THE

SCOTS MAGAZINE.

CONTAINING,

A GENERAL VIEW

OF THE

Religion, Politicks, Entertainment, &c.

IN

GREAT BRITAIN:

And a fuccinct ACCOUNT of

PUBLICK AFFAIRS

FOREIGN and DOMESTICK.

For the Year MDCCXLII.

VOLUME IV.

Ne quid falfi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.

EDINBURGH: Printed by SANDS, BRYMER, MURRAY and COCHRAN.

'T'

IS highly proper for all British fubjects to be fo far inquifitive into publick affairs as is neceffary to their forming tolerably just notions of the national happiness, and knowing when to put confidence in, or be jealous of those to whom they intruft their lews, and the management of every thing that may affect their general concerns.

Where the prince is abfolute, his fubjects, while they adhere to the fundamentals of their government, have little more to do than blindly obey, and enjoy or fuffer what falls to their lot as the confequence of his wisdom or folly. But in fuch a conflitution as ours, where the people have a great fhare in the legislature, their happiness has a strong dependance upon themselves; and therefore it is their bufinefs to give a ftrict attention to whatver can yield them information for regulating their fentiments and conduct.

It was the voice of the British people, which, within about these twelve months past, bas produced very confiderable revolutions, not only within this island, but through all Europe. The people judged a change in the adminiftration neceffary to put both our foreign and domeftick affairs in a better fituation than they feemed to be for fome time bygone; they called aloud for it; and accordingly chofe for their reprefentatives fuch as they thought to be of the fame opinion. What followed? A prime minifter was divested of fame offices, which, by the publick money passing through his hands, had long given him greater influence than the generality of the nation efteemed fafe; and fo be found it neceffary, or at least prudent, to retire from a house where his management was violently fufpected to have procured fupplies of publick money much larger than needful for any good ends actually ferved by it. Whereas we were formerly told that we had not an ally in the world to fupport us in a neceffary war against our infulting enemies, and felt in experience that we were not feared, fearce confulted or at all regarded by any one state abroad; we are now applied to for adjusting differences between contending kingdoms, and have recovered credit fufficient to form feveral alliances of undoubted power, we hope of no lefs fidelity. So far was the I balance of power from being equally poifed, that France with her adherents lay fo heavy in one fcale as to make the other hang dangling aloft, and needed exert herself but a little totaufe the weights in it jolt up and down for her diverfion, or knock against one another, till they were in danger of being dashed to pieces. Matters are confiderably changed at prefent. Sweden and the house of Auftria were almost alike near to ruin, the one by French friendship, the other by French enmity; the firft has begun to fee through the difguifes of the deluding flatterer, the laft, chiefly by British affiftance, has hitherto been enabled vigorously to repel the violence of the pragmatick invader. The Dutch and feveral of the German powers feem to feel fome twitches of the book that was concealed under the bait thrown out to catch them; fo this, with the friendly applications we have made for quichening their fenfibility, can scarce mifs to cause them difgorge bath before they be irrecoverably intangled.

Whether things ball go on fuitably to thefe hopeful beginnings, muft greatly depend upon the fleadiness of our measures, for ftrengthening the cause of those whofe intereft it is to be our friends, till they regain their proper weight; and endeavouring fo far to reprefs the infolence of our natural enemies, that they may fee the folly of attempting to impofe laws upon all their neighbours.

It is to be prefumed that the prefent miniftry, who inveighed against the weak counfels and profufiom of the laft, will purfue the fchemes which themselves immediately advised, with as much spirit and as small expences as may be; that the people will chearfully con cur with their purses and hands to give all neceffary affiftance towards the execution of

what

what they lately difcovered fuch keenness should be refolved upon. The miniftry must have exceeding narrow views, if they confine their attention wholly to dangers at a distance, and neglect the promoting of wholfome laws, and the fecuring of our liberties at home: the people, when lavishing their blood and treasure, will expect fome fuitable returns-that their most valuable interefts fhould be confulted; and will be looking sharply about them, to obferve if the change is upon the whole like to turn out for the better or worse.

Liberty has a moft sweet relish to all who have tafled it. How agreeable is it to be flaves to the abfolute will of no man! to be defended against the arbitrary proceedings of the most powerful and wealthy by the judgment of our equals! to be governed by laws made by the united wisdom of the whole, and which every individual may propose the amendment of, if found grievous or inconvenient! to have the freedom of faying and acting whatever an unprejudiced understanding and a brave boneft heart can dictate!

A free people will always have divided fentiments in many cafes: but when they are in effect happy or miserable, the generality will agree in the fame fenfe of either, and probably in determining who the perfons are to whom the one or the other is justly to be afcribed. They may be trouble fome to a weak or ill-advised prince, may pull down deftrution upon a wicked and rapacious adminiftration; but by rulers of an oppofite character will be managed with the greatest eafe, to the mutual honour and advantage of both. For gentle treatment they will return obfequioufnefs and love; they will venture every thing for the fake of those whom they look upon as their fathers and guardians; and the thoughts of their country endeared to them by the delicious liberty they enjoy in it, will inSpire them with both alacrity and courage in its defence against all aggreffors. Hence the maintaining of liberty limited only within the bounds of good order, should be the con-. ftant care of all generous princes, all difinterested minifiers, and all wife fubjects.

Whether things would by this time have worn as promifing an afpect under the condut of our late managers as they now do, or how far this collection, by the information it has afforded the publick, may have contributed towards a change; what tendency it may have to promote a warm zeal for liberty, and at the fame time to render it confiftent with due obedience to the laws; or to fhew the fent adminiftration, when in power, the propriety of juflifying their profeffions while out of it, are points which we cannot pretend to determine. But this we may freely affirm, that we have been at a good deal of pains to give a juft reprefentation of the most important transactions both at home and abroad; that, to the best of our judgment, we have inferted the arguments of most weight advanced to fupport either fide of every question that we have taken notice of, when they could be brought within the bounds of a collection like this, confifting of fuch variety; and that we have made it our business, not to draw our readers into any particular opinion about things, but to lay materials before them that they may be enabled to judge for themselves.

The fritteft impartiality has been defigned, and we hope in great measure observed. The inftruction and entertainment of our readers have been our conftant care; their countenance and encouragement have hitherto more than answered our expectations; we shall at least have the fenfe to be grateful for their kind reception of our labours, and to confider it as an excitement to future diligence.

Our fincere thanks are due to our correfpondents, whofe affiftance has been of great fervice to us: we intreat the continuance of their favours, and promise them all the candour and fair treatment in our power. Agreeably to the title of our Magazine, we shall always pay the first regard to Scors performances, to the interefts of SCOTLAND, and te every propofal made for advancing them.

EDINBURGH, Dec. 31. 1 7 4 2.

T

JANUARY, 1742.

A Summary of the fate of PUBLICK AFFAIRS at the beginning of the year 1742. HE Emperor of PERSIA, foon after his Indoftan expedition, threatned an irruption into the Turkish territories; but was obliged to poftpone it, in order to fupprefs feveral rebellions among his own fubjects, and the tributaries of Tartary. 'Tis probable, however, that after this active monarch has difengaged himself from domeftick troubles, and quelled his rebellious homagers, he will renew his demands at Conftantinople, and cut himself a paffage to Mecca, unless the Ottomans not only divide their right to Mahomet's fhrine, but give up fome provinces formerly.conquered from Perfia.

The apprehenfions of an attack from Kouli Kan, and their jealoufy of his grow ing power in the Eaft, have diverted the TURKS from intermeddling too much in the affairs of Christendom, tho' urged to it in the strongest manner by a certain negotiating power, who having not concurred in the late convention with Ruffia, as it did in the treaty of Belgrade, endeavoured to render it invalid, and to irritate the Porte to break the peace.

motions, and changes in the ministry, and afterwards made way for one who had an apparent right, to mount the throne.

The Prince of Heffe-Homburg, who 'twas believed fome years ago was to have been married to the Princefs Elizabeth, but afterwards married a princefs of Cantemir, was chief conductor of this revolution. In the reigns of Peter I. the Emprefs Catharine and Peter II. he was placed at the head of the army; but during the two lait reigns he made no figure, being difagreeable to the Duke of Courland. However, he fill retained the affection of the three regiments of life-guards, and by their affiftance he accomplish' his defigns.

141 grenadeers, who fignalized themfelves in the Princefs Elizabeth's cause, are appointed her life-company, and augmented to 300. The private men have the rank of Lieutenants; the Corporals, of Captains; the Serjeants, of Majors; the fix who first appeared in her interest, of Lieutenant-Colonels; the Enfign, of a Brigadeer; the two Second Lieutenants, of Major-Generals; and the First Lieutenant, of a Lieutenant-General: The Prince of Heffe is appointed CaptainLieutenant, and her Majesty is to be Captain; for which purpose the has ordered her grenadeer's cap and Amazon dress to be got ready.

An Italian writer, in affigning the caufes of revolutions in kingdoms, gives the deviating from the line of fucceffion for one;"when [he fays] at leaft great alThe Emprefs went, the 26th of Deterations and commotions may be appre- cember, to the fenate for the first time, hended; especially if the fucceffor is de- and in an elegant speech declared, That fcended of a rival nation; or if the new as the reign of Peter the Great had been the prince's minifters prove avaritious and era of the profperity and glory of the Rufhaughty; or if there be any one in the fan empire, the proposed to re-establish both, nation that has fomething of an apparent by an invariable obfervation of the princiright to the throne." This feems very ples and maxims of that great prince. A nearly to have been the cafe in RUSSIA; Council of war is appointed, of which Pr. where, the line of fucceffion being broke, Dolgorucki is Prefident, and the Prince the reigning prince, his parents and chief of Heffe-Homburg, Marshal Lacy and minifters, by defcent or birth Germans, Gen. Keith, are members. the leading men in the government foreigners, and too much fwayed by ava rice and pride; thefe produced first comVOL. IV.

The court is now preparing for the trial of the Counts Ofterman and Munich. They are charged with having advised the

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Prins