"Insomeplaces,"saysM。deLavergne,(25*)"inthe
neighbourhoodofParis,forexample,wheretheadvantagesofthe
grandeculturebecomeevident,thesizeoffarmstendsto
increase,severalfarmsarethrowntogetherintoone,andfarmers
enlargetheirholdingsbyrentingparcellesfromanumberof
differentproprietors。Elsewherefarmsaswellaspropertiesof
toogreatextent,tendtodivision。Cultivationspontaneously
findsouttheorganizationwhichsuitsitbest。"Itisastriking
fact,statedbythesameeminentwriter,(26*)thatthe
departmentswhichhavethegreatestnumberofsmallc魌es
fonci鑢es,aretheNord,theSomme,thePasdeCalais,theSeine
Inf閞ieure,theAisne,andtheOise;allofthemamongthe
richestandbestcultivated,andthefirst—mentionedofthemthe
veryrichestandbestcultivated,inFrance。
Unduesubdivision,andexcessivesmallnessofholdings,are
undoubtedlyaprevalentevilinsomecountriesofpeasant
proprietors,andparticularlyinpartsofGermanyandFrance。The
governmentsofBavariaandNassauhavethoughtitnecessaryto
imposealegallimittosubdivision,andthePrussianGovernment
unsuccessfullyproposedthesamemeasurestotheEstatesofits
RhenishProvinces。ButIdonotthinkitwillanywherebefound
thatthepetitecultureisthesystemofthepeasants,andthe
grandeculturethatofthegreatlandlords:onthecontrary,
whereverthesmallpropertiesaredividedamongtoomany
proprietors,Ibelieveittobetruethatthelargeproperties
alsoareparcelledoutamongtoomanyfarmers,andthatthecause
isthesameinbothcases,abackwardstateofcapital,skill,
andagriculturalenterprise。Thereisreasontobelievethatthe
subdivisioninFranceisnotmoreexcessivethanisaccountedfor
bythiscause;thatitisdiminishing,notincreasing;andthat
theterrorexpressedinsomequarters,attheprogressofthe
morcellement,isoneofthemostgroundlessofrealorpretended
panics。(27*)
Ifpeasantpropertieshaveanyeffectinpromoting
subdivisionbeyondthedegreewhichcorrespondstothe
agriculturalpracticesofthecountry,andwhichiscustomaryon
itslargeestates,thecausemustlieinoneofthesalutary
influencesofthesystem;theeminentdegreeinwhichitpromotes
providenceonthepartofthosewho,notbeingyetpeasant
proprietors,hopetobecomeso。InEngland,wherethe
agriculturallabourerhasnoinvestmentforhissavingsbutthe
savingsbank,andnopositiontowhichhecanrisebyany
exerciseofeconomy,exceptperhapsthatofapettyshopkeeper,
withitschancesofbankruptcy,thereisnothingatall
resemblingtheintensespiritofthriftwhichtakespossessionof
onewho,frombeingadaylabourer,canraisehimselfbysaving
totheconditionofalandedproprietor。Accordingtoalmostall
authorities,therealcauseofthemorcellementisthehigher
pricewhichcanbeobtainedforlandbysellingittothe
peasantry,asaninvestmentfortheirsmallaccumulations,than
bydisposingofitentiretosomerichpurchaserwhohasno
objectbuttoliveonitsincome,withoutimprovingit。Thehope
ofobtainingsuchaninvestmentisthemostpowerfulinducements,
tothosewhoarewithoutland,topractisetheindustry,
frugality,andself—restraint,onwhichtheirsuccessinthis
objectofambitionisdependent。
Astheresultofthisenquiryintothedirectoperationand
indirectinfluencesofpeasantproperties,Iconceiveittobe
established,thatthereisnonecessaryconnexionbetweenthis
formoflandedpropertyandanimperfectstateoftheartsof
production;thatitisfavourableinquiteasmanyrespectsasit
isunfavourable,tothemosteffectiveuseofthepowersofthe
soil;thatnootherexistingstateofagriculturaleconomyhasso
beneficialaneffectontheindustry,theintelligence,the
frugality,andprudenceofthepopulation,nortendsonthewhole
somuchtodiscourageanimprovidentincreaseoftheirnumbers;
andthatnoexistingstate,therefore,isonthewholeso
favourablebothtotheirmoralandtheirphysicalwelfare。
ComparedwiththeEnglishsystemofcultivationbyhiredlabour,
itmustberegardedaseminentlybeneficialtothelabouring
class。(28*)Wearenotonthepresentoccasioncalleduponto
compareitwiththejointownershipofthelandbyassociations
oflabourers。
NOTES:
1。"FastubermenschlicheFleiss"。DerCantonSchaffhausen(ut
supra),p。53。
2。Supra,Booki,ch。ix,sec。4。
3。ReadthegraphicdescriptionbythehistorianMichelet,ofthe
feelingsofapeasantproprietortowardshisland。
"Sinousvoulonsconnaitrelapenseeintime,lapassion,du
paysandeFrance,celaestfortaise。Promenons—nousledimanche
danslacampagne,suivons—le。Levoilaquis’envala—basdevant
nous。Ilestdeuxheures;safemmeestavepres;ilest
endimanche;jerepondsqu’ilvavoirsamaitresse。
"Quellemaitresse?saterre。
"Jenedispasqu’ilyailletoutdroit。Non,ilestlibrece
jour—la,ilestmaitred’yallerouden’ypasaller。N’yva—t—il
pasasseztouslesjoursdelasemaine?Aussi,ilsedetourne,il
vaailleurs,ilaaffaireailleurs。Etpourtant,ilyva。
"Ilestvraiqu’ilpassaitbienpres;c’etaitunoccasion。Il
laregarde,maisapparemmentiln’yenterapas;qu’yferait—il?
——Etpourtantilyentre。
"Dumoins,ilestprobablequ’iln’ytravaillerapas;ilest
endimanche;ilablouseetchemiseblanches。——Rienn’empeche
cependantd’oterquelquemauvaiseherbe,derejetercettepierre。
Ilyabienencorecettesouchequigene,maisiln’apassa
pioche,ceserapourdemain。
"Alors,ilcroisesesbrasets’arrete,regarde,serieux,
soucieux。Ilregardelongtemps,tres—longtemps,etsemble
s’oublier。Alafin,s’ilsecroitobserve,s’ilappercoitun
passant,ils’eloigneapaslents。Atrentepasencore,il
s’arrete,seretourne,etjettesursaterreundernierregard,
regardprofondetsombre;maispourquisaitbienvoir,ilest
toutpassionne,ceregard,toutdecoeur,pleindedevotion。"——
LePeuple,parJ。Michelet,1repartie,ch。1。
4。Essaisurl’EconomieRuraledel’Angleterre,del’Ecosse,et
del’Irlande,3meed。p。127。
5。EssayontheDistributionofWealth,p。146。
6。Ibid。p。68。
7。NotesofaTraveller,p。46。
8。NouveauxPrincipes,Bookiii。ch。3。
9。ResidenceinNorway,p。18。
10。Vol。i。pp。67—9。
11。Ibid。pp。75—9。
12。Ibid。p。90。
13。ThePrussianministerofstatistics,inawork(Der
VolkswohlstandimPreussischenStaate)whichIamobligedto
quoteatsecondhandfromMrKay,afterprovingbyfiguresthe
greatandprogressiveincreaseoftheconsumptionoffoodand
clothingperheadofthepopulation,fromwhichhejustlyinfers
acorrespondingincreaseoftheproductivenessofagriculture,
continues:"Thedivisionofestateshas,since1831,proceeded
moreandmorethroughoutthecountry。Therearenowmanymore
smallindependentproprietorsthanformerly。Yet,howevermany
complaintsofpauperismareheardamongthedependentlabourers,
weneverhearitcomplainedthatpauperismisincreasingamong
thepeasantproprietors。"——Kay,i。262—6。
14。InacommunicationtotheCommissionersofPoorLawEnquiry,
p。640oftheirForeignCommunication,AppendixFtotheirFirst
Report。
15。Ibid。268。
16。Thefollowingisthetable(seep。168oftheBelgian
translationofMrRau’slargework:
percent
UnitedStates1820—302。92
Hungary(accordingtoRohrer)2。40
England1811—211。78
England1821—311。60
Austria(Rohrer)1。30
Prussia1816—271。54
Prussia1820—301。37
Prussia1821—311。27
Netherlands1821—281。28
Scotland1821—311。30
Saxony1815—301。15
Baden1820—30(Heunisch)1。13
Bavaria1814—281。08
Naples1814—240。83
France1817—27(Mathieu)0。63
andmorerecentlyMoreaudeJonnes0。55
ButthenumbergivenbyMoreaudeJonnes,headds,isnot
entitledtoimplicitconfidence。
ThefollowingtablegivenbyM。Quetelet(Surl’Hommeetle
DeveloppmentdeseFacultes,vol。i,ch。7,alsoontheauthority
ofRau,containsadditionalmatter,anddiffersinsomeitems
fromthepreceding,probablyfromtheauthor’shavingtaken,in
thosecases,anaverageofdifferentyears:
percent
Ireland2。45
Hungary2。40
Spain1。66
England1。65
RhenishPrussia1。33
Austria1。30
Bavaria1。08
Netherlands0。94
Naples0。83
France0。63
Sweden0。58
Lombardy0。45
Averycarefullypreparedstatement,byM。Legoyt,inthe
JournalofEconomistesforMay1847,whichbringsuptheresults
forFrancetothecensusoftheprecedingyear1846,issummedup
inthefollowingtable:
AccordingtotheCensusAccordingtotheexcess
of
birthsoverdeaths
percentpercent
Sweden0。831。14
Norway1。361。30
Denmark——0。95
Russia——0。65
Austria0。850。90
Prussia1。841。18
Saxony1。450。90
Hanover——0。85
Bavaria——0。71
Wurtemburg0。011。00
Holland0。901。03
Belgium——0。76
Sardinia1。08——
GreatBritain
(exclusiveofIreland)
1。951。00
France0。680。50
UnitedStates
3。27——
17。JournaldesEconomistesforMarchandMay1847。
18。M。Legoytisofopinionthatthepopulationwasunderstated
in1841,andtheincreasebetweenthattimeand1846consequently
overstated,andthattherealincreaseduringthewholeperiod
wassomethingintermediatebetweenthelasttwoaverages,ornot
muchmorethanoneintwohundred。
19。JournaldesEconomistesforFebruary1847。IntheJournalfor
January1865,M。Legoytgivessomeofthenumbersslightly
altered,andIpresumecorrected。Theseriesofpercentagesis
1。28,0。31,0。69,0。60,0。41,0。68,0。22,and0。20。Thelast
censusinthetablethatof1861,showsaslightreaction,the
percentage,independentlyofthenewlyacquireddepartments,
being0。32。
20。ThefollowingarethenumbersgivenbyM。Legoyt:
From1824to1828annualnumberofbirths981,914,being1in
32。30ofthepopulation。
From1829to1833annualnumberofbirths965,444,being1in
34。00
From1834to1838annualnumberofbirths972,993,being1in
34。39
From1839to1843annualnumberofbirths970,617,being1in
35。27
From1844to1845annualnumbrrofbirths983,573,being1in
35。58
Inthelasttwoyearsthebirths,accordingtoM。Legoyt,
wereswelledbytheeffectsofconsiderableimmigration。"Cette
diminutiondesnaissances。"heobserves,"enpresenced’un
accroissementconstant,quoiquepeurapide,delapopulation
generaleetdesmariages,nepeutetreattribuequ’auxprogresde
l’espritd’ordreetdeprevisiondanslesfamiles。C’est
d’ailleurslaconsequenceprevuedenosinstitutionscivileset
sociales,qui,enamenantchaquejouruneplusgrandesubdivision
delafortuneterritorialeetmobilieredelaFrance,developpent
auseindespopulationslesinstinctsdeconservationetde
bien—etre。"
Infourdepartments,amongwhicharetwoofthemostthriving
inNormandy,thedeathseventhenexceededthebirths。Thecensus
of1856exhibitstheremarkablefactofapositivediminutionin
thepopulationof54outofthe86departments。Asignificant
commentonthepauper—warrentheory。SeeM。deLavergne’s
analysisofthereturns。
21。"Lesclassesdenotrepopulationquin’ontqueleursalaire,
cellesqui,parcetteraison,sontlesplusexposeesa
l’indigence,sontaujourd’huibeaucoupmieuxpourvuesdesobjets
necessairesalanourriture,aulogementetauvetement,qu’elles
nel’etaientaucommencementdusiecle……Onpeutappuyer[ce
fait]dutemoignagedetouteslespersonnesquiontsouvenirde
lapremieredesepoquescomparees……S’ilrestaitdesdoutesa
cetegard,onpourraitfacilementlesdissiperenconsultantles
ancienscultivateursetlesanciensouvriers,ainsiquenous
l’avonsfaitnous—memesdansdiverseslocalites,sansrencontrer
unseultemoignagecontradictoire;onpeutinvoqueraussiles
renseignemensrecueillisacesujetparunobservateurexact,M。
Villerme(Tableaydel’EtatPhysiqueetMoraldesOyvriers,liv。
ii。ch。i)"Fromanintelligentworkpublishedin1846,
RecherchessurlesCaysesdel’Indigence,parA。Clement,pp。
84—5。Thesamewriterspeaks(p。118)of"lahausseconsiderable
quis’estmanifestedepuis1789dansletauxdusalairedenos
cultivateursjournaliers;"andaddsthefollowingevidenceofa
higherstandardofhabitualrequirements,eveninthatportionof
thetownpopulation,thestateofwhichisusuallyrepresentedas
mostdeplorable。"Depuisquinzeavingtans,unchangement
considerables’estmanifestedansleshabitudesdesouvriersde
nosvillesmanufacturieres:ilsdepensentaujourd’huibeaucoup
plusqueparlepassepourlevetementetlaparure……Les
ouvriersdecertainesclasses,telsquelesancienscanutsde
Lyon,"(accordingtoallrepresentations,liketheir
counterpart,ourhandloomweavers,theveryworstpaidclassof
artizans,)"nesemontrentpluscommeautrefoiscouvertsdesales
haillons。"(page164。)
Theprecedingstatementsweregiveninformereditionsof
thiswork,beingthebesttowhichIhadatthetimeaccess;but
evidence,bothofamorerecent,andofamoreminuteandprecise
character,willnowbefoundintheimportantworkofM。Leonce
deLavergne,EconomieRuraledelaFrancedepuis1789。According
tothatpains—taking,well—informed,andmostimpartialenquirer,
theaveragedailywagesofaFrenchlabourerhaverisen,since
thecommencementoftheRevolution,intheratioof19to30,
while,owingtothemoreconstantemployment,thetotalearnings
haveincreasedinastillneaterratio,notshortofdouble。The
followingarethewordsofM。deLavergne(2nded。p。57):
"ArthurYoungevalueadix—neufsolsleprixmoyendela
journeedutravail,quidoitetreaujourd’huid’unfranc
cinquantecentimes,etcetteaugmentationnerepresenteencore
qu’unepartiedugainrealise。Bienquelanationruralesoit
resteeapeupreslameme,l’excedantdepopulationsurvenu
depuis1789s’etantconcentredanslesvilles,lenombreeffectif
desjourneesdetravailagrossi,d’abordparcequelavie
moyennes’etantallongee,lenombredeshommesvalidess’est
eleve,etensuiteparcequeletravailestmieuxorganise,soit
parlasuppressiondeplusieursfeteschomees,soitparleseul
effetd’unedemandeplusactive。Entenantcomptede
l’accroissementdunombredesjournees,legainannuelde
l’ouvrierruraldoitavoirdouble……Cetteaugmentationdansle
salairesetraduitpourl’ouvrierenuneaugmentationaumoins
correspondantedebien—etre,puisqueleprixdesprincipaux
objetsnecessairesalavieapeuchange,etqueceluidesobjets
fabriques,destissus,parexemple,asensiblementbaisse。
L’habitationestegalementdevenuemeilleure,sinonpartout,du
moinsdanslaplupartdenosprovinces。"
M。deLavergne’sestimateoftheaverageamountofaday’s
wagesisgroundedonacarefulcomparison,inthisandallother
economicalpointsofview,ofallthedifferentprovincesof
France。
22。InhislittlebookontheAgricultureofthePalatinate,
alreadycited。Hesaysthatthedailywagesoflabour,which
duringthelastyearsofthewarwereunusuallyhigh,andso
continueduntil1817,afterwardssanktoalowermoney—rate,but
thatthepricesofmanycommoditieshavingfalleninastill
greaterproportion,theconditionofthepeoplewasunequivocally
improved。Thefoodgiventofarmlabourersbytheiremployershas
alsoneatlyimprovedinquantityandquality。"SieheutigenTages
bedeutendbesserist,alsvorungefahr40Jahren,wodasGesinde
wenigerFleischundMehlspeisen,keinenKasezumBroteu。dgl。
erhielt。"(p。20)"Suchanincreaseofwages"(addsthe
Professor)"whichmustbeestimatednotinmoney,butinthe
quantityofnecessariesandconvenienceswhichthelaboureris
enabledtoprocure,is,byuniversaladmission,aproofthatthe
massofcapitalmusthaveincreased。"Itprovesnotonlythis,
butalsothatthelabouringpopulationhasnotincreasedinan
equaldegree;andthatinthisinstanceaswellasinthatof
France,thedivisionoftheland,evenwhenexcessive,hasbeen
compatiblewithastrengtheningoftheprudentialchecksto
population。
23。Hecitesasanauthority,Schwerz,Landwirthschaftliche
Mittheilungen,i。185。
24。Oneofthemanyimportantpaperswhichhaveappearedinthe
JournalofEconomistes,theorganoftheprincipalpolitical
economistsofFrance,anddoinggreatandincreasinghonourto
theirknowledgeandability。M。Passy’sessayhasbeenreprinted
separatelyasapamphlet。
25。EconomieRuraledelaFrance,p。455。
26。See,forfactsofasimilartendency,pp。141,250,andother
passagesofthesameimportanttreatise:which,ontheother
hand,equallyaboundswithevidenceofthemischievouseffectof
subdivisionwhentoominute,orwhenthenatureofthesoiland
ofitsproductsisnotsuitabletoit。
27。Mr。Laing,inhislatestpublication,"Observationsonthe
SocialandPoliticalStateoftheEuropeanPeoplein1848and
1849",abookdevotedtotheglorificationofEngland,andthe
disparagementofeverythingelsewherewhichothers,orevenhe
himselfinformerworks,hadthoughtworthyofpraise,argues
that"althoughthelanditselfisnotdividedandsubdivided"on
thedeathoftheproprietor,"thevalueofthelandis,andwith
effectsalmostasprejudicialtosocialprogress。Thevalueof
eachsharebecomesadebtorburdenupontheland。"Consequently
theconditionoftheagriculturalpopulationisretrograde;"each
generationisworseoffthantheprecedingone,althoughtheland
isneitherlessnormoredivided,norworsecultivated。"Andthis
hegivesastheexplanationofthegreatindebtednessofthe
smalllandedproprietorsinFrance(pp。97—9)。Ifthese
statementswerecorrect,theywouldinvalidateallwhichMr。
Laingaffirmedsopositivelyinotherwritings,andrepeatsin
this,respectingthepeculiarefficacyofthepossessionofland
inpreventingover—population。Butheisentirelymistakenasto
thematteroffact。Intheonlycountryofwhichhespeaksfrom
actualresidence,Norway,hedoesnotpretendthatthecondition
ofthepeasantproprietorsisdeteriorating。Thefactsalready
citedprovethatinrespecttoBelgium,Germany,andSwitzerland,
theassertionisequallywideofthemark;andwhathasbeen
shownrespectingtheslowincreaseofpopulationinFrance,
demonstratesthatiftheconditionoftheFrenchpeasantrywas
deteriorating,itcouldnotbefromthecausesupposedbyMr。
Laing。ThetruthIbelievetobethatineverycountrywithout
exception,inwhichpeasantpropertiesprevail,theconditionof
thepeopleisimproving,theproduceofthelandandevenits
fertilityincreasing,andfromthelargersurpluswhichremains
afterfeedingtheagriculturalclasses,thetownsareaugmenting
bothinpopulationandinthewell—beingoftheirinhabitants。On
thisquestion,aswellasonthatofthemorcellement,sofaras
regardsFrance,additionalfactsandobservations,broughtupto
alaterdate,will[52,57observationswill]befoundinthe
Appendix。
28。Frenchhistorystrikinglyconfirmstheseconclusions。Three
timesduringthecourseofagesthepeasantryhavebeen
purchasersofland;andthesetimesimmediatelyprecededthe
threeprincipalerasofFrenchagriculturalprosperity。
"Auxtempslesplusmauvais,"saysthehistorianMichelet,
(LePeyple,lrepartie,ch。1)"auxmomentsdepauvrete
universelle,oulerichememeestpauvreetvendparforce,alors
lepauvresetrouveenetatd’acheter;nulacquereurnese
presentant,lepaysanenguenillesarriveavecsapieced’or,et
ilacquiertunboutdeterre。Cesmomentsdedesastreoule
paysanapuacquerirlaterreabonmarche,onttoujoursete
suivisd’unelansubitdefeconditequ’onnes’expliquaitpas。
Vers1500,parexample,quandlaFranceepuiseeparLouisXI
sembleacheversaruineenItalie,lanoblessequipartest
obligeedevendre;laterre,passantadenouvellesmains,
refleurittout—a—coup;ontravaille,onbatit。Cebeaumoment
(danslestyledel’histoiremonarchique)s’estappelelebon
LouisXII。
"Ildurepeu,malheureusement。Laterreestapeineremiseen
bonetat,lefiscfonddessus;lesguerresdereligionarrivent,
quisemblentrasertoutjusqu’ausol,misereshorribles,famines
atrocesoulesmeresmangeaientleursenfants。Quicroiraitque
lepaysserelevedela?Ehbien,laguerrefinitapeine,dece
champravage,decettechaumiereencorenoireetbrulee,sort
l’Epargnedupaysan。Ilachete;endixans,laFranceachangede
face;envingtoutrente,touslesbiensontdouble,triplede
valeur。Cemomentencorebaptised’unnomroyal,s’appellelebon
HenriIVetlegrandRichelieu。"
Ofthethirderaitisneedlessagaintospeak:itwasthat
oftheRevolution。
Whoeverwouldstudythereverseofthepicture,maycompare
thesehistoricperiods,characterizedbythedismembermentof
largeandtheconstructionofsmallproperties,withthe
wide—spreadnationalsufferingwhichaccompanied,andthe
permanentdeteriorationoftheconditionofthelabouringclasses
whichfollowed,the"clearing"awayofsmallyeomentomakeroom
forlargegrazingfarms,whichwasthegrandeconomicaleventof
Englishhistoryduringthesixteenthcentury。
ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy
byJohnStuartMill
Book2,Chapter8
OfMetayers
1。Fromthecaseinwhichtheproduceoflandandlabour
belongsundividedlytothelabourer,weproceedtothecasesin
whichitisdivided,butbetweentwoclassesonly,thelabourers
andthelandowners:thecharacterofcapitalistsmerginginthe
oneortheother,asthecasemaybe。Itispossibleindeedto
conceivethattheremightbeonlytwoclassesofpersonstoshare
theproduce,andthataclassofcapitalistsmightbeoneof
them;thecharacteroflabourerandthatoflandownerbeing
unitedtoformtheother。Thismightoccurintwoways。The
labourers,thoughowningtheland,mightletittoatenant,and
workunderhimashiredservants。Butthisarrangement,evenin
theveryrarecaseswhichcouldgiverisetoit,wouldnot
requireanyparticulardiscussion,sinceitwouldnotdifferin
anymaterialrespectfromthethreefoldsystemoflabourers,
capitalists,andlandlords。Theothercaseisthenotuncommon
one,inwhichapeasantproprietorownsandcultivatestheland,
butrisesthelittlecapitalrequired,byamortgageuponit。
Neitherdoesthiscasepresentanyimportantpeculiarity。There
isbutoneperson,thepeasanthimself,whohasanyrightor
powerofinterferenceinthemanagement。Hepaysafixedannuity
asinteresttoacapitalist,ashepaysanotherfixedsumin
taxestothegovernment。Withoutdwellingfurtheronthesecases,
wepasstothosewhichpresentmarkedfeaturesofpeculiarity。
Whenthetwopartiessharingintheproducearethelabourer
orlabourersandthelandowner,itisnotaverymaterial
circumstanceinthecase,whichofthetwofurnishesthestock,
orwhether,assometimeshappens,theyfurnishit,ina
determinateproportion,betweenthem。Theessentialdifference
doesnotlieinthis,butinanothercircumstance,namely,
whetherthedivisionoftheproducebetweenthetwoisregulated
bycustomorbycompetition。Wewillbeginwiththeformercase;
ofwhichthemetayercultureistheprincipal,andinEurope
almostthesole,example。
Theprincipleofthemetayersystem,isthatthelabourer,or
peasant,makeshisengagementdirectlywiththelandowner,and
pays,notafixedrent,eitherinmoneyorinkind,butacertain
proportionoftheproduce,orratherofwhatremainsofthe
produceafterdeductingwhatisconsiderednecessarytokeepup
thestock。Theproportionisusually,asthenameimports,
one—half;butinseveraldistrictsinItalyitistwo—thirds。
Respectingthesupplyofstock,thecustomvariesfromplaceto
place;insomeplacesthelandlordfurnishesthewhole,inothers
half,inotherssomeparticularpart,asforinstancethecattle
andseed,thelabourerprovidingtheimplements。(1*)"This
connexion,"saysSismondi,speakingchieflyofTuscany,(2*)"is
oftenthesubjectofacontract,todefinecertainservicesand
certainoccasionalpaymentstowhichthemetayerbindshimself;
neverthelessthedifferencesintheobligationsofonesuch
contractandanotherareinconsiderable;usagegovernsalikeall
theseengagements,andsuppliesthestipulationswhichhavenot
beenexpressed;andthelandlordwhoattemptedtodepartfrom
usage,whoexactedmorethanhisneighbour,whotookforthe
basisoftheagreementanythingbuttheequaldivisionofthe
crops,wouldrenderhimselfsoodious,hewouldbesosureofnot
obtainingametayerwhowasanhonestman,thatthecontractof
allthemetayersmaybeconsideredasidentical,atleastineach
province,andnevergivesrisetoanycompetitionamongpeasants
insearchofemployment,oranyoffertocultivatethesoilon
cheapertermsthanoneanother。"Tothesameeffect
Ch鈚eauvieux,(3*)speakingofthemetayersofPiedmont。"They
considerit,"(thefarm)"asapatrimony,andneverthinkof
renewingthelease,butgoonfromgenerationtogeneration,on
thesameterms,withoutwritingsorregistries。"(4*)
2。Whenthepartitionoftheproduceisamatteroffixed
usage,notofvaryingconvention,politicaleconomyhasnolaws
ofdistributiontoinvestigate。Ithasonlytoconsider,asin
thecaseofpeasantproprietors,theeffectsofthesystemfirst
ontheconditionofthepeasantry,morallyandphysically,and
secondly,ontheefficiencyofthelabour。Inboththese
particularsthemetayersystemhasthecharacteristicadvantages
ofpeasantproperties,buthastheminalessdegree。Themetayer
haslessmotivetoexertionthanthepeasantproprietor,since
onlyhalfthefruitsofhisindustry,insteadofthewhole,are
hisown。Buthehasamuchstrongermotivethanadaylabourer,
whohasnootherinterestintheresultthannottobedismissed。
Ifthemetayercannotbeturnedoutexceptforsomeviolationof
hiscontract,hehasastrongermotivetoexertionthanany
tenant—farmerwhohasnotalease。Themetayerisatleasthis
landlord’spartner,andahalf—sharerintheirjointgains。
Where,too,thepermanenceofhistenureisguaranteedbycustom,
heacquireslocalattachments,andmuchofthefeelingsofa
proprietor。Iamsupposingthatthishalfproduceissufficient
toyieldhimacomfortablesupport。Whetheritisso,depends(in
anygivenstateofaciculture)onthedeCeeofsubdivisionofthe
land;whichdependsontheoperationofthepopulationprinciple。
Amultiplicationofpeople,beyondthenumberthatcanbe
properlysupportedonthelandortakenoffbymanufactures,is
incidenteventoapeasantproprietary,andofcoursenotless
butrathermoreincidenttoametayerpopulation。Thetendency,
however,whichwenoticedintheproprietarysystem,topromote
prudenceonthispoint,isinnosmalldegreecommontoitwith
themetayersystem。There,also,itisamatterofeasyandexact
calculationwhetherafamilycanhesupportedornot。Ifitis
easytoseewhethertheownerofthewholeproducecanincrease
theproductionsoastomaintainagreaternumberofpersons
equallywell,itisanotlesssimpleproblemwhethertheowner
ofhalftheproducecandoso。(5*)Thereisonecheckwhichthis
systemseemstooffer,overandabovethoseheldoutevenbythe
proprietarysystem;thereisalandlord,whomayexerta
controllingpower,byrefusinghisconsenttoasubdivision。Ido
not,however,attachgreatimportancetothischeck,becausethe
farmmaybeloadedwithsuperfluoushandswithoutbeing
subdivided;andbecause,solongastheincreaseofhands
increasesthegrossproduce,whichisalmostalwaysthecase,the
landlord,whoreceiveshalftheproduce,isanimmediategainer,
theinconveniencefallingonlyonthelabourers。Thelandlordis
nodoubtliableintheendtosufferfromtheirpoverty,bybeing
forcedtomakeadvancestothem,especiallyinbadseasons;anda
foresightofthisultimateinconveniencemayoperatebeneficially
onsuchlandlordsaspreferfuturesecuritytopresentprofit。
Thecharacteristicdisadvantageofthemetayersystemisvery
fairlystatedbyAdamSmith。Afterpointingoutthatmetayers
"haveaplaininterestthatthewholeproduceshouldbeasgreat
aspossible,inorderthattheirownproportionmaybeso,"he
continues,(6*)"itcouldnever,however,betheinterestofthis
speciesofcultivatorstolayout,inthefurtherimprovementof
theland,anypartofthelittlestockwhichtheymightsavefrom
theirownshareoftheproduce,becausethelordwholaidout
nothing,wastogetone—halfofwhateveritproduced。Thetithe,
whichisbutatenthoftheproduce,isfoundtobeaverygreat
hindrancetoimprovement。Atax,therefore,whichamountedto
one—half,musthavebeenaneffectualbartoit。Itmightbethe
interestofametayertomakethelandproduceasmuchascould
bebroughtoutofitbymeansofthestock,butitcouldneverbe
hisinteresttomixanyfurnishedbytheproprietor;partofhis
ownwithit。InFrance,wherefivepartsoutofsixofthewhole
kingdomaresaidtobestilloccupiedbythisspeciesof
cultivators,theproprietorscomplainthattheirmetayerstake
everyopportunityofemployingthemaster’scattleratherin
carriagethanincultivation;becauseintheonecasetheyget
thewholeprofitstothemselves,intheothertheysharethem
withtheirlandlord。"
Itisindeedimpliedintheverynatureofthetenure,that
allimprovementswhichrequireexpenditureofcapitalmustbe
madewiththecapitalofthelandlord。This,however,is
essentiallythecaseeveninEngland,wheneverthefarmersare
tenants—at—will:or(ifArthurYoungisright)evenona"nine
years’lease。"Ifthelandlordiswillingtoprovidecapitalfor
improvements,themetayerhasthestrongestinterestinpromoting
them,sincehalfthebenefitofthemwillaccruetohimself。As
howevertheperpetuityoftenurewhich,inthecaseweare
discussing,heenjoysbycustom,rendershisconsentanecessary
condition;thespiritofroutine,anddislikeofinnovation,
characteristicofanagriculturalpeoplewhennotcorrectedby
education,arenodoubt,astheadvocatesofthesystemseemto
admit,aserioushindrancetoimprovement。
3。ThemetayersystemhasmetwithnomercyfromEnglish
authorities。"Thereisnotonewordtobesaidinfavourofthe
practice,"saysArthurYoung,(7*)anda"thousandargumentsthat
mightbeusedagainstit。Thehardpleaofnecessitycanalonebe
urgedinitsfavour;thepovertyofthefarmersbeingsoceat,
thatthelandlordmuststockthefarm,oritcouldnotbestocked
atall:thisisamostcruelburdentoaproprietor,whoisthus
obligedtorunmuchofthehazardoffarminginthemost
dangerousofallmethods,thatoftrustinghisproperty
absolutelyinthehandsofpeoplewhoaregenerallyignorant,
manycareless,andsomeundoubtedlywicked……Inthismost
miserableofallthemodesoflettingland,thedefrauded
landlordredeivesacontemptiblerent;thefarmerisinthe
loweststateofpoverty;thelandismiserablycultivated;and
thenationsuffersasseverelyasthepartiesthemselves……
Wherever(8*)thissystemprevails,itmaybetakenforgranted
thatauselessandmiserablepopulationisfound……Whereverthe
country(thatIsaw)ispoorandunwatered,intheMilanese,it
isinthehandsofmetayers:"theyarealmostalwaysindebtto
theirlandlordforseedorfood,and"theirconditionismore
wretchedthanthatofadaylabourer……There(9*)arebutfew
districts"(inItaly)"wherelandsarelettotheoccupying
tenantatamoney—rent;butwhereveritisfound,theircropsare
greater;aclearproofoftheimbecilityofthemetayingsystem。"
"Whereverit"(themetayersystem)"hasbeenadopted,"saysMr。
M’Culloch,(10*)"ithasputastoptoallimprovement,andhas
reducedthecultivatorstothemostabjectpoverty"Mr。
Jones(11*)sharesthecommonopinion,andquotesTurgotand
Destutt—Tracyinsupportofit。Theimpression,however,ofall
thesewriters(notwithstandingArthurYoung’soccasional
referencestoItaly)seemstobechieflyderivedfromFrance,and
FrancebeforetheRevolution。(12*)NowthesituationofFrench
metayersundertheoldr間imebynomeansrepresentsthetypical
formofthecontract。Itisessentialtothatform,thatthe
proprietorpaysallthetaxes。ButinFrancetheexemptionofthe
noblessefromdirecttaxationhadledtheGovernmenttothrowthe
wholehurthenoftheirever—increasingfiscalexactionsuponthe
occupiers:anditistotheseexactionsthatTurgotascribedthe
extremewretchednessofthemetayers:awretchednessinsome
casessoexcessive,thatinLimousinandAngounmois(the
provinceswhichheadministered)theyhadseldommore,according
tohim,afterdeductingallburthens,thanfromtwenty—fiveto
thirtylivres(20to24shillings)perheadfortheirwhole
annualconsumption:"jenedispasenargent,maisencomptant
toutcequ’ilsconsommentennaturesurcequ’ilsont
r閏olt?"(13*)Whenweaddthattheyhadnotthevirtualfixity
oftenureofthemetayersofItaly,("inLimousin,"saysArthur
Young,(14*)"themetayersareconsideredaslittlebetterthan
menialservants,removableatpleasure,andobligedtoconformin
allthingstothewillofthelandlords,")itisevidentthat
theircaseaffordsnoargumentagainstthemetayersysteminits
betterform。Apopulationwhocouldcallnothingtheirown,who,
liketheIrishcottiers,couldnotinanycontingencybeworse
off,hadnothingtorestrainthemfrommultiplying,and
subdividingtheland,untilstoppedbyactualstarvation。
Weshallfindaverydifferentpicture,bythemostaccurate
authorities,ofthemetayercultivationofItaly。Inthefirst
place,astosubdivision。InLombardy,accordingto
Ch鈚eauvieux,(15*)therearefewfarmswhichexceedfiftyacres,
andfewwhichhavelessthanten。Thesefarmsarealloccupiedby
metayersathalfprofit。Theyinvariablydisplay"anextent(16*)
andarichnessinbuildingsrarelyknowninanyothercountryin
Europe。"Theirplan"affordsthegreatestroomwiththeleast
extentofbuilding;isbestadaptedtoarrangeandsecurethe
crop;andis,atthesametime,themosteconomical,andthe
leastexposedtoaccidentshyfire。"Thecourt—yard"exhibitsa
wholesoregularandcommodious,andasystemofsuchcareand
goodorder,andthatourdirtyandill—arrangedfarmscanconvey
noadequateideaof。"ThesamedescriptionappliestoPiedmont。
Therotationofcropsisexcellent。"Ishouldthink(17*)no
countrycanbringsolargeaportionofitsproducetomarketas
Piedmont。"Thoughthesoilisnotnaturallyveryfertile,"the
numberofcitiesisprodigiouslygreat。"Theagriculturemust,
therefore,beeminentlyfavourabletothenetaswellastothe
grossproduceoftlheland。"Eachploughworksthirty—twoacres
intheseason……Nothngcanbemoreperfectorneaterthanthe
hoeingandmouldingupthemaize,wheninfullgrowth,bya
singleplough,withapairofoxen,withoutinjurytoasingle
plant,whilealltheweedsareeffectuallydestroyed。"Somuch
foragriculturalskill。"Nothingcanbesoexcellentasthecrop
whichprecedesandthatwhichfollowsit。"Thewheat"isthrashed
byacylinder,drawnhyahorse,andguidedbyaboy,whilethe
labourersturnoverthestrawwithforks。Thisprocesslasts
nearlyafortnight;itisquickandeconomical,andcompletely
getsoutthegrain……Innopartoftheworldaretheeconomy
andthemanagementofthelandbetterunderstoodthanin
Piedmont,andthisexplainsthephenomenonofitsgreat
population,andimmenseexportofprovisions。"Allthisunder
metayercultivation。
OfthevalleyoftheArno,initswholeextent,bothabove
andbelowFlorence,thesamewriterthusspeaks:(18*)——"Forests
ofolive—treescoveredthelowerpartsofthemountains,andby
theirfoliageconcealedaninfinitenumberofsmallfarms,which
peopledthesepartsofthemountains;chestnut—treesraisedtheir
headsonthehigherslopes,theirhealthyverdurecontrasting
withthepaletintoftheolive—trees,andspreadingabrightness
overthisamphitheatre。Theroadwasborderedoneachsidewith
villagehouses,notmorethanahundredpacesfromeachother……
Theyareplacedatalittledistancefromtheroad,andseparated
fromitbyawall,andaterraceofsomefeetinextent。Onthe
wallarecommonlyplacedmanyvasesofantiqueforms,inwhich
flowers,aloes,andyoungorange—treesaregrowing。Thehouse
itselfiscompletelycoveredwithvines……Beforethesehouses
wesawgroupsofpeasantfemalesdressedinwhitelinen,silk
corsets,andstraw—hats,ornamentedwithflowers……These
housesbeingsoneareachother,itisevidentthattheland
annexedtothemmustbesmall,andthatproperty,inthese
valleys,mustbeverymuchdivided;theextentofthesedomains
beingfromthreetotenacres。Thelandliesroundthehouses,
andisdividedintofieldsbysmallcanals,orrowsoftrees,
someofwhicharemulberry—trees,butthegreatestnumber
poplars,theleavesofwhichareeatenbythecattle。Eachtree
supportsavine……Thesedivisions,arrayedinoblongsquares,
arelargeenoughtobecultivatedbyaploughwithoutwheels,and
apairofoxen。Thereisapairofoxenbetweentenortwelveof
thefarmers;theyemploythemsuccessivelyinthecultivationof
allthefarms……Almosteveryfarmmaintainsawell—looking
horse,whichgoesinasmalltwo—wheeledcart,neatlymade,and
paintedred;theyserveforallthepurposesofdraughtforthe
farm,andalsotoconveythefarmer’sdaughterstomassandto
balls。Thus,onholidays,hundredsoftheselittlecartsareseen
flyinginalldirections,Carryingtheyoungwomen,decorated
withflowersandribbons。"
Thisisnotapictureofpoverty;andsofarasagriculture
isconcerned,iteffectuallyredeemsmetayercultivation,as
existinginthesecountries,fromthereproachesofEnglish
writers;butwithrespecttotheconditionofthecultivators,
Ch鈚eauvieux’stestimonyis,insomepoints,notsofavourable。
"Itis(19*)neitherthenaturalfertilityofthesoil,northe
abundancewhichstrikestheeyeofthetraveller,which
constitutethewell—beingofitsinhabitants。Itisthenumberof
individualsamongwhomthetotalproduceisdivided,whichfixes
theportionthateachisenabledtoenjoy。Hereitisverysmall。
Ihavethusfar,indeed,exhibitedadelightfulcountry,well
watered,fertile,andcoveredwithaperpetualvegetation;Ihave
shownitdividedintocountlessenclosures,which,likesomany
bedsinagarden,displayathousandvaryingproductions;Ihave
shown,thattoalltheseenclosuresareattachedwell—built
houses,clothedwithvines,anddecoratedwithflowers;but,on
enteringthem,wefindatotalwantofalltheconveniencesof
life,atablemorethanfrugal,andageneralappearanceof
privation。"IsnotCh鈚eauvieuxhereunconsciouslycontrasting
theconditionofthemetayerswiththatofthefarmersofother
countries,whentheproperstandardwithwhichtocompareitis
thatoftheaciculturalday—labourers?
ArthurYoungsays,(20*)"Iwasassuredthatthesemetayers
are(especiallynearflorence)muchattheirease;thaton
holidaystheyaredressedremarkablywell,andnotwithout
objectsofluxury,assilver,gold,andsilk;andlivewell,on
plentyofbread,wine,andlegumes。Insomeinstancesthismay
possiblybethecase,butthegeneralfactiscontrary。Itis
absurdtothinkthatmetayers,uponsuchafarmasiscultivated
byapairofoxen,canliveattheirease;andaclearproofof
theirpovertyisthis,thatthelandlord,whoprovideshalfthe
livestock,isoftenobligedtolendthepeasantmoneytoprocure
hishalf……Themetayers,notinthevicinityofthecity,are
sopoor,thatlandlordsevenlendthemcorntoeat:theirfoodis
blackbread,madeofamixturewithvetches;andtheirdrinkis
verylittlewine,mixedwithwater,andcalledaquarolle;meaton
Sundaysonly;theirdressveryordinary。"Mr。Jonesadmitsthe
superiorcomfortofthemetayersnearFlorence,andattributesit
partlytostraw—platting,bywhichthewomenofthepeasantrycan
earn,accordingtoCh鈚eauvieux,(21*)fromfifteentotwenty
penceaday。Buteventhisfacttellsinfavourofthemetayer
system:forinthosepartsofEnglandinwhicheither
straw—plattingorlace—makingiscarriedonbythewomenand
childrenofthelabouringclass,asinBedfordshireand
Buckinghamshire,theconditionoftheclassisnotbetter,but
ratherworsethanelsewhere,thewagesofagriculturallabour
beingdepressedbyafullequivalent。
InspiteofCh鈚eauvieux’sstatementrespectingthepoverty
ofthemetayers,hisopinion,inrespecttoItalyatleast,is
giveninfavourofthesystem。"Itoccupies(22*)andconstantly
intereststheproprietors,whichisneverthecasewithgreat
proprietorswholeasetheirestatesatfixedrents。It
establishesacommunityofinterests,andrelationsofkindness
betweentheproprietorsandthemetayers;akindnesswhichIhave
oftenwitnessed,andfromwhichresultgreatadvantagesinthe
moralconditionofsociety。Theproprietor,underthissystem,
alwaysinterestedinthesuccessofthecropneverrefusesto
makeanadvanceuponit,whichthelandpromisestorepaywith
interest。Itisbytheseadvancesandbythehopethusinspired,
thattherichproprietorsoflandhavecaduallyperfectedthe
wholeruraleconomyofItaly。Itistothemthatitowesthe
numeroussystemsofirrigationwhichwateritssoil,asalsothe
establishmentoftheterracecultureonthehills:gradualbut
permanentimprovements,whichcommonpeasants,forwantofmeans,
couldneverhaveaffected,andwhichcouldneverhavebeen
accomplishedbythefarmers,norbytheceatproprietorswholet
theirestatesatfixedrents,becausetheyarenotsufficiently
interested。Thustheinterestedsystemformsofitselfthat
alliancebetweentherichproprietor,whosemeansprovideforthe
improvementoftheculture,andthemetayerwhosecareandlabour
aredirected,byacommoninterest,tomakethemostofthese
advances。"
Butthetestimonymostfavourabletothesystemisthatof
Sismondi,whichhastheadvantageofbeingspecific,andfrom
accurateknowledge;hisinformationbeingnotthatofa
traveller,butofaresidentproprietor,intimatelyacquainted
withrurallife。HisstatementsapplytoTuscanygenerally,and
moreparticularlytotheValdiNievole,inwhichhisown
propertylay,andwhichisnotwithinthesupposedprivileged
circleimmediatelyroundFlorence。Itisoneofthedistrictsin
whichthesizeoffarmsappearstobethesmallest。Thefollowing
ishisdescriptionofthedwellingsandmodeoflifeofthe
metayersofthatdistrict。(23*)
"Cettemaison,b鈚ieenbonnesmurailles?chauxet?ciment,
atoujoursaumoinsun閠age,quelquefoisdeux,au—dessusdu
rez—de—chauss閑。Leplussouventontrouve?cerez—de—chauss閑
lacuisine,une閠ablepourdeuxb阾es?corne,etlemagasin,
quiprendsonnom,tinaia,desgrandescuves(tini)o?l’onfait
fermenterlevin,sanslesoumettreaupressoir:c’estl?encore
quelem閠ayerenfermesouscl?sestonneaux,sonhuile,etson
bl?Presquetoujoursilposs鑔eencoreunhangarappuy?contre
lamaison,pourqu’ilpuisseytravailler?couvert?raccommoder
sesoutils,ou?hacherlefourragepoursonb閠ail。Aupremier
etausecond閠agesontdeux,trois,etsouventquatrechambres?
lit……Laplusspacieuseetlamieuxa閞閑deceschambresest
eng閚閞aldestin閑parlem閠ayer,pendantlesmoisdeMaietde
Juin,?l’閐ucationdesvers?soie:degrandscoffrespour
enfermerleshabitsetlelinge,etquelqueschaisesdebois,
sontlesprincipauxmeublesdeceschambres;maisunenouvelle
閜ouseyapportetoujourssacommodedeboisdenoyer。Leslits
sontsansrideaux,sanstourdelit;maissurchacun,outreun
bongarde—pailleremplidelapaille閘astiquedubl?deTurquie,
Onvoitunoudeuxmatelasenlaine,ou,chezlespluspauvres,
en閠oupe,unebonnecouverturepiqu閑,desdrapsdefortetoile
dechanvre,etsurlemeilleurlitdelafamille,untapisde
bourredesoiequ’on閠alelesjoursdef阾e。Iln’yade
chemin閑qu’?lacuisine;danslam阭epi鑓eontrouvetoujours
lagrandetabledeboiso?d頽elafamille,avecsesbancs;le
grandcoffre,quisertenm阭etempsd’armoirepourconserverle
painetlesprovisions,etdep閠rin;unassortimentassez
completetfortpeuco鹴euxdepots,deplatsetd’assiettesen
terrecuite;uneoudeuxlampesdelaiton,unpoids?laromaine,
etaumoinsdeuxcruchesencuivrerougepourpuiseretpour
conserverl’eau。Toutlelingeettousleshabitsdetravailde
lafamilleont閠?fil閟parlesfemmesdelamaison。Ceshabits,
tantpourleshommesquepourlesfemmes,sontdel’閠offequ’ils
nommentmezzalanasielleest閜aisse,molasielleestl間ere。
Latrameestungrosfiloudechanvreoud’閠oupe,le
remplissageestdelaineoudecoton;elleestteinteparles
m阭espaysannesquil’ontfil閑。Onsefigureraitdifficilement
combien,paruntravailassidu,lespaysannessaventaccumuleret
detoileetdemezzalana;combiendedrapssetrouventaud閜魌
commun:comhienchaquemembredelafamilleadechemises,de
vestes,depantalons,dejupons,etderobes。Pourlefaire
comprendre,nousjoignonsennoteunepartiedel’inventairede
lafamilledepaysansquenousconnaissonslemieux;ellen’est
niparmilespluspauvresniparmilesplusriches,etellevit
heureuseparsontravailsurlamoiti?desr閏oltesdemoinsde
dixarpensdeterre。(24*)Cette閜ouseavaiteu50閏usdedot,
dont20pay閟comptant,etlereste?terme,?2閏usparann閑。
L’閏udeToscanevaut6francs。Ladotlapluscommunepourles
paysannes,danslerestedelaToscaneo?lesm閠airiessontplus
grandes,estde100閏us,600francs。"
Isthispoverty,orconsistentwithpoverty?Whenacommon,
M。deSismondievensaysthecommon,marriageportionofa
metayer’sdaughteris24l。Englishmoney,equivalenttoatleast
50l。inItalyandinthatrankoflife;whenonewhosedowryis
onlyhalfthatamount,hasthewardrobedescribed,whichis
representedbySismondiasafairaverage;theclassmustbe
fullycomparable,ingeneralcondition,toalargeproportion
evenofcapitalistfarmersinothercountries;andincomparably
abovethedaylabourersofanycountry,exceptanewcolony,or
theUnitedStates。Verylittlecanbeinferred,againstsuch
evidence,fromatraveller’simpressionofthepoorqualityof
theirfood。Itsunexpensivecharactermayberathertheeffectof
economythanofnecessity。Costlyfeedingisnotthefavourite
luxuryofasouthernpeople;theirdietinallclassesis
principallyvegetable,andnopeasantryontheContinenthasthe
superstitionoftheEnglishlabourerrespectingwhitebread。But
thenourishmentoftheTuscanpeasant,accordingtoSismondi,"is
wholesomeandvarious:itsbasisisanexcellentwheatenbread,
brown,butpurefrombranandfromallmixture。""Dansla
mauvaisesaison,ilnefaitquedeuxrepaspar。jour。?dix
heuresdumatinilmangesapollenta,?l’entr閑delanuitil
mangelasoupe,puisdupainavecquelqueassaisonnement
(companatico)。En閠?ilfaittroisrepas,?huitheures,?une
heure,etausoir,maisiln’allumedefeuqu’uneseulefoispar
jour,poursondiner,quisecomposedesoupe,puisd’unplatou
deviandesal閑oudepoissonsec,oudeharicots,oud’herbages,
qu’ilmangeavecdupain。Laviandesal閑n’entrequepourune
quantit?bienminimedanscetordinaire,carilestimeque
quarantelivresdeporcsal?parindividusuffisentamplement?
saprovisiondel’ann閑;ilenmetdeuxfoisparsemaineunpetit
morceaudanssonpotage。Ledimancheilatoujourssursatable
unplatdeviandefraiche,maisunmorceauquinep鑣equ’une
livreouunelivreetdemiesuffit?toutelafamille,quelque
nombreusequ’ellesoit。Ilnefautpointoublierquelepaysan
Toscanr閏olteeng閚閞aldel’huiled’olivepoursonusage:il
s’ensert,nonseulementpours’閏lairer,maispourassaisonner
touslesv間閠auxqu’ilappr阾epoursatable,etquideviennent
ainsibienplussavoureuxetplusnutritifs。Ad閖eunerilmange
dupain,etquelquefoisdufromageetdesfruits;?souper,du
painetdelasalade。Saboissonsecomposeduvininf閞ieurdu
pays,etdelavinelleoupiquettefaitd’eauferment閑surle
marcduraisin。Ilr閟ervecependanttoujoursquelquepeudeson
meilleurvinpourlejouro?ilbattrasongrain,etpour
quelquesf阾esquisec閘閎rentenfamille。Ilestime?dix
barilsdevinelleparann閑(environcinquantebouteilles)et?
cinqsacsdefroment(environmillelivresdepain)laportion
requisepourunhommefait。"