"The energy of nature and of human reafon are ftrikingly difplayed in this circumftance, that man is the only animal endued with the perception of order, decency, and propriety in words and in actions. He alone difcerns, in visible objects, beauty, gracefulness, and fymmetry. And, tranfferring the analogy, from the fight to the mind, he becomes fenfible, that fuperior beauty, regularity, and order, fhould diftinguish the intention and behaviour; and cautiously avoids whatever is unbecoming and unmanly, and particularly, every loose imagination and expreffion. An attention to these things forms and constitutes that Honeftum, which is the fubject of our enquiry."

Lord Kaims, whom every lover of genuine criticism must read with pleasure, and quote with gratitude, obferves alfo, that, "The reasonings employed in the fine arts, are of the fame kind with thofe, which regulate our conduct. Mathematical and metaphyfical reafonings (fays he) have no tendency to improve focial intercourfe, nor are they applicable to the common affairs of life but a just taste of the fine arts, derived from rational principles, furnishes elegant fubjects for converfation, and prepares us for acting in the focial ftate, with dignity and propriety."*

Introduction to Elements of Criticifm.

K 3

Thus

Thus we find an analogy and a connection formed, between the pleasures of taste, and the fense of morality. The fame principle of propriety, which leads us to the difcovery of what is beautiful and pleafing to the mind, when applied to the heart, will help us to find, what is virtuous, what is honeft, and what constitutes the true pleafure arifing from its emotions. What I have attempted to illuftrate, may then be carried farther, and we may pronounce, that, as there is a pleasure inherent in whatever exercises the mind, without fatiguing it, so there is a pleasing sensation annexed to every emotion of the heart, that is not poifoned by fear, hatred, envy, revenge, and fuch other irregular and diforderly paffions,

OR ECONOMICAL REGISTERS. By J. WIMPEY, Read March 13, 1782.

Na country fo juftly refpectable as Great

Britain, for its proficiency in the Arts, in Manufacture, Trade, and Commerce, and in its literary acquifitions in every branch of Science, it is rather furprizing, that there should be fo entire a deficiency in Economical History.

Το

To the questions, What may be the amount of the circulating cash in the kingdom? What is the state of its population? Has it increased, or decreased, within the last fifty years? Have the many and great improvements in agriculture rendered the prices of provifions, &c. proportionably cheaper? And what is the increase of quantity, on an average, for half a century back, compared with preceding times?—To these questions, no fatisfactory answers have been given.

These are interesting and important enquiries, concerning which, men of the beft abilities have employed their thoughts with very little fuccefs, as nothing, with any degree of certainty, can be concluded from what they have written upon those subjects. Indeed, their opinions are fo exceedingly wide of, and repugnant to, each other, that it clearly appears they have no certain data to calculate upon. This indeed is not fo much a reflection on the prefent times, as on the past. But it will equally reflect on the prefent, when they, like the former, fhall become the past, unless fome means are adopted, to furnish our fucceffors with thofe interefting facts, the want of which leaves us enveloped in the dark fhades of ignorance.

Some years fince, I was honoured with a letter from Monfieur Turgot, then high in the favour of his royal mafter, and at the head of one of

the first departments in the kingdom of France. He requested I would inform him, What might be the proportion, which the produce in grain of the lands in England of one year bore to that of another, for a series of thirty or forty years. To this I could only anfwer, That we had no annual regifter, either public or private, that I knew of, which could anfwer his queftion; and that the only means we had of gueffing, were, by the proportion which the price of one year bore to that of another.

This was not lefs aftonishing to him, than it had been to several other fagacious foreigners, who have threwdly remarked, "that, in England, fo keen are individuals in the pursuit of their own private emolument, and fo ignorant and remiss is its government, that they have frequently given a bounty of fifteen per cent. to export their corn, when all they had in ftock was very far fhort of being fufficient to fupport their own people, till the next harveft." In this deplorable state of oeconomical and commercial ignorance, we continue ftill, which I conceive might be remedied with little difficulty, trouble, or expence. But, for government to give a bounty for the exportation of grain, to the amount of from fifteen to thirty per cent. as it hath fometimes done, without knowing, either the average quantity grown, or the quantity

its people confume; and confequently, without knowing, if the ftock remaining on hand would feed its people till the next crop be harvested; and whether it must not of neceffity be forced to purchase again at double the price, as it has alfo fometimes done, is furely one of the most abfurd measures, that a thoughtless, inconfiderate class of men ever adopted. It has been frequently obferved, that our legiflators have been very fruitful in the invention of penal laws; but in the measures of prevention, which are infinitely more falutary, they are either very inattentive, or very barren.

The question of population, whether it increaseth, or is upon the decline, is not to be ascertained with any tolerable degree of exactnefs, without an actual enumeration of all the people in the island. This may be thought a work of too great extent and trouble, to be attempted. So it would, indeed, if it were to be effected by one, or a few perfons. But how very easy would it be, if performed by the parish officers? They, by the duty of their office, are obliged to have a complete lift of all thofe, who are rated towards the relief of the poor; and another, of all those who are the objects of fuch relief. A lift of those who are not in either of thofe claffes, would coft the officers of any parish very little trouble. Confequently, the number in each class, and the fum total of the whole,