IN 1763-The British conquefts in Afia were alfo rapid, rich, and extensive. She foon poffeffed more territory in Asia than the kingdoms of France and Britain put together; and Oriental Monarchs owned her dominion. IN 1783-The British have been unfuccessful, and were on the point of being stripped of all their rich poffeffions in the East, IN 1763—The shares of the East India Company ftock fold from 260l. to 2751. per cent. so flourish, ing were the British affairs in the East. IN 1783-The East India Company were termed Bankrupts in the British Parliament; and the stock, which was 2751. fell to 1181. per cent. IN 1763-The national debt of Britain amounted to 140,000,000l. IN 1785-The national debt is reckoned above 272,000,000l. a fum which the human mind can hardly form an idea of. To give fome affift ance to conceive it: Were it to be laid down in guineas in a line it would extend upwards of 4300 miles in length: Were it to be paid in fhillings, it would extend three times and a half round the globe: And, if paid in folid filver, would require 60,400 horses to draw it, at the rate of fifteen hundred weight to each horse. IN 1763-The annual national interest was 4,688,1771. 11s. IN 1783-The annual national interest and expenditure is above 15,000,000l. or 41,000l. daily; for which every article of life and commerce is heavily taxed, and Britain alone bears the burden. This daily intereft would require a perfon a day to count it out, at the rate of 60 guineas every minute inceffantly, which no one could do. IN 1763-The 3 per cent, confols were fold from 931. to 951. per cent. IN 1783-The fame Government fund was as low as 531. per cent. IN 1753-The British empire was great, power, ful, and extenfive, and harmony reigned through all its branches. IN 1783-The empire is difmembered; America, by fuccessful rebellion, is independent, and separated from Britain; Ireland, in the hour of distress, took the opportunity of laying the fame claim to independence; Scotland has remained loyal and attached, has supplied the armies and navies, and filently bears her share of debt and misfortune. WHEN the reader has made this furvey, he will probably think that virtue and industry will be neceffary ceffary to retrieve the affairs of Britain, and to render her happy and refpectable, if not proud and triumphing. Let him then caft an eye to the motives that influence political conduct, to the characters of the great, to the manners of the capital, and of the people in general; and let him fay if he difcovers public and private virtue flourishing; if he perceives humility, economy, moderation; or if he discovers selfishness, luxury, fupineness, and vicious indulgence of every kind. Does he fee the amor patria glow with purity and ardour in the breafts of British Senators? Is faction and party loft in united exertions for the good of the whole? Or, are wealth and power the fole objects of ambition? Are our young men in general trained to manly thinking, and manly virtues, with a contempt for low pleafures and vice? Or, are intemperance, sensuality, and diffipation, from an early period, the objects of purfuit?-Look to their conversation, and their conduct, and fay if ever a nation of abandoned voluptuaries rose to happiness and greatnefs? Is this the time when it may be faid of Britain, that "all her fons are brave, and all her daughters virtuous ?” THEOPHRASTUS. E. C. [The [The following paper is taken from the Edinburgh Evening Courant.] To THE PRINTER. SIR, August 30. 1783. WHILE the Ruffians and the Turks are cut ting each others throats, in order to fill each others pockets; while the Americans are contending who fhall govern, and who fhall obey; while the French are ufing the English, as we are told the English have been wont to use the French; while Ministers are fixing themselves firmly in the faddle of their political hobby horfe; while the Irish, by their militia, and the Scotch, by their want of a militia, excite commotions, and revolutions, and liberty, and all that; while great men are ambitious to prove themfelves little men; while every man who can write thinks it ought to be in the service of the state; while every man who can eat thinks he has a right to do it at the public expence; while all these things are in the minds and attentions of the world, and fince the fun fhines alike on me and on them; while our eyes and ears, and nofes and understandings, are made of the fame materials and effences as theirs; fince time, and chance, and fortune, are the fame to us as to them; fince death will come on all alike, and seize them like a thief in the night, which, in the cafe cafe of fome, will be fetting a thief to catch a thief; fince happiness, and every good thing, is as open to us as to them; fince the hopes of felicity are not confined to the Cabinet, nor to the Houses of Parliament, nor to the public offices, any more than to the public feasts; and fince a man may be completely happy, who neither fells ftock nor his confcience; fince, I fay, all these things are fo, Let us, fince life can little more supply, YES, let us pursue the innocent delights which the book and the pen afford, and by perfevering in the rigid guardianship of our integrity, enable ourfelves to view the fall of states and of ministers," in the calm light of mild philofophy." I fhall, therefore, by the permiffion of all great men, and, I hope, the approbation of all good ones, try to find fome entertainment from pursuits and lucubrations on which we may look back with fatisfaction. MEN are, in every respect, like books: Books live and die, are old and young, are good and bad, are neither good nor bad, juft like men; and he who reads bad books will be as bad a man as he who keeps bad company. ACCORDING to the best writers on the fubject of politeness (among whom I reckon Fielding, Swift, |
