Summary of Proceedings in the prefent Seffion of Parliament.

between the inhabitants of the United States and thofe of Newfoundland, fhould, as far as poffible, be difcou raged; but in the next it was confidered, that, as the island had been always furnished with provifions from the continent of America, to put a fiop to all communication between them might be of dangerous confequence to the former. A compromife was therefore agreed to, by which it was determined that the intercourse should continue, but that the importation fhould be limited to four articles-flour, bread, Indian corn, and live ftock; and it was alfo enacted, that this commerce fhould be carried on in British-built veffels, fubjected not only to the general reftraints of the navigation laws, but also to take out a particular licence for that purpose. This bill was at first passed, by way of experiment, for one year only; after which it had been re-enacted for two, which period would expire in the prefent fellion. It therefore became neceffary, as it had food the test of experience, and had been approved of by the inhabitants of Newfoundland, and by Admiral Elliot, the intelligent commander who prefided there, that it should now be paffed again for the period of two years. Though, for the purpose of the prefent proceed ing, this explanation would be fuffici ent, yet he would beg the attention of the Houfe for a few minutes longer, in order to inform them, that, under thefe regulations, the Newfoundland trade, which was an important object to this country, had been confiderably improved. When America was fevered from Great Britain, fome gentlemen, to whofe opinions in matters of trade great deference was due, were feriously apprehenfive that this branch of our commerce would be much injured, if not annihilated; but he had the fatisfaction to fay that their fears were groundless; and, as a proof, he could affure them, that the men employed in it this year were nearly double in number to those who were engaged in it in the year 1785; the latter he stated at fomewhat more than 7000, and the former at little less than 14,000. To this agreeable information he was able to add, from unquestionable authority, that the fisheries of France, our only rival on that coaft, had decreased in the fame ratio that ours had been augmented; there had been exported from that kingdom, in 1785, 426,000 quintals of

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falt fish; in the last year their exports did not exceed 128,000; whilft thofe from Great Britain, which in 1785 nearly equalled the French, had rifen last year to 720,000 quintals. He entered into fome other comparative statements of the number of ships, men, &c. all tending to the fame point; and con cluded by moving for leave to bring in the bill; which was granted; after which the Houfe adjourned.

Wednesday, December 5.

The Houfe having refolved itfelf into a committee of ways and means, Mr. Gilbert in the chair, the duties on malt, cyder, mum, and perry, and alfo the land-tax, were continued for another year.

The answer of Warren Haftings, efq. to the articles of impeachment prefented last session, was brought down from the Lords by two mafters in chancery, and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Burke then moved, that this an fwer fhould be referred to a committee, vefted with the ufual powers, who were to determine on the future mode of proceeding.

This motion having paffed, the committee appointed were the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, Right Hon. C. J. Fox, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Wyndham, Sir G. Elliot, Mr. Grey, Mr. Adam, Mr. Anftruther, Mr. M. A. Taylor, Lord Maitland, Mr. Dudley Long, Gen. Burgoyne, Col. North, Mr. St. John, Col. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Wilbraham, Mr. Courteney, and Sir James Erskine. Mr. Francis was nominated next after Mr. Burke, but an oppofition taking place, his appointment was negatived on a divifion.

Ayes 97. Noes 126. Majority 29.

Mr. Burke expreffed, in the most animated language, his regret on this de termination. Standing, he faid, in the prefence of Heaven, he would aver, that, in his opinion, there was no inan on whose word or whose justice a greater reliance could be placed; nor could the whole of the prefent committee produce an equal degree of information with the hon. member who had been thus rejected. He confidered this rejection as an omen that the caufe, which that gen tleman had hitherte fupported, would fink, deprived of his affiance; yet, from a confcioufnefs of its being his dury, he was determined to perfevere; and, though abandoned by the Houfe, he would not abandon the cause of jultice. There appeared, he remarked,

no

Summary of Proceedings in the present Seffion of Parliament. 135

to speak refpecting the manner in which the bufinefs had been tranfacted. It was judged more prudent to engage the affiftance of thofe 12,000 men, rather by a retaining-fee to the Landgrave, in which light the 36,000l. now granted was to be confidered, than by any other mode, as no other was lefs exception able or expenfive. The admiffion of thofe troops, at a future period, was not, he faid, implied in the present refolution of the committee, as that was a circumstance which could never take place without the confent of Parliament. In forming a judgement of the prefent treaty, it was unfair to fuppofe that fuch a combination of chances could occur as we had to encounter in the last war. He admitted, that by the treaty, as it now flood, the forces could not be fent abroad. But then, faid he, as the hiftory of this country in former ages, and the experience we have derived from it -as the profperity and glory of former times, contrafted with the adverfity and depreffion of thofe that have lately paft -have all concurred to evince the neceffiry of continental connections, it is reafonable to fuppofe, that if a war fhould take place, which, however, he trufted, was at a great diftance, we fhould find fufficient employment for those forces on the Continent, where they might act as much to our advantage as if fent to any of our diftant poffellions. He concluded with remarking, that it was not Helfian, but Hanoverian troops, who aflifted in defending Gibraltar laft war, whither, if it were neceffary, they might be fent again. As to the wording of the treaty, if it was objectionable, he should only fay, that it had been copied verbatim from the two laft which had been entered into with that Prince, for fimilar purposes.

Sir James Jobnfione condemned the proceeding with his ufual laconic cnergy. We had been concerned, he faid, in this traffic of blood ever fince the year 1702, yet he was forry to ice it continued. England had a militia to defend her, and Ireland had 60,000 volunteers. But Scotland, though her natives breathed as pure an air, was precluded from that bleffing: he trufted, however, it was able to defend itfelf; and, under thefe circumstances, he faw no necellity for the introduction of foreign troops.

Mr. Burke faid, he had no objection to fubfidiary treaties in general; be approved of the late tranfactions in the

aggregate; but the queftion now to be confidered was, whether the treaty with Heffe was entered into upon principles of true policy? He was willing to beheve that it was, though from a c concurrence of circumstances, he could not help entertaining fome doubts respecting it. He had no objection to the econo my of it; and was ready to confider it as a retaining-fee to the Landgrave, who was a very able, if not an eloquent, counfellor, and whofe arguments in the field were more weighty, he was convinced, than any he himself fhould bring before the Houle of Peers on a certain occahon, though they might not, perhaps, be fo ftrictly conformable to the rules of logic. He would fuppofe (and he meant by his vote to give the Minifter a temporary bill of credit to that pur. pofe), that it made one link in the chain of continental connexions, now in a train of negotiation; but if it did, he must confider it as the leaft in that chain. United with Ruffia and Pruflia, we had nothing to fear from the reft of Europe, but, if unconnected with those powers, we had much room for apprehenfion. France was not dead, she was only in a paroxyfm of fomnolency. She was exhaufted, but reft would recruit her; the was faint, but would revive, Spain would affift her efforts. Let us then be careful, that, in attempting to incline the balance of power towards us, we do not throw it from us. Tue King's fpeech did not afford one ray of light the hiftorian would not be able to write from it; nor did it afford mate rials for fpeaking to the politician. It had much the air of an epic poem. Palmerin of England, and Don Belianis of Greece, were nothing to the monarchs of Pruffia and Great Britain. A damfel was infulted-Pruffia flies to her relief, and England arms to affift him. In the way, merely by accident, they crush a powerful French faction, and reftore au injured Prince to his hereditary rights. What action in the ages of chivalry was fuperior to this? He dreaded, and was warranted to do fo by the ftipulations of the treaty, that the Landgrave's alliance with us might involve him in a war with fome of his neighbours, in which cafe we were to aflift him indefimitely. He had feen treaties where the quota of aid was specified. In this, there was no limitation. He concluded a fpeech of much wit, humour, and argument, with obfervations on the in difference of the nation refpecting many

important

Review of New Publications.

FOREIGN ARTICLE. 32. EDDA SÆMUNDAR HINNS FRODA. Edda Rhythmica, feu Antiquior, vulgo Sæmundina dila. Pars 1. Odas Mythologicas, à Refenio non Editas, continens Cum Verfione Latina, Lectionibus variis, Nots, Glorio Vocum, et Indice Rerum. Hafnia, 1787. 450. pp. 722. Edda 404, Guff. 318. A length this work, so long expected by the literati, makes its appearance. The reader need not, perhaps, be told, that, ever fince the later Edda, afcribed to Snorro, and written about the year 1215, was published by Refenius (Hafniæ, 1665, 4to.), great defire has been entertained and expreff ed, by many learned authors, of feeing the old Edda in print. Refenius, in the fame year that he published the later Edda, alfo published two of the moft important poems of the old Edda, in feparate pamphlets; namely, the VoBut it LUSPA, and the HAAVAMAL. was doubted by Mallet, and others, whether the reft of the old Edda existed. The First, or Mythologic, Part of it now appears, and will fpeedily be followed by the Second, or Hiftorical. The attention excited by the fingular and fublime mythology of the Profaic Edda will no doubt be raised to the highest degree by the publication of this ancient Edda, containing the origi. nal poems from which the Profaic Edda was drawn.

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unhappy circumstance, that the numer ous Icelandic writers did not put their names to their works; for report and tradition are always uncertain, generally falfe. But it is of no moment whether Sæmund collected thefe poems or not: they certainly precede his time; as every one verfed in Icelandic poetry, of language, muft allow. The fimplicity of the phrafeology, compared with the Icelandic poetry of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, fo full of distorted conceits and violent metaphors; the want of rhyme, which began to be used by Eynar Sculafon, about 1157; the indefcribable antique manner of thele poems; all afford evidence that they are of early date. Add to thefe, that the fcene, or perfons, never are Icelandic, but always Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian; a peculiarity impoffible to be accounted for, if the poems had been written in Iceland. It seems, therefore, to follow, that these poems must have been traditionally preserved among the Icelanders, who only began to pass from Scandinavia to that country about the year $74. To thefe arguments others may be added from the Preface of this edition, p. xxxviii, evincing that these poems precede the Let not the reader, ninth century. however, fail into the vulgar error of increafing unknown antiquity to an un neceffary degree. There is no reason to infer that thefe poems are older than the eighth or ninth century. Certain it is, that, be their age what it may, they contain the Pagan creed of Scandinavia. The conteft concerning the an tiquity of the later Edda is equally ridiculous. Nobody doubts that Natalis Comes, a writer of the fixteenth cen tury, has given us the best System of Greek and Roman Mythology. There Next is a long and curious Life of can be no doubt that the later Edda Sæmund, furnamed Froda, or, The contains the real Pagan Gothic mytho Learned, the fuppofed collector of the logy, becaufe innumerable writers, from old poems which form this Edda. He Jornandes and Beda, the Scriptores Rewas born in the South of Iceland, in rum Normannicarum, Adam of Bremen, Saxo Grammaticus, &c. &c. &c. down the year 1056, according to the best accounts; travelled into France, and re- to later times; the German, English, turned to his native country about A. Scandinavian names of days of the D. 1076. Here he became a clergy- week; and a thousand other irradicable man, famous for his learning, zeal, and circumstances; all certify to us the abilities, and peculiarly ardent in illuf grand and leading features of this Edda, trating the antiquities of his country; fo that its age is of no moment. fo much fo, that his fame there, at this as manufcripts of both Eddas exifi, written in the fourteenth century; and day, exceeds the reality, and numerous Saxo Grammaticus, who wrote in the works are afcribed to him which certainly belong to others. It is indeed an twelfth, gives us their chiel features, GENT. MAG. February, 1788.

In the first place appears a well-written Preface, giving fome account of the Eddic mythology, and fhewing ftriking refemblances between it and the Greek. M. Mallet has already remarked the fimilarity of this mythology to the Perfian, in numerous inftances. This Preface alfo contains an account of the manufcripts from which this edition is printed.

But