Younginhisvivaciouswaystruckoutsomeofthephraseswhichbecameproverbialwithlatereconomists。’Giveamanthesecurepossessionofableakrockandhewillturnitintoagarden。Givehimanineyears’leaseofagarden，andhewillconvertitintoadesert。’8*’ThemagicofPROPERTY
　　turnssandtogold。’9*HeisdelightedwiththecomfortofthesmallproprietorsnearPau，whichremindshimofEnglishdistrictsstillinhabitedbysmallyeomen。10*Passingtoalessfortunateregion，heexplainsthattheprincedeSouvisehasavastpropertythere。Thepropertyofagrand’seigneur’
　　issuretobeadesert。11*Thesignswhichindicatesuchpropertiesare’wastes，landes，deserts，fern，ling。’Theneighbourhoodofthegreatresidencesiswellpeopled——’withdeer，wildboars，andwolves。’’Oh，’heexclaims，’ifIwasthelegislatorofFranceforaday，Iwouldmakesuchgreatlordsskipagain！’’Why，’heasked，’werethepeoplemiserableinlowerSavoy?’
　　’Because，’wasthereply，’thereareseigneurseverywhere。’12*MiseryinBrittanywasdue’totheexecrablemaximsofdespotismortheequallydetestableprejudicesofafeudalnobility。’13*Therewasnothing，hesaid，intheprovincebut’privilegesandpoverty，’14*privilegesofthenoblesandpovertyofthepeasants。
　　Youngwasprofoundlyconvinced，moreover，that，ashesaysmorethanonce15*
　　’everythinginthisworlddependsongovernment。’Heisastonishedatthestupidityandignoranceoftheprovincialpopulation，andascribesittothelethargyproducedbydespotism。16*Hecontrastsitwith’theenergeticandrapidcirculationofwealth，animation，andintelligenceofEngland，’
　　where’blacksmithsandcarpenters’woulddiscusseverypoliticalevent。Andyetheheartilyadmiressomeoftheresultsofacentralisedmonarchy。HecomparesthemiserableroadsinCataloniaontheSpanishsideofthefrontierwiththemagnificentcausewaysandbridgesontheFrenchside。Thedifferenceisduetothe’oneall-powerfulcausethatinstigatesmankind……government。’17*
　　Headmiresthenoblepublicworks，thecanalofLanguedoc，theharboursatCherbourgandHavre，andtheé；colevé；té；rinairewhereagricultureistaughtuponscientificprinciples。HeisstruckbythecuriouscontrastbetweenFranceandEngland。InFrancethesplendidroadsareusedbyfewtravellers，andtheinnsarefilthypothouses；inEnglandtherearedetestableroads，butacomparativelyenormoustraffic。Whenhewishedtomakethegreatnobles’skip’hedoesnotgenerallymeanconfiscation。HeseesindeedOneplacewherein1790thepoorhadseizedapieceofwasteland，declaringthatthepoorwerethenation，andthatthewastebelongedtothenation。Hedeclares18*thatheconsiderstheiraction’wise，rational，andphilosophical，’andwishesthattherewerealawtomakesuchconductlegalinEngland。Buthismoregeneraldesireisthatthelandownersshouldbecompelledtodotheirduty。Hecomplainsthatthenobleslivein’wretchedholes’inthecountryinordertosavethemeansofexpenditureupontheatres，entertainments，andgamblinginthetowns。19*’BanishmentalonewillforcetheFrenchnobilitytodowhattheEnglishdoforpleasure——toresideuponandadorntheirestates。’20*HeexplainstoaFrenchfriendthatEnglishagriculturehasflourished’inspiteoftheteethofourministers’；wehavehadmanyColberts，butnotoneSully；21*andweshouldhavedonemuchbetter，hethinks，hadagriculturereceivedthesameattentionascommerce。ThisisthereverseofAdamSmith’sremarkuponthesuperiorliberalityoftheEnglishcountry-gentleman，whodidnot，likethemanufacturers，invokeprotectionandinterference。Intruth，Youngdesiredbothadvantages，thevigourofacentralisedgovernmentandtheenergyofanindependentaristocracy。Hisabsenceofanygeneraltheoryenableshimtodojusticeindetailatthecostofconsistencyingeneraltheory。InFrance，ashesaw，thenobilityhadbecomeinthemainanencumbrance，ameredeadweightupontheenergiesoftheagriculturist。Buthedidnotinferthatlargepropertiesinlandwerebadinthemselves；forinEnglandhesawthatthelandownerswerethereallyenergeticandimprovingclass。Henaturallylookedattheproblemfromthepointofviewofanintelligentland-agent。Heisfullofbenevolentwishesforthelabourer，andsympathiseswiththeattempttostimulatetheirindustryandimprovetheirdwellings，anddenouncesoppressionwhetherinFranceorIrelandwiththeheartiestgoodwill。Butitischaracteristicofthepositionthatsuchaman——anenthusiasticadvocateofindustrialprogress——wasaheartyadmireroftheEnglishlandowner。Hesetsoutuponhisfirsttour，announcingthathedoesnotwriteforfarmers，ofwhomnotoneinfivethousandreadsanything，butforthecountry-gentlemen，whoarethegreatimprovers。Tull，whointroducedturnips；Weston，whointroducedclover；LordTownshendandAllen，whointroduced’marling’inNorfolk，wereallcountry-gentlemen，anditisfromthemthatheexpectsimprovement。Hetravelseverywhere，delightingintheirnewhousesandparks，theirpicturegalleries，andtheirgardenslaidoutbyKentor’CapabilityBrown’；headmiresscenery，climbsSkiddaw，andisrapturousoverviewsoftheAlpsandPyrenees；butheisthrownintoaragebythesightofwastes，whereverimprovementispossible。Whatdelightshimisanestatewithafinecountry-houseofPalladianarchitecture’Gothic’
　　iswithhimstillatermofabuse，22*withgroundswelllaidoutandagoodhome-farm，whereexperimentsarebeingtried，andsurroundedbyanestateinwhichthefarm-buildingsshowtheeffectsofthelandlord’sgoodexampleandjudicioustreatmentofhistenantry。Therewasnowantofsuchexamples。
　　HeadmiresthemarquisofRockingham，atoncethemosthonourableofstatesmenandmostjudiciousofimprovers。HesingsthepraisesofthedukeofPortland，theearlofDarlington，andthedukeofNorthumberland。AnincautiousannouncementofthedeathofthedukeofGrafton，rememberedchieflyasoneofthevictimsofJunius，butknowntoYoungforhiscarefulexperimentsinsheep-breeding，producedaburstoftears，which，ashebelieved，costhimhiseyesight。
　　Hisfriend，thefifthdukeofBedforddied1802，wasoneofthegreatestimproversfortheSouth，andwassucceededbyanotherfriend，thefamousCokeofHolkham，afterwardsearlofLeicester，whoissaidtohavespenthalfamillionupontheimprovementofhisproperty。Youngappealstotheclassinwhichsuchmenwereleaders，andurgesthem，notagainsttheirwishes，wemaysuppose，and，nodoubt，withmuchgoodsense，totaketotheirtaskinthetruespiritofbusiness。Nothing，hedeclares，ismoreoutofplacethantheboastofsomegreatlandownersthattheyneverraisetheirrents。23*
　　Highrentsproduceindustry。Themanwhodoubleshisrentsbenefitsthecountrymorethanhebenefitshimself。EveninIreland，24*ariseofrentsisonegreatcauseofimprovement，thoughtherentshouldnotbeexcessive，andthesystemofmiddlemenisaltogetherdetestable。Oneoddsuggestionischaracteristic。25*
　　HehearsthatwagesarehigherinLondonthanelsewhere。Now，hesays，inatradingcountrylowwagesareessential。Hewonders，therefore，thatthelegislaturedoesnotlimitthegrowthofLondon。
　　This，wemayguess，isoneofthepetulantutterancesofearlyyearswhichhewouldhavedisavowedorqualifieduponmaturerrefection。ButYoungisessentiallyanapostleofthe’gloriousspiritofimprovement，’26*whichhasconvertedNorfolksheep-walksintoarablefields，andwasspreadingthroughoutthecountryandevenintoIreland。Hisheroistheenergeticlandowner，whomakestwobladesofgrassgrowwhereonegrewbefore；whointroducesnewbreedsofcattleandnewcoursesofhusbandry。HeissofarinsympathywiththeWealthofNations，althoughhesaysofthatbookthat，whileheknowsof’noablerwork，’heknowsofnone’fullerofpoisonouserrors。’27*Young，thatis，sympathisedwiththedoctrineofthephysiocratsthatagriculturewastheonesourceofrealwealth，andtookSmithtobetoomuchonthesideofcommerce。Young，however，wasasenthusiasticafree-traderasSmith。
　　Henaturallydenouncestheselfishnessofthemanufacturerswho，in1788，objectedtothefreeexportofEnglishwool，28*buthealsoassailsmonopolyingeneral。Thewholesystem，hesaysonoccasionofPitt’sFrenchtreaty，isrottentothecore。The’vitalspringandanimatingsoulofcommerceisLIBERTY。’29*Thoughhetalksofthebalanceoftrade，hearguesinthespiritofSmithorCobdenthatwearebenefitedbythewealthofourcustomers。
　　Ifwehavetoimportmoresilk，weshallexportmorecloth。Young，indeed，waseverythingbutabelieverinanydogmaticorconsistentsystemofPoliticalEconomy，or，ashestillcallsit，PoliticalArithmetic。Hisopinionswerenotofthekindwhichcanbeboundtoanyrigidformulae。Afterinvestigatingtherestrictionsofrentandwagesindifferentdistricts，hequietlyacceptstheconclusionthatthedifferenceisduetoaccident。30*HehasasyetnofearofMalthusbeforehiseyes。Heisrousedtoindignationbythepessimisttheorythencommon，thatpopulationwasdecaying。31*Everywhereheseessignsofprogress；buildings，plantations，woods，andcanals。Employment，hesays，createspopulation，stimulatesindustry，andattractslabourfrombackwarddistricts。Theincreaseofnumbersisanunqualifiedbenefit。Hehasnodreadofexcess。InIreland，heobserves，nooneisfoolenoughtodenythatpopulationisincreasing，thoughpeopledenyitinEngland，’eveninthemostproductiveperiodofherindustryandwealth。’32*Onecauseofthisblessingistheabsenceorthepoor-law。TheEnglishpoor-lawisdetestabletohimforareasonwhichcontrastssignificantlywiththelateropinion。Thelawsweremade’intheveryspiritofdepopulation’；theyare’monumentsofbarbarityandmischief’；fortheygivetoeveryparishaninterestinkeepingdownthepopulation。Thistendencywasintheeyesofthelatereconomistaredeemingfeatureintheoldsystem；thoughithadbeenthensomodifiedastostimulatewhattheytooktobethecurse，asyoungheldittobetheblessing，ofarapidincreaseofpopulation。
　　WithsuchviewsYoungwasakeenadvocateoftheprocessofenclosurewhichwasgoingonwithincreasingrapidity。Hefoundacolleague，whomaybebrieflynoticedasaremarkablerepresentativeofthesamemovement。SirJohnSinclair1754-183533*washeirtoanestateofsixtythousandacresinCaithnesswhichproducedonly£；2300ayear，subjecttomanyencumbrances。
　　Theregionwasstillinaprimitivestate。Therewerenoroads：agriculturewasofthecrudestkind；partoftherentwasstillpaidinfeudalservices；
　　thenativesweretooignorantorlazytofish，andtherewerenoharbours。
　　TreeswerescarceenoughtojustifyJohnson，andalistofallthetreesinthecountryincludedcurrant-bushes。34*SinclairwasapupilofthepoetLogan：studiedunderBlairatEdinburghandMillaratGlasgow；becameknowntoAdamSmith，and，afterashorttimeatOxford，wascalledtotheEnglishbar。Sinclairwasamanofenormousenergy，thoughnotofvivaciousintellect。Hebelongedtotheprosaicbreed，whichcreatedthe’dismalscience，’
　　andseemstohavebeenregardedasastupendousbore。Bores，however，representasocialforcenottobedespised，andSinclairwasnoexception。
　　Hisfatherdiedwhenhewassixteen。Whentwentyyearsoldhecollectedhistenants，andinonenightmadearoadacrossahillwhichhadbeenpronouncedimpracticable。HewasanenthusiasticadmirerofGaelictraditions；defendedtheauthenticityofOssian；supportedHighlandgames，andbroughtItaliantravellerstolistentothemusicofthebagpipes。WhenhepresentedhimselftohistenantsintheHighlandcostume，onthewithdrawalofitsprohibition，theyexpectedhimtoleadtheminaforayuponthelowlandsinthenameofCharlesEdward。Heafterwardsraisedaregimentof’fencibles’whichservedinIrelandin1798，and，whendisbanded，sentalargecontingenttotheEgyptianexpedition。Butherenderedmorepeacefulservicestohiscountry。Heformednewfarms；heenclosedseveralthousandacres；asheadofthe’BritishWoolSociety，’heintroducedtheCheviotsor’longsheep’totheNorth——animprovementwhichissaidtohavedoubledtherentsofmanyestates；heintroducedagriculturalshows；hepersuadedgovernmentin1801todevotetheproceedsoftheconfiscatedestatesofJacobitestotheimprovementofScottishcommunications；hehelpedtointroducefisheriesandevenmanufactures；andwasamainagentinthechangewhichmadeCaithnessoneofthemostrapidlyimprovingpartsofthecountry。Hissonassuresusthathetookeverymeanstoobviatetheincidentalevilswhichhavebeenthepretextsofdenunciatorsofsimilarimprovements。