the human mind, that one virtuous and confpicuous character will more effectually promote the cause of morality, than an hundred mere declaimers, in or out of the roftrum. So, one good farmer will more extenfively diffeminate his improvements in agriculture, than an hundred theorifts. I have long wished for fome public establishments, to extend and promote the art of hufbandry the focieties have done much; but they have left more undone. And to any perfon who is much converfant with farmers, the cause of their failure is fufficiently obvious. The fame objections will in part apply to the many valuable treatises upon rural economics. Much praise is due to Mr Young, to Mr Marshal, and though laft, not leaft, to you, Sir. Since I have been informed of Mr Pulteney's defign, to establifh a regular courfe of lectures upon agriculture in this univerfity, the plan has met my full approbation; and no endeavour fhall be wanting to promote its ge neral utility, fo far as the exertions of an individual can avail. The univerfal teftimony that is born of the ability of the profeffor, affords the faireft hopes of fuccefs, and his well known modefty and candour, muft highly prejudice the public in his favour. At present, he must neceffarily ftand in need of much affiftance, not only in point of practical obfervation, but of countenance and fupport from the neighbouring gentlemen. Much of the fuccefs of any new inftitution depends on the outfet. I own myself an enthusiast in the cause, from my full conviction of its certain utility, if well conducted, and fteadily fupported. A numerous and refpectable attendance is the firft object; the fecond, free and full communications of authentic experiments, and real and tried improvements in the methods of agriculture, as well as defcriptions, drawings, or models of the different inftruments which are found ufeful, and which are reafonably fuppofed to be better than those commonly in ufe. To communicate these will be neceffary. It is certainly the intereft of the

farmers, to attend regularly upon these lectures, as they will thereby be enabled, with little lofs of time, and at a ftill lefs expence, to poffefs the concentrated wisdom of ages. They will collect without trouble all the modern improvements, not only in this island, but upon both the continents of the old and new world, without the waste of time and money, in long and expenfive journeys. They will have the practice of the whole world of agrieulture laid fully before them; and if a defire of further information, and of a more perfect practical knowledge fhould be excited, an event not more to be wished for than expected, they will leave home, ftored with fuch previous information, and fo general a knowledge of the object of their inquiry, as will enable them to direct their refearches to the most important objects, and to make the most of their information, by a judicious arrangement and well directed inveftigation. I would particularly recommend these lectures to the attention of those who are destined for the Church. They will come prepared by a liberal education, and their attendance will be only a relaxation from feverer ftudies. As they will be refident in the country, and connected by their fituation and office with this moft ufeful body of the community, their inftructions and advice will be attended to with almoft filial reverence; and thus they may employ the many hours of leifure, which maft here be a burden to themselves, in difpenfing useful knowledge, and throwing, at the fame time, a ftrong bar, in the way of vice, by promoting a spirit of virtuous industry and laudable exertion. In my opinion, a knowledge of the principles and practice of agriculture, is neceffary to the perfection of the facerdotal character; as a minifter fo endowed, will imitate, and in fome measure co-operate with God in giving the highest perfection to his works, and diffeminating the moft extenfive bleffings amongft mankind. They furely will not think this a mean employment or an inferior duty. If they fhould, let them call to mind Becket, Hooke, and a VOL. I. I i

thousand other venerable ecclefiaftics, who esteemed it a pleasure as well as an obligation, to till the ground; who have been contented in the shades of retirement and even obscurity, to see God's bleffings fpring out of the earth, and eat that bread, which they could properly call their own, in peace and privacy. I need not add, that it is no less their intereft than their duty, to promote in their feveral parishes every poffible improvement in agriculture, when peace and plenty fhall fucceed to wretchednefs and want; when the cattle fhall be upon a thousand hills, and every valley fhall laugh and fing.

On the Iniquity of preferibing Oaths in certain Cafes,

Jun

'Tis he that makes the oath that breaks it,

Not him that for convenience takes it.

Л

HUDIBRAS.

AMONGST the many focial virtues that attend the practice of true religion amongst mankind, that of a strict adherence to truth in every tranfaction in life, is of the greatest importance:-it establishes confidence and fair dealing in every fituation; to maintain the adherence to truth, and to maintain religion in the people, are the fame thing without the one, the other cannot subsist; and it ought to be the first object of a legislator, in the making of fuch ftatutes as have any connection with the morals of the people, to frame them in such a manner as not to introduce great and frequent temptation for diffimulation and lying.

It is pretty generally allowed, that religion in an enlightened age, cannot exift in the breafts of the people, when it fubjects them to very great temporal inconveniences. Men will not adopt any plan of conduct, without the profpect of gaining fome advantage thereby the hopes of reward from religion, in the limited view by which the ignorant and the bulk of mankind confider it, are confined entirely to a future ftate, I

a

mean, to a period after they have departed from this world-thefe hopes, diftant, and uncertain, yield to the nearer and more obvious pursuits of this life; and therefore, when in the exercife of religion, great temporal inconveniences are occafioned, the religion ceafes, and the femblance of it only is kept up.

Hence, I give it as my opinion, that it is a most deftructive doctrine, in all cafes, to admit of a man's oath, when it operates either for or against his own interest. Yet I am forry to obferve, that the legislators of my country, have of late been of a different manner of thinking. They have enacted, that every retail dealer of foreign fpirits, wines, and tea, shall make oath from time to time, that he does not fell above the quantity of goods fpecified by him in a certain book,—or, in other words, he must swear that he is an honeft man.-Not a farthing of duties can be drawn, back on the exportation of goods, without one or more oaths of the parties connected in the tranfaction.-A bankrupt must swear that he has not cheated his creditors :—and I believe there is fcarcely a branch of trade or manufacture under taxation, wherein people are not obliged to fwear that they will not take a farthing from the king, although they have it in their power. Upon this, let any man reflect, and afk in his own mind, if men will adhere to thefe oaths, when it is evidently lofing them very great profits?I am confident, that in fuch fituations, there is not one in a thousand who will.-I recollect of hearing an anecdote of a dealer in tea, who was one of thofe apparently auftere religious people, to be met with in every place: When the invention of fhopkeepers fwearing to the excife officers of the fairness of their trade was first put in practice, this man, who had always been in the practice of fmuggling a little, and was now very unwilling to forego the advantages thereof on account of an oath, fet his invention to work in contriving a method of fmuggling, fwearing, and having a found confcience :-the refult of mature deliberation Ii2

was, that on a Sacrament Sunday, he shut himself up in his room, and after a long prayer, made a folemn oath that he should never in his life speak a true sentence to a gauger (excife officer.) He ever afterwards confidered this oath of greater weight than the other; and his confcience as very free from ftain, although he perjured himself once every three months.

"How eafy can laffes true what they defire," are the words of a famous Scottish bard, and apply to men and wives as well as laffes.

Such are the practices of men and while temptation is in action, ever will be.-I fhall not however, be without the hope of feeing a better fyftem of checking evil practices, and of feeing the adminiftrators of government, employ the fame able talents that were exerted last year in evincing the propriety of obliging all mankind to think in the fame way *, in devifing methods of establishing virtue, honour, and liberty among the people. A. A. L. Alex. Anderson

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

If you think the following obfervations deserve a place in your mifcellany, they are very much at your fervice. A conftant reader.

On Imagination and the Abufes of it.

It has been obferved of imagination, that it holds a middle place betwixt the pleasures of intellect, and thofe of fenfe. Elevated above mere feeling, it partakes alfo much of the refinement of understanding. It retains as much feeling as to intereft deeply, and at the fame time reaches to the variety of mental powers.

Telt Act.