by Count Zinzendorf, and settled at Bethlehem, Pennsyl vania. Regularity, industry, ingenuity, and economy, are characteristic of this people. They have considerably increased, and are a respectable body of Christians.

The German Lutherans were first introduced into the American colonies during this period, and settled princi pally in Pennsylvania and New-York.

Episcopacy was considerably extended during this period. In 1693, it was introduced into New-York; into New-Jersey and Rhode Island in 1702; into South Carolina in 1703, by law; in Connecticut in 1704.

In 1708, the Saybrook Platform was formed by a Synod composed of congregational ministers, under authority of the legislature of Connecticut.

About the year 1737, a revival of religion very extensively prevailed in New-England. At this time, great numbers united themselves to the church, and testified by their conduct through life the genuineness of their profession.

The celebrated Whitfield came to America about the year 1740, and produced great religious excitement by his singular powers of pulpit eloquence. He did not found any peculiar sect in this country, although he gave rise to that of the Calvinistic Methodists in England.

Although

Sec. 31. TRADE AND COMMERCE. the trade of the colonies began to feel the restrictions imposed upon it by the mother country, still it steadily increased during this period.

From the very commencement of the colonies, the mother country was not without her jealousies, respecting their increase in population, trade, and manufactures. Inquiries on these points were instituted, and opportunities sought to keep in check the spirit of colonial enterprise. Laws were enacted from time to time, designed and calculated not only to make the colonies depend on the mother country for her manufactures, but also to limit their trade and commerce, and keep them in safe subjection to England.

As illustrating this course of policy, we may notice several laws of parliament. In 1732, an act was passed, prohibiting "the exportation of hats out of the plantations of America, and to restrain the number of apprentices taken by hat makers." So also the act of 1750, prohibited, on penalty of two hundred pounds, "the erection of any mill for slitting, or rolling of iron, or any plating forge to work

with a tilt hammer; or any furnace for making steel, in any of the colonies." At the same time, encouragement was given to export pig and bar iron to England for her manufactories. In like manner was prohibited the exportation from one province to another by water, and even the carriage by land, on horseback, or in a cart, of all wools and woollen goods of the produce of America. The colonies were also compelled by law to procure many articles from England, which they could have purchased twenty per cent. cheaper in other markets.

But, notwithstanding these restrictions, trade and commerce gradually and steadily increased. To England, the colonies exported lumber of all sorts, hemp, flax, pitch, tar, oil, rosin, copper ore, pig and bar iron, whale fins, tobacco, rice, fish, indigo, flax seed, beeswax, raw silk, &c. They also built many vessels, which were sold in the mother country.

But the importation of goods from England, in consequence of the course pursued by the British government, was still much greater than the amount of the exports to England. In 1728, Sir William Keith stated that the colonies then consumed one sixth part of all the woollen manufactures exported from Great Britain, and more than double that value in linen and calicoes; also great quantities of English manufactured silks, small wares, household furniture, trinkets, and a very considerable value in East India goods. From 1739 to 1756, this importation of goods from England, amounted to one million of pounds sterling annually, on an average.

But, if the amount of imports from Great Britain was thus more than the colonies exported thither, they would fall in debt to England. How did they pay this balance of trade against them? It was done by gold and silver obtained chiefly from the West India settlements, to which they exported lumber, fish of an inferior quality, beef, pork, butter, horses, poultry, and other live stock, an inferior kind of tobacco, corn, cider, apples, cabbages, onions, &c. They built also many small vessels, which found a ready market.

The cod and whale fisheries were becoming considerable; they were principally carried on by New-England. The codfish were sold in Spain, France, England, the West Indies, &c.; and the money obtained for them aided the colonies in paying the balance of trade against them in England.

Sec. 32. AGRICULTURE. Agriculture, during this period, was greatly improved and extended.

Immense tracts of forests were cleared, and more enlightened modes of husbandry were introduced. The number of articles produced by agriculture was also increased.

The colonies now not only raised a sufficient supply of food for their own use, but their exports became great. Wheat and other English grain were the principal products of the middle colonies; grain, beef, pork, horses, butter, cheese, &c. were the chief products of the northern colonies; tobacco, wheat, and rice, were the principal products of the south.

In the south, also, large numbers of swine ran wild in the forests, living upon mast. These were taken, salted down,

and exported to a considerable extent.

Under

Sec. 33. ARTS AND MANUFACTURES. the head of commerce, we have noticed the obstacles interposed by Great Britain, to the progress of arts and manufactures. Notwithstanding these, however, the coarser kinds of cutlery, some coarse cloths, both linen and woollen, hats, paper, shoes, household furniture, farming utensils, &c. were manufactured to a considerable extent; not sufficient, however, to supply the inhabitants. All these manufactories were on a small scale; cloths were made in some families, for their own consumption. The art of printing made considerable progress during this period. A newspaper, the first in North America, called The Boston Weekly News-Letter, was established in 1704. Before the close of this period, ten other were established— four in New-England; two in New-York; two in Pennsylvania; one in South Carolina; and one in Maryland. The number of books published was also considerable, although they were executed in a coarse style, and were generally books of devotion, or for the purposes of education.

Sec. 34. POPULATION. At the expiration of our second period, we estimated the population of the English colonies in America at 200,000 souls. About the close of our third period,

Franklin calculated that there were then one million or upwards, and that scarce 80,000 had been brought over sea.

This estimate of the population of America very nearly accords with an estimate made in London from "authentic authorities," May, 1755, which is as follows:

New-York,

100,000

Massachusetts Bay, 220,000

R.Island and Provi

Pennsylvania,

250,000

35,000

dence Plantations, S

Maryland,

85,000

Connecticut,

100,000

Virginia,

85,000

North Carolina,

45,000

The southern colonies

Sec. 35. EDUCATION. continued to treat the subject of education differently from the northern colonies, in this respect; in the north, one of the first objects of legislation was to provide for the education of all classes; in the south, the education of the higher classes only was an object of public attention.

The first public institution for the purposes of education, which succeeded in the south, was that of William and Mary College, in Virginia, established in 1692, by the sovereigns whose names it bears.

Yale College, in Connecticut, was commenced in 1700— eleven of the principal ministers in the neighboring towns, who had been appointed to adopt such measures as they should deem expedient, on the subject of a college-agreethe legislaing to found one in the colony. The next year, ture granted them a charter. The college was begun at Saybrook, where was held the first commencement, in 1702. In 1717, it was removed to New-Haven, where it became permanently established. It was named after the Hon. Elihu Yale, governor of the East India Company, who was its principal benefactor.

The college at Princeton, New-Jersey, called "Nassau

Hall," was first founded by charter from John Hamilton, Esq., president of the council, about the year 1738, and was enlarged by Gov. Belcher, in 1747.

REFLECTIONS.

Sec. 36. The history of this period presents the North American colonies to our view, at the same time that they were visited with cruel and desolating wars, still advancing in population, extending their commerce, forming new settlements, enlarging the boundaries of their territory, and laying wider and deeper the foundations of a future nation. And, while we look back, with admiration, upon the hardy spirit which carried our ancestors through scenes so trying, and enabled them to reap prosperity from the crimsoned fields of battle and bloodshed, let us be thankful that our lot is cast in a happier day; and that instead of sharing in the perils of feeble colonies, we enjoy the protection and privileges of a free and powerful nation.

In addition to the reflections subjoined to the account which we have given of the "Salem witchcraft," we may add another, respecting the danger of popular delusion. In that portion of our history, we see a kind of madness rising up, and soon stretching its influence over a whole community. And such, too, is the pervading power of the spell, that the wise and ignorant, the good and bad, are alike subject to its control, and, for the time, alike incapable of judging, or reasoning aright. Now, whenever we see a community divided into parties, and agitated by some general excitement-when we feel ourselves borne along on one side or the other, by the popular tide, let us inquire whether we are not acting under the influence of a delusion, which a few years, perhaps a few months, or days, may dispel and expose. Nor, at such a time, let us regard our sincerity, or our consciousness of integrity, or the seeming clearness and certainty of our reasonings, as furnishing an absolute assurance that, after all, we do not mistake, and that our opponents are not right.

Another reflection of some importance, and one that may serve to guard us against censuring, too severely, the wise and good, is suggested by this account of the " Salem witchcraft." It is this, that the best men are liable to err. We should not, therefore, condemn, nor should we withhold our charity from those who fall into occasional error, provided their characters are, in other respects, such as to lay claim to our good opinion.