by whole troops of the indigent, to cut down their woods to erect temporary

dwellings, and to portion out their parks, parterres and flower-gardens, to

necessitous families. Many of these, of high rank in their own countries,

now, with hoe in hand, turned up the soil. It was found necessary at last

to check the spirit of sacrifice, and to remind those whose generosity

proceeded to lavish waste, that, until the present state of things became

permanent, of which there was no likelihood, it was wrong to carry change

so far as to make a reaction difficult. Experience demonstrated that in a

year or two pestilence would cease; it were well that in the mean time we

should not have destroyed our fine breeds of horses, or have utterly

changed the face of the ornamented portion of the country.

It may be imagined that things were in a bad state indeed, before this

spirit of benevolence could have struck such deep roots. The infection had

now spread in the southern provinces of France. But that country had so

many resources in the way of agriculture, that the rush of population from

one part of it to another, and its increase through foreign emigration, was

less felt than with us. The panic struck appeared of more injury, than

disease and its natural concomitants.

Winter was hailed, a general and never-failing physician. The embrowning

woods, and swollen rivers, the evening mists, and morning frosts, were

welcomed with gratitude. The effects of purifying cold were immediately

felt; and the lists of mortality abroad were curtailed each week. Many of

our visitors left us: those whose homes were far in the south, fled

delightedly from our northern winter, and sought their native land, secure

312

The Last Man