fefs in fhip-building; especially in the conftruction of fhips of war: for he it was who firft refcued naval architecture from mere mechanical hands, from the habitual and unexamined prejudices of vulgar error; and placing it in the rank which it deferved to hold, it foon rose, under his influence and protection, to be confidered as a diftinct and profound science; and was accordingly ftudied and reduced to practice upon thofe principles by men of the first parts and learning. Such eminent and permanent national fervices, which in time diffuse themselves into common benefits to mankind, are frequently little thought of at the moment, and the ingenious author or inventor is foon forgotten; while he who applies his genius or invention, with a vain-glorious fplendour, to the deftruction of his fellow-creatures, although not even the partial benefits of his fuccefs may furvive the year in which it takes place, fhall have his name handed down with applaufe and admiration to futurity. Is there then a perverfenefs inherent in mankind which difpofes them, as it were, to worship the evil principle, to defpife their real benefactors, and to adore those who, by becoming the confpicuous inftruments of transitory refentments, do in fact make war upon the permanent interefts of the race itself? May it not then be the office of hiftory, going hand in hand with philofophy, to draw away the eyes of mankind from the glaring objects which dazzle and confound them, and to teach them to rest on more fober and beneficial lights; to calculate and correct the error of popular opinion, and, by rating actions according to their intrinfic value, as it were, to graduate anew the fcale of admiration ? Although cardinal Fleury poffeffed at the time the oftenfible praife, it was to Maurepas only that fcience is indebted for that grand defign and arduous undertaking of afcertaining the real figure of the earth, by fending the French academicians and aftronomers to measure degrees of the meridian under the equator, and in the northern polar circle. The unexpected difficulties which they experienced, and the extraordinary hardships and difficulties they encountered, are too well known to be repeated. When the cabals of the court had, in the year 1748, banished Maurepas far from its vortex (an evil of all others the most intolerable to a Frenchman) he exhibited an inftance, almoft fingular in that country, of bearing his fall from a fituation of greatnefs, in which he had been nurtured from his earliest youth, with the dignity of a man, and the temper of a philofopher. He adorned his long exile, as he had done his poffeffion of power, by continued acts of beneficence, and the practice of every private virtue. When at length, in the 74th year of his age, the long-forgotten ftatefman was most honourably recalled to court, in order to become the mentor and guide of his young fovereign in the yet untrodden paths of government, neither this fudden and unexpected exaltation, nor his long abfence from the world, produced any change in the temper and character of Maurepas. In the changes which neceffarily took place at court, and in the adminiftration, none of the difmified minifters were (according to the cftablished eti quette) 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 severity or refentment took place, no ancient animofity was revived, nor prefent 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 state to their own families; and the profeffion of the law, whose 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 thofe of a different perfuafion in religious matters, however eminent their abilities, from rendering any fervice to the ftate. 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 proteftant. -Such was Maurepas! In the year 1784, a new convention was entered into between France and Sweden, tending to ftreighten 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 justly 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 fubject 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 these favourable ftipulations, France has ceded to Sweden, in perpetuity, the full propriety and fovereignty of the island of St. Bartholomew in the West 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 less 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 iseftimated only at about five leagues in circumference; the quantity of its cultivable foil bears a very small 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 cisterns; and though it has a good harbour, the adjoining coafts are fo dangerous, and the approaches to 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 feems to be an odd fort of policy, for any of the three powers who are poffeffed of the principal West India islands to draw in new states to interfere in that commerce of which they are fo extremely jealous; and it feems ftill more unaccountable to make donations of fmall unproductive iflands 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 nurfery of fmugglers, as they would in earlier days of pirates. It is undoubtedly become confonant with the views of France, upon other accounts than thofe 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 state 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 case of neceffity might still 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 utmoft 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 man ner. 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 strong 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 existence. Another no lefs laudable characteristic is, that spirit of reform and improvement, under the feveral heads of legiflation, of the administration of juftice, the mitigation of penál laws, the affording fome greater attention to the ease and fecurity of the lower orders of the people, with the cultivation of thofe arts most 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 prefent age, by men, without doubt, confiderable, and who have given the tafte, and, as we may fay, directed the fashion in literature; though their views have certainly not been favourable to the highest and most 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 profeffing 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 those which feemed or were fuppofed to derive their origin from religious establishments. Thus wit has been often enlifted on the fide of justice, and led to a more minute and accurate investigation into the principles and boundaries of authority. If in many respects the force of received opinions has in the prefent times been too much impaired, and perhaps too wide and indiscriminate a fcope given to fpeculation on the domains of antiquity and practice, it is, however, a just cause 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 shake off the uselefs incumbrances of the edifice. And this we are to hope will be the cafe. We may confidently affert, that the utmost freedom of enquiry and difcuffion, 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 those who endeavour by their writings to direct the opinion of the world, as they address mankind through the channel of their reason, and work with the powers of the understanding, they are obliged to apply themfelves to the cultivation and improvement of the fubject, 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 those general principles on which the happiness of mankind depend (for thefe are uniform and permanent) will receive ftrength and vigour from the alternate prevalence of difciplines and opinions. Even in thofe 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 of 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 laft 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 refrained, 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, however, reduced to a fituation like that of an old fubdued lion, whose aspect 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 punishable in all well regulated ftates; 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 most efficacious corrective of vicious, and prefervative of wholesome inflitutions. This reform, 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, fhould 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 en lighten 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 most valuable claffics publifhed, under the aufpices of the court; patriotic fo cieties, under the fanction of the first nobility, are forming in every part of the kingdom, for the establishment of arts, fciences, 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 schools have already been inftituted, and are daily increafing, while the fludies 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 itself to public works and defigns of the greateft permanency and national utility. Plans have been formed, fubfcriptions filled, and the works are actually in execution, for the conveyance of water to large diflricts which had hitherto been defolate through its want, and for opening the way to commerce and industry, 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. We have heretofore feen the meafures adopted by Spain for peopling and cultivating the wide and defolate waftes of the mountainous region of the Sierra Morena, by stocking them with German colonies; which was done at a great expence, to the amount of about 6000. A court intrigue, by which the duke d'Aranda, the patriotic and benevolent father of this project, was thrown out of the adminiftration, was among the principal caufes, if not the fole one, of its failure. About nine-tenths of the colonists either perished in the place, or in their attempts to return home encountered fuch hardships, that many were reduced |