well predisposed to find it, that in things not strongly
nor immediately the objects of sense, our impressions are not altogether
to be trusted.

Abbeville, which I reached in good time for the _table d'hote_, which is
held on every market-day, is a populous but a most unpleasant town. The
inhabitants are stated to exceed 22,000; but I do not conceive that they
can amount to one half of that number. The town has a most ruinous
appearance, from the circumstance of many of the houses being built with
wood; and by the forms of the windows and the doors, some of them must
be very ancient. There are two or three manufactories of cloth, but none
of them were in a flourishing condition. I went to visit that of
Vanrobais, established by Louis XIV. and which still continues, though
in ruins. The buildings are upon a very large scale; but too much was
attempted for them to execute any thing in a workmanlike manner. There
are different buildings for every different branch of the manufacture. I
cannot but think, however, that they would have succeeded better if they
had consulted the principle of the sub-division of labour. A man who is
both a weaver and a spinner, will certainly not be both as good a weaver
and as good a spinner, as another who is only a spinner or only a
weaver: he will not have the same dexterity, and therefore will not do
the same work. No business is done so well as that which is the sole
object of attention. I saw likewise a manufactory of carpets, which
seemed more flourishing. In the cloth manufactory, the earnings of the
working manufacturers are about 36 sous per diem (1_s._ 6_d._): in the
carpet manufactories, somewhat more. The cloths, as far as I am a
judge, seemed to me even to exceed those of England; but the carpets
are much inferior. From some unaccountable reason, however, the cloths
were much dearer than English broad cloth of the same quality. Whence
does this happen, in a country where provisions are so much cheaper?
Perhaps from that neglect of the sub-division of labour which I have
above noticed.

Abbeville, like all the other principal towns through which I passed,
bore melancholy marks of the Revolution. The handsome church which stood
in the market-place is in ruins--scarcely a stone remains on the top of
another. Many of the best houses were shut up, and others of the same
description, evidently inhabited by people for whom they were not built.
In many of them, one room only was inhabit