one from the other. These are a fet of very diverting fellows; and may be justly stiled your galloping projectors. They ride with infinite rapidity after every phantom; and appear like scouts, upon the verge of nature, who delight themselves in running races upon the wafte and barren grounds of ignorance and ftupidity. "Such people as thefe are immediately fick of what they are acquainted with; they want to get out of the trammels of their own knowledge, and launch into fomething above their capacity. They fcorn to reflect upon the flow, and progreffive motions, neceffary to be obferved, in the attainment of any particular end, but fkip from one thing to another, as fast as their inclinations lead the way; and, like bad hunters, they fall and get up again, without once confidering, that while they purfue the chace with fo much inconfiftent vigour, they will never be able to fee the fport. "The generality of projectors are very harmless creatures; they hurt nobody but themfelves, and deferve the compaffion of mankind. But there is a breed from this flock, that are the most troublesome wretches in the world. They fkim the froth from the furface of every fcience, and pretend to be adepts in each. They pefter fociety with their affectation of learning, and fink into a profundity of ignorance, that is fhocking to human nature.-Thefe creatures poffefs a vast alacrity in mifapplication;-and always charge their own blunders upon the productions of nature, reason, and fentiment. They are orators in confufion; and are fure to please their hearers, who, like the Lichfield landlord in the Beaux Stratagem, are highly delighted with what they do not understand. They are oracles, that put what conftruction they pleafe upon every propofition; while their deluded devotees admire the prophetic wonders they relate. They are dreadful critics, and fall with equal cruelty upon Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, Tom Thumb, and the Merry Jefter; though this laft facetious propagator of fun, is infinitely fuperior, in abilities, to his unmerciful executioners. They profefs to be prodigious admirers of nature; but unfortunately fearch for her, in every hole and corner of the globe, where the hates to refide. They look with a jealous eye upon every work of genius; and like rafcally jockeys, who furvey a gentleman's horfe, they pafs over in filence the beauty of his form, and the celcrity of his actions, but are loud, and exprefs great fatisfaction, if they can find a little fcab in his pofteriors. They affect to be correctors of profe, and menders of rhymes; but they are wretched cob lers, and are fure to fpoil every thing they meddle with. "When a parcel of thefe dablers in fcience get together, it is furprizing to fee the felf-fufficiency that reigns among them. Every thing, be what it will, that comes before them, feems proftrate at their feet. The mighty Homer trembles; the lofty Pindar feulks; Aristotle forgets his rules; and all the poets and philofophers feem fafcinated with fear and trepidation.-How often have I vainly wifhed, when heated with the fury of imagination, and languishing in filence, amidit the uproar of felf-applaufe, for the power of raising from the dead, the much injured object of their criticifm; to introduce him with all the honours, with which fancy could decorate him, and to ftrike thefe eternal bablers into annihilation, with one glance from the radiance of his penetrating eye. "-Such "-Such are the misfortunes attending those who will not act in their proper fphere, but perfevere in unprofitable schemes, against the conviction of experience, and the contempt of mankind. If the unfortunate projector could be brought to feriously reflect upon the exalted character of a worthy tradesman, who minds his bufinefs, in oppofition to the meannefs of his own, he might probably be impelled to a change of his conduct, and a proper difcharge of his duty; but his malady is a dreadful delirium, that generally arrives to a fatal crifis, robs him of the powers of his mind, and leaves it in such a liftlefs benumbed ftate of inexertion, that he becomes a burthen to himfelf and his friends. "There is no occupation, from a cobler to a merchant, wherein a man may not reasonably infure fuccefs by industry: and there are none of the virtues afford a more extenfive reputation in a commercial ftate. The Man of Induftry, who abides by his natural employment, enters in'o reciprocal obligations with his cotemporaries; and has an opportunity of difplaying the godlike qualities of benevolence, honour, justice, and integrity. He lives among the bieflings of his fa mily, the careffes of his friends, and meets, wherever he goes, with the heart-felt applaufe of univerfal approbation. He beholds the fickle goddefs, Fortune, hover round his head with a benign aspect, and crowning his labours with the charms of wealth. His evening enjoyments, after the toils of the day, are heightened by the reflection of having done his duty; and he feels the chearfulness of relaxation, unknown to the diffipated, and the indolent.—While he purSues, with unabating ardour, the accumulation of riches, he is able to appropriate a fuflicient portion of his time, to the improvement of his mind: and as it is a fhocking thing that a man fhould live for himfelf alone, or to no other purpose than to get his bread and eat it, he ought to give that inftruction to others, which he has learned by study and experience. There is a vaft difference between the characters of an unfortunate projector, and a worthy tradefinan who employs his leifure hours in the amufement of literature; or in the improvement of any branch of mechanics by new difcoveries, which, upon every trial, answer the real purposes for which they were defigned, and are crowned with the approbation, and thanks of fociety. "GENIUS is confined to no particular situation in life; but is oftener found rambling among different orders of men, than in the feminaries of learning.-Wherever the infpiring God really makes his appearance, he ought to be encouraged; and the man who neglects to do him juftice, is as blameable, in my opinion, as he, who, without one fpark of the celeftial fire, confumes his time, his fortune, and himself, in fruitless attempts to become great and immortal, by perpetuating his folly and prefumption." What our Author here fays of projectors, may be applied with equal propriety to writers; the literary projector being as arrant a vifionary as any other; indeed, to ufe his own turn of phrase, there is no creature on earth more deferving our pity than an UNFORTUNATE AUTHOR, especially when he happens to be otherwife a man of fenfe. ART. ART. XV. Agriculture confidered as a moral and political Duty. In a Series of Letters, infcribed to his Majefly. And recommended to the Perujal and Attention of every Gentleman of Landed Property in the three Kingdoms, as they are calculated for the Entertainment, Inftruction, and Benefit of Mankind." By William Donaldfen. Efq; late Secretary to the Government of Jamaica. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Becket. On what authority it is, that Mr. Donaldfon prefumes his Majefty to be at prefent, a firanger in his own dominions, and that he will be no longer fuch, fhould he adopt the expedients here propofed to him, we know not. Of this we are certain, that the fame means of information have been laid open, and fimilar expedients frequently and publicly expofed. This writer, indeed, may lay claim to fome merit, in having collected the fcattered hints of others, and formed them into " a plan for the eftablishment of a board, or great council of agriculture." Of this eftablishment, Mr. Donaldson gives the following idea. “It is, fays he, no innovation, and carries no novelty with it but the name. All nations have had their peculiar affemblies, to difcipline, and keep within bounds, the paffions of mankind. The Athenians had their prytaneum, to collect the wifdom of the wifeft for the common benefit of the republic: from feeing the cause of every diftrefs they provided against them. They had their Livrai, to furnish corn for the ufe of the city, and their Eropóλans, to pre vent impofition in over-rating the fale of it. "The Romans had their Senaculum; their Fora Venalia, where the markets were kept and regulated: the Prætores ceriales were magiftrates to infpect the wants of the people, and to fee that the city of Rome was amply fupplied with corn; and the office of Præfectus fru menti was to infpect the corn markets, and to report the true ftate of them to the Perfectus urbis, or chief magiftrate, who, as guardian of the city, was to fee that no impofition, no fraudulent reports, might fet the agents of avarice at work to distress the people.” In the reign of Charles the Good, Earl of Flanders, a great famine happened in his dominions; on which fome very rich men, thinking to reap advantage from the mifery of the times, bought up all the corn they could find in the country, with a defign to fell it again at an advanced and extraordinary price. The Earl, abhorring fo deteftable an avarice, caufed the corn to be feized, by virtue of his own authority, and fold to the people at a reasonable rate. In imitation of thefe and other good examples of humane princes and wife commonwealths, of which he gives numerous inftances from the earlieft periods of history, Mr. Donaldfon endeavours to engage his Majesty's attention to the important and interefting concerns of agriculture. Vouchfafe, fays he, to fuffer the refpective Lords-lieutenant to reprefent your Majefty in every county affociation, and let a conefpondence be kept up, that every neceflary information may be com municated municated to the great council in London. Invest this noble confederacy with powers to call upon the rector, church-wardens, or any other perfon, of every parifh, to tranfmit to the board an account of what number of acres in tillage, grazing, meadow, or wafie-land, there may in his or their particular parish. The number of beafts kept, generically defcribed, diftinguishing fat from lean, and to whom they belong. The quantity of corn fown, and the quantity reaped by each farmer refpectively, fpecifying the particular grain. The quantity of corn, and of what fort, fent to market from time to time, and the quantity kept in hand. The number of farmers in each parish, the rents of each man's poffeffions, with the names of the landlords and tenants. An account of the advanced rents of each farm for the laft twenty-five years, and the different periods at which they were augmented. The number of families, how many fouls each contains, diftinguishing their fex and age, how they are maintained, and what manufactories are carried on in each parish. "The Egyptians had a law, obliging every man to give an account once a year, to the magiftrate, where he lived; how he was fuftained; and what he contributed to the public weal. If fuch an account was demanded, and faithfully returned from the people in London, what frightful! what fhameful! and what piteous fcenes would be difclofed! and no doubt many iniquities prevented, and miferies removed, from their being revealed-The poors rate, and the number of paupers in each parifh, diftinguishing their age, fex, and condition of health. From fuch a return, your Majefty will be much alarmed; you will there fee that your fubjects in England are taxed with three millions a year, to maintain a number of people, rendered useless from the prefent mode of parochial management! When the state of the kingdom is thus laid open, your Majetty will be able to reform the innumerable abufes, which, though known in part, are still encouraged, or at leaft fuffered from inattention; you will be a competent judge yourfelf, how the poor may be employed, to eafe the load which their misconduct or misfortunes, have heaped upon the induftrious. Facts thus faithfully, and uniformly related, will furnish your Majefty with ideas, which may be digefted, and combined into forms, pleafing to your subjects, and beneficial to the common-wealth. Thefe, with many other accounts, the inquifitive mind will fuggeft as neceffary to the perfection of this national engagement. "From fuch an open council, inviting the thoughts, and foliciting the affiftance, of every good citizen, your Majefty would be informed of the true ftate of your nation, with regard to its natural revenue; and your fubjects inftructed to manage with integrity those loans which nature has fo partially diftributed in this country. Virtue finding eafier accefs, you will no longer be a firanger in your dominions you will have the groans of your people faithfully explained, when speedy and effectual meafures may be adopted, and puifued, to filence the affliction." Mr. Donaldson does not feem to be aware of the political, as well as religious and moral, prejudices, fubfifting in this country, against fo clofe an enquiry into the fituation and circumftances of individuals. The repeated outcry that has been made on the mere rumour of government's being about to number the people, is a proof of this prepoffeffion; a prepoffeffion which will probably long prevent thofe improvements which our Author, among many other public fpirited and unprejudiced writers, have liberally aimed to promote. ART. XVI. A Mifcellany of Poems. By the Reverend Joseph Wife, Rector of Penhurst, Sussex. 8vo. 35. Dilly. Mr. Wife might not be very foolish in writing these poems; but we cannot commend his fagacity in publishing them. Many things may pafs with propriety enough as an amusement among friends, that, by no means merit the attention of the publick. Among these, we look upon the poems of Mr. Wife; in which, to fay the best of them, there is more reafon than rhime, more moral than meafure, and more piety than poetry. Let our readers judge. ΤΟ A LADY. ON READING. Custom with folly feems in this combin'd, Against your females-to immure the Mind; 'Till virtue nods afleep and vice awakes. Hence infant hearts'pant with the pleasing flame, Which flashes, darts and glows through all the frame, Paffions |