that with very great expedition, and very little extraordinary charge, expence, or hazard. Firft, make a frame of timber, of about two or three inches fquare, the breadth of the frame about two feet, the height about eighteen inches, the length about four feet, more or lefs as you please, as at uu u u, in the plate. Place this frame on two pair of ordinary wheels, like plough wheels. The axle-tree of the two foremoft wheels is to lock on either fide, as doth the fore axletree of a waggon, for reasons hereafter fhewn. The hindermoft axle-tree, being of iron, and fquare in the middle, must be fixed to the center of the wheels, that the axis and wheels may move together: Then, about the middle of the frame, in the bottom, let there be fixed an iron instrument, or of wood pointed with iron, like unto a coulter, made a little spreading at the bottom, in the nature of a fhare, made to pass through two mortifes on the top, for its greater ftrength; and made also to be wedged higher or lower, according as you will have your furrow in depth, as at oo; the use whereof is only to make the furrow: So that you must make the point thereof of breadth only to move the earth, and cast it, or force it, on either fide, that the corn may fall to the bottom of the furrow. Then, over this fhare, or coulter, a little behind it, may a wooden pipe be made, to come from the top of the frame to the lower end of the fhare, tapering downward, as at p, and as near as you can to the fhare, to deliver the corn immediately, as the ground is opened, and before any earth falls in; that what earth does afterwards fall in, may fall on the corn. This pipe is to proceed out of a large hopper fixed on the top of the frame, that may contain about a bushel, as at 9; but fo that the corn may gradually defcend, according to the quantity you intend to beftow on an acre. At the very neck of the hopper, underneath, in the fquare hollow thereof, must be fitted in the edge of a wheel of wood, about half an inch thick, and proportioned to the cavity of the neck, as behind the letter r. The wheel need not be above two or three inches diameter, and fixed on an axis extending from one fide of the frame to the other; on which axis is alfo to be another wheel, with an edge on the circumference thereof, like the wheel of a fpit or jack, as at r, which must answer to another wheel of the like nature and form, fixed on the axis of the hindermoft of the wheels, as at : Then fit a line, (of filk is beft, because it will not be fo apt to fhrink and reach as hemp) about these two 1 wheels, that when the inftrument moves on the hindermoft wheels, by the means of the line, the finall wheel, at the neck of the hopper, may alfo move; which leffer wheel, in the neck of the hopper, may have thort pieces of thick leather fixed in the circumference thereof, like unto the teeth of a jack-wheel, that upon its motion it may deduce the corn out of the hopper, in what proportion you please: For, in cafe it comes too faft, then you may by a wedge at the tenon of the piece where on the hopper rests, as at t, or at the end of the axis of the leffer wheel, force the wheel and hopper together; as, in cafe it feeds too flow, then may you remove them by the fame wedges to a farther distance: Alfo in cafe your line be too flack or too hard, you may prevent either extream by a wedge in the place where the axis of the wheel moves, or by a third wheel, about the middle of the line made to move farther or nearer, as you see cause. Alfo by means of the iron rod vv, fixed to the foremoft axis that is made to lock, may you guide your engine at pleasure; which rod is made crooked at the end of the hopper, left that should injure its mo tion. And at the turning you may lift up your engine by the handles at x; for, whilst you lift it up, the corn feeds not until you fet the fame down again. One horfe and one man may work with this inftrument, and fow land as faft or fafter than fix horfes çan plough; fo that you may with eafe compute the expence, in cafe your inftrument be fingle: But you may in the fame frame have two fhares at twelve inches distance, more or less, as you will have the rows of corn diftant the one from the other; and two pipes out of the fame hopper, and two fmall wheels on the fame axis, with other wheels answerable, every whit as easy to be performed as one; and then you may double your proportion of land in a day. This inftrument will always keep the fame proportion you first set it to, which you must thus contrive. First, know the length of the furrow you fow; then caft up and and rectify the feeder; or you may judge by your own reason, whether it feed too falt or too flow. In cafe it feeds too fast, notwithstanding they be close placed together, you may make that wheel at the lower axis, wherein the line moves, to be less than the upper; then will the motion be flower: And thus may you make it move as flow as you will, by augmenting the upper, and diminishing the lower wheels wherein the line is; and make it move faster by the contrary rule. In cafe you drive apace, it feeds apace; it cafe you drive but flow, it feeds but flowly; here is no error. When you come to any turning at the land's end, by lifting up the hindermoft part of the inftrument, that thofe wheels touch not the ground, the feeding of the corn immediately ceafeth until you fet it down again. Alfo all the corn you fow lies at a certain depth, none too deep, nor any too fhallow. You may place a kind of harrow to follow; but the best way is to have, on each fide each furrow, a piece of wood, a little broad at the end, fet aflope to force the earth rounding on the corn. This may be well placed and fitted to the bottom of this inftrument, juft behind the share, and feeding pipe. By this method of fowing any fort of grain, or pulfe, may be faved the one half, and in fome places more, which by the other way is either buried so deep under clots, that it cannot come up, or elfe is fo fhallow, that the cold in the winter, or draught in the fummer, killeth it, or else lies on the furface as a prey to the fowls of the air; much alfo therefore falls in clufters, twenty or thirty grains where one or two might fuffice, which are common inconveniencies, and ufually happening to the vulgar way of fowing corn; the greater half by far is loft, which in all probability may be faved by the ufe of this very inftrument, which will doubly requite the extra ordinary charge and trouble thereof: For here is no corn fowed under clots, but in rows, as the earth is ftirred and moved; it is all at one certain depth, and at one certain distance, and equally covered, below the injury of froft, and heat, and rapine of birds. Alfo by this way corn may be fown in the very middle or convenient depth of the mould, that it may have the ftrength of the land both below and above the root; whilft, in the other more ufual way, the corn falls to the bottom of the furrow on the gravel, clay, or fuch-like hard ground, where it seldom thrives fo well as what happens to be in the midft. This way also exceeds the way of setting corn, where the pins thrust into the ground harden and fasten the mould, so that, unless. the land be very light, it confines the roots to too narrow a place, which in this way is prevented; as may be observed in garden beans, that those hoed in prove better than thofe fet with a stick. By the use of this inftrument also may you cover your grain or pulse with any rich compoft you fhall prepare for that purpose, either with pigeon-dung dry or granulated, or any other faline or lixivial fubftance, made difperfeable, which may drop after the corn, and prove an excellent improvement: For we find experimentally, that pigeon's dung, fown by the hand on wheat or barley, mightily advantageth it by the common way of husbandry: Much more then might we expect this way, where the dung, or fuch-like fubftance, is all in the fame furrow with the corn; whereas, in the other vulgar way, a great part thereof comes not near it. It may either be done by having another hopper on the fame frame behind that for the corn, wherein the compoft may be put, and made to drop fucceffively after the corn; or it may be fown by another inftrument to follow the former, which is the better way, and may both difperfe the foil, and cover both foil and seed. The corn alfo, thus fown in ranges, you may with much more conveniency go between, and either weed it or hoe it, and earth it up as you think good, and at harvest it will eafily repay the charges. Alfo the fore-wheels being made to lock to and fro on either fide, you may have an upright iron pin fixed to the middle of the axis, extended to the top of the frame: And from thence a fmall rod of iron to come to your hand, with a crooked neck just against the neck of the hopper; by means of which iron rod, you may lock or turn the wheels either way, and guide your inftrument, and rectify it, if it deviate out of its right course. The hopper must be broad and fhallow, that the feed prefs not much harder when it is full, than when it is near empty, left it fow not proportionably. This inftrument, although it may at the first feem myfterious and intricate to the ignorant, yet I am confident it will answer to every particular of what I have written of it; and any ingenious wheel-wright, joiner, or carpenter, may eafily make the fame with very little inftruction, and any ordinary ploughman may use it. The The HISTORY of ENGLAND (Vol. XXIV, Page 203.) continued. While the alterations the new Council was to bring, in the affairs of the Government, were impatiently expected, the Commons were fuddenly alarmed by an information of a fresh defign of the Papifts to burn London a fecond time. The house of one Bird, in Fetter-lane, being set on fire, his fervant, Elifabeth Oxley, was fufpected of firing it on purpofe, and fent to prifon. She confeffed the fact, and declared the had been employed to do it by one Stubbs, a Papift, who had promised her five pounds. Stubbs, being taken up, confeffed he perfuaded her to it; and that father Gifford, his confeffor, put him upon it, telling him it was no fin to burn all the houses of heretics.' He added, that he had frequent conferences on this affair with Gifford and two Irifhmen. Moreover, Stubbs and the maid fervant declared the Papilts were to make an insurrection, and expected an army of fixty thousand men from France. The Commons obtained a pardon for Stubbs and the fervant, in confideration of their ready confeffion; but it was generally inferred from this incident, that it was not Gifford's fault, that the city of London was not burnt, as in the year 1666. This accident produced an address from the Commons to the King, for the execu tion of Pickering the Jefuit, and the other condemned priests. But the Commons ftopped not there; the fame day (March 22, 1678-9) they refolved to fit on the morrow, though Sunday, to confider of means for the preservation of the King's perfon, and the Proteftant religion, against the attempts of the Papifts, both in the reign of the prefent King and his fucceffor. Accordingly, the next morning, they firft ordered a bill to be brought in, to banish all Papists, or reputed Papifts, within London and Westminster, twenty miles from the fame, for fix months; and then they voted, nemine contradicente, That, the Duke of York being a Papift, the hopes of his coming fuch to the crown have given the greatest countenance and encouragement to the prefent confpiracies and defigns of the Papifts against the King and the Proteftant religion. This vote was fent to the Lords for their concurrence. The 25th of April, the Earl of Danby appeared at the bar of the House of Lords, and there produced the King's pardon, for all crimes and offences whatsoever committed before the 28th day of February last; after which he was fent back to the Tower. The Lords having given notice of this to the Commons, they appointed a Committee of fecrecy to examine the nature of the Earl's plea ; who made their report, That there was no precedent of a pardon granted to any perfon impeached by the Commons of high treafon, or other high crimes depending in the impeachment. After this report, the Commons defired the Lords to demand of the Earl of Danby, Whether he would rely upon, and abide by the plea of his pardon? This was the next day; and, the Earl praying time to answer, the Lords allowed him four days. The vote of the Commons, concerning the Duke of York, touched the King very fenfibly, for he faw they did not intend to ftop there; he therefore went to the Parliament, the 30th of April, and, in a fhort speech, recommended to both Houfes the difpatch of three affairs: 1. The profecution of the plot. 2. The difbanding of the army. 3. The providing a fleet for the common fecurity. Then, to give them a proof of his care to preferve their religion for the future, he told them, That he had commanded his Chancellor to mention feveral particulars, which he hoped would be an evidence, that, in all things that concerned the public fecurity, he fhould not follow their zeal, but lead it.' Accordingly, the Chancellor made the following fpeech: 'My Lords, and you the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes of the House of Commons, Tjefty hath taken for the general HAT royal care, which his Ma quiet and fatisfaction of all his fubjects, is now more evident by these new and fresh inftances of it, which I have in command to open to you. His Majefty hath confidered with himfelf, that it is not enough, that your religion and liberty are fecure during his own reign; but he thinks he owes it to his people, to do all that in him lies, that these bleffings may be tranfmitted to your pofterity, and fo well fecured to them, that no fucceffion, in after-ages, may be able to work the leaft alteration: And therefore his Majefty, who hath often said, in this place, that he is ready to confent to any laws of this kind, fo as the fame extend not to alter the defcent of the crown in the right line, nor to defeat the fucceffion,' hath now commanded this to be further explained. Kk 2 And, |