1766. Of the Auftrians, Ruffians, Pruffians, &c. 301 onal characters; and I doubt whether The Auftrian army is compofed The Rumans have all thefe qualifications in common with the Auftris ans; and befides, fuch a fund of relis gion, and respect, or rather veneras tion for their prince, which infpires them with a degree of enthusiasm, that must neceffarily render them fu perior to every other army that is not animated with fimilar principles Their courage alone has rendered them victorious, in fpite of all thofe difficulties in which the general igno rance of their officers involved them. The Pruffian army, being compofed chiefly of ftrangers of different countries, manners, and religion, are uni ted only by the strong chain of mili. tary difcipline: this, and a most rigid attention to keep up all the forms and difcipline established, constitutes a vast and regular machine; which being animated by the vigorous and powerful genius of their leader, may be juftly accounted one of the most respecta Be armies in Europe: but should this fpring, however, languish but for an instant only, the machine itself, being compofed of fuch heterogeneous mat ter, would probably fall to pieces, and leave nothing but the traces of its antient glory behind. They have a facility in manoeuvring beyond any other troops whatever; and their victories must be afcribed to this chiefly, for all the genius of the leader can do nothing without it, and almost every thing with it. The Spaniards are brave and pa tient; and have befides a point of ho nour, which being improved, would make them good foldiers: their army at prefent, would make but an indif ferent figure, for two or three campaigns, as their generals have neither that knowledge, founded on Audy and application, or that produced by ex. perience. The English are neither fo lively as the French, nor fo phlegmatic as the Germans they refemble more, however, to the former; and are therefore fomewhat lively and impatient. If the nature of the English conftitution permitted fome degree more of difci pline, a more equal distribution of fas vours, and a total abolishment of buy ing and felling commiffions, I think they would farpais, at least equal, any troops in the world, The Turks, and every government founded on military force, must ne ceffarily decay, unless the fame fa naticism, which gave it birth, be kept up by continual wars. Mahomet understood this principle so well, that he has made a religious precept of it commanding his followers never to make peace with their enemies. As the force of this army depends entire ly on numbers and enthudafin, if this laft is ever extinguished, which now feems to be much the cafe, the other will avail them nothing and that im menfe fabrick, being no longer animated with the only fpirit which could fupport it, malt fink under its own weight, To the AUTHOR, &c. I Have heard it accounted for, that have forgot in what manner, that when money is at three per cent. pro yifions frould be dearer than when at fix per cent. and I with fome gentle man would point out the true caufes of fuch effects. The defign of this request is not to obtain arguments in favour of an artificial famine, or any kinds of combina tions, or to prevent any fcheme for dividing farms or to oblige farmers to breed cattle in proportion to the quantities of land they occupy; but purely to obtain a knowledge of the natural caufes of the rife of provifions by the lowering of intereft, or, on the other hand, of the fall of the former, by the railing of the latter; because to ordi nary 302 Why Provifions are dear, when Interest low. nary conceptions it must appear odd that living fhould be dearer when you can obtain no more than thirty pounds a year intereft for a thousand pounds, than when you can get fixty pounds a year for the fame fum. A quef. tion that muft appear equally interefting to the landed man, monied man, tenant, and trader. IN To the AUTHOR, &c. N anfwer to the question, "Why provifions will be dear, when intereft of money is low? and (è contra) why will they be cheap when it is high? I thould imagine that a few of the following confiderations might probably fuggeft a fatisfactory anfwer. Money is (in itself) of no value at all, far ther than as custom ftamps fuch and fuch a value on it. In other words, money is nothing more than a ticket, which entitles the bearer to the fruits of another man's land, or the produce of another man's labour, and under these two heads I mean to comprize all the provifions neceffary to the fupport of life. Thefe provifions (confidered ftrictly, independently of cuftom, and abЯracted from the Etiquette) are always invaiably of the fame value; for a fheep, a bullock, or a quartern loaf, would do juft the fame fervice; and feed juft the fame numbers of perfons in Hen. ry the third's, and in George the third's reign. But this arbitrary ticket, commonly called money, varies confiderably in its value; And here (in order to avoid confufion arifing from the word value) I shall fubftitute the word momentum, a technical term, used by natural philofophers., to fignify a compound of matter and motion united. I fay, therefore, that money hath a greater momentum at one time than at another. For inftance, When money (in one period) carries five per cent. intereft, then its momentum is equal to a yearly annuity of a twentieth part of its own principal matter. Let us fuppofe it in another period to fall to two and a half per cent. then the momentum of money is only equal to a yearly annuity of one fortieth part of its principal matter. And this is true of every fum, even to the most minute. 3 June The man who difpofes of goods or provifions (a fheep for instance) to another, in effect only changes his piece of goods for the other's money; he knows" that the value of his sheep is founded in nature, and not on an arbitrary cuftom;" and (you may depend upon it) he will infift upon receiving a momentum in money, equal to the natural value of the sheep that he parts with. Let us, therefore, fuppofe the following dialogue between buyer and feller. Buyer. How much muft I give for that theep? Seller. Why-Sir, that fheep will feed a family of fuch and fuch a number, for fuch, and fuch a period :Let me fee,-I will not part with it unless you fettle upon me, for ever, an annuity of one fhilling per annum.* Buyer Agreed:-There are twenty thillings for you; which fum (at five per cent.) fecures you (for ever the very thing which was demanded. Seller. Sir, I am afraid there is a fmall mistake. There is, now-a-days, fuch a quantity of money a-float (real or artificial it is juft the fame thing to me) that money, I fear, will be foon at two and a half-therefore, if you please, add another twenty fhillings, and make it forty, and the business is done. Buyer. Why, this is double the fum! Seller. I cannot help it;-your own reason will tell you that I do not get a jot better annuity (at two and a half) for forty fhillings, than I could have got) at five per cent. (for twenty fhillings; which is demonfiration, Sir. Buyer. Well!-There is two pound -friend I cannot blame thee; it is plain you and your fheep are but just where you were:-But I with all tr-de and c-mm-rce were at the d-l. Exeunt omnes. Hampstead, June 6. PETER POUNCE. [If the author of this ingenious but fophiftical argument will inquire inte the reason, why the feller of his sheep afk a perpetual annuity of a fhilling for his fheep, he will find that it is not because of the high or low interest of money, but because of the high or low rent he must pay, or might have for the land employed in breeding, rearing and fattening his fheep; and it is on ly 1 1 1766. Curious Extract from Burne. ly the price not the rent of lands that rifes or falls with the intereft of money. That rent must be raised, and if it cannot be raised by keeping a flock of fheep, but may be raised by producing yearly a crop of wheat for exportation, he will fell off his stock of sheep, turn his lands into tillage, and produce a crop of wheat yearly for exportation. This is one of the chief reafons for the prefent high price of meat of all kinds; for farmers will always turn their lands to the producing of that which brings them in the moft money yearly; and the bounty upon the exportation of our corn, has raifed and kept the price of that produce at fo high a rate, that qur farmers get more by it, than they could get by the breeding, rearing, or fattening of theep or cattle, at the rate our meat formerly fold for.] 4 Extract from Dr. Burne's Ecclefiaftical Law. TH HE form of prayer for the 30th of January, and for the 29th of May were of a different complexion in the reign of king Charles II. from what they now are. Of which the reafon is faid to have been this: The parliament, and other leading men, who called home K.Charles II. (many of whom had been concerned in oppofing his father's measures) would not be called traytors; and required that a diftinction should be made between the commencement of the war, and the conclufion of it. They would not fuffer the first oppofition made to the measures of that unhappy prince to be filed rebellion, notwithstanding they disapproved of the abolition of the re gal government which ensued. And accordingly the offices for these two folemnities were drawn upwithout any reflection on the firft au thors, or promoters of the oppofition; and in general breathe more a fpirit of piety than of party, of humiliation than of revenge; and throughout are modeft, grave, decent, fenfible, and de vout. King James II. altered thefe forms; and King William did not venture to reduce them to their primitive ftate, and fo they have continued with very little variation (though not upon the fame prudential confiderations) to this day. 303 We yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we are compaffed. O God, who by thy divine providence and goodneís didft this day first bring into the world, and didft this day alfo bring back and restore to us, and to his own juft and undoubt ed rights, our most gracious fovereign lord thy fervant King Charles, preferve his life, and establish his throne, we befeech thee. Be unto him a helmet of falvation against the face of his enemies, and a strong tower of defence in the time of trouble. Let his reign be profperous and his days many. Let juftice, truth, and holiness; let peace, and love, and all christian virtues, flourish in his time. Let his people ferve him with honour and obedience; and let him fo duly ferve thee on earth, that he may hereafter everlastingly reign with thee in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Lord, our God, who upholdest and governest all things in heaven and earth, receive our humble prayers, with our thanksgivings, for our fovereign Lord Charles, fet over us by thy grace and providence to be our king; and fo, together with him, blefs the whole royal family, with the dew of thy heavenly fpirit; that they, ever trusting in thy goodness, protected by thy power, and crowned with thy gracious and endless favour, may continue before thee in health, peace, joy, and honour, a long and happy life upon earth, and after death obtain everlasting life and glory in the kingdom of heaven, &c. Office 304 Life of Bifhop Squire. Office of James II. now in use, as specially authorifed by an Order dated at St. James's, Oct. 7, 1761. Signed, BUTE. Title thereof, and Rubric. A form of prayer, with thankfgiving to Almighty God, for having put an end to the great rebellion, by the reftitution of the king and royal family, and the restoration of the government after many years interrup tion; which unfpeakable mercies were wonderfully completed upon the 29th of May, in the year 1660. And, in memory thereof, that day in every year is by act of parliament appointed for ever to be kept holy. The act of parliament for the obfervation of this day, thall be read publickly in all churches on the Lord's day next before; and the notice be giv. en for the due obfervation of the faid day. Collects. We yield thee praife and thankfgiving for the wonderful deliverance of thefe kingdoms from the great rebellion, and all the miferies and oppreffions confequent thereupon, under which they had fo long groaned. We yeild the thanks for our deliverance from the unnatural rebellion, ufurpation, and tyranny, of ungodly and cruel men. Almighty God, and heavenly father who of thine infinite and unfpeakable goodness towards us, didft in a moft extraordinary and wonderful manner difappoint and overthrow the wicked defigns of thofe traiterous, heady, and high minded men, who under pretence of religion, and thy moft holy name, had contrived and well nigh effected the utter ruin and deftruction of this church and kingdom; as we do this day moft heartily and devoutly adore and magnify tuy glorious name for this thine infinite goodnefs already vouchfafed to us; fo do we moft humbly befeech thee to continue thy grace and favour towards us, that no fuch difmal calamity may ever again fall upon us. Infatuate and de feat all the fecret councils of deceitful and wicked men againft us. Abate their pride, afluage their malice, and confound their devices. Strengthen the hands of our now moft gracious fovereign, and all that are put in authority under him, with judgment June and justice, to cut off all fuch workers of iniquity, as turn religion into rebellion, and faith into faction; that they may never again prevail againft us nor triumph in the ruin of the monarchy and thy church among us. Protect and defend our fovereign lord the king, with the whole royal family, from all treafons and confpiracies. Be unto him an helmet of falvation, and a ftrong tower of defence again the face of all his enemies: Clothe them with fhame and confufion; but upon himfelf and his pofterity let the crown for ever flourish. So we thy people, and the theep of thy pafture, will give thee thanks for ever, &c. Some Account of the Life and Writings of the late Bishop of St. Davids. DR. Samuel Squire (late bishop of St. Davids) was born at Warminster in Wiltshire, in the year 1714, and was educated at St. John's col lege, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow. Soon after, the bishop of Bath and Wells, Dr. Wynn, appoint. ed him his chaplain, and prefented him to the archdeaconry of Bath. In 1748, he was prefented by the king to the rectory of Topsfield in Eflex; and, in 1749, when the duke of Newcastle was inftalled chancellor of Cambridge, he preached one of the commencement fermons, and took the degree of D. D. In 1750, he was collared by Archbishop Herring to the rectory of St. Anne, Westminster, (then vacant by the death of Dr. Pelling) being his grace's option on the fee of London, and for which he refigned his living of Topsfield, in favour of a relation of the archbishop's, who now holds it. Soon after, Doctor Squire was prefented by the king to the vicarage of Greenwich, in Kent; and, on the establishment of the houshold of the prince of Wales (his prefent majefty) he was appointed his royal highness's clerk of the clofet. In 1760, he was appointed to the deanery of Briftol; and, in 1761, (on the death of Dr. Ellis) to the bishoprick of St. Davide. Befides feveral fingle fermons on public occafions, Bishop Squire published the following pieces; 1. Plutarch De Ifi & Ofiride. Greek and English. 2. An enquiry into the nature of the English conftitution; or, an histo 1766. Good Regulations in Markets. rical effay on the Anglo-Saxon_government, both in Germany and England. 3. The ancient hiftory of the Hebrews vindicated; or, Remarks on the third volume of the Moral Philofopher. Camb. 1741. 4. Two Effays. I. A defence of the ancient Greek chronology. II. An enquiry into the origin of the Greek language. Camb. 1741. 5. Indifference for religion inexcufable; or, a ferious, impartial, and practical review of the certainty, im1 portance, and harmony of natural and revealed religion. Lond. 1758. 6. The principles of religion made eafy to young perfons, in a short and familiar catechifu. Dedicated to (the late) Prince Frederick. Lond. 1763. Of the late Bishop Squire it may truly be faid, that, as a parish minifter, even after his advancement to the mitre, he was moft confcientiously diligent in the duties of his function; and that, as a prelate, in his frequent vifits to his fee (though he held it but five years) he fought out and promoted the friendlefs and deferving, in preference, frequently, to powerful recommendations, and exercised the hofpitality of a chriftian bishop. In private life, as a parent, husband, friend, and mafter, no man was more b loved, or more lamented. An univerfal Prefervative against Infec tients affected with any dif ease whatever, if he would preferve himself from infection, must be fure, fo long as he abides within the sphere of the fteams, never to fwallow his fpittle, for I reafonably conceive that to be the part which firft and most eafily imbibes infection, and by that, Twallowed, the infection is carried, as by a proper vehicle, into the ftomach, where it works thofe difmal and fatal effects." This fentence of his he grounds upon both his own experience, long tried for his own prefervation, and on divers reafons fet down by way of aphorifms from this hypothefis, viz. That most difeafes, efpecially pestilential fevers, are infectious; that this proceeds from a feminal ferment which is emitted by the patient by way 1. June, 1766. 305 of teams into the encompafting air, and fo infects all things within a certain fphere or diftance: this drawn into the mouth by the breath, is apt to infect the faliva or fpittle, which, being fwallowed, infects the ftomach, and fo the reft of the body; but, being fpit out, frees the body from infection. And therefore he conceives, that ftrong fmelling and ftrong tafting fubftances kept in the mouth, and chewed to promote fpitting, are of very good and neceflary ufe for phyficians, chirurgeons, and apothecaries, &c. that are neceffitated to vifit infect ed' perfons. Extra from Sailor's Letters. Lisbon, Dec. 22, 1758. THERE is no country, let the people in general be ever fo defpicable, but fomething may be learnt from them,-and if one people, are more ignoble than another, furely the Portugueze are the most so., But what I want to obferve to you, is the order of their markets,-which if we imitate, muft prove a general good to the common-wealth. The Rebeira or fish-market, is beyond any other I have feen in the world,-for variety, cheapnefs, aud goodness. Adjoining to it on the eaft fide of the Square Terriero de Paco, i. e. the Palace Square, is a corn market, Civided into different fhops,-where the factors expofe their grain in bins, nor are they allowed to difpofe of any out of this place. The fame rule is obferved in the flesh,-which the but, chers are not fuffered to flaughter in the city, but in the fields, or at the very extent of the fuburbs: The fhambles are built fmall and regular, and lined with clean Dutch tiles; and these markets, as well as thofe for poultry, garden ftuff, fruit, and other eatables, are all examined by the city council, and the office of health, who 'have a power to destroy whatever is not good, and fix daily the price of every thing, which is marked over all the ftalls; fo the perfon who goes to market, pays the fetiled price, without altercation or trouble, and takes his meat. Was this happy custom generally established in the city of London, the poor might live, and the rich · enjoy Rr |
