H MILITARY ECONOMY. * OBBES has maintained, that the natural ftatę of mankind is a ftate of war. Notwithstanding the offence which this affertion has given to many, I cannot but be difpofed to think it well-founded. When we fee Sovereigns wilfully plunging their people into wars, which muft, at least, put to fome hazard the advantages of their perfonal elevation-when we hear the multitude clamouring for hoftilities, the only confequence of which to them must be burdenfome impofts-when we fee the foldier impatient for a battle, in which his life and limbs are to be rifked, without the prospect of any benefit to him in the opposite scale -what can be inferred, but that the innate propenfity of the animal overbears every dictate of reason. This being the cafe, it is the part of a true philofopher to refrain from hopeless attempts to correct this obliquity of the human mind, and to bound his endeavours to extracting a partial benefit from the general perversenefs of difpofition. Military arrangements must be confidered under two conditions, that of reft, and that of exertion: for it is the characteristic of man's evil inclination, contrary to that of any other animal, that immediate provocation is not required to excite his malignity. But upon a remote and indiftinct view of eventual opportunities, he fafhions and concocts before hand the mifchief which he is to exercife against his fellow-creatures. Phyfical caufes may, upon due reflection, be found for every fingularity in nature. The difference of man, in the respect alluded to, from the reft of the brute creation, may, perhaps, arise from his dereliction of that quadruped pofture, fo ably proved by Lord Monboddo, to have been the original habit of the human race. I do not infer, as fhort-fighted arguers have done, that man taking from his erect pof *This whimsical plan is not fo very diftant from fact as it may appear. Attempts have been made to fertilize barren tracts of land, by encamping cavalry upon them. ture a wider scope of view, thence embraces at once more objects to animate his paffions: because I think the extenfion of horizon gained by an additional elevation of two or three feet, entirely inadequate to the effect. My hypothefis proceeds upon a much fimpler principle. We know that it is the nature of effluvia, from all fubftances, to mount directly upwards; at least, where not exposed to a current of air. Now my conceit is, that from the erect pofture of man, the vapour generated in his entrails-which we know from its cafual escapes to be highly exalted-must continually titilate and exacerbate his brain. Hence, when no prefent cause awakens him to fury, he is nevertheless gratified with the fhew of preparation for mischief. This I take to be indubitably the cause why standing armies have become reconcilable not only to those who compofe them, but to thofe alfo who, by their contributions, maintain them. The peafant, it is true, feels it a grievance, that the pittance hardly earned by his labour, fhould be fqueezed from him to furnish fubfiftence to those enrolled machines; and he may perhaps at times confider their force as no very comfortable curb on his convenience. But he rationally confoles himself for these petty diffatisfactions, with the gracious hope that, fome time or other, another community will fuffer out of all proportion more from thofe tormentors than he does himfelf. If one can leave to the true-born Englishman this pleafing imagination; and, on the other hand, give him a commutation for his difcontent, it must be deemed a national fervice of no ordinary importance. The late augmentation of the army in this country, and a grateful expectation that it will not be speedily reduced, led my mind to reflect whether it was indeed impoffible to extract fomewhat of utility from fuch a host, supported at the expence of their fellow-citizens. Fortune feemed to have fmiled in granting, at this juncture, the concurrence of a novel eftablishment, moft admirably fuited to the point of my lucubrations. Nay, I am almoft tempted to believe, that a fpecial Providence, F acting acting always by modes inexplicable to men, has directed the formation of a National Board of Agriculture, for the exprefs purpose of giving adoption to my fyftem. To that Board, with great veneration, but with equal confidence, I prefent a plan for rendering the foldiers contributary to the public weal; and with the fimplicity which ought to mark a propofal fo unprecedented, I difplay my fyftem without further intro duction. The number of effective men, including the Militia, now embodied in Great Britain, I fhall fuppofe to be forty thousand. From this number must be deducted the Guards neceffary for the perfon of the Sovereign, in the capital of his Empire. The Duke of Richmond, alfo, will indubitably require to have a camp formed fomewhere; but as a camp any where, of two thousand men, might be called the army, and his Grace only wishes to have the command of an army, five thousand men will be found fufficient for the two objects; that is to fay, for this exhibition, and the protection of St. James's Park. There will then be five and thirty thousand men at liberty. I fay at liberty, because, occupied as the French are in refifting the irruption of our Allies on the Continent, and covered as the feas are with one of the most formidable naval armaments ever set a-float by this country, I cannot fuppofe that the mind of man has ever harboured an idea fo ridiculous, as that the Sans Culottes could moleft us at home. I would, therefore, have thefe five and thirty thousand warriors affembled as fpeedily as may be, within one diftrict; which, for the fake of the experiment, I could with might be of the most barren foil that can be pitched upon in England. This army of Cincinnati fhould be under the abfolute direction of the New Board of Agriculture. The ground, deftined for improvement, fhould be accurately measured, and fubdivided into the partitions, that will be obvious, according to the following fcheme. For the fake of round numbers, I would allot five and thirty men to each each acre; by which means, a thousand acres would be undertaken in the day. On the morning fixed for the operation, an ounce and an half of ftrong purgative falts, diffolved in a quart of fpring-water, fhould be administered to each individual on the parade; after which, the whole body should be marched to the spot deftined for improvement, where each fquad of five and thirty fhould take poffeffion of an acre. The men fhould then ftation themfelves, as nearly as may be, at equal diftances; in which fituation they fhould be liberally fupplied by their wives, or by drummers, with their gruel, prepared for the purpose. It is impoffible to compute, with entire precifion, what may be the quantity of manure yielded to an acre by this process; but affuredly it is not neceffary to be very minute in afcertaining it. If the refpectable members who conftitute the new board deem it adviseable to be more particular, they can try the experiment by their own perfons; and from the refult, eftablish a fcale whence calculations may be unerringly drawn. Experience would, no doubt, extraordinarily improve the foldiers in their art; fo that when they were thoroughly difciplined, a much smaller number of men would equally meliorate an acre. For this we must look to time. In the prefent calculation, as I faid before, I only reckon upon one thousand acres radically, and effectually manured, in one day, by five and thirty thoufand men. Ι apprehend that it would be fcarcely held politic to fubject the troops to this operation oftener than twice' a week; that is, if they were to be worked for a conftancy the year through. It is not only that the foldier might, by too great frequency of fervice, relax in attachment to the bufinefs, but it is alfo to be confidered, whether by a drain too fuddenly repeated, the manure might not be rendered defective in quality. Economy likewife muft here interfere, because it would be an expence in bounty-money to replace thefe implements of hufbandry, as they may be honourably entitled, fhould they be worn out by unconscionable fcouring. F 3 Upon Upon thefe data it will appear, that one hundred thoufand acres may annually be rendered capable of producing the richeft crops, at an expence to the public fo moderate as not to be worth notice.-Ten years, then, will give one million of acres thus improved; and fo on until the whole ifland fhall be fit to bear afparagus. I have not taken into my account the contributions of the Officers in this way, although it is clear their public fpirit will naturally inftigate them to fhew the moft active examples in this fervice.-That their duty may be pleafing to them, I would, in their cafe, have the nature of the cathartic left entirely to their own difcretion; fo that, where habitual indulgence had rendered calomel, or any other drug, more grateful to them than falts, they might enjoy-provided it be out of their own pocket-the innocent luxury of that preference. I am aware, that all beneficial projects are coldly received at firft. It is the prerogative of genius to foar, at once, to a height which ordinary minds cannot attain but by gradual ftages and fucceffive efforts. I therefore anticipate the reluctance with which this fentence will be adopted; for adopted, at length, I am confident it will be, it being impoffible to advance any colourable objection to it. I know that, in thefe days of oftentatious economy, the expence of fo comprehenfive a purge will be loudly urged against the measure. At first fight, this argument may have fome degree of weight; though, when it is better examined, it will be found unworthy of confideration. It is not to be fuppofed I fhould lay a plan of this magnitude before the public, without having duly informed myself of every circumftance involved in it. The price of purgative falt is not to be estimated by what gentlemen pay to their apothecaries. A chemift of diftinguished eminence has pledged himself to me, that whenfoever this plan fhall have received a Parliamentary fanction, he will come forward and offer to contract to purge the army round at five farthings per man, for each week. I acknowledge that such a contract might add to the Minifter's |