Pagina 183 van 2651

China, however, though it may, perhaps, stand still, does not

seem to go backwards. Its towns are nowhere deserted by their

inhabitants. The lands which had once been cultivated, are

nowhere neglected. The same, or very nearly the same, annual

labour, must, therefore, continue to be performed, and the funds

destined for maintaining it must not, consequently, be sensibly

diminished. The lowest class of labourers, therefore,

notwithstanding their scanty subsistence, must some way or

another make shift to continue their race so far as to keep up

their usual numbers.