Short ACCOUNT of the CENTAUR depicted in the Title. D R. Young fays, (in his dedication to a Lady of his Six Letters to a Friend) "Of the Centaurs, the most celebrated was Chiron. He was a great botanist; and our bitter herb centaury takes its name from him. He thought all herbs bitter, because, being very amorous, he could not find any amongst them, that could abate the fever in his blood." Ainfworth fays, (under Chiron, in his Nomina Propria annexed to his dictionary) "He was wounded by Hercules with an arrow dipped in the blood of Hydra; and the Gods, in compaflion to him, tranflated him into one of the twelve figns in the Zodiac, called Sagittarius." Where, according to our almanacks, he now rules over the hips and thighs. A HE people of England, it is generally observed, are, of TH all nations in the world, the most addicted to Politics. The fact is certain, and the reason of it is evident. The English government is univerfally allowed to be one of the freeft that ever yet exifted; and it will be found to be a maxim that will for ever hold true, that the more free is the government, the more fond are the people of Politics. This difpofition is only another name for their love of Liberty, and their zeal for its preservation; and therefore it ought furely, while kept within proper bounds, to be not only indulged, but in the highest degree encouraged. But, as the corruption of the best things is known to produce the worst, it ought, no doubt, at the fame time to be carefully regulated; for though the liberties of a nation have often fallen a facrifice to the ambition of the prince, they have likewife been, fometimes, ruined by the licentiousness of the fubjects.-To direct the people, therefore, in the study of Politics, and to explain to them the conduct, the views, and principles of those who undertake the government of the state, seems a task not unworthy of a lover of his country; and fuch is the chief defign of the POLITICAL REGISTER. But, in order the better to diverfify the plan, fubjects of another nature will alfo be admitted: Effays on Agriculture, Manufactures, Commerce; and, in a word, on all The useful arts, as they are commonly diftinguished from The fine, will occafionally find a place in this performance. And though the authors have reason to think from the materials with which they have been already furnished, and the channels of intelligence which they have happily fecured, that there will be no want of a constant and a regular fupply; yet they beg leave to folicit the affiftance of the learned and ingenious of every part of the kingdom: affuring them, at the fame time, that the letters they fhall communicate will be gratefully received and duly inferted. THE THE POLITICAL REGISTER, For MAY, 1767. NUMBER I. REMARKS on the PRINCIPLES of the BRITISH Addreffed to the Guardians of the Conftitution. W HATEVER may, at any time, be the opinions or inclinations of particular perfons, as to minifters or minifterial conduct, the conftitution challenges the chief regard of all, because it is the fecurity of the whole. It happily distinguishes these nations from every other country in the world; and amply compenfates the fuperior advantages of nature which many have to boast of. Those who have a due fenfe of the value of liberty, would think it by much too dear a price for fome advantages, if the loweft principle of the conftitution were fhaken, or the meanest right of freedom rendered difputable. But to weaken fundamentals, even for the cure of real inconveniences, would be the facrifice of folly and madness. It were to betray the whole of our invaluable privileges, a profane alienation of our birthright, and a facrilegious attempt to rob our pofterity of their native inheritance. They who could be acceffary to Vol. I. B it, |