Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 63.djvu/383

 8vo, 2nd edit. 1770)—the last warmly praised by the king. His bookseller and his friends called for more tours. In 1770 appeared a ‘Six Months' Tour through the North of England’ (London, 4 vols. 8vo; 2nd edit. 1771); ‘The Farmer's Guide in Hiring and Stocking Farms’ (London, 8vo); ‘Rural Œconomy’ (London, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1773); and ‘A Course of Experimental Agriculture’ (London, 2 vols. 4to), which he subsequently attempted to suppress as inaccurate and lacking thoroughness. In 1771 came from his pen the ‘Farmer's Tour through the East of England’ (London, 8vo); ‘The Farmer's Calendar’ (London, 8vo), of which Dr. Paris mentions as many as ten editions; and ‘Proposals to the Legislature for numbering the People’ (London, 8vo), a suggestion not adopted till the census of 1801. His receipts from his books were considerable, yet we find him recording ‘No carthorse ever laboured as I did at this period (1770), spending like an idiot, always in debt, in spite of what I earned with the sweat of my brow, and almost my heart's blood … the year's receipts 1,167l.’ In 1772 he published ‘Political Essays concerning the present State of the British Empire’ (London, 4to). ‘At this time,’ writes Young, ‘I was so distressed that I had serious thoughts of quitting the kingdom and going to America.’ The following year he undertook to report the debates in parliament for the ‘Morning Post’ at five guineas a week, walking home seventeen miles to North Mimms every Saturday, and back on the Monday morning. In 1773 he wrote ‘Observations on the present State of the Waste Lands of Great Britain’ (London, 8vo), and in 1774 ‘Political Arithmetic’ (London, 8vo; pt. ii., 1779, London, 8vo), ‘one of my best works, which was immediately translated into many languages and highly commended in many parts of Europe.’ He was this year elected a fellow of the Royal Society. Summing up his vexations and anxieties about this time, he says: ‘What would not a sensible, quiet, prudent wife have done for me? But had I so behaved to God as to merit such a gift?’

In 1776 he went to Ireland and kept a journal of his tour; but, owing to the rascality of a servant who stole his trunk on the way back from Bath to London, the journal was lost, with all the specimens of soils and minerals which he had collected throughout the whole kingdom. In 1777 Lord Kingsborough invited Young to become his agent in co. Cork at 500l. a year, with a house at Mitchelstown, and a retaining fee of 500l. Young gave up his farm in Hertfordshire and moved with Mrs. Young to Ireland, but, owing to dissensions with the Kingsborough family, returned in 1779 with an annuity of 72l. in lieu of arrears. He again thought of going to America, but was dissuaded by his mother, and once more took a farm near home. In 1780 appeared his ‘Tour in Ireland’ (London, 4to, 2 pts.). This volume, lacking the incidents and anecdotes which had enlivened the lost diary, did not attain to a second edition; but the author's attack upon the bounty on land carriage of corn to Dublin was almost immediately successful, half the bounty being abolished in the next session of parliament. In 1783 was born his youngest child, Martha Ann, who called herself Robin (which she pronounced Bobbin), and was the light of her father's eyes. In his letters and journals he strikes a note of enthusiasm whenever his ‘lovely Bobbin’ is concerned. She grew up a delightful child, bright, affectionate, and intelligent beyond her years. In 1784 Young commenced his ‘Annals of Agriculture,’ a monthly publication, one third or one fourth of which came from his own pen. Forty-six volumes appeared continuously until 1809, and detached instalments of the volume left incomplete in that year were published in 1812 and 1815. Other contributors were George III (under the name of Ralph Robinson, his Windsor shepherd), Lord Orford, Dr. Symonds, Jeremy Bentham, Sir F. Eden, Harte, Balsamo, Coke of Holkham, Priestley, Thomas Ruggles, Lord Bristol, and Lord Townshend.

About this time came to England M. de Lazowski with his two pupils, the Counts de la Rochefoucauld, sons of the Duc de Liancourt. Lazowski had already made the tour of France with these lads, travelling over most of the kingdom on horseback, and brought them to England to acquire the language. The tutor had ‘given some attention to agriculture, and particularly to political economy.’ On his arrival he sought out Young, and this led to an acquaintance with the duke and to the subsequent tour in France. In 1785 Young's mother died, and Bradfield became his property. The same year he ‘went on a farming journey to the Bakewells,’ the famous agriculturists who improved so greatly the breed of British stock. This year Young was consulted by Pitt upon his Irish proposals and upon a labourer's consumption of taxed commodities. Early in 1787 Lazowski wrote from Paris to say that he was going with the Count de la Rochefoucauld to the Pyrenees, and to propose that Young should be of the party. ‘This,’ says Young, ‘was touching a string tremendous to vibrate.’ He had