How far the law allows us in this liberty, we cannot pofitively dete mine; but if we may judge from analogy, and if the permiffion of a open practice in greater things implies the like in leffer, the extent of is as large as can be defired. Principles, the belief of which is generall acknowledged neceffary to falvation, are examined, and even impugned confequently it fhould be expected, that all questions of a political na ture, as being of much lefs importance, may be canvaffed with the grea eft freedom. If the law forbids writing upon any one fide of a queftion it must be understood abfolutely to forbid writing at all on that fubjec in the way of reafon and argument. For whenever a man begins to dea in reafoning, he ipfo facto fubmits what he advances to the judgment thofe to whom he addreffes himfelf: and if people are allowed to judg in a cafe, they cannot confiftently be denied the liberty of propofin their difficulties or objections; because to bid them judge before thef are heard and anfwered, must mean that they fhould determine contrar to the reasons that have been offered them, or elfe that they fhould b convinced of their strength without conviction. So that either liberty o a prohibition to reafon upon one fide of a fubject, neceffarily fuppofes the fame refpectively on the other. If a man fhews the inconclufiveness o an argument, even tho' brought in fupport of a good caufe, it is not he but the person who used it, that ought to be confidered as the delinquent if either of them fhould: for the endeavouring to ferve a good caufe by weak arguments, does harm; fince fome people may poffibly fuppof thefe to be its chief fupports, and if they fee them vanish into fmoak which they are always in danger of doing, they are apt to fly from the caufe, as imagining it ruined; whereas, if no infufficient props had been ufed, the folid foundation would alone have been attended to, and would ftill have appeared in its native strength.

But while we contend for liberty, we would not be thought to approve of licentiousness in writing. There is a certain decorum to be obferved in treating of important matters, and in examining the works of others, efpecially of any fociety established by the laws of a country, which whoever violates, tho' he cannot thereby hurt truth, yet he discovers a petulancy of difpofition, which draws upon him the merited difefteem of wife and good men even of his own party. For a pattern of writing to thofe who would candidly fearch for and impart the knowledge of fimple truth, we might recommend the letters annexed to Dr CLARKE's book on the divine attributes.

To us the principles above laid down appear fo juft, that we prefume they will be controverted by very few; but we can fcarce hope for fo general an agreement as to our practice being strictly conformable to them. Amidft fuch a multitude of papers as are published in Britain, efpecially during thefe generally interesting scenes, fome of them muft efcape our notice; and of those which we judge moft proper for fuch a collection as ours, where variety is one thing defigned, different men will have different opinions. Tho' our choice fhould be approved by many good judges, yet feveral perfons may like papers not inferted better than fome of thofe that are; and others may be difpleafed if they find

any

any thing has been left out that hits their taste, without confidering, that as we are confined in quantity, and must have an eye to the different parts of our plan, we have not room for every good performance, tho' of but a moderate extent. As to the historical part, accounts of fome remarkable events may never come to our knowledge of those which do, fome that are in fact true, may be fupported by fuch weak evidence as we cannot reasonably depend upon; while others may be attended with fuch marks of credibility as to induce belief, and after all be falfe. Hence proceed omiffions and mistakes, which perfons of warm tempers find it very difficult to make just allowance for, when they think their own caufe fuffers by them.

The ftrictest impartiality, with regard to both arguments and facts, we have already acknowledged to be our duty, and fhall always endeavour to conduct ourselves accordingly. But impartiality is a difpofition as ne、 ceffary, and perhaps as rarely to be met with, in a reader, as in a writer or collector. If a reader is impartial, studying only to find and follow truth, he will be fo far from flying into a violent paffion, that he will not take the least offence at those who publish the strongest arguments that can be framed against his own opinions. He will coolly confider what is advanced: if convincing, he will yield to it; if not, he will point out where a proper answer may be met with, or perhaps write an anfwer to it himfelf: at any rate, tho' he should neither be fully convinced by the argu ments adduced in opposition to his present sentiments, nor be able diftinctly to fhew their weakness, he will calmly wait till he can see more light thrown upon the subject; and in the mean time will be fo far from blaming, that he will commend every man for examining all queftions of importance with the greatest exactness he can, and for helping others tó do the like. In judging of facts, the fame kind and degree of evidence that makes him believe any thing of his own party, will likewife engage him to credit what is faid of his adverfaries, whether it make for or against him; and he will be equally ready to hear and relate truth of both. Nor fhould fuch candour make a man's fteadiness be fufpected: for the fteadieft friend to a good cause must be he who is most inviolably attached to truth and right; who will be induced to change fides by folid reasons, and by nothing else. Did every reader confider these hints, and compare his own temper and conduct with them, they might help to fhew how far himself were impartial; and till one has attended to this, he is but ill qualified for paffing a true judgment on the impartiality of others.

For our part, if a paper writ with particular juftness on an importanţ fubject is not inferted, or if a material fact is mifreprefented or omitted, we shall reckon ourselves obliged to any one who will point out fuch pa per, or help us to rectify mistakes or fupply defects. If the advices of fered us be not always literally followed, it will be owing to our having different apprehenfions as to the merit of the paper recommended, or the expediency of inferting it, or as to the certainty or importance of the facts condefcended upon. This will not, however, hinder us from efteeming our kind monitors as friends to truth, or from making the best use we can of the hints they favour us with; if not at the time, yet perhaps afterwards.

wards. For as to ferving any one fide, we profess to be of none in t capacity we here appear in; and if it were otherwife, we believe the cl fer people keep to truth, they ferve their own fide the better.

The hiftorical part, to which we always give the preference, has b come more and more interesting every year since the commencement this work. When it was begun, Great Britain was at peace with h neighbours and within herfelf: but within a few months fhe entered in a war with Spain; next, fhe became engaged as an auxiliary to the Quee of Hungary; foon after, a war broke out between her and France; ar now, additional to all these, which still fubfift, she has a civil war ragir in her own bowels. During this time, most of the other princes ar ftates in Europe, the Turks and Perfians, &c. have likewife been, an feveral of them still are involved in the calamities of war. We have cor. ftantly endeavoured distinctly to represent the rise and progress of all re markable tranfactions, giving more than ordinary attention to the trouble in our own country; and as the materials for our collection are daily rifin in importance, we shall study to pay a proportioned regard to them.— Every volume begins with a fummary view of publick affairs at the time in which the principal tranfactions of the preceeding year are exhibite within a small compafs, for throwing light upon our fubfequent article of history, and rendering them intelligible without looking farther back a thing of fingular ufe to those who have not the former volumes.

We flatter ourselves that the Gentlemen whose essays we make use o are fatisfied we do them juftice. If there is room, we infert the paper. entire; if not, then, with all the accuracy and judgment we are master of, we give fuch extracts or abstracts as may enable our readers to judg of the writer's intention, and conceive of the cafe as he puts it. Very often, when a former part of our Magazine tends to explain, illustrate or even confute a fubfequent article, we refer to it; and fometimes we give fuch excerpts of a paper not inferted, as are neceffary to make one that is, diftinctly understood.-In writing remarks upon a paper that is in every body's hands, one needs only refer to the paragraphs to be remark ed upon: but if the remarks are inferted, and not the paper, in a colle tion, it may be neceffary, in order to fhew the juftnefs of the reasoning, to infert likewise fome parts of the paper, efpecially where the argument turns upon the meaning of a word or fentence.

But to bring this long addrefs to a conclufion: We acknowledge ourfelves obliged to our encouragers and correfpondents by all the ties of duty, inclination, gratitude, and intereft; and we affure them, that the continuance of their approbation, is, next to the deserving of it, our greatest ambition.

EDINBURGH, Dec. 31.

1745.

Pag. 150. col. 1. 1. 32. for Campbell read Carmichael.
Pag. 440. col. 2. 1. 24. for Lieut. in fome copies, read Lucey.

T

Ammary of the fate of PUBLICK AF- already made for fettling it; but this feems FAIRS at the beginning of the year 1745. to be a piece of news calculated only to HE author of the WESTMIN- put the difcontented people into temper. STER JOURNAL has given us The Porte having fuch difficulties to a recapitulation of the publick ftruggle with, may partly account for the affairs of last year, which we readinefs the fhewed to fatisfy the Ruffian have inferted entire in our Appendix to court for fome offence the Tartars had 1744 As it feems to be an imitation of given, by depofing and banishing their bur fummaries, and is pretty full and dif Khan. These fame reafons may perhaps int, we might be excufed faying any have likewife contributed, no less than the thing here on that head, were it not that ftrict regard fhe has profeffed for folemn this volume may poffibly fall into the treaties, to make her refift the folicitations hands of fome young readers, who have of both her own intereft and fome foreign not feen the one immediately preceeding. powers to attempt fifhing in the troubled For their fakes, therefore, we fhall rather affairs of Hungary. be guilty of what may be called a repetition, than that they fhould not be, in fome meafure, acquainted with the pre fent ftate of thofe countries to which our future biflory will probably relate.

Through the whole last year, hoftilities have never ceafed between the TURKS and PERSIANS. The former acted only on the defenfive, and appear to have kept the field with extreme reluctance, occafioned by the violent factions and broils with which they are torn at home. It does not feem as if the claim they caufed be laid to the reigning Schah's throne, has anfwered the end they propofed by it. A bloody battle was fought near Kars; and what may help us to determine which fide had the advantage is, that the commanding Bahaw with difficulty got into this town. It ftands near the Euphrates, is ftrongly fortified, and kept by a numerous garrifon, to be a check upon the Perfian incurfions. The enemy laid fiege to it, and, if they are retired, without carrying it, as is affirmed, it is generally thought to be on account of the advanced feafon, when that country is liable to grand inun dations. As Kouli Kan has not met with the fuccefs he might expect in extending his conquefts, either this or the preceeding year, the Turks give out that he is now difpofed to peace, and that fome fteps are

VOL. VII.

1

RUSSIA, after the acquifition of honour and territory, continues to reap the fruits of peace. The requifition of troops, made by the King of G.Britain, according to treaty, met with a very civil answer? but at the fame time, the advancednefs of the feafon was alledged as an excufe for their not marching. About the middle of fummer, the French intereft at Peterf burg feemed to be entirely ruined, by the difcovery of a new plot to fubvert the prefent government, which had been hatched by the Marquis de la Chetardie, who had formerly been his Moft Chriftian Majefty's minifter at that court, and then treated with particular regard. The Marquis himself was, immediately upon this, ordered out of the empire, with marks of the highest indignation. But as, at this time, he had fallen upon means to delay his appearance in a publick character, her Imperial Majefty was pleafed to charge the crime on him alone, and fuppofe his mafter ignorant of the whole. So no evidences of national refentment appeared; and, not long after, M. d' Allion, who had retired, was permitted to return. However, when this confpiracy began first to be fufpected, the Princess Anne of Mecklenburg, with her husband, and her young fon the late Emperor John, who loft his crown by the laft revolution, were remo

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ved