Scheme for reducing the POOR RATE, for afking it, and the fenfe of fhame by

IN A MANNER

That may prove beneficial to the Poor, as well as the COMMUNITY at large.

Quidquid delirant Reges, plectuntur Achivi.

THE

HOR.

HE weight of taxes, both national and parochial, is now fo great, as to be matter of complaint not only to men of querulous difpofition, but to thofe who are ready, with patriotic chearfulness, to contribute to every neceffary expence of Government, and fubmit to every neceflary inconvenience attending a state of fociety.

One of the heaviest of these, and in its effects moft prejudicial, is the poor rate; a tax which originated from the generous principle of relieving diftrefs; but which, from the abuse of thofe laws by which it has been impofed, by the tyranny of fome of thofe magiftrates who are intrufted with the execution of them, and the ill-judged tenderness of others, inftead of affording a provifion to thofe who are rendered incapable of fubfifting themselves by age, fickness, or misfortunes, the only proper objects, according to the prefent mode of adminiftering them, offer an encouragement to profligacy, and a certain resource to idleness and improvidence.

At first view, this feems to be an evil that affects thofe only who maintain the parifh poor. But, upon an attentive confideration, it will appear to be a national concern of the greatest importance, as it effentially affects the ftaple manufactures of our country. The whole merit of benefactions to the poor depends upon the manner in which they are made. If made with judgment, they may lead to induftry and economy, and may be equally beneficial to them and the community. But, if difpenfed without any fuch view, either by a parifh rate, or by indifcriminate charity, they fet the intereft of the public and that of the individual at variance, by depriving the former of that portion of labour which would have been neceflary to have earned the fum fo difpofed of. Men are naturally averfe to labour; and will fubmit to it no longer than while they are excited by powerful motives. Such were once the fear of want and a sense of fhame, arifing from the honeft pride of independency.

Remove these incentives to induftry, and the weaver will inftantly drop his fhuttle, and the threfher his flail. And this effect has been in a great degree produced by an improper adminiftration of

the numbers of those who receive it, and
likewife by that idea of right with which
it is now demanded.

The question then is, whether there is
now any principle ftrong enough to
overcome this natural propenfity to in-
dolence, thus imprudently foftered, and
to check the baneful effects which may
reasonably be apprehended to the landed
and commercial interefts of the kingdom,
if fome means are not taken to remedy,
or at leaft to palliate the evil. To this
I think may be replied, "None but ne-
ceffity." And although the application
of this may at firft feem fevere, yet I am
perfuaded, that in the end it might be
rendered as beneficial to the poor them-
felves as to thofe who maintain them.
The manner in which it is to be applied,
in order to produce this general good ef-
fect, remains to be confidered. Till fome
better scheme be proposed, I beg to offer
the following; and although this may not
be thought fo well adapted to the inha-
bitants of large manufacturing towns, as
to thofe places where the poor are em-
to thofe places where the poor are em-
ployed in husbandry, yet fomewhat of a
fimilar nature might poffibly be thought
of which would be equally beneficial to
thefe.

without the humiliating circumftance of coming to a pay-table.

to

prevent relief being granted, unless in "And if a prohibitory claufe was inferted cafe of fuch lorg inability, great part of that burthen, which is now fo juftiy complained of, would be removed.

"But it will be asked, perhaps, what is to be done with a poor man who refuses to take or to cultivate his land, and yet is reduced to diftrefs? To this I anfwer, let him be dependent upon the charity of his neighbours. And it will not, I prefume, be thought a very great hardfhip, if the poor of England are put upon the fame footing, as a punifhment of this idleness, which is the fate of every man in every other country, without any fuch demerit. If, notwithstanding his indifcretion, there are any circumftances which plead in behalf of the perfon fo fituated, he will, no doubt, find relief from the charitable and humane. And if there are none, he will very juftly fuffer the punishment of his misconduct."

I am far from being confident of the feafibility or good effects of this project. Self-partiality may have mifled me;-and what appears plaufible to me, may appear vifionary and impracticable to others. However it may be, I think myself juftified by the motive which induced me to offer it to the public; and fhall be happy to fee that by this, or any other means, the fpirit "That every parish be obliged, by act of induftry and independence can be revived of Parliament, to allot a certain portion of among the poor. That the owners and land, proportional to the number of inha-occupiers of land, being relieved from this bitants, to be divided among the feveral oppreffive burthen, may be enabled to be mafters of families; that these be obliged more liberal in their private benefactions, to pay a certain rent for it, diminishing and to contribute more eafily and chearfully as their number of children increase: And to the fupport of Government, and the that this be made a part of the parish fund. defence of the kingdom. For example, in a parish confifting of AGRICOLA. twenty poor families, let 300 poles be allotted, allowing 15 for each family. Let the man who has no child pay an annual The JOURNEY of a DAY. rent of twelve fhillings; and he that has four children, four fhillings; and the intermediate numbers, a rent apportioned to them: And this under pain of being incapacitated from receiving relief from the parith, in cafe of refufal. At an average, the land fo divided would bring in about eight pounds a year, which is about five pounds more than it would yield to the farmer in the common mode of cultivation. The land being cultivated by the labourer at little or no expence, would, at the most moderate valuation of half-a-crown a pole, produce 11. 17s. 6d. a year to each perfon; fo that the man who pays the higheft rent of 12s. would gain 11. 5s. 6d. annually; which fum, if laid by, would make it unneceflary to him ever to afk relief from his parish, unless in cafe of long inability to work." And thus the industrious man would be greatly affifted in procuring a comfortable fubfiftence for his family,

A PICTURE of HUMAN LIFE.

By the late DR. JOHNSON. caravaniera early in the morning, and BIDAH, the fon of Abenfina, left the purfued his journey through the plains of Indoftan. He was fresh and vigorous with reft; he was animated with hope; he was incited by defire; he walked fwiftly forward over the vallies, and faw the hills gradually rifing before him. As he pafled along, his cars were delighted with the morning fong of the bird of paradife, he was fanned by the laft flutters of the finking breeze, and fprinkled with dew by groves of fpices; he fometimes contemplated the towering height of the oak, monarch of the hills; and fometimes caught the gentle fragrance of the primrofe, eldest daughter of the fpring all his fenfes were gratified, and all care was banifhed from his heart.

Thus he went on till the fun approached his meridian, and the increafing heat preyed upon his ftrength; he then looked round about him for fome more commodious path. He faw, on his right hand, a grove that feemed to wave its fhades as a fign of invitation; he entered it, and found the coolness and verdure irrefiftibly pleafant. He did not, however, forget whither he was travelling, but found a narrow way bordered with flowers, which appeared to have the fame direction with the main road, and was pleafed that, by this happy experiment, he had found means to unite pleafure with bufinefs, and to gain the rewards of diligence without fuffering its fatigues.He, therefore, ftill continued to walk for a time, without the leaft remiffion of his ardour, except that he was fometimes tempted to ftop by the mufic of the birds, whom the heat had affembled in the fhade, and fometimes amufed himself with plucking the flowers that covered the banks on either fide, or the fruits that hung upon the branches. At laft the green path began to decline from its firft tendency, and to wind among hills and thickets, cooled with fountains, and murmuring with waterfalls. Here Obidah paufed for a time, and began to confider whether it were longer fafe to forfake the known and common track; but remembering that the heat was now in its greateft violence, and that the plain was dufty and uneven, he refolved to purfue the new path, which he supposed only to make a few meanders, in compliance with the varieties of the ground, and to end at laft in the common road.

him on from trifle to trifle. While he was
thus reflecting, the air grew blacker, and
a clap of thunder broke his meditation:
He now refolved to do what remained
yet in his power, to tread back the
ground which he had paffed, and try to
hind fome iffue where the wood might
open into the plain. He proftrated him-
felf on the ground, and commended his
life to the Lord of nature. He rofe with
confidence and tranquillity, and preffed
on with his fabre in his hand, for the
beafts of the defert were in motion, and
on every hand were heard the mingled
howls of rage and fear, and ravage and
expiration; all the horrors of darknefs
and folitude furrounded him; the winds
roared in the woods, and the torrents
tumbled from the hills.

Work'd into fudden rage by wintry show'rs,
Down the steep hill the roaring torrent pours;
The mountain fhepherd hears the diftant noise.
Thus forlorn and diftreffed, he wan-
dered through the wild, without know-
ing whither he was going, or whether he
was every moment drawing nearer to
fafety or deftruction. At length not fear
but labour began to overcome him; his
breath grew fhort, and his knees trem-
bled, and he was on the point of lying
down in refignation to his fate, when he
beheld through the brambles the glimmer
of a taper. He advanced towards the
light, and finding that it proceeded from
the cottage of a hermit, he called humbly
at the door, and obtained admiffion. The
old man fet before him fuch provifions as
he had collected for himself, on which
Obidah fed with eagerness and gratitude.
When the repaft was over, Tell me,
faid the hermit, by what chance thou haft
been brought hither; I have been now
twenty years an inhabitant of the wilder-
nefs, in which I never faw a man before.
Obidah then related the occurrences of
his journey, without any concealment or
palliation.

fhades of fecurity. Here the heart foftens, and vigilance fubfides; we are then willing to enquire whether another advance cannot be made, and whether we may not, at leaft, turn our eyes upon the gardens of pleasure. We approach them with fcruple and hesitation; we enter them, but enter timorous and trembling, and always hope to pafs through them without lofing the road of virtue, which we, for a while, keep in our fight, and to which we propose to return. But temptation fucceeds temptation, and one compliance prepares us for another; we in time lofe the happiness of innocence, and folace our difquiet with fenfual gratifications. By degrees we let fall the remembrance of our original intention, and quit the only adequate object of rational defire. We entangle ourselves in bufinefs, immerge ourselves in luxury, and rove thro' the labyrinths of inconftancy till the darknefs of old age begins to invade us, and difeafe and anxiety obftruct our way. We then look back upon our lives with horror, with forrow, with repentance, and with, but too often vainly with, that we had not for faken the ways of virtue. Happy are they, my fon, who fhall learn from thy example not to defpair, but fhall remember, that though the day is paft, and their ftrength is wafted, there yet remains one effort to be made; that reformation is never hopeless, nor fincere endeavours ever unaffifted, that the wanderer may at length return after all his errors, and that he who implores the ftrength and courage from above, fhall find danger and difficulty give way before him. Go now, my fon, to thy repofe, commit thyfelf to the care of omnipotence, and when the morning calls again to toil, begin anew thy journey and thy life.

SONNET TO EXPRESSION.
By Mifs HELEN WILLIAMS.

Having thus calmed his folicitude, he renewed his pace, though he fufpected that he was not gaining ground. This uneafinefs of his mind inclined him to lay hold on every new object, and give way to every fenfation that might footh or divert him. He liftened to every echo, he mounted every hill for a fresh profpect, he turned afide to every cafcade, and pleafed himself with tracing the courfe of a gentle river that rolled among the trees, and watered a large region with innumerable Son, faid the hermit, let the errors circumvolutions. In these amufements the and follies, the dangers and efcape of this EXPRESSION, child of foul! I love to hours paffed away unaccounted, his devia- day, fink deep into thy heart. Remember, tions had perplexed his memory, and he my fon, that human life is the journey of knew not towards what point to travel. day. We rife in the morning of youth, He stood penfive and confufed, afraid to full of vigour and full of expectation; we go forward left he fhould go wrong, yet fet forward with fpirit and hope, with confcious that the time of loitering was gaiety and with diligence, and travel on now paft. While he was thus tortured a while in the ftrait road of piety towards with uncertainty, the fky was overspread the manfions of reft. In a fhort time we with clouds, the day vanifhed from be- remit our fervor, and endeavour to find fore him, and a fudden tempeft gathered fome mitigation of our duty, and fome round his head. He was now roufed by more eafy means of obtaining the fame his danger to a quick and painful remem- end. We then relax our vigour, and rebrance of his folly; he now faw how hap-folve no longer to be terrified with crimes pinefs is loft when eafe is confulted; he at a diftance, but rely upon our own lamented the unmanly impatience that conftancy, and venture to approach what prompted him to feek fhelter in the grove, we refolve never to touch. We thus enand defpifed the petty curiofity that led ter the bowers of ease, and repofe in the

a

Thy strong enchantment, when the poet's The painter's pencil, catch the vivid fire, lyre,

And beauty wakes for thee each touching grace!

But from my frighted gaze thy form avert,

When horror chills thy tear, thy ardent figh,
When frenzy rolls in thy impaflioned eye,

Nor ever let my fhudd'ring fancy hear
Or guilt lives fearful at thy troubled heart;

Of him the mufes lov'd* when hope forfook
The wafting groan, or view the pallid look
For, charm'd with heaven'ly fong, this bleed-
His fpirit, vainly to the mufes dear-
ing breaft,
Mourns it could fharpen ill, and give despair

no reft.

CHATTERTON.

For the COUNTY MAGAZINE.

The Commonwealth of LEARNING.

A VISIO N.

Sound learning prize, nor feck inglorious arts.

T is matter of no fmall concern to

I the honeft and well-meaning clafs of

volent difpofition, the thus accofted him: | view of the feveral parts of the city where
I am commiffioned to acquaint thee the different fciences were more parti-
"with a few particular truths, which cularly refident. Grammar, Rhetoric,
may be of the utmoft fervice to thee Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Mufic,
"in the conduct of thy future life. and Poetry, had each their favourite
"Thou art here within the territories of fpot, where they were more peculiarly
"the Commonwealth of Learning, and cultivated. Arithmetic and Geometry
"the feveral ftreams with which thofe took their ftation in the center of the
"fertile meads are interfected, are fo city, and in the principal treets adjoin-
many various channels which fupply ing; whilft Grammar took her ftation in
"the numerous wants and neceffities of the South East quarter, with Rhetoric on
the inhabitants of the city before us." her right hand and Logic on her left.
The Genius, after affuring Decorus Poetry was feated near the fide of the
that the was ready and defirous to fhew principal river, from whence the feveral
him every thing which might ferve to
ftreams diverged which fupplied the dif-
compofe his mind, relating to the fubject ferent parts of the city, and Mufic a lit-
which had fo much engaged his thoughts, the higher near a pleafing cataract, which
paufed for a few minutes, as if to give greatly tended, by its charming and en-
him an opportunity of reflecting upon livening echo, to harmonize the foul,-
and by the moft animating ftrains to
compofe the most delicious cadence and
the most perfect concord. The fifter
arts, which branched from thefe, occu-
pied the intermediate fpaces; and the
whole formed a moft wonderful combi-
nation of fcience and art, at once the
glory and admiration of all the world.

mankind, that men of letters, fwayed too frequently by the influence of prejudice," and biaffed by the different modes of education, are feldom actuated, in their fearch after knowledge, by the defire and love of impartial and difinterefted truth. That falfe pride, which is frequently the companion of ftudious perfons, for the moft part gives a tincture to all their fentiments

and actions.

a

what he had heard. He was foon con

Decorus, a gentleman of tafte, and of vinced of the importance of thofe obferliberal turn of mind, after reflecting for vations, which his refpectable guide fome hours upon this fubject, and lament-feemed willing to make; and this fmall ing the existence of an evil fo deftructive interval gave him leifure to confider the to the peace of fociety, and fo oppofite to benefit and advantage which would enfue, every principle of genuine philofophy, re- if each individual would make a laudable tired to reft. The meditations of the and generous ufe of the bleffings which evening had greatly affected and fatigued heaven has peculiarly beftowed upon him; his mind, and he funk into a peaceful if each would contribute to the utmoft flumber, in which was reprefented the of his power to the general good of the following vifion :

community.

fion of riches with which providence had
It cannot be fuppofed that the profu-
fupplied them, bad efcaped their notice,
as they proceeded towards the city; but
this was still more evident, after they had
entered it, when they beheld the feveral
currents and channels within it, and that

thefe

except

The first object which diftinctly prefented itself to his notice, fo far as the powers of recollection were faithful to their office, was a ftately and majeftic figure, but of the moft condefcending and affable deportment. She proceeded towards him by flow and regular advances, which at once excited both his attention and admiration. The novelty were large or fmall in proportion to of the apparition was a fufficient caufe for the populoufnefs of the feveral ftreets aftonishment; he was furprized and through which they were conducted. One ftarted,-he paufed, as if to recover him- thing was ftrikingly obvious,-that every treet had a channel of this fort, * felf from the alarm, and feemed to be in a ftate of fufpence, as if doubtful what two, in a diftant part of the city, which, conduct to purfue. He therefore deter-on account of their fituation, were precluded from partaking of the common admined to regulate his own motions by thofe of the figure which prefented itfelf vantage. This the fagacity of Decorus could not fail to remark, and was preparing his mind to exprefs this reflection in the inhabitants of thofe ftreets; but the a language fomewhat unfavourable to Genius kindly interrupted him with this been lefs kind to them in this refpect, his intimation:-That though providence had own natural fenfe, being fo highly cultivated, would not be deficient in pointing out various ways by which they might be ferviceable to the general good.

to his obfervation.

He had time to confider his fituation as it approached towards him. Being now, as he fuppofed, in a delicious meadow, apparently rich and extremely luxuriant, and far furpaffing every thing he had before feen, his fenfes feemed to be arrested; and as it was varioufly interfected by dif. ferent itreams, thefe not only added to the beauty of the fcene, but ferved to enrich the foil through which they paffed,

and to cover the furface with the most beautiful verdure.

Whilft he was engaged in making reAsctions on the delightful fcene, the Genius of the place (for fuch he afterwards found her) was advanced within a few paces of him. Decorus had ftoppod fuddenly; the faw his paffions were excited, and, confcious of her own bene

By the affiftance of fo friendly a guide,
Decorus was quickly prefented with a

* It is prefumed this defcription cannot be mif-
taken by the generality of the Readers of this ufeful
and entertaining Mifcellany. As dreams generally re-
ceive their complexion from the fentiments and ideas
of our waking hours, it may naturally be concluded
that thefe obfervations originated in Decorus's pre-
vious knowledge of the city, the defcription of
which is here fo obviously given.

Decorus was informed by his guide that this would ftill have been the happy condition of mankind, who would have

continued to draw from hence their most

fome fpurious pretenders to science, by valuable ftores of knowledge, had not the confidence of the public in the abilities and integrity of their benefactors; a confidence, the virtues of which had been fully experienced, in raifing their character to the highelt eminence.

But

you fee," continued the Genius," by "what means that fpirit of contention "and controverfy was introduced into "the world, which has ever fince pro"duced the moft grievous calamities;you fee by what means true knowledge is attainable, and by which alone it can be preserved; of the one you difcover every mark of candour, open"nefs, and generofity, which prove her "offspring to be genuine; but of the "other you perceive every token of ar"tifice and cunning, which demonftrate "her to be the illegitimate iffue of fome "cunning harlot, whofe chief object is to promote diffenfions, and foment and "blow up every fpark of malevolence "and envy."

he had feen amongst them, and the liberality with which they communicated their knowledge to mankind. In this train of thought was Decorus employed, when he was roufed from his reverie by a fudden and unexpected found; the Genius, by the rustling of her wings, which he had juft extended to prepare for flight, ftartled him, especially as he had not before perceived them, and the alarm at once clofed the fcene of his pleafures, and put a period to his dream.

fuppofe, they were too alluring for me to look at; another, becaufe the turned her toes inward, and he was afraid the children would copy her manner of walking; fhe fent away a very fine girl because fhe wore a wire cap; but most of them turn themselves away, because they fay fhe is fuch a curfed vixen, that they would rather live with the very devil than with her. My misfortune is, that it is not in my power to turn myfeif away, or believe me, Sir, I would not give a Decorus, being thus awaked from his moment's warning; for fhe ufes me, if tranfport, was employed for fome time in poffible, worse than her maids; and when making many useful reflections upon I expoftulate with her upon her conduct, the scene. He committed his fcattered fhe tells me I am the happiest man in the thoughts to paper, while they continued world-" You are bleffed with a wife (fays fresh upon his memory, and they are here fhe) that does not spend her time and moprefented to the world as an useful and ney in going to balls and plays; fober ferviceable caution, if duly attended to, frugal woman;-a woman of more ecoagainst unneceffary controverfy, and to nomy than any in the parish-infinitely check that propenfity to cavilling and too good for you."-She then, perhaps, difputation, which has ever been inju-abuses me for half an hour without inrious to found learning. termiffion, and I am obliged to fuffer in filence, for fhould I prefume to reply, the contest would laft the whole day. I wish, Sir, you would inform me what are the To the Editor of the County Magazine. neceffary steps to be taken with fuch a woman, for I fhould be much happier with one SIR, who is idle and a drunkard, than with such a

J. M.

Ian's one of the perfons wis generally fober, virtuous, indOBBY BOHEA.

misfortune to have what

termed a good wife; fhe is, I confefs, fober and induftrious, and he is fully of opinion, that fobriety and industry are

wife.

BОНЕА.

AN ORIENTAL ECLOGUE.

By MR. WILLIAM COLLINS.

Ν

The driven Haffan with his camels past.
IN filent horror o'er the boundless wafte

One crufe of water on his back he bore,

And his light fcript contain'd a fcanty store;
A fan of painted feathers in his hand,
To guard his fhaded face from fcorching fand.
The fultry fun had gain'd the middle sky,
And not a tree, and not an herb was nigh;
The bealts, with pain, their dufty way pursue,
Shrill roar'd the winds, and dreary was the

view!

the effential qualifications of a wife. My HASSAN; OR, THE CAMEL-DRIVER.
linen, my hofe, &c. are kept in excellent
repair; my breakfast, dinner, and supper
provided at regular hours; my house,
under her directions, is always remarka-
bly clean; and the strictly performs the
duty of a mother towards her children.
Pluming herself upon thefe perfections,
The is in every other refpect the moft
difagreeable woman living: If the maid
by accident happens to break a tea-cup,
or a faucer, the house is in a commotion
for three or four days, and neither I nor
any of the children dare open our mouths to
this immaculate woman, for fear of fhar-
ing fome of the abuse, which the fo la-
vithly beftows upon her maid. She ge-
nerally has a baker's dozen of fervants,
in the course of a year, and they chiefly
turn out fo very bad, in her opinion, that
the refufes to give them a character, to
enable them to engage in the service of
another. The latt maid we had the
turned away because the was fo careless
that the fell down ftairs and hurt herself;
this fhe deemed an unpardonable crime:
Not long ago the discharged another for
wearing white ftockings, imagining, I

With defp'rate forrow wild, th' affrighted man
Thrice figh'd, thrice ftruck his breast, and

thus began:

"Sad was the hour, and luckless was the
day,

"When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent
my way!"

Ah! little thought I of the blafting wind,
The thirst or pinching hunger that I find!
Bethink thee, Haffan, where fhall thirst af-

fwage,

When tails this crufe, his unrelenting rage?
When fails this crufe, his unrelenting rage?
Soon fhall this feript its precious load refign
Then what but tears and hunger fhall be thine?

away,

Ye mute companions of my toils, that bear In all my griefs a more than equal fhare! Here, where no fprings in murmurs break Or mofs-crown'd fountains mitigate the day, In vain ye hope the green delights to know, Which plains more bleft, or verdant vales bestow:

Here rocks alone, and tastelefs fands are found, And faint and fickly winds for ever howli around.

"Sad was the hour, and lucklefs was the day,

"When first from Schiraz' walls I bent my
way!"

Weak men to follow far-fatiguing trade!
Curft be the gold and filver which perfuade
The lilly-peace outfhines the filver ftore,
And life is dearer than the golden ore:
Yet money tempts us o'er the desart brown,
To ev'ry distant mart and wealthy town.
Full oft we tempt the land, and oft the sea;
And are we only yet repaid by thee?
Or why fond man fo eafily betray'd?
Ah! why was ruin fo attractive made,
Why heed we not, whilft mad we hafte along,
Or wherefore think the flow'ry mountain's fide,
The gentle voice of peace or pleasure's fong?
The fountain's murmurs, and the valleys pride,
Why think we thefe lefs pleafing to behold,
Than deary defarts, if they lead to gold?
"Sad was the hour, and lucklefs was the
day,

"When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent my
way!"

O ceafe my fears!All frantic as I go, When thought creates unnumber'd scenes of

If

day,

"When firft from Schiraz' walls I bent my
way!"

ought of reit I find, upon my fleep:
At that dead hour the filent afp fhall creep,
Or fome fwoln ferpent twift his fcales around,
And wake to anguish with a burning wound.
Thrice happy they, the wife contented poor,
From luft of wealth, and dread of death fecure!
They tempt no defarts, and no griefs they find;
Peace rules the day where reafon rule the mind.

He faid, and call'd on heav'n to blefs the day,
And back to Schiraz' walls he bent his way.

EPITAPH.

HERE is my much-lov'd Calia laid,
Glory to God! peace to the dead!

reft from all her earthly labours!

And to the ears of all her neighbours!

Printed by B. C.
by B. C. COLLINS;
And fold by all BOOKSELLERS, NEWSMEN, &C.

A CONGRATULATORY

APRIL,

To be continued Monthly.

Minifter, whether from a cunning compliance with his humours, or deceived by ADDRESS to ENGLISHMEN, the fophiftry of the MILITARY LOGICIAN,

ON THEIR ESCAPE FROM THE

Fortifications of the Duke of Richmond.

Talibus infidiis, perjurique arte Sinonis,
Credita res: captique dolis, lacrymisque coaɛti ;
Quos neque Tydides, nec Larissaus Achilles,
Non anni domuere decem, non mille carinæ.

W

E congratulate our countrymen on the narrow efcape they have lately made from fortreffes, which, like another Trojan horfe, would have brought death in a thousand forms into the hearts of our cities, and effectually accomplished the ruin of our liberties. What all the armies of France, and the combined fleets of France, Holland, and Spain, have not been able to effect in a series of years, would have certainly been brought about by the artifice of ONE GALLICAN SINON, if ONE ENGLISHMAN, when the eventual vote hung in fufpenfe upon his lips, had not, from the Speaker's chair in the Houfe of Commons, decided it in favour of his own country. The name of CORNWALL will be as dear to Britons, as that of RICHMOND will be deteftable, while the bleffings of liberty are enjoyed by them, or a fenfe of its importance remains in their breasts.

continues to aid and abet his defigns,
it behoves all good citizens to be on their
guard, and not to fuffer their juft appre-
henfions to be quieted by time, or their
abhorrence of a monfter to be leffened by fa-
miliarity. Let the conftant and invariable
effect of forts, garrifons, and standing ar-
mies, be ever present to their minds; let
the fate of Europe awaken their attention
to that with which they themselves are
threatened.

1786.

Price Three-Pence.

parts, for the reduction of provinces, and for holding them in fubjection. Domeftic luxury gladly devolved on thofe disciplined hirelings the dangers with the advantages and the glory of war. Still, however, an anxious vigilance for freedom established a boundary within which standing armies were not to advance towards Rome. It was enacted, that if any commander should march with his army over the river Rubicon, he fhould be declared a public enemy. And in the paffage across that river the following infcription was erected: "Imperator, five miles, five tyrannus armatus, quifquis fiflito; vexillum armaque deponito, nec citra hunc amnem trajicito.

But the civil authority was a feeble barrier against the armed power of veteran foldiers. The army of Cæfar, trained to war in Gaul, Germany, and Britain, passed the Rubicon; and all Italy became, like the diftant Roman provinces, one fcene of confufion and rapine.

The furrounding ocean is the formidable and glorious Rubicon of the British ifles. Portsmouth and Plymouth, though on the border, are on this fide the Rubicon of Britain. If ever ftanding armies fhould be immured within garrifons in thofe keys to this country, we may venture to predict, that what happened to Rome, and to our neighbours on the continent, will alfo happen to Great Britain. The prefent ftate of India, overawed and harraffed by the British arms, is a picture of what Britain herfelf will then be, overawed and controuled by her own forces. For,

The Ifraelites, the Athenians, the Corinthians, the Achæans, Lacedæmonians, Thebans, Samnites, Romans, Venetians, Dutch, Swifs, and we can yet fay, the British nation; all nations, who were ever anxious to preferve their liberties, avoided ftanding armies, as the bane of freedom. No nation, whilft it retained its liberty, was ever known to maintain any foldier in conftant pay within any of its cities, or ever fuffered any of its fubjects to make war their profeffion. They knew that the fceptre without the fword is a vain pageant. Cromwell, with the power of the fword, juftly derided the mace of the Commons of England as an useless bauble. The arms of free nations are never lodged in any hands that have not an intereft in the state. The Greek and Roman labourers and tradefmen at first gained laurels in the field, and then returned to their ufual occupations. They fought pro aris et focis; and if thefe were fafe, they had their reward. But it is not in the nature of this reftlefs But, after the establishment of ftanding ar- A conjuncture would arife, in which the engineer, who never in his life made one mies, the foldier, instead of being the pro- executive power would find an opportuconceffion to reason, to common fenfe, or tector, became the plunderer of his coun- nity, and even deem it neceffary to introto the English nation, to abandon any of try. While the Roman empire, compacted duce more troops into thofe garrifons than his projects, while a ray of hope remains, with the Alps and the environing ocean, are voted by Parliament. Amidft the habits that by unremitted induftry they may be could be fuftained by the vigour of Roman of peace, prevailing luxury and corrupcarried into execution. In another form, citizens, and the Roman general returned, tion, and inteftine divifions, the navy and with fome immaterial alterations, the after his victories, to the occupations of the militia would be neglected, and the miDuke of Richmond's fcheme of forti-agriculture, from whence he was called,litary fpirit would fly from England: in fying Portsmouth and Plymouth will again all was fafe: the extenfion of empire bred fuch circumftances, under various prebe laid before Parliament: and while the a race of mercenary foldiers in foreign tences, the garrifons may be augmented,

H