But I Am Tired With Writing; And I Believe You Will Be Tired With
Reading This Long Letter Notwithstanding All Your Prepossession
In Favour Of - Your Very Humble Servant.
LETTER XXI
NICE, November 10, 1764.
DEAR DOCTOR, - In my enquiries about the revenues of Nice, I am
obliged to trust to the information of the inhabitants, who are
much given to exaggerate. They tell me, the revenues of this town
amount to one hundred thousand livres, or five thousand pounds
sterling; of which I would strike off at least one fourth, as an
addition of their own vanity: perhaps, if we deduct a third, it
will be nearer the truth. For, I cannot find out any other funds
they have, but the butchery and the bakery, which they farm at so
much a year to the best bidder; and the droits d'entree, or
duties upon provision brought into the city; but these are very
small. The king is said to draw from Nice one hundred thousand
livres annually, arising from a free-gift, amounting to seven
hundred pounds sterling, in lieu of the taille, from which this
town and county are exempted; an inconsiderable duty upon wine
sold in public-houses; and the droits du port. These last consist
of anchorage, paid by all vessels in proportion to their tonnage,
when they enter the harbours of Nice and Villa Franca. Besides,
all foreign vessels, under a certain stipulated burthen, that
pass between the island of Sardinia and this coast, are obliged,
in going to the eastward, to enter; and pay a certain regulated
imposition, on pain of being taken and made prize. The prince of
Monaco exacts a talliage of the same kind; and both he and the
king of Sardinia maintain armed cruisers to assert this
prerogative; from which, however, the English and French are
exempted by treaty, in consequence of having paid a sum of money
at once. In all probability, it was originally given as a
consideration for maintaining lights on the shore, for the
benefit of navigators, like the toll paid for passing the Sound
in the Baltic. [Upon further inquiry I find it was given in
consideration of being protected from the Corsairs by the naval
force of the Duke of Savoy and Prince of Monaco.] The fanal, or
lanthorn, to the eastward of Villa Franca, is kept in good
repair, and still lighted in the winter. The toll, however, is a
very troublesome tax upon feluccas, and other small craft, which
are greatly retarded in their voyages, and often lose the benefit
of a fair wind, by being obliged to run inshore, and enter those
harbours. The tobacco the king manufactures at his own expence,
and sells for his own profit, at a very high price; and every
person convicted of selling this commodity in secret, is sent to
the gallies for life. The salt comes chiefly from Sardinia, and
is stored up in the king's magazine from whence it is exported to
Piedmont, and other parts of his inland dominions. And here it
may not be amiss to observe, that Sardinia produces very good
horses, well-shaped, though small; strong, hardy, full of mettle,
and easily fed. The whole county of Nice is said to yield the
king half a million of livres, about twenty-five thousand pounds
sterling, arising from a small donative made by every town and
village: for the lands pay no tax, or imposition, but the tithes
to the church. His revenue then flows from the gabelle on salt
and wine, and these free-gifts; so that we may strike off one
fifth of the sum at which the whole is estimated; and conclude,
that the king draws from the county at Nice, about four hundred
thousand livres, or twenty thousand pounds sterling. That his
revenues from Nice are not great, appears from the smallness of
the appointments allowed to his officers. The president has about
three hundred pounds per annum; and the intendant about two. The
pay of the commandant does not exceed three hundred and fifty
pounds: but he has certain privileges called the tour du baton,
some of which a man of spirit would not insist upon. He who
commands at present, having no estate of his own, enjoys a small
commandery, which being added to his appointments at Nice, make
the whole amount to about five hundred pounds sterling.
If we may believe the politicians of Nice, the king of Sardinia's
whole revenue does not fall short of twenty millions of
Piedmontese livres, being above one million of our money. It must
be owned, that there is no country in Christendom less taxed than
that of Nice; and as the soil produces the necessaries of life,
the inhabitants, with a little industry, might renew the golden
age in this happy climate, among their groves, woods, and
mountains, beautified with fountains, brooks, rivers, torrents,
and cascades. In the midst of these pastoral advantages, the
peasants are poor and miserable. They have no stock to begin the
world with. They have no leases of the lands they cultivate; but
entirely depend, from year to year, on the pleasure of the
arbitrary landholder, who may turn them out at a minute's
warning; and they are oppressed by the mendicant friars and
parish priests, who rob them of the best fruits of their labour:
after all, the ground is too scanty for the number of families
which are crouded on it.
You desire to know the state of the arts and sciences at Nice;
which, indeed, is almost a total blank. I know not what men of
talents this place may have formerly produced; but at present, it
seems to be consecrated to the reign of dulness and superstition.
It is very surprising, to see a people established between two
enlightened nations, so devoid of taste and literature. Here are
no tolerable pictures, busts, statues, nor edifices: the very
ornaments of the churches are wretchedly conceived, and worse
executed.
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