HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. INTRODUCTION. A curfory View of the prefent Political State of Europe, concluded from page 280. What remains to be faid of the other European States, may be comprised in a very avery few words. Portugal, WISE from the feverities fhe fuffered from the last war she had with Spain, has been contented to obferve a firm neutrality, while all around her were engaged in war.—But fuch a langour there pervades every department, arifing from a long continued erroneous fyftem of finance and political regimen, that neither literature, commerce, agriculture, nor arts, have made those advances which are neceffary to give energy to the minds of the people. The Royal Society of Lisbon, endeavour, by premiums, to turn the attention of the nation to fome interesting subjects. But the effect of these have not yet been fo great as could be wifhed. Should government cherifh that fociety, and continue to fend fome of her ingenious youth to be educated in foreign parts, as has been, in a few cafes, done, their efforts, though flow, may in time produce beneficial effects. Switzerland,-Savoy, and Italy, ALL enjoy a state of profound tranquillity at prefent. Their eyes are turned towards France. The attention of the fovereigns are all awake for their felf-prefervation,and every ambitious project seems to be fufpended. The inhabitants of property in those states, which had moft connection with France, of Geneva in particular, have experienced a fad reverse of fortune, from the revolution in France, for the prefent; and they dread the future confequences. Tempted by the high rate of intereft that was held out to them in the French funds, they there lodged all the money they could com mand; for which, fince the fufpenfion of the former government, they have got nothing. This has reduced many wealthy families from opulence to extréme indigence; but as the calamity is nearly univerfal, they bear with and endeavour to comfort each other. Rome trembles for her fafe ty: Avignon is ravished from her: The foundations of her power are fhaken; and fhe looks around her, on every fide, with the most fufpicious watchfulness. Nor are the other ftates in a fituation greatly different. All open exertions, therefore, of defpotic power, are fufpended, and will probably never be again exercifed. The American States, UNDER the influence of Mr. Washington, who exhibits a character, that in the eyes of a refined Italian politician, would have appeared chimerical, are making large ftrides to correct the evils that originate from their local situation and political circumstances. While the people are young, and while virtuous principles in their governors, and virtuous habits can be found among the people, their energies may be fufficient to over-rule the influences of thofe political evils to which they are naturally exposed; but should this continue till industry begets wealth, and wealth luxury, and luxury corruption of manners, and corruption of manners depravity of heart, what is to preferve the people from that corruption that must be expected to arife in every government? They do not feem, as yet, to have turned their eyes to this fide of the picture; otherwife provifion would have been made to guard againft it. The nation whofe fafety depends on the virtue of its ruling powers alone, is in a very precarious ftate indeed. In this fituation the American states are too much circumftanced: Wafhington would perhaps have been the greateft character that has appeared in this or any other nation, had he had the fortitude to guard against this evil. But it is fo much more agreeable for an upright mind fimply to doright himself, and diffufe immediate happiness around him, rather than to fufpend that happiness by guarding against future contingencies of a difagreeable fort that is perhaps too great a facrifice to expect any man to be able to make. It is much to be regreted, that the preffure of the prefent moment, added to the prejudices of the times, fhould have ever fo far prevailed, as to oblige fome of thefe ftates to adopt a legal fufpenfion of the payment of debts. Idonot condemn this measure fo much, becaufe of its influence on commerce, and its exciting a diftruft among other nations, though thefe are much greater political evils, than that which it was intended to remove: But it is because it tends to vitiate the moral principle, and to corrupt the heart of the people themfelves, that it merits the utmost feverity of reprehenfion from the enlightened politician. In an infant ftate, every evil fhould be fubmitted to, rather than to allow the people to think it poffible for any circumflance to give the fmalleft mark of toleration to a meafure that had but the fhadow of injuftice. I should not have been furprised to have feen this in an old corrupted government; but here they have begun where other states have ended. Eaft Indies. OUR territories in India are yet extenfive; and like a perfon who is on the eve of bankruptcy, to a fuperficial observer, they appear great and brilliant objects; but their remaining in our poffeffion, depends rather on the faults of others than our own exertions. Had not Tippoo Saib been a brutal monster, it is not impoffible, but at this moment we should not have had a footing in India. His vices fight against him, and aid us. But every defeat adds to the ftrength of the native powers in India; and fo foon as a man of talents and virtue fhall appear among them, the European power in India muft cease. This is the unavoidable confequence that muft ever refult from the crooked policy engendered by vice and weakness, which has got footing in India under the name of state neceffity. This fyftem, when once adopted, diffolves all human ties, and leaves nothing but fear as the principle of action. But fear engenders perfidy, that is continually ready to burft, before it gives any warning, on the head of the unworthy oppreffor, or if that should fail, it ferves as a principle of union, to connect together people of the moft oppofite characters and interefts, in order most effectually to crush him. It is happy that heaven hath thus annexed punishment to guilt, which no more can be feparated than the fhadow from its fubftance. INDEX INDICATORIUS. THE editor borrows this phrafe from a popular periodical work of long ftanding. Under this head, he propofes from time to time to throw together fuch observations, culled from the letters of his correspondents, as feem to be deferving of notice; though they do not merit a separate publication in the form they have been fent; and to make fuch acknow. ledgments and remarks upon the communications fent, as appear to be more deferving notice, than those configned to the blue covers of this work. As the editor has been favoured with a great many communications, apparently from young writers, he begs leave to preface this department of his work, with a few general observations calculated for their benefit. Young people are generally induced to write from one of two motives, viz. a defire to display their own talents, or a wish to communicate to others information concerning fome particular, that they think will prove entertaining or useful to them.-Too often, early in life, the first of these motives is the principal stimulus; and when that is the cafe, it feldom fails that their fond hopes are fruftrated. Writing is an art that requires practice to bring it to perfection. This practice beginners must always want; on which account, their first productions, in moft cafes, are extremely difgufting to men of tafte; fo that unless there be fome bafis of useful difquifition at the bottom to atone for this difguft, instead of being admired, they are only defpifed: But if an ingenious youth feels his mind ftrongly impreffed with fome leading ideas, which he wishes to deve lope to others, he will, in this cafe, for the most part express himself with a becoming diffidence, that conciliates good will; and on account of the original thoughts that occur, every good-natured reader will be difpofed to overlook the little inacuracies that must be expected to arise from inexperience. When a young man is therefore about to communicate his fentiments in any way to the public, let him first ask himself this simple question: "Is it merely because I wish to shine, that I take up the pen? Or do 1 feel certain ideas in my mind, that I do not perceive are familiar to others, which I should have a pleasure in communicating to them, as I think they will contribute either to their welfare, emolument, or fatiffaction of mind?" If the first question be answered in the affirmative, let him abandon his project at the time, and I will answer for it he never will have reason to repent of it. But if his mind fairly acquits him of vanity, let him select for a subject that which impreffes his mind the most forcibly and frequently; let him think of it often before he puts his thoughts to paper; and when at laft he does write, let him try to exprefs himself in the plaineft language he can, without ornamental flourishes, or an attempt at the frippery of fine writing, which usually, at a tender age, makes fo ftrong an impreffion on the imagination. Let those who feel a predeliction for verse, be informed, that among all the trifling acquirements a young perfon can aim at, that of making * The Gentlemen's Magazine. Z z VOL. I. rhimes, is one of the easiest and at the fame time the most infignificant. Young people, in general, think it a proof of extraordinary ge nius, if they can put two or three lines together, that fhall run, in any measure, like verses; and whenever they can do this, they think fo much of it, as never to be fatisfied, till they fee it in print. In this refpect, they judge erroneously. The faculty of meafuring a few fyllables, is a thing that any perfon, with a tolerably just ear, can easily attain. But a poetic talent, which confifts in a lively imagination, an ardent vigour of mind, a quick nefs of perception, and a faculty of combining objects together, fo as to form new and ftriking images, is as rare as the other is common; but it is this laft alone, which forms the poet. Would our youthful rhimers attend to this diftinction, it would check their vanity in fome degree, and make them hefitate, before they became candidates for the title of poets, merely because they had made a few smooth and uninterefting lines. Thefe general remarks premifed, the editor proceeds to the task he has affigned to himself under this department. Viator, who writes from Berwick, as if on his return from a tour through Scotland, complains of the low ftate as to food and wages of the labourers in Scotland, and contends, with great warmth, that their wages fhould be augmented. But has he adverted to the fituation of thofe who have the wages to pay? Before reformations of this fort can be prudently attempted, many particulars require to be adverted to, that do not occur to a hafty traveller. And in every country, where perfect freedom is allowed to individuals, to follow what business they incline, things of this fort will inevitably find their natural level, without the regulating efforts of any man. T. offers an hypothefis concerning the human foul that is not intelligible to us; which, for that reafon, we decline offering to our readers; Metaphifical difquifitions, unless very fhort and very clear, will be fparingly admitted, as tending only to engender difputes, without leading to any useful conclufions. 7. Sville proposes as a query, whether, if a perforation were made through the centre of this earth, and a ftone dropped from the furface of the globe into that vacuity; the stone, by its increased velocity, when it reached the centre, would not have acquired fuch an impetus, as to enable it to rife, on the other fide, as at firft; and fo on continue vibrating for ever? 2. He afks, what is the nature of the gelatinous fubftance, called by the country-people, a shot star? 1 Verus obferves, by way of answer to a remark in The Mirror, that Dean Swift did not know the favourable opinion the Duchefs of Marlborough had entertained of the author of Gulliver's Travels, otherwise it was not probable, he would have left a fevere invective against her to be published after his death. But in this conjecture, he alleges the elegant writer of that effay has been mistaken; for Swift was really informed of this circumftance by his friend Gay, who writes thus to Swift, 17th November, 1726. "The Duchefs dowager of Malborough is in raptures with it, (Gulliver's Travels). She fays fhe can dream of nothing Alfe fince the read it. She declares, that the hath now found out that |
