New Jersey College Library Ne quid falfi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. EDINBURGH: HE wars, foreign and domeftick, which have ingroffed fo much of THE our attention, being now at an end, this remarkable change in the face of publick affairs, will, we hope, afford us greater room for as ufefil, and more amiable entertainment. And indeed, tho' of all the ftrifes that can embroil mankind, what is commonly called a civil war, excites the most affecting horrors, chiefly because the natural connexions of the combatants are easily feen; yet, if we confider things in the fame unconfined, but juft light, with a late illuftrious author*, we shall doubtless agree with him, that all wars are civil wars; that however different or diftant the battling nations may be, it is fill man fhedding man's blood; and that it were therefore no less to the honour than happiness of humanity, could all wars, of whatever denomination, be buried in eternal oblivion. But, alas! fuch is the depravity of man, fuch too often the policy of princes, that peace is clapt up only in order to the renewing of war, or to provide perhaps for fome private interefts at the expence of publick honour; and fuch the fluctuating ftate of human things, that even the best and most solid peace can ftand but on very unftable foundations. While thofe therefore who are fond of warlike narratives, have fo little eafon to fear a long want of their favourite entertainment, we imagine, that the generality of our readers will be glad to turn away their eyes from the horrid fpectacles MARS has fo long afforded, and fix them upon he more inviting fcenes now offered us by MINERVA; and that our countrymen will return with joy to the culture of her peaceful arts, fo nuch worthier the attention of the human mind, and which alone can deliver and fecure us from ignorance, idleness, and party-spirit, more formidable than foreign foes. Against thefe banes of fociety let us turn all our indignation, all our force, and with every exerted faculty improve the opportunity of peaceable times towards promoting the glorious ends of learning, induftry, and benevolence. Let SCOTSMEN now fhew themfelves truly patriots, and endeavour to fupply to their country the at of a court, and the abfence of fo many of her greatest fons, by promoting, with all their interest and influence, her agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, thofe plentiful fources of publick and private wealth. The advantages accruing from an extenfive trade, are in themselves fo bvious, have been fo often exhibited, and fo vifibly exemplified, parti larly in our fifter-nation, that it is no wonder if fome parts of our couny have already been animated with a laudable emulation: and it is to be hoped, that this fpirit, diffufing itfelf by degrees through the whole, come in time to render SCOTLAND as diftinguished in the mercantile, as fhe is in the martial and learned world. As for agriculture, we need not fpeak its praife, or put our countryin mind, how the greatest heroes of antiquity, as they were often cd from the plough-tail to the head of armies, deemed it not beneath defcend from the triumphal car to the plough again. p of Cambray, in his Dialogues of the dead. But But as the cultivation of lands is an employment equally honr and advantageous, fo the improvement of manufactures has a no rect tendency to the interest and happiness of a nation. What e do they not fave it at home! what wealth do they not bring it f broad! By exciting and rewarding induftrious virtue, how effectu they fupprefs idleness, the prolifick parent of vices! Due encouragement given to any one manufacture, may not. perly be confidered as fo much good feed fown in a country, whic not only a plentiful harvest in kind, but by an infinite, tho' ir fertility, gives rife to a rich increafe of all its fifter-arts. Now what more valuable manufacture than that of printing, treasures of knowledge are fo far wrought into a visible and per form, that what has coft fome felect fpirits the most laborious rel may become the property of multitudes, at an eafy rate? Yet ho the pity, that our geniufes fhould be forced to enrich another cor the manufacture of their productions, for want of nourishment native foil that ENGLAND, fo much fuperior in other branches. fhould almost ingrofs this important article, and even owe it in ft. gree to ScoTSMEN! The kind encouragement however given to our Magazine, as i a great deal of honour, so it has also done fome fmall fervice to our For thereby its proprietors have been enabled to encourage, not labours of CALEDONIAN pens, but the mechanical manufac SCOTSMEN, particularly that curious one of type-founding, an ar lately known in Scotland. Nor can it fail of giving pleasure t SCOTSMAN, to see our Magazine, which has these two years p printed on SCOTS types, vie in beauty, as well as correctness, v work of the fame kind produced by the ENGLISH prefs. And now that the other Magazine which has been published f time at Edinburgh, is dropt, we cannot allow ourselves to fear, countrymen will increafe the balance in the article of books, al much against us, by preferring any of the English monthly collec the SCOTS MAGAZINE: which, having the benefit of those co! themselves, as well as of the publick fources from whence they are needs yield to none of them in any refpect; and, being adapte peculiarly to this part of the united kingdom, may reasonably pected to excel them all in whatever relates to SCOTLAND. Whoever fhall judge any thing exceptionable, either in our m manner, will be pleafed to communicate their obfervations, and afford us an opportunity of correcting or vindicating our conduct may be depended upon, that we fhall always give attention to eve as well as do juftice to every effay with which we fhall be favourt In fine, the indulgent reception our Magazine has hitherto m leaves us no more room to doubt the continuance, if not increaf publick favour, than of our own continually increasing endeav deferve it. EDINBURGH, The SCOTS Magazine. JANUARY, 1748. A fummary or recapitulation of the PUBLICK AFFAIRS of the year 1747. Nthe beginning of 1747, the TURKS being difengaged from the Perfian war, a divan had been called at Conftantinople, in order to confider the nfwers given by the European princes at ar to the offer which the Grand Signior ad fome time before made of his mediaon for terminating their differences. The requent remittances thither from France; he Great Cham of Tartary being invited the divan, which is not ufually done put when fome important war is on the rpet; the railing of magazines and afmbling troops in Walachia on one fide, and fome motions made by the Crim-Tarprson another; were circumstances which pufed the courts of Vienna and Peterf rg fafpect that fomething was medita ng against them. Upon this the Emels-Queen took the precaution of gather gfome forces together about Belgrade Buda; and the Czarina difpatched or ts to the Ukraine, to assemble a body of ,000 men, for watching over the Crimarters. At the fame time both of them red their minifters at Conftantinople, demand a fpecifick declaration from the orte, as to thofe appearances which gave feverally uneafinefs. Thefe minireceived a very favourable anfwer; ich was fuppofed to be in fome meafure wing to the indifpofition of Ofman Paof Carmania, a renegado Chriftian, hown by the name of Count Bonneval, o died on the 23d of March. He was dief of the bombardiers, and had long ued all his influence for procuring the Ottoman arms to be employed against fuch ghbouring powers as were difpofed to fruct the views of France. Soon after, te treaties which formerly fubfifted bemeca the Porte, and the courts of Vienand Petersburg, were renewed, with all VOL. X, the marks of mutual friendship; and the Grand Signior was fo complaifant as to depofe the two tributary Princes of Moldavia and Crim-Tartary for the offence they had given to thofe courts. The EmprefsQueen had thus an opportunity of send→ ing her regular troops to the places where they were moft needed; but, ftill to be prepared against a furprise from that or any other quarter, fhe ordered the militia of Hungary and Bohemia to be fo regulated and exercifed, as always to have a body of 100,000 men in these two kingdoms.-A late revolution in PERSIA has again drawn the attention of the Porte on that fide. The famous Thamas KouliKan being murdered by his fubjects, and his nephew Ali-Kouli-Kan elevated to the throne of that empire, with the title of Adil, or, the Juft, this prince has given the Grand Signior ftrong affurances, that he will punctually obferve the articles of the peace lately concluded. With this the court of Conftantinople appears to be much pleafed; but at the fame time has refolved to keep an army of obfervation on the frontiers, till the Perfian government be more thoroughly fettled, and the reigning Shah's character better known.Our latest advices bear, that a rebellion againft the Ottoman authority, which the Beys of Egypt had been meditating for feveral years bygone, has at length broke out like a torrent; that the rebels were incamped in the neighbourhood of Grand Cairo, with an army of 130,000 men; and that, to quell this infurrection, the Porte has been obliged to fend thither a great many troops, both from Europe, and from the army in Afia; fo that the Chriftian powers have at prefent a fair profpect of being quite easy on that fide. Early in the year the court of RUSSIA A obtaine |