If one attentively considers what has been happening in Europe over the last several centuries, one will be convinced that insofar as civilization progresses, it causes a large displacement of the population. Men left the plow to take up the shuttle and the hammer; from the cottage they passed to the factory; by acting in this way, they were obeying the immutable laws that govern the growth of organized societies. One can no more impose a deadline on this movement than to impose limits on human perfectibility. The limit of one, like the others, is known only to God.
What was, as what is the consequence of the gradual, irresistible movement we have just described?
A large quantity of new goods has been introduced into the world; the group who remained on the land found a variety of pleasures at their fingertips that were unknown in the last century; the life of the farmer became more convenient and pleasant; the life of the large landowner became more ornate and varied; comfort was within the reach of the greatest number, but these happy results could not have been obtained without paying the price.
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