See where they fadly fit on Ifis' fhore,

And rend their hayres as they would joy no more.

Ifis the glory of the western world,

When our heroe (honour'd Effex) dy'd,
Strucken with wonder, backe againe the hurl'd,
And fill'd her banckes with an unwoonted tyde;
As if the stood in doubt, if it were so,
And for the certaintie had turn'd her way.
Why do not now,

Her waves reflow?

Poor nymph, her forrows will not let her stay;
Or flyes to tell the world her countrie's woe :

Or cares not to come backe, perhaps, as showing Her teares should make the flood, not her reflowing. • Sometimes a tyrant helde the reynes of Rome, Wything to all the citie but one head,

That all at once might undergo his doome,.
And by one blow from life be fevered.

Fate wifht the like on England, and t'was given :
(O miferable men, enthral'd to fate!)
Whose heavy hand

That never fcand

The mifery of kingdomes ruinates
Minding to leave her of all joys bereaven,
With one fad blow (alas! can worfer fall!)
Hath given this little ile her funerall.

O come ye blessed impes of memorie,
Erect a newe Parnaffus on his grave!
There tune your voyces to an elegie,
The faddeft noate that ere Apollo gave.
Let every accent make the stander by

Keepe time unto your fong with dropping teares,
Till drops that fell

Have made a well

To fwallow him which ftill unmoved heares!
And though myself prove fenceleffe of your cry,
Yet gladly fhould my light of life grow dim,
To be intomb'd in teares are wept for him.
When laft he fick'ned, then we first began
To tread the laborinth of woe about:
And by degrees we further inward ran,
Having his thread of life to guide us out.
But Deftinie no fooner faw us enter

Sad Sorrowe's maze, immured up in night,
Where nothing dwells

But cryes and yels

Throwne from the hearts of men depriv'd of light;
When we were almost come into the center,

Fate (cruelly) to barre our joyes returning,
Cut off our thread, and left us all in mourning.'

/it

The life of this Author, compiled by the present Editor, is fo very flight a sketch as fcarcely merits the title which he has given to it; but, we suppose, the materials for a fuller account were not to be procured. The notes and obfervations on the Britannia's Paftorals' are alfo few, and of little importance. We account it highly meritorious to do juftice to neglected worth; but we could wish that the task were always undertaken by those who are fully equal to heads. The public are, however obliged to this Editor from rescuing from oblivion the works of a real genius, to whose memory time has by no means done justice. St

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

Art. 10. Remarks on Dr. Price's Obfervations on Reverfionary Pay-
ments, & particularly on the National Debt, and his propofed
Method for discharging the fame. In a Letter to a Friend of the
Doctor's. 8vo. I s. 6d. Lowndes.

A

FTER fome preliminary compliments, and loofe obfervations of no great importance, the Author of thefe Remarks, which are offered with refpect and decency, starts an objection to the practicability of the fcheme proposed by Dr. P. for finking the national debt. He thinks it impoffible for us to appropriate the neceffary fum to that purpose; and that we are much in the condition of the good woman

who had got an excellent receipt for making puddings, but was entirely deftitute of the neceffary materials. She had neither flour, fuet, butter, milk, plums, nor eggs: a moft melancholy fituation where pudding was the thing defired. The Doctor has chalked out an infallible recipe for paying the national debt; but, most unfortunately for us, the effential ingredient is grown fo fcarce, that little can be fpared for the defired purpose.' The debt, he fays, has accumulated, at an average, at the rate of two millions per annum; and he fuppofes that eight millions per annum must be provided in order to pay the intereft of the debt, to allow a million towards reducing it, and to provide for current expences. He then appeals, with concern, to all the world, and asks if there is room for fo much as a poffible hope that it should ever be annihilated? But we are willing to believe that our fituation, though bad, is not fo defperate.

But the Remarker's main force is levelled against an incidental obfervation of Dr. P.'s, in his chapter on the national debt; in which he remarks, that the reduction of intereft is of no great importance to a state, when the debts are in a regular course of payment; and that fuch reduction may, in many cafes, be a real injury. This is a moft obvious and undoubted truth. And we would only obferve upon it, that the question is not, Whether the reduction of intereft may not, in fome cafes, be a benefit to a state? The queftion is not, Whether a certain fund, aided by the interefts arifing from fuch reduction, would not operate with greater efficacy in

the

the difcharge of debts than the fund itfelf could do? But the queftion is plainly this, Whether a certain fund, admitting of no increase or diminution, will not fooner difcharge a debt at a higher than at a lower rate of intereft; and whether any reduction that would check its operation might not prove exceedingly detrimental to a finking ftate? And the author of the Obfervations has made no myftery of the answer. All that the Remarker has faid may be true or falfe, but cannot affect Dr. P.'s general pofition. We hope we do not mistake, nor mifreprefent, his meaning. He exprefsly fays, that, by reduction of intereft, the prefent burdens of the ftate would be lightened by protracting thein; and fuch reduction would fupply more money for bad management. The cafe of a private creditor, which the Author of the Remarks has adduced, is, we apprehend, by no means parallel. He concludes with feveral obfervations which deferve attention, on the mischiefs arifing from public and private credit; though fome may think he has rather exaggerated the evils attending it. In the Appendix, he propofes a plan for establishing a growing fund of perpetual increafe and fecurity for the certain and unalienable benefit of pofterity. The fociety is to confift of 20 members, who are to be admitted on very eafy conditions; and each of the reprefentatives, 50 years hence, will be entitled to a fhare of five hundred millions. It would be an amusing employment for those that are fond of ideal difquifitions, to calculate the prefent va lue of an expectation to be realized at the distance of 20 or 30 generations. R--S,

Art. 11. The Challenge; or, Patriotism put to the Teft. In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Price, occafioned by his late Publications on the National Debt; in which a fuperior Method to the Sink ing Fund for the above Purpofe is fully demonftrated, and recom mended to the Confideration of the Public. By Jof. Wimpey. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Lowndes.

The nature of our work, and the limits affigned us, will not admit of our entering into a particular examination of the objections urged in this pamphlet against the principles and reafening contained in the Appeal to the Public. We must therefore refer those who are defirous of fatisfaction on this head to the fecond edition of this excellent treatife, lately published, in which the author has taken great pains to obviate every difficulty to which his fcheme is liable. But we cannot difmifs this article without a word or two with Mr. W--y.

Having utterly demolished Dr. P.'s plan for relieving the public under the burden of their debt, and triumphing in the certainty of victory, this Author propofes a fcheme of his own, which he wishes to fubftitute in the room of that already demolished, and with no mall degree of confidence appeals to every impartial man if it is not infinitely preferable in point of eafe, and certainly more ef fectual, for very obvious reafons.' But why fo pofitive? Why not condefcend, Sir! to mention fome of these reafons, fo obvious to yourself, that your readers might be fatisfied likewife? You think,

* The Challenger addreffes these words to Dr. Price, p. 18. We have copied them with the alteration only of Sinking Fund" to your fund."

Sir,

Sir, the operation of your fund is so clear and certain, that all further explanation is unneceffary. But all this is upon certain conditions that lurk in petto. The reader not perceiving thofe latent conditions, attends to the argument as it ftands, and affents to the conclufion as demonftrably certain.' You tell us, that two millions per annum, being the produce of the Sinking Fund, is to be diverted from the fervice of the public in defraying current expences, &c. towards the difcharge of the debts, only for three years; and this annuity is to be employed fo as to be improved at 4 per cent, compound interest: at the end of this time it will amount to 6,243,2col. This then will be a fund to be perpetually improved at the fame rate. As mo. ney at 4 per cent. compound intereft, more than doubles its value in 18 years, we will fay that the above fum will be 12,486,400 l. at that time; and by continuing to double the fum every 18 years for 90 years, in that time the above fum will accumulate nearly to zoo millions, which would pay off the whole amount of the national debt, and leave nearly 60 millions in bank.' You proceed to inform us that this great business, which has been thought impoffible to be effected, may, by this method, not only be effected with ease, but without even taking a penny from the people, after the two millions per annum for the first three years, furnished by the Sinking Fund, and further leaving the produce of the Sinking Fund to be annually applied towards the current fervice: a circumftance of immenfe utility to the people, and, what is infifted on by the Doctor, cannot be alienated but at the expence of our existence as a nation.' If these principles be juft, and Mr. W. can pay the debt without taking a penny from the people after the first fix millions, we need not wonder that he fhould declaim as he does: I would not take upon me to defend, either the humanity or juftice, of laying the whole burden of difcharging the national debt on the prefent generation. But fhould any one fo far fet his heart upon it, as to fee the mife. ries and hear the groans our heavy burdens occafion in many families, unmoved, he muft certainly have extinguifhed the fine, tender, but forcible feelings of humanity, which it is natural for parental affection to infpire, to make room for a rigid virtue of a very romantic caft. A tak as difficult as to difplace and tear away the whole arterial or vascular system; and, I am afraid, would be approaching too near a robbery committed on our immediate offspring; whom nature, reason, and justice, have made it our indifpenfable duty to provide for and fupport, in order to be generous to those who do not, and perhaps never may, exift.' But our Author forgets that, on his own principles, two millions per annum must be borrowed to fupply the deficiencies for public fervice during the three years appropriation of the Sinking Fund to his benevolent and useful purpofe; and that money muft likewise be borrowed to pay the intereft of fuch loans; and that, at the expiration of three years, the fum borrowed will be equal to the amount of his annuity, or 6,243,200 l. and that this will be a fund, which, by his method of reafoning, will increase as faft against the public as it is fuppofed, on his plan, to increase in their favour. The only fource' of fupply is the purfe of the people; when that is drained, good bye to all funds, call them by what name you please. Their infinite difference and omnipotent powers immediately vanish.' On this plan, what becomes

6

of

of all the humane policy of our Author for ferving pofterity without burdening the prefent generation? But if this large annual fum is to be raised by an extraordinary effort, or by a tax of two millions for three years, fuch a meafure feems directly contrary to the Author's reasoning on the state of the nation and to all his generous feelings for the prefent generation. On this fuppofition the whole burden of difcharging the national debt would be laid on the prefent generation,' without deriving any affiftance at all from pofterity. And we cannot take upon us to defend, either the humanity or juftice' of fuch a measure.

We might farther afk, in what way this fum is to be improved at 4 per cent. compound interelt, certainly and without interruption? To whom is the public to give credit for thefe large fums ariting from a growing principal of 0,243,2001. On Dr. Price's plan, the money appropriated to the payment of our debts is fo applied as necarily to improve itself.

Our Readers will perceive that we neither adopt the principles of this Author, nor approve his reafoning. We have pointed Mr. Wimpey's own artillery against himself; and, we apprehend, that the reverend author of the Obfervations, and of the Appeal, is, in law and honour, freed from all obligation of accepting this challenge, fince his adverfary is a felo de fe. R.S. Art. 12. An Inquiry into the Practice and Legality of Pressing by the King's Commiffion: Founded on a Confideration in Ufe to fupply the Fleets and Armies of England. From the earliest Period of the English Laws and Hiftory, to the prefent Time. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Almon. 1772.

This performance is replete with good fenfe, and curious refearches. The following particulars, in relation to the nature and origin of the act of preffing, are highly worthy of attention. In early times, fays this Writer, Lord Coke tells us that when the King was to be ferved with foldiers for his wars, a knight or efquire of the country that had revenues, farmers, and tenants, covenanted with the King to ferve him in his war for fuch a time with fuch a number of men: and the foldiers made their covenant with their leaders or masters, and then they were mustered by the King's commiffioners. By the 5th of Richard the Second, c. ii. thefe contracts are to be enrolled in the Exchequer. On entering into thefe contracts an advance of a certain fum was made from the Exchequer to the contractors: this money was called (and fill is called in other contracts) Preft, or Impreft Money; from the French word preft, ready, fay Chambers and Jacob; from the Latin word præftitum, en-> gaged, fays Sir Matthew Hale. Be the etymology what it may, the meaning of prelt or impreft-money is money advanced to a perfon out of the Exchequer, in confideration of which he engages to be ready to perform fome contract or fervice. The auditors of the impreft are officers in the Exchequer who make up account of naval and military expences, and of all monies imprefied to any man for the King's fervice. As the captains were engaged to the Exchequer, the foldiers were engaged to the captains, who enlifted volunteers by: giving them earneft or preft money, as it is called in the old ftatutes, Rev. May 1772. Ff and