winds and waterspouts, as well as the obser- | increase our regret, that the talents of th vations on the course of the winds and on cold, author should have been wasted on suc seem to be excellent. The paper called Mari-perishable materials.

time Observations is full of ingenuity and There is not much written on the subject of practical good sense; and the remarks on the dispute with the colonies; and most of Dr Evaporation, and on the Tides, most of which Franklin's papers on that subject are already are contained in a series of letters to a young well known to the public. His examination be lady, are admirable, not merely for their per- fore the House of Commons in 1766 affords a spicuity, but for the interest and amusement striking proof of the extent of his information, they are calculated to communicate to every the clearness and force of his extempore comdescription of readers. The remarks on Fire- position, and the steadiness and self-possession places and Smoky chimnies are infinitely more which enabled him to display these qualities original, concise, and scientific, than those of with so much effect upon such an occasion. Count Rumford; and the observations on the His letters before the commencement of hos Gulph-stream afford, we believe, the first tilities are full of grief and anxiety; but, no example of just theory, and accurate investi- sooner did matters come to extremities, than gation, applied to that phenomenon. he appears to have assumed a certain keen and confident cheerfulness, not unmixed with a seasoning of asperity, and more vindictiveness of spirit than perhaps became a philoso pher. In a letter written in October 1775, he expresses himself in this manner:

Dr. Franklin, we think, has never made use of the mathematics, in his investigation of the phenomena of nature; and though this may render it surprising that he has fallen into so few errors of importance, we conceive that it helps in some measure to explain the unequalled perspicuity and vivacity of his expositions. An algebraist, who can work wonders with letters, seldom condescends to be much indebted to words; and thinks himself entitled to make his sentences obscure, provided his calculations be distinct. A writer who has nothing but words to make use of, must make all the use he can of them: he cannot afford to neglect the only chance he has of being understood.

The following letters, which passed between Dr. Franklin and Lord Howe, when his Lordship arrived off the American coast with what were called the pacificatory proposals in 1776, show not only the consideration in which the former was held by the Noble Commissioner, but contain a very striking and prophetic statement of the consequences to be apprehended from the perseverance of Great Britain in her schemes of compulsion. His Lordship writes,

in June 1776,

"Tell our dear good friend ***, who sometimes has his doubts and despondencies about our firmness, that America is determined and unanimous; a very few Tories and placemen excepted, who will probably soon export themselves. Britain, at dred and fifty Yankies this campaign, which is the expense of three millions, has killed one hun20,000l. a head; and, at Bunker's Hill, she gained a mile of ground, half of which she lost again by our taking post on Ploughed Hill. During the same time, sixty thousand children have been born in America. From these data, his mathematical We should now say something of the politi-head will easily calculate the time and expense neccal writings of Dr. Franklin,-the productions tory."-vol. iii, p. 357, 358. essary to kill us all. and conquer our whole terriwhich first raised him into public office and eminence, and which will be least read or attended to by posterity. They may be divided into two parts; those which relate to the internal affairs and provincial differences of the American colonies, before their quarrel with the mother country; and those which relate to that quarrel and its consequences. The former are no longer in any degree interesting and the editor has done wisely, we think, in presenting his readers with an abstract only of the longest of them. This was published in 1759, under the title of an Historical Review of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, and consisted of upwards of 500 pages, composed for the purpose of showing that the political privileges reserved to the founder of the colony had been illegally and oppressively used. The Canada pamphlet, written in 1760, for the purpose of pointing out the importance of retaining that colony at the peace, is given entire; and appears to be composed with great force of reason, and in a style of extraordinary perspicuity. The same may be said of what are called the Albany Papers, or the plan for a general political union of the colonies in 1754; and a variety of other tracts on the provincial politics of that day. All these are worth preserving, both as monuments of Dr. Franklin's talents and activity, and as affording, in many places, very excellent models of strong reasoning and popular eloquence: but the interest of the subjects is now completely gone by; and the few specimens of general reasoning which we meet with, serve only to

"I cannot, my worthy friend, permit the letters and parcels, which I have sent (in the state I received them,) to be landed, without adding a word upon the subject of the injurious extremities in which our unhappy disputes have engaged us.

"You will learn the nature of my mission, from the official despatches which I have recommended to be forwarded by the same conveyance. Retain ing all the earnestness I ever expressed, to see our meet with the disposition in the colonies which I differences accommodated; I shall conceive, if I was once taught to expect, the most flattering hopes of proving serviceable in the objects of the King's paternal solicitude, by promoting the establishment of lasting peace and union with the Colonies. But, if the deep-rooted prejudices of America, and the necessity of preventing her trade from passing into foreign channels, must keep us still a divided people, I shall, from every private as well as public motive, most heartily lament, that this is not the moment, wherein those great objects of my ambition are to be attained, and that I am to be longer deprived of an opportunity to assure you, personally, of the re gard with which I am, &c."-vol. iii. p. 365–367 Dr. Franklin answered,—

"I received safe the letters your Lordship so

Lindly forwarded to me, and beg you to accept my | tations that a reconciliation might soon take place.

thanks.

The official despatches to which you refer me, contain nothing more than what we had seen in the act of Parliament, viz. Offers of pardon upon submssion; which I was sorry to find; as it must give your Lordship pain to be sent so far on so hopeless a business.

I had the misfortune to find these expectations disappointed, and to be treated as the cause of the mischief I was labouring to prevent. My consolation under that groundless and malevolent treatment was, that I retained the friendship of many wise and good men in that country; and, among the rest, some share in the regard of Lord Howe.

"Directing pardons to be offered to the colonies, "The well-founded esteem, and, permit me to who are the very parties injured, expresses indeed say, affection, which I shall always have for your that opinion of our ignorance, baseness, and insen- Lordship, make it painful to me to see you engaged ability, which your uninformed and proud nation in conducting a war, the great ground of which (as Ins long been pleased to entertain of us; but it can described in your letter) is the necessity of prehave no other effect than that of increasing our re-venting the American trade from passing into sentments. It is impossible we should think of foreign channels.' To me it seems, that neither bmission to a government that has, with the most the obtaining or retaining any trade, how valuable wanton barbarity and cruelty, burned our defence- soever, is an object for which men may justly spill less towns in the midst of winter; excited the each other's blood; that the true and sure means vages to massacre our (peaceful) farmers, and our of extending and securing commerce, are the goodslaves to muroer their masters; and is even now* ness and cheapness of commodities; and that the bringing foreign mercenaries to deluge our settle-profits of no trade can ever be equal to the exments with blood. These atrocious injuries have ertinguished every spark of affection for that parent country we once held so dear: but, were it possible for as to forget and forgive them, it is not possible for you mean the British nation) to forgive the people you have so heavily injured. You can never confide again in those as fellow-subjects, and permit them to enjoy equal freedom, to whom you know you have given such just causes of lasting entity: and this must impel you, were we again under your government, to endeavour the breaking oar spirit by the severest tyranny, and obstructing, by every means in your power, our growing strength and prosperity.

But your Lordship mentions 'the King's paternal solicitude for promoting the establishment of lasting peace and union with the Colonies.' If by pace is here meant, a peace to be entered into by distinct states, now at war; and his Majesty has given your Lordship powers to treat with us of such a prace; I may venture to say, though without authority, that I think a treaty for that purpose not quite impracticable, before we enter into foreign ahances. But I am persuaded you have no such powers. Your nation, though, by punishing those American governors who have fomented the discord, rebuilding our burnt towns, and repairing as far as possible the mischiefs done us, she might recover a great share of our regard, and the greatest share of our growing commerce, with all the advantages of that additional strength, to be derived from a friendship with us; yet I know too well her abound. ang pride and deficient wisdom, to believe she will ever take such salutary measures. Her fondness for conquest as a warlike nation; her lust of dominion as an ambitious one; and her thirst for a gainful monopoly as a commercial one, (none of them legitmale causes of war,) will join to hide from her eyes every view of her true interest, and cononally goad her on in those ruinous distant expedations, so destructive both of lives and of treasure, that they must prove as pernicious to her in the end, as the Croisades formerly were to most of the nations of Europe.

ave not the vanity, my Lord, to think of intimidating, by thus predicting the effects of this war; for I know it will in England have the fate of all my former predictions-not to be believed till the event shall verify it.

"Long did I endeavour, with unfeigned and unwearied zeal, to preserve from breaking that fine and noble porcelain vase-the British empire; for I knew that, being once broken, the separate parts could not retain even their share of the strength and value that existed in the whole; and that a perfect reunion of those parts could scarce ever be hoped for Your Lordship may possibly remember the tears of joy that wetted my cheek, when, at your good sister's in London, you once gave me expec

• About this time the Hessians, &c. had just arrived from Europe of Staten Island and New York. B. V.

pense of compelling it, and holding it by fleets and armies. I consider this war against us, therefore, as both unjust and unwise; and I am persuaded that cool and dispassionate posterity will condemn to infamy those who advised it; and that even success will not save from some degree of dishonour, those who have voluntarily engaged to conduct it.

"I know your great motive in coming hither was the hope of being instrumental in a reconciliation; and I believe, when you find that to be impossible, on any terms given you to propose, you will then relinquish so odious a command, and return to a more honourable private station.

With the greatest and most sincere respect, I have the honour to be, &c."-vol. iii. p. 367–371.

None of Dr. Franklin's political writings, during the nine years when he resided as Ambassador at the Court of France, have yet been made public. Some of them, we should imagine, must be highly interesting.

Of the merit of this author as a political economist, we have already had occasion to say something, in the general remarks which we made on the character of his genius; and we cannot now spare time to go much into particulars. He is perfectly sound upon many important and practical points;-upon the corn-trade, and the theory of money, for instance; and also upon the more general doctrines, as to the freedom of commerce, and the principle of population. In the more ele however, his views seem to have been less mentary and abstract parts of the science, just and luminous. He is not very consistent or profound in what he says of the effects of luxury; and seems to have gone headlong into the radical error of the Economistes, when he maintains, that all that is done by manufacture, is to embody the value of the manufacturer's subsistence in his work, and that agriculture is the only source from which a real increase of wealth can be derived. An other favourite position is, that all commerce is cheating, where a commodity, produced by a certain quantity of labour, is exchanged for another, on which more labour has been expended; and that the only fair price of any thing, is some other thing requiring the same exertion to bring it to market. This is evidently a very narrow and erroneous view of the nature of commerce. The fair price to the purchaser is, whatever he deliberately chooses to give, rather than go without the commodity;—it is no matter to him, whether

he seller bestowed much or little labour upon ders of Boston and Philadelphia, such wartit, or whether it came into his possession ings were altogether unnecessary; and ne without any labour at all whether it be a endeavoured, therefore, with more appropri diamond, which he picked up, or a picture, at ate eloquence, to impress upon them the imwhich he had been working for years. The portance of industry, sobriety, and economy, commodity is not valued by the purchaser, and to direct their wise and humble ambition on account of the labour which is supposed to to the attainment of useful knowledge and be embodied in it, but solely on account of honourable independence. That morality, certain qualities, which he finds convenient after all, is certainly the most valuable, which or agreeable: he compares the convenience is adapted to the circumstances of the greater and delight which he expects to derive from part of mankind; and that eloquence the most this object, with the convenience and delight meritorious, that is calculated to convince and which is afforded by the things asked in ex-persuade the multitude to virtue. Nothing change for it; and if he find the former pre- can be more perfectly and beautifully adapted ponderate, he consents to the exchange, and to its object, than most of Dr. Franklin's makes a beneficial bargain. compositions of this sort. The tone of familiarity, of good-will, and homely jocularitythe plain and pointed illustrations-the short sentences, made up of short words-and the strong sense, clear information, and obvious conviction of the author himself, make most of his moral exhortations perfect models of popular eloquence; and afford the finest specimens of a style which has been but too little cultivated in a country which numbers perhaps more than half a million of readers among its tradesmen and artificers.

We have stated the case in the name of a purchaser, because, in barter, both parties are truly purchasers, and act upon the same principles; and it is easy to show, that all commerce resolves itself, ultimately, into barter. There can be no unfairness in trade, except where there is concealment on the part of the seller, either of the defects of the commodity, or of the fact that the purchaser may be supplied with it at a cheaper rate by another. It is a matter of fact, but not of morality, that the price of most commodities will be influenced by the labour employed in producing them. If they are capable of being produced in unlimited quantities, the competition of the producers will sink the price very nearly to what is necessary to maintain this Jabour; and the impossibility of continuing the production, without repaying that labour, will prevent it from sinking lower. The doctrine does not apply at all, to cases where the materials, or the skill necessary to work them up, are scarce in proportion to the demand. The author's speculations on the effects of paper-money, seem also to be superficial and inaccurate. Statistics had not been carefully studied in the days of his activity; and, accordingly, we meet with a good deal of loose assumption, and sweeping calculation in his writings. Yet he had a genius for exact observation, and complicated detail; and probably wanted nothing but leisure, to have made very great advances in this branch of economy. As a writer on morality and general literature, the merits of Dr. Franklin cannot be estimated properly, without taking into consideration the peculiarities that have been already alluded to in his early history and situation. He never had the benefit of any academical instruction, nor of the society of men of letters;-his style was formed entirely by his own judgment and occasional reading; and most of his moral pieces were written while he was a tradesman, addressing himself to the tradesmen of his native city. We cannot expect, therefore, either that he should write with extraordinary elegance or grace; or that he should treat of the accomplishments, follies, and occupations of polite life. He had no great occasion, as a moralist, to expose the guilt and the folly of gaming or seduction; or to point a poignant and playful ridicule against the lighter immoralities of fashionable life. To the mechanics and tra

In writings which possess such solid and unusual merit, it is of no great consequence that the fastidious eye of a critic can discover many blemishes. There is a good deal of vulgarity in the practical writings of Dr. Franklin; and more vulgarity than was any way necessary for the object he had in view. There is something childish, too, in some of his attempts at pleasantry; his story of the Whistle, and his Parisian letter, announcing the discovery that the sun gives light as soon as he rises, are instances of this. The soliloquy of an Ephemeris, however, is much better; and both it, and the Dialogue with the Gout, are executed with the lightness and spirit of genuine French compositions. The Speech in the Divan of Algiers, composed as a parody on those of the defenders of the slave trade, and the scriptural parable against persecution are inimitable; they have all the point and facility of the fine pleasantries of Swift and Arbuthnot, with something more of directness and apparent sincerity.

The style of his letters, in general, is excellent. They are chiefly remarkable, for great simplicity of language, admirable good sense and ingenuity, and an amiable and inoffensive cheerfulness, that is never overclouded or eclipsed. Among the most valua ble of the writings that are published for the first time, in the present edition, are four let ters from Dr. Franklin to Mr. Whatley, written within a few years of his death, and expressive of all that unbroken gaiety, philanthropy, and activity, which distinguish the compositions of his earlier years. We give with pleasure the following extracts.

"I am not acquainted with the saying of Alphonsus, which you allude to as a sanctification of your rigidity, in refusing to allow me the plea of old age spondence. What was that saying ?-You do not, it as an excuse for my want of exactitude in correseems, feel any occasion for such an excuse, though

you are, as you say, rising seventy-five, but I am nsing (perhaps more properly falling) eighty-and I leave the excuse with you till you arrive at that ge; perhaps you may then be more sensible of its validity, and see fit to use it for yourself.

"I must agree with you that the gout is bad, and that the stone is worse. I am happy in not having them both together; and I join in your prayer, that you may live till you die without either. But I doubt the author of the epitaph you sent me is a little mistaken, when, speaking of the world, he says, that -he ne'er car'd a pin What they said or may say of the mortal within.'

:

their way home, whether, now they had seen how much more commodiously the white people lived by the help of the arts, they would not choose to remain among us their answer was, that they were pleased with having had an opportunity of seeing many fine things, but they chose to live in their own country: which country, by the way, consisted of rock only: for the Moravians were obliged to carry earth in their ship from New York, for the purpose of making there a cabbage garden!"-Vol. ui. pp. 550, 551.

two.

"You are now seventy-eight, and I am eightyYou tread fast upon my heels; but, though you have more strength and spirit, you cannot come up with me till I stop, which must now be soon; for I am grown so old as to have buried most of the friends of my youth; and I now often hear persons, whom I knew when children, called old

"It is so natural to wish to be well spoken of, whether alive or dead, that I imagine he could not be quite exempt from that desire; and that at least he wished to be thought a wit, or he would not have given himself the trouble of writing so good Mr. such a one, to distinguish them from their sons, an epitaph to leave behind him."-" You see I have some reason to wish that in a future state I now men grown, and in business; so that, by liv. may not only be as well as I was, but a little better.ing twelve years beyond David's period, I seem to And I hope it for I, too, with your poet, trust in have intruded myself into the company of posterity, God. And when I observe, that there is great fru when I ought to have been abed and asleep. Yet gality as well as wisdom in his works, since he has had I gone at seventy, it would have cut off twelve been evidently sparing both of labour and materials; in matters of the greatest importance: but whether of the most active years of my life, employed, too, for, by the various wonderful inventions of propa- I have been doing good or mischief, is for time to gation, he has provided for the continual peopling discover. I only know that I intended well, and his world with plants and animals, without being I hope all will end well. at the trouble of repeated new creations and by the natural reduction of compound substances to their original elements, capable of being employed in new compositions, he has prevented the necessity of creating new matter; for that the earth, water, air, and perhaps fire, which being compound ed, form wood, do, when the wood is dissolved. return, and again become air, earth, fire and water;I say, that when I see nothing annihilated, and not even a drop of water wasted, I cannot suspect the annilulation of souls; or believe that he will suffer the daily waste of millions of minds ready made "Your eyes must continue very good, since you that now exist, and put himself to the continual are able to write so small a hand without specta trouble of making new ones. Thus finding mycles. I cannot distinguish a letter even of large selt to exist in the world, I believe I shall in some print; but am happy in the invention of double shape or other always exist. And with all the in-spectacles, which, serving for distant objects as well conveniences human life is liable to, I shall not as near ones, make my eyes as useful to me as If all the other defects and inobject to a new edition of mine; hoping, however, ever they were. that the errata of the last may be corrected."-Vol. firmities of old age could be as easily and cheaply remedied, it would be worth while, my friend, to live a good deal longer. But I look upon death to be as We shall necessary to our constitutions as sleep. rise refreshed in the morning. Adieu, and believe me ever, &c."-Vol. iii. pp. 544, 545.

UL. pp. 546-548.

in

"Be so good as to present my affectionate respects to Dr. Rowley. I am under great obligations to him, and shall write to him shortly. It will be a pleasure to him to hear that my malady does not grow sensibly worse, and that is a great point; for it has always been so tolerable, as not to prevent my enjoying the pleasures of society, and, being cheerful in conversation. I owe this in a great measure to his good counsels."-Vol. iii. PP. 555, 556.

There is something extremely amiable in old age, when thus exhibited without querulousness, discontent, or impatience, and free, at the same time, from any affected or unbecoming levity. We think there must be many more of Dr. Franklin's letters in exist ence, than have yet been given to the public; and from the tone and tenor of those which we have seen, we are satisfied that they would be read with general avidity and improvement.

"Our constitution seems not to be well understood with you. If the congress were a permanent body, there would be more reason in being jealous of giving it powers. But its members are chosen annually, and cannot be chosen more than three years successively, nor more than three years seven, and any of them may be recalled at any time, whenever their constituents shall be dissatisfied with their conduct. They are of the people, and return again to mix with the people, having no more durable preeminence than the different grains of sand in an hour-glass. Such an assembly cannot easily become dangerous to liberty. They are the servants of the people, sent together to do the people's business, and promote the public welfare; their powers must be sufficient, or their duties canTot be performed. They have no profitable appointments, but a mere payment of daily wages, His account of his own life, down to the Buch as are scarcely equivalent to their expenses; that, having no chance of great places and enor. year 1730, has been in the hands of the pubmous salaries or pensions, as in some countries, lic since 1790. It is written with great simthere is no intriguing or bribing for elections. I plicity and liveliness, though it contains too wish Old England were as happy in its govern- many trifling details and anecdotes of obscure ment, but I do not see it. Your people, however, individuals. It affords however a striking think their constitution the best in the world, and affect to despise ours. It is comfortable to have a example of the irresistible force with which good opinion of one's self, and of every thing that talents and industry bear upwards in society; belongs to us; to think one's own religion, king, as well as an impressive illustration of the and wife, the best of all possible wives, kings, and substantial wisdom and good policy of .nvaria religions. I remember three Greenlanders, who ble integrity and candour. We should think had travelled two years in Europe, under the care it a very useful reading for all young persons Germany, Denmark, Holland, and England: when of unconfirmed principles, who have their I asked them at Philadelphia (when they were in fortunes to make or to mend in the world.

of some Moravian missionaries, and had visited

Upon the whole, we look upon the life and cess; and has only been found deficient writings of Dr. Franklin as affording a striking those studies which the learned have gene illustration of the incalculable value of a rally turned from in disdain. We would not be sound and well directed understanding; and understood to say any thing in disparagement of the comparative uselessness of learning of scholarship and science; but the valus and laborious accomplishments. Without the of these instruments is apt to be over-rated slightest pretensions to the character of a by their possessors; and it is a wholesome scholar or a man of science, he has extended mortification, to show them that the work the bounds of human knowledge on a variety may be done without them. We have long of subjects, which scholars and men of sci-known that their employment does not insure ence had previously investigated without suc-its success.

(September, 1816.)

The Works of JONATHAN SWIFT, D. D., Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin. Containing Additional Letters, Tracts, and Poems not hitherto published. With Notes, and a life of the Au thor, by WALTER SCOTT, Esq. 19 vols. 8vo. Edinburgh: 1815.

By far the most considerable change which has taken place in the world of letters, in our days, is that by which the wits of Queen Anne's time have been gradually brought down from the supremacy which they had enjoyed, without competition, for the best part of a century. When we were at our studies, some twenty-five years ago, we can perfectly remember that every young man was set to read Pope, Swift, and Addison, as regularly as Virgil, Cicero, and Horace. All who had any tincture of letters were familiar with their writings and their history; allusions to them abounded in all popular discourses and all ambitious conversation; and they and their contemporaries were universally acknowledged as our great models of excellence, and placed without challenge at the head of our national literature. New books, even when allowed to have merit, were never thought of as fit to be placed in the same class, but were generally read and forgotten, and passed away like the transitory meteors of a lower sky; while they remained in their brightness, and were supposed to shine with a fixed and unalterable glory.

that they are declined considerably from 'the high meridian of their glory,' and may fairly be apprehended to be hastening to their setting. Neither is it time alone that has wrought this obscuration; for the fame of Shakespeare still shines in undecaying brightness; and that of Bacon has been steadily advancing and gathering new honours during the whole period which has witnessed the rise and decline of his less vigorous successors.

There are but two possible solutions for phenomena of this sort. Our taste has either degenerated—or its old models have been fairly surpassed; and we have ceased to admire the writers of the last century, only be cause they are too good for us or because they are not good enough. Now, we confess we are no believers in the absolute and permanent corruption of national taste; on the contrary, we think that it is, of all faculties, that which is most sure to advance and improve with time and experience; and that, with the exception of those great physical or political disasters which have given a check to civilization itself, there has always been a sensible progress in this particular; and that All this, however, we take it, is now pretty the general taste of every successive generawell altered; and in so far as persons of our tion is better than that of its predecessors. antiquity can judge of the training and habits There are little capricious fluctuations, no of the rising generation, those celebrated doubt, and fits of foolish admiration or fastiwriters no longer form the manual of our studiousness, which cannot be so easily accountdious youth, or enter necessarily into the institution of a liberal education. Their names, indeed, are still familiar to our ears; but their writings no longer solicit our habitual notice, and their subjects begin already to fade from our recollection. Their high privilieges and proud distinctions, at any rate, have evidently passed into other hands. It is no longer to them that the ambitious look up with envy, or the humble with admiration; nor is it in We are of opinion, then, that the writers their pages that the pretenders to wit and who adorned the beginning of the last ceneloquence now search for allusions that are tury have been eclipsed by those of our own sure to captivate, and illustrations that cannot time; and that they have no change of ever be mistaken. In this decay of their reputa- regaining the supremacy in which they have tion they have few advocates, and no imita- thus been supplanted. There is not, however, tors and from a comparison of many obser- in our judgment, any thing very stupendous vations, it seems to be clearly ascertained, in this triumph of our contemporaries and

ed for: but the great movements are all progressive: and though the progress consists at one time in withholding toleration from gross faults, and at another in giving their high prerogative to great beauties, this alternation has no tendency to obstruct the general advance; but, on the contrary, is the best and the safest course in which it can be con- . ducted.