for the adminiftration of affairs as may be of eminent service, more from ambition than intereft, either in war or in peace; but they are here of great advantage befides, by bufying them felves in commerce. The Tufcan nobility are not of that idle opinion that trade contaminates noble blood. They make not the leaft hesitation to ftudy it in the compting-house of the merchant, and afterwards to carry it on in their own names. The Florentines, who have for fo many ages past been greatly advanced beyond the rest of Tufcany in ingenuity and industry, have herein tranfcended the bounds of the common origin of nobility, by making it a law, that no family can be admitted among the nobility, who cannot bring proof that they have heretofore been enrolled in the guild register of the filkmen or clothiers. This particular trait is of itfelf fufficient to give a perfect infight into their character. How happy would it be for the useless nobility of oppreffed nations, if they had but the courage to introduce fo advantageous a maxim! The only inftance whereby the nobility of Tuscany has hitherto given a confiderable wound to the public weal, is the right of primogeniture, and the fidei-commiffes. In a country which can only attain to its utmost degree of profperity by means of commerce, the gods and capitals fhould neither be unalienably annexed to certain families, nor limited to a certain number of heirs. This evil too the wife regent, by a law enacted fome months ago, has happily abolifhed at least for the future, and thus complied with the wishes of all true patriots.' Leghorn is a mart conftructed on the most refined principles of which the fpirit of commerce is capable, and provided with a large and fecure harbour. The advantageous fituation and extraordinary freedom enjoyed here by all the nations of the world, are the caufes that this agreeable city: is become, in fo short a time, the general depository of Levantine and Eu ropean products. The number of veffels that annually land here, may be. computed from the confiderable income of the capitano della Bocca, who for every ship that arrives receives about the value of five fhillings. Hence it is no wonder that great fortunes are made, and that the poffeffors of millions are very frequently met with. Many millions of fcudi are in circulation in this town. It is a pleasure to see how, without intermiffion, fhips from all parts of the world are either unloading or taking fresh commodities on board, how full the enormous magazines are of goods from the Levant, the Indies, and all parts of Europe, how bufy the brokers are, and what vaft fums of money are, by the exchange of this place, carried into circulation over the whole furface of the earth. Count Carli is furprifed, and lays it to the blame of the Tufcans, that of the great number of millionaries at Leghorn, there is not more than two or three of them of their own people, and that all the reft are fo reigners. Had he reflected, that this is likewife the cafe in many other famous marts of trade of much greater countries; how fhort the period of time is, fince Leghorn has been vifited by all trading nations, and how fmall the original capital of a Tuscan millionary muft be; he would rather have had reafon to wonder how even but one Tuscan fhould in so short a time have acquired fuch great wealth. The majority of the foreign merchants are come hither with large capitals, either as heads or branches of fubftantial mercantile houfes in Provence, in England, in Portugal, and other countries. It feldom indeed appears to a foreigner, when he has feen fuch enormous riches at Leghorn, and with this great idea in his mind, travels through the impove rifhed rifhed towns of Volterra, Arezzo, is about 112 miles diftant, it will Cortona, and Siena. Nothing is more have been ten times thoroughly natural than for him to blame the fearched on the road, and have paid fluggishness of the inhabitants of thefe forty-four toll duties, which together cities in not profiting by their vici- amount to the fum of 31 lires (if the nity to this productive golden mine. bale be reckoned at 260 lires, at 12 But he might perhaps be miftaken. per cent.) To this must be added the The evil lies by no means in the in- pay of the tranfport, and the delays activity of the inhabitants, but in the of the toll-gatherers, the liberties ancient conftitution of the country, they take, the tricks they put in which it was ever the aim of Duke practice to extort bribes, before they Leopold to abolish by degrees. will give the neceffary documents and paffes, and a number of other grievances. We muft alfo take into the account, that the clothier is obliged to pay just as many dues on fending the ftuffs or cloths wrought from this bale of wool, for fale to Leghorn; by this means the price amounts to fo much, that, from the competition of other cheaper woollens, no purchaser is to be found. Thus the affair ftands in all the cities. and towns in Tufcany; and therefore it is no wonder that they reap but little or no fruits from the vicinity of Leghorn. Tufcany, as every one knows, was formerly, as it were, a foreft of repub. lics, who were inceffantly at war, and had nothing more in view than how one could get the afcendant over the other. Each diftinct republic or city, nay every village almoft, conducted itself by its own laws and ftatutes, which in regard to politics were as contrary as poffible to the interefts of their neighbouring rivals. Hence arofe innumerable burdens and taxes, which were laid on perfons and commodities paffing through the narrow confines of thefe free-ftates. After thefe petty ftates had fallen under the dominion of the Florentines, it became neceffary to the general welfare, to treat the conquered territories as members of the aggregate body, and by the abolition of the ancient ftatutes and customs, to open the way for the due circulation of commerce through the various channels from one end of it to the other. But this did not fucceed, and it has been at a stand for two centuries and a half. Thus the cities ftill remained engaged in a kind of war among themfelves, and obftacles were thrown in the way of the communication of commerce almoft at every ftop. Thus for example, before a clothier of Cor tona receives a bale of wool of 500 pounds weight from Leghorn, which The grand Duke Leopold, who thoroughly and without prejudice examined into all matters with the eye of a philofopher, and as foon as he was convinced of the truth, refolutely encountered and conquered every difficulty, broke moft of the bonds which ignominiously confined the hands of his fubjects, and even in fome measure remedied this complaint by the abolition of pernicious ftatutes. The communication between one town and another is no longer obftructed or retarded by any grievous impediment; every Tufcan carries the fruit of his labour, fubject to fmall duties, to market at Leghorn, and manifeft proofs of the rapid growth of arts and agriculture are every where seen. ORIGINAL ORIGINAL LETTER FROM LORD HARDWICKE TO JAMES MARQUIS OF ANNAN MY LORD, Το DALE 6th April, 1736. O fee a young Nobleman inquiring after the propereft methods for his own education, cannot but give one a moft fenfible pleasure, in an age when the far greater part leave that care entirely to others; or, perhaps, do their utmost to obftruct the fruits of it themselves: on the contrary, fuch an inquiry fhews a laudable folicitude to afflift the endeavours of parents, and to improve upon the inftruction of tutors, of which I doubt not but your Lordship is fupplied with the beft. This would make it the higheft impertinence in me to fay one word to you on this topic, if your commands did not arm me with a juftification. The important bufinefs of your education feems chiefly to confift in three things-your ftudies, your exercifes, and your travels. In your ftudies, your first employment will of course be the learning of languages, ancient and modern. Without a competent fkill in the former, you will want the inexpreffible pleafure and advantage that can only be drawn from thofe immortal patterns of nervous beautiful writing, and virtuous action, which Greece and Rome have left us; and without the latter, a man of quality must find himself frequently at a lofs becomingly to act many parts, both in public and private life, to which his birth and rank do naturally call him. As you proceed farther, permit me to recommend Mathematics to your particular favour; it is of infinite fervice in variety of affairs, but there is one general ufe of it, which I remember my Lord Bacon fomewhere mentions-that it tends above all things to fix the attention of youth; for in demonftration, if a man's mind wander never fo little, he muft begin again. Ed. Mag. Jan. 1800. is The ftudy of the Roman Civil Law what every true friend of your Lordship would most earnestly wish you to purfue-as the groundwork of the law of moft countries, and in cafes where their municipal laws have made no fpecial provifion, it is their rule of judging: believe me, the benefits you will derive from a fuperior knowledge of this fcience are not to be defcribed within the compafs of a letter; and as your Lordship may poffibly one day have a feat in Parliament, your country will by this means find you the much better qualified for their fervice, as well as your own. I fhall be in danger of going farther out of my depth, if I attempt to fay much about your exercises. They require judgment in choofing, and many of them are highly conducive to ftrengthening the conftitution, and forming a graceful behaviour : it feems to be a fault of the prefent age, to neglect the manly and warlike exercises, and to prefer thofe which are foft and effeminate; the former are certainly a neceffary part of the education of a man of quality, not to be laid aside as soon as learned, but to be made a habit for life. Hence you will be rendered more apt for military fatigue and difcipline, if ever the cause of your Prince and Country fhall require you to endure it. And one cannot help obferving, that it would be much for the honour of the Nobility, as well as the fecurity of this kingdom, if more, even of thofe who do not think fit to make War their trade, would however qualify themfelves to perform that honourable service. * To thefe I prefume travelling will fucceed, not only from the reason of the thing, but the fashion of the times, and it were much to be wished that being in the fashion was not for H the * Who fucceeded his father in 1724, and died unmarried at Naples in 1745. the most part the fole aim of it. It is undoubtedly in itself a noble part of inftruction, as it affords an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Constitutions and Interefts of Foreign Countries, the Courts of their Princes, the genius, trade, and general purfuits of the people. But as things are now managed, what is often fubftituted in the room of the fe moft ufeful inquiries?-Nothing but the infection of their vices and luxury, their arts of dreffing themfelves and their victuals, and the acquifition of falfe vitiated tafte in both. To intimate one or two of the many caufes of this unhappy abuse, may ferve juft to point out the way to avoid it :-One fundamental error is travelling too carly; the mind of a young man wants to be fitted and prepared for this kind of cultivation; and, until it is properly opened by ftudy and learning, he will want light to fee and obferve, as well as knowledge to apply, the facts and occurrences met with in foreign countries: without this foundation, a boy may be carried to fee one of these idle fhews called moving pictures, or the French Court work, with almost as great advantage, and with much more in in wax nocence. Another fatal error is exceffive expence, to which this part of what is called education is fuffered to be carried. It is not uncommon to fee a young Gentleman fpend more by the year in fuch a tour, than the income of his eftate will in prudence afford him the means of doing when fettled with a family at home! And to what purpose? Not to enable him to learn the more; for it turns him out of the paths of application and attention into thofe of pleasure and riot: not to enable him to affociate with the belt company of foreigners, but the moft luxurious and extravagant of his own countrymen, or with fuch ftrangers as will refort to him only for his money. If the great number of travellers be confidered, the drain of cash hereby occafioned is an apparent detriment to this kingdom, and the mifchief to particular families is irretrievable, by acquiring a habit of expence which their eftate › cannot poffibly bear, and which will ever be followed by a certain train of confequences, dangerous to the public as well as private welfare. In former times the people of Britain who 'travelled were obferved to return home with their affections the more strongly engaged towards the well-tempered Conftitution and liberty of their own country, from having obferved the miferies refulting from arbitrary Governments abroad.-This was a happy effect, and moft defirable to be continued: but by an unlucky reverfe it fometimes happens in thefe days, that being taught to like the fafhions and manners of foreign countries, they are led to have no averfion to their political inftitutions, and their methods of exercifing civil power. The proteftant religion being eftablifhed here is one great fecurity of our civil liberty. That occular demonftration of the grofs fuperftitions and abfurdities of religion abroad, which travelling furnishes, was formerly thought to fix the mind in a more firm attachment to our primitive fimplicity and abhorrence of the latter. It were much to be wifhed that this obfervation would constantly hold; but I fear the cafe is now fometimes otherwife, with this further ill confequence, that many of our young men, by a long interruption of the exercise of their own religion, become abfolutely indifferent to all. In what I have faid, I defire to be understood not to advife your Lordfhip against travelling; my view is far otherwife it is only to lay before you what appeared to me, informed as I am, to be the modern abufes of it; that, by avoiding thofe, you may be in a condition to make ufe BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS PUBLISHED IN LONDON IN DECEMBER 1799. A Agriculture Arts and Sciences. GENERAL View of the Agriculture of the Weft Riding of York fhire; furveyed by Meffes. Rennie, Brown, and Shireff, 1793. With Obfervations on the Means of its Improvement, and additional Information fince received; drawn up for the Confideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement. By Robert Brown, Farmer at Markie, near Haddington, Scotland. 8vo. 63. Nicol, Sewell. On the Conftruction of Kitchen Fire Places, and Kitchen Utenfils; together with Remarks and Obfervations relating to the various Proceffes of Cookery, and Propofals for improving that moft ufeful Art. With Plates. Being Effay X. Part I. By Benjamin Count Rumford. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. A Tranflation of the Table of chemical Nomenclature, prepared by De Morveau, Lavoifier, Berthollet, and De Fourcroy; with Explanations, Additions, and Alterations. With feven fheet folio Tables, &c. By George 雪 Pearfon, M. D. 4to. 148. Johnson. Biography. Authentic Memoirs of Tippoo Sultan: including his Campaigns with the Mahrattas, Rajahs, W. Haftings, Efq. Lord Cornwallis, Lord Mornington, &c.; cruel Treatment, of English Prifoners, Plunders, Intrigues, and fecret Correlpondence with France, as laid before the House of Commons; a full Account of the Capture of Seringapatam; Defcription of Eastern Countries hitherto unknown; curious entertaining Anecdotes; and a preliminary Sketch of the Life and Character of Hyder Aly Cawn. By an Officer in the Eaft India Service. 8vo. 35. Weft and Hughes. H 2 Select Eulogies of Members of the French Academy: with Notes. By the late M. D'Alembert. Tranflated from the French. With a Preface and additional Notes. By J. Aikin, M. D. 2 vols. 12mo. 10s. Cadell and Davies. Hiftory. Remarks on fome Paffages in Mr Bryant's Publications refpecting the War of Troy. By the Editor of "The Voyage of Hanno," 8vo. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. Cortes; or, the Discovery of Mexico; being a Continuation of the D:fcovery of Mexico. Tranflated from the German of J. H. Campe. Iamo. 3s. 6d. Johnfon. Secret Anecdotes of the Revolution of the 18th Fructidor (September 4th, 1797,) and new Memoirs of the Perfons deported to Guiana, written by themfelves; containing Letters from General Murinais, Meff. Barthelemy, Tronçon-du-Coudray, Laffond Ladébat, De la Rue, &c. &c. A Narra tion of the Events that took place at Guiana |