demand, not only for coach and chaise horses, which are bought and destroyed in incredible numbers; but much more for bred horses, which are yearly exported by hundreds, yea thousands, to France.
6. But why are pork, poultry, and eggs so dear?
Because of the monopolizing of farms, as mischievous a monopoly as was ever yet introduced into these kingdoms. The land which was formerly divided among ten or twenty little farmers, and enabled them comfortably to provide for their families, is now generally ingrossed by one great farmer. One man farms an estate of a thousand a-year, which formerly maintained ten or twenty. Every one of those little farmers kept a few swine, with some quantity of poultry: and having little money, was glad to send his bacon, or pork, or fowls and eggs, to market continually. Hence the markets were plentifully served; and plenty created cheapness. But at present, the great, the gentlemen farmers, are above attending to those little things. They breed no poultry or swine, unless for their own use: consequently they send none to market. Hence it is not strange, if two or three of these living near a market-town, occasion such a scarcity of these things, by preventing the former supply, that the price of them will be double or treble to what it was before. Hence (to instance in a small article) in the same town, where, within my memory, eggs were sold eight or ten a penny, they are now sold from eight pence to a shilling a dozen.
Another cause why both beef, mutton, pork, and all kinds of victuals, are so dear, is luxury. What can stand against this? Will it not waste and destroy all that nature and art can produce? If a person of quality will boil down three dozen of neats tongues, to make two or three quarts of soup, and so proportionably in other things, what wonder if provisions
