poetry, or for any of the fine arts or liberal sciences; provided his tastes do not lead him into extravagance, and provided he possess in theory, and apply in practice, the knowledge that is peculiarly requisite to a master of a family, a landlord, a magistrate, a grand juror, an elector, and in the most comprehensive sense of the word, a good subject. The range of knowledge requisite to fulfil these duties with propriety is much more extensive than can be conceived by men of contracted views. To be a good landlord, and a good magistrate, a man must not only have a desire to serve his tenants, and to do justice to all who appeal to him, but he must know how to be just and benevolent; otherwise he will be, as the proverb says, "quanto buon che val niente," so good as to be good for nothing. The more conscious he is of right intentions, the more positive and active he will be in maintaining his opinions and enforcing his authority; and the more obnoxious and dangerous he must consequently be to that portion of the community, over which his power and influence extend. An opulent country squire might, for instance, encourage his tenants to improve their condition, by introducing intricate modes of agriculture, by directing industry into new channels, by bounties to foster infant manufactures, by charitable donations to those who have large families of children, by restraints upon emigration, by regulating markets, by raising or lowering the wages of labour: but a man who attempts any of these things, a man who attempts any one operation in political economy, without understanding the principles of that science, runs the hazard of doing evil; he can do only partial good, and that merely by chance. Persons who have no knowledge on these subjects are apt to mistake the very

signs of prosperity in states for symptoms of decay, and are alarmed by alterations, which are incident and necessary to countries in certain circumstances. For instance, the changes in the rate of interest, the putting down monopolies, the lowering the price of provision, or the disposition of tenantry to emigrate, have all been the subject of loud lamentation with short-sighted persons. A landlord, who should act in consequence of his prejudices in these particulars, would injure not only his private interest, and that of his tenants, but, as far as in him lay, would tend to retard the progress of civilization in his country. These subjects are so intricate, and it is so hazardous to meddle with them, that even if the study of political economy were only to teach country gentlemen to refrain from rash interference, it would be of material service.

The knowledge of the value and price of land, of the rents which tenants are able to pay, of the causes which affect the rise and fall of rents, is absolutely necessary to a good landlord: he deals in land as tradesmen deal in different commodities; his tenants are his customers; he should therefore

Lord Selkirk's "Observations on Emigration" ought to be read by every country gentleman, as well as by every statesman, who desires to inform himself on this subject. The style of this book is so simple, yet perspicuous, and the reasoning so plain, yet logical, that it will captivate the attention and convince the judgment of sensible and unprejudiced readers. Hume records it as one of the marks of increasing civilization, that the term usury ceased to be applied with opprobrium to the receiving interest for money: the historian of the present times may with equal propriety mention as a proof of improvement in political knowledge our having conquered the prejudice against the term emigration.

know precisely the value of what he is to sell, and of what they are to purchase, that he may neither be a dupe nor an extortioner. The danger of his being duped is usually greater than of his duping others; for tenants know what they can afford to give at any time for land: and they will not offer more, unless it is with the fraudulent intent of racking the land, and leaving their bargain in a few years upon the hands of the landlord. But these are practices better known, alas! in Ireland than in England. To distinguish improving tenants, and to give them proper encouragement, is another part of the duty of a landlord. This requires both discernment and steadiness of temper.

For the exercise of the functions of a magistrate, which is another important part of the duty of a country gentleman, an acquaintance with the principles of the English law becomes necessary. On this topic, Blackstone's admirable introduction to his Commentary should be consulted; he exhorts country gentlemen to make themselves acquainted1 with the laws and constitution of their country. Not only as magistrates, but as grand jurymen, they have considérable power in their respective counties, and for the exercise of this power they are responsible: they are bound to strict impartiality, to avoid all party spirit, and to resist all attempts at what is called jobbing 1:

This is a term well known in both countries; but grand jury jobbing is a term peculiar to Ireland, as in that country grand juries have the disposal of enormous sums of public money, for making roads and bridges, and for various other purposes. In some counties the oaths of jurors are respected; in others" such a good understanding takes place between men of power and those who

As electors of members of parliament, and as persons who have often considerable influence in deciding elections, country gentlemen have important duties which they cannot adequately perform without a variety of political knowledge, and considerable sagacity. A modern country gentleman must not be such a politician as the tory foxhunter, whose life and opinions are so admirably drawn by Addison, in "the Free"holder:" a politician who classes all his neighbours that voted on the whig side at the election under the denomination of dogs, curs, or whelps; who judges of parliament men only by their having voted for or against the duties on French claret, or the act for preserving the game; who hates trade, because it has made a parcel of upstarts as rich as men of the most ancient families in the country; and who heartily curses all the London merchants, not forgetting the Bankdirectors. More enlargement of mind is now expected from a country gentleman. To choose representatives in parlia ment, he must be qualified to judge of the abilities, and of the public conduct of the several candidates; this implies acquaintance with all that passes in the British parliament, with domestic and foreign politics, and some general prin ciples by which he can reason for himself on public affairs. For example, what must be the portion of knowledge and good sense necessary to judge of Mr. Burke's Address to the Electors of Bristol! To those who know how elections are

have considerable electioneering interest, that the most bare-faced jobs are supported by grand jurors, packed for the purpose. It is not uncommon to canvass for votes upon such occasions: and of so much consequence is it to a party to have their friends returned on grand juries, that to make the sheriff is an object of great competition among those who have interest with the minister.

at present managed, it may seem absurd to talk thus at our ease of judging impartially, and upon rational grounds, of the merits of candidates. But while there is life, there is hope. And one of the best chances for restoring a national spirit of independence and honest patriotism is by educating country gentlemen to understand and to pursue their real interests, and the interests of their country.

The first step towards giving a young man this various knowledge is, to excite in his mind the desire to obtain it; and this is to be done by showing him, that such information is essential to the character, which his ambition has been excited to attain, and which his reason has been taught to prefer. Taking it for granted, that the means suggested for exciting in his early childhood a preference for a country life, and an ambition to be a respectable country gentleman, have been employed, there is a motive raised in his mind, which may be directed to any given purpose by a judicious preceptor. During the years, which the boy spends at school, there are scarcely any means of forwarding his instruction in those things, which are peculiar to his profession; but school has the advantage of keeping the young heir away from the flattery of tenants and dependants, and of preventing his acquiring premature and preposterous notions of his own importance; and it is infinitely more easy to supply any deficiencies of instruction, where there is a desire to learn, than to cure any habits of self-importance, or any local prejudices: and something may be done in vacations by associating pleasure with every circumstance of domestic and rural happiness. The. boy should ride out with his father among his tenants; should