way were defeated near it by the Scots under Gen. Lenie.

(1.) NEWBURY, a town of Berks, 16 miles W. of Reading, and 56 of London. It arofe on the decay of Spinham Land. It is as old almost as the Conqueft. It made fo much broad cloth formerly, that in the reign of Henry VIII. John Winscomb, commonly called Jack of Newbury, one of the greatest clothiers that ever was in England, kept 100 looms in his houfe; and in the expedition to Flowden-field against the Scots, march. ed with 100 of his own men, all armed and cloth ed at his own expense; and he built all the weft part of the church. Mr Kenric, the fon of a clothier here, afterwards a merchant in London, left L. 4000 to the town, and L. 7500 to Reading, to encourage the woollen manufactory. It ftill makes a great quantity of fhalloons and druggets, but not fo much broad cloth as formerly; yet it is a flourishing town with fpacious streets, and a large market-place, in which is the guild-hall, The church is of stone, built about 1640. It has 7 fets of alms-houses. In the neighbourhood, on the banks of the Kennet, there is a ftratum of petrified wood dug out for firing, where they frequently find trunks of large oaks undecayed, with petrified hazel nuts, fir-cones, &c. with the bones and horns of ftags, antelopes, &c. tusks of boars, and heads of beavers. The Kennet, which abounds with excellent trouts, eels, and cray-fish, runs through the town; which abounds with all other provifions. It was made a corporation by Q. Elizabeth, and is governed by a mayor, high steward, aldermen, &c. It fends a great quantity of malt to London, has good inns, and has a charity fchool for 40 boys. Its market is on Thurfday; and fairs on Holy Thursday, July 5th, Aug. 24th. and Oct. 28th. Lon. 1. 12. W. Lat. 51. 25. N. (2.) NEWBURY, a county of S. Carolina. (3.) NEWBURY, or NEWBOROUGH, a flourishing town of New York, in Ulfter county, on the W. fide of the Hudson, 88 miles N. of New York, and 183 S. of Albany.

(4.) NEWBURY, a town of Vermont, the capital of Orange county, on the W. fide of the Connecticut. It has a court house and a handfome church for congregationalifts, with a fteeple, the firft erected in the ftate. It is 130 miles NE. of Bennington, and 415 NE. by N. of Philadelphia. (5.) NEWBURY PORT, a fea port of Maffachufetts, in Effex county, on the S. bank of the Merrimach, 4 miles from its mouth. In 1795, it contained a court-house, 5 churches, 616 houses, and 4837 citizens, with feveral well endowed fchools. In Nov. 1790, it had 6 fhips, 45 Ligantines, 39 fchooners, and 28 floops; carrying 11,870 tons. It is 30 miles NE. of Boston, and 391 of Philadelphia. Lon. 70. 52. W. Lat. 42. 48. N.

(1.) NEWBY, a small town in Cumberland. (2-7.) NEWBY, 6 villages in Yorkshire; viz. 1. E. of Bedall, upon the Wisk: 2. in Richmond, upon the Swale: 3. near Scarborough: 4. near Settle: 5. NW. of Stokefley: 6. SW. of Thirsk.

NEWBYTH, a village of Aberdeenshire, in the parish of King Edward, founded in 1764, by the late James Urquhart of Byth, Efq; who, upon that occafion, raised the rent of his cftate nearly to 5 times what it was in 1731." It has a cha

NEW CANTON, a town of Virginia, in Buck ingham county, on the S. fide of James river, 70 miles above Richmond.

(1.) NEWCASTLE, Duchefs of. See MARGARET, N° 3.

(2.) NEWCASTLE, duke of. See CAVENDISH. N° 5.

(3.) NEWCASTLE, a county of the United States of America, in Delaware; bounded E. by the Delaware, S. by Kent county, W. by the Spate of Maryland, and N. by that of Pennsylvania. It is 47 miles long, and 20 broad; and, in 1795, contained 17,124 citizens, and 2,562 flaves. It had then about 70 mills, viz. 60 for grain, 4 for paper, 2 for fnuff, and feveral for flitting, fulling, and other manufactures. Its chief towns are NEWCASTLE, N° 4, and Wilmington.

(4.) NEWCASTLE, one of the capitals of the above county, and the oldeft town on the Delaware, lies 33 miles SW. of Philadelphia, on the W. bank of the river. It was first settled by the Swedes about 1627, and called Stockholm. It was afterwards taken by the Dutch, and called New Amfterdam. When it fell into the hands of the English, it was called by its present name. It was formerly the feat of government; afterwards declined, but is now flourishing. It has 2 churches, a court house, and 2 piers, which afford a safe retreat to fhips. Lon. 75. 35. W.: Lat. 39. 38. N. (5.) NEWCASTLE, a poft town of Maine, in Lincoln county; 192 miles from Boston, and 297 from Philadelphia..

(6.) NEWCASTLE, a poft town of Virginia, in Hanover county, on the SW. bank of the Pamunky; 24 miles NE. of Richmond, 54 NW. of Williamsburg, and 297 from Philadelphia. Lon. 215. W. of that city. Lat. 37. 44. N.

(7.) NEWCASTLE, a borough of Ireland, in the county of Dublin, which has two fairs, 9th May and 8th October. It is 10 miles SW. of Dublin.

(8.) NEWCASTLE, a handfome town of Ireland, in Limerick, on the road to Kerry, 114 miles from Dublin. Here was a religious houfe poffeffed by the knights templars. It is faid they used fome barbarous cuftoms, which greatly difgufted the Irish, who, watching a favourable opportunity, attacked a number of the knights riding out together, and put them to death: the place is ftill remembered where their remains were interred. This order was fuppreffed in the famous council of Vienna, 22d of March 1312. Newcastle confifts of a large fquare, where markets and fairs are held; on the N. fide stands a market houfe, with an affembly-room; on the S. fide is a church, which is the neatest in the county, finished at the fole expenfe of Lord Courtenay. It ftands clofe to the walls and fortifications of the knights templars, of which one of the cattles is fitted 'up for Lord Courtenay's agent.

(9-12.) NEWCASTLE is alfo the name of 4 fmall towns of Ireland, in Down, Dublin, Meath, and Waterford.

(13.) NEWCASTLE, a village of Salop, near Clun Foreft.

(14.) NEWCASTLE, a town of S. Wales, in Caermarthenshire, on the Tivy, with an old fort,

and

and a market on Friday; 17 miles NW. of Caermarthen, and 219 WNW. of London. Lon. 4. 30. W. Lat. 52. 4. N.

(15.) NEWCASTLE, a town on the N. coaft of the ifle of Nevis; 6 miles NNE. of Charlestown. (16.) NEWCASTLE BAY, a large bay of the Pacific Ocean, on the NE. coaft of New Holland. (17.) NEWCASTLE UNDER LINE, a town of Staffordshire, on a branch of the Trent, 13 miles N. of Stafford, 33 SSE. of Warrington, and 149 NNW. of London. It had a castle, now in ruins; and is fo called from an older caftle, which for merly food two miles off, at Chesterton under Line. It was incorporated by Henry I. and again by Q. Elizabeth and Charles II. and is governed by a mayor, two juftices, two bailiffs, and 24 common councillors. The cloth trade flourishes here; but its chief manufactory is hats. The streets are broad and well paved, but most of the buildings low and thatched. The market is on Monday; fairs on Eafter-Monday, Whit-Monday, July 6, firft Monday in Sept. and Nov. 6, for cattle. It has alfo a great market for beafts every other Monday. The corporation has a court, which holds pleas for actions under L.40. Its caftle, of which there is little to be now feen, was built in the reign of Henry III. It had four churches formerly, now reduced to one, the town having suffered much in the barons wars. There are frequent horfe-races in the neighbourhood, though it is furrounded with coal pits; particularly one at Hamley Green. It is fofter than the cannel-coal, and is cut out in dices; but confumes fo faft, that it is only fit for forges. The greatest quantity of ftoneware is made near this place of any part of England; fo that, one year with another, they are faid to export 20,000l. worth of it. Lon. 2. 2. W. Lat. 53. 12. N.

(18.) NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, the capital of the county of Northumberland, 14 miles NW. of Durham, 94 N. of York, 63 S. by E. of Berwick, 60 E. of Carlifle, 271 N. by E. of London. It is feated at the end of the Picts wall, on the N. fide of the Tyne, over which it has a stately bridge into the bishopric of Durham, in which its fuburb called Gatefide is fituated; for the liberties of Newcaftle extend no farther than the great iron gate upon the bridge, which has the arms of the bishop of Durham carved on the E. fide, and thofe of Newcaftle on the W. fide. It is admitted to have been a Roman station, though no evidênce now appears, except at Pandon gate, whofe fuperftructure is of different workmanship and model from any others of the town, the arches being circular. The carpenter's tower is alfo of Roman original. In the Saxons time it was called Moncafler, from the monks here, who all fled when it was depopulated by the Danes; and afterwards Newcastle, from a caftle built here by William the Conqueror's fon, Robert, in 1080, to defend the country against the Scots, whofe kings had this town before the Norman conqueft, and fometimes refided in it. Several monafteries and houfes were built foon after the caftle; and it was greatly enlarged and enriched by a good trade to the coafts of Germany, and by the fale of its coal to other parts of England; for which, and other merchan dize, it is the great emporium of the N. of Eng.

land, being the largest town in thofe parts, next to York. In the reign of Edward I. it was burnt by the Scots; but a very rich burgher who was taken prifoner, foon ranfomed himself for a good fum of money, and began the firft fortifications of the place, which he extended from Sandgate to Pampedon, and thence to the Auftin friars gate; which the townfmen finished, and encompassed with ftout walls, two miles in extent, wherein are 7 gates and many turrets, with feveral cafements bomb-proof. Two other gates were added in modern times, viz. Bridgegate and Sandgate. It is a borough at least as ancient as king Richard II. who granted that a fword fhould be carried before the mayor; and king Henry VI. made it a town and county incorporate of itself, independent of Northumberland. Henry VII. built a monaftery here for the Francifcans; befides which, it had feveral other religious foundations, which have been converted into companies halls. In the reign of Henry VIII. this city is faid to have exceeded, in the ftrength and magnificence of its works, all the cities of England, and most places in Europe. It is governed by a mayor, 12 aldermen, a recorder, fheriff, town-clerk, a clerk of the chambers, 2 coroners, 8 chamberlains, a fword-bearer, a water-bailiff, and 7 ferjeants. Its fituation towards the river is very uneven, being built upon the declivity of a steep hill, and the houfes very clofe. The caftle overlooks the whole town. That part built by Robert was of great ftrength, and furrounded by two walls: the fquare was 62 feet by 54, and the walls 13 feet thick, within which was a chapel. The outward fort fications are now defaced, and their fite crowded with buildings. The tower remains entite, on a lofty eminence. This caftle belongs to the County, is now the county prifon, and in the great hall the judges hold their affizes. Here John Baliol king of Scotland did homage to king Edward I. 1292;' as did Edward Baliol in 1334 to king Edward III. Here is a magnificent exchange and a customboufe; and the finest quay in England, except that at Yarmouth, being 700 yards long. There is a handfomel manfion-houfe for the mayor, who is allowed roool. a-year, befides a coach and barge. The old bridge was carried away in a flood, and the present was erected about 1775, of 9 noble elliptic arches. With the old bridge 22 houfes were thrown down, and 6 lives loft. It was originally built of wood; but having been burnt in 1248, was rebuilt of ftone, of 12 arches, three of which on the N. fide were closed up, and ferved for cellars. It was rebuilt about 1450, and crowded with wooden buildings; but hear the middle was a tower with an iron gate, ufed as a prifon. A ftrong building croffed the bridge, which was used as a magazine. On the S. front was a ftatue of king Charles II. The water which deftroyed this bridge, on Nov. 11, 1771, was upwards of 12 feet above high water mark in fpring tides. On deftroying the piers of the old bridge to erect the prefent, from medals found, part of it appears to have exifted from the time of the Romans. Above 6000 keelmen are employed here, who have formed themselves into a friendly fociety; and, by their contributions, built a noble hofpital, containing 50 chambers,

for

Shields, where they are pickled, and fent to London. At the affizes here in 1743, two old men were fubpoenaed as witneffes from a neighbouring village, viz. one 135, and his fon 95, both hearty, and having their fight and hearing; and in 1744 one Adam Turnbull died in this town, aged 112, who had four wives, the laft of whom he had married when he was near 100 years old. The annual customs at this port, stated by Mr Brand, in his Hiflory of Newcastle, at 41,000l. is now confiderably above 70,000l. The coals carried out of it annually (on an average from 1785 to 1791) were nearly 448,000 Newcastle chaldrons; the weight 1,187,200 tons. The manufacture of earthen ware is greatly increased, and carried to perfection in 7 potteries; fome of which employ upwards of 100 perfons. Extenfive manufactures of iron are alfo eftablished, as well as a capital manufactory for white lead, milled lead, &c. The trade with the Weft India islands is alfo increased, Newcastle being most advantageously fituated for the re-exportation of the Weft India produce to the ports on the Baltic, to Germany, Holland, France, &c. It is daily increafing in population and opulence, and is noted for hofpitality. Great improvements have been made in it, by new fireets. To the lift of public edifices of moderni erection, may be added a commodious riding-house, buit by fubfcription. Newcastle lies 107 miles S. of Edinburgh. Lon. 1. 26. W. Lat. 55. N..

for fuch of their fraternity as are poor or infirm. The town is populous, and there are many poor; but it has many wealthy inhabitants, who pay above 4000l. a-year to their relief. It has the greateft public revenue of any town in England, it being computed at no fefs than 80ool. a-year. In 1774, the receipts of the corporation were 20,360l. 98. 8d.; and their disbursements about 19,4451. The number of inhabitants far exceeds 30,000. Here are four churches. That of St Nicholas is a curious fabric, built as a cathedral by David I. king of Scots, 240 feet long, 75 broad, and proportionably high, with a tower steeple, 194 feet in height, of Gothic architecture. St Andrew's, St John's, and All Saints, were lately rebuilt on, the fite of the old ftructures of a circular form. Here are alfo fe. veral meeting houfes, and four charity schools for 300 children; a fine hall for the furgeons, and a large prifon called Newgate; alfo an hofpital for lunatics, another for the lying-in of married women, with a fund raised for the relief of those who are delivered at their own houfes. Here are a well endowed and large infirmary, an affembly room, and a ball room 93 feet by 40: the front is ornamented with fix Ionic pillars, &c. In another part of the town is a new theatre. Here is a very neat fet of baths. A free grammar fchool was granted by James I. from an old foundation of St Mary's hofpital. There were formerly feyeral palaces in this city. The free mafous have an elegant hall, richly ornamented, near Highfriar chair, capable of holding above 4000 brethren, Here is an hofpital for 30 decayed freemen and their widows; and another for the widows of three clergymen and, three, merchants. The Maiden's hofpital, built in 1753, is endowed with 2400l. for fix maidens and fix poor men. Dr Thomlin, a prebendary of St Paul's, and rector of Whicham in Durham, gave a library of above Gooo valuable books to the corporation, and fettled 51. a-year for ever for buying new ones; and Walter Blacket, Efq, member of parliament, built a neat repofitory for them, and fettled 251. a-year on a librarian. The upper or north part of the town is the pleafanteft part, and has three level, well-built, and fpacious ftreets. The river, all the way up from Shields to Newcastle, is broad, the channel safe, and the tide flows with a ftrong current to the town, and far beyond it. In the beginning of the civil wars, in the 17th century, this town was taken, and plun+ dered by the Scots. The glafs works have much bufinefs of the fine fort. It has, also a consider. able manufacture of broad and narrow cloths, and feveral foap-boileries; and is famous for grind ftones, for which there is fuch a demand, that fcarce a fhip fails without them; whence the proverb, "That a Scotfman and a Newcastle grind. ftone travel all the world over." Ships for the coal trade are built to perfection, with great ftrength. Here is a confiderable manufactory of hard-ware and wrought iron. Its markets are on Tuesday and Saturday; its fairs in Auguft and October 29th, both of which laft 9 days. London alone confumes at least 766,887 chaldrons of its coal every year; but the fifh vended in that city by the name of Newcastle falmon, are taken 50 miles farther N. in the Tweed, and brought to

NEWDIGATE,, a, village of Surry, 5 miles SE. of Darking. It has a medicinal fpring, of the fame nature with that of Epfom.

(a.) NEWEL. f. 1. The compass round which the ftaircafe is carried. Let the ftairs to the upper rooms be upon a fair open; newel," and finely railed in. Bacon, 2. Novelty. Spenfer.

(2) NEWEL, in architecture, is the upright poft which a pair of winding ftairs turn about: this is properly a cylinder of stone, which bears on the ground, and is formed by the end of the steps of the winding, ftairs. ད

NEWELL, a town of Lithuania, in Brzesk. NEWENBERG, a town of Germany, in Feldkirch, 3 miles NW. of Feldkirch.

NEWENDEN, a town of Kent, which has a bridge over the Rother, which divides that county from Suffex. It is 4 miles SE. of Cranbrook

(1.) NEW ENGLAND, a late province of the British empire in America, bounded on the N. by Canada, E. by Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean, S. by the Atlantic and Long Island Sound, and W. by New York. It lies in the form of a quarter of a circle. Its W. line, beginning at the mouth of Byram river, which runs into Long Inland Sound at the SW. corner of Connecticut, lat. 41°, runs a little E. of N. until it ftrikes the 45th degree of lat. and then curves to the E. almoft to the gulph of St Lawrence.

(2.) NEW ENGLAND, DISCOVERY AND SETTLE

MENT

upon the right of every individual to act entirely as he pleased, without either the permiffion or approbation of the mother country. All the fub. miffion required of these provinces was merely to acknowledge the kings of England for their fovereigns. Charles II. wifhed to make them more dependent. The province of Maffachuffetts, which, though the smalleft, was the richeft and the most populous of the four, being guilty of some misdemeanour against government, the king feized that opportunity of taking away its charter in 1684: and it remained without one till the revolution; when it received another, which, however, did not anfwer its claims or expectations. (See MASSACHUSETTS, § 2.) The crown referved to itself the right of nominating the governor, and appointed to all military employments, and to all principal pofts in the civil and juridical departments: it allowed the people of the colony their legislative power, and gave the governor a negative voice and the command of the troops, which fecured him a fufficient influence to enable him to maintain the prerogative of the mother country in all its force. The provinces of Connecticut and Rhode-Ifland, by timely fubmiffion, prevented the punishment which that of Maffachusetts had incurred, and retained their original charters. That of Hew-Hampshire had been always regulated by the fame mode of adminiftration as the province of Massachusetts bay. The fame governor prefided over the whole colony, but with regulations adapted to the conftitution of each province. New England now confifts of the States of NEW HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHU SETTS, MAINE, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, and VERMONT. (See these articles.) These states are fubdivided into counties, and the counties into townships.

MENT OF. This country was discovered in the beginning of the 17th century, and called North Virginia; but no Europeans fettled there till 1608. The first colony which was weak and ill directed, did not fucceed; and, for fome time, there were only a few adventurers who came over at times in fummer, built temporary huts for the fake of trading with the favages, and, like them, difappeared again for the reft of the year. At laft fome BROWNISTS, headed by Mr Robinson, (See INDEPENDENTS, § 4.) whom Neal ftyles the Father of the Independents, who in 1610 had been driven from England by persecution, fled to Holland, and fettled at Leyden; but in 1621 determined, with Mr Brewfter affiftant preacher to Mr Robinson, to found a church for their fect in the new hemifphere. They therefore purchafed in 1521, the charter of the English North Virginia company. Forty one families, making in all 120 perfons, landed in the beginning of a very hard winter, and found a country entirely covered with wood, which offered a very melancholy profpect to men already exhausted with the fatigues of their voyage. Near one half perished either by cold, the fcurvy, or other diftrefs. The courage of the reft was beginning to fail, when it was revived by the arrival of 60 favage warriors, who came to them in the spring, headed by their chief. The old tenants affigned for ever to the new ones all the lands in the neighbourhood of the settle. ment they had formed under the name of New Plymouth; and one of the favages, who understood a little English, flaid to teach them how to cultivate the maize, and inftruct them in the manner of fishing upon their coaft. This kindness enab. led the colony to wait for the companions they expected from Europe with feeds, with domeftic animals, and with every affiftance they wanted. At first thefe fuccours arrived but flowly; but the perfecution of the Puritans in England increas、 ed the number of profelytes to fuch a degree in America, that in 1630 they were obliged to form different fettlements, of which Bofton foon became the principal. These first settlers were not merely ecclefiaflics, who had been deprived of their preferments on account of their opinions; nor those fectaries influenced by new opinions, that are fo frequent among the common people. There were among them feveral perfons of high rank, who, having embraced Puritanism, had taken the precaution to fecure themselves an afylum in these diftant regions, They had caufed houfes to be built, and lands to be cleared, with a view of retiring there, if their endeavours in the caufe of civil and religious liberty should prove abortive at home.

(3.) NEW ENGLAND, DIVISION OF. The country was originally divided into four states, which at firft had no connection with one another. The neceffity of maintaining an armed force against the favages, obliged them to form a confederacy in 1643, when they took the name of the United Colonies. In confequence of this league, two deputies from each establishment used to meet in a ftated place to deliberate upon the common affairs of New England, according to the inftructions they had received from the affembly by which they were fent. This affociation laid no conftraint VOL. XVI. PART I.

(4.) NEW ENGLAND, FACE OF THE COUNTRY OF. New England is a high, hilly, and in some parts a mountainous country, formed to be inhabited by a hardy race of free, independent republicans.

The mountains are comparatively fmall, running nearly N. and S. in ridges parallel to each other. Between thefe ridges flow the great rivers in majeftic meanders, receiving the innumerable rivulets and larger streams which proceed from the mountains on each fide. To a spectator on the top of a neighbouring mountain, the vales between the ridges, while in a state of nature, exhibit a romantic appearance. They feem an ocean of woods, fwelled and depressed in its surface like that of the great ocean itself. A richer though lefs romantic view is prefented, when the valleys, by induftrious husbandmen, have been cleared of their natural growth; and the fruit of their labours appears in loaded orchards, extenfive meadows, covered with large herds of theep and black cattle, and rich fields of flax, corn, and the various kinds of grain. These valleys, which have received the expreffive name of INTERVAL lands, are of vari ous breadths from 2 to 20 miles; and by the annual inundations of the rivers which flow through them, there is frequently an accumulation of rich, fat foil, left upon their furface when the waters retire.

(5.) NEW ENGLAND, FIRST SYSTEM OF LAWS IN, AND THEIR FATAL EFFECTS. The inhabiD

tante

tants of New England lived peaceably for a long time, without any regular form of policy. Their charter had indeed authorised them to establish any mode of government they might choose; but thefe enthusiasts were not agreed among themfeives upon the plan of their republic, and government did not pay fufficient attention to them to urge then to fecure their own tranquillity. At length they grew fenfible of the neceffity of a regular legislation; and this great work, which virtue and genius united have never attempted but with diffidence, was boldly undertaken by blind fanatics. It bore the ftamp of the rude prejudices on which it had been formed. There was in this new code a fingular mixture of good and evil. of wisdom and folly. So much however did the latter preponderate that the inftances of injuftice, and fanguinary cruelty, of which they were guilty, in the punishment of witchcraft and other imaginary crimes, are too horrid and too numerous to be related in detail, but their consequence was, that in 1692 a war broke out, marked with as many atrocious acts of violence as occur in history. The prifons were filled, the gibbets left ftanding, and all the citizens involved in gloomy apprehenfions. The most prudent quitted the country ftained with the blood of its inhabitants; and nothing less than the total and immediate fubverfion of the colony was expected, when, on a fud. den, all eyes were opened at once, and the excefs of the evil awakened the minds which it had first tupified. Bitter and painful remorfe was the immediate confequence; the mercy of God was implored by a general faft, and public prayers were offered up to ask forgivenefs for the prefumption of having fuppofed that heaven could have been pleased with facrifices with which it could only have been offended. A perfect calm fucceeded this agitation, and the Puritans of New England have never fince been feized with fo gloomy a fit of enthusiasm.

(6.) NEW ENGLAND, MANNERS AND CHARAC TER OF THE CITIZENS OF. The New England. ers are generally tall, ftout, and well built. They glory, and with juftice, in poffefling that spirit of freedom which induced their ancestors to leave their native country, and to brave the dangers of the ocean and the hardships of fettling a wilder. nefs, Their education, laws, and fituation, serve to inspire them with high notions of liberty. Their jealoufy is awakened at the first appearance of an invasion of their rights. A law, respecting the defcent of eftates which are generally held in fee fimple, which for substance is the fame in all the New England ftates, is the chief foundation and protection of this liberty. By this law, the poitellions of the father are to be equally divided among all the children, excepting the eldest son, who has a double portion. In this way is preferved that happy mediocrity among the people, which, by inducing economy and induftry, removes from them temptations to luxury, and forms them to habits of sobriety and temperance. At the fame time, their industry and frugality exempt them from want, and from the neceflity of fubmitting to any encroachment on their liberties. In New England, knowledge is more generally diffused among all ranks of people, than in almoft

any other part of the globe; arifing from the excellent establishment of fchools in every township. Another fource of information is the newspapers, of which not less than 30,000 are printed every week in New England, and circulated in almost every town and village in the country. A perfon of mature age, who cannot both read and write, is rarely to be found. By means of this general establishment of fchools, the extenfive circulation of newspapers, and the confequent universality of information, every township throughout the country is furnished with men capable of conducting the affairs of their town with judgment and dif cretion. Thefe men are the channels of political" information to the lower clafs of people; if fuch a claís may be faid to exift in New England, where every man thinks himself at least as good as his neighbour, and believes that all mankind are, or ought to be, equal. The citizens from their childhood form habits of canvaffing public affairs, and commence politicians. This natural ly leads them to be very inquifitive. This defire after knowledge, in a greater or lefs degree, prevails throughout all claffes of people in New Eng land: and from their various modes of expreffing it, fome of which are blunt and familiar, bordering on impertinence, ftrangers have been induced to mention impertinent inquifitiveness as a distin guishing characteristic of the people.-Each man alfo has his independent fyftem of politics; and each assumes a dictatorial office. Hence originates that reftlefs, litigious, complaining spirit, which forms a dark shade in the character of New Eng landmen. Before the American war, which introduced into New England a flood of corruptions, with many improvements, the Sabbath was obferved with great ftrictnefs; no unneceffary travelling, no fecular bufinefs, no vifiting, no diverfions were permitted on that facred day. But fince the war, a catholic tolerant fpirit, occafioned by a more enlarged intercourse with mankind, has greatly increased, and is becoming universal. There is one diftinguishing characteristic in this people, the custom of annually celebrating fasts and thanksgivings. The people of New England generally obtain their eftates by hard and perseveing labour: They of confequence know their value, and spend with frugality. Yet in no country do the indigent and unfortunate fare better. Their laws oblige every town to provide a competent maintenance for their poor; and the receffitous ftranger is protected and relieved from their humane inftitutions. In no part of the world are the people happier, better furnished with the neceffaries and conveniences of life, or more independent than the farmers in New England. As the great body of the people are hardy independent freeholders, their manners are congenial to their employments, plain, fimple, and unpolished. Strangers are received and entertained among them with a great deal of artlefs fincerity and friendly unformal hospitality, and remark with pleasure, the honeft and decent respect that is paid him by the children as he pafles through the country Many of the women in New England are hand. fome. They generally have fair, freth, and healthful countenances, mingled with much female fott nefs and delicacy. Those who have had the ad

vantages