quette) fent into exile, nor did they fuffer any other degradation or inconvenience, than what proceeded merely from the lofs of their places; no mean jealoufy appeared, no act of feverity or refentment took place, no ancient animofity was revived, nor present hatred gratified, to fully the luftre of his triumph on returning to power. A fimilar magnanimity feemed to be the principle of the enfuing adminiftration. He had the courage to burft at once through thofe narrow political fetters, which, originating partly in pride, and partly in bigotry, were now fo riveted by time, as to be confidered and received as fundamental maxims of government. The pride of the nobility confined the great offices of ftate to their own families; and the profeffion of the law, whofe credit in France is great, and perhaps exceffive, had in a manner appropriated to itself the financial department; while both leaned hard upon the commercial intereft, national and religious prejudices cooperated in the exclufion of foreigners, and of all those of a different perfuafion in religious matters, however eminent their abilities, from rendering any fervice to the state. Maurepas induced his young fovereign, in a fingle inftance, to fet at naught thefe maxims, and to violate all these prejudices, by calling in to be his affiftant, as director-general of the finances, M. Necker, a merchant, a foreigner, and a protestant. -Such was Maurepas!

In the year 1784, a new convention was entered into between France and Sweden, tending to freighten ftill more clofely the bands of union which have fo long fubfifted between the two nations, and which have been maintained with fo much ad

vantage, and at fo fmall an expence, by the former. In virtue of this new convention, the French are admitted to the rights and privileges of natives in the city and port of Gottenburgh, (which, from the goodnefs of the harbour, its fituation without the Sound, and other advantages, may be juftly confidered as the emporium for the foreign trade of Sweden) being permitted to build and establish warehouses for the ftoring of all manner of goods imported either from France or America, in the bottoms of either nation, without their being subject to any duties or impofitions whatever; with the farther liberty to the merchants or proprietors to export all fuch goods at pleasure, either in French or Swedish bottoms, and upon the fame free terms. In return for the advantages expected from thefe favourable ftipulations, France has ceded to Sweden, in perpetuity, the full propriety and fovereignty of the island of St. Bartholomew in the Weft Indies,-The king of Sweden, in order to convert this island to the beft account of which it is capable, has fince declared it a free port.

Nothing lefs than the prefent enthufiafm in favour of commerce, which is fo ftrong in every part of Europe, could render fo trifling and fo remote a poffeffion in any degree acceptable. The island in queftion is estimated only at about five leagues in circumference; the quantity of its cultivable foil bears a very finall proportion even to that extent; in water it is fo deficient, as to have none but what falls from the clouds, and is preferved through the year in cifterns; and though it has a good harbour, the adjoining coafts are fo dangerous, and the approaches

to it fo difficult, as to forbid its ever becoming of commercial importance. With fuch defects, the intrinfic value of the island of St. Bartholomew cannot be very highly rated.

On the other hand, it seems to be an odd fort of policy, for any of the three powers who are poffeffed of the principal West India iflands to draw in new ftates to interfere in that commerce of which they are fo extremely jealous; and it feems ftill more unaccountable to make donations of fmall unproductive islands or rocks, which are debarred by nature from answering any better purpose under a diftant government, deftitute of any neighbouring poffeffion, than that of becoming a nursery of smugglers, as they would in earlier days of pirates.

It is undoubtedly become confonant with the views of France, upon other accounts than those of trade, or even the supply of naval ftores, to hold Sweden at all times by the hand. The common interefts in the affairs of Germany, which had formed the original bands of union between the two nations, have long fince been done away by a new ftate of affairs, and new arrangements of power and alliance; but the jealoufy and apprehenfion which both, though with different degrees of force, entertain of the overgrown and ftill rapidly increafing power of Ruffia, neceffarily throws them into each others arms. Under this impreffion, France thinks it behoves her to maintain an intereft in the north with a power, which in cafe of neceflity might ftill be rendered capable of great exertions, and which, from the immediate neceffity and danger of its own fituation, muft ever prove a watchful centinel with refpect to the movements and defigns

of the power in queftion. But admitting to its utmost extent the propriety of this line of political conduct, it will not appear entirely to juftify the ceffion of this ifland; France knew by experience the means of gratifying Sweden, with little difficulty, in another manner.

Whatever the leading faults or vices of the prefent times may be, it is their great and peculiar characteristic, and it may be hoped will become their future glory, that a trong spirit of civil liberty, and of enquiry into the functions, obligations, and duties of government, are breaking forth in various places, where they were before fuppofed fcarcely to hold even the feeds of exiftence. Another no lefs laudable characteristic is, that fpirit of reform and improvement, under the feveral heads of legislation, of the adminiftration of juftice, the mitigation of penal laws, the affording fome greater attention to the cafe and fecurity of the lower orders of, the people, with the cultivation of thofe arts moft generally useful to mankind, and particularly the public encouragement given to agriculture as an art, which is becoming prevalent in every part of Europe.

This important revolution in the difpofitions of fo great a part of mankind, may in a great measure be attributed to the peculiar kind of philofophy cultivated in the present age, by men, without doubt, confiderable, and who have given the tafte, and, as we may fay, directed the fathion in literature; though their views have certainly not been favourable to the highest and moit permanent interefts of our nature. As the principles they had adopted,

or

or the path they chose to fame and eminence, made it neceffary for them to attack what have been generally confidered as the great fanctions of morality and duty, they were obliged to counteract the imputation which their tenets might be liable to, by not only profefling but inculcating the moft general and enlarged philanthropy, and by letting loofe all the powers of fatire and invective upon all infringements of natural rights, but more particularly upon thofe which feemed or were fuppofed to derive their origin from religious eftablishments. Thus wit has been often enlifted on the fide of juftice, and led to a more minute and accurate inveftigation into the principles and boundaries of authority.

If in many refpects the force of received opinions has in the prefent times been too much impaired, and perhaps too wide and indifcriminate a fcope given to fpeculation on the domains of antiquity and practice, it is, however, a juft caufe of triumph, that prejudice and bigotry were the earliest victims. Happy will it be, if the blows which were aimed at the foundations and buttreffes, fhall only thake off the ufelefs incumbrances of the edifice. And this we are to hope will be the cafe. We may confidently alert, that the utmost freedom of enquiry and difcution, however fubject to partial inconvenience and abufes, muft in the end contribute to the benefit of fociety; for whatever finifter ambition may warp the defigns of thofe who endeavour by their writings to direct the opinion of the world, as they addrefs mankind through the channel of their reason, and work with the powers of the understanding, they are obliged

to apply themfelves to the cultiva tion and improvement of the subject, and of the inftruments of their labours. So that at laft the particular views of individuals, philofophers and fects, being various and fluctuating, will be found to be comparatively but little advanced; while fometimes one, and fometimes another, of thofe general principles on which the happiness of mankind depend (for thefe are uniform and permanent) will receive strength and vigour from the alternate prevalence of difciplines and opinions.

Even in those countries where defpotifm, bigotry, and evil government, had moft benumbed the faculties, and depreffed or perverted the genius of the people, they feem now to roufe, and to be fhaking off the lethargy in which they had fo long lain. Of thefe, none have declined more, whether in a moral or political view, from the rank which they once held among the nations of the world, than the neighbouring kingdoms of Spain and Portugal have done within the two last centuries; which, derived as they are from the fame origin, feemed to have funk under the fame common malady.

Indeed a new day feems to be opening in Spain; and it is to be hoped (for it is allowed to hope and with it, as none but ungenerous minds could look with pleasure at degraded humanity, even in a rival or enemy, and every thing that really tends to honour and elevate the fpecies, muft fooner or later redound to the benefit of all nations) that the brilliant genius of that people, which has been fo long muffled and reftrained, will foon have proper room for its exertion, and op

portunity

portunity for its difplay. The Inquifition, which had fo long been the terror and curfe of the nation, though not yet entirely abolished, is, how ever, reduced to a fituation like that of an old fubdued lion, whofe afpect may fill infpire terror, but whofe fangs being drawn, and claws pared, is no longer capable of mifchief. The powers of that tribunal are now confined to thofe glaring and public acts of impiety, prophanenefs, or' immorality, which are punithable in all well regulated states; and in the execution of this fmall remaining part of their authority, all their proceedings are to be publicly conducted, and their evidence to be openly taken; publicity of proceedings being the moft efficacious corrective of vicious, and prefervative of wholesome inftitutions. This re

form, even if carried no farther, muft foon put an end to the odious and infamous race of familiars and fecret informers.

It is peculiarly fortunate to Spain, that the court, the nobility, and higher claffes of the nation, thould all be feized at the fame time with the fame common fpirit of promoting a general reform through the country, of erafing ancient prejudices, and of ufing all means to enlighten the minds of the people. Learning, and an enquiry into the history and antiquities of the country, are liberally encouraged, and fumptuous editions of the moft valuable claffics published, under the aufpices of the court; patriotic focieties, under the fanction of the first nobility, are forming in every part of the kingdom, for the eftablithment of arts, feiences, and manufactures; for improvements in the cultivation of the earth, and in every part of rural economy; for opening

the minds, and mending the morals of the people. For this purpose numerous public fchools have already been inftituted, and are daily increafing, while the ftudies of youth are to be directed to useful and neceffary objects. Nor is encouragement wanting to the fine arts, although the ufeful, with great propriety in the prefent ftate of things, meet with a more marked attention. The fame patriotic fpirit, which feemed to require nothing more than to be awakened in order to its due exertion, is already extending itfelf to public works and defigns of the greatest permanency and national utility. Plans have been formed, fubfcriptions filled, and the works are actually in execution, for the conveyance of water to large districts which had hitherto been defolate through its want, and for opening the way to commerce and induftry, by establishing good roads and navigable canals, for facilitating the intercourfe between the different provinces of that extenfive country; the want of which could not have been any where more felt.

A

We have heretofore feen the meafures adopted by Spain for peopling and cultivating the wide and defolate waites of the mountainous region of the Sierra Morena, by ftocking them with German colonies; which was done at a great expence, to the amount of about 6000. court intrigue, by which the duke d'Aranda, the patriotic and benevolent father of this project, was thrown out of the administration, was among the principle caufes, if not the fole one, of its failure. About nine-tenths of the colonifts either perifhed in the place, or, in their attempts to return home, encountered fuck hardihips, that many were

reduced

reduced to the neceffity of becoming beggars or vagabonds, or, what may be confidered as a calamity little lefs confiderable, being obliged to inlift in foreign fervice in the countries through which they paffed.

The king has, however, revived the fcheme with great vigour, and no lefs apparent effect; fo that there feems now to be a fair profpect of its fucceeding to advantage. Befides taking the remains of the old fettlers, amounting now to about 600, under his immediate protection, and giving new animation and vigour to their induftry, he has made an importation of 500 Romancatholic Swifs families. Whether it proceeds from improvements, derived from experience, in the regulation, whether from habits of greater induftry in the Swifs, whether the climate is better fuited to their con ftitutions than to the natives of northern Germany, or whether from the operation of all these, and perhaps other caufes, this colony proceeds much more profperously than the former. This fuccefs has fo much encouraged the king, that he is making farther and greater importations, and upon a ftill more improved plan, of Germans, French, and Swifs, to whom great advantages are held out; their farms being granted in perpetuity upon fome very eaty terms, proper ftock provided for them at prefent, and a competent quantity of land tilled and fown at his expence for each family the first year. The expence has been found very great, and has exceeded what even could have been imagined; but it is an expence truly royal, and worthy of a king.

Among other domeftic regulations, the king has abolithed, or at leaft greatly circumfcribed and re

ftricted, the celebration of the bull feafts, which had for fo many centuries been the peculiar and favourite diverfion of Spain; a diverfion which foreigners had generally confidered or reprefented as a proof of the prefent barbarifm, and an indication of the natural cruelty of the people: pofitions which fhould be well weighed before they are in any degree admitted; and which, if at all juft, are fubject to much limitation. The English have been no lefs reproached for their bull-baiting, boxing matches, quarter-staff and cudgel playing, with their general difpofition to athletic exercifes, and eagerness to behold fierce combats, whether between their own fpecies or other animals.

Perhaps it is not always confidered, in paffing thefe cenfures, that man is born to a state of contention and warfare; that he is doomed to ftruggle with difficulties, and is at all times liable to be compelled to oppofe and to furmount dangers, or to perith in the encounter; and that these are circumstances from which no condition of fortune, or state of fociety, can at all times fecure him. It behoves him therefore not to indulge in the idea that he is always to flumber upon beds of roles; but to ftrengthen his mind, and harden his body, for the reception of those hard conflicts, fromwhich no humility of character, nor innocency of life, may poflibly afford him an exemption. As man has profited, in many inttances of art and domeftic economy, from the example of inferior animals, he need not think it beneath him to improve in the virtues of courage and fortitude from the example of the more generous and noble kinds, as that exhibited by the heroic part of his own fpecies

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