第26章

Loving，asyoudomadam，thepreciousremainsofantiquity，lovingarchitecture，gardening，awarmsunandaclearsky，IwonderyouhaveneverthoughtofmovingChavilletoNismes。This，asyouknow，hasnotalwaysbeendeemedimpracticable；andtherefore，thenexttimea_Sur-intendantdesbatimentsduroi_，aftertheexampleofM。Colbert，sendspersonstoNismestomovetheMaisonquarreetoParis，thattheymaynotcomeemptyhanded，desirethemtobringChavillewiththem，toreplaceit。AproposofParis。Ihavenowbeenthreeweeksfromthere，withoutknowinganythingofwhathaspassed。IsupposeIshallmeetitallatAix，whereIhavedirectedmyletterstobelodged，_posterestante_。MyjourneyhasgivenmeleisuretoreflectonthisAssembleedesNotables。UnderagoodandayoungKing，asthepresent，Ithinkgoodmaybemadeofit。I

wouldhavethedeputiesthen，byallmeans，soconductthemselvesastoencouragehimtorepeatthecallsofthisAssembly。Theirfirststepshouldbe，togetthemselvesdividedintotwochambersinsteadofseven；theNoblesseandtheCommonsseparately。Thesecond，topersuadetheKing，insteadofchoosingthedeputiesoftheCommonshimself，tosummonthosechosenbythepeoplefortheProvincialadministrations。Thethird，astheNoblesseistoonumeroustobealloftheAssemblee，toobtainpermissionforthatbodytochooseitsowndeputies。TwoHouses，soelected，wouldcontainamassofwisdomwhichwouldmakethepeoplehappy，andtheKinggreat；wouldplacehiminhistorywherenootheractcanpossiblyplacehim。Theywouldthusputthemselvesinthetrackofthebestguidetheycanfollow，theywouldsoonovertakeit，becomeitsguideinturn，andleadtothewholesomemodificationswantinginthatmodel，andnecessarytoconstitutearationalgovernment。Shouldtheyattemptmorethantheestablishedhabitsofthepeopleareripefor，theymayloseall，andretardindefinitelytheultimateobjectoftheiraim。

These，Madam，aremyopinions；butIwishtoknowyours，which，Iamsure，willbebetter。

FromacorrespondentatNismes，youwillnotexpectnews。WereItoattempttogiveyounews，Ishouldtellyoustoriesonethousandyearsold。IshoulddetailtoyoutheintriguesofthecourtsoftheCaesars，howtheyaffectushere，theoppressionsoftheirpraetors，prefects，&c。Iamimmersedinantiquitiesfrommorningtonight。

Forme，thecityofRomeisactuallyexistinginallthesplendorofitsempire。Iamfilledwithalarmsfortheeventoftheirruptionsdailymakingonus，bytheGoths，theVisigoths，Ostrogoths，andVandals，lesttheyshouldre-conquerustoouroriginalbarbarism。

IfIamsometimesinducedtolookforwardtotheeighteenthcentury，itisonlywhenrecalledtoitbytherecollectionofyourgoodnessandfriendship，andbythosesentimentsofsincereesteemandrespect，withwhichIhavethehonortobe，Madam，yourmostobedientandmosthumbleservant，THEREWARDSOFTRAVEL

_ToLafayette_

_Nice，April11，1787_

Yourhead，mydearfriend，isfullofNotablethings；andbeingbetteremployed，therefore，Idonotexpectlettersfromyou。Iamconstantlyrovingabout，toseewhatIhaveneverseenbefore，andshallneverseeagain。Inthegreatcities，Igotoseewhattravellersthinkaloneworthyofbeingseen；butImakeajobofit，andgenerallygulpitalldowninaday。Ontheotherhand，Iamneversatiatedwithramblingthroughthefieldsandfarms，examiningthecultureandcultivators，withadegreeofcuriositywhichmakessometakemetobeafool，andotherstobemuchwiserthanIam。I

havebeenpleasedtofindamongthepeoplealessdegreeofphysicalmiserythanIhadexpected。Theyaregenerallywellclothed，andhaveaplentyoffood，notanimalindeed，butvegetable，whichisaswholesome。Perhapstheyareoverworked，theexcessoftherentrequiredbythelandlord，obligingthemtotoomanyhoursoflaborinordertoproducethat，andwhere-withtofeedandclothethemselves。

ThesoilofChampagneandBurgundyIhavefoundmoreuniversallygoodthanIhadexpected，andasIcouldnothelpmakingacomparisonwithEngland，Ifoundthatcomparisonmoreunfavorabletothelatterthanisgenerallyadmitted。Thesoil，theclimate，andtheproductionsaresuperiortothoseofEngland，andthehusbandryasgood，exceptinonepoint；thatofmanure。InEngland，longleasesfortwenty-oneyears，orthreelives，towit，thatofthefarmer，hiswife，andson，renewedbythesonassoonashecomestothepossession，forhisownlife，hiswife’sandeldestchild’s，andsoon，renderthefarmstherealmosthereditary，makeitworththefarmer’swhiletomanurethelandshighly，andgivethelandlordanopportunityofoccasionallymakinghisrentkeeppacewiththeimprovedstateofthelands。Heretheleasesareeitherduringpleasure，orforthree，six，ornineyears，whichdoesnotgivethefarmertimetorepayhimselffortheexpensiveoperationofwellmanuring，andtherefore，hemanuresill，ornotatall。Isuppose，thatcouldthepracticeofleasingforthreelivesbeintroducedinthewholekingdom，itwould，withinthetermofyourlife，increaseagriculturalproductionsfiftypercent；orwereanyoneproprietortodoitwithhisownlands，itwouldincreasehisrentsfiftypercent，inthecourseoftwenty-fiveyears。ButIamtoldthelawsdonotpermitit。Thelawsthen，inthispar