India. The great ftrokes that decide the fate of empires neceffarily involve the ruin of individuals. Even the government of the world is conducted by general laws, and partial evil is blended with public good. The operations of war are unavoidably attended with fcenes of anguish and diftrefs, that lacerate the bofom and rend the heart of humanity. But the lawless violence, and licentious fury of the foldiers, are never imputed to the general. Individuals in the fervice of the Company have been guilty of rapacity, extortion, and bloodfhed. But are the Company or the governor-general of India to be charged with the crimes of their fervants? when these are criminated, let them be tried, and if found guilty condemned. There point the thunders of parliamentary vengeance; there exhauft the rage of patriot zeal! One of thefe, a criminal of note, was lately arraigned; the name of RUMBOLD is ftill on the records of parliament. Him, though a felected victim to violated juftice and to the vengeance of mankind, in an ignominious manner you have allowed to escape. When you have abfolved the guilty, will you punish the meritorious? after you have released Barabbas will you condemn the SAVIOUR OF India?

Upon the whole, whatever may be the particular decifion with re gard to Mr. Haftings in this country, the general voice of mankind will bring in their verdict-NOT GUILTY.

Having thus ftated what might have been faid on both fides of the queftion in St. Stephen's Chapel, on the memorable thirteenth of June, we intended to have added many obfervations, tending to throw light upon fo celebrated a queftion; but as this article has already fwelled to an unusual length, we fhall conclude with a fingle obfervation. On reviewing the characters of the most diftinguished perfonages who were employed in the executive branches of government during the laft war, the chief, if not fole object, of almost all of them, was, to amass immenfe fortunes,-except Mr. HASTINGS. His object, during a government of thirteen years, was the profperity of the India Company, and the glory of the British empire. Ambition he had; but it was an ambition of an honourable kind, an ambition that was connected with all the elegant feelings, and productive of all the noble virtues of human nature. When we confider his varied talents and qualities, as a general, a politician, a friend to his counery, and a patron of letters, pofterity, we believe, will juftify us in applying to him what an elegant hiftorian affirms of the most amiable of the Roman heroes," Nil non laudandum aut dixit, aut fecit, aut fenfit;" a hero too, who, like Mr. Haftings, was impeached for peculation by a tribune of the people, and who, after hearing the charge, with a gallant magnanimity replied," Romans, it was on this day three years ago that I triumphed over Carthage; let us proceed to the temple in order to give thanks to the gods!"

Modern hiftory, as well as ancient, affords flriking proofs, that the fate of empires often depends on fingle men. Had Mr. Haftings been fent to America, and General Howe to Bengal, in all probability the hiftory of the laft war would have been inverted; we would have loft our poffeffions in Afia, and retained the new world.

MEASURES

MEASURES OF ADMINISTRATION.

In a retrospect to the proceedings of the prefent feffion, it is impoffi ble that we should affirm of our minifters, that they are too partial, or have a youthful attachment to the liberties of the people. Whatever measures are ftarted for the preservation of the empire, for the good government of its dependencies, or the melioration of its revenues, all of them tend to fwell the prerogatives of influence and power. This, however, is not to be imputed as a fingular feature to the prefent administration. A ftrong government will always be the moft tranquil, placid, and fedate. The love of power is congenial to the mind of man; and he must have an extraordinary fhare of felfdenial and public fpirit, who, poffeffing a portion of it, does not aim at more. From adminiftration little danger is to be apprehended to the conftitution, if their character is open, ingenuous, and well understood. The man whom we are moft to fear, as an enemy, is he who deludes us into a falfe opinion that he is our friend.

The measures we had in our eye, as bearing out the affertion we have made, were fuch as the new India bill; the late model of the mutiny bill the Duke of Richmond's plan of fortifications; and the rejection of Mr. Marfham's bill for the better fecuring the freedom of election. Some measures have paffed, during the prefent month, that confirm our idea. Lord Surrey's motion for a parliamentary reform, and Mr. Sawbridge's for shortening the duration of parliaments, paffed in the negative, without almoft one word being offered, by any party, in their favour. At the very time that the plan of fortifications, naturally dear to every friend of monarchy, appears to have been fo warmly cherished by our minifters, the militia has fuffered from the nipping blights of neglect. The plan for the extenfion of the excife, which is now upon the point of being carried into execution, refpecting the duty on wine, forms a ftriking contraft with the celebrated fentiments of Lord Chatham upon that head. But the pliant temper of Mr. Pitt accommodates both his father's fentiments and his own to the interefts of adminiftration. The truth of the laft obfervation appears from the unwary promife he made towards the clofe of the first debate upon the fortifications-from which promife he afterwards departed. The farce that was played in the Houfe of Lords, when Mr. Pitt perfonally affifted the members in drawing up a meffage to the Houfe of Commons, which, three days after, he inftigated the Houfe of Commons to reject, is of the fame colour. The House of Lords is to be reckoned a most respectable branch of the constitution, or a paffive inftrument in the hands of government, just as it suits the fituation of the minifter.

HIGH BAILIFF OF WESTMINSTER.

The decifion of the prefent month, refpecting this gentleman, is fufficiently fingular. Though the damages given are by no means equivalent to the lofs incurred, upon the fuppofition that the conduct

of

of Mr. Corbet was illegal; yet, to have given any damages at all, after his proceedings had received the fanction of the House of Commons, is one of thofe efforts of independence, in judicial proceedings, which are to be found in no body of men upon earth but an English jury.

CARDINAL DE ROHAN AND MR, FITZGERALD.}

The prefent month feems to have been the æra of remarkable trials. The decifion in the celebrated affair of the necklace, has occafioned a good deal of aftonishment. Its general character is clemency and mildnefs. No perfon is fentenced to capital punishment; and almost all the parties concerned are fet at liberty. The discharge of Mademoiselle d'Oliva, who was employed to perfonate the Queen of France, is particularly extraordinary. From the general tenor of the fentence, fome have been willing to make inferences to the difadvantage of the queen. This is not the first time she has felt the touch of scandal; people of a spirited and generous line of condu& muft expect to encounter it; but her character is, in reality, above all afperfion.

But the true reafon for which we thought the fubject deferving of notice, in a difquifition upon national affairs, is to be found in the amufing and inftructing contrast between the two trials at the head of our article. France and Ireland are countries at no great distance from each other; and yet, in the prefent inftance, they exhibit manners widely difcordant, and relative to different periods in the progrefs of civil fociety. The Irish transaction revives in our memory the age of the fierce and untameable barons of the feudal times. Kind and ge nerous to their dependents, they knew no bounds in their vengeance upon an offender, and their hatred against an enemy.

Strong was their wrath, eternal their resentment.

On the other hand, the right honourable and royal art of fwindling, difplayed upon the continent, convinces us that the country, in which it was exhibited, is arrived at the last stage of diffolutenefs, fhameleffnefs, and profligacy.

TURKEY.

Several changes and revolutions have taken place in the Ottoman court fince the commencement of the prefent year. In the month of January the Grand Vizier was depofed, and his difgrace, as usual, was fucceeded by decapitation. The new Vizier, as well as Morofini, recently advanced to the office of hofpedar of Wallachia, is the creature of the capitan pacha. Thefe appointments have rendered the power of that celebrated minifter more abfolute than ever. His character has long been faid to incline him to the fide of war. Accordingly a fleet has been fitted out, under his aufpices, to reduce the

rebellious

rebellious Bey, who has long held out in Egypt against the power of the Porte; and an anfwer, fomewhat fpirited, has been returned to the representations of the czarina upon the troubles of Georgia: But thefe are merely the convulfions that precede diffolution; and are fo many interruptions to the euthanafia, as Mr. Hume has termed it, fo much to be defired by a falling empire.

To CORRESPONDENTS.

Our anonymous correfpondent, upon the fubject of Dr. Johnson's Prayers and Meditations, cannot expect to have more notice taken of that performance in the English Review. But, if that gentleman chuses to dtvalge himself, we are ready to explain ourselves, upon the fubject of Ariftides, in as ample a manner as he could wish.

+ We bad procured an account of the fame article before A. B.'s came to hand; which will be the lefs difpleafing to that gentleman, as our opinions of the performance in queflion nearly coincide. We shall be glad to receive impartial communications occafionally from this correfpondent.

* Phocion's intelligence of a faction being formed against our Journal, is a circumflance that we have, for fome time paft, been aware of. We shall not, however, on this account, lay afide the ftrict impartiality that has diftinguished The English Review. We difclaim all unjust prejudice to any book, were it the production of our greatest enemy. And we trust that the liberal and independent will encourage a performance that has truth and tafle for its only bafis.

The continuation of our account of Dr. Gillies's History of Greece will be given in our Review for July.

No. 1 of the Fine Arts shall appear in our next.

TITLE, INDEX, and CONTENTS to Vol. VII. will also be given in our next Number.

Communications for THE ENGLISH REVIEW are requested to be fent to Mr. MURRAY, No. 32, Fleet-treet, London, where Subfcribers for this Monthly Performance are respectfully defired to give in their Names,

Attachments, a difcourfe on the ufe and Chrift, reafons from prophecy why his fe