the common rate of profit. If the quantity produced should exceed the demand, even by so small a proportion as is necessary to produce the appearance of an eagerness to sell, the price would fall so low as to spread dismay and ruin among the farmers. To stay the evil, the land-owners and farmers would again demand another law, forbidding importation under 80s. the same steps would again be taken, and the same results would again follow; and, in a few years, application would be made for a law to raise the import price to 97s. as has actually been done; and, following this course, a law must at length be passed, forbidding importation altogether * and this law, when obtained, would be the certain destruction of every farmer in the kingdom, and would, were it possible to continue such a vile system, reduce the whole community to a state of bondage, in which state the farmers would be slaves attached to the soil, as the peasants in many parts of Russia are. Had the legislature refrained from interfering, the average price of wheat would probably have been about 48s. the quarter, and rents would have been proportioned to that price. In years of scarcity wheat would have been imported, and in years of abundance wheat would have been exported, and the price would have remained as steady as the price of a commodity, the quantity of which, in some measure, depends upon the seasons, could possibly be. It was, we were told in 1815, to keep prices steady, that the law was passed forbidding importation under 80s. price had been made unsteady by previous laws; so another was added to the evil to remedy the former, and this was called wise legislation 4. The Instead of the average price being 48s. it appears by the returns laid before parliament in the last session, that, since the passing of the last corn law in 1815, the average price has been 78-5, thus shewing that there has been paid, on every quarter of wheat consumed, a tax of upwards of 60 per cent. and that, too, not only on wheat but on every sort of farm produce, and to this amount has the community been injured for the sole advantage of the land owner. That laws forbidding the importation of corn must rapidly follow each other so long as the present system is continued, is proved by what has taken place during the last half century. By stat. 13 G. III. 1773, the import price was fixed at 48s. 31 G. III. 1791, 44 G. III. 1804, 55 G. III. 1815, at 54s. at 80s. :} a rise of 6s. in 18 years. Being a total rise of A further demand is now made to fix the price at 97s. a rise of 32s. in 42 years. 17s. in 5 years. Making a total rise of 49s. in 48 years. More than 100 per cent. or double the monopoly price in 1773. + The price is now about 55s. ARTIFICIAL RENT is the difference between the amount of the real rent, which would be paid if there were no restrictive laws, and that which is paid in consequence of those laws. 1. It increases the price of corn. 2. It is a tax upon the consumer:—which were the points to be proved. [Section II, "Profit and Wages," is unavoidably postponed till our next.] DANAE. FROM A FRAGMENT OF SIMONIDES. WHEN the lone ark, in darkness lost, "Thou sleepest in a joyless home, Thy cradle the sea-billow; Thou sleepest where the wild waves foam, "Thou slumber'st, heedless of the flash, "The dew of sleep thy eye-lid closes, "Ah! if my terror moved thy fear, My kiss should steal away thy tear, ་ Should softly breathe, Sleep on, my child! THE COMPLAINT OF "LE CAVALIER SEUL.' SIR,One of the most pitiable objects in civilized life is a bashful man; mortification is ever at his right hand, and ridicule tracks his steps. A woman, however overcome by timidity, looks neither silly nor awkward; her fears and tremblings excite interest, her blushes admiration. Oh! that I had been born of that privileged sex, or that Nature, when she gave me a beard, had given me a proper stock of ease and assurance, by which I might support its dignity! I am fond of society; I love conversation; I enjoy dancing: but wherever I go, my confounded sheepishness goes with me, keeps me in a constant nervous flurry, and turns my very pleasures into pains. The height of a bashful man's ambition, when he enters a room full of company, is to hurry over his salutations as quickly as possible, to creep into some obscure corner, and to stay there, very quietly, as long as he is permitted. How I have hated the officious kindness, which makes tiresome old ladies, and pert young ones, notice me in my retirement, and fix the eyes of every soul in the room upon me, by fearing I am very dull, and asking if I have been to the Play lately, or seen the new PanoraI believe they call this "drawing me out," and I dare say think I ought to be obliged to them for their notice. I wish I could teach them that notice is the very thing I most earnestly desire to avoid. ma. One unavoidable consequence of my dislike to putting myself forward is, that I am accused of being very rude and bearish in my manners. I am never sufficiently alert in handing old ladies down to dinner, or asking their daughters to drink wine. I never ring a bell, snuff a candle, or carve a chicken, till the office is forced upon me, and all the merit of the performance destroyed by my previous incivility. Then, I have a tormenting habit of fancying myself the object of general notice, "the observed of all observers." If a girl giggles, she is laughing at me; if another whispers, she is animadverting upon my words, dress, haviour; and when two grave old ladies are discussing family matters, or a few steady old men shaking their heads over the state of the nation, I often imagine that my faults and follies are the occasion of so many serious looks, so many uplifted eyes and hands. Boileau has said that "Jamais, quoiqu'il fasse, un Mortel ici-bas Ne peut aux yeux du monde être ce qu'il n'est pas." or be But Boileau is wrong; for I know I am supposed proud by some, cross by others, and silly by all; and yet I think I may with truth affirm, that each of these charges is false. I learned dancing in early youth; and, while country-dances were in fashion, I could join in them with considerable comfort. Long habit had accustomed me to the performance; many persons were moving at the same time, and no extraordinary grace or dexterity was requisite in the dancers. But alas! peace came, and with it my worst enemies - quadrilles. "Maledetto sia il giorno, e l'ora, el momento." Gradually they encroached upon their less elegant predecessors, and at length gained complete and exclusive possession of the ball-room. Country-dances were banished to the kitchen, and I deprived of my favourite amusement. Some of my friends endeavoured to persuade me to put myself under the tuition of a dancing-master, but really this was too much to expect of a shy man. What! skip about a room in broad day-light, turn out my toes, and arrange my elbows at command? My cheeks are even now tingling at the notion. Last Christmas I was staying at the house of an uncle in the country; my cousins danced quadrilles every evening, and at length they partly forced, partly persuaded me to stand up with them, assuring me that it was only necessary to use my old steps and mind the figures. My cousin Ellen, too, one of the loveliest and liveliest of her sex, engaged to be my partner and instructress ; and added, in her easy, sprightly manner, that she hoped we should dance together in the spring, as we used to do some years ago. This temptation, this bribe, was irresistible; I suffered her to lead me to the set, and I made my début in quadrille-dancing. My performance, of course, met with most encouraging praise. I was urged to persevere in my new accomplishment; and ere I came to town, I gave Ellen a parting promise that I would dance at the first ball, to which I should be invited. I did more than keep my word I have danced at several; and I do verily believe that habit, all-powerful habit, might in time enable me to derive more pleasure than pain from my performance, were it not for one odious and awful figure, invented, I suppose, for the peculiar misery of modest men. In this cruel quadrille, I am positively required to dance, (horresco referens) during eight entire bars, alone-yes, quite alone; it appears scarcely credible, but so it really is. I am expected to figure away by myself, while no other creature is moving. The other actors and actresses in the quadrille have nothing to do but to stare and to quiz; and three of them are ranged in a line opposite to me, in order to look as formidable as possible. Why, the strongest nerves might tremble, the wisest man look silly, the most elegant appear awkward, in such a situation; and I-what I suffer is far beyond description; and I am often tempted to exclaim, in the words of one who seems to have suffered occasionally from my wretched complaint, "Thinks I to myself, I wish I was dead and buried." Let no one suppose that I am inclined to jest upon my suffer ings. Alas! they are much too serious a subject; and I hope I have never made myself an enemy whose rancour must not subside into pity, when he beholds me preparing to submit to that tremendous sentence, "Le Cavalier seul, en avant deux fois.' Move I must; to stand still would be so ridiculous; but my feet seem tied together - every action is tremulous and indecisive my ear no longer catches the tune - my eyes refuse to quit the ground my cheeks redden into flames - and, after the dreadful task is over, I fancy I read derision in every countenance, and endeavour, in vain, to hide myself from the finger of scorn. Once, in despair, I wrote to my cousin Ellen, stated my distress, and asked her advice. With her usual kindness she sent me an immediate answer, and directed me, when next I danced my solo, to turn round several times. At first I found this an excellent plan; I had some definite mode of action, and I thought that the whirling motion had a sort of numbing effect, which deadened the acuteness of my feelings. But alas! I am afraid I exceeded Ellen's instructions, and turned too often, for I certainly used to feel very giddy; and one evening I heard a lady whisper the word "tetotum" to my partner, which put a speedy and complete termination to my rotatory movements. I have never danced a qua. drille since. Ellen is come to town, but is the partner of bolder and happier men; and I can hope for no change in these vexatious circumstances, unless some little compassion is shewn towards bashful dancers, and "Le Cavalier seul" is allowed a companion. Surely, this would not be a very unreasonable sacrifice to the weakness and distress of others, and it seems a most unjust regulation to prevent a man's dancing at all, because he cannot make up his mind to dance a hornpipe. From the observations I have made, I am convinced that nine men out of ten would rejoice in the demise of that unnatural character" Le Cavalier seul"-And unnatural he is. Men were never intended either to live or to dance alone; and when they persevere in opposing their proper destiny, they generally become absurd or unhappy. Yet some anomalies there are in a ball-room, as in life, and instances are to be found of bachelors and of Cavaliers-seuls, who appear to take pleasure in their solitude. I have seen dancers, who would regret to share their glory with another pair of feet, and who are all animation and delight at that identical period, and in those very circumstances, which to me are so appalling. appalling. Heavens! how they will skip and fly about, as if anxious to crowd as many capers as possible into the eight masculine bars. What bounding, what pirouetting, while the body is slightly bent, the arms are a little extended, the face flushed with exercise, the eyes flashing triumph! But I do not envy these performers their glory, a lurking contempt mingles with the admiration they excite, and I have often heard Ellen quote and approve the words of some wise man, who |