Oct 1762.

became blown upon. The most prudent of her votaries withdrew their approbation; and all admiration decayed, from the commonnefs of her appearance.

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Her parents, by degrees, grew convinced of their mistake, and would have altered their conduct. But it was then too late. Sophia's love of pleasure was become strongly rooted in her heart; fhe had no idea of happiness but in public adoration, and was refolved, at all events, to indulge that delight. Means however becoming exhaufted at home, fhe was neceffitated to look out for them elfewhere accordingly, in defperation, she catched at a worn-out debauchee of fortune, and, in order to continue making a figure, the married the man whom, of his whole fex, the moft heartily defpifed. In fuch a fituation fhe naturally fought her happiness more than ever abroad, which as naturally created jealoufy and difguft in one who knew life, and was fenfible of his own imperfections. Thefe produced more diftafteful circumftances to increase her unhappiness at home, from which her high fpirit prompted her to feek refuge in more indifcretions abroad. In fine, her Argus was fo watchful, that he furprised her in the act of guilt; which was followed by a separation, and disgrace, that hurried her, through haughtiness and defperation, into open proftitution. This foon broke the hearts of her parents, and involved her in tuch miseries as foon brought her days to a speedy end. Such were the adventures of intoxicated beauty, relying too strongly on the chance of good fortune.

Aurelia, her fifter, was brought up to humbler views. Having a perlon that was but paflable, though neither ugly nor deformed, fhe was inftructed to depend on merit for her highest recommendation, and alfo to pitch her hopes at a lefs exalted height. An early ftate of mortification, from the fuperior notice taken of her fifter, proved that fchool of adverfity to her, which, when rightly improved upon, is the perfecter of a good mind. Made to believe the could not appear abroad to her advantage, fhe fought for fatisfaction at home in domeftic employments; and by making reading a frequent amufement, the much enriched her mind, fo that he became amiable in conduct, and highly entertaining, nay inftructive, in converfation, but withal fo modeft, as to be without any of that affectation from knowledge which is deemed diftafteful in women. Such

521 were the fruits of that fortunate humility, which her fifter's fuppofed fuperior excellencies had occafioned her being taught.

Talents fo truly valuable, and a dispofition fo recommendatory, could not fail of attracting observation from those who made reafon the director of their judg ments. Sober men all approved, and fober women all efteemed her; nay, the very rakes all declared, in their accuftomed manner of exprefling themselves, that they fhould prefer Sophia for a miftrefs, but Aurelia for a wife.

At length a worthy young tradesman of credit and fortune, who had fenfe enough to diftinguish between happiness and pleafure, approved of her perfon, from an admiration of her mind and conduct; and foon rendered himself so agreeable as to become the master of her heart. Their marriage was celebrated with general approbation; for even Sophia was officioufly free enough to declare, that her fifter's match was as good an one as the had reason to expect.

Aurelia's excellent accomplishments and conduct had all the effects which they ought to have on a good husband. They excited his fulleft attention to her, and to their mutual interefts. They added ardor to his industry, and even made application delightful to him. Her converfation, attention, and endearments, were the continual fources of his delights; and her merits were fufficient to make her perfon appear charming to him. With a conftant rivalry of endeavours, which fhould best discharge their respective duties, and be moft obliging to each other, they found their fortune and refpect increafe proportionably with their happi nets, till, with a numerous and hopeful iflue, they faw great affluence crown their years, and died, near together, in the extremity of age, after a life of uninterrupted felicity, and with univerfal approbation.

Reatoning applications of thefe narratives must be unnecellary for our readers; their own good fenfe will be their beft directors in making proper uses of them. From thefe two ftriking examples, they will plainly fee, that merit is all that can make us truly eftimable, and can only infure us the great enjoyments of life; that any particular advantage, nay even good fortune, without it, proves too often a fnare, and leads people to great mifery, instead of real bliss.

SIR,

SIR,

Ahburn, Oct. 13.

with a fcheme worth notice, I humbly

offer the following queries, and fhould be exceedingly glad, either to fee them properly and judiciously explained and improved upon, or any thing else substituted in their ftead, that will anfwer the falutary purpofes intended thereby. Query I. Will not our vaft acquifitions of territory, (for furely, after the expence of the lives of fo many thousands of our fellowfubjects, and millions of treasure, we fhall retain them, and not, like children at their diverfions, play for nothing), and confequently of trade likewife, require an immediate increase of thipping? Query II. Would it be any indignity offered to a part of the royal navy to be employed in the merchants fervice, as (I have been informed) they frequently are in fome other countries? Query III. Would not a number of men of war, from third rates downwards, amounting to 80, or 100,000 tuns burthen, manned with one half of their ufual complement, and commanded by officers of merit, whofe fortune in the war will not reward them with a coach and fix in peace, not only defray their own expence, by freighting on the mer chants account coaftwife throughout our extenfive dominions, but likewife render the nation another very fingular fervice, by reducing the price of freight in the carrying-trade?

HOW defirable foever a peace may appear to the generality of people, as the greatest part of our prefent glorious navy must thereby neceffarily become ufe lefs, if difpofed of as heretofore, it will afford but a very unpleafing prospect to as many of our countrymen, as have ever once reflected on the dire but inevitable confequences arifing from the difmiflion of fo great a part of that guardian power of this happy country, at once the admiration and terror of the maritime world. I mean, the lofs the nation must fuftain by fo great a number of our men of war rotting in the docks; and the still much greater, by fuch fhoals of men now fer ving aboard them being turned adrift, to feek fubfiftence in the fervice of foreigners, too often among the natural enemies of our country, whofe fuperior policy affords them a welcome reception. The fatal effects produced by the diftinguifhed abilities of our naval artificers in conftructing, and feamen in navigating, for almost every maritime power in Europe, and, what is worfe, thofe of Africa likewife, are too recent in the minds of every one, to need a particular recital, as well as the innumerable difficulties and blunders we were plunged into at the beginning of the prefent, and indeed of former wars alfo, chiefly owing to the want of a fufficient number of feamen to man our fleets, and experience in our of ficers to command them. If therefore that illuftrious tribe of politic-mongers, Mell. Monitor, Briton, North Briton, Auditor, South Briton, &c. &c. who know every thing paft, prefent, and to come, would, inftead of fo fhamefully belpattering themselves and their superiors, employ their great talents to find out fome rational method for preferving to the nation our fleet, feamen, and naval artificers in time of peace, and thereby prevent the great evils above mentioned, and that without any national charge; they would then justly merit that applaufe from their country in general, which they now meanly court from the factions they fupport, or rather play off at each other. How chimerical foever this way of thinking may appear to fome of your readers, till I am convinced of the contrary, I cannot think it impoffible. I fincerely with I were as capable of pointing out the remedy as the difeafe. How ever, till fome body skilled in naval and con mercial affairs, to which I have not the leaft claim, fhall favour the public

*

Befides the above, the practicability of fuch a fcheme admitted, infinite advantages must refult therefrom; amongst which, the following may merit the attention of the public, as they appear abundantly fufficient to outweigh any thing that may be objected to it. I. The continuance of fuch a force in commission muft afford the best seminary for navigators, pilots, and feamen, yet thought-of, and perpetuate that excellent inftitution, the marine fociety. 2. It would be an eafy and fafe expedient for reducing the standing army, and, of course, the taxes that fupport it, without incurring the risk of any danger from Monfieurs threats of invafions, and fuch like bugbears. 3.

*Not directly from home to fome one or two poffible in circular voyages, fo as frequently to foreign ports and back again. but as much as vifit; with fome of thefe formidable traders, all our foreign fettlements, the weak ones more efpecially, which, I take for granted, may, under proper regulations, eafily be effected, as the great variety of different commodities produced in different countries and climates muft occafion as great a variety of mutual wants.

It

blood, made towards the fhore,and with him bis conqueror; who, flufhed with an affurance of victory, puthes his foe with redoubled ardour, and by the help of an ebbing tide, dragging him on fhore, rips up his bowels, and unites and buries the fevered carcale of his friend in one hofpitable grave. Royal Mag.

The ufe of FURZE [Whins] in fencing the banks of rivers. In a letter to the late Dr Stephen Hales; and by him communicated to the Royal Society.

Rev. Sir,

Had occafion to inform you before, that on obferving a little fand placed in the midst of a river, where the ftream was pretty rapid, I inquired into the caufe; and found a furze-bush lodged there, which had detained the fand, in fpite of the current. It was easily concluded from hence, that furze might be profitably ufed in fencing the banks of rivers, at a very cheap rate, and thereby preventing many acres of rich foil from being changed into barren gravel. Several years after, I prevailed on fome gentlemen of my acquaintance to try the experiment; which was fo cheaply done, and followed with fuch remarkable fuccels, that numbers foon followed their example; fo that it is now almoft univerfally practifed here; and, hitherto, has never been once known to fail in anfwering the defign. In pursuing the fcheme, I found, upon trial, that locks and damheads might be raised, at one tenth of the ordinary expence, by the help of furze; as a very thin perpendicular wall of ftone and lime, or one of deal-boards, two inches thick, is the principal part of the expence. Close to this wall, on the other fide, is a mound of furze intermix ed with gravel, and along the top of the wall a ftrong tree [beam] equal with the highest part of the mound. It is plain, this wall cannot be hurt by the weight of the water, or force of the current, as it is defended by the contiguous mound, which is fix or feven yards broad; nor can the preffure of the mud and gravel make it give way, as their weight is fufpended by the interweavings of the furze: if, therefore, the tree on the top of the wall can be made to keep its place, the whole is firm.

It is well known, that they make their fea dikes in Holland with faggots of any fort of bruth-woed; and it must appear

to any one who examines the net-work formed by the croflings of the branches and prickles of furze, that it is far more effectual for this purpose, both as it detains the collected earth, and is far more cheaply procured than faggots.

I hope it will be eafily obferved, from what has been faid of locks and damheads, that a great deal of expensive stone work in building harbours may be avoided by the help of furze mounds. Haddington, Dec. 13.1760.1

DA. WARK.

Of preferving BEES. IT is well known, that bees are a most profitable commodity in Spain, and might be fo to a much greater degree, than they are in England. There is little, indeed, fcarce any, expence attending them; and if it was not for the abfurd and ungrateful cuftom of deftroying fuch fwarms yearly, they might be propagated to a vast extent. The poorest people might make fortunes by them; women and girls might easily manage them.

The material difference between the Spanish practice and ours is this: They never kill their bees, but drive them down to the bottom of their hives with the smoke of rolemary; and then with a knife cut the combs, and take them out afterwards with a ladle, and hut the top of the hive again: but they never. take above half the honey, that the bees may have fome foundation to go to work upon again.

This practice has fomething fo goodnatured in it, that I cannot doubt but it will gain ground in an age, whole best improvements have been made in common fenfe and humanity to brutes.

The Turks, barbarians to us in every other refpect, have long been more polifhed by this ruling tenderness; but to our honour, cruelty is every day more exploded; and it has been proved by fact, contrary to the ridiculous opinion of our progenitors, that the greatest bravery is confiftent with the greatest good nature. Few animals are more ferviceable to men. than bees: we repay their fervices with. deftruction. I hope to fee an end of this practice, especially as the experience of Spain evinces, that fparing them is more profitable. I cannot flatter myself with equal hopes of knowing, that no more lobfters are roafted or boiled alive. varice is capable of being corrected, if it finds its account; but gluttony is totally deaf.

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