I have this moment received Mr. Harte’s letter of the 1st November, N. S., by which I am very glad to find that he thinks of moving toward Paris, the end of this month, which looks as if his leg were better; besides, in my opinion, you both of you only lose time at Montpelier; he would find better advice, and you better company, at Paris.  In the meantime, I hope you go into the best company there is at Montpelier; and there always is some at the Intendant’s, or the Commandant’s.  You will have had full time to learn ‘les petites chansons Languedociennes’, which are exceedingly pretty ones, both words and tunes.  I remember, when I was in those parts, I was surprised at the difference which I found between the people on one side, and those on the other side of the Rhone.  The Provencaux were, in general, surly, ill-bred, ugly, and swarthy; the Languedocians the very reverse:  a cheerful, well-bred, handsome people.  Adieu!  Yours most affectionately.

P. S. Upon reflection, I direct this letter to Paris; I think you must have left Montpelier before it could arrive there.

LETTER CXXIV

London, November 19, O. S. 1750

My dear friend:  I was very glad to find by your letter of the 12th, N. S., that you had informed yourself so well of the state of the French marine at Toulon, and of the commerce at Marseilles; they are objects that deserve the inquiry and attention of every man who intends to be concerned in public affairs.  The French are now wisely attentive to both; their commerce is incredibly increased within these last thirty years; they have beaten us out of great part of our Levant trade; their East India trade has greatly affected ours; and, in the West Indies, their Martinico establishment supplies, not only France itself, but the greatest part of Europe, with sugars whereas our islands, as Jamaica, Barbadoes, and the Leeward, have now no other market for theirs but England.  New France, or Canada, has also greatly lessened our fur and skin trade.  It is true (as you say) that we have no treaty of commerce subsisting (I do not say with Marseilles) but with France.  There was a treaty of commerce made between England and France, immediately after the treaty of Utrecht; but the whole treaty was conditional, and to depend upon the parliament’s enacting certain things which were stipulated in two of the articles; the parliament, after a very famous debate, would not do it; so the treaty fell to the ground:  however, the outlines of that treaty are, by mutual and tacit consent, the general rules of our present commerce with France.  It is true, too, that our commodities which go to France, must go in our bottoms; the French having imitated in many respects our famous Act of Navigation, as it is commonly called.  This act was made in the year 1652, in the parliament held by Oliver Cromwell.  It forbids all foreign ships