rants. Be It is alledged, that, without severity, it is impoffible to manage the flaves; you must have punishments and pains, iron collars with three braces, whips, blocks to bind them to by the foot, and chains to go round their necks. They muft, in fhort, be treated like beafts, that the whites may live like men. cannon on which they were bound. It will be alledged, that the Black ficken at the recital of these horrors: →→ Code was inftituted in their favour. My eyes ach with seeing them: →→→) My it fo; the severity of their masters ftill ears with hearing them! Happy you! exceeds the allotted punishments; and When the town gives you offence, you their avarice with-holds the provisions, retire to the country; your eye is de- the repofe, and rewards, that are their lighted with beauteous plains, hills, ham due. If the unfortunate creatures would lets, harvests, vintages, a people that complain, to whom can they complain? dance and fing;-images, at leaft, of Their judges are often their greatest tyhappiness! Here I fee poor negro-women bending o'er their spades, their naked children bound upon their backs, miferable creatures that tremble as they pafs before me. Sometimes, perhaps, I hear at diftance the found of their tam bour, but more frequently the found of whips cracking in the air like the report of a piftol, and the heart-rending cries of Mercy, Mafter, Mercy!" If 1 fly to folitudes, I find myself among rugged rocks, mountains that lift their inaccef fible fummits into the clouds, and torrents that rush horribly into the abyss beneath; winds that howl through favage deferts, the fullen found of waves breaking against the fhores, the vast ocean rolling its stupendous waters to regions unknown to human inquiry; all thefe objects ferve but to cherish the melancholy ideas of feclufion from fociety, and of exile. “P. S.. I know not whether coffee and fugar may be neceffary to the happiness of Europe, but I know that they have been the fource of mifery to two quarters of the globe. America was depopulated to obtain room for planting, and Africa was depopulated to furnish flaves for the cultivation. We are told, that it is our intereft ra ther to cultivate fuch commodities as are become neceffary to us, than purchafe them of our neighbours. But as car penters, tilers, mafons, and other European artificers, can, in their feveral countries, purfue their business in the heat of the fun, why should we not have white labourers here? But what then, you will say, would become of the proprietaries -They would grow richer, A planter with twenty farmers, would be in good circumftances. With twenty flaves he is poor. They reckon here 20,000 flaves. Of these an eighteenth part are renewed annually; fo that the colony left to itself, would in eighteen, years be totally exhaufted. So true it is, that population depends on liberty and, property, and that injuftice is the worst, œconomy.. Can we wonder at reasoning like this? Where there is injuftice in the principle, there muft be inhumanity in the confequence. But it is not enough that these poor wretches are given up to the avarice and cruelty of the most depraved of mankind: they must be the fport likewife of their sophistry. Theologians affirm, that by a temporal flavery they procure a spiritual liberty. The greater part of them, however, are purchased at an age when they cannot learn French, and the miffionaries do not understand their language. Befides, those that are baptized are treated like the rest. They add, that they have merited the chaftifement of Heaven by felling one another. But are we then to be their executioners? Let us leave the vultures to deftroy the kites. It is a maxim with the politicians, That flavery is the authorised effect of war. But the blacks make no war on us: I allow that human laws permit this; but we ought at least to confine ourselves within the bounds they preferibe. 4 I am mortified when I think, that those philofophers who have fhewn fo much fortitude in their attacks of moral and religious abuses, have not once mention-> ed the poor negroes, unless in the way of pleasantry. They turn from the view of their misfortunes. They talk of the maffacre of the Mexicans by the Spaniards, as if that crime were not the guilt of our own days; a guilt in which half Europe is concerned. Is it a greater crime at once to aflaffinate a people who differ from us in opinion, than to hold in living torments a race of men who labour 4U 2 for for the gratification of our palates and has always a right to encouragement; and appetites, our internal and external luxu-abour is intitled to respect, at least, and it ries? Thofe beauteous colours of flame tention, even whore fuccefs is uncertain, and and rofes that adorn our European la reward unhoped Let M. de Gebelin, there dies, their cotton, their fugar, their cof- fore, plead his claim to a candid and m fee, their chocolate, their rouge, all partial hearing. His 'refearches bear imme thefe the hand of the unhappy negro has diate relation to the business and interefts of prepared. Ye fouls of female fenfibility! man; if he fucceed, let us applaud him; if whole bright eyes overflow at fcenes of he fail, let us forgive him. M. theatric mifery, do ye ever confider, that what contributes to your pleatures is wet with human tears, and stained with human blood?" If there be any man, who, on the perufal of this letter, feels not for the canfe of juftice and humanity, to offer him further arguments in their fupport would be fruitless. M. FOREIGN. 1. General plan and argument of feveral objects and difcoveries that compofe a work, intitled, The primitive world analyfed, and compared with the modern world; or, Inquiries into the antiquities of the world. By M. Court de Gebelin. -2 Oriental allegories; or, The Fragment of Sanchoniathon: containing the hiftory of Saturn, together with the hiftories of Mercury and Hercules, and an explication of his Twelve Labours; being an introduction to the knowledge of the fymbolic genius of antiquity. By the fame. 3. The primitive world analyfed, and compared with the modern world; in a view of its allegoric genius, and of the allegories to which that genius led. French. 4to, each a volume. Paris. 1773- -Thefe feparate publications, which, in order of time, appeared as we have placed them, conftitute the first volume of a work that has excited the attention and curiosity of Europe. The greatness of the object, the spirit of the attempt, the idea of erudition requisite to fuch an enterprife, have filled the literati with a ftonishment in general; -with doubts and fufpicions, hope and admiration, expect tion and contempt, in particular, as envy or benevolence, prejudice' or enthollafon prevailed. We feldom fit in "fober judgement on extraordinary objects. Private paflions often interfere, although fath object ought ever to be viewed with the most difpaffionate eye. If we are offended with high affumptions of learning, adieu to fobriety of judge ment! Our envy is alarmed, beyond a doubt. Yet this is rank folly. Is the man who affumes this fuperiority of knowledge an object for envy? How far from it! How perilous the eminence on which he has placed himself? What horror would not perfue his tall? Should we envy him?we fhould rather behold him with the fame fenfations which we might feel for a man ftanding on a pinnacle, in a storm. Literary enterprise Philofophical inquities concerning the E Syptians and the Chincfe. By M. de P [xxxii. 551.] French 12mo. 2 vols. Ba lin. This author divides his work inth three parts. In the first he treats of the Chinefe and Egyptian women, the state of pe pulation among both people, and the food they live upon. The fecond part is on the ftate of painting and foulptore among the Egyptians, the Chinese, and the people of the Eaft in general; concluding with de ftate of chymifiry and architecture among the Egyptians and Chinese. The third, which is the largest part, is wholly on the religion and government of the Egyptians and Chincfe. From thefe feveral compan tive views, the author deduces bis con quence, viz. That there never was any migration from Egypt to China; at least, that the Chinese were not originally a colony from Egypt. M. [xxi. 577. xaii: 23. xxvii. 130) The true principles of government. By late magiftrate. French. 8vo z vols. Pois The author of this work appears @ be a fincere friend to truth, to virtue, and to liberty and to be well acquainted with political Jubjects. He wines in a clear, eziv, and natural manner; but he has advanced nothing that is new. In regard to religion, it is very obvious what his fentiments are: it is but juftice to acknowledge, howet, that he writes upon this fubject in a mach more modest and decent manner, than the generality of modern French writers, M. The works of M. Thomas, of the French academy, a new edition, &c. French. rima 4 vols. Paris. We have here an editon of M. Thomas's profe-works much fuperior to any of the former editions M. The military art of the Chinese; or, A collection of ancient treatifes upon wa, compofed before the Chriftian æra, by dif ferent Chinete generals. To which are added, ten precepts addreffed to the troops by the Emperor Yong-tcheng, father of the prefent Emperor. Tranflated into French by P. Amiot, miffionary at Peking. Revid and published by M. Deguignes. French. 4to. Paris. An advertisement prefixed to this curious publication informs us, that the treatifes upon the military art of the Chinese, which are contained in it, were fent from China, by the tranflator, to M. Bertin, minifter and fecretary of State; that M. Bertin, with the King's permiffion, ma tain tains a regular correfpondence with fome learned Chinese, who tranfmit memoirs every year to France, and which are commu nicated by the minister to the public. M. #». Experimental chymiftry. By M. Baumé; [a public teacher of chymistry at Paris.] French. 3 vols. 8vo. Paris. The work now before us is perhaps one of the most complete fyftems that was bever published in any science. It is the refult of much experience in the practice of chymistry, and in its application to the most useful arts in life. The author's reafoning is extremely chafte; he has carefully avoided every theory which is not founded on induction, and which is not derived from experiment and obferva tion; and we recommend this valuable work to our chymical readers, not only for the feience which it contains, but for the perfpicuity and method with, which the author has treated his fubject.-M. Baumé has publish ed many important difcoveries in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, of which he is a member, and has given us an excellent treatise upon æther; all of which, together with most of the new discoveries and improvements in chymiftry, are to be found in this valuable publication. -We are forry that our author seems not to understand, or not to believe, the doctrine of fixed air, as delivered to us by the ingenious Dr Black, on the subject of Magnefia, which has been inconteftably proved to bear fuch relation to alkaline falts and calcarious earths as to determine their caufticity or mildness and we must do that juftice to our Countrymen to declare, that the united Jabours of Black, Macbride, Cavendish, and Prieftly, have contributed more, by their experiments on the fubject of fixed air, toward the reformation of chymical philofophy, than the philosophers of other countries. M. 1 Letters to Voltaire. By M. Clement. French. 8vo. Paris. There is no writer of the prefent age, whofe works have been fo generally read and admired as thofe of Voltaire. The old, the young, the grave, the gay, the divine, and the politician, the fpeculative philosopher, and the man of the world; readers, in a word, of every clafs, and of every character, find much entertainment, and many things to admire, in them. It cannot be denied, however, that though there is much to admire, there is likewife much to blame in his writings; that he has contributed greatly, efpecially in France, to the prevailing depravity both of tafte and manners; that he is far from being a perfect model in any fpecies of compofition; and that no writings are more obviously calcula. ted than his to promote a fpirit of libertinifm and infidelity. A critical inquiry, therefore, into the character of M. Voltaire, con fidering him as a poet, a dramatic writer, an hiftorian, &c. carried on by a man of taste and genius, cannot fail of proving agreeable to every friend to literature, good tafte, and good morals. The author of the letters before us feems extremely well qualified for conducting fuch an inquiry, as far as we can judge from that part of the work which is already published. He propofes, in a feries of letters, to enter into a full examination of Voltaire's works; not with a view to depreciate them, but to fhew, that he ought, by no means, to be confidered as the great ma fter of French literature and poetry; that the wide-spread and growing corruption of tafte in France is principally owing to him; and to point out the numerous blemishes in his best poetical productions; blemishes which, he fays, are owing to a paflion for bel efprit, the most formidable enemy to nature and genius. Of the productions of his dotage, however, he propofes, out of tenderness to him, to take no nouice they are only fit, indeed, to regale the giddy. the unprincipled, the libertine, and the de bauchee. Like a generous and fpirited adverfary, M. C. attacks him in his ftrong holds, the works of his better days, when his genius was in its full bloom and vis gour, M. The Seafons, a poem. French. Svo. Amfterdam. This is the 5th edition of this excellent poem. The ingenious author has taken great pains to correct and improve it. He has added a few notes, one upon gardens: he compares the English and French tafte in gardening, and gives the preference to that of the English, upon which he bestows the highest commendations. M.. The elegies of Propertius, tranflated by M. de Longchamps. French. 8vo. Paris. This tranflation, which is in profe, is not a cold, literal translation, but has much of the force and fpirit of the original. M. PREFERMENT A petition of John Maclellan, Efq; a lieu tenant in the 30th regiment of foot, claiming the title and honours of Lord Kirkcud bright [xxiii. 218. xxiv. 219.], was heard before the houfe of Lords, on the 15th of March, and fome days afterward; and, May 3. the claim was fuftained. On the 15th of that month, John Lord Kirkcudbright had the honour to kiss his Majefty's hand, on having the honours of his ancestors confirm ed to him by a decree of the house of Lords. His Lordship was introduced by the Earl of Oxford, and accompanied to court by the Earl of Loudon. In the Index, this, by mistake, is marked to be in p. 703. The 706 The LONDON General Bill of Christenings and Burials, from December 15, 1972, 10 De Chrifte Chriftened { Males 8338} General Bill of Mortality for 1773, in EDINBURGH, and WEST-KIRK parish. The burials in the Canongate and Calton burial-places are not included. • In our annual mortality-bill for 1772 [xxxiv. 718.] lin ult. read Increafell 379 3 3 As I and Į, and likewife U and V, are each a diftin&t letter, both in character and power, they N. B. When different pages are referred to at any article, if the numbers are disjoined by a com- A infirmary there laft Proceedings of town-meet- ftorm at 103 Trials at 332. 1 year 56. A violent ings 375. Remarkable pa- ·Acts paffed 161. 220, 64. 328. Acts, abstracts of: Of that 161 Africa, on the trade from Britain to 38 Barbadoes, a diabolical $23. Vote of the affembly Georgia, a fcuffle with Honduras, bay of, a new - Jamaica, an atrocious New Hampshire, trial Bolton, the Governor's North Carolina, reasons - - Ohio, the defign of e- Philadelphia, a number Providence, a lead and Rhode-ifland, G. Rome - Salem, vote of the town South Carolina, the go- 1 St Chriftopher's, a-good St Vincent's, authentic. before |