510 STATE LEARNING in the EAST. All our maps of thefe countries are extremely imperfect and incorrect. The jealousy and fuperftition of the people, tho' the government should permit Chriftians to raife any printing houfe, would be an irrefiftible impediment; and they are too ignorant themftives to be ever capable of doing it. The adoptive A fon of this Ibrahim Effendi, who bears the fame name, is fecretary under the interpreter of the Porte; he has all the materials for printing, but never could find, fince his father's death, and during fultan Mahmud's reign, money to carry it on. The queftion now is, whether fultan Ofman is not too strict a Muffulman to continue the permiffion.. Nov. Arabian manufcripts in the mathematical way: What they brought me were tranflations of fome propofitions of Euclid, Theodofius, Archimedes and Apollonius. They have fome parts of Ariftotle; but their favourite philofophy is the atomical or Epicurean, which with them is called the Democritical, from Democritus. Many of their fpeculative men have adopted that fyftem, and conform to it in their fecret practice. The inftitutes and practice of phyfic are taken from Galen. Eben Zyna or Avicena is a principal guide: Mathiolus is known. But with all this, as the fole drift and end of their ftudy is gain, there does not feem the leaft emuB lation towards true knowledge: So that the state of letters may be faid to remain deplorable, without the leaft glimmering or remote profpect of a recovery. Conftantinople, Feb. 1, 1755. D Anf. 7. The progrefs of arts and sciences, and literature, feems travelling on, gradatim, to the westward, from Ægypt to Greece, from Greece to Rome, thence to the west of Europe, and I fuppofe at laft to America. We find few traces in the eaft: The Greeks, who should be the depofitaries of them, are the fame C Greeks they ever were, Homines contentionis cupidiores quam veritatis. They have retained all the vices, imperfections and ill habitudes of their ancestors; but have loft all publick fpirit and publick virtue. The clergy, who thou'd fupport the whole machine of learning, are themfelves the fource of ignorance; all their talents and acquifitions confift in bribing amongst the Turks, and folliciting to deftroy one patriarch in order to make another ; to raife from a curacy to a bishoprick, and to exchange from an indifferent one to a better. They endeavour to cultivate literal Greek, and fome study it, but advance no further. There are neither grammarians, critics, hiftori- E ans nor philofophers among them; nor have they the proper preceptors or mafters to inftruct. They have formed a fort of academy at Mount Athos for their youth, which will fcarce furvive the perfon who bas undertaken it: He has himself but the mere elements of fcience. However, his defire of knowing may improve him, and he may perhaps lay the foundations in fome youth with fuccefs. The Turks have many books amongst the n, tho' exceedingly dear; folios I have feen coft 100 to 2 and 300 dollars esch, i. e. from 151. to 45. The few printed folios, fome of which I picked up fome years ago, coft 1. to 61. sterling. Their fcribes foend many years about a G few copies. Their learning confits principally in abftrufe metaphyfics : Some few touch the furface of fcience. I have looked out with great industry for old J. P. Since the Reception of thefe Answers, Dr. Maty bas received another Letter from the fame Gentleman, in which he finds fome new Facts, tending to clear up the Accounts relating to the Practice of INOCULATION among the Georgians. I Conftantinople, May 17, 1755. AM now to correct the report of the Capuchin concerning inoculation in Georgia. One of their physicians, a most ignorant fellow, who lives by his profeffion here, avers that among those who follow the true Georgian rites, not Romanifts, the practice is common. It has its rife from mere fuperftition. He tells us, "That the tradition and religious belief of the people is, that an angel prefides over that distemper, that therefore, to fhew their confidence in him, and to invite him to be propitious, they take a pock from the fick perfon, and, by a fcarification, they infert it in one in health, generally between the fore-finger and the thumb. It never miffes its effect, and the patient always recovers. To attract the angel's good will more effectually, they hang the patient's bed with red cloth or ftuff, as a colour most agreeable to him. He has been affiftant to this practice, and declares it to be common." Perhaps the only good effect ever known produced by that monfter fuperftition! The Capuchin acknowledges, that it might be amongst the Georgians the doctor mentions, and not have fell under his knowledge. To vindicate his ignorance, he diflinguishes the parts of Georgia, or its divifions. He has never been at Cackett, and ftaid but three weeks at once in Tiflis. J. P. 1756. REMARKS on the JESUITS BARK. The JESUITS BARK being ufually applied THE 541 that loofe in like manner, and thereby of over-chilling the blood, thickening the mafs of it, impacting and making a glut and obftructions in the capillary veffels, and fo letfening the heat, the fenfe, and the ftrength of the member to which thofe veffels belong, caufes a chillness, weakness, and numbness of it, fometimes to fuch a degree as to bring on a palfey, of which I have heard feveral inftances. There is no doubt but that this is a truly noble medicine, and of great fervice where properly administered: But without fuch difcretion and caution, great ills and inconveniencies frequently enfue. The people would not entertain the great B prejudice they fo generally have to this medicine, wholly without any cause. They who adminifter it do not feel the ftruggles and combuftion that they who take it frequently do; even where it happens to cure and put an end to the ague, and thro' the firmnefs of the conftitution, Cand.the organs acquitting themselves with great energy and power, no apparent or lafting evil may enfue. There is no jefting with edged tools. The best medicine, and thofe that have the greatest power, do the greatest mifchief, where not rightly applied. For my own part, even in youth, and the most vigorous bodies, where I have found fymptoms and intiDmations of an over-charge of humours in the ftomach and bowels; or where, upon adminiftration of this medicine, the fuccefs hath not answered in due time, I have immediately had recourfe to proper evacuations; conftantly to the benefit of the patient, and the gaining of my point, without any of the inconveniencies that, where fuch precaution is not used, ordinarily enfue. THE Jefuits bark, fays the doctor, works wholly as an abforbent and aftringent; and where it is not equal to the febrile matter riting, and in emotion in the ftomach, it cannot be capable of dealing with and ftifling of it. On the contrary, this medicine is frequently the caufe of the febrile matter flowing into the blood, in greater quantity than otherwife would have happened. When there is of this matter, in the ftomach, fo great a proportion as by its colluctation, the fumes it emits, and the crowd it makes at the pylorus, fomewhat to obftruct that paffage, and hinder its own egrefs there, a leffer.charge must be made upon the blood in courfe. In this cafe, the Jefuits powder given can never poflibly wholly furmount the febrile matter. It can only flifle part; by which means the coluctation, fumes, and crowd will be leffened, egrefs thro' the pylorus promoted, febrile matter dispatched into the blood, and thereby the fever increased. This is the cafe in the administration of the Jefuits powder in continual fevers, and in fuch fevers as remit, where the febrile caufe is confiderable. And indeed, in intermitting fevers, where the morbid caufe is great, the Jefuits powder will E not be able to furmount it, without difcharges and evacuations of it. With thefe interpofed I have had happy fuccefs, by ufe of only fmall dofes of that powder; and the body has been left in vigour and good plight. Whereas without fuch evacuations, I have feen loads of that medicine given to little other end than the detriment of the patient. As this medicine, where there happens to be an overcharge of bile in the ftomach, fometimes by the accident fet forth above, letting that bile loofe upon the blood, fires it, excites perturbations there, and a fever too great for the fabrick to fuftain; fo, where there happens to be an oyer-glut of phlegm in the ftomach, this medicine given, be- G of Edward VI. above 200 years ago, when comes accidentally the means of letting F To the AUTHOR of the LONDON Some Remarks on the Republication of Dr. HIS charge was delivered July 16, T1740, a time of the year, when if nobody had been fo provident as to lay by corn, more than for his own ufe, we must have starved till harveft. Ingroffing is founded on a law, enacted 5th and 6th corn, By the very fame accident, opiates, that commonly abate the pain of the chelie, become fometimes the means if leturg e-cleric matter fe out of the ftomach, where it was before latent and quiet, into the guts, were, being in emotion, it causes pains and gripes. This was the cafe Mr. Ange, and fome others that I have known. By the fame accident, ofringents become n.. and then the causes of purg 12 fometimes very great, 542 Of INGROSSING CORN. A B corn, of all forts, was fold at lefs than a fourth part of the prefent prices; the act accordingly gave liberty, to all perfons, to engrofs and lay by corn, when bought, wheat at 6s. or under, malt and barley 35. 4d. and oats at 28. a quarter; fo the act allowed engroffing at low prices; and who now engroffes at high prices? Ingroffing at low prices is a benefit to the farmers, by fupplying them with money, and to the poor, by keeping corn for them; the legislature then faw this, but did not foresee that money would be more plenty, nor that what was then or had been called a pound, would be called three pounds; nor the great alterations, which would be made in 200 years, by the difcovery of America, and the gold and filver there, and the extenfion of our trade, to and from thence, and the whole globe, much more of which was then unknown than now is; fo it is as fit this law thould be repealed, as that against witch craft, I James I. (a much more modern law) lately (9 Geo. II.) was; which repeal has produced no bad effect; or elfe that this old law should be modernized, and the poor taught, that they who lay by corn, from harveft to harvest, and coals in fummer for winter, are their benefactors, tho' paid for it; they naturally fell, from time to time, as wanted, often at fuch prices, as hardly pay the difference ; if not, why have we not more ingroffers? D The more the better, as the fupply muft be the greater, and the prices the lefs; but what monied man does not fhun every general odium, and popular danger, and every rifque of lofs, without a reasonable probability of an adequate gain? And who but a monied man should, or can engrofs? He to whom money is of the E leaft value can beft afford the rifque, and is most like to be content with a fmall gain, and to be therefore the poor's benefactor in time of need. F The piece before us contains twenty pages, including (not the ufual method) the title page, and editor's introduction to the republication, which with the grand jury's request of the first publication, and two blank fides, are 10.-in p. 15, 16, 17, 18, (four out of the bifhop's own 10) he fpeaks, I doubt not, with much truth, of the fcarcity, as magnified, and but feared, and only a pretence for riots, and of the riots, as barbarous, rather increafing, than having any tendency towards relieving the caufe, if any, of complaint; G things abhorred by him, and condemnable by the laws of God and man; and of exporting, not ingroffing, as the caufe of fcarcity; and speaks alfo of plunder, private pique, and revenge, and the over Νον. turning of right and property; not publick juftice. nor any fort of relief, as the things fought by the mifcreant, idle rioters; and again, fpeaks of the farmer and merchant as no aggreffors, but of them, as plundered by afpirit of rebellion, in defiance of authority, order, and fubjection; like our feet affuming the place of the head, or rather its office, and pretending to conduct the body, as well as carry it; and of popular commotions, as the letting out of waters. But the editor, who fells this piece at 4d. each, or 3s. 6d. a dozen, attempts, as he fays, to stem the torrent of reigning vices, in thofe of higher rank; and fpeaks of his glimmering hopes of our magiftrates paying regard to the prelate's charge, as pointed at the ingroffers of corn, and then calls them cannibals, and the worst and most unnatural enemies of their king and country, and treats them as the aggreffors, faying, very untruly (for no fuch thing appears in the charge) that his lordship gave in charge, that it would be more proper for the grand jury, to find bills against them, than against the unhappy objects, forced to tranfgrefs the laws; and that the grand jury (here he feems to forget, or not know, their oath) like wife and honeft men, returned every bill of indictment not found; and yet fays, the vile ingroffers opened their graineries, and fupplied the markets with corn, at the ufual prices; then he speaks of the bishop's charge, as, tho worthy of letters of gold in every court of justice, now entirely forgot by fome bafe proceedings against the induftrious poor, on a fimilar occafion, and complains of their being condemned as rioters; and goes on with fome portions of fcripture, nothing to the purpose of ingroffing corn, in our days and manner, taking no fort of notice of the caution given to mankind, fo early as Jacob's days, and his fon Jofeph's, of providing in years of plenty for the years of fcarcity, by the feven lean kine eating up the feven fat kine, and the feven thin ears of corn devouring the feven full ears; what was Jofeph in Egypt, according to this editor, but a vile ingroffer? What would our editor fay, if he should be told, that the law against ingroffing is obfolete, because the prices in it are fuch, as corn has not been fold at in this century, or the laft? If he fays he finds the whole act, printed as in force; fo, if he will look a little farther back, he will find 28 Henry VIII. ch. 14. that none fhall fell French wines, at more than 8d. a gallon; and he may find Wingate's Abridgment of the Statutes in force in 1756. INSTRUCTIONS of the City of LONDON. the last century, omitted the prices; why, how far would he have the law restrain Your, &c. LIBERTAS RATIONALITER. P. S. The fcarcity of wheat is not general, but only in fome places of this island, whilst others have plenty; this appears by the following collection of the prices at different places, per quarter, in July and August laft, and must be owing folely to want of good and fhort roads, and of navigable rivers, to affift the fea, and the Thames, and others fo already. London. Birmingham. 11. 6s. July Il. 175. od. Il. 175. 6d. Il. 168. 21. 139. The INSTRUCTIONS from the CITY To the Right Hon. Slingsby Bethell, Efq; W 543 cers many months after the commencement of hoftilities, the actual lofs of Minorca, and apparent danger of Gibraltar, are circumstances which fill us with amazement and concern; but when we reflect on the great preparations for an embarkation of troops and artillery, and the equipment of a powerful fleet publickly known to be carried on at Toulon, whofe neighbourhood to Minorca was fufficiently alarming, we cannot impute thefe fatal events to neglect alone, and therefore conjure you to enquire, why a refpectable fleet was not immediately fent from hence, and why at laft fo fmall a fquadron was ordered upon this important fervice, without any frigate, fire-fhip, hofpital-fhip, transport, or troops beyond their ordinary compliment, and this at a time when our naval force was confeffedly fuperior to the enemy's. The cruelties fuffered, and loffes fuftained by our fellow-fubjects in NorthC America, have long called for redrefs, whilft the mifmanagements in the attempts for their fopport, and the untimely and unequal fuccours fent to their relief, have only ferved to render the British name contemptible: We therefore require you, to use your utmost endeavours for detecting all thofe, who, by treachery or misconduct, have contriDbuted to thofe great diftreffes, his majesty having been graciously pleafed to aflure us, that he will not ai to do juftice upon any perfons, who fhall have been wanting in their duty to him and their country. To thefe interefting enquiries, we have but too much reafon to add our preffing E request, that you ufe your earliest endeavours to establish a well regulated and conftitutional militia, as the most honourable defence of the crown, and the moft confiftent with the rights of a free people. And this we are more anxious to recommend to your particular care and attention, as every apprehenfion of danger has furnished a reason for increafing the number of our regular forces, and for the introduion of foreign mercenaries, the expence of which is infupportable. We therefore trust that you will purfue this meature before you confent to the grant of fupplies, experience having convinced us that your laudable endeavours afterwards may prove fruitless. F E the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London in common-council affembled, juftly alarmed at the critical and unhappy fitua tion of these kingdoms, do most earnestly call upon you, our reprefentatives, to exert your utmost ability towards procuring a ftrict and impartial parliamen-G tary enquiry into the caufes of thefe national calamities. An almoft total neglect of our impor tant fortreffes in the Mediterranean of fuch inestimable confequence to the trade and power of thefe kingdoms, and the permitted abfence of their principal offi The infult offered to our laws by a claim of exemption, which these foreigners are faid to have made, demands that you frialy enquire whether the ordinary course of juftice has been interrupted or fufpended on their account, or whether any perfon in authority und his majefty has given countenance to f 544 INSTRUCTIONS of the Borough of Southwark. Nov. claim, which if you should discover, we We alfo hope, that you will endeavour The immenfe fums fo chearfully paid, when almoft every measure reflects national difgrace, call upon you tricly to enquire into their application, and we truft that you will carefully watch and endeavour to prevent all unnatural connections on the continent, in order to preferve the independency of thefe kingdoms. flag in the Mediterranean, and the want of timely care for the fupport of our co. lonies in America, furnith us with matter of the utmost aftonishment and concern, and urge us to request your most particular examination into the causes of thefe misfortunes, and to exert yourselves in bringing all delinquents to justice. Permit us to defire you again to repeat your endeavours for obtaining a well regulated militia, which will not only prevent the neceffity of calling foreign forces to our affiftance, but enable us to defend our king and country against all invaders in the most natural and effe&tual manner, and give his majesty's navy a greater opportunity of acting offenfively against the common enemy. Among the many gloomy prospects that furround us on every fide, and almoft in every view, in which we confider publick affairs, there is more than a glimpse of hope left in the confideration of our being a free people. But for this, we might give ourselves up for gone, fince in that cafe we should not have either right or power to demand a difcovery of our circumftances, which is the only way to come at the true caufes of our miscarriages, difappointments, defeats, neglects, and diffipations. In the body politick, as well as natural, the perfect knowledge of the difeafe muft lead us to the cure. By rendering thefe neceffary fervices to your king and country, you will give his majefty the ftrongeft teftimony of your duty and affection, and moft effectually fecure to his government obedience and D The addreffes, the reprefentations, and respect. At the fame time we defire you thus publickly to accept our most grateful acknowledgements of your paft conduct in parliament, and we enjoin you at all times to hold facred and inviolable the act made for eftablihing his majefty's right to the Crown of thefe realms, and fecuring the rights and liberties of the futject; and that you oppofe every measure tending to weaken that compact, which under the Divine Providence will ever prove the best fecurity to his majesty's facred perfon, and the fucceffion in his illuftrious houfe. the inftructions from feveral counties and corporations, and which will be followed by many more, fufficiently teflify that we are, and have a juft fenfe of our happinefs, in being a free people; and a proper fpirit of refentment against any attempt to raise money upon us, with fpeEcious promifes; and after raining it, thinking of them no farther, and preferring any expedient to avert danger to the only juft and effectual method of fecuring publick fafety, which with infinite patience our reprefentations brought into order, and unanimously recommended as the palladium of the state. INSTRUCTIONS of the Borough of In confequence of the fenfe of the people, thus declared; and the gracious reception their fentiments have met with, when humbly and dutifully laid before the throne; we have a rational fund of confolation: And as in former ages our ancestors, fo we, now in the prefent, expect our falvation from the next feffions of parliament. As reprefentatives of the commons of Great-Britain, no doubt they will enquire into, and expofe the caufes of our miscarriages; examine into the accounts of the diftribution of the im. menfe fums they rave, and prevent, in fucceeding times, the committing the protection of British liberties, to thofe who are not fubject to the laws of Brittin. |