lution began, was many centuries behind Britain in civil liberty; they forgot that the best disposed of the French political leaders were only anxious to obtain that liberty which we actually possessed; they forgot that the actual wealth of Britain would be a more powerful stimulus to robbery and assassination than even France could present; and they rushed headlong to the sacrifice of themselves and others.

Indeed, there could not be a more striking contrast than what the two countries then presented. France was struggling through difficulties, both political and financial, to complete a system of liberty, and attempting to renovate her resources, now plunged into almost irremediable confusion, Britain, enjoying all the advantages of established order; conducted by a government equally vigorous and popular; meeting every pecuniary embarrassment, or imposition of taxes, with new and unexampled resources; strengthening her credit, and extending her commerce; whilst she covered the ocean with her navy, and spread the glory of her name over every quarter of the earth, even to those hitherto undiscovered through the lapse of ages.

The character of the sovereign too was not more formed to produce, than that of his administration was to perpetuate, the general tranquillity. Notwithstanding the accusations thrown out against Mr. Pitt, we may venture to assert that his conduct

during the progress of the commotions in France, up to this period, might be held up as a model of political honour and rectitude, dictated not only by wisdom, but free also from all paltry thoughts of revenge, for the insidious conduct of France, when Richelieu fomented the causes of discord between our Charles the First and his parliament, or when Vergennes stimulated the Americans to resistance, in violation of the most solemn treaties, and in the disgraceful hope of raising France by our downfall.

If the encouragement which His Majesty gave to nautical researches from the earliest period of his reign did not succeed in the actual discovery of a new continent, yet it must not be forgotten that under his auspices the indefatigable Cook proved that a southern continent did not exist, and ascertained the important fact of the near approximation of the northern shores of Asia to those of America. To these great discoveries we must join those of Vancouver, which have added the complete certainty, that although a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean may exist, yet there is no internal sea or other communication of uninterrupted water carriage whatever south of the Arctic Circle. These circumstances alone are worthy of the patronage and expense of the voyages here alluded to, forming an honourable addition to the sum of British glory.

Views of ambition or avarice had hitherto prevented the Pacific Ocean from being known, the great objects having been either to find the easiest way to the Moluccas or Asiatic spice islands, or to take the beaten path, within the limits of which a Spanish galeon might be found. Mendana and Quiros had, however, by deviating from this track, and holding a westerly one from Callio, found some islands, which they believed announced the existence of a southern continent.

The Pacific Ocean, within the south tropic, repeatedly traversed in every direction, has been found to swarm with a seemingly endless profusion of habitable spots of land. Islands scattered through the amazing space of near fourscore degrees of longitude, separated at various distances, or grouped in various clusters, have, as it were, started into existence.

The extent of the South Pacific Ocean to the west, the lands which bound it, and the connection between new and old discoveries, were to be ascertained. This, too, has been done, by the accurate survey of the eastern coast of New Holland. The southern continent, the discovery of which was the object of Captain Cook's second voyage, has sunk never to rise again. We have now ocular demonstration, that the captain, in his persevering searches, sailed over many an extensive continent, supposed to have been seen by former navigators:

besides exploring the land in the South Indian Ocean, of which Kerguelen had been able to obtain but a very imperfect knowledge; and discovering the noble group, now called Sandwich Islands, in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, of which not the faintest trace can be met with, except, perhaps, in some old Spanish charts; besides these preliminary discoveries, in one summer our English navigator discovered a much larger proportion of the north-west coast of America than the Spaniards, though settled in the neighbourhood, had, in all their attempts, for above two hundred years, been able to do. By fixing the relative situation of Asia and America, and discovering the narrow bounds of the strait that divides them, he has thrown a blaze of light upon this important part of the geography of the globe, and solved the puzzling problem about the peopling of America, by tribes destitute of the necessary means to attempt long navigations.

The learned Dr. Douglas judiciously asks, considering these important facts, may we not reasonably indulge the pleasing hope that fresh branches of commerce may, even in our time, be attempted, and successfully carried on? Our hardy adventurers in the whale fishery have already found their way, within these few years, into the South Atlantic and who knows what fresh sources of commerce may still be opened, if the prospect of

gain can be added, to keep alive the spirit of enterprize?

There is nothing so difficult, perhaps, for a monarch as the choice of friends and ministers at his accession. In this choice His Majesty was, in many instances, happy; though the violent clash and concussion of parties, which soon after succeeded, tended to excite strong prejudices amongst the public in general, against several very able and efficient individuals. Amongst these was the late Lord Liverpool, then Mr. Jenkinson, about years older than the youthful monarch; whose zeal, attachment, and talents, were already well known to His Majesty, and placed their possessor in the most conspicuous situation midst the competitors for royal favour.

nine

This gentleman first started into public notice as the author of verses on the demise of Frederick Prince of Wales; and it is said that these lines inade a very serious impression upon the pious mind of the juvenile heir-apparent, to whom he was introduced by the then Earl of Harcourt, and to whom he was known not only by his talents, but also from his family connexions.

This recommendation was aided by the King's own feelings and discrimination, not only intro. ducing Mr. Jenkinson to high official situations, but also to a considerable share of the public attention, as a follower of Lord Bute, upon whose