Wesley Corpus

They breed no poultry or swine, unless for their own use; consequently they send none to market. Hence it is not strange if two or three of these, living near a market-town, occasion such a scarcity of these things, by preventing the former supply, that the price of them is double or treble to what it was before. Hence, (to instance in a small article,) in the same town wherein, within my memory, eggs were sold six or eight a penny, they are now sold six or eight a groat. Another cause (the most terrible one of all, and the most destructive both of personal and social happiness) why not only beef, mutton, and pork, but all kinds of victuals, are so dear, is luxury. What can stand against this? Will it not waste and destroy all that mature and art can produce? If a person of quality will boil down three dozen of meats' tongues, to make two or three quarts of soup, (and so proportionably in other things,) what wonder that provisions fail? Only look into the kitchens of the great, the nobility and gentry, almost without exception; (considering withal, that “the toe of the peasant treads upon the heel of the courtier;”) and when you have observed the amazing waste which is made there, you will no longer wonder at the scarcity, and conse quently dearness, of the things which they use so much art to destroy. 7. But why is land so dear? Because, on all these accounts, gentlemen cannot live as they have been accus tomed to do without increasing their income; which most of them cannot do, but by raising their rents. And then the farmer, paying an higher rent for the land, must have an higher price for the produce of it. This again tends to raise the price of land; and so the wheel runs round. 8. But why is it, that not only provisions and land, but well nigh everything else, is so dear? Because of the enormous taxes, which are laid on almost everything that can be named. INot only abundant taxes are raised from earth, and fire, and water; but, in England, the ingenious Statesmen have found a way to lay a tax upon the very light! Yet one element remains: And surely some man of honour will find a way to tax this also.