rene,

Around her throne the vivid planets roll, And ftars unnumber'd deck the shadowy pole,

O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure fhed,

And tip with filver every mountain's head;

Then shine the vales, the rocks in profpect rife,

A flood of glory burfts from all the fkics; The confcious fwains, rejoicing in the fight,

Eye the blue vault, and blefs the useful Light."

Here, we fee, five Greek lines are paraphraftically expanded into twelve English, one line in Homer being thought fufficient to furnish more verfes in the landscape, or night- piece, given us by his tranflator, than are to be found in the whole fimile in the oiginal. But this is not all :-It is not only a paraphrafe, but, through all the harmony of the verification, and brilliancy of the colouring, it is easy to difcover fome glaring blemishes, for which there is no warrant in the Greek. In particular, the fplendor of the fun at noon-day could not be

77

defcribed more strongly than this moonlight night is in the line printed in Italics; and in the two laft lines, by the introduction of fwains in the plu ral number, the most striking allufion in the fimile is loft; the shepherd, in the original, being Hector himself, the paftor populorum, as the ftars are the thourfand fires kindled by the Trojans, while they watched their tents. Thus, in Paradife Loft, Book IV. verse 982.

"The careful ploughman that stands doubting,

Left on the threshing-floor the hopeful fheaves

is the angel Gabriel, who is folicitous for the fafety of Adam and Eve.

To fhew that all the fame ideas may be comprited in nearly the fame number of lines in English, accept the fol lowing, for which, and alfo for fome of the above remarks, I am indebted to the late reverend and ingenious Mr, Say*.

As in ftill air, when round the queen of night

The ftars appear, in cloudless glory bright,

The rocks remote, the hills and vales are feen,

And heaven diffufes an immenfe ferener Thus, while each ftar with rival luftre

P. S. Mr. Brooke, in his late interefting and fentimental novel, Juliet Grenville, among other anachronisms, fome years after one of his characters has made a campaign in India, and confequently fome time after the death of Mr. Richardfon (which happened in 1761), mentions Pamela as a recent publication. The fixth edition of this work, which now lies before me, was printed in 1742. At the publication of the firft, Lord Clive, instead of being able to carry arms, was probably carried in arms.

In his Effay on the Numbers of Raradife Loft, p. 156.

78 S. FOUR TRACTS, together with TWO SERMONS, on political and commercial Subjects. By Jofiah Tucker, D. D. Dean of Gloucester. 8vo. Rivington. (See p. 29.) HAVING jut mentioned these tracts

in our Magazine for January, and feleted a temporary extract, to fhew this able writer's opinion of employing military force against the refractory Americans, we now propose to take a more enlarged view of the Doctor's Syftem of national commerce, and to ace his argument from beginning to end.

The fir tract, the Doctor informs his readers, was never before printed, and is intended as a fort of bafis on which the fucceeding arguments are founded. The fecond was printed in *763, juft after the peace, and lay by neglected for more than a year; the mob and the news-writers being all for war, very few readers could be found for fubjects relative to peace:

has fince met with more general approbation. The third was written towards the close of the debate about the American ftamp-act; and the character it affumes is that of a merchant of London to his nephew in America; and is not altogether fictitious; for an elderly gentleman, long verfed in the North American trade, defired him, he fays, to write on the fubject, and furnished him with materials; but when the treatife was finished, though the gentleman admitted the premises, he was ftartled at the conclufion, and ared as if he had seen a spectre. He was, therefore, at that time, obliged to give a different turn to the conclufion. And now, to make the concluon correspond with the premises, he has written

A fourth tract, wherein he has attempted to fhew what is the true intereft of Great Britain with respect to the colonies; than which nothing could be more feasonable.

To thefe four tracts the Doctor has fubjoined two fermons, as, by placing them there, many, he thinks, may now read them, who would never have Looked into them, had they been printed in a collection of religious tracts,

This being premised, we shall now -proceed.

The great question refolved in the Art tract, is, "Whether a rich country can ftand in competition with a poor country (of equal natural advantages), in railing of provifione, and

cheapnefs of manufactures?" This queftion arose in consequence of a correfpondence, in the year 1758, with a gentleman in North Britain, eminently diftinguished in the republic of letters.

In the folution of this question, the Doctor states it, as ah univerfally received notion, that trade and manufactures, if left at full liberty, will always defcend from a richer to a poorer country, till, in procefs of time, the poorer country becomes the richer in its turn, and the other the poorer; and then the course of trade will turu again; fo that, by attending to this change, the comparative riches or pa verty of any state may be difcovered.

This univerfally-received notion the Doctor undertakes to refute. The arguments brought in fupport of it are well known, and need hardly be repeated-Where riches abound, provifions are dear-cloathing dear-houserent dear-every neceffary of life dear -and the price of labour high;confequently the price of manufacturing of goods must be high in proportion. Whereas, in poor countries, where every neceffary of life is cheap-rent cheap-labour cheap,-the manufacturing of goods must be cheap in proportion, and, by being brought cheaper to market, if left at full liberty, wild unavoidably carry away the trade.

To refute this notion the Do&or ftates a cafe in point, and fuppofing "England and Scotland to be two contigu ous independent kingdoms, equal in fize, fituation, and all natural advan tages; fuppofing, likewise, that the numbers in both were nearly equal; but that England had acquired twenty millions of current fpecie, and Scotland had only a tenth part of that fum, viz. two millions: the queftion now is, Whether England will be able to fupport itself in its fuperior influence, wealth, and credit; or be continually on the decline in trade and manufactures, till it is funk into a parity with Scotland, fo that the current specie of both nations will be brought to be just the fame, viz. eleven millions each ???

Now, to folve this question, the Doctor very judiciously enquires, How this fuperior wealth was acquired? If by accident, England cannot long maintain its fuperiority; if by industry, for ever,

"CASE I. England has acquired 20,000,000l. of specie, by difcoveries of very rich mines, by fuccefsful privateering, by the trade of jewels, by fo

reign acquifitions, or, in fhort, by any other conceivable method, except by univerfal industry and application.

"According to this ftate, it feems' evidently to follow, that the provifions and manufactures of fuch a country would bear a moft enormous price, while this flush of money lafted; and that for the two following reafons, viz. ift, A people enriched by fuch improper means as thefe, would not know the real value of money, but would give any price that was afked; their fuperior folly and extravagance being the only evidence which they could produce of their fuperior riches. zdly, At the fame time that provifions and manufactures would bear fuch an exceffive price, the quantity thereof raised or made within the kingdom would be Less than ever; inafmuch as the cart, . and the plow, the anvil, the wheel, and the loom, would certainly be laid afide, for thefe quicker and eafier arts of getting rich, and becoming fine gentlemen and ladies; because all perfons, whether male or female, would endeavour to put themselves in fortune's way, and hope to catch as much as they could of this golden fhower. Hence the number of coaches, postchaifes, and all other vehicles of pleafure, would prodigiously increase ; while the ufual fets of farmers carts and waggons proportionably decreased; the fons of lower tradefmen and labourers would be converted into spruce powdered footmen; and that robuft Breed, which used to fupply the calls for laborious occupations, and common manufactures, would turn off to commence barbers and hair-dreffers, dancing-mafters, players,fidlers,pimps, and gamefters. As to the female fex, it is no difficult matter to forefee what would be the fate of the younger, the more fprightly, and pleafing part a mong them, In thort, the whole people would take a new turn; and, while agriculture, and the ordinary mechanic trades, became fhamefully neglected, the profeffions which fubfift by procuring amusements and diverfions, and exhibiting allurements and temptations, would be amazingly increafed, and, indeed, for a time, enriched; fo that, from being a nation of bees producing honey, they would become a nation of drones to eat it up. In fuch a cafe, certain it is, that their induftrious neighbours would foon drain them of this quantity of fpecie, and not only drain them, fo far as to

79 reduce them to a level with the poor country, but alfo fink them into the lowest ftate of abject poverty.

"CASE II. England has acquired twenty millions in the way of general indufry by giving the people a free scope without any exclufion, confinement, or monopoly ;-by annexing burdens to celibacy, and honours and privileges to the married ftate;-by conftituting fuch laws, as diffufe the wealth of the parents more equally among the chil dren, than the prefent laws of Europe generally do;-by modelling the taxes in fuch a manner, that all things hurtful to the public good fhall be rendered proportionably dear; and all things neceffary or useful, proportionably cheap; and, in fort, by every other conceivable method, whereby the drones of fociety may be converted into bees, and the bees te prevented from degenerating back into drones.

"Therefore, as we are to fuppofe, that by fuch means as these South-Britons have accumulated 20,000,000l. in fpecie, while the North-Britons have no more than 2,000,000l.: the question now is, which of these two nations can afford to raise provifions, and fell their manufactures on the cheapest terms?

"On the fide of the poorer nation, it is alleged, that feeing it has much less money, and yet is equal in size, situation, and other natural advantages, equal alfo in numbers of people, and thofe equally willing to be diligent and induftrious; it cannot be but that fuch a country muft have a manifeft advantage over the rich one in point of its parsimonious way of living, low wages, and confequently cheap manufactures.

"On the contrary, the rich country hath the following advantages:

"ift. As the richer country hath acquired its fuperior wealth by industry, it is therefore in poffeffion of an eftablished trade and credit, large correfpondences, experienced agents and factors, commodious fhops, workhoufes, magazines, &c. alfo a great variety of the best tools and implements in the various kinds of manufactures, and engines for abridging labour;-add to thefe, good roads, canals, and other artificial communications; quays, docks, wharfs, and piers; numbers of fhips, good pilots, and trained failors :-and in refpect to husbandry and agriculture, it is likewife in poffeffion of good enclofares, drains, waterings, artificial graffes,

great

80

great ftocks, and confequently the greater plenty of manures; also a great variety of plows, harrows, &c. fuited to the different foils; and, in short, of every other fuperior method of husbandry arifing from long experience, various and expensive trials. Whereas the poor country has, for the most part, all these things to feek after and pro

cure.

"2dly. The richer country is not only in poffeffion of these things already made and fettled, but also of fuperior skill and knowledge; and therefore, though both may be improving every day, yet the practical knowledge of the poorer in agriculture and manufactures will always be found to keep at a refpectful distance behind that of the richer country.

"3dly. The richer country is not only more knowing, but is alfo more able than the other to make further improvements, by laying out large fums of money in the profecution of the intended plan. Whereas the poor country has here again the mortification to find the want of ability in many cafes an infuperable bar to its rife and ad

vancement.

་་ 4thly. The higher wages of the rich country, and the greater scope and encouragement given for the exertion of genius, induftry, and anibition, will naturally determine a great many mes of fpirit and enterprize to forfake their own poor country, and fettle in the richer; fo that the one will always drain the other of the flower of its inhabitants: whereas there are not the fame temptations for the best hands and artists of a rich country to forfake the beft pay, and fettle in a poor one.

"gthly. In the richer country, where the demands are great and conftant, every manufacture that requires various proceffes, is divided and fubdivided into feparate and diftinct branches; whereby each perfon becomes more expert, and alfo more expeditious, in the particular part affigned him. Whereas in a poor country, the fame perfon is obliged by neceflity to undertake fuch different branches as prevent him from excelling, or being expeditious in any. In fuch a cafe, is it not much cheaper to give 2s. 6d. a day in the rich country to the nimble and adroit artist, than it is to give only 6d. in the poor one, to the tedious, aukward bungler?

"Laftly, in the richer country, the fuperiority of the capital will enfure the vending of all goods on the

cheapest terms; because a man of 2000l. capital can certainly fell much cheaper than he who has only a capital of 2001. For if the one gets only 10l. per cent. per ann. for his money, that will bring him an income of 2001. a year; whereas the other with his poor capital of zool. must get a profit of at least 201. per cent. in order to have an income just above the degree of a common journeyman.”

So much for the reasoning part. The doctor next proceeds to enquire how ftand the facts.

Were the greater quantity of fpecie to enhance the price of provifions and manufactures in the manner ufually supposed, the consequence would be, that all goods whatever would be proportionably dearer in a rich country than in a poor country; the very reverfe of which is the fact. For it may be laid down as a general propofition, that complicated and expenfive manufactures are cheapest in rich countries, and raw materials in poor ones.

Corn, for instance, is raised at great expence, and employs a great number of hands in the various proceffes; yet wheat is cheaper in England than in Scotland or Wales.

Garden-ftuff of all forts is raised about London at a vast expence, rent dear, and wages high; yet garden-Ruff is cheaper in London than in either of the countries juft mentioned.

Cattle, on the contrary, that require little expence, and employ few hands in rearing, are cheaper in those countries than in England.

Wood and timber, unwrought, is always cheapest in poor countries; but when highly manufactured, dearest. Cabinet work, highly enriched, is as cheap or cheaper in London than in Scotland; and fhips of equal goodnefs, in the former as in the latter.

The fame holds good in the building of large and fumptuous houses, where many hands and many artists are employed in finishing and enrich ing them.

Metals afford ftill more ftriking inftances of the truth of this propofition. Iron, in Sweden, a country poor enough, is cheap. When exported, it pays a duty to the Swedish government; when imported here, another duty to this government. It is moreover burthened with freight; yet when manufactured into wares that require feveral proceffes, it is fold cheaper in London than in Stockholm: and the Swedes, who have

attempted

attempted to rival the English manufactures, have loft money by almost every article.

From thefe inftances, and many others which he has adduced, equally ftriking, the doctor concludes, that a poor county can never rival a rich one in the more operofe and expensive branches of a manufacture; and that a rich country can never lofe its trade while it retains its indufiry.

6. A Difcourfe on the different Kinds

of AIR, delivered at the Anniverfary Meeting of the Royal Society, Nov. 30, 1773. By Sir John Pringle, Bart. Prefident.

THIS difcourfe chiefly relates to the fubject for which the annual prizemedal of 1773 was conferred on the Rev. Dr. Priestley, namely, the many curious and useful experiments con. tained in his Obfervations on different Kinds of Air, read at the fociety in March, 1772, and inserted in the last volume of the Philofophical Transactions.

In this difcourfe the learned Prefident has traced the progrefs of the most important difcoveries of the properties of air from the time of Bacon and Galileo to the prefent time; and has comprized in a few pages the refult of innumerable experiments. In fact, the difcourfe may be confidered as a compendious hiftory of common and factitious air, fo far as the effential properties of either have yet been discovered.

To Lord Bacon the Prefident afcribes the difcovery of factitious or artificial air. To Sir Ifaac Newton, that true permanent air arifing from fixed bodies by heat and fermentation. To Dr. Hales, the air abounding in the Pyrníont waters. To Dr. Brownrig, the quality of that air which is of the mephitic or deadly kind, fuch as is found in damps, deep wells, caverns, and coal-pits, fo often fatal to miners. To Dr. Black, that of fixed air. And to Mr. Lane, the difcovery of the chalybeate principle in the Spa and Pyrmont waters, in confequence of a converfation with Dr. Watson, jun. on an experiment of Mr. Cavendith's, by which that gentleman had found the me phitic air fufficient to diffolve any calcareous earths. "Nothing," fays the Prefident, "feemed now to be wanting to the triumph of art, but an eafy method of joining, as there should be occafion, one or both of those prinGENT. MAG. Feb. 1774

ciples to common water, in order to improve upon nature in the more extenfive ufe of her medicine and this was effected by Dr. Priestley, after fome other important difcoveries had been made in this part of pneumatics, first by Dr. Black, profeffor of chymistry at Edinburgh, and then by Mr. Cavendish, a member of the Royal Society."

Of all thefe facts, and others which the Prefident enumerated, Dr. Priestley carefully availed himfelf; and conceiving that common water, impregnated with this mephitic fluid alone, might be useful in medicine, particularly for failors on long voyages, for curing or preventing the fea-fcurvy, for this purpose he made a fimple apparatus for generating this fpecies of air from chalk, and mixing it with water, in fuch quantities, and in fo fpeedy a manner, that, having exhibited the experiment before the Royal Society and the college of phyficians, it met with fo much approbation, that, in order the public might the fooner reap the benefit of it, he was induced to detach this part of his labours, and, in a separate paper, to prefent it to the Admiralty.

To the difcovery of the different kinds of factitious air already enumerated, the Prefident adds another, difcovered by Mr. Cavendish, called inflammable air, of the nature of that found in neglected privies, com:non fewers, but chiefly in coal pits, where it is called the fire-damp. This kind of air is furprizingly light, being only the tenth part of the weight of common air, and therefore totally different from the mephitic, which is found to be heavier. This air may be produced in abundance from three metallic bodies, zink, iron, and tin, by diffolving them in the diluted vitriolic acid, or fpirit of fea-falt.

Another fpecies of air, called nitrous air, the Profident reckons among the mott brilliant of Dr. Priestley's difcoveries. It was first produced by Dr. Hales, from the Walton pyrites, by means of the spirit of nitre; but Dr. Priestley, by extending the experiment, found that the fame kind of air might be procured by means of the fame kind of acid, from almost every other metallic fubftance; and that, when mixed with common air, an effervefcence, with a turbid red colou, always enfued, yet it made no change when either nixed with inflammable air, or

tainted