cumftance of the riches and the profperity of the people under Solomon, the refemblance is ftriking. Solomon built and repaired many cities, and filled them with chariots and horsemen, (fee 2 Chron. vill.), and filver became fo plenty in Jerufalem, after he had opened a trade to Ophir, in the Eaft Indies, that it was accounted nothing in the days of Solomon. In like manner, all our cities have been repaired and improved fince the days of our George II. and our nabobs bave brought fuch quantities of gold from the Eaft-Indies, that filver is as little esteemed by them as it was by Solomon's fervants. But after all this profperity, the fubjects of Solomon began to complain of the heavy taxes which were requifite to fupport all the chariots and equipage of the magnificent monarch. In like man ner, amidst all our splendid prosperity, we began to complain of our taxes, and the magnificent lift of penfioners and idle place-men. When Saul was anointed King of Ifrael, that people were no better than a parcel of unconnected herds of gypsies, without any regular government or commerce, and an eafy prey to every band of roving Philistines that pleafed to invade them. But under the house of David they became a regular government, and mighty people, and Solomon poured upon them all the bleffings of a profperous commerce. In like manner, before the houfe of Brunswick afcended the throne of Great Britain, our American brethren were in little better plight than the Hebrews in Saul's days; and the Chitaws, the Cherokees, &c. played the Philiftines upon them molt fadly. But under the house of Brunswick they became a great and commercial people, like the Jews under Solomon. But now we come to fome deviations in our parallel: Solomon turned a grofs idolator, and the Lord denounced vengeance against him, and told him by a prophet, that he would rend ten tribes from the kingdom of his fon; but that it fhould not be in his time: nevertheless he raised up against him certain of his own fervants, and Hadad the Edomite, and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caufed Ifrael to fin, who became thorns in his fide, and troubled his reign.-In like manner, the devil raised up John W-s, Edmund B-e, Charles F-x, and others, who troubled the reign of the British Solomon. But as this modern was not guilty himself of idolatry, it being only his people who worshipped the foul fiend Belial, yclept guilty pleasure, his reign was continued for the good of those people who repented of their ways. For the Hebrew Solomon fays, "Wo to the land whofe princes are drunken with wine, who drink trong drink in the morning!" And again he confeffeth, that he knew it not "whether a wife man or a fool was to fucceed him." So most probably it is happy for us that here, viz. in the death of Solomon, before the difmemberment of the kingdom, the parallel does not hold. Yet in other points there is a refemblance; for when the profperous Ifraelites complained of the weight of the taxes, Rehoboam, the fon of Solomon, confulted the young men who had been brought up with himfelf, and had not ftood before his father, and they perfuaded him to tell them, that his little finger fhould be heavier than his father's loins, and that his father had fcourged them with whips, but he would fcourge them with fcorpions. In like manner, Minden, who could not ftand before the fecond George, and Boreas, and other novices, advifed to tell the profperous Americans a tale of the fame kind. And the event was exactly the fame. The Ifraelites of the ten tribes and the Americans both declared themfelves independent. The one faid, what have we to do with Jerufalem, or the houfe of David, notwithstanding all the favours that houfe had done them?→ And the other faid, what have we to do with G. Britain, or the house of Brunf wick, notwithstanding all the benefits they had received from both? Reho boam then raifed a mighty holt, which, in every human probability, would have crushed the revolters in a few days time. But a prophet came, and forbade the fon of Solomon to fight, for that the revolt was of the Lord. In like manner, im menfe preparations were made to crush the American revolt, more than fufficient, in all human wifdom, to do the bufinefs, had it been done briskly at first. But our ftatefmen, our Adm. Leefhores, Gen. Spades, and others, would no more fight at tome times, than if they had been forbidden by a prophet in the name of the Lord.- Rehoboam then fent Ha doram, his tax-gatherer, to the ten tribes, and the revolters ftoned him to death. In like manner, our Sovereign fent tax gatherers, gatherers, and the Americans tarred and feathered them. Now as Jeroboam, the Hebrew Washington, fet up two golden calves for the revolters to worship, left they should return to the appointed worfhip at Jerufalem, and fo cleave again to the house of David; fo Washington and Congrefs, thefe American Jeroboams, have countenanced and protected the golden calves of Popish idolatry, and have faid unto their people, " Thefe are the gods that brought you out of British bondage, fall down and worship them," left their people fhould return again to their former affection for England. Now, though the parallel at prefent goes no farther, it may be reasonably prefumed, that as the Lord punished Jeroboam for caufing Ifrael to fin, 'fo thofe modern Jeroboams, who have caufed America to fin, will likewife be punished. And as the houfe of David flourished long on the throne of Jerufalem, while the kings of the revolted tribes were cutting one another's throats, and new families every now and then ascending the throne of Samaria, till their kingdom was abolish ed from the face of the earth: fo it is very likely, in all human probability, that ftrange inftability, diffentions, and cutting of throats, will take place in America, till fome new foreign power over-run and new people that country, as the King of Affyria did that of the ten tribes; while the houfe of Brunswick fhall reign' many ages, profperous and great, on the throne of Old England, and their people perceive no reason to lament their feparation from the turbulent and all-grafping fpirit of their American brethren. Of the GYPSIES in SPAIN and ITALY. [From Swinburne's Travels. See vol. 45. p. 376.] THE Gypfies fwarm more in the province of Granada than in any other part of Spain. This fingular fect have kept themselves feparate from the reft of man. kind ever fince their first appearance recorded in hiftory. Their origin remains a problem not to be fatisfactorily folved; and I doubt whether the gitanos them felves have any fecret tradition that might lead to a difcovery of what they really were in the beginning, or from what country they came. The received opinion fets them down as Egyptians, and makes them out to be the defcendents of those vagabond votaries of Ifis, who ap peared to have exercised in ancient Rome pretty much the fame profeffion as that followed by the prefent gypfies, viz. fortune-telling, ftrolling up and down, and pilfering. Few of them employed themfelves in works of husbandry or handicraft: indeed the Spaniards would not work with them. Except a small part that follow the trade of blacksmiths, or vintners, moft of them are makers of iron rings and other little trifles, rather to prevent their being laid hold of as vagrants, than really as a means of fubfiftence. Several of them travel about as carriers and pedlars, but more inlift as foldiers and failors, or bind themselves as fervants. Though they conform to the Roman-Catholic mode of worship, they are looked upon in the light of unbelievers; but I never could meet with any body that pretended to say what their private faith and religion may be: all the gypfies I have converfed with affured me of their found Catholicism; and I have feen the medal of Nuestra Senora del Carmel fewed on the fleeves of several of their women. They feldom venture on any crimes that may endanger their lives: petty larceny is the utmoft extent of their roguery. The men are tall, well built, and fwarthy, with a bad fcowling eye, and a kind of favourite lock of hair left to grow down before their ears, which rather increases the gloominefs of their features. Their women are nimble and fupple-jointed; when young, they are generally handfome, with fine black eyes; when old, they become the worft-favoured hags in nature. Their ears and necks are loaded with trinkets and baubles, and most of them wear a large patch on each temple. Both fexes are remarkably expert at drawing, and fing the wild fefquidillas with a peculiar turn of humour or tenderness, according to the fubject. The prefent King had thoughts of banifhing the whole race out of his dominions ; but I believe the project was dropped: as the gypfies are rather an ufeless than mifchievous people, their abode in the country, or their expulfion, feems a matter of little confequence; for the lofs would be fcarcely felt, except in the apparent diminution of population, as they are of little or no fervice in the ftate, neither cultivating its lands, forwarding its manufactures and commerce, conveying its productions to foreign parts, nor fighting its battles. Perhaps they render themselves neceffary to the amufement of the the common people, out of whofe fimplicity they work themselves a maintenance. At Lorea we noticed the drefs of a gypsey, daughter of the innkeep er. Her hair was tied in a club, with a bunch of fearlet ribbons; large drops hung from her ears, and on her breaft The wore abundance of relics and hal lowed medals; the fleeves of her gown were faftened together behind by a long blue ribbon that hung to the ground. I could not prevail on her to explain the ufe of this laft piece of ornament. At Confuegra, a most beautiful gypfey girl, with the fweeteft eyes in the world, fung to us a pretty fong about the eves of the river Guadiana, and danced fefquidillas to the tune with admirable agility and expertnefs. She was quite Preciola the little gypsey, with her loft voice and affected lifp. It is pity her beauty was much-impaired by her mode of dreffing, which gave her a moft prominent belly, a defect few Spanish women are free from, and a flat low breaft, which they efteem a great perfection in a lady's shape. Or the Italian Gypfies, Mr Swinburne gives the following account in his journey through Calabria. The landlord of the inn at Mirti ear neftly recommended to the servants to leave nothing out of doors, as there was an incampment of Zingari, or Gypfies, who would lay their hands upon any part of the baggage that was not watched with the ftricteft attention. His caution led me to an inquiry into the state of this ftrange tribe of vagrants, of whom I had feen great numbers in Spain. The refult of this account, combined with thofe I had received from others, is as follows: The Gyphies of Calabria do not contract alliances with any other clafs of inhabitants, but marry among themselves. It is not poffible to say where they refide, as they have no fixed habitation, and confequently poffefs neither house nor land, but pitch their tents where-ever they think proper to make any ftay. They fupport life by the profits of handicrafts, but more by thofe of fwopping affes and horfes, which they do for the fmalleft trifle to boot; nay one has been known to truck his afs with another for aglafs of wine. They generally work in iron, and make trivets, knitting needles, bodkins, and fuch baubles. Their drefs is extremely fhabby: they fhave their chins, but indulge a great length of hair, which they feldom difturb with either comb or fciffars. As to their religion, it is a fecret which they keep locked up in their own breafts. They feem to have no great veneration for the Virgin Mary, but are fuppofed to believe in Chrift. All the proof we have of their belief de pends upon appearances and an occafion. al conforming to the ceremonies of the Roman-Catholic religion in marriages, burials, &c.; but if the priests start any difficulties, they manage the matter without their interference, and perform the functions according to their own cere monies, which in many points refemble thofe of the Heathens. At their weddings they carry torches, and have paranymphs to give the bride away, with many other unufual rites. It is, in reality, almost an abfurdity to talk of the religion of a fet of people whose moral characters are fo depraved as to make it evident they believe in nothing capable of being a check on their paffions. They are univerfally accounted pilferers, cheats, faithlefs, fhameless, and abandoned to all manner of diffolutenefs. The following anecdote will fhew how little they are under the controul of modefty or fear of fhame. A gang of Gypfies afsembled at the fair of Marfico Nuovo, with an intention of robbing the fhops; for which purpose a proper number of them were difperfed among the throng. To draw off the merchants by fome very extraordinary incitements to curiofity was the next point to be confidered; and with this view they adopted an expedient that would have fhocked the most hardened libertine. Some of their men and women went into an adjacent field, and there proceeded to fuch indecent liberties as foon brought most of the people of the fair about them, and left their fhops a prey to the confederate thieves. Contracts and plighting of faith are by them efteemed mere empty forms; and whenever the breach of a promise is more advantageous than the observance, they never hesitate a moment. No cheats can be more artful or impudent. When they bring their affes to fale, they prick their fhoulders with very small needles fet in a piece of cork, which makes the poor animals bound like deer. The unfufpecting chapman thinks he buys the fleeteft of beafts; and perhaps finds on trial that he has purchased a dull, reftive, foundered grizel. The Gypfies have a way of throwing down the mules and affes they wish to buy, and thereby depreciating the Doctor," you make me think of a circumftance which once happened to myfelf, when I was curate of a church in Thames-ftreet: I was burying a corpfe, and a woman came and pulled me by the fleeve in the midst of the service-"Sir, '-" Pr'ySir, I want to speak to you.' thee," fays I, "woman, wait till I have "No, Sir, I must speak to you done.""Why then, what is immediately." the matter?"-" Why, Sir," fays fhe, 66 you are burying a man who died of the fmall-pox next my poor hufband, who never had it." This story had the defired effect; and the curate permitted the bones of the poor Calvinist to be laid ́in his church-yard." their merit. When they travel through ANECDOTE of Dr JOHN THOMAS, late Hen the Doctor was chaplain to the British Factory at Hamburg, a gentleman of the Factory being ill, was ordered into the country for the benefit of the air. Accordingly he went to a vil lage at about ten miles diftance, but af. ter fome time died there. Upon this, application was made to the parfon of the parish, for leave to bury him in the church-yard. The parfon inquired what his religion was, and was told that he was a Calvinift: "No, (fays he), there are none but Lutherans in my church yard, and there fhall be no other." The Doctor, upon this being told him, won dered that any man of any learning or understanding could have fuch ideas. He immediately took his horfe, and went to argue the matter with the parfon, but found him inflexible. At length fays ANECDOTE. THE means of confeflion; and the elder of the buried under a certain tree. PAR PARLIAMENT. [vol. 45. p. 710.] charge for 18,000l. for the purchase of eftimates, he dwelt particularly on the In the Houfe of Commons, Dec. 11. the late Sir Gregory Page's house and while the proceedings of the committee offices, with the garden, and fifty fix on the army eftablishment were report acres of land on Black-heath, for the ing, Mr Flood rofe, and said, he had not purpose of a Royal Military Academy. been prefent on the preceding day, but This had been talked of without doors, be bad understood, that a converfation as if the board of ordnance were about of a very ferious nature had taken place, to put the public to a needlefs expence, and that the delicacy of the fituation of by buying a palace to convert into an Ireland, on account of the volunteers, academy. Such, however, as faw it in had been urged in argument for voting that point of view, knew very little of fo large a number of troops in England the matter. The fact was, the house of as 17,483. Sir Gregory Page had been offered to the board of ordnance at the low price of what its materials would fetch, if it were taken down and fold in lots. It was a large, commodious, and excellent build A general cry of No, No, No, enfued. Mr Flood, however, proceeded, and affured the House, there was no delicacy in the fituation of affairs in Ireland fo far as the volunteers were concerned. ing, and capable of receiving all the Ireland was loyal, and the volunteers were the loyaleft of the loyal. Secretary at War declared, that among the reasons given by him for keeping up the number of troops for 1783, he had not once thought of the volunteers of Ireland, much lefs mentioned them; nor had he ever spoken of them but with refpect. Gen. Conway affured the Hon. Gentleman, that if he had cafually made ufe of the word delicacy in fpeaking of the critical fituation of the times the preceding day, it was without reference to any particular fet of men or measures, but in general, which every man of common fenfe muft fee and feel. The times were critical; but he had never given the most diftant intimation that the volunteers of Ireland had made them fo. Other members fpoke to fatisfy the Hon. Gentleman that nothing offenfive had been faid of the volunteers of Ireland. Mr Flood, however, concluded his fpeech with moving, that the words 17,483 be left out, and that the words 15,483 be inferted in their room. A pretty smart debate enfued, in which reference was made to fome late proceedings in the Irish parliament [vol. 45. P. 713.]. Mr Flood was frequently called to order, and there was a good deal of confufion in the Houfe. Sir Jofeph Mawbey feconded the motion, and divided the Houfe upon it, which was negatived by only one diffenting voice. On Dec. 12. in a committee of fupply, Mr Minchin opened the ordnance eftimates. He began with stating the debt of the ordnance, which amounted to 874.1961. 76. 6 d. In going through the VOL. XLVI. young gentlemen at préfent at the academy, and to accommodate many officers belonging to the ordnance, to whom the public now paid confiderations yearly for the expence of their lodgings. It had been found that the fituation of the academy at Woolwich was exceedingly unhealthy, infomuch that the young gentlemen were extremely fickly, and frequently obliged to defift from their studies. This purchase therefore he hoped would be approved of by the committee. He then stated, that the ordinary of the efti mate, amounting to 215,520). 19 s. 5 d. and the extraordinaries to 214,8481. 78. 11 d. their joint amount was 430,3691. 79. 4 d. The firft refolution he had to move therefore was that for the unprovided fervices, viz. 111,6341. 9 s. 6 d. This paffed without any oppofition. He then moved for his fecond refolu→ tion, for 430,269 l. for orduance land fervice for the year 1784. This refolution produced a moft tedious converfation. Sir Jofeph Mawbey faid, that the country was in such a state, that if it should any longer think shillings or peńce below no⚫ tice, we must be undone : œconomy alone could fave us; every department must be cut down, army, navy, ordnance, or the country could not fubfift. The ordnance in particular was a kind of Augean ftable, that fcarcely any thing could cleanfe; there was no coming at a knowledge of the manner in which the public money was expended in that department: all was buried under the mystery of necctlary forts and fortifications. Mr Huffey implored the Noble Lord B |