To ſay Scotland is too poor for this, is no Anſwer at all: 'Tis for a Lame man, becauſe he cannot run, to ly down in the Dirt, and ſay, He wont ſtand upon his Legs: To be thus poor, is to be ever poor—. Your Wealth is before you, 'tis in your very Bowels, 'tis in every Landlords hand to encreaſe and improve; no Nation has ſo much room for it; none ſo much Cauſe for it as your ſelves.
There are ſome Noble Families in Scotland, whoſe improv'd Eſtates are living Witneſſes to the Truth of this, where the Flouriſhing Groves, Flowry Meadows, Rich Paſtures, large Cattel, ſtores of Hay for the Cattel, and Muck for the Land, upbraid the Neighbouring Gentlemen with not being equally forward, to accept of Natures Bounty, and put her on to do her Duty.
I ſhall conclude this Addreſs with a few Lines, which you will find again in the following Poem, and which contrary to Practice, I quote here to inculcat this Argument.
'Tis Blaſphemy to ſay the Climat's curſt,
Nature will ne're be fruitful till ſhe's forc't;
Nature's a Virgin very Chaſt and Coy,
To court her's nonſenſe: If you will enjoy
She must be raviſht; when ſhe's forc't ſhe's free,
A perfect Proſtitute to Induſtry.
This is the ſhort Subſtance of this Addreſs, and indeed is the chief Deſign of the following Poem, next to doing that Juſtice to the Scots Nation, which I thought my Duty. If either be accepted or eſteemed uſeful, the Author is ſufficiently gratified.
I acknowledge that the Honour done both to the Author and the Work, in the ready ſubſcription to the Charge, by ſuch an illuſtrious Roll of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, and in the Grant from her Majeſties moſt Honourable Privy Council, to prevent ſurreptitious Impreſſions of it, are ſuch Honours, eſpecially being done before the performance has been ſhown, as I know not how to expreſs my grateful Senſe of, only by acknowledging my ſelf infinitly obliged, and ever bound to ſhow my Gratitude, both to the Gentlemen, and on their Accounts to the whole Nation; and tho their own Modeſty forbids me printing a Liſt of the Names of the Subſcribers; yet it cannot be conceal'd from the World, that any Man that attempts to ſerve Scotland, ſhall always meet with Men of Senſe and Honour there, both to reward and encourage him.
The Debt of Juſtice due from me on this Account, will, I hope, excuſe me for offering theſe Sheets to the Parliament of Scotland, where as ſome Gentlemen have encoureg'd this Work without Doors, all I hope, will grant their Pardon within to the weak endeavour of
Right Honourable,
Your moſt Humble, and moſt obedient Servant,
DE FOE.
