as for the other sorts of Salt-fish, they buy them almost wholly still from Foreigners and Protestants.2. These Superstitions prevent the breeding of many Cattel of all sorts, and likewise of Fowl in the Kingdom, as there would be otherwise, because for almost one half of the year they dare not eat any Flesh, which by ne∣cessary consequence diminishes the Revenues of Land.3. For this very reason of the want of Flesh▪ it is impossible that a Country can maintain and breed up so many people, because next to Bread, there's nothing does so much Nourish a Man as Flesh, nor any thing that renders him so proper for Labour and Generation. They must not pretend to tell me, that that Land which is fi for Feeding Cattle, is fit for other things, and that what they lose on the on hand, they gain it on the other, for 'tis very well known, that there are many Grounds proper for Cattle, Pasturage, and Hay, that are fit for nothing else; and on the other hand, sup∣pose that those Grounds were equally fit for Corn, Wine or Wood, as for breeding of Cattle, 'tis known that the profit of Cattle is the greatest. I have known several Quar∣ters of France that abounded with Meadows along the Rivers, where a Load of Hay weigh∣ing 2000l. weight, and drawn by six great Oxen, and sometimes two or three Horses join'd to them besides, was not worth above three Livres, and sometimes not above
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