"Having met Giusto, I accosted him amicably, and shewing him the papers which I had, I told him I was going to lay them before the judges. Giusto, older than I by some years, had already hurt his reputation, and even deranged his head by his bad conduct. He snatched the papers from my hand, turned his back, went out of the palace, and took to flight. In this situation I walked towards the Rialto, which is the most frequented promenade in Venice. I felt melancholy and depressed. But it was not long before I metGiusto there, who, after the villainy he had played upon me, assumed an insolent and insulting air; the thing went so far, that at last we came to arms. My adversary wounded me in the second finger of the right hand, and cut it so deep in the first joint that it nearly fell off. Thus was accomplished the dream of my mother, which I look upon rather as a revelation; and I declare to you, Magnificent Lord, by that veneration which we owe to God himself, that this recital is the pure and simple truth." After the perusal of this letter, can any one say what are those laws which thus identify the movements of the imagination with the accidents of human life? The mystery is above our intelligence. Too often the dupes of blind credulity, let us confess, that sometimes we may be no less the dupes of incredulity. I remain, &c. The Rise and Progress of the Commerce of France with India and China. Ithe Fourteenth, and at the comT was during the reign of Louis mencement of Colbert's administration (about the year 1664), that the foundation of the French commerce with the East Indies was laid. The French East India Company was established in 1668, and at that time received many marks of royal favour, and very munificent endowments: these, however, did not prevent the Company, in 1670, from deserting its factory at Surate withUNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. VIII. out paying its debts, or from being driven out of Siam and Tonquin, in both of which places its prospects of ultimate success were rather bril liant than otherwise. In 1697, the same Company resigned its possessions in China; the intercourse of France with this country commenced in 1660. Some new arrangements were made after the peace of Riswick (about 1689) for the establishment of a factory at Pondicherry, which, however, proved by no means effectual in advancing their interests, as appears from the nett proceeds of the sales during the first twenty years of the Company's establishment, which only amounted to 18 or 19,000,000 francs. A new company, forined in 1699 for conducting the commerce of China, met, at first, with some success; but the breaking out of the Spanish war, in 1703, threw a damp upon its exertions, and the Chinese commerce lay almost dormant in regard to France till 1719, when it was re-united to that of India. Such, at the conclusion of the reign of Louis XIV. was the situation of the commerce of France with India and China. The French settlements in Asia at that epoch were some factories at Pondicherry, Surate, and Mazulipatnam, in India, and at Can-, ton in China; and the total amount of the returns from those places was 5,940,000 francs, namely, pepper to the value of 2,750,000 francs, muslin, 2,790,000 francs, and gold in ingots 400,000. The amount of the exportations from France to India and China, for which the said returns were inade, was 2,822,000 francs, namely, piastres to the amount of 2,173,000 francs, manufactured coral 542,000 francs, and wood and metals 107,000 francs. It was not till the year 1730 that this commerce experienced any considerable extension, at which time the French obtained leave from the Court of Delhi to coin money, a privilege by which their annual profits had an increase of nearly 500,000 francs. About this time too, Dupleix founded the factory at Chandernagor, which having conducted prosperously for the space of twelve с years, he quitted, and was placed in 1742 at the head of the French establishments in Pondicherry; and in the same year the imports of Indian commodities into France amounted to 24,000,000; in fact, Dupleix raised the French commerce in India to the highest pitch of prosperity, and by rendering important services to the neighbouring princes, obtained for his country the vast extent of territory which was ceded to the French in 1751. The ungrateful return which the services of this truly meritorious man met with, is too well known to need repetition in this place; suffice it to state, that, subsequent to his departing from India, Pondicherry was taken, Lally the governor, killed, the English bé came possessed of all those advantages which the French had previously enjoyed, and the East India Company was reduced to the utmost state of distress till the peace of 1763 at this time it was suggested, that if the Company were freed from the restraint imposed upon it by being subject to the superintendance of the King's commissary, its commerce would regain its former state of prosperity: but these demands for liberty proved instrumental to its destruction in 1769, when the Company's privileges were suspended, and the right of trading to the Indies and China conferred upon the French merchants in general, who continued to trade thither till 1785, when a new company, endowed with numerous grants, was established. This company continued to engross the trade of India and China till 1790, when the National Assembly passed a decree for unlimited commerce with India beyond the Cape of Good Hope, and shortly after wards appointed the ports of L'Orient upon the Ocean, and Gette upon the Mediterranean, as the depots of Indian commodities. The actual possessions of the French in India, at the present day, are Karical and Yannon in Pondicherry, Mahe upon the coast of Malabar, and Chandernagor upon the banks of the Ganges, besides several villages adjacent to the aforesaid settlements. In China, the chief possession of the French is the isle of Wampou, which is well peopled, and whose climate is salubrious.At the epoch of the Revolution, the amount of the cargoes brought into France from India and China was computed for three years previous to that event to have annually been 34,700,000 francs, and of the exports from France, for which these returns were made, 17,424,000 francs. The classes of merchandise which are at this time brought from India and China to France are nearly as follow: 1st. manufactured commodities, such as white and painted linens, muslins, handkerchiefs, nankeens, and silken stuffs, to the value of 26,600,000 francs; 2d cinnamon, pepper, tea, and Moka coffee, 6,000,000 francs; 3d. unmanufactured wood, raw silk, and cotton, elephants' teeth, &c. 1,150,000 francs; 4th. porcelain, fans, and shells, 493,000; 5th. and finally, drugs and dying roots to the value of 307,000 francs. The exports for which the said returns are made consist of merchandises, and annually amount to sums conformable to the following statement: 1st. piastres to the value of 17,424,000 francs; 2d. various manufactured commodities, 654,000 francs; 3d. wines and brandy, 745,000 francs; 4th. wood and metals, 700,000 francs; and 5th. various trifling articles to the value of 72,000 francs. The difference of nearly 17,000,000 francs, which from the foregoing statement will be seen to exist between the value of the exports and that of the returns, exhibits on the side of France an apparent profit of 30 per cent; but when from this apparent balance in favour of France are deducted the expenses of fitting out vessels, freight, insurance out and home, commission allowed to factors and custom-house charges, it will be found that the merchants do not gain more than 10 or at the most 15. per cent. profit by this traffic. As to the internal commerce of China and India, the French settlements reap no benefit from it; it is wholly engrossed by the English and the natives, the former of whom derive from it a profit of nearly 30,000,000 francs annually, besides the profits arising from their Asiatic future relief, when many of us are imports and their revenues in Ben- already deprived, not only of the gal, the former of which annually comforts, but of the necessaries of amount to 80,000,000 francs, and life? and yet we are to be left, not the latter to 140,000,000 francs.- only without the shadow of a hope What a clear proof is this (if any of any relaxation of our present pawere wanting) of the flourishing rochial burdens, but with a certainty state of British commerce, and its of one fifth being added to them. decided superiority over that of France! But we are told, that if we reflect on the principle of the bill, and the great object it has in view, expense LETTER XII-On the Management will be a very subordinate consideraof the Affairs of the Poor. tion. Can they who are so ready W HEN I first heard of Mr. to put their hands upon every occaWhitbread's intention of mak- sion into the private purses of the ing an alteration in the laws relating people assure us, that our grandto the poor, I flattered myself that he children shall be raised by their enhad some plan in contemplation to deavours from their depressed state, relieve the heavy pressure of our pre- and prevented from falling into the sent burdens. There is certainly an idle and vicious manners of the preabsolute necessity for doing this, and sent age, and be raised a step in sofor placing the poor in many parishes ciety? or, are we to trust to the dein a more comfortable situation. lusive hope of gathering grapes upon thorns, or figs upon thistles? All that we can expect from two years education in a village-school, where children are totally ignorant, is to give them an idea of the power of letters to form words; but this falls very far short of storing the mind with useful knowledge to assist them through the dangerous state of youth up to inan. It seems to be a prevailing evil with us, that men in high stations seldom think of expenses, while they can raise money, and millions are squandered in a year to no one useful purpose. Mr. Whitbread seems to be one of those who thinks there can be no end to our resources, and therefore he hath not a single idea of easing our parochial assessments, but of increasing them annually half a million, in trying his first doubtful project. It is not within the limits of his plan to legislate for the benefit of the present age; but he is looking forward to posterity by anticipation, and we are to cast our bread upon the waters, that our grand-children and great grand-children may find it after many days. With every advantage the poor have derived from charity and Sunday schools, still they are rapidly increasing upon us, which is a convincing proof that there is something further necessary, besides teaching them to read, to prevent their po verty and depression; for it is notorious, that the most skilful of our manufacturers and mechanics are the They who are so very hasty in most drunken, worthless, and des adopting new projects ought to be paved, and if they had a knowledge reminded, that in all novelty there is of all the ancient and modern lanhazard, and in all experiments there guages ever used, they would be ide is risk of disappointment; for no and worthless still. It is not the man can reason so accurately from want of a knowledge of letters, but the past, as to be certain of a future the not having any sense of shame, result, and more especially when nor a fear of future punishment whea it depends upon such a multitude as they offend against the laws of their the poor of this kingdom, influenced Maker, that they become immoral, as they are by various dispositions, idle, and fearless of consequences. habits, passions, and vices; that no It is only a trust in a good and merhuman foresight can say, that the ciful Providence, and a dread of means which we now adopt shall reaping as they sow, will ever excite produce the effect we design fifty years hence. Why then are we to be amused with doubtful schemes of them to endeavour to support them-. selves with credit in that station in which they are placed; and this will depend much more upon the examples which they daily see, than the precepts they can imbibe in a villageschool, on Mr. Whitbread's plan. The children of the dependent poor at an early age quit the threshold of their fathers, and are sent into the world without guide or instructor to regulate their appetites, which soon grow active and vigorous; and they every where meet with temptations inviting, and examples encouraging them to gratify inclinations, which demand indulgence with an imperious tone. If we consider the present state of religion and morals in the nations, can we expect that they will resist the prevailing customs, habits, and vices, which are within their reach? For the last twenty-five or thirty years, there hath been a systematic plan regularly pursued, which hath produced a general profligacy in principle and in practice, among the lower order of the people, and our present habits cannot fail of completing it. ruin the religious, and moral principles of the whole nation. The Sunday routs and the late dinners confine servants to the whole of the sabbath, without giving them an opportunity of going to any place of religious instruction, and they soon become as indifferent to it as their superiors; and what can we expect more than we see in our dependent poor, when so much is done to make them like the people in France-downright atheists; or, which is nearly the same thing, to live without a knowledge of God in the world. Even our farmers, in many parts of the kingdom, are too fashionable to attend at church on the sabbath, and their servants are left to follow their own inclinations, and to ridicule religion and the clergy; and can any one be so weak as to suppose, that a little reading, without understanding the meaning of words, can prevail over the poison which issues from such sources? If we attend to the press for the last forty years, but more especially the last twenty, it will be found, that writers of various denominations have exercised their talents in abusing the establishment and the whole body of the clergy. There are two monthly publications which have been noto rious for it. The trash which is is sued from the shelves of circulating libraries to fill up the vacant hours of our modern beaux and belles, hath in many instances the same tendency. In the American war it was first thought unnecessary for soldiers to attend divine service; and this prepared the way for the dismission of chaplains of regiments; and if the men were occasionally sent to the church nearest their garrison or bar, rack, it was under the care of a serjeant, who either suffered them to file off when they came to the door, or to go out as soon as they entered, and fill the streets and the alehouses. Did the first ranks in society in The militia did not fail to ape the Scotland, when they established their regulars; and when volunteering be- schools, set the people such perni came fashionable, they followed their cious examples? or had they so many example: and the plan which was ways of poisoning their moral prinadopted by our heaven-born Minister ciples? or have they had since? if to exercise on Sunday, and in we except Edinburgh; but even the service-time, nearly emptied there some decency in appearance is both churches and meetings, by kept up during service-time on the drawing all the young people of both sabbath. Did they, when they formed sexes after them into the field, and the plan for instructing their dependthe far greatest part have followed ent poor, neglect all public worship the example set them by their supe- themselves? Did they endeavour to riors, and have never returned again; lessen the respect for the clergy, as nor can the little knowledge they we have done in the debates in a may acquire from two years education certain assembly? or did they, while ever counteract such pernicious prac- they were inculcating habits of reli.. tices. If ever the militia should be gion, sobriety, and industry, counter.. disembodied and sent back to their act their precepts by a contrary prac→ own homes, they of themselves will tice? If our manners are quite dif ferent, why produce the Scotch edu- lencies worthy of being known-some cation as the only plan to raise our powers of mind-some nicety of disdependent poor from the situation in crimination-some knowledge of which they are sunk by our own mankind-and some acquirements of misconduct, when there is no simi- study, which intitle him to their atlarity in the habits of the two na- tention. Without this he will either tions? [To be continued.] THE CONTEMPLATIST. Animo vidit, ingenio complexus est, eloquen ia illuminavit. PATERCULUS. sink into despondency as he contemplates his undertaking, or rely too much upon adventitious assistance, which he will accept with indiscriminate facility. As to myself, neither upborne by the airy bubbles of imaginary excellence, nor depressed by the THE HE sprightliness of wit, the sen- gloomy apprehensions of total disquatentious gravity of wisdom, the lification, I rely, with steady resolustores of learning, and the gaiety of tion, upon my own exertions; not humor, have already been displayed wholly careless of the applause of my in the form of periodical essays, un- countrymen, but resolved either to der various appellations. Of these deserve it, or to desist from my lasome hold a distinguished rank in the bours whenever neglect teaches me literature of the country; while that I have over-valued my pretenothers, though not calculated to ex- sions. I shall neither court attention cite admiration or command applause, by an alluring display of professions, enjoy the merit of contributing to nor deprecate censure by the shallow our stock of amusement by harmless artifice of confessing that I deserve it; merriment and humble truths, pleas- the one would impose a restraint upingly expressed. It cannot, however, on me I should be unwilling to enbe doubted, that each of them began dure; and the other would betray their career with equal expectations either a consummate stupidity, or a of success; hoping to meet, not only duplicity unworthy a man who means with adulatory distinction from their fairly. The question cannot long vicontemporaries, but to enlighten and brate between doubt and certainty; a delight succeeding ages, when their few numbers will ascertain whether authors were alike insensible to cen- my lucubrations be or be no deservsure and to praise-to pre-eminence ing of the attention of the public; and and to neglect! How they have suc- that period I shall pass with few emoceeded affords a useful lesson to man- tions of hope or fear, for I have lived kind; that, however the illusions of too long in the world not to know, pride, the partiality of friends, or the that neither hope nor fear can acceconfidence of vanity, may excite ex- lerate or retard the decisions of mantensive hopes and boundless expecta- kind. tions of success, yet substantial merit It has been customary with my alone ought to claim or can obtain it; predecessors to give a fictitious acthat the ambition which prompts our count of themselves and coadjutors, exertions, and points to the highest corresponding to the character they place, may yet qualify us to hold a intend to support throughout. It is useful and respectable station; and not often safe to dispute the prescripthat the world, unbiassed by preju- tive power of custom; and I should dice, and unmarked by partiality, feel undoubted satisfaction in complyawards its honour slowly but justly, ing with an established mode, could and adjudges, with strict fidelity, the I persuade myself that I should either glories of immortal fame, to the ema- contribute to the amusement of my nations of genius, and to the maxims readers, or administer to my own inof wisdom. clinations; as to the former they It is well, however, that every man, could derive little benefit or delight who proposes to call the attention of from treading again in a path where I the public towards himself, should could scatter none of the flowers of have a just consciousness of his own novelty, could lead them into no unpowers; he should at least regard discovered windings, or amuse them himself as possessing some excel- with any yet unseen beauties; and I |