Addison, Joseph: Remarks on several parts of Italy: &c. in the years 1701, 1702, 1703 (London: Tonson, 1718)

NATLES.
on the coarser sorts, which are most
likely to fall to the fliare of the common
People, so that Beef perhaps paysaThird,,
and Veal a Tenth of its Price to the
Government, a Pound of either sort ha-
ving the same Tax fix’d on it. Theie
Gabels are most of them at present in
the Hands of private Men for as the
King of Spain has had occasion for Mo-
ny he has borrow’d it of the Rich Nea-
politans^ on Condition that they ihould
receive the Interest out of such or such
Gabels ’till he could repay them the
Principal.
This he has repeated so often that at
present there is scarce a single Gabel
unmortgag’d ; so that there is no Place
in Europe which pays greater Taxes,
and at the same time no Prince who
draws less Advantage from them. In
other Countries the People have the Sa-
tisfaction of seeing the Mony they give
spentin the Necessities, Defence, or Or-
nament of their State, or at least in the
Vanity or Pleasures of their Prince: but
here most of it goes to the enriching
of their Fellow-SubjeCts. If there was
not so great a Plenty of every thing in
Naples the People could not bear it. The ■
Spaniard however reaps this Advantage
from the present posturc of Ab airs, that
the