hoever shewed wealth, was by him marked
out as an object of plunder. By allowing unlimited power to his
emissaries and spies, he was able to discover where the wealth lay, and
by vesting the same power in his prefects, sub-prefects, receivers, and
gend'armes, he seized on it when discovered. In the public prints,
previous to his downfall, we may observe almost continually the thanks
of Government to the farmers, proprietors, and others, for _their
patriotic exertions in supplying horses, grain, &c._ In these cases, the
_patriotic farmers_ had bands of gend'armerie stationed over them, who
drove away their horses, their cattle and grain, without the hope even
of payment or redress of any kind. Nothing denotes more the poverty of
the country, than the want of horses, of cows, and all kinds of live
stock.

In no country in the world is there found so great a number of beggars
as in France; and yet there are not wanting in every town establishments
for the maintenance of the poor. These beggars are chiefly from among
the manufacturing classes; the families of soldiers and labourers. The
peasants are seldom reduced to this state, or when reduced, they are
succoured by their fellow peasants, and do not beg publicly. The
national poverty has had the worst effects on the French character; in
almost every station in life they will be found capable of meanness.
What can be more disgusting, than to see people of fashion and family
reduced to the necessity of letting to strangers their own rooms, and
retiring into garrets and other dirty holes--demanding exorbitant
prices, and with perfect indifference taking half or a third--higgling
for every article they purchase--standing in dirty wrappers at their
doers, seeing the wood weighed in the street, on terms of familiarity
with tradesmen and their own servants. All this you see in France daily;
but on this subject I have elsewhere made observations.

As connected with this part of the subject, a few words must be said on
the condition of the towns and villages; for although I had at first
intended to treat this, and the situation of the different ranks, as
separate subjects; yet they seem to come in more naturally at present,
when speaking of the wealth of France and its division. The towns
throughout France, as well as the villages, particularly in the south,
have an appearance of decay and dilapidation. The proprietors have not
the means of repair. It is customary (I suppose from