotiation uith that country. He died before he couid conclude any. — He was fucceeded by his brother, who at firft perfifted in the plan of negotiating, but afterwards departed froax it ; though a fudden death prevented this change of fyftem from appear^, in^, — The reigning Duke of Wirtcmberg, who finiflied this projefted ne- gotiation by a leniporary peace/ afterwards osariied the princefs royal of England. One of his frfters would Iiave been at this time emprefs o£ Aujiritti but for the death of her confort ; while another of bis fifters is aftually the wife of Paul the prefent emperor of /J^^/T^. (A. D, 1797.) . The Helvetic Society here alluded to was inftituted in 1761, having for its members many enlightened perfons iti Switzerland, who m«t annu- ally to hear a dlfcourfe from the prefident of the year, and to enjoy ths benefit of each other* conveifation for the three days during which the; affembly continued. It was held in the month of May. Schintznatch was the firft place of the meeting^; but after fume fufpenfion, the annua! af- iecnbly was next held at Olicn, and finally at Ataa» P 114 '^HE RURAL SOCRATES. *' we are happy, when we love our condition and the '' duties which it impofcs, and enjoy the delightful con- *' vid:ion of it, and the fatisfadtion which an honed man ** feels when he finds tliat he can refped: himfeif for his *' condudl.**^ I am thoroughly fenfible. how much '' this comparative efiimate lowers thofe proud mortals, ** who wifh to fubmit every thing to their ambition ; *' but on the other hand, it mufl; elevate fublime minds, *' which is exadly v/hat is ufeful for humanity/' You may eafily believe that I very willingly accepted the propofal which hishighnefs made me, of bringingmy peafant phiiofopher to Schintznatch. — ^^Ifenc with fpeed a mefTenger to Kliyogg ; well affured that he would' not fail to come immediatelyj nothing being fo natural to him as to give {^cafure to his friends ; and I went the following day to Brugg to wait for him at the houfe of my dear Zimmerman. — -My friend Kliyogg appeared' the day after, very early in the morning. He had walk- ed ail the night, having travelled feven leagues without flopping ; except to refrefli himielf under a tree with a' bit of bread which he had brought in his pocket, and with a draught of frefh water taken from a neighboring ipring. He had on him a peafant drefs of ticking [coutij ' which was very clean : and if his habit wa!s not impo- Ung, there appeared a vivacity and a ferenity upon his countenance which won every heart. The burgravc of Donha had alfo come to Brugg • to meet Kliyogg. When I explained to Kli- yogg the rank of this young nobleman, and his re- lationfhip to Frederic of PrufTia, whom Kliyogg had ' fo often admired ; he looked at the burgrave with the piercing eye of an obferver. He then gave his heart- felt praifes to this king of PruiTia ; ''who (he faid) *' would never have performed miracles had he not al- ** ways been the fir Jl at work, — The example of this *' prince, (continued he, with a movement of his head '^ which in him always announces a peculiar emotion,) ^' has not a little cojitributed to raifc my own courage, *< when ^HE RURAL SOCRATES- ny /?< when I have been upon the point of (Inking under " difficulties in the adminiftration of my own liour- *' hold. Ah 1 faid I to myfelf, it is neccfTary to work ^' without being difheartcned ; and to be always there, *' where the labor Is moft feverc j the firfl in the morn« " ing, and the lall: at night. Without this, things *' could not go on ; for believe me, firs, if the mafter is >' not always foreniofl, and fails to fhew to others by ^' his example the manner in v/hich every thing is to be ^' performed, all is undone. The fervant who knows *' and who can dp a thing better than his maflcr, fol- *' lows his own plcafiire in it, which will never lead him '' to waile his (Irength in increafing the wealth of one *' whom he defpifes ; but he will rather think of his; *' own advantage ; and how to obtain the bed pay and " the molt perquifites/^ — It was thus that our philofo- pher diiplayed his wifdom from the firfl moment of this interviev/v— When I endeavored to alarm him, by telling him that he was about to receive the honor of be- ing prefented to a prince, it was all in vain. He only exprelTed his joy at finding that fuch great perfonages could carry their love of mankind fo far, as to hold converfe with peafants ; fince in this condefcenfion he »faw the furefl means of Ipreading plenty and happinefs .over the earth. We now mounted an open carriage to go to Schintz- .natch.— x\s the road crofTed various cultivated fields, the burgrave took occafion to bring Kliyogg upon the .chapter of agriculture, queflioning him about different new forts of grain, and artificial graffes, <&c.***. Kli- yogg condemned nothing I but only maintained, that agriculture did not fail fo much from the want of ufe- ful plants, as of a proper preparation of the earth. *'A11 *' thefe liew fpecies of grain and artificial graffes v/ill *' fervenopurpofe, (faid he) if there is a neglect of tillage *' and of manuring, the quantity of which latter mufi: *^ be increafed with the greateft care ; thefe new pro- s** duftioDS rcauiriog as much preparation of the earthy U6 XHe RURAL SOCRATES. ^•' as the ordinary produdlions which we aheady poiTcfso *^ 1 have neverthelefs (he added) feen fome perfons who f have devoted ail their care and their befl manure to *' thefe new articles, while they have neglected every thing •^^ elle upon their farms/' — The converfation afterwards . jturned upon the cultivation of madder, with which Kli- yogg was wholly unacquainted ; bqt, when he . learned that it injured other articles of culture, it foon ceafed to excite his curiohty. ''*■ Our vines, (faid he fmiling,) J"' for which we have fo much ^ffedion, do injury *' enough in this way ; our poor fields and meadows f' beipg left to janient the want of that manure,, which ^^ we give wholly to the juicfs of the grape." ^ '' It was in the midll of difcourfe of this kind, that v^e found ourfplvjLJS near the entrance of the houfe at the baths, i^rince Louis Kugene of Wirtemberg had al- ready come out with all the members of the Society, to receive our country philofopher. I took Kliyogg by the hand to condudi: him towards the prince, whole firft meafurc v/as to embrace hini with i^nuch emotion ; fay- ing, '^I have great joy Kliyogg in feeing you, after all ''^ the good I have heard of you.''— '^ And I alfo, my '^^ prince, am glad to fee you, (anfv^ercd the villager, ^' with the mod marked fatisfadlon paipted in « his ** eyes :) How charming is it, when great perfons lik^ ^' you, have condefccnfion for us poor peafants !'' — '» It '^ is no condefcenfion in your caje, replied the generous *' prince ; fori feekto raife myfelf to your flandard, ^' fince you are more elevated than I am;*' and her^ the eyes of our philanthropic prince gliftened with tears. — Kiiyogg, was for a moment di (concerted ; but foon recovering himfelf, he faid, '^ We are both good, if ^^ each of us does what he ought to do. You princes *' and great men fhould tell us what ought to be done *"'' and the manner of doing it ; i'ov you have leifure to ''^ examine and wcigii well what is mofl uleful to a *' country : and it afterwards belongs to us peafants, lo /^^ pbcy, and to work with zeal and integrity ; and thus ^ '' together ' THE RURAL SOCRATES* ji; .¥ together we form the entire man* Howevever advan- *' tagcous for thecountry may be the tendency of your "' wilefl: deliberations, your work is bat half proceeded *' in, and the good is not yet realized, till the fubjed:, '* the peafant, puts his hand to the bufinefs : but v»^c *' fhould crofs each other in our exertions and bring on *' confufion, and the good would be ftill undone, if you *' did not keep us in order. Thus the peafant is but *' half of a man^ and ths great lord alfo is but the other *' half of a man; and it is only when they both join, *' that the man appears as a v/hole, and that the work 'Succeeds/' — If our philofophic prince was afloniflied at the jullnefs of the ideas of our villager and at the luminous manner in which he difplayed them ; he waf flill more io at the interior content which he read in his eyes, while he was fpeaking : in fhort, he faw the whole value of Kliyogg : He therefore replied, " You have *^ju(l uttered a heavenly truth ; and it isprecifely becaufc " you reprefent fo well your half of theintire man, and *' fulfil ybur duty with fo much integrity, that I love and ''honor you. I wifh to heaven, that I could affirm as ^^ much myfelf, and with the fame confidence ;'' faying which he a fecond time embraced Kliyogg : — '* I fee, my f prince, (replied the villager) by the manner in which *' you fpeak to me, that you fulfil the duties of your ^^ fituation, as well as I can do thofe of mine ; and you " cannot believe to what a degree my heart feels elated ^' at your behaviour. My labors will become doubly " dear to me, fince I perceive that they pleafe fo good *' a prince ; and you would not proceed thus towards ** me, if you were not accuflomcd to do the fame to f' others. Indeed you are not aware of all the good *' which will be produced by your condqfcenfion and fa> *^ miliarity." '* I oughtrather to take your place (faid the ^* incomparable prince,with his heart again penetrated ;) '' for it is you, who encourage well doing ; yon, who are ^' better than myfelf." — Kliyogg, who was now much affeiSled, anfwered, with a ton^ «f fenfibility which madq: ii3 THE KUKAL .SOCRATES. a ftrong itnpreflion upon the hi^arts of all pr^Ient : .-*' WichouC doubt, it: is more difficult to do good in your ^' fituation, than for a fabje«5i: ; for when we fall into *' error or a^St contrary to juftice, you are at hand to fet *' us right or to punilh us ; but when perfons in your *' fphere do wrong, you have no fuperior to do the ^' fame to you ; you are abandoned to yourfelves .*' and to your confciences, and alas ! how difficult is it *^ for us to govern ourfelves/*— -The prince anfwered no otherwife than by fhewing a lilcnt admiration, which ipread itfelf over the v/hole company ; who were ftruck to liear fuch important truths delivered with fuch frank- nefs and noble fimplicity by a peafant. — The prince iiDw putting his arm into that of Kliyogg, led him into his own apartment to converfe with'him in private. During all this time f had continued fllently to ob- ferve the countenances of thefc tv/o a^^ors. I faw with the deepefl: fenHitions, how two fouls, each fo noble, palled one into the other ; I admired in them, m'an in all his grandeur : the pri»nce and the peafant alike dit appeared ; I perceived only two of the mod excellent of men, born to love one another : and i had the happi- nefs to feel that I myfelf was beloved by them both. The whole of the afternoon and a great part of the day following, Kliyogg was the obje<9: of the moft curi- ous attention of all the members of the Society who were prefent. He v/as quedioned much about his agri- culture, his manner of educating his children, and his leligious principles ; and he anfwered thcfe queftions with a noble freedom, whicli gained him more and more the affections of his auditory, and cfpecially that of his iilluflrious friend. — As formyfelf, I fometimes kept at a diftance, to give thofe who had hitherto known Kliyogg bymy defcriptiononly, the full means of examining him; and when I approached afterwards to hear the opinions that were given, I received at^fird many flattering com- pliments on the fubjedl of my philofopher ; my hero being thought happy in having fo good an hiftorian.— • Many THE RURAL SOCRATES. n^ Mfiny however had, as yet, only heard a fitnplc laborer^ with great fenfc it is true j but he had faid nothing but what was common about agricuhure ; not being at all famiJiar, for inflance, with the new difcover- ies ;*** and knowing nothing beyond the culture ufed in his own part of the country, and fceking only by ob- ftinate labor to perfe£l what he had in view, in the man- ner I have defciibed. Others looked for learning in . him, without finding it ; but they perceived inflead- of it a great fund of found reafon, and a natural good fenfe which he applied happily to every cafe which pre- fented itfelf in the narrow fphere in which Providence had placed him ; a quality which lefs creates furprize, €xa4 "^^^E RURAL SOCRATES, Different plans prefented themfelves. The iirft and apparently the ihorteil would have been, to have colieded money fufficknt to purchaie at once the cattle, ftraw, and provender requifite for making the manure, which the exhaiifled flatc of the land fcemed to demand ; and to hirp laborers enough to execute the mod preifing im- provements. But this, Kliyogg rejected ; for as he had not himfelf the capital required, he thought it dan- gerous to borrow upon intereft. A bad year might overfet him and ruin his credit, as he had already made great advances in the ontfct of this new. undertaking ; and he knew that envy is never more adive in attack- ing a man of merit, than when fortune opens to him. brilliant profpeds. A flower, but Itill a certain method was, to undertake thefe improvements with the hands with which Provi- dence had fo liberally blefled his family ; and to feek for every thing on thefpot. But even this courfe pre- fented very great difficulties, as he required thefe fame hands for working his paternal property ; v/hich if fold, mud be at a difadvantage, fmce it would appear as aA ad: of riccelfuy. As firmnefs and conllancy how- ever, overcome everything, Kliyogg animated himfelf with the hght of his children who were already arrived at their flrength ; and whofe numb^er might be doubled after a time by productive marriages ; for children arc to lione more a real bleifing, than to the laborer. He left therefore his brother at Wcrmctfwcii, with one par: of the family, to coHtinae^ ihe management of their paternal property upon the plan which he had laid down ; and with the other part, he proceeded to take poflellion of the farm wirh a manly courage and with a tirni confidence in the divine alliflance. The fir fl time ihat his fons aHiiled him in ploughing the new lands, they were tranfportcd v/ith plcafure at feeing the length of their farrows ; for all the fields at their former home were in fmali divifions, according to the very perni- cious practice generally feen in our countries, "iliey ■ ■ ' -' " ' ' even THE RURAr SOCRATE: 125! even fhouted with joy in following the plough ; and this noify gaiety feemed to influence and to gi/e new flrength to the cattle who drew it along. The queflion that was next to be dircufled, %vas where to begin the improvements ; the whole of the farm be- ing in a flate of ruin. The meadows gave> very lltt]« grais and of bad quality; the greater part being cover- ed with water,*** and the rell exhaulicd for want of manure. The fields were poor- ; and, as vyehave Cccn^ in many places marfhy. The vineyard looked like fal- low land ; and the hedges had encroached fo much up- on it, that one of the befl portions of it was rendered ufeiefs. There was very little dung ; and no provifioa for liquid manure, the former refer voir s for' making it beicg few and decayed. The little grain which was growing, promifed but a fhiall quantity of draw ; and kliyogg had no firs or pines to furnill) him with a fub- ftitute, as a compofh for drefling his lands.— This flate of things had much lelTened the firft effervefcence of joy felt by his family, and there was much danger of dii- couragem.ent fucceeding. Kliyogg alone refifled the impreflion, reckoning more than ever upon his adivity and the aid of Providence. He began with his arable lands ; and looked around him for the means of fupplying himfelfwith ^nanure,-^ The fiill refource wiiich offered itfelftohis penetrat- ing eye, was thejupcrfluity of the hedges^ which had run wild ; and from which he pruned or rooted out what- ever was ufclels ; and then, burning it upon the fpot^ made an excellent manure of the afhes. He thus re* gained fome of his bed foil ; and, as time had produced an excellent mould on the i'pot, he fpread a confidera- blc part of this mould upon his fields. The waters at the lame time finding a freer paflage through his hedg- es, were drained from his arable lands, and inilead of itfpreadupon his m.eadows. — ^liis t/'/^o^j offered him a fecond fource for manure, as he took from tliem all their ufclefs hiiJJics and brawbles^ which be reduced to adies. 126 THE RURAL SOCRATES. afhcs, which enabled him afterwards to arrive at more mould, formed by the fuccellion of dead leaves. — By thefe methods he lupplied in his firft year the w^ant of manure from his liables, which he neverthelefs fought to augment by all poiiiblc means ; having for that pur- pofe carefully repaired the old refervoirs deflined for preparing liquid rr^anurc, and formed new ones ; in v/hich he was aflifled by the generofity of the republic. After having provided for manure, his next care was to amend the nature cfhis J oil. By a very deep ditch therefore, carried through the middle of his fields, he received the water obtained through a number of fmall covered drains, from the marlliy fpots contained iti thefe fields ; and then by larger acjuedu^ls which were led acrofs his lower fields, whofe waters were drained in like manner into the aqueduds, he conveyed the whole body of water into his meadows ; his mea- dows being thus fertilized with water very proper for the purpofe. In confequence of thefe mcafures, his fields by degrees became entirely dry ; and places hither- to the mofl incapable of culture, became as fufceptible of it as any of thereih The enormous quantity of thefe cuts was of a nature to flartle every one ; cfpecially when the fiiort period and few hands employed in effecting them wer^ coniidered. — Atjihe fame time he had recourfe to his former pradice of mixing foils of a different nature. He had difcovered in the piece of ground oppoflte to his houfe a little mount of gravel, which he undertook to remove, by fpreading it upon the lower part of the field containing it, which confifled of a heavy clay ; and laft year he difcovered the land mixed with mica (or talk,) of which we have already fpoken ; and which is a real treafurc to him, fince it has improved the adjoining field, ^o as to make it yield an equal produce with thofe which were the bed manured. By thefe different methods, Kliyogg has fucceeded in. the courfe of four years in doubling his crops of grain, fa 1769, he reaped 4000 (heaves ; and in 1773, he reap- ed 'fHE RURAL S0CR/\TE3. 127 sd 8000 ; though in general the latter year was lefs fa- vorable. This crop was fufficient to enable him to fell one hundred muids, after paying his tythes and other taxes, and providing for the fubfiflence of his family.— His llables are well furnifhed alfo with cattle ; for while liis predecefTors had only eight horfes and four head of horned cattle ; he has five horfes and twenty- two head of horned cattle ; and he propofcs augment- ing the number, fince he fees a variety of improvement! ^ ftill to be accomplifhed. His abundant harvefts produced by his improvements^ naturally furnifhed a ftill farther means of augmenting them, by an increafe in his quantity of flraw, fo pre- cious for his dung-heap ; his crops and his dung-heaps thus mutually increafing ; each of them powerfully resiEV- ing upon the other* This fuecefs, the reward of zeal the moft active and intelligent, charmed the republic of which he was the tenant ; and the governm.ent in con- iequence favored him in his plan for eretSling new acd large refer voirs, wherein to prepare his liquid ma- nure. The attention bf Kliyogg to his fields did not pre- vent his giving attention to his meadows; which in like manner he endeavored as much as poffible to improve, in order to be able gradually to increafe the number of his live flock. — -Thcle meadows were of two kinds ; the dry^ which could only be aided by tlie manure from bis cattle, efpecially in the form cf liquid manure ', and the moi/Iy which were by much the moft numerous, and ^hich he defigned to affift by managing the water with judgment. — For this latter purpofe, he began by dig- ging drain-sto carry away the flagnant water ; and, aa he obferved that the river, though it fiowly wandered along his meadows, had ftill fall enough to allow hint to take up its water where it entered his grounds, ht' profited by the circumftance to make regular cuts from it ; though the water was not proper for producing grafs of i-S THE PtURAL SOCRATES. pf the bell quality''^. — He is nowetnploycd in eonflruct- ing the trenches in his cow-hcufe, which are fo urcfu! for multiplying the quantity of liquid manure ; a con- trivance freqnenc in the neighborhood oFour city, and which turns to great account, efpecially for field-vege- tables. He forms all along behind his cattle a trough, afoot or a foot and an half in iis width and in its depth, lined and covered with planlis ; the trough hav- ing its ilTue without doors. Thus placed, it receives the urine and dung of his cattle ; and being always kept half full of water, it forms a thick mixture ; and ferves as a ferment, Vv'ith which a very great quantity of water may in a very fhort time bfe converted into li- quid manure. One portion of this ferment being mix- ed \w\Xi\ jevenpOii\Q\\% of the freihefl fpring- water, foon makes the whole become corrupt ; eipecially if the re- lervoir in v«;hich the mixture is made, is of wood and placed in a warm fituation ; or if an artificial heat is fnbflituted, in cafe a natural heat is wanting. By means of this fermentation, an excellent ma?mre is produced j which proves the befl ailiflant which can be given to fuch meadow and arable lands as are naturally dry. The gypfum [or coarfe- alabafler} of which Kliyogg has lately begun rom.ake ufe, iupplieshis induflry with a new means of augmenting his forage. Our country owes the knowledge of this important ufe of the gypfum to the difcoverics of Mr. Meyer,-pa(lor of Kiipferzellt 5 who * The niot3r;.-tainaus firurtare of Sw-itzeiiaad makes It abound wiih fprings and Ilreams, mnnyrf which are fuiTicienily elevated to be condtid^ (fi/wulicarc over the foil ; and water wheels turned by the lireams may of- ten {ervc to wi»t«:r them in oijier c&fes, and are fometifoes fo employed. E. f This refpcf^iable c'ergyman, eager to puMilh his important difcovery, has given a very detailed accounr it the msionef of ufing the gypfum. He fpreads the gypfum in its natural ftate, but reduced to powder, upon mcad- 0';vs containing both the common and artificial graffes ; 2s ylfa upon land fovi^n with peafc, vctcheF, lentils, oats, rye, or lobacco. But its moft fur- jnifing efFtfdl is upon clover ; and this, in foils the moft dry and arid. It does not fait niarfhy places, where it iiuks too deep, its a^vity on!y feew- THE RURAL SOCRATES. 12^ v/ho has herein rendered agriculture the raofl eiTential fcrvice. It is by this fort of means, then, that our fkilful culti- vator is enabled annually to increafe his number of cat- tle, and confequcntly his manure ; which promifcs him in future a circle of fertility and blelling always enlarg- ing itfelf. He gradually applies cattle of his own breed- ing for this purpofe, which yields him a confiderable profit ; as he is able to fell every year a certain number of fat oxen. Thus our Kliyogg remains true to his principles and thus thefe principles are always juftified by a compleat fuccefs. I have never fcen io happy an ifTae fo flriking- ]y refulting from a judicious plan, as in the cafe of our wife cultivator. All ing to exert icfelf on the furface. — Mr. Muller limits the quznticj' of gypfum to be fpread upon a rasafure of land [journal, joorneaux] of i8c< perches freckoiiirg the perch at 12 f^er of the Rhine,) to 8 iirnri ; of which each contains 16 pots. A larger quantity would become rather hurtful, than falutary. — The greateft care muft be taken to fpread this powder befors tlie grafs or grain begins to (hoot. Upon meadows there- fore, it rauil be fpread at the melting of the fnow ; that hj at the end of February or beginning of March ; and upon fields of grain as fobn a-s thefs are fown. — A laborer having ignorr-nily ihrown ic upon his meadows after thefhooring of the grafs, loft four of his oxen; a gypfc:oa8Correftion,which obftruf^ed digeftiort, being found in their inteftines. — I: muft be beaten io. the firlt inftance in a great trough, with iron hammers, into pieces not ex- ceeding the fize of 9n egg. It ij then reduced to powder in the fa me manner that apples are prtfled to make cyder, and by the very fame pppararus. It ia no! rpqoi(iie that the powder {hould be made very fine j f.ieces of gypfum of the Ciii of a pea o: bean being quickly difTulvedp when fpread on the ground, ' Such is the fubftance of the mpmcir of Mr, Meyer. — The Abbe Ro- zler hag placed another nnemoir on this fubjes^ in his Journal deFhyJiqm {u IV, July.) This lad tueraoir confirms that of this clergyman of Kiip- icrrell. F. This manure Is no where perhaps better known at prefent, thao in foroe of the United States ; as will be found on confulting what has been faid by Judge Peters, Mr. Robert Morris, Dr. Mitchill, Mr, B^rdley, ani others, OQ the fubjeu^, E» R I JO THE RUPvAL SOCRATES. All the children of Kliyogg as well as thofe of hh brother, have turned out well. — They are all healthy, robuft and laborious; all intelligentjand virtuous. Their occupations have to all, without exception, become real pleafures ; for labor in this family is acceptable merely as labor ; the only queftion being v/ho (hall lurpnTs the other ; and they know no other jealoufy than, the lauda- ble emulation of excelling in their undertakings, wheth- er the obje^Tt confiils in dire£ting or in executing. The tendency to luxury and fenfuality, fo common elfe- where, is here confined within its jafl bounds. — Even the fervants employed under them acquire an increafing attachment to their work ; in which never; helefs they all agree, that they arc furpalTed by their mader and his children. — There is alfo a beautiful order always pre- vailing in this happy family. The Sunday is employed in reading the bible and in finging hymns ; and in dei^- canting upon the blellings of the hulbandman, and the inward peace and content following upon the certainty of enjoying the fruits of their labor. They know the ronfidence with which each may fay tohimfelf — '' This *' is what God has given me in recompenfe for my ex- '*' erlions : Nothing here has cofl the fmallefl figh to '' any of my fellow creatures : I have never taken ad- *' vantage of tlie want of information in any perfon : ■" My fatisfat^ion is therefore built in no refpeifl upon ** the fufferings of others." When the occafion offers for fpeaking of luxury and the ordinai-y diverfions of the young people of the vil- lage, w^ho are fcarcely acquainted with any thing elfe befides the tavern ; Kliyogg fliews to his children how ienfelefs are fuch amufements.^ He gives a crowd of examples within his own obfervation, of perfons whom this bad habit has by degrees turned from their occupa- tions ; from whence have arifen family derangements, which he has detailed, befides a multiplicity of debts ; followed by the moft cruel anxieties, and by over- reach- ing and bad faith, as the only means left for ]>rocuring fubiidence ; THE RURAL SOCRATES. 131 {"libfiftence ; and in fliort, by the ruin both of body and of mind. Herepreienls on the other hand, how their own iiabits of labor render thcni happy j and how precious ;3 a quiet conrcience.—-Far from mixing anything dif- agreeable in his inftrnctions, he accompanies the whole v/ith an amiable gaiety ; which wins every one who hears him ; and convinces them, that he fpeaks of the happi- nefs of a virtuous hufbaiKiman from his own experi- ence. On the working days of this happy family, Kliyogg puts himfelf at their head to go into the fields at day- break, after having prayed ; for they always coaimencc the day with this pious exercife ; though they are not conih ained to it, any more than to their work ; Kli* yogg maintaining that no ad ought to be more voh.inta- ry than that of prayer. " When we know God, he *' fays, we cannot help loving him ; and when we love '' him and regard him as the fource of every good, we *' ought to feel a high fatisfaclion in occupying our- '' felves with the idea of him, and in fpeaking to him, ^' and in imploring his benedictions ; but not thofeben- ^^ ediflions which leave nothing on our fide to be done, " Whoever (iie affirms) prays with fuch views, knovvS • not the Supreme Being ; whofc defign it is, that we '^ fliould gain our bread v;ith the fweat of our brov/ ; '' and who confequently renders the -earth fertile only ^' in proportion to thepains we take in cultivating it." — When they are come to the place Vv'here they are to work, every one applies himfelf to his part without in- terruption, till the hours fixed for refting themfelves j when they are refreQied with wholefome food. Noth- ing is fpared upon this occafion ; every one from the mafler to the loweft fervant, eating according to his ap- petite ; for it is a rnaxim with Kliyogg, that the food of the man who works, mufl: not be weighed. At the end of their concluding repafl, every one yields to a reflor- ing and tranquil fleep ; fuch as never is vi^anting when the body is fatigued, and the mind unopprefTed with rorroding 132 THE RURAL SOCRATES. corroding cares and gloomy difcontent. — I have lately learned thefe h^s refped:ing the admirable order ob- fervcd in this family, from a youth whom Kliyogghad taken into it at my recommendation ; andy^ou may judge that I did not hear it without being moved. To this interior profperity is joined that of the exte- rior. The barns and granaries of Kliyogg are full, his cellar flored v^^ith wine of his own growth, and his fla- bles provided with flrong and healthy cattle of his own raifing. His rent is always paid on the day when it is due ; and his houfaold is furnidied with every necefTa- ry ; and he is able every year, as we have feen, to fell grain, wine, and cattle; and to incrcafe his property. Ko, 1 repeat ; never did the bieffing which follows up-^ on induflry and good morals, offer itfelf tomy eyes in a manner fo palpable ; and I do not fear to conclude, that Providence has deiigned that this fa-mily (hould becomvC one of the mod marked examples.;, to encourage man- kind. In propartlon as Kliyogg increafes the profperity of bis family, he acquires frefh perfonal confideration. His ior\i may choole the richefl young women in the neighboring country ; although he is more and more firm in his principle, to keep all his children and grand- children united in one family ; having found by his own experience, how many things may thus be done, v,^hen ieconded by indullry. He has refufed in confcquence themofl advantageous offers, if implying the feparation of either of his fons from the fam/ily ; and in this, his fons haveperfeclly joined him in opinion ; no fortune being able to induce them to quit a father, whofe care in edu- cating them has fo vifibly profpered. It fcems as if Providence deiigned to recompenfe them for continu- ing in fuch difpofitions ; his fecond fon having juft mar- ried one of the richell young women of the neighbor- kocd, who has adopted with joy the manner of thinking ''■■■■ jivo r THE RURAL SOCRATES. 133 and ading of the family ; however different in many refpecls from thofe to which fhe has been accuflomed irX the family which (he has quitted. I cannot here refrain from a defcription of this wed- ding, at which I did not fail to affid:. The conRant de- fire which I have to witnefs the feelings of Kliyogg in all the important conjun£i:ures of his life, joined to the beauty of thefeafon, for it was in the month of May laft ; determined me to furprife my country friend.*'*^ But what was my own furprife in meeting Kliyogg alone on the road to Zurich. Notwithftanding the folemnity of the day and though his fon was married in the city, he was now in the purfuit of bufinefs ; that of purcha- fing a beafl at the fair. He v/as in his ordinary drefs, with that open air which is peculiar to him.*''^*. When he v/as informed of my intentions, he vvifhed to return with me to his houfc 3 but I refifted and obliged him to purfae his journey. '^^'^ Having reached the farm of my friend, I found every thing in compleat tranquillity ; every one being at his ufual work. The brother of Kliyogg had jufl arrived from the family-property, to take part in the family-joy. Art-- Icfi goodnefs, with franknefs and kindnefs, form the chiradler of this man ; and are forcibly imprinted upon his countenance.--— I expreffed to him the (hare I took in the happinefs of his fiimily, — hSltv thanking me with confiderable cordiality, he related with a tone of great ienfibility, how he himfelf had been bleiTed by Provi- dence, for having followed the counfels of his brother ^ how well all his children had turned out ; and that they confLantly afiiiied him in his works at Wermetchv/eii, which continued upon the fame footing as when the two families were united. He, in particular, fpoke in high commendation of his daughter ; faying that in working, ilie had not her fellow in the country. To give me a proof of the increafe of his circumdances, he told me that he had found himfelf in a condlticn to equip his for| as ' t '5 * THE RURAL SOCRATES. as a dragoon in the militia ; not without much expencd however ; though ftill without injuring himfclf. — He jiow took me out upon the nev/ farm of his lia'other, to Ihew me all his improvements, made or projedled. When we returned from our excurfion, we found the /bn-in laz'j oi'KWyogg ; wlio to my great adonifhment, appeared to fliew Tome coolnefs in his manner of receiv- ing the compliment which I addrefTed to him upon the ceremony ot the day. — *' How happens it, (faid I) that ^'' upon a day v/hen Providence fo manifeilly fiiev^sits *' favor to the family, that you appear {o little fcnfible '^ of it ?" — f^I am perfeftly impreiled as I ought to be, ^' (faid he,) in that refpeft ; but our father on his fide, *•' ought not to be fo fingularas he is/'-—'* How is that, ^' (I anfwered^ flill more adonifned ;) for your father *' was vei-y gay when I met him r" — '' Of that there is ^' no doubt; but it is always in his own way, from '^ which he will never in the lead depart. He would ' not be drefTed to day differently from his mode on other days 5 he infifled on all the family working as in common, till noon ; and if we had confented to his own method In everything, we fliouid have been the '- laughing-flock of the neighborhood. The bride- ^^ groom forfooth, alone and without attendants, mufl *' conduct the bride to town to be married ; and they '^^ mud even go on foot, though we had two hor- .^' fes in the dable. All decorum upon this occafion ^^ he treated as a folly, wiiich called others from ^' their work and ,gave them a lelTon of idlencfs ; '^ adding, that when peafants kept horfes, it was for "' woik, and not to indulge Inch idlenefs. • We could '^^ fcarcely even periuadc him to let his fons put on the ^' new clothes which they at this moment wear. And fo *^' occupied is he with his idea of working,that he laughs at ^' all the amuicments, in which one is fometimesinclined '' to indulge onefelf." — '^ My dear Hans, (I anfwcred,) ^' you iill mc with an adonifhment, from which I can- '■ ■■ jiot recover myfelf. Have you not more than once • ■ ' ' tedifed' THE RURAL SOCRATES. 13 j tcflified to mc yoar happinefs at having entered a family, where abundance reigns, and along with it, joy and quiet ; which, at the lame time you allowed, was the rcfult of the great order eftabliftied in thi^ family, and of the conllant zeal (hewn in it for work.'^ — I confefs it, (he replied,) but one mull take care not to become the ridicule of one's neighbors j and the wedding day of a Ton is a proper time to (hew one's- felf, and to indulge in fome expence^ efpeciaily if one has the means." — '' True ; but if we judge by com- mon opinion, a holiday and the day of a fair or of n village feaft, are alfo privileged days, which admit of more expence and amufsment than other days :'■*— But not fo much (he replied) as a wedding day/^ — There are few people however, (faid I,) who m.ake this difference ; and the zeal with which your father always prevented his children from participating 1:2 the diforders of the more ordinary holidays, ones Teemed as ridiculous, as his prefent feverity in re- trenching whatever feems to him ufelefs in the pref- ent wedding. Yet it is to this fame zeal which is fo much cenfured, that you in a great meafure owe the profperity which you enjoy.''' — ^* Certainly (here ex- claimed the honeft: Felix, the brother of Kliyogg, witii. a deep figh) our people revolted, like you, at the fin- guiarities of my brother ; and even attempted to make me go myfelf into debauch ; bur hov/ often do I not blefs God, that I refifted them, and yielded to my brother. Do we not fee the favor of Providence attending us on ail fides?'' — '' I grant, (returned Hans) that this was perfectly right, when you were poor, and your children not of an age to help you ; but, at prefent, when our means are increafed, thefe things ought not to be lb narrov/ly attended to." — But do you want any thing (I faid :) are not you well fed and well clothed : and are you not befides healthy and merry r" — '^ This is all very true (v/as the ani- wer but it Ao^-^ not prevent our being fneered at, '^ when S36 THE RURAL SOCRATES. 'f when we do not liv^ like all the reft of the world.''— *^ Bat v/ho are theie fneerers ?" — " All our neighbors! '' who never ceafe to obferve, that we are very fingu- *' lar people." — V* But fay (in return) is it not very '' honorable for your father, that he has a free accefs to '^ perfons at the head of the republic ; that he receives " vlfus from perfons of all ranks, who think it an hopor *' to know him ; that Rrangers from all countries often *' come tojiim; that even princes treat him as their *' friend ; and that his fons can have the bell matches *' in the country ? What peafant was ever honored like *' your father : Yet it is from thefc very fingularities, of *' which you complain, from his unalterable afliduity in '-' his labor, and from his care to inculcate the like ar- ^'' dor in his children in their early youth, in order to ^' preferve them from the diforder which is feen reign- *-' ing every where elfe ; that all thefe marks o»r diflinc- " tion ariic, and that his family fo eminently profpers. *-' Without thefe qualities, he v/ould have remained a "' poor peafant, confounded in the crowd ; and God '^ knows v/hat would have been the lot of iiis children : ^' they would probably have been diiperfed, and "forced *-' to feek their bread among ilrangers.'^ — " There is ^"^ no difputing this ; but IbJl things may be puflied too " far.'' — '' Butpray, (my dear Hans) when you delcend ^^ a fleep hill v»^ith your waggon, why do you put a drag ^' to your wheels V' — i^ Certainly that the waggon, pref- "' fed on by its weight,- may not rufli with violence, and ■•' crufti the cattle which are yoked to it." >' And why ^^ do you put a clog on the feet of your colt, inftead of ^' leaving him entirely at liberty :''-—''• That he may *' not hurt himfelf in his ramblings and may learn a '^ fleady pace." — And yet, my friend, you are angry ^^ with your father, becaufe he puts a drag upon you; "^ and prevents you from being hurried on by bad ex- ^' ample.s towards the luxury, debauch and idlenefs, ''' which may drive you into perdition. Alas, my poor ^^ HanSj let your father proceed : the manners of our *^ days THE RURAL SOCRATES. 23^ ^^ days arc fo feducing^that all which he can do, will not ^' prevent your yielding to them a little. You may " thank God therefore, that he holds a tight rein to *' hinder you from falling/' — *^ Well, I agree (faid *^ Hans,) that I am wrong in this particular; but he at " leafh ought to count us for fomething, when thequef- '' tion is how to diflribute our work; for he will al- *• ways go on in his own way, I have now for a long '' time defired that the cow-houfe might be properly ^' arranged, to enable us to make liquid manure, which ** is fo proper for our meadow land ; but he will never " yield to me ; and our whole attention has been ^^ given to the carrying oiFfand and gravel to improve " our arable land." — '^ But have your meadows been ^' negle^fted ?''— I do not fay that they have ; but our '' improvements might as well firfc have been there." — ''* Agreed ; but would you recommend one to under- '' take one thing, and another to undertake another." — = *^ That is not a point which I can maintain ; for an union " of forces is what is mofj: eifential to work, if we wifb *' things to go well ; iince as foon as th^fc forces bc- ^^ come feparatcd, for different objects, nothing great is " any where done." — '' Thus then, according to your ''• own opinion, it is nece(fary when opinions differ, that ^^ one fliould take the lead ; and in this cafe, ought than '' of the father or the children to be preferred f"— Hans had too good a heart to anfwer me any otherw*ife.. than by the blufhes which covered his countenance. He now fought only to excufe himfclf * urging that ''a will- ** ing and active workman could not be blamed, if he ** fometimes pretended to give his opinion upon the *' manner in which his work fhoald be condu'^ed."— This I alTared him wouid never be taken ill by his father-in-law ; but that we fathers were ofter obliged-to appear outwardly more fevere towards our children, than we really were ; and that he would foon have to make the proof in the cafe cf children of hii own- f 138 THE RUllAL SOCRATES. I now defircd Hans to let me Tee their cattle, and tc^ carry me into the parts of the farm which we had not be- fore inrpe(n:€d. — The parts which had been improved after his own hints, were ihofe which he fiiewed me by preference. The good fcnfe of his obfervations, and the content which gliflened in his eyes whenever he could fliew me proofs of his ability ; confirmed me in my per- fuafion that he was a Ton- in- law worthy of Kliyogg ; although little pallions and certain prejudices, too deep- ly rooted in him, led him at times to revolt againfl max- ims divftated by reaibn. Kliyogg at lair returned home. — I afked- him fmiHng, ^^ How he came to be fo avaritious, as to make his peo- *' pie work thus upon a wedding-day ; and why he did ** not appear in a new coat, made after the manner in '' ufe among country people at their eafe ;" — *' All ^' thc^e follies, (he anfv/ered with a fmiie,) have given ^' much thread to be tv/ifted over again. They are al- ^' Vv^ays preaching to me here, that wc are much too fin- ^' gular, and*bbtain the laugh of every one ; and yoir *' will not believe, my dear do;Sh)r, how much trouble ^'Ihave in keeping down" thefe follies. Bad examples *' however are too numerous ; and thefe young people " would be run away with by them, if I did not daily ^' combat them.''"—'' You ought however to relax your- '' fflf a little more.''—'' I ought to relax 1 Why I do-' *' fo but too often ; and if 1 went but a little fl:ep far- *'ther, all would be loft. I have already proofs how '* necefl'ary it Vv^as to (land ftiif againfl the firfl com- *' mencements of mifchief in their tender youth ; and *' if my good folks were not as well fixed in good habits " as they are, I fiiould no icnger be able to keep them in ^' orderV" When the wedding party came in, I found the fons' and daughters of Kliyogg much better clothed and more in ftifuion, than in truth 1 had expeded. None belideft- Kliyogg and his brother Felix appeared- in their ordkiary habits ;. TIIE RURAL SOCRATES, 139 liablts ; but it was to be learned from their countenan- ces, that true interior fatisfaL^ion comes from a caufe very different from exterior ornament. No time was lofl: by the family in placing themfelves at table, and the rell: of the day was conrecrate-d to joy, —What now (Irtick me the mofl was the familiarity of the fervants ; who were -not diftinguilliabie from the children of the family. Companions in labors of the field, they are permitted to ufe every liberty at the table, and to partake in whatever was ferved. The only difference to be found between them is, that at ivork^ the fervants are always out-done by the maders ; icA" a3 v/e have before fcen, every one in this ^houfe en- deavors to fiirj^fs the other in his exertions. During the entertainment Kliyogg enlivened the whok; company by his converfation. I never faw in him fo much of what is called brilliancy, without its fpoiling hovv'evcr the flrong good fenfe which conilanlly diflin- guiflies him. He turned into ridicule both parade and fenfuality ; in v/hich mofl: perfons place their felicity, thougli they are in cfTcd vices leadinj^ to unhappinefs and want. Without offending any one, for which fome (lull was requifite, lie intim.ated that the drefs of the bride was by no means conformed to principles. — It was cbjecled to him that lie declaimed continually againfl fnevr and vanity ; and yet had for his wife the mofl: flate- ly of all the v/omen of his village. 'I'hat, replied he imiling, is a proof in point, that even a (lately woman will not difdain a laborious man, though j4ain and mod- efl ; and confequently that one may pieale by other means befides that of ornament in drefs. —He then be- gan to praife his fervants, in an agreeable irony, for the trouble they had given him to diffuade them from go- ing to work that evening ; and to lament the fatigue put upon them, in bringing home in pomp the clothes and other paraphernalia of the bride [braut-fuder.] lie afterwards led the converiation to the iubje<51 of '\'^. encouragements which ttie gov^n:uje;it and Phiio- fopbicai I40 THE RURAL SOCRATES. fophical Society give to agriculture ; (hevviiig the niif-^ chief arifmg from tlie country people not being fenfible of the value of their aid ;but on the contrary, feeling dif- fident towaids thefe perions. He dilated upon the fe- licity which might refulc froai a general union, in or- der to difcover, adopt, and give vigor to whatever was. bcneficiaK &c. — The time pafled thus in fenfible or joyous difcourfc ; and I was particularly gratified to fee •Kliyogg the fame in all circumftances ; and thence to prove more evidently than ever, that happinefs neccffa- rily flows from a conduct founded on iblid principles fteadily purfued. Filled with this happy perfuafion and determined myfelf to profit by the example of this, fage, I quitted him after w idling him a thoafand blcf^ &ngs. S E C T I O N JV. New Vifits to Kliyogg, New Fiews of his Hujhajidry^ Philofbphy^ and Fa?mly* His Jecond Marriage. His laft llinejs and Death. [n. b. The Editor of the prefent compi- ' lation has fortunately obtained the materials for this fedion through a friend, who is minifter of the gofpel in Switzerland ; and who to the qua- licies which become his vocation, joins confidcrable general learning, with great zeal and induftry, and alfo an acquaintance with agriculture. He \% in particular an admirer of German agriculture, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 141 agriculture, which with others he finds to be more advanced in many ficuacions, than the average of that of the Engliih ; eftimating the latter as it is exhibited in the accounts pubiifhed by the Agri- cultural Society of Great Britain. As a proof of his own fkili in agriculture, this refpeclable perfon had fo improved a piece of neglected land given to him by his parifhioners, by the ufe of blue marie found on the fpot ; that he foon fold it for a very remarkable price. Nothing could be more pointed to the moft fuperficial obferver, than the dif- ference between this land, and the un- improved land ftill fuifered to remaift in its neighborhood. The materials in queftion were exr tra&ed 01 abridged by this perfon froni. a Ger^nan work originally pubiifhed by Dr. Hirzelf . They were prefented to the Editor in a French drefs, and arc now with, fome farther abridgment firft tranflated into Englifh. £. j * Tbe title given to in French is, *♦ Un coup d' oeil fa^ T harmonic & ^* la noblefle dans lesdifferentes clafles dcs homnnes ;** or " A ficetch corti ^ ccrning lijrrr.ony and nobility of charai^cr in different claffes of raen.'* PAGES J4£ THE RURAL SOCRA-^ES. IMAGES g — 4» Contain only compliments to the fena- for Angelo Q^ririni of Venice, to whom this fl^etchis ad- di-efled . p. 4. Dr. Rirzel repeatedly affirms, that he has feen icars of princes flowing, when they recognized in the countenance of the peaiant Kliyogg the nobienefs of the iuiman character, and felt their own imperfec-tions. Pvlore than once he has had the fatisfac^ion alio to ob- ferve learned men, who at firil: uied great efforts to put their talents upon a.level with the compreJienfion of this peafant, finiih by being his attentive hearers ; and after having horrowed hints from his good Ct^nie. devote with ^nthiifiafni their abilities to ufcfnl things. p. 5. Various perfons who had confidcrcd the pic^cure of Kliyogg by the author as a poetical fidlion,have found it falling Ihort of the original, when they have become acquainted with this admirnblc man. &c. p. 6. Kliyogg was a means of furnilliing many occa- ^ons of obferving other men and weighing their merits. In hearing the friendly tliicourres between this peaiant ^nd people of quality and merit, the author felt all the iiappincis of being a man. He faw as it were embodied, in this living example the great truth, that wifdom, vir- tue and hapincfs are the i;:nic in every condition ; and that the external circiimflances of tlie prince, tl\e learn- ed man, the artifl, the peaiant, and eyen of the (lave, have no more value, compared with the finer qualities f>f the human chnradrer ; than drefs hns with regard to 'he human body. Drefs fometimes conreals the de.- 7c^>s of the body and furniQie.s marks of diflintlliun, bi]t T^ever can give us beauty or flrengt)]. — p. 7—9. TU^: uthor ROt being in -i fituation to tiTiVcl or to m^ike l^ril- lianl THE RURAL SOCRATES, 143 fent acqiiaintnnce, finds this made up to him by the crowd of Grangers who have addrefTed themfclves ta bim in order to fee Kiiyogg, p. 14. The author gives an account of a vifit to Kii- yogg made in company with this Venetian lenator and his fellow-traveller Dr. Seflari. They met Kiiyogg in .hi*s marle-pit ; that mine of farmir.g gold, which has enabled him To to improve the heavieft of hir, fands, that they bear different forts of wheat for three fucceffive years vvithoiu iheaid of any other manure* He was loading a waggon with maris to be carried into a field juft obtained by an exchange ■; and v/hich had been fo much neglected, that nothino; was to be icen upon it except here and there a fe\w pines, p. 15. This was the fpot chcfen for the confer- ence, p. 20. Dr. Hirzel i^ys th^t it was long, perhaps' for ages, that this treafme had lain hid under cultiva- tion ; and that it was at length allowed to Kiiyogg to difcover and make ufe of it to give to his other lands a sew degree of fertility ; and thus to rccornpenfe the labors of a refpedlable peafimt vvhx)ni Providence had deilined to fervc as a proof and example, that the di- vine benediclion accompanies the cultivator who is la- bar ions and indaftrious.*^' ^' KHyogg ftruck off with \m hoc'a piece of this marie, bleding the hour ni which he had difcovered this trea-. fure, tmd thole perfons who had inllruded him in the* ule of a mixture of different forts of earth, He fa id' with the mofl: lively emotion of joy ^ I owe to this marls * not only abundant hai veils, but the chara6. At hir> an ival Di-.Hirzel found Kliycgg cccMpicd in digging a ditch near his cellar, of tiie depth of 5 feet, and lonnc hundred paces in length ; in order to drain av/ay its water into an adjoining river. He was workipg with all his might, in an old and tatter- ed drefs.— His fons blufhed at the fight of their vifitant ; but Kliyogg after welcoming him, laid, *' you find me, * my dear (iodlor, in the worfl of my clothes ; at which ' thcfe gentlemen bluili ; but you will be fenhble, that '* it is exadly thus that I ought to be dieifed, to work in ^ the manner the cafe requires. If I were better dreffed, * a part of my attention would be beftowed upoamy ' clothes, and my undertaking would fare ^11 the wei le * for it. Nothing faid he with vivacity, is more hurt- * ful to a peafant, than pride and luxury in drefs : they * v/irhdraw a part of his attention from his work, which * will only be done fuperficially in this cafe, and many * elTential things will cafdy be omitted, Sec' 207 — 2JO, by the fide of the ditch v/as a iield of about an acre, prepared for clover, — Experience had ai length ftiezvn io Kliyogg all the vje of this J or ape. The quantity of his hay had confidcrably increafed, fmcc this artificial grafs (as it is called) had enabled him to fpare his natural grafs. He had in particular found that the Spani/Ji clover agreed fingukrly well with horles ; fattening them and keeping them in heart, without puffing them up ; which is not to be aitirmed of the common clover. — ^The field deflined for clover had now in it flax feed (grains d'huile) ; and ail the manure which he gave to it was gypfum [or plaiflerof Paris.]— An experience of four years had conquered all hi« tSO THE RURAL SOCRATES. his prejudices with re/ped to this gypjmi, Thcfc prcja- dices arofe from an auempt which he had made in the year 1774 ; w'len, after fowing a field with clover and then ftjewing it withgypfum, a drought of four weeks fucceedcd, and the crop entirely failed. His difguft was fuch, that he came running to town to reproach our author for having fulFered himftlf to be mifled by books, when he h «d recommended fo worthlefs a thing to him. Dr. Hirzel appeafed him by repicienting, that a man like him, ought not to have negleded to remark the drynefs of the (eafon, which had injured his other meadows and fields ; that he ought not to be difcourag- cd by the failure of a firfl: attempt, but ihould rather take the hint to fpread his gypfiim during or after rain ; and that he ought: not to plough the field immediately, as he propofed, on account of what had happened, but fhould wait for a more favorable feafon. Kliyogg had no reafon to repent the having followed this advice ; as his clover lucceeded lb well, that he came the next ipring to confefs his obligations for it. p. 211. Near this field of clover was the Langwiefc, a meadow, which Kliyogg had found quire neglet^ed ; but which improved from day to day by a mixture of water and mud, which he contrived to conducTl: there. p. 212. From hence Kliyogg led the author to a field containing about an acre ; of which the foil \vas a dry gravel, covered with a very (lender coat of black mould. Here alfo he fowed clover with fbccefs. p. 21 g — 218. A little higher up were about £fty acres of grain. — It was eafy at a diftance to remark a difference of goodnels in the crop. The upper and lower parts formed a green carpet 5 but the middle was yellow throughout. — The lower part, confiding of 8 acres had been manured ; and bore the beft of wheal. Of the 42 remaining acres, 25 had been dreffed only with mjirle ; and yet in nothing fell fhort of the former. Kliyogg, the winter before he lowed thclafl mentioned acres. THE RURAL SOCKATES. 15X acres, had carried upon the ground 600 waggon loads of marlc (drawn by f jur horfes each) ; and having fprcad this marie every where evenly, two fucceflive ploughings perfedly united it with the natural foil. It mud be added, that thefc acres were originally the worfl of the whole 50 ; and that now they even exceeded the 8 firft mentioned, having fewer weeds with a lighter foil. — What adoniflied our author was the duration of the effects of the marie. Kliyogg had a field of wheat \cry finely conditioned, w^hich neverthelefs had received no other drcfiing than marie four years before. — In another field which he had already twice marled, the young grain was finer than any where elfe. On the other hand, the fields of his next neighbors, which had na marie, were lb little producflix e, that they fcarccly re- paid their pofFelTors for their expence. p. 2ig— 221. From his fields, Kliyogg went to his marie pit. — A marle-pit fornetimes makes itfelf knowr^ at the furface ; but at other times it is covered with a mixed foil of a few inches, under which the marie fome- times defcends ten feet. Mere and thei-e hard pieces prefent themfelves, in which arc petrified plants. The marie in general has a ^yrcy color, but it is fornetimes blue, it contains particles ivhich gliden in the fun ; it ferments with acids ; and it yields a very fmall quanti- ty of feleneticfalt. p. 222 — 224. Before quitting the marie pit, we mull fpeak of an amiable aft of our philofopher. He re- commended 10 the Agricultural Society of Watt, a poor peafant, in whom he had remarked a great palTion for agriculture ; but, being without means, this peafani could undertake nothing important. The Society mace him a prefent of 20 liorins, five of uhich he fpcnt in buying a little negleftcd field of half an acre. The reil of his money he employed in bringing marie upon it ; which by this drcfiing and his labors v»."as fo improv- ed, that in the firit year it yielded 50 ftieaves of wheat. ---The countenar.ee of Kliyogg brightened with iov, as 152, THE KUPcAL SOCRATES. he pointed to this field, and felicitated himfelf with having contributed to the relief of a p >or and indiiflri- ous man, '^ You cannot believe (faid he) how fmall an ' aid is requidte to be given to an indigent man, to ena- '" ble him to make a little fortune. 1 co\dd prove this ^ by many examples of peafants^ who have been adilled ' by the Ecojiomic Society, They begin fometimes by ' buying a cow with the money they receive ;• which * not only furnifnes the fanriiJy with the necefTary milk^ * but gives them at the lame time manure to tertilize * their little piece of land ; which encouraging and le- *• doubling their induftry, they buy (out of their favings ' or upon loan,) neglecfled fields, of which they know ^ how greatly to augment the value in a few years." p. 225'-226. Bat to return toKliyogg. To the weH: of his farm are condderabie fields, belonging to the pea- fants of I^umlingen. This village, for many years, has employed itielf in ipinniiig (lockings ; and is mad enough to facrince agriculture to this occupation, which 7S little lucrative ; and in particular it lacrifices to it the fields in queftion, v,^hich it fcarcely tills once in thiec years. Kliyogg rents three acres of thefe, merely to In(lru(5l this village in its true interefls : But hitherto his example has produced no citeTr, except to engage one (ingle peafant to make an ellablidiment there, which perfecHv fucceeds, p. 226—250. Kliyogg now led his guefls into a mea- dow behind his woods, and extending to his fields. — He pointed out as he went aU^ng, a fleep bank, which for- merly by the little trees or fhrubs with which it was covered, did much harm to the neighboring wheat. Thefe he rooted up, and burned ; Ipreadingthe a{lics,and the leaves which had rotted on this foot during many years, upon hisfields. -This was a freQiinftance of indefat- igable labor of Kliyojrg in recurring toeverypollible me- thod of mannung his lards — The meadow in queftion confiiled of eight acres ; and its low fituation gendered it moid and marlliy. Khyogg began by car- THE RURAL SOCRATES, 15^ Tying to it confiderable quantities of manure, whfch the difcovery of his marie rendered fo pradlicable. This manure increafing his grafs, he was enabled to increafe his cattle, and thence his dung. But all this required the patience, firmnefs, application, and reflexion of Kli- yogg. — The drielV part of this meadow Kliyogg had fpread over with gypium ; and the iflue anfwered his expeiflations, the meadow being covered with red clo- ver, as with a carpeti Twenty fmall meafures of gyp- fum at the cofl of three florins, fill a falt-barrcl ; and one barrel fufficed for a whole acre ; producing as nuich effect as ten loads of dung, without being, fubjedlt to any of the inconveniences of which fome accufe it, . p. 231 — 232. After running over half the farm, the author turned towards the hpufe, there to make a coun- try dinner. — But as they palTed a particular field, Kli- yogg remarked that it had been marled without the lead benefit ; which he attributed to the moifiure of the marie; it having been taken from a pit entirely filled with v/ater. — It is here therefore proper to obfervc, that there are different forts of marle^ all of which have not the fame efficacy ; and that it is abfolutely necfeffa- ry to ftudy the land, and to confult experiment, before employing the marie in any quantity j the bcfl theory being contradicted often by pratSlice. p. 233 — 234. In palling by the woods of^ KHyOgg their neatncis appeared aflonifhing. The abfence of thorns, of mofs, and of heaps of leaves, made it appear. like walking in fhady alleys.— But we ihall find that this neatnefs arofe from Kliyogg having found in hii woods, the befl manure for his vines « p. 234 — 235. In order to give an idea of the inf^exi^ bility of Kliyogg, in avoiding every thing which could turn away his attention from his principal occupation or introduce idlenefs, we may obferye before we attend him into his houfe, that he has no bees. Without de- nying the utihty of their honey and the inftrudlion to be derived from their focial labors, he maJntalr-:?. Khat the^ ^' ' cof?. IS4 THE RURAL SOCRATES. coft- too much trouble, and that wc flop too often id' obfervc them, to be paid by their honey and wax ; efpc* cially as they require mod attention in the hay ieafon. p. 236-239. Thefamiiy of our philofopher was found at table, and afforded a lively example of the happy refult of a wife domeflic government. Two Tons, fl:out, well made and healthy, and who had an air of profpcri- ty ; with two daughters^ who perfe^lly refembled their brothers ; had their feats at the upper end of the table. At their fide, fat the fervants ; who appeared much at their eafe ; for the table being fpread for all alike, all ierved themfelves with the fame freedom ; the fervants rot being obliged to wait with impatience till the mafl:er and family were fatisfiedy before they fat down to mifcr- ablc remnants. In ibort, Uiere was equality between the niafler and fervant both at taWle and at work, which communicated to the converfation a like equality. Two diflies of boiled biyley, two others of pears which had been baked and dried^, good bread made of wheat and rye, and a pitcher of water, formed the dinner. The author obferved at the end of their meal, that there* were large remains, which proved that avarice was not the vice of Kliyogg When it was afked with' furprife, '* Why there was no wine at table ?" Kliyogg' anfwcrcd, '' that he referved the wine to refrefh his * companions when fatigued with their work ; for which * purpofe a quantity was always carried into the fields * at ten in the morning and at four in the afternoon, * when it was equally diilributed betvv'cen his children '* and the domed ics." p. 239 — 243. Two of the latter particularly attracfl- cd our author's notice. — llie fird was a man advanced in ye^rs, who walked with ditficulty, on accoimt of pains which had attacked his knees during a very long peri- od. Such a man feemed little fit for hard labor ; huf Kliyogg •Many of the Swifs n^ake a very good dlfh of f.ears baked dry, wi:h hid cjT ft»me oihrj fat fubftancc hea;cd up vvhh ir^ THE RURAL SGCRA.TE&. gg^ l^liypgg fald that he hsd taken him into his houfc from compalBon, upon feeiDg him forced to beg 5 and that he gave him only fmail wages and the ufe of his tabic, which his work nearly repaid.— The other domeflic was an orphan from a neighboring village, who begged from houie to houfe, and whom Kliyogg took to his home ; giving him in his family a good education. His children and fervants remonftrated at firft: againfl this, the latter even rcfufing to work with iuch a vagabond i but our phiiofopher was refolute, notwithflanding the youth was not without his faults. [In the fequel, in defiance of the patience, care, and firmnels of Kli- yogg, this young man eloped with a new fuit of clothes upon his back.J p. 244 — 247. «..,... The rcfrefliment offered to Dr. Hirzel was boiled milk and breadt, a piece of beef from which fdup had been madel, bread, and laftly wine from the vineyards of Kliyogg. The repaft was feafoned with friendly difcourfe ; and with the prefence of two grand fons of Kliyogg, and of a little boy which Kliyogg had by his fecond wife ^ being the youngefl per- Ton in the houfe. — New difcoveries v^ere now made of the chara6ler of our phiiofopher o His fecond wife appeared at table : a good antd laborious woman, who by the fpirit and prudence which fiie had fhcwn during her widowhood, and the manner in which (he had educated her children from a little property whicii was in debt ; had attached Kliyogg, and induced him to marry her, after iiril quieting the repugnance of his children to the match. As the wife during the enter- tainment was Tometimes abfcnt to attend ,her kitchen, Kliyogg in this interval took her young child upon his knees, and amuled it as well as a nurfe could have done y looking at it very affedlionatcly, and holding it in a more dexterous •f The French call this m'tlk joup, (fou} au J ait,) E. % This houilli is as common in fjmc parts of Svvitzcrlandj 8S t« France, E. I5« THE RURAL SOCRATES. (dexterous manner than could be expefted from a man grown old in the hardefl work. He neverthelcfs faid that he did not long expevSb to prefer ve this child, who in truth had a fickly countenance. p. 248 — 249. The fons of Kliyogg had this day been working in the vines ; an occupation which they pre- ferred to all others ; on w^hich fubjeft their father ad- 'drcffed to them Come advice. p. 250 .When the Tons were retiredjKliyogg complain- ed that they were too fond of riches. ^' My eldeft fon, '* faid he, is always afking for a rich wife ; but rich wives * love luxury and good living, and objedl to work ; as * well on account of their delicate conflitutions, as from ^ the fear of dirtying their clothes. Thefe impreffions * are dommuuTcated,' little by little, to their hufbands ; * who avoid, in their turn, all hard and dirty work ; ^ and fjniih by becoming the mere inipeftors of their * workmen. Their workmen laugh at an idle niafter ' who turns his back upon his bufinefs, and imitate him ^ by doing nothing ; whence the harveds diminiQi, the ' fields become neglcv^ed, diforder creeps into the houf- * hold, and by degrees all the 'wealth vanifties. There * are no true riches but thofe enjoyed without remorfc * and with true contentment. Work muft be dorte * from a love for it, or from duty ; and not with a dc- * fire to' become enriched.' He who works from a paf * fion for doing his duty, will always pofTefs the divine ^blefTing." ■ -^ - p. 252 — 254. Some geographical and myfllca] books |[before mentioned, and] which Kliyogg inherited from a brother who had ferved in Dutch regiments ; gave our philofopher occafion to [renew his] remark, " that y^ there is nothing more hurtful for a peafant than 2 paf- *• fion for books ; that he had often found caufe to re- * gret, after the return of his brother, that his own chil- * dren, by means of reading, had been led to forget their * occupations ; that he lamented in particular, that the *"' children of his brother had been drawn afide by fana- ' is^' ■■ • ' tics ; THE RURAL SOCRATES, 157 ^ tics ; that their patrimony greatly fuffered by it ; and * that tie had great trouble to recover them from their * millake, and to convince them that labor is our firfl * duty and the bed means of obtaining the blefling of * the Creator ; and that books are for the learned, and ' the plough for the p^:^r?int. Fanaticijm in religion^ ^ he continued, ?>lvv'ay.i does the peafant harm ; troubles * his reafon a jd confcience ; and takes away much of * the time which ought only to be confecrated to work^ *- Often the party expofes himfelf to the tricks of cth- ^ ers ; and iofiietimes he is led into a melancholy h#bit ^ of mind and ends by forgetting his true deftination as p. 255 — 256. Difcourfe like this, clofed our phi- lofopher's dinner. We rofe to vifit the reft of Kli- Togg's farm. And we certainly found parts which had not yet attained the perfection of which they were ca- pable ; and particularly the orchard, which iurrounded the houfe : but it is difficult for a peal ant to do all at once, particularly where he is obliged to execute the principal things himfelf and finds trouble in procuring proper workmen to aflift him ; which is the cafe with our Kliyogg. It is indefatigable labor only, directed, upon a foiid and fteady plan, which can conquer all difficulties. p. 256 — 258. But in fpite of fome imperfecllons of the orchard, I with much plcafure law pains tak- en lo colled the rain-water^ falling from the houfc and barn, into a refervoir in the court ; and to mix it afterwards with the filth from the flables.- — Kliydgg had dug a pit four feet deep and as many wide, the door of which he could clofe and open at pleafure. When he difcovered that the mixture had become fuf- £ciently putrid, he ftirred it all through ; and carried it, by means of little canals, upon a neighoring mea- dow. At the bottom of this meadow, was placed anoth- er refervoir, which colk<5led the remains of this wa-^ tcr ; i^e THE RUPvAL SOCRATES, tcv ; from whence Kliyogg condae reafon, rep-arded a^> aangeroiis, all riches acquired without labor." In this opinion he was coriHrmed, by the cafe of the rich wife winch his fon had obtained ; for notwithflanding her good difpofitions, fliefcrvcd to prove, that riches ibfren the charaaer and infpire a tafte for exceites in drefs, as well as for the luxuries of life ; and he faw befides with much chagrin, that his eldefl fon, who was fiill a bachelor, was defirous of a like match. p. 280—284. AJi this often gave room to wrm di(- putes, efpccially on the part of the fon- in law of Kli'« yogg ; who was of a choleric temper, and often fiew out^mto cruel ironies againfl his father in law. This dlffenfion was increjifed by the death of the firfl \Knie ofKliyogg, who had always contributed to pre- fervc the tamily-peace ; and who on her death-bed, gave newteRimonies of the pleafure which Trie had al- ways taken m conforming heiiclf to tlie will of her huf- bano.~~It was after her death that the fon-in-Iaw tnoiignt himfelf more privileged to meddle in the family and oppofe the fingalarities of his father-in-hw ; par- ticularly when they brought upon himfelf either the en- vy or fneers of his neighbors.^This was a new reafoii for Khyogg to take a feconJ wife ; of whom mention rias already been made, and who appeared to Kliyo,rvr well fitted to aflid: him in governii^g his houiliokrco'Ii" forniably to his antient princioles.*** Kliyogg now fet himfelf anew to convince his fons that poverty diaion- orsnoone; that labor and good morals had alone ad^ yanccd and given true happinefs to his family ; and that It ivas oy the fame means only, that the happinefs of it couiu be preferved. His fons gradually yielded to his ^'^^ reafoninrrs i62 THE RUKAL SOCRATES. reafoningSj and bluQied at having put fo many obflaclcs to this fecond marriage ; and envy had the mortifica- tion to find, that Kliyogg entirely obtained his end. — His .new wife (hewed the bell difpofltions ; and while (he followed the will of her hnfband, knew how to gain the compleat affe by preference, the company of theiit children ; thinking that he daily acquires a new refcm- biancc to them by the decline of his own flrength. He therefore cats *.vith them at a fcparate table. p. 290. M. x64 THE RUP.AL SOCP.ATES. p. 290. As the education afihefe little children formj >ils pleafurc, lb the indiiftry and vigor of his married children makes his glory. p. 291 — 293. The inarcjuis o^ Baden Durlach^ \y\\\\ the princes of his family, made a viijr to Kliyogg in 1783 ; and three pages are accordingly introduced to /Tiakc flattering cornplin"ients to the rnarquis and his (on. The marquis conclnded his vifit by fiyingof Kli- yogg, that he v»' as ^ /r:^^ /?^/ri^ri*/;. p. 294. The author often remarked that Kliyogg dc- tcflcd pride, — At the wedding of his cldcji'iow^ his Tons infjftcd upon going into town on horfeback ; which Kiiyogg oppofed with all his might : but vvithoqt efledl, rill he told tiiem with firmnefs, that if they went into town on horfeback, he v^ould put on his worlt coat, and run by their fide vvithhis cep, to afKalms for them. ' At another time, having fold a fattened o>i, while his fons and fervanls Rood around much better drcffcd than himfelf, he faidto the butcher who bought it ; Yoii fee theie rich lords; go to them 5 without f'oubt tliey have more fat oxen to fell than 1 have. This fcnt them av/ay confounded to their work. p. 295. What our philofopher hated no Icfs than pride, wns hypocrify ; and c-rpecially prayers la which the heart has no concern, fie never fuffered an inci- dent of this fort to efcape his notice. One night his Vv'ife ufcd the 6th pfalm as a prayer ; repeating, with Davidj '' all the night I make my bed to fwim ; I wa.- *•' ter my couch. Vv^ith m:y tears.'* He interrupted her,and faid fmiling, " and yet n'>y wife I iet nothing of this ; ^^ 1 am not fer-.fiblc of it«" But he did not en this ac- count the lefs fervently rclpev^ religion : he only re- quired, that the Iicaft c^^' ''''"f f7:ntdd always bcin uui- fan with each other. p. 296 — 297. Tiie foiiowii-.g anecdote may fiicw ths node of thinking of Kiiyogg in matters of religion. V\'l:en fpeaking of (IriL^ncfs in fulfilling the duties of O'^ir flal'ion !)en: mode uf wo: Hiipping the Deity : ^ h- THE RURAL SOCRATES. 16/ lie laid once to our author, ^' It is not prof.t th;it \v^ ' niuflfearch after, if wc feek the divine blsfling. There *• are many pcafants, who have no other objecl' than to ^ enrich thcmielves ; and who, to fucceed, prefer com- ^ merce to the labor of their hands. Not content with * felUng the fifperfiulty of their own v/lieat and oxen, * they buy wheat ar,d wine. Sec, from other pcafants, Mil order to traffic in thefe articles. It is true, that * they often fucceed in aniaHing confiderable fums ; but ' work foon becomes a burthen to them ; ihey even per- ' mit to themfelvcs fome injuRice, in oider to fell their ' articles at a high price ; which does not fail to ccr- ' i-upt their minds ; efpecially as this money procures ' them influence, and^tlie means of gaining the clergy ' and their judges. Add, that the defire of enjoying ' their fortune renders them lovers of the table and otii- ' cr pleafures ; and alfo proud and expenfive. This conir ' municatcs itfelf, as a contagion, to their children and '- domellics ; who imitating their example, will hats ' and defpife vi^ork and give themfelves up to idlenefs, ' and become proud and voluptuous like themfelves. ' By this means the fertility of their lands diminifhes ; ' the expences of their family increafe ; money flies ' away ; and diforder and confulion following in their ' family, a general derangement occurs. The mifery ' here becomes the greater, becaufe indolence weakens ^ the bodily flrength, and the tafte for good wines and ' fi 5r dcjicate meats becomes a fecond nature. Work ' then mud be pnrfued for the iake of work; and as the ^' refult of a renCt of duty, and in order to give pleafure ^ to the beneficent God who prefcribes it to us ; and at ' the fame time every effort mull: be ufed to combat the ^ paffion for money, for pleafure, and for luxury. — ^Such ' conduct willfecure the divine blefllng ; and maintala ^ our confciences pure and free of reproach." p. 298 — 300. Here Kliyogg fpcaks by turns as an egotiH:, a4;heologian, and a moralifl ; but our Swifs cler- gyman omits the particular^. The author then con- ' ' ' elude:: A 1 66 THE RURAL SOCRATES. eludes with faying, that in moments like thcfe, be has thought hloiielf in the company of Socrates and Epi<^e- tas. p. i^->u No niisfortun.c dcjedeJ Kliyogg or drew from hisTi con:ij>lai»*ts. TheypariySi was difaftrous to his crops: In the autiunn v/orms had made great havoc in his rye : and in the following fpring during the month of May, a froit dedroyed the profpe^ from his vines and trees which v»'as very promiling. His Tons were deeply afRicted ; bit he called their affli£lion ingratitude towards God ; as they had fullicient blefring3 remaining to them from the preceding :iF)d even from that very year, and God would flili be bountiful to them. He encouraged them therefore to low a great quantity of Uimmer- wheat, WAthout fuifering his mind to be troubled. p. 302 — 304, Seme pad'iges from Seneca, D'AIem- bert, and the P^lements o^' politics are here introduced, to Qiew that Kliypgg merited ilic name of a philofo-^ pher. p. 305— 318. In thefe thirteen pages Dr. Hirzel tra-, cesthe portrait of a good prince refembling Kliyogg. p^ ^ig_2i9. The author tinilhes by faying, that whatever traits diflinguifii any man held as excellent. they vi^ill all of them be found ^llb iu Kliyogg. p. 320— 3:23. Such was Kliyogg as long as Godprc- ferved his healih and flrength ; that is, .to the age of 74. —From that period, he felt his bodily powers and the vigor of his mind daily diminifhing ; dangerous humors colleftinginhis body ; and his digelling facuhies becom- ing deranged. Having fuifered alfo much from the cold of the preceding winter (1784-5), a dropfical complaint, which increafed from day to day, obliged him^ finally to remain in ills bed, and announced his approachjng death, —At the ^:^(lne^vs of his Hcknefs, the author dctermi mmed once THE RURAL SOCRATES. 16; OI3CC more to fee him ; nnmciy, on the Ji Jane (17 85 ) — It was on that fame day that Mr-vSclnimacker^chamber- ]ain to the king of Denmark, paid the author a vi[it. The difcourfe Toon turning upon Kliyogg, this travel- ler learning the author's intentions, propofed himielf for the party. p. 323. Our philofophcr was found reduced to a condition which drew tears from the feeling Schu- macker. — He was flretched, in a (late of great debility » Dpon a bench ; furroundcd every where with pillows^ He raifed himfelf with much trouble, in order to fpenL to his vifitors ; and to tell the fufferings which he had un- dergone during many weeks, but from which neverthe- lefs he hoped to recover. The v^eaknefs of his bodv had made much impreilion upon his fpirits ; he was greatly funk and in bad humor ; and his eycs^ which for- merly fparkled with joy in his converfations, were moiflened with the tears which conflantly fcU as he fpoke. It is true that he ilill repeated liis wife ma::ims on the fubjecfl of the too great luxury of fome of his ch'ldren, and the too great avaiice of others, bet all in a lasPientablc tone. He interrupted however this dii- courfe from time to time, by dwelling with tendernefs on his httle ones, the mofi: intereRini}; companions of his old age ; touching upon their characler and talents and other circumftanccs, with tears of joy. — He difco- vercd little fear at death ; and when the author fpoke of ft, he faid, " 1 have a good confcience ; I have always * 'loved equity and juftice, and have truly fulfilled the ' duties of my fiation. Let then the will of God be ^ done, for I have known him through all my life as a * God of mere}*, who has loaded me v/ith his kindnefs ; ^ and he will alfo grant m.e his favors in the ether * world." — Kliyogg neverthelefs wiihcd and always ex- pe£led the re-eRabliihment of his health, and the return of his flrength for working. The rcnicmbrance of his long ilinefs was however fufRcient to throw him into ^'*'*'^:^ — /^3 to medicine he rr"-^-'^-:? it ::hogfnher ; {o- having' i68 THE RURAL SOCRATES. having taken fome from the medical perfons in the vil- lage at the beginning of his malady, without cffc<^, he abandoned himfelf folely to nature ; ufing only a few ipoonfuls of brandy, night and morning, becaufe he thought they gave him fome relief. — p. 326. The au- thor remarks here, that he had often obferved that the fpirits of adive perfons fuiTer mofl from the fentiment of their declining flrength. Mnch hov/ever, as the author and his companion were :iiFe£l:ed, they obtained fome confolation from the con- veriation of the eideft fon of Khyogg ;, who led them through the farm^ and gave an account of every thing with a clcarnefs which made them recognize in him the worthy fon of Kliyogg ; and at the fame time convinced them, that the complaints of the father againft his fons, were too much the refult of his difeafe. p. 327. Here fays the author to his correfpondent, byway of conclufion, is the end of my oblervations on the Rural Socrates ; — who, during a longcourfe of time, has occafioned me fo much pleafure ; who has fo often encouraged me to do good ; and who has given me the opportunity by a defcription of his charader, of contri- buting to the general benefit, Sec. Sec. THE THE RURAL SOCRATES, fmsm PART THE THIRD, SECTION r. T'/ie celebrated Lavater defer Ihes Kliyogg^ X HE following account of Kliyogg is hy Ihe famous phyfiognomift Lavater^ ^ a clergyman of thd canton of Zurich in which Kliyogg refided. It is tranf- lated from a French tranflation, being originally ex- t:ra^^ed from the feventeenih of the '-^ Pbyfiognomic Frao-ments*' of that writer. '' If Mr. Hirzel (fays the noted Lavater) had no oth- er merit than that of writing his peafmt-philofopher, or rather of fmgling out and manifefting this, man, who was fo really a man, his deferts would have been high. Hence 1 never \\c Kliyogg, without returning new thanks to Mr. Hirzel for having drawn him from his obfcurity. ' There are few men whom I have examined fb ri- goroufly and whom I have obferved on fo many fides and in fo many different fituations as Kliyogg ; and I can truly fay that I have not found one, a (ingle one. who refembled hi77ile.Jf fo much in all points ; ^ one X * The a in the fecond fyllable of Mr, Lavater's n?me is pionounceil Oiort amorg hia-caantryfr.en, the S'^ifii, ijo THE RURAL SOCRATESc * one vvh9 was fo Readily, certainly, evidently, purefy, ' incQrriiptibly, fubilantialJy, all by himfelf ; wasabfo- ^ hitcly nothing but wliat he is, and defigned to be ; in ' iliort was fo lingular in his kind, as this manj who is in ' truth to me incomparable. ' I have this moment read the new edition of his life ; * and could not but finile at the palTagcs where the Xe- ' nophon^ of our Socrates has CKprefled a feariof being ' miflcd by an exceflive chthufiafm, in his defcription of ^ fome of thofe fine fituations in which he has feen him. t — Gan there be need of excufe infpeaking with warmth * of fuch a man ? None of all thofe w^ho know Kliyogg, * can venture to affirm that too much has bv::en faid of * him ; and I fiiall be pardoned by thofe who know him, * for aflerting that it is as difficult to defcribe K4iyogg. ^ with the "^^n^ as it is to re^i:c,%r>fe-his^nturci with the- ^pencil. _ . -;: •*' ' '" ' How often have I not perruadcd him to fit for mc ^ to be painted I Three of ihe bell: portrait drawers and ^ the moil: happy in their likeneffes, have tried their ta- *- lents upon him, I have \:x^c<^ every effort to have him ^ properly exhibited and taken. All the fl^etchcs were * eafily known, but not one was a perfe* Upon the comparifon, who mufl not have been ' '■"-::^d to acknowledge, tltat Kliyogg Ir.s c''r"',"d eve- u;a-o •fthc rfa! f^ocrarei?. THE RURAt SOCRATES. 17 x ry kind of pencil ? — I nothing blame then the painter ; and as little the hiitorian. Few can more highly ci- teem the talents and merits of the Istter than myielf ; and afTuredly none have read liis book with mere plea- fure. I may even add, that it will be difficult for any to feci more profoundly the truth of his defcriptions: And yet I mull alfo add that in my eyes the original is above the copy ; or rather a copy of fach an origi- nal is impoflible. I mufl at tlis lame time confefs, that Mr. Hirzel has defircd to be an kijlorian^ a-dd by no 77icans a panegyrljl, — if on my fide, I endeavor to make a like fketch, 1 perceive tlie fame traits, the fame exprefliocs occurring io myfelf ; as to this relpe(ri:3blc biographer ; — and nevcrtkelcrs I venture upon tlie fame attempt. * I never found my-felfnear Kliyogg, without hsving his prefence, \m efj'ergy, produc-irig in me a kind of fentiment, fuch as my heart never experienced at the fight cf any other man. It was not a fentiment which partook of the wai-mth of enthufiafm : it v/ss as if a faint image cf/V'/ii'^/ man fought to acquire life and dif- tinctnefs in my bofom. I felt gently riling there an emotion i'o fingle, fo delicate, ^^o difficult to be ^xpref- fed, that it v^as neither refpec>, nor tenderncfs, noi' even friendlhip : it was a (oft expanfiori of the foal ; incorrupt human nature which penetrated me deli- cionfly with its prefence. * The true model of man, in all its fimple unity — * before me. The totality of man the cultivator ; the totality of the cultivator; of man difcngagcd froni cares, conilraints, and fubiervience to a plan, A light without dazzling ; a v/armth without effervclccncc ^ a full fentiment of what he is, without any prcfump- tuous egotifm ; a confidence in himfelf which is en^ l\r^^ but without pride. An inteile * All the indents, all the (hades of his cheeks, diffufc over 'his * Dr. GeJ<1e9, the fcriptare critic and tranflator, had a fyftern of phyfiognomy founded upon nofei? ; which he divided into about twcRtjr •lafies, —The celebrated I'ln-seus had another re fpe^ing eye brows, %, 174 "^^^^ RUR^L SOCRATES. ^ his countenance the moft h^rmcrnizing exprefiion ef ^ gravity, temperance^firninefs, and inward tranquillity. * His car, ftronjrly marked, with it«' roundings and out- * lines, finQ-ularly ?r^'<'C5 with thr reft.'* [The author here introduces iome obfcrvatlons on the defe^fls in the print of Kliyoj^jr, which he prefents to his readers ; bat which h different from that given in the French edition of the Rural Socrates. Unfortunate- ly the prcfent compila-tioa lias no print to accompanv it.l S E C T X O N 11. J^re//i 7^e/7imof2ies concerning Kliyoj^^, Dijcufjions re-- fpeClin^ his preference of Oxen to Hor/es^ and his pa^ trial chal Plans* The Marquis d^ Mir ah eau"^^ to the French Ti an/later. Paris, Noveoiiber 8, 1762, * ^ I HAVE been charmed with the Rural SocrAtes^ The reputation of this work is cflablilhed at Paris : but I have -only my own lenliments to relate at prefent. Let ine thi^i kfTure you, that I confider it as one of the mofi: tifeful books which has ever been piiblidied ; a fuhlimc pre-eminence, * Tl.is noHerran is ih? celebrated author of that excellent work Vamz iti Hotttmfs^ OH H'raUe de la ptpulation ; [The fiiend of men, or a treaiiff on popubtioc] ; which has btea read vviih amazing avidity in n.any pirrsr of Europe, h is an aimirablc ^f)rmance, and greatly defervcs tlie ar- leniion of this country. How it>dlt:h roore deferring a tratiilatioi), ihaa llic frippery works we are fot'itj>?r to copy ! Y, TIjc Ma'O'Jis de iVJiribepn ucs f aher of the famous Cont^re t^e Mira- Kau, arid likewife ot ihe Viconrire de Mird^ea^ ; who were ftrenuouc aftors 00 dift'ercnt fides in the French rcvoluiion. The Mirqnis was one of ihe principal fupportcfs of the E^hemeriitt du Citi^tn ;. a Frensb pc- sjodicaj work on political ec-'^nor;!^, £. i THE RURAL SOCRATES. lyf ^re-cminencc, and which neceffarily includes the quali- ty of being agreeable ; for the mind muil be interellcd before it can receive iolid inflriKftion.**^ "With a view to what was agreeable in agricnllure, I bad eniouragec! a tranflation into French, of Thomfbn's Seafons : But this work contained mere pictures and fcenes of imagi- nation. While I was fearching for lomething which had in it reality and life, I found the R.ural Socrates, which more than arifwerefi my expectations. It con- tains an example of the theory and practice of the moR: perfet^ and rational kind of hufbandfy, and of the moil:' noble philo^>phy and moil elevated piety.— Kliyogg is in every thing r^y hero. How do all our petty preju- 3icesiliik before him ! What innate dignity I exhibited too in a man, wflo follows no ether than the lavrs diiTcated by the Supreme Being ^ ! It my firustion permitted'me to travel, I ihould ea- gejlyleek the advantages and pleafure to bs derived from coHverfing with ibch a charat^er i Perhaps too 1 might convince him of the benefit (did his foil 3] d extent of cultivation admit it) of ploughing- with horfcs^ rather thap with oxen ; fmce onV of mv plough boys with two hoVTes wilL turn over regularly *wo acres in a day, v/hile he requires tv/6 men and four ,>en to do only the half of this in the fame timef . I would inform him that there is nothing chimerical irs his idea of a tribe [or ilheme of extenlive famih/ union] ; lince the clans of Scotland are in effed of this" defcriptiou. --If it diould be faid, that thefe clans founcV an uninhabited country, in which to fpread themfelves ; I w^ould then inftance the Haut-p^nigis of St. Omer iu *rnnce ; u ho occupy a fubarb in a great city ; and *^* who,. *v ■"^ Many who toink re]I|ion rldlcuhus:^ of cob rTe" conceive at inconfidenr i:h dignity : and lo die teelings ot fuch the writcyr aliades. E. i M. i3e Mirabeau v^iil allcvs^ me to aC;;!! that this is a moft rersiarlca- ble rircomftancc : It is a piiy he did not add the fjjl. It u often donar in Norfolk, but only in the very light fcils^ and by no nneans equals o: c acse in hsavisr lands. Y. YlS THE RURAL SOCRATES. wbo, though living by commerce, which necefl^rlly mixes them. wit!i the world, yet i>y their rule of noc marrying out of their family, have preferved their lan- guage and manners, and a prudent turn on which their profperity is founded. But as an example Hill more approaching the plan and courfc of life of the worthy Kliyogg, I wifh to inform him, that Pincou a cultivator in Auvergne, had the fame idea with himlelf on this llibje^l, more than a century ago ; and that having married his four chil- dren, he enjoined them to form themfelves into a tribe, and to maintain inviolably the facred band of family imion, of community of property, and of integrity. — This worthy inflitution has lb much profpered, that the Pincous have not only a principal feat of refidencc in the mountains, where are to be found all the conve- niences of life, v» ith hofpitality, and even handfome apartments ^ov flrangers of the very firll quality ; but many villages of which they are foie inhabitants ; and to whic; 'hey furnifli the curates, lawyers, and other correfpo iCiing charoders. The necefiary arts of life are exercifed in this tribe, for the fupply of their own community in the firfi infhince; what is raifed beyond being fold at markets and fairs, where every thing com- ing from them carries with it its own credentials. — Thefe ai'e p^irticulars which I learn only by report ; having in a journey, which I made this fnmmer, palled within eight leagues of this remarkable eftablhhment, without knov.'ing it. I fhould however have turned back in order to fee it, and to obtain the whole particu- lars ; had not my eftates in Limoufm been only thirty leagues from the fpot, foas to permit my doing it at a future time.* With relpe6t to the family which you mention in the Upper Provence t, I am of that country, and yet never heard • More will be faiJoftlils family n ^ See p. ^. THE RURAL SOCRATES. 177 heard it named, — Beiides, it fcems that we have rather to inquire refpedling the community of property and of interefis in inflitiuions of this kind, than after a mere perfeverance in a retired life ; the latter bordering on milery ; with which the former fcheme has no relation. It is true, that Kiiyogg fecks to found an order of mo- naftic hufbandmen^\ but nature would be. the bafis of it ; without the aid of fanatic mortifications, or other vio- lent means, which are always fcducing to warm and fu- perftitious minds, ignorant of their real duties. In his project, every thing is fimple, and confequently great ; ** * but the projefi is at the fame time fmgular, and perhaps not fuited to the conllitution of a large empire. The Afifwer of the French Tranflator to the Marquis ; dated Bafie^ Jcmuary 4, 1763. * ^ ^ TJIE bookfellers who had the copy of the Ru- ral Socrates, finding the firll edition nearly fold, propole a new one ; and I wi(h to make fome additions by way of Supplement. If you will allow me to include your interefting letter, it v/ill be a valuable accellion to the work.* * * * * * It feems that you itientibn only one point of difagreement with Kiiyogg ; [namely rcfpe<£ting his ox- en.] * ^ * Your plough-boy goes through two acres each day v/ith a pair of horfes. But is the foil as labo- rious a§ that of Kiiyogg ? Kiiyogg you know alfo tellii •as, that four oxen coil lefs than two horfes ; includ- ing the profit upon the carcafes of the . oxen when flaughtercd ; with their cheaper keeping, and the quan- tity and quality of their dung; advantages which are not to be overbalanced by their flownefs. — i know that an * The original fays *' Cemhites Agrirulteurs** or cuhivators llvirg /« common. M )nk8 are properly peifons living u?:married in retirement. — The wiifer however had in view, perfons who lead a family life, but rrix in a feleft fociety of their own rf!Jarions, V irS THE RURAL SOaiATES. an article in the Encyclopedie"^ gives a decided prefer ence to hories ; and that your opinion adds great weight to this decilion. I admit alio that the fa6b on your fide may be incontefiable in a great part of France. — Yet may not there be a difference in Switzer- land ; where our oxen ieeni much more powerful and- active than in France, and our herbage better fuited to their conftitutions ? Our caulc alio, when fattened, bear a much better price : The heft of them being driv- en as far as Paris, and in time of war many being fold to the armies ; none but the cattle of Auvergne equaU ling ihem. On the other hand, the food of horfes is dearer in Switzerland, than in France, efpecially oats. Perhaps laflly, our horfes require extra food ; at Icafl:^ in our late camp:iij>,ns, I obferved that the Swifs horfes in our regiment fuifered much more from the hard die? to which tlicy were reduced, than thofe of other coun- tries.* -^^^ Reply of tJiQ Marquis to the Fre?ich Tra?iflaicr ; dated Pans^'J'aruiary 25, 1763. * * * I AM much pleafed, for the fake of the public, that the fale ofthc P^^ural Socrates anfvvers fo well ; nor do I apprehend, that a feccnd edition has occafion for any augmentations to give it equal fuccefs. — I have al- vays been fcrupnlous of making alterations in the effays \ puWiih, if they go through a fecond edition ; though - •* linly, there are very eifential corre£iions wanting 3 : : 'xample, in the fequel oi U Ami des Hormnes^ I have t;f;;refly conti'adifted what 1 had afTcrted as a funda- jnentaj orinciple in the firfi: work ; namely, '' that pop* '•^ ujpt^ion was the conjeqiteme of riches/' I was fen- f;ble of my ei-or in milL^king the caufe for the ei?e6i:, and have fince advanced that *' population was the origin *' of wealth." — The method was fimple and eafy to have- * S9« Cnlftrr 4t( tetrth In il.c oiigtn:4l French E^ic^^J^^^'^f*^ THE RURAL SOCRATES. ijf :tave eftabliilied this latter opinion by feme Higlit chan- ges ; — but I made a point of not leflening the vahie of the book to the firfl purchafers ; and have invai iably perlided in not changing the leafl fentcnce in vvoiks once piiblifliedj but to do what v/as requifite by way of appendix. The latter feems to be vvlnt you intend, inflead of inferting notes in the work itfelf. — I (hould be glad ifthc letter I didmyfelf the honor to addrefs to you, and which you are defirous of printing in the fupplement, could be of any weight or utiilty. Such as it is, Sir, you are to condder it as your own 2)roperty-, not mine. — I have felt it my dut}'-, and I ought to adhere to it, never to print any thing for the future ; but it would give me fatisfadion to write any thing for the benerit of man- kind ; and that fo wortjiy a trullee as yourfelf fiiould fiamp a value upon it., which it certainly did not pofTefs when it quitted my hands. [n. e. M. de Mirabeau here proceeds again to fpeak of the family of Pincous or Pignous in Auvergne ; whofe exiPcence be confijuis. After feme remarks on the fubjecl:, he refumes his parallel betvveen oxen and Iiorfes ; a pirellel which Mr. Arthur Young pronoun- ces unfatisfac^ory ; afferting from his own ^' attentive " experience, that two oxen are maintained mncl^i ^' cheaper tlian "two horfes, and w ill do equal w^ork.*' The following extracts only thexefore aie added from the conchifion of the letter.] I am yet of opinion that ic would not be of advantage ':o Kliyogg to ufe horfes upon a fmall farm.*** Thur» the refult of all our rcafoning Ml is, that the Rural So- crates according to the circumftances of his fituation its an excellent farmer and a very praife-worthy citizen. *** Agricultural queflions however arc of the greateil: confequence to the profperity of a (late 5 and ofcourfe to the multiplication and happinefs of the hu- m-in i'pecies. Experiment and calculation are the grand iiails of true agricultural (cieiicc ; a fcicnce of which the iSo THE RURAL S0CRATE5. dawn at prefent manifefts itfclf, and of which the per- jPe6l day it is to be hoped will ultimately illuminate our poflcrity. Till that period fhall arrive, continue, Sir, k ftndy which renders you To ufeful to mankind. I experience on my fide a iatisfa^tion in the profpec^, ^vhlchis perhaps greater than I merit. — I'hofe charita- ble perfons who recommend our detaching ourfelve^ from this world v/Ith a view to becoming more perfetil, (and in which generally fpeaking they are right) ; tell ua, that it is the fame at bur iafl hour, whether we have lived many or few years. — -Arid this is true for men who' are folely occupied with their pleafures, or their own little contradled advantages ; for to them the paft is nothing. But for thofe who are occupied with the good of others ; who have fowed in the paft, reap- ed in the prefent, and fee new fruits dill forming ; it is highly important to have lived, to live, and to hope for longer life;. This does not imply that they will be fo wrapped up in the profpecl: of future enjoyment frorr> their labors, as not to rcfign the fcene quieliy when called away from it. Their exertions and the pleafures they derive from tiiem have a foundation independent of their fondnefs for life. It is felf love which defcending into the ton^b with its An^Ttim, regrets the pafl which is over, as well as the future which flies from' it : But the love of others leads us to dwell with delight on the recol- lecT:ion of the virtuous ajfls, which fueh a fentiment has infpired ; and we blefs our neighbors when we quit them, and are confoled that we die fingle and leave oth- ers to furvive us. — This then is the bed temper of mind to recommend to beings who are gifted with thought and feeling, but are formed to perifii. You, Sir, are in the habit of pofielling this temper ; and I am perhaps aiithorized, but certainly intcrefled, to recommend you to perfid in it. Advcrti/einenl THE RUKAL SOCRATES. i8i Advertifement by the French I'ranfiator, THAT I might leave nothing omitted (fays the Tranflator) capable of clearing up the important quef- tion refpedling oxen and horfes, at \^z9i with rei- pedt to Switzerland, I addrefTed my inquiries to one of the Swifs mofl worthy to contend with M. de IVlirabeaii ; to a perfon to whom antient Greece v/ould have erected flatues, and to whom thofe of his countrymen capable of eflimating his m.erit have eredc- ated flatues in their hearts. This friend of mankind and excellent citizen i.-. M. Tfchiffeli, Secretary of the Supreme Council and Vice-Prefident of the Economical Society of Berne.** It is to his excellent views and indefatigable exertions, that the latter, which is one of the fineft inflitutions in Switzerland * * owes its cxifl- ence and active principles.^ *j l^etier addrcjjed by M. Tfchiffeli to the French Tranjla- tor, ALL the obiervations of the Marquis de Mirabeau on the contracted and difadvantageous fcale cf hufbandry purfucd by our Kliyogg, may be reduced to this general queftion — Is it more profitable to plough with horfes or with oxen ? a very material inquiry, which deferves a thorough examination in every country, diflrid:, or par- ticular eflate, and under all poflible circumflances. The autbxjrity of Monfieur de Mirabeau, the ^rfl genius, perhaps, of the age in comprehending the true principles of agriculture, is undoubtedly of confiderable weight : nor can any perfon have a more exalted re- ipe£t for that nobleman's knowledge and zeal ioT the good of mankind. I know him under the title, fojud- ly acquired^ oi l^ami des hommes [the friend of men :] — but we are each of us in fearch of truth ; and I am under rjo apprehenfions of offending him by differing in opin- ion on a capital point of ?.griculture, 1 jS2 THE IIUKAL SOCilATES. I ellablifli it as a fundamental rule, wherever th-2 roads are not exceflively fliony, nor the eftatc extremo ly deep, that it is of more general advantage to ufe oxen for draught, than horfes ; with iome exceptions, how- ever, where the trade in horfes is conliderable, and that in horned cattle fcarcely opened at all : a cafe rare in moH parts of the world, and ieldom or never met with in Switzerland.^ — My remarks will be chiefly confined to that country, as the only one I am fufficiently ac- quainted with. The only fenfible advantage of horfes over oxeug cither in drawing or ploughing, cbnfifts in the greater Tigor and fpecd, with which horfes extcute their work, other things being cqtial ; for experierce evinces, that four very robufl oxen, forward as much biifirefs as four horfes indifferently maintained without pats*, ac- <:ordingto the cuftom of Ciar peaf-ints. — But other 'kings being equal, I will fet ac one third the fuperior fwift- nefs and vigor of horles, that is, I allow four liorfes to do the fame work as fix oxen ; which is all I can poflibly grant; and fome laborers of good judgment, whom I have confulted, vvill ftarcely admit one fifth diifcrence. The general prcpofleflion here in favor of oxen, may perhaps, account for this. — You will pleafe to obferve, Sir, that this advantage, however great it appears, will be immaterial, in all f^ums, that like ours m general, are too fmall to employ a team of horfes thronghont the year. Our fortunes are too contrad:- ed, our corn-countries too populous, and our eftates too dear, to admit of making cxtenfive purchafes. Fifty acres of arable land, the fame quantity of meadow, and pailurage in proportion, are with us confidered as large farms : there are very few of greater dimenfions. Nay, k is found by experience, that aneflate of that fize feldom produces ir^orc than of half wliat is made of the lame number ♦ Horfes maintained uith.juf oil* ! What are w« X(y undesfland bj' TFIE RURAL SOCRATES. 183 number of acr<*5 divided between two or three occupi- ers. — If there is not fufficient employment for draught horfes upon the farm all the year, they muft either be turned upon the flubble, or ufed iu the carriage of goods for others : in the firfl cafe their keeping is more expenfive than that of oxen ; and in the fecond, the plough-man become a waggoner is on the road to ruin * as is fatally exemplified in fonie parts of the Pai's de Vaud, where mifcrable teams of hor(es perifh with fa- tigue and hunger in road waggons. The manure is lofl :o the land ; the plough man becomes a drunken carrier^ *ind is quarreUbme and diflipated ; habits very improp- er for a hufbandman, th^ bafis of whofe art is temper- ance and application, M. de Mirabeau, in Mis letter, computes the mainte- nance of horfes to be three times dearer than that of oxen ; but fays at the i^ime time, that the expence (hould firfl of all be dedudled from the clear prciic of what he calls the great culture ; which, after fuch deduiftionSp he ilili makes amount to more than ten times the mo- ney that has been expended. — But he will permit me to fuggeft the impofTibility that fuch luxuriant crops can be the eife who has the leafl: degree of underftanding, may an- nually make of every team of four oxen, a clear pro- fit of 61. IIS. 3d. or 7!. 17s. 6d, fetting their food in tjppofition to their labor, if he buys his beafls at three years old, and fells them again at four, there is altrtoil: an abfolute certainty of his gaining a louis and half, or two louis a head. This advantage may be extended much farther when the peafant has a right in any pub- lic paflursgc, and can breed his own cattle. Whoever has been informed, that in the greatefl part of Switzer- land, particularly in the German divifion t of the canton of * This is i\ valuable fad\ : now if their oxen are equal to thofe I ufed In SufFwlk, what an amazing fuperiority'for the ox culture I Thefe points <)f propoftion, the expenccsot certain pra(^iccs, &c. are very important cir- cumUances, as it is upon a feled^ion of fuch that thefe difputable points can alone be reconciled. Y. l SuiJzcrland at large is divided into the German, French, and Ital- ian diftritls according to the languages prevailing in its fcveral parts. THE RURAL SOCRATES. 185 of Benie, a pair of oxen of three years old, that have been in good paflure, commonly fell from ten to fifteen iouis," will not be furprifed at what I have advan- ced. It is far otherwife with horfes. Befides that their price is iabje^Sl to very great and frequent variations^ there is great danger in ufing young horfes for heavy, and .conftant labor. The ilightcft accident to a draught liorfe may be a very fenfible lofs to, the farmer, whilPc a lame ox is not at all the vv.orfe when fatted for mar- ket. Add to all this, if the farmer ploughs with hor- fes in their full vigor, he has no other advantage to ex- pect than during the time they can work : He finks a large capital, which, indead of proving beneficial^ waftes every day, and is reduced to nothing at the end of a few years. All thefe confiderations induce our mod judicious cultivators to rate the advantage of drawing with oxen inflead of horfes at 81. ijs. one year with anotherto Farther X "^I'i^is re.-t{jn;ng is fenfible ; and as it coincides with cur experience in England, on this comparifon, there is the greater reafun to acknow- ledge its juftnefs. The arguments here ufed, are the iswi^ as we hear itioft commonly ufed among ourfelves in thofe counties uhere oxen ar^ 3'et worked. — Upon the whole, this comparifon of horfes and oxen high- ly deferves farther attention. — The Marquis de Mirabeau, in a preceding; paper, quotes the Encyclopedic on this fuhjedi : I have read the rDemoira of that work on the fubjeft of agricuhure ; they are extren^ely fenfible, And call aloud for a travjlatkn into Englijh. Among oiher articles, they contain an elabor^ite comparifon between horfes and oxen 3 decided in fa- vor of the former. This comparifon abounds with many circumrtances very curious, and throws much light on the fubjed^, and at the fame tim?; explains, in a good meafurc, the leafon why the French prefer horfe* fa» much. y. N. B. The Marquis de Mirabeau not only refers in hi^ letters to the ar- riclc Culture des terres, but to the article Ferm:(^ ; both of xh^m in th? old French Encyclopedia. E. .Z lU THE RURAL SOCRATES. Farther Anecdotes concerning the Family q/^Pincou, men- tioned by the Marquis de Mirabeaii^ collected by ths French Tranjlator, IN the ymirnal Economique for Detcmber 1755, ^^'^ two memoirs on the origin of the Pincou family. — 1 con- ceive that an abftra£t of them may be agreeable to thofe readers who have not had an opportunity of meeting with the journal. The fa «Sls related are too analogous to the hifiory of Kliyogg for me to fear impropriety in placing them together. *' At fome leagues diflance from the town of Thiers * in Auvergne, is a very habitable caflle ; the feat of a * fmall barony, called Saudon. — About four hundred * years fince it was purchafed by a numerous family of * peafants, in whole polTeliion it has continued heredita- * ry to this day. — This family obtained, at the fame ^ time, a perpetual difpenfation from the pope to marry * within certain degrees where marriages are otherwise * deemed unlawful. Such a mark of confideration is a ' proof of the virtuous regulations that then fubfifled ' amongfl thefe honed: people ; and like wife of their ' apprebenfions of relaxing their difcipline and man- * ners, jQiould they marry out of their own family* ' They have a tradition, which carries their origin * much higher ; namely, that eleven hundred years ago, * one of their anceflors, a man of great wealth, the fa- * ther of a numerous progeny, and advanced in years, ' gave his children to underftand : '* That their way of *' living mufi; be greatly diminiihed, if, after his death, *^ they (hould, as was cuftomary, divide his fortune in- *' to feparate portions ; and that, if they were defirous ''to be wifer than the generality of men, they mufl *' live in the fame united flate as under his parental *' roof.*' — They did not fail to raife many objcdlious * to tljis propofal ; and the mod: weighty one was, the * privation of an authority, fuch as he had exercifed, and * which his fuperior wifdom rendered fo refpcdable. — THE RURAL SOCRATE?. itj ^ He had forefeen and guarded againil all the difficulties ' they feared ; and replied, that good inftitutions, firm- ^ ly adhered to, would defend them from all inconvc- * niencies capable of fruflrating their fchemc. — The fa- ' ther compofed a code for the ufe of his children, which ^ they mofi cordially accepted, and ever fmce have re- ' ligioufly obferved. ^ By thefe laws ^he whole parental authority devolves ' to a general afT^bly of the family. This afTembly dif- ' cuITes their various interefis, applies remedies to their ' grievances, and decides what meafures are moR eligi' ^ bJe. A man is not admitted to thefe deliberations till ' he is twenty ye-ars of age. The afTembly appoints a * prefident to take care of the money, to fign refolutions^ ' and to condudl: affairs in o^eneral ; but he is reilrained ' to the difpofal often piJioles 3 beyond which fum the ^ alfembly mud determine. ' They never require of the prefident an account of ^ his adminiflration ; nor have they ever repented this ^ fingular confidence. — Their great maxim, and the * foundation of all their rules, is, an implicit reverence * for their own family ; which is inftiiled in infancy. * This principle is characterized in many anecdotes. — * Their fecond maxim is, never to foar above their ' original rank. — Thus thePi^nous, which is the fami- ^ ]y name*, have never varied from other peafants in the ^ articles of drefs, food, and lodging. They are call- ' ed by their chriftian name. The prefident alone has ' the title of Mr. : they call hiin Mader Pignou. — All ^ follow the plough with their laborers. ' The children are educated in common without any ' di{lin'ed by other innovations which would in- ' terrupt the happinefs of this little republic. ' The Pignou family are remarkably bountiful to poor * travellers, who are cordially received, fed^ and even ' lodged, if they chance to be benighted. They alfo ' receive well all vifitants, providing the bell en- * tertainmeut in their power, according to their rank ; ' which makes them excerdingly honored and elleemed ' in the province j — Aiwl what rvl-iflcr Pignou decides " ^ in THE RURAL SOCRATES. 191 ' in any controverfy, pafTes in general, with the pea- *■ fants, for an infallible decree." I cannot (fays the French Tranflatoi) forbear com- municating the judicious reflexions of my journaliftjWith which I (hall conclude. — " We (liould accufe our- *' felves/' fays he, " if we neglected to recommend to " obfervation, thefe folid efFc(ri:3 of economy and order : '' fuch as the plenty it procures, the concord it main- '' tains, the tranquillity it beftows ! By its influence, " labor h foftened, jealonfy extinguifned, equality rei- ^^ tored 1 What extraordinary bleflings may we not ^' hope from it, in intelligent and enlightened perfons -'united upon the fame principles 3 prodiu^ive of fo ^' much good even amongfi fimple peafants 1 What an ^' acceflion of opulence and flrenglh to a :Rate, to have '* a colleclion of thefe fmall republics formed wittiiw ^* itfelf ! A manly and fublime fimplicity would fucceed *' to effeminate luxury : moderation, the daughter of ^* indufliry, would treafure the riches thus acquired ; *' and mankind would at lafi: be convinced, that the *' mod infallible means to defy poverty is to renounce ^' opulence, and to fly from the immoderate ufe of *' what we pofTefs. Children educated in thefe max- " ims, would renew that purity of manners, of whicl! *' the lofs is more to be regretted every day ; \yhU{t the *' earth cultivated by their innocent hands,! would no *' longer difappoint chimerical expeiTcations by its (ic- *' rility. Surely we have better motives than the ^' terrible confequences of a revolution, to bring vv, ^^ back to nature i'*' Anecdotes J92 THE RURAL SOCRATES. Anecdotes of the Family of Fleuriot, knoiun in Lor" raine by the Name of Valdajon ; by the Count de TrejQTan ; with an hUroduciion and Remarks by the French Tranjlator, THE piece before us is by the Count de TrefTant.— In reading the Rural Socrates, he recoliedVed the feve- ral particulars of a journey he took feme years iince, from a dedre of gaining a peifec^t information concern- ing a family, of peafants, as philofophical, and perhaps even yet more to be refpe6led than Kliyogg ; afid whofe character and inftitutions peculiarly aife6led the ienfibil- ity of M. de TrefTan. — He not only paid due deference to the work of M. Hirzel ; but the friendQiip with which he honors me, palliated the imperfections of my tj;aif{lation ; nor did he difdain to oblige me in the fol- lowing memoir, with a parallel to the Rural Socrates. ^ A league and a half from Plombieres, in that part of * the Voiges, which borders on Franche Comte a pretty ' extenfive valley is formed by feveral openings betwixt ' the hills, which has a chearful appearance, and fliews ' the {kill and alTiduity of the cultivators. ' Thefc conlill of a fingle family, who occupy four ' or five houfes : they are brought up in the flime prin- ' ciples ; they are governed by a chief chofen out of ' their body for his age and wifdom ; and are incef- ^ fantly employed in ailifling the public, in educating ^ their children, in comforting the diftrelTed, and in ^ tilling the ground, ' This + Lieutenant- General in the French fervlce, Governor of Bitche nnd German Lorraine, lord chanmberlain of the houdiold to the Polilh King Stlniflans, and member of the academies of feiences at Parisi Berlin, Lon- don, Edinburgh, Nantz, Metz, &c. F. The Count dc Treff^n, W2J a friend of Voltalre'fi and a poet. He died at an advanced ogf, E, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 193 ^ This family, whofe name is Fleuriot^ is better dil^ * tinguifhed by that of Valdajon^ given to the country * and village which it inhabits. ' For many years paf>, the chiefs have principally (lu- ' died that part of furgery v/hich refpeds fradures and * d'tjlocations , Repeated cures have added reputation ^ to their knowledge ; whild remarkable piety and ex- ' emplary charity havejuRly acquired them the charac- ' ter of virtuous men. •• The moft peculiar iriodcfty, the fincerefl: fraternal ' tcndernefs, are confpicuous in the manners of this ' happy family ; which is nov/ fufficiently numerous and ' remote from its common ftock not to be obliged to * contra(^ foreign alliances. . ' The late Duke Leopold^, touched with admiration ' for the virtues inherent in the Fleuriots, and fenfible * that every part of their condud merited a Civic Crov/n, ^ and that they had proved the greatnefs of their fouls ^ by the mod difintereflcd beneficence ; was defirous to ^ ennoble them. ' The families aflembled ; and the heads of them were * unanimous to return their grateful thanks to their ^o- *- vereign for the honor he intended them, but declined ' the acceptance of it. " Our poflerity, (laid they, in *' an addrefs equally wife and dutiful) may, perhaps, *^ fee objedcs in a different light from ourfelves ; intox- *^ icated with the pride of nobility, they may difpenfe '' themfelves from the duty of relieving the poor ; de- ** fpife the cultivation of their eflate ; the bleffing of ^^ heaven will no longer profper their undertakings 5 *^ difcord will divide them ; and ihey will ceafe to be '' happy." — ' They refufed a patent of nobility ; but ^ that, traced in thsir fouls, has always remained indel-= * iblc ! ' The * One ri \\\t Lorra'.ne famtly : a family (ince united to the AuQrUn Toval faini?y, 'Xht \%\t Qreen of France fprang froti? ibe united hcufes, E, 194 THE RURAL SOCRATES. * The curejf performed by the Fleuriots are alntoft ^incredible, and have often excited envy. ' The firfttime I was at Plombieres, i informed my- * felf particularly of what related to them ; and as I * ccfmmanded in that part of Lorraine, it was eafy for * me to invefligate the truth of all I wanted to know. — * Some with whom I converfed, talked ofthe Fleuriots * with as much regard, as admiration ; whilfi: a very ^ fmall number, who, I thought, ought to have under- * ftood the fubjci^t heft, feemed-^defn-ous to varniOi with ' fuperftition and ignorance the procefs of the Fleuri^ * ots in their furgical operations. Truth appeared to * me cleareft in the mod favorable reports : — I regard- ' ed it then as an honorable duty to examine fadi^s with * my own eyes, and to take pi-oper precautions not to * be deceived. ' As I have always, at leifure hours, made anatom.y^ * one of my ftudies ; I underftood enough of it to dii*- ' tinguidi real fcience from impoflure. ' I went to Valdajon privately, with only one attend- * ant, in a plain drefs ; as a fir anger whom chance had * brought to their habitations, I flopped at one of the ' fird: houfes, and, on my entrance, every thing I faw * edified and affecfted me.— It is with difficulty I refrain ' from defcribing the neatneis and regularity of each * article, with the obliging manners of the inhabitants. * True hofpitaliry Hiewed itfelf in its mod: natural and * touching forms. ^ My objetTt being to know the degree of information * ofthe more flcilful among them, in an art founded on ' afccrtained and corre<^ principles ; I had no fooner ' refrefhed myfelf, and noticed with admiration what- * ever refpedled their rural economy and domeflic go- * vernment ; than 1 a(ked if thv?y had any books. They * anfwered, that their principal books were depofited * in a neighboring houfc, occupied by an aged chief of * the family. Being condniiled thither, I was received * by a rdpe(^able oldman, who under a ruAic form ' pofleiFed THE RURAL SOCRATES. 195 '-^•pofreiTed foft and poliflied manners. As I found no ' difficulty in beginning my convcriation, I aiked him what * principles he had lludied in his art. '' Good book^, *' nature, and experience, (he replied) were the only *' mailers of my anceftors ; I have no other ; and' the *' fame fyfteni will pafs to our children." He then * opened a large cabinet, plain in itfelf, but rich by the * furniture it contained. I found in it the befl: books * in furgery, antient and modern ^ fkeietons, male and ' female, of four or five different ages ; other fKeletons ' taken to pieces and the parts thrown indilcriminately ' together, in order to be united by an exercifc of fkill ; ' and laftly, curious models to fl^ew the mufcular fyf- ' tern. '' Here (faid he,) we teach what is nccelTary for the *^ relief of our fellow creatures. We inllrucfl our chil- " dren to read and to underhand what they read. Thofc " of them who have the turn for it, know thefe bones " and mufcles before they are ten years old ; and after '^ feparating, can join them again. Here is a large " prefs filled with bandages and ligatures proper for " different cafes, with tickets to mark them. — Our '' children are taught early alfo to j<. in practice to *' theory ; and on mis occafion, the goats yon ice feed- " ing and even our dogs are made the vic^tims. The '' very a^^s of cruelty exercifed on thefe victims extin- " guiihes however the prujciple of cruelty ; for we en- *' courage oar children to feel for the cries of thefe ani- " mals, and to cheriflithem under their futferings ; and *^ they foon learn to heal their wounds*. Such are the ^' leiTons I received ; fuch are thofe w.c teach ; and ihc '• bleiTing of God has attended our endeavors." ♦ Such pain (hoold only ht inflidled on aniirals, "where it is probable vhat it will lead to a fuperior good eiibcr to ncen or the brute crea- tion. EKperitnenta here without an ohjed, or iradc more dilhcflang Csa is needful : ate crimes againft the God of nature, E. ig6 THE RURAL SOCRATES. * I aril unable to cxprefs the tendernefs and refpedk ^ with which I was penetrated at this moment. I em- ^ braced the virtuous old man. I made myiclfknovv^n *- to him ; and intreated, if he defigned to give me plca- * fure, that he would acquaint me how 1 could be of ^ life to hiiTirdf or to lonie one of his family. ' He pointed to the houfes, fields of grain, and gar- * dens, which lurrounded us- '^ The profpedt before ^^ you (faid he) fupplies our wants ; and Providence ''" having blelTed our labors, we have even Tome means *' left for comfoiting the wretched. Every thing be- *' yond what is needful for our fmall expences, would " be ufelefs : it might even become pernicious, by ex- *' citing inordinate defirts in our children. But, Sir, ^' you have the happincfs to be in liigh office near our ^' dear and auguft fovereign : Deign to tell him, that *' all our fcveral families lift their prayers to heaven '' for the continuance of his precious life ; and that the *^ Fleuriots will always endeavor to be ufeful to the *' diflrefTed, that they may be ranked among the bed ^' fubjecls of the mofl beneficent of all monarchs*.'' ^ If a relation were required of multiplied compound ^ fra(n:ures cured in the fame patient, I could furnilh not ^ only one, but many accounts ; for which I could * vouch upon the evidence of my own eye-fight. ' The Marquis dc Voyer and M. de St. Lambert, ^ whofe abilities and information are fo univerfally ' known. * Stanifiaus, then Ex-King of Poland, lit kept his throne while Chhile.-i XII. of Sweden was in power ; but afterwards gave way to the beaer fojtunes of King Auguftus II. who was fupported hy the Rii(lian.«. His daughter wa$ married to Louis XV. of France. By her influence he was not only allowed to retain his tills ; but had Lcrraine given to him to govern for iife. He fucceedcd fome of tlie melt popular piioces in that country that have been known any ivhere in modern times, and add- ed one to the number. He was the oflenfihle author of the CEui^res d^un phiiojophe hievfaifimfy puhiifhed in 4 volumes 8vo. and not only did n-.ucfsgood in Lorraine, but ornamenied it with /everal buildings, which are well known lo iravelkrs. E. THE RURAL SOCRATES. * known, have had the fame curiofity refpcctifig: this ' family with myfelf, and will certify the fame faTcs. ' As to the agriculture of the Fleuriots, I give no de ' tails on the fubjed. It will eafily be prefumed that, ' pcrfons lo prudent and well inftrucled, have the fame * fundamental principles with the able and induflrious * Kliyogg. A parallel betw^een them would neverthe- * Icfs do honor to humanity, and furnifli excellent lef- * fons. Perfons of reflexion and fenfibility, in fhort, * will alvvaj's with eagernefs p^y a jufl tribute to men ^ as yet fo rare, but whofe example requires ib much * to be imitated/ Remarks by the French Tranjlator, Who is there poffcffed of the leafl fentiment, ou whom the above charming relation does not make a deep impreflion, and who does not feel interefted in every particular which concerns the Fleuriots I In the Journal Economique for December, 1755, p. 76, we have the means of gratifying perfons of this defcription, by an interefting letter written by M. de Morand, dodlor regent of the faculty of medicine at Paris. His teflimony alone would be decifive on the fubjed:, if we have need of tedimony after that of the Count de Treifan. It is true, that this celebrated phyfician did not fee all which was viewed bymy illuflri- ous friend \ but he faw the mofl ejGTential parts, and with the fame eyes. He renders confequently the fame juflice to the fkill of the Valdajons (cr Fleuriots ;) and was alike llruck and enchanted with their fimplicity of manners, their ftyle of life, their food, and their drefs. ' Content (fays he) with their lot, they confine them- ' felves to pure neceffaries, and rejetft whatever is ufe- ' lefs. At home they live like (imple peafants ; eating ' rye-bread and bacon, and ufing water for theh^ only * drink. They arc always, one or other of them, ^ abroad \ but never go out on horfe-back, and will • never- ' 1^8 • THE RURAL SOCRATES. * never return hom^ in a carriage. Gold and wealth in * general, vain phantoms of happinefs, have no effe(St on * their minds. They have often refufed two or three * 'louis-d'ors from the rich, as a pay too ample ; taking * from theiTi only one or two crowns at the moft. Ev- ' ery Tnefday they attend at Kcmiremont, and on other * days at Plombieres and other places : having fomc- * times forty poor patients in one ipot, with traftures and * maims ; whom they vifit and drefs, gratis, or without * regarding whv^t is paid to them. Ofrentim.es they fup- * ply their patients with money to enable them to rettarn * home. — They give them alfo their ointment ; which * is their fok fecret and treafure. They affirm that * the receipt of this belongs to their family ; it is an * outward application, known by the name of the Val- * dajon ointment. This remedy is in much eile-em in * Lorraine ; being relolvent and good for the nerves, ^ having qualities at once foftening and corroborating. ^ It is prefcribed by the family in cafes of bruifcs, flrains, * diflocations, and fractures, and alfo for wounds where * there is danger of mortification : It gives eafe likewife * in the pains of gout and of rheumatifm* It is fimply ^ fpread on linen, without being foftened with heat.' — £Thus far M. Moraud, — We now return to our French Tranflator.] "Who (fays the French Tranfiator) after feeing the example of the Kliyoggs, the Pignous, and the Valda- 30ns, can retain a doubt, that Dr. Hirzel had theflrong- €i\ reafon for nfiirming, that the clafs of peafants as inuch delcrves the attention of the philofopher, as any ^ther whatever. ^ ^K^j^Let the true fage who is friendly to humanity feck after men who are truly virtuous ; let h\m follow theiu into their obfcurity, and into the claf- fo which to the boalfed world of faihion feem the mofl abjecfl. He will there certainly find many a Kliyogg, a Pignou, and a "V^aidajon, at prcfcnt unknown ; for true .virtue fhuns inTpet^ion, and confhnlly remains attach^sd to THE RURAL SOCRATES. 199 to that ftate of fimplicity which fomc difdain to exam* Inc. But a difcerning man will negle7^. It is the hiffory 6f his pradrce ;/and diiplays an example, not only of economy, indiiftry, fobriety, and every domefiic virtue ; but alfo of rooft fpirited hulbandfy, uiuch more corred and accurate than moft of our Britifli farmers can boaft. Itdifplays a poor peafant, coming to a fmall farm overwhelmed wirh mortgages, pradiiling fo animated an agriculture, 33 not only to gain enough todifcharge his incumbrances j but to purchafc more land, and to cultivate \\\t whole with unremitted diligence and reatiiefs,— I ihouM i think * Intitled, Rural Economy ^^ or EJfsjt on the practical (•arts of hnfi^andr^i APPENDIX. it >hink myfelf very unhappy, were I to trouble the public with a trifling or a worthlefs hook ; but to the farming reader, or to thofe who can be in- ferefted with the memoirs of an honert iiiduftry, I flatter myfelf this liillc work will not be unacceptable*. It has been received with uncommon pleafure in Switzerland and France. The notes I have added, are marked at the end.*** No. 11. Fragments from the EnglifiLor French tranflatwn of the Rural Socrates ; 'which \though origirtally written by Dr, Hirzel^) have been refervcd for infer tion in this appendix^ as not direCily relating to Kliyogg. • Refieflions new inflrud^ed njc in this great truth, that real grandeur in man is unconfined to rank ; and that the rceaneft condi- tion furnifhes inflancea ot exalted fentiment and underftanding, capaj- ble of being employed to the general good.— I wa? likewife convin- ced that in all fifuarions, the confciouinefs of a rational application of our talents, the fenfe of the progrefs we make in doing good, and the pure and tranquil joy which is the conftant refuU of it ; are every where the fteady reward of virtue. — The different gradations and defcriptions of ge- nius are equally difcernible in the cottage and the palace, I could trace among the cultivators of the earth a Lycurgus, a Socrates, a Plato, a Ho- mer, and a Luciani ! Nor ought I to conceal that the marks of vice were slfo to be met with. The diftiniftion between the ruftics and the falhion- able part of the world confifts in the objecis, not the degree^ of the powers of reafoning. The country therefore is the beft fchool for acquiring a more intimate knowledge of human nature, for forming juft ideas of happinefy, and for difccrning what conflitutcs the true greatnefs of raan. Here I learned to defpifc * // nuas njorttten originally in Getman, This trartjlation is from thi French one *^* Y. + Some 'Village Hampden^ that nxiith dauntfefs hreojl The little tyrant of his fields ivith/iood ; Some tnute% inglorious MilloTt) here may refi ; Some Cromnjoelly guilt lefs of his country s bloods Full many a gemof purefl ray ferene The dark unfathom'd ca'ves of ocean htar ; Full many a flo-Lver IS hern to hlu/h nnfesny And fviajie itsfnveetnejs on the defart air, Graj*s Elegy, written in a Country Church Yard, R, .1 A P P E N D I X. defpifc the ridiculous vanity of thofe literary geniufea, who fancy that fheir extenfivc erudition places them in a fuperior ortier of beings; when it is evident, ihat their aoderftaDding is frequenrly clouded with prejudi- ces, and their will, a Have to the dominion cf the paffiona ; a flavery 'vvhlch their v&nlty, ihe excrefcence of their learning, renders apparent to ihecyes ola iniephilcfopher. '■ My feBtiracnis now became more enlarged. AH the diladvanta- <^eou3 defcriptions of the manners and genius of ihofc we call /a- Xap.es rrr^w fufpefted ; and I lamented our deficienry in relations of irivxiling pi.ilofophers, capabk of inveftigating the fecret receffes of the human heart, and cf contemplating nature in her uncultivated oifspring in a j^jdicious and itDpartial manner. I am perfuaded fuch remarks would throw new light on our inquiries into the theo- ry of the intelJee.ual faculty, and furnilli the triends of human na- turewiih mareriais for gratitude to ;he wifdom and good ne fa of the Creator in the order and difpofijion of his creatures.— We (hould find that chofe nations, whom ws brand as favage, might, with much propriety, letort the appelhtion on their polite gueds, who feek forcibly to difpof- fcfstheraof wealth and liberty I N )r (houU we have any remaining dcubtj whether thofe among them a«ed wifely, who after participating in she rrsnners and fciences of the Europeans, feize the firft opportanuy of leturning to the firnple and rational li-fe of their countrymen. The pleafore ari{^.ng from the fi^dy of hufoandry is now confirmed in m&*, Snce it is btcome a part of n>y duty to examine the nature of foils. The appointment of firft phyfician to the republic of Zurich^ «^aking it incumbent on n>e ro watch over the health of her ci- :izen<>, I ara oblig-d to pay peculiar attention to the different modes of living of the different racks of pc^opK%-The confideration of a re- ;,redy for epidemical dfftempers among cattle, alfo being flrongly re- commenced to my care, fome kuowleogc of agriculture feemed a recei- f:irv preliminary to fuch an office; as it fllmoft always happens that the origin of thefe epidemici.1 diOempers fpiings from the meadow and paflure 3anci?. n^ rules-\ (inferted in our v^.t^toui) for prevention of epiiemtcGi d'ijeafis * Dr, Hirz^lfrc-1 his ninth to hh Jlxteenth year reftdei in the Abbey ofCapel; of 'which his father m^os bit en a ant for the Kif^g of Prufta. Here he ^vent through a complete coufe of hufoandry and caimcrjed ^ifh farmers; thus acquiring a lo'v: for agriculture, 'with opportunities of o.. fer'vi/jg mankind in ajfate of fettrement* L. + The go-vernmcvt of Znrich, defrous to gite thefe rules the force b/ Unii, fuhlijhed ihem hy authority throughout their ^ canton.—Ths magijiracy cf ilofil for Baflej ea^nh foilcfwed the eyavjpie. .^ • 1 ''•Jhe memi>irs referred 'tOy are thofe of the Philohphical Society of luricb ; tfrwhirh the author had been fecrctary. It has been chfr^ed tn the /rr- face, that the liural Socmtes %va: rea^ kefart th Sodety, and is a part fr. iiz memoir:, F. APPENDIX. ir difenjes in eatile% hy correPJng the injahhrity of the fail^ furRifh proof of what I advance. This double motive infpired me with an ardent defire of exploring and explaining, with all pofiiole precifion, the prefent ftate of rural econo- my in Zurich ; with its imperfcftions and capability of improvemento In this purfuit I again repeat niy happinefs in being meniber of a fociety, which makes this interefting fuhjed the principal and conflant end ol rts conferences and inquiries. I muft nevertheJcfs acknowjrdge, ihat the Biethods hitherto purfaed, dG> not appear to me» the beft calculated to anfwcr the purpofes of improve- irsent xvi farming. — An eager purfuit after new experiments, prevail* aiDongft thofc, whofe knowledge of the ancient huib-indry is fupeificiaJ and incompetent. Some there are who flatter themfclvcs with being con- fidercd as the great improvers of agriculture, fro.n the introduflionoi foroc unknown fpecies of corn or artiScial grafs : others expt-d fame from the invention of Tome new innplement or different me(hod of tillage : whilft a third fort hope to acquire it by untried objefis of attention ; fuch a« the culture of mulberry-trees for filk-worms, &:c. — in oppofiticn to this I apprehend the £rft principle we ought to fel our upen, is a perfevSl know- kdgeof the nature of foils ; with a competent infighi into fuch methods of cultivation as are praQifed by the moft induftrious farmers, by which the^ often double their produccp compared with their reareft nejghboTb'„ What remains is to procure a free communication of thefe roethods ; and to endeavor by all pofllble means, to excite a laudable ecnulation in farm- ers. — This I (hould think the rapft eligible plan for re^orin^ agriculture ffmong us. The moft circumforibed genias may follow pradicai rules,, unmolifted by any obftacle 3 whiUt new in7ea:ior.s are attended with a- crowd of dii?tculiics. I hsve no defire to depreciate the a'.erit of thofe generous chlzensv, who have appropriated a confiderablc parr of the fjpefp.oity of their it%- co.re to the procuring of new-invented impleetisnts of hu^indry ; with f^vera! for^s of grain and grafs-f^edsj trees and fhrubs, unknown in our clfmate ; of v/h'ich they have made trials on their ^^i^'Ci cttatf.s before ihcj?- were rendered public. Thefe fpirited attentions, cf whcfs good effet^ta we have already reaped much advantage, uodoubredly merit our com- loendation and acknowledgement. The introduction of potatoes and tutkey-corn (or maize,) and of turf (or peat) for manure, &c. may be com- prifed in the number.— Yet this plan for the improvcaienc of agriculture, appears more uncertain, and infinitely Jlaxver in it? progrefs, than that which I have ventured to recommend. It is more uncertain^ becaufe mert fiie too apt ;o embellifii a favorite theory in their writings. The olje^s ot * A farmer can feldom do better^ ivhen moming into a nt^o) f J nation i thais- •Ifernje the praBices of the moffuccefsful of hii neiv neighbors ; ejpec tally if h» is obliged to employ laborers obtained upon ihefpzt. It 'Txillhe i^fj tf/^ iernMarJi gradually to refart tQ his Qivn idr^s, E, V A P P E N D I Xa of which they arc fand, are often extolled beyond reality, and they i\- low too much to fancy in their defcriptions. It muft be a long courfe of otpericnents which alone can determine whether this or that grain or grafe ma^ be naturalized with real benefit to a country ; or whether the adop- tion of a new fyftem of hu{bandry, with its attendant cxpence, be an ad- vantageous compenfaiion for abandoning an old one. Experiments ofterE' fucceed to admiration in a well-cultivated garden ; bat when extended, the utility is found abforbed in the expence of labor.— I have alfo obferr- cd, that new inventions are vtiyjlsxv in their effed^s, and can be of no real benefit till they become habitual or general. — It is a work of time to convince a psafant that the alterations you propofe are eligible ; and to perfuade him to renounce his prejudices, and change the habits received froaj his forefathers for new ones. NOe III. Another y^rticle from Dr. HirzeL A Letter from Dr. Hirzel to the Abbe Sigifmond, Count of Rfotlicn- wart and Piefidcnt of the College of the Norjh [du Nord], of Liniz, (dated 4 Oclober, 1774)) " inserted in the French tranflation ; but as it h^as no relation to Kliyogg, it was omined in its place ; though it con- tains ufetul remarks lefpefiing the merits of agriculture, and the injuiy iont to it by luxury, manufactures, defpotifm, armies, &c. It is worthy of notice however, that famine is reprefented as having caafed grent mortality among roanufs^urers and other purchafen of the earth's prodo(f^ions ; but es having had no effef^ among thofc who culti' dialed the earth for food. The French tranilatof adds curious accounts of the diminution of Qiarriages and births among the former, in addition to' yhe insreafed number of deaths. The following paffages alfo merit 3 place h'er*. ♦* Columella (fays Df. « Hirzel) affures us, that agriculture is int2rnat?yy allied with wifdora 5 « and I can affirm from my own experience, that the afliduity amd Ikill in • agriculrcre of our villages always affords a certain prefumption rn favor « of iiieir attachment to religion and gocd mollis ; and that it is rare to ^ find thefc virtues, except in company with each other," — <• A good ^ cultivator is foon turned into a good foldier ; and many of our oldeft •s officers in foreign fervice have informed me, (hat they have conflantly «' cbferved, that every feldier draixn from the feofantry it a good JQldier " mpropQvthn sa ht has been a go^d peajc:n\** No, IV. A P ?^ E N D I X. ',1 No. IV. Conclujlon oj Dr, HirzeFs ftr/i worky chiefly taken from the Engli/fi tranjlaiion* If the magiilratcs of Zurich think it an objeft of national utilitr to- encourage agriculture by premiums and marks of diftinif^ion, their whole attention fhould be applied to having thei^ juftly conferred. This would require the eftablilhrrent of a . . e . Society formed of men of cha- rader ; whofe integrity and knowledge of z\t\y thing relative to hufban- dxy, might fecure univexfal conttdence ; for it is neeeiury that thofe who are to confer efteem, fhould themfelves pofTsfs it. Men of this defcription will think theajfelves under the ftrongeft obligation to ftudy, with accura- cy, the date of the country ; a t^ik not cafy to be accoraplilhed, fince not- withftanding our fmall extent of territory, we have an uncommon variety of cultivation. — -Thofe parts which border upon the Alps arc appropria- ted to the grazing and breeding of cattle^ and Kttie gnsin is to be feen- there ; whilft in the loivci and lefs confined dillrif^s of Greificnfee, YJu bourg, and Regenfper, ihe harvsfi makes a glorious appearance. Along the two banks of t!»e Lake oi Zurich, in the vales watered by the Liin- math, Thour, and Thcefb ; as well as on the borders of the Rhine ; the culture of the vine fonr.s the piincipai branch of rurrd econoaiy : but this culture is difF.-rent, according to the nature of thefe foilso The grapes on the Lake of Zurich feem to require another treatment, from thofe on the Limmath, though the vineyards are feparated only by the city ; and the culture of thofe planted on the fides of the R-hine, the Thour, and the Thcefs, differs VI idely from both. — The members of this Society fhould' therefore make themfelves acquainted with the nature of the different pTsdiiccs ufed throughout the canton . , . The names of the perfons molt tfleemcd and moft fuccefsful in hufhandry fhould alfo be obtained ; with their own relations of their ir.ethods of condud^ing and ioiproving their farms. The Society fhould alfo from tiaie to time make cxcurlions, to^ leilify miflakes by perfonal inquiries, t— Thus by a judicious dilhibution of applaufe and of recompenfes to the bcfl of cultivators, an emulation might be awakened in the peafants fo as jto bring agriculture to a general ftaie. of improvement. Careful trials niight be made under the immedi- ate infpeftion of the Society of all new djfcoveries, firlHn nuifery-groundst »»d afterwards if fuccefsfu! in the open field. An cxaft journal fhould be of every experinrient . i . . ■ :... ■■. - . When the Society fhall have fufficiently qualified itfelf, and made the meceffary arrangements, it may propofe an annual felet^ion-of the bell farm- ers iiom a certain number of villages, taking allin rotation. On an ap- pointed day thefe ftiould be invited to appear before the Society ; and when furrounf^ed by their countrymen, hear an elogiu^n pronounced, re-- cotnroending them as modeli to ethers j and in teftimony of the public approbation, receive the deftined prize! J would h^vc this a medal, lepre- fenting a laborer driving his plough, . , C c Such m A ? P E N D I :^:. Such rewards wculd infinitely more promote ioiprcvements ia hut'^ hBndty, than rhe coftora of ofFtting premiums for the heft diflertatiou en fixed quefiion?. My method condufts to its end dired\ly ; whilft ia- genious fpecuiaiions .are flow and remote in their contquence&f. • I cannot better conclude than with a remark from the Hicro of Xeno-* phon, which perfe(^ly ag.rces with ihe plan here cfTered. ** ^Agriculture « whicU though one of the mofl lucrative eaAployrnents has never yet been * attempted to be for-varded by ejrulation, would greatly flourifti, M premh * urns were cftablifhed in the country and in the villages for thofe who heft * cultivated the earth. The citizei)8 thus encouraged to excrilon?, ^ would make great profits ; the revenues of the ftate would augment ; * and a raodeft temperance would be joined to a love of labor. It is be- < fides known that criaies arc lefis common among the induftriousj.** No. V. Of the honors paid to agriculture in certain eaflern countries. There are fome reaiarkable inibnces (fays Mr. Giolon when fpeaking of Perjza in antient times) in which Zoroaiter* lays afide the prophet, af- fua.es the leglflator, and difcovers a liberal concern for private and public hfippir.efs, feldom to be found among the gioveling or vifionary fchemes of fiiperrtition. — Fafting and celibacy, t!;c common nneans of purchafing the divine favor, he condemns with abhorrence ; as a criminal rejedtioR i}i the bert gifts of Provjt I have an hundred rimes rcflc(Sed on this flrange change; and if appeared to me owing to two caufes. — Fir(l, the aniient Perfians were rohul^ laboriou?, and attached to hafinefs ; while the modern inhabitanTs are idle, volupiuoii", and fpecul^- tive. ' Next, the aniient Perfians made cultivation a branch of their reli- gion ; and thought that to labor, was to ferve God : while the prefent- inhabitants of Perfia have principles which lead them to defpife work ; ' for they maintain that life is fo fnorr, uncertain, and changing ; that while it lyfis, v,e fhould act asTnen doiti a conquered country or in win- ter quarters ; that is to fay,"' obtain whatever %'- car, without car- ing for futuri'y.— -The [modern defcendants of the] antient Perfians have gentle and fimple nnanners; and lUe very tranquilly under their el^ers^ whom they choofe as msgiftr^res ; the Peifian government confirming riiem in their office, [n. b. Thifj paragraph is tranllated from an ex- tn(\ given in the preface to the French iraorAation of Kliyogg. E.] Mf. BciH, tho traveller, who was prefent at the march of a Turhj?o st- fry from Conflantinople, headed by the Sultan ; tells us that it was atterid- td by all the different trades and artifans, and that the proceiFton continued jrourdays. " "Wit fujl in procel]ion, was a plough drawn by painted ox.- ** en with gilded hori«." See his recond'volurae. p. 414. Before the original inftitctions of I^idla were fubverted by foreign in- , vaders, the indulhy of the hufbandx-aii on which every mcinber of the comir.unify depended for funhftence v/as as fecure, as the tenure by which he held his lands was equitable. Even war did not interrupt liis labors 0? etidanger; his property. : It vpas not uncommoTs I tra- xzTh thefielHs; I introduce jnyfeU amcrg the hborers ; who are in general, eafv, polite, and affable, with A>me (hare of learning atul know- k^f e of the worlJ. I examine and purfuc them through all their opera- .ions ; and ohferve that their fecret conhfts f.mply in rpanunng their i5elds jadicioufly, ploughing thew to a conftderable depth, fowing them in the proper fcafun. turning to advantage every inch of ground which can produce the raoft inconaderable crop, and preferring to every other fpecics cf cnlture that 0^ yrain, as bv far the moft important, , , /• This fyftem of culture, the laO. article excepted, appears to he the farre thst is recommended in all our belt authors* "^ •^- ; our common laborers ^^t acciiainted with it ;-but how much muR our European tarmers be •{urprifed, when thty are inforrr.ed that the Chinefe h.ve no meado^^, natural nor artificial ; and have not the Icaft conception o\ falloiving, never allowlnp their lands the flighteft repofe. , , ^ The Chin?fe laborer would coidider n.eadow. cf every denomination, sr. lands in a ftate of nature. They fow all their lands with graw ; and rive the preference to fuch grounds as we generally lay out m ineadows ; tihich lying low and being properly licuated with refped to water, are confenuently by f.r the molt fertile. They affirm that a field fown w, h grain will yield as much p-a^.o for the nourifhment of cattle, as it would have produced o{ hay ; b.fides the additional advantage of the grain, for thefuWnanceof m.n ; of which they can fpare too in plentiful (eafons, . UzW portion for the animal creation.-Such is the fyftecn adhered to irorri one ey'tremity of their e<.pire to the other, I'nd coi>firmed by the experi-- cncecffouT thoufand yearp, among a people of all nalions in the world Che #9(1 aaeniive to their inlerell. ^ ^^ le Pol'vre v:a.t the f^JIy and net the letiji i^} i)crlont coIfeHory of '.,/. ^ants of the Enftern Seas, n^hich ha've been Jinced'Jperfed through u;imfl- Indies. Thej ^.refrj} dcpojtted in the JjU of France 7/.. No- nee coicernin, the Ufe.fM. le Poi.r.^fayt. that the h,lh of exchange f tbu amiable man, dra^n for his reimbv.rfement, long re^mavua unpaid ;and njucre finally dijcharged during the odrninifiration of A'^r. 'lurgst.^. f.n ^a.'l ii rc!u!cd upon memory. E-. i \ APPENDIX. xa ** A Chfncfe laborer cculd not but fmile, if you informed him that the earth has occafiin k)rrepofeat a certain fixed period cf time. — The Chinefe lands in general are not fuperior to ours : Ycu fee there a? with us, fome excel lent grounds, others nriiddling, the reft bad ; fome foils (Irong, others light ; lands where clay, and lands where fand, gravel, and flints every where predominate. All thefe grounds even in ' the northern provinces, yield annually two crops ; and in thofe towards the fouthj'five in two years; without one fingle fallow feafon, during ihs ihoufands of years that they have been converted to the ufes of agricul- ture.— The Chinefe ofe the fame manures as we do, in order to reftore t3 their grounds thofe falts and juices which an unremitting produftion is perpetually confuining. They are acquainted with marl : they en:iploy alfo coraiTiOn fait, lime, afhes, and all forts of animal dung, but above all that [namely human] which we throw into our rivers : they make great ofe of urine, which is carefully preferved in evt^iy houfe and fold to the beS: advantage : in a word, every thing produced by the earth is rcconveyed to it with the greateft care into whatever (hape the operations of nature or art may have transformed if. ■ When their manures are at any time fcarc?, they fupply the deficisncy by tutning up the ground with the fpade to a great depth ; which brings up to the furface * * a new foil, enriched wlih she juices of that which defcends in its roomf . Without ixeidows, the Chinefe maintain a number of horfes, buSalofj, and other aninals of every fpecies for labor, for fuftenance, and for ma- nure. Thefe animals are fed fome with ftraw ; others with roots, bean^, and grain of every kind. * * * The tDoU reeky hjil?, which in France and other places they turn in- to vineyards or totally negled, are there compelled by dint of induRry io produce grain. The Chmcfcare acqaainred indeed with the vine, whica here and there they plant in arbors ; but they * * would imagioG it a fia againft humanity to enc'eavcr to procure by cultivation an agreeable li* qjor, whiift from the want of that grain which this vineyard might have produced, fome individual perhaps might be in danger of perifhing with hunger. The fteepell mountains even are rendered accefUlIe. At Csntcn and froni one extremity of the empire to another, you obferve mountains cus info terraces j reprefenting at a diftance iramenfe pyramids divided into dilTerent ^--igts, which feem to reai their heads to heaven. Every one oi thsfe terraces yields anni:aily a crop of fome kind of grain, even of rice ; and you cannot with-hold your admiration, when you behold the water of the river, the caaa], or the fountain, which glides by the foot of the moun- lainj raifed from terrace to terrace even to the fumn>it, by means of a fun- pie portable raachii^e which two men vviih eafe, tiaaSoQii and put iii mQ" lion, * * * '9^ The i This ii like the method Jo much talked of in ths Enghjh Mofeum Rufli- eir anceftors. An idile rnan would be treat- ed with the moft fovcrcigti cente.Tpt, and regarde*! as a paralytic n.eBtber. * * * An ancient Emperor of-China, in a public inftrudion ex- horting the people tolabor, obferved that if in one corner of ine empire there was a man who did noth'>ng> there muft in another quarter be fome ons deprived of the necelTaiies of l,h. This wife noaxim is fixed in the brcaft of every Chirefe j and with this people fo open to reafon, he vi^ho pro. liounces a wife oiaxinm pronounces a law, . » , From thefe obfervations u is obvious that agriculture flourifhes in Chi- na mcT!; than in sny other country in the world. Yet it is not lo any pro- cefs peculiar to their labor, it Is not to ihe (nrm of their plough, or their method of fjwiag, that this happy ftt ;e and the plenty confcquent on it i ^ to be attributed. It iKuft chiefly be derived froo) their mode of governinet)i. the immoveab4e fi>nndations of which have been laid deep by !he haad i ' reafon alone, coeval almoft with the beginning of time; and from iheis J;iws, dilated by nature to the firft of the human race and facrcdly pre- ferved from generation to generation, engraved in the hearts of a grg^' people. [Sec M. le Foivre's woik as above 1 F I N I