FROM ANACREON.

* Αγε ζωγράφων άρισε, στο

BEST and happiest artisan,

Beft of painters, if you can With your many-coloured art Paint the mistress of my heart: Defcribe the charms you hear from me, (Her charms you could not paint and fee) And make the abfent nymph appear, As if her lovely felf was here. Firft draw her easy flowing hair, As foft and black as the is fair; And if your art can rife fo high, Let breathing odours round her fly: Beneath the fhade of flowing jet The iv'ry forehead fmoothly fet. With care the fable brows extend, And in two arches nicely bend; That the fair fpace, which lies between The melting fhade, may fearce be fecn. The eye must be uncommon fire; Sparkle, languish, and defire: The flames unfeen must yet be felt; Like Pallas kill, like Venus melt. The rofy cheeks must feem to glow Amidst the white of new-fall'n fnow. Let her lips perfuafion wear, In filence elegantly fair; As if the blushing rivals ftrove, Breathing and inviting love. Below her chin be fure to deck With ev'ry grace her polish'd neck; While all that's pretty, foft, and sweet, In the fwelling bofom meet. The rest in purple garments veil; Her body, not her shape, conceal. Enough-the lovely work is done, The breathing paint will speak anon.

I am,

Sir,

Your humble fervant.

MR. IRONSIDE,

THE letter which I fent you fome time ago, and was fubfcribed Englifh Tory, has made, as you must have obferved, a very great buftle in town. There are come out againit me two Pamphlets and two Examiners; but there are printed on my fide a letter to the Guardian about Dunkirk, and a pamphlet called Dunkirk or Dover. I am no proper judge who has the better of the argument, the Examiner or myfelf: but I am fure my feconds are better than his. I have addreffed a defence against the ill treatment I have received for my letter, (which ought to have made every man in England my friend) to the bailiff. of Stockbridge, becaufe, as the world goes, I am to think myfelf very much obliged to that honeft man, and esteem him my patron, who allowed that fifty was a greater number than one and twenty, and returned me accordingly to ferve for that borough.

There are very many fcurrilous things faid against me; but I have turned them to my advantage, by quoting them at large, and by that means fwelling the volume to one fhilling price. If I may be fo free with myfelf, I might put you in mind upon this occafion of one of those animals which are famous for their love of mankind, that when a bone is thrown at them, fall to eating it, inftead of flying at the perfon who threw it. Pleafe to read the account of the channel, by the map at Will's, and you will find what I reprefent concerning the importance of Dunkirk, as to it's fituation, very just. I am, Sir, very often your great admirer, RICHARD STEELE,

COELUMQUE TUERI

JUSSIT

OVID. MET. L. 1. v. 85.

pofitions, or their afpects, exhibit an ing, as well as to the eye.

Thunder and lightning, rain and hail, the painted bow, and the glaring comets, are decorations of this mighty theatre. And the fable hemifphere ftudded with fpangles, the blue vault at noon, the glo rious glidings and rich colours in the

U u

horizon

horizon, I look on as fo many fucceffive fcenes.

When I confider things in this light, methinks it is a fort of impiety to have no attention to the courfe of nature, and the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. To be regardless of thofe phænomena that are placed within our view, on purpofe to entertain our faculties, and difplay the wildom and power of their Creator, is an affront to Providence of the fame kind, (I hope it is not impious to make fuch a fimile) as it would be to a good poet, to fit out his play without minding the plot or beauties of it.

And yet how few are there who attend to the drama of nature, it's artifi cial ftructure, and thofe admirable machines, whereby the paffions of a philofopher are gratefully agitated, and his foul affected with the fweet emotions of joy and furprife?

How many fox-hunters and rural fquires are to be found in Great Britain, who are ignorant that they have all this while lived on a planet; that the fun is feveral thousand times bigger than the earth; and that there are other worlds within our view greater and more glorious than our own? Ay,' but fays fome illiterate fellow, 'I enjoy the world, and leave others to contemplate it.' Yes, you eat and drink, and run about upon it, that is, you enjoy it as a brute; but to enjoy it as a rational being, is to know it, to be fenfible of it's greatnefs and beauty, to be delighted with it's harmony, and by thefe reflections to obtain jutt fentiments of the Almighty Mind that framed it.

The man who, unembarraffed with vulgar cares, leifurely attend to the flux of things in heaven, and things on earth, and obferves the laws by which they are governed, hath fecured to himself an eafy and convenient feat, where he beholds with pleasure all that paffes on the ftage of nature; while thofe about him are, fome faft afleep, and others ftruggling for the highest places, or turning their eyes from the entertainment prepared by Providence, to play at pufh-pin with one another.

Within this ample circumference of the world, the glorious lights that are hung on high, the meteors in the middle region, the various livery of the earth, and the profusion of good things that diftinguish the feafons, yield a profpect which annihilates all human grandeur,

But when we have feen frequent returns of the fame things, when we have often viewed the heaven and the earth in all their various array, our attention flags, and our admiration ceases. All the art and magnificence in nature could not make us pleafed with the fame entertainment, prefented a hundred years fucceffively to our view.

a

I am led into this way of thinking by question started the other night, viz. Whether it were poffible that a man should be weary of a fortunate and healthy courfe of life? My opinion was, that the bare repetition of the fame objects, abftracted from all other inconveniencies, was fufficient to create in our minds a diftafte of the world; and that the abhorrence old men have of death, proceeds rather from a diftruft of what may follow, than from the profpect of lofing any prefent enjoyments. For (as an ancient author fomewhere expreffes it) when a man has feen the viciffitudes of night and day, winter and fummer, fpring and autumn, the returning faces of the feveral parts of nature, what is there further to detain his fancy here below?

The fpectacle indeed is glorious, and may bear viewing feveral times. But in a very few fcenes of revolving years, we feel a fatiety of the fame images; the mind grows impatient to fee the curtain drawn, and behold new fcenes difclofed; and the imagination is in this life filled with a confused idea of the next.

Death, confidered in this light, is no more than paffing from one entertainment to another. If the prefent objects are grown tiresome and distasteful, it is in order to prepare our minds for a more exquifite relifh of those which are fresh and new. If the good things we have hitherto enjoyed are tranfient, they will be fucceeded by those which the inexhauftible power of the Deity will fupply to eternal ages. If the pleafures of our prefent ftate are blended with pain and uneafinefs, our future will confift of fincere unmixed delights. Bleffed hope! the thought whereof turns the very imperfections of our nature into occafions of comfort and joy.

But what confolation is left to the man who hath no hope or profpect of these things? View him in that part of life when the natural decay of his faculties concurs with the frequency of the fame objects to make him weary of this world,

when

when like a man who hangs upon a precipice, his prefent fituation is uneafy, and the moment that he quits his hold, he is fure of finking into hell or annihilation.

There is not any character fo hateful as his who invents racks and tortures for

mankind. The Free-thinkers make if their bufinefs to introduce doubts, perplexities and defpair into the minds of men, and according to the poet's rule, are most justly punished by their own fchemes.

VIRG. EN. 2. v. 49.

LONDON, SEPT. 22. MOST VENERABLE NESTOR,

TH

HE plan laid down in your first paper gives me a title and authority to apply to you, in behalf of the trading world. According to the general scheme you propofed in your faid first paper, you have not profeffed only to entertain men of wit and polite taite, but alfo to be useful to the trader and the artificer. You cannot do your country greater fervice than by informing all ranks of men amongst us, that the greatest benefactor to them all is the merchant. The merchant advances the gentleman's rent, gives the artificer food, and fupplies the courtier's luxury. But give me leave to fay, that neither you, nor all your clan of wits, can put together fo useful and commodious a treatife for the welfare of your fellow-fubjects as that which an eminent merchant of the city has lately written. It is called General Maxims of Trade, particularly applied to the commerce between Great Britain and France.' I have made an extract of it, fo as to bring it within the compafs of your paper; which take as follows.

1. That trade which exports manufaЯures made of the product of the country, is undoubtedly good; fuch is the fending abroad our Yorkshire cloth, Colchester bays, Exeter ferges, Norwich ftuffs, &c. which being made purely of British wool, as much as thofe exports amount to, fo much is the clear gain of the nation.

II. That trade which helps off the confumption of our fuperfluities, is alfo vifibly advantageous; as the exporting of allum, copperas, leather, tin, lead, coals, &c. So much as the exported fuperfluities amount unto, fo much alio is the clear national profit.

III. The importing of foreign materials, to be manufactured at home, efpecially when the goods, after they are manufactured, are mostly fent abroad, is alfo without difpute very beneficial; as for inftance, Spanith wool, which for that reafon is exempted from paying any duties.

IV. The importation of foreign materials, to be manufactured here, although the manufactured goods are chiefly con fumed by us, may be alfo beneficial; efpecially when the faid materials are procured in exchange for our commodities; as raw-filk, grogram, yarn, and other goods, brought from Turkey.

v. Foreign materials, wrought up here into fuch goods as would otherwife be imported ready manufactured, is a means of faving money to the nation: fuch is the importation of hemp, flax, and raw-filk; it is therefore to be wondered at, that thefe commodities are not exempt from all duties, as well as Spanifh wool.

VI. A trade may be called good which exchanges manufactures for manufactures, and commodities for commodities. Germany takes as much in value of our woollen and other goods, as we do of their linen: by this means numbers of people are employed on both fides, to their inutual advantage.

VII. An importation of commodities, bought partly for money and partly for goods, may be of national advantage; if the greateft part of the commodities thus imported are again exported, as in the cafe of Eaft India goods: and generally all imports of goods which are re-exported, are beneficial to a nation.

vin. The carrying of goods from one foreign country to another, is a profitable article in trade: our hips are often thus employed between Portugal, U u 2

Italy,

Italy, and the Levant, and fometimes in the East Indies.

1x. When there is a neceffity to import goods which a nation cannot be without, although fuch goods are chief ly purchafed with money, it cannot be accounted a bad trade, as our trade to Norway and other parts, from whence are imported naval itores and materials for building.

But a trade is difadvantageous to a nation

1. Which brings in things of mere luxury and pleasure, which are entirely, or for the most part, confumed among us; and fuch I reckon the wine trade to be, especially when the wine is purchased with money, and not in exchange for our commodities.

2. Much worfe is that trade which brings in a commodity that is not only confumed amongst us, but hinders the confumption of the like quantity of ours. As is the importation of brandy, which hinders the pending of our extracts of malt and molaffes; therefore very prudently charged with exceffive duties.

3. That trade is eminently bad, which fupplies the fame goods as we manufacture ourselves, efpecially if we can make enough for our confumption: and I take this to be the cafe of the filk manufacture; which, with great labour and industry, is brought to perfection in London, Canterbury, and other places.

4. The importation upon eafy terms of fuch manufactures as are already introduced in a country, mult be of bad consequence, and check their progrefs; as it would undoubtedly be the cafe of the linen and paper manufactures in Great Britain, (which are of late very much improved) if thofe commodities were fuffered to be brought in without paying very high duties."

Let us now judge of our trade with France by the foregoing maxims.

1. The exportation of our woollen goods to France is fo well barred against, that there is not the leaft hope of reaping any benefit by this article. They have their work done for half the price we pay for ours. And fince they fend great quantities of woollen goods to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, the Rhine, and other places, although they pay a duty upon exportation, it is a demonftration that they have more than is fufficient for their own wear, and

confequently no great occafion for ang of ours. The French cannot but be fo fenfible of the advantage they have over us in point of cheapnefs, that I do not doubt they will give us leave to import into France not only woollen goods, but all other commodities whatsoever, upon very easy duties, provided we permit them to import into Great-Britain wines, brandies, filk, linen, and paper, upon paying the fame duties as others do. And when that is done, you will fend little more to France than now you do, and they will import into Great Britain ten times more than now they

can.

II. As to our fuperfluities, it must be owned the French have occafion for forre of them, as lead, tin, leather, copperas, coals, allum, and feveral other things, of fmall value, as alfo fome few of our plantation commodities: but thefe goods they will have whether we take any of theirs or no, because they want them. All these commodities together, that the French want from us, may amount to about 200,000l. yearly.

III. As to materials, I do not know of any one fort ufeful to us that ever was imported from France into Eng land. They have indeed hemp, flax, and wool in abundance, and fome raw filk; but they are too wife to let us have any, efpecially as long as they entertain any hopes we fhall be fo felf-denying as to take thofe materials from them after they are manufactured.

IV. Exchanging commodities for commodities, (if for the like value on both fides) might be beneficial; but it is far from being the cafe between us and France: our fhips went conftantly in ballaft (except now and then fome lead) to St. Malo, Morlaix, Nantz, Rochelle, Bourdeaux, Bayonne, &c. and ever came back full of linen, wines, brandy, and paper: and if it was fo before the Revolution, when one of our pounds fterling coft the French but thirteen livres, what are they like to take from us, (except what they of neceflity want) now that for each pound sterling they muft pay us twenty livres, which enhances the price of all British commodities to the French above fifty per cent.

v. Goods imported to be re-exported, is certainly a national advantage; but few or no French goods are ever exported from Great Britain, except to our plantations, but all are confumed at

home;

home; therefore no benefit can be reaped this way by the French trade.

VI. Letting hips to freight cannot but be of fome profit to a nation; but it is very rare if the French ever make ufe of any other flips than their own: they victual and man cheaper than we, therefore nothing is to be got from them by this article.

VII. Things that are of abfolute neceffity cannot be reckoned prejudicial to a nation; but France produces nothing that is neceffary, or even convenient, or but which we had better be without, except claret.

VIII. If the importation of commodities of mere luxury, to be confumed amongst us, be a fenfible difadvantage, the French trade, in this particular, might be highly pernicious to this nation; for if the duties on French wines be lowered to a confiderable degree, the leaft we can fuppofe would be imported into England and Scotland is 18000 tons a year, which being moft clarets, at a moderate computation would coft in France 450,00ol.

IX. As to brandy, fince we have laid high duties upon it, the diftilling of fpirits from malt and molaffes is much im proved and increafed, by means of which a good fum of money is yearly faved to 'the nation; for very little brandy hath been imported either from Italy, Portugal, or Spain, by reafon that our Englif fpirits are near as good as thofe countries brandies. But as French brandy is esteemed, and is indeed very good, if the extraordinary duty on that liquor be taken off, there is no doubt but great quantities will be imported. We will fuppofe only 3000 tons a year, which will cott Great Britain about 70,000l. yearly, and prejudice befides the extracts of our own malt spirits.

x. Linen is an article of more confequence than many people are aware of. Ireland, Scotland, and feveral counties in England, have made large steps towards the improvement of that useful manufacture, both in quantity and qua. lity and with good encouragement would doubtless, in a few years, bring it to perfection, and perhaps make fufficient for our own confumption; which, befides employing great numbers of peo ple, and improving many acres of land, would fave us a good fum of money, which is yearly laid out abroad in that commodity. As the cafe ftands at prefent, it improves daily; but if the duties

on French linen be reduced, it is to be feared it will come over fo cheap, that our looms must be laid afide, and 6 or 700,000l. a year be fent over to France for that commodity.

XI. The manufacture of paper is very near akin to that of linen. Since the high duties laid on foreign paper, and that none hath been imported from France, where it is cheapest, the making of it is increafed to fuch a degree in England, that we import none of the lower forts from abroad, and make them all ourselves: but if the French duties be taken off, undoubtedly molt of the mills which are employed in the making of white paper mult leave off their work, and 30 or 40,000l. a year be remittext over to France for that commodity.

XII. The last article concerns the filk manufacture. Since the late French wars, it is increafed to a mighty degree. Spitalfields alone manufactures to the value of two millions a year, and were daily improving, till the late fears abous lowering the French duties. What pity that fo noble a manufacture, fo extenfive, and fo beneficial to an infinite number of people, thould run the has zard of being ruined! It is however to be feared, that if the French can import their wrought filks upon eafy teims, they outdo us fo much in cheapneis of labour, and they have Italian and Levant raw filk upon fo much cater terms than we, helides great quantities of their own in Provence, Languedoc, and other provinces, that in all probability half the looms in Spitalfields would be laid down, and our ladies be again cloathed in French filks. The lofs that would accrue to the nation by fo great a mifchief, cannot be valued at lets than 500,000l. a year.

To fum up all, if we pay to France yearly, For their wines For their brandies For their linen For their paper For their filks

And they take from us in lead, tin, leather, allum, copperas, coals, horn, plates, &c. and plantation goods,

to the value of

Great Britain lofes by the balance of that trade yearly

450000

70000

600000

30000

500000