the English, I bring to Europe the information which I have acquired, and I hope to open its eyes to danger by a work in tended to raise its difguft against the infatiable greediness of England. When America efcaped from her, fhe threw herself on Afia, and, if fhe had not been oppofed by France, would have obtained Indoftan, from which, however, I know she would have been completely expelled, if the war had continued two or three years more. Be it far from me to rekindle its flames! But if the love of peace, always fo defirable for the interefts of humanity, oppofes the application of violent remedies, which in the political conftitution, as well as the human, are fometimes alone capable of fuddenly restoring the equilibrium, let us at least employ thofe fecrets of art, which, acting more gently, and not lefs certainly, can by winding channels restore the vigour of the conftitution without any inconvenient fhock: in a word, without troubling the repofe of Europe, let us profit by the divifions of Afia, which, judicioufly directed by our intrigues, will be fufficient to destroy, in this part of the world, the conftruction of those chains, which the English are there forging for Europe.'

We hall make no comments on the declaration which we have transcribed; it is a proof of the good intentions of fome of our neighbours. They ought to be made publie, in order to be guarded againft; but, before this time, the effects have fufficiently explained the views and defigns of those appointed to conduct the machinations.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

POLITICA L.

The Policy of the Tax upon Retailers confidered: or, a Plea in Favour of the Manufacturers. Svo. Is. 6d. Wilkie.

HE author of this pamphlet examines the tax upon retail

tendency to prove advantageous to the public. He begins with citing the authorities of political and commercial writers in fupport of the opinion, that in a populous and manufacturing country, retailers ought to be confidered as a detrimental clais of idlers; and confequently, that the reduction of their number, by fome judicious regulation, would operate towards promoting the national wealth and profperity. He is of opinion that retailers ought to be confidered as a detrimentral clafs of idlers in a double refpect: firit, as withdrawing their industry from the general flock, and fecondly, as deriving their fubfift ence not from foreign countries by means of trade, but from the industry of their fellow-fubjects. Proceeding upon the fuppofition that there are in the whole kingdom two hundred

thou

thousand retailers, and that one hundred thousand of them were, by a judicious tax, to be reduced to apply themselves to manual labour, they might, he thinks, be computed to gain a fhilling a day at an average, which, allowing three hundred working days in the year, amounts to the fum of one million five hundred thousand pounds. This, he obferves, would be a great addition to the annual national stock, or a real augmentation of the general wealth. But at prefent, the more they gain, it is fo much the worfe for the nation, as thofe gains are chiefly derived from their induftrious fellow-fubjects, who are confequently lefs able to fuftain other burdens.

For afcertaining the immenfe fums which are levied upon the people by retailers, he fuppofes the two hundred thoufand retailers to gain by their prefent bufinefs, at an average, two fhillings a day, and reckoning, as before, three hundred fhopdays in the year, this will annually amount to fix millions of pounds. But this medium profit being in his opinion computed far too low, he thinks that the annual fum levied by the retailers upon their fellow-fubjects, may be juftly eftimated at above ten millions. He is therefore of opinion, that the tax upon retailing fhop-keepers will be found to have the most falutary effect of any financial regulation introduced within these twenty years.

The author next ftarts a queftion, whether thefe pretended oppreffed retailers, as he calls them, are not themselves the oppreffors. He obferves, that though the nation at prefent enjoys profound peace, though the feas are now open, freights lowered, and infurance diminished, yet many articles in retailfhops are still fold at war prices.

Exorbitant as are the retailer's profits in London, according to the author's reprefentation, they are yet more enormous in the country-towns, where many retailers furnifh a bad commodity at a higher price than a better commodity may be bought for in the capital, or in fome of the great cities. He thinks, that were the country fhopkeepers to deal fairly with their cuf tomers, they ought to furnish as good a commodity, and as cheap, as could be purchased in the capital or elsewhere; making an allowance of a small advance for the additional charge of carriage; though this additional charge, he thinks, is more than counterbalanced by the lownefs of rents, and the cheapnefs of living in the country. The author, at what he confiders as a moderate computation, estimates thefe overcharges of the retailers to exceed two millions of pounds annually; an effect which he imputes chiefly to the too great number of retailers throughout the kingdom. For he obferves, that where confumption is bounded, the fame profits that will afford a comfortable fubfiftence to one hundred thoufand people, will not maintain two hundred thousand.

The author afterwards confiders what would be the confequence, were the prefent number of retailers diminished one

F 2

half.

half. Suppofing the number of purchafers, and the quantity of commodities purchased, to remain the fame as at prefent, he obferves that the retailers who fold thofe commodities would, one with another, have double the bufinefs; consequently if they now can live upon their profits, they would then live equally well were they to lower their profits one-half; and in the fame proportion that thofe profits were lowered, would the purchasers have commodities cheaper. Therefore, fuppofing the fum total of the retailer's annual profits to be ten millions, were their number diminished one-half, they would be just as rich with an annual profit of five millions, and the community would be eased of an annual burden of five millions.

Our author's opinion, that the number of shopkeepers throughout the kingdom is too great, we believe, will not be difputed; but we cannot fo readily agree with him, when he imputes the dearnefs of commodities in the country univerfally to this caufe. For we are of opinion, that in many parts, this dearness proceeds from the want of competition. With refpect to the political operation of the retail-tax, in the light in which it is viewed by the author, there appears no probability that it can prove, in any degree, fo efficacious as he has endeavoured to reprefent; and we think, that fhould it tend to the immediate production of thofe effects which he confiders as its natural refult, the tax might juftly be deemed yet more oppreffive than it has hitherto been confidered, even by its warmest opponents. The reduction of the number of retailers in the capital, and in large cities, provided that no immediate diftrefs enfued, and population was not ultimately affected, might, we doubt not, prove an advantage to the public. But we fhudder to think of the confequence which the author fuppofes, that one hundred thousand perfons, accustomed, as he reprefents, to habits of idlenefs, and unacquainted with the practice of any manual art, fhould be driven from their fhops, where they have hitherto maintained their families, to feek for fubfiftence by a recourfe to occupations of which we muft fuppose them to be incapable. Our author's idea of the operation of the tax, however, we can only confider as a hypothetical fpeculation in politics. Its immediate efficacy towards the purpofe he mentions would affect fo great a number of individuals as to prove a national calamity; and if retailers can at prefent live by the profit of their fhops, the opinion feems not very probable, that any great diminution of this clafs of inhabitants will enfue, as a neceffary confequence of the tax in question.

Speech of George Dallas, Efq. Member of the Committee appointed by the British Inhabitants refiding in Bengal, for the Purpose of preparing Petitions to his Majefty and both Houses of Parliament, praying Redress against an Act of Parliament, c. 8vo. 15. 6d. Debrett.

This Speech was delivered at a meeting held at the Theatre, in Calcutta, on the 25th of July laft. Mr. Dallas is a member

of

of the committee appointed by the British inhabitants refiding in Bengal, for the purpose of preparing petitions to his majesty and both houfes of parliament, praying redrefs against the late act relative to the affairs of India. He defcribes this act as pregnant with mischief of the moft alarming nature with regard to the liberty and property of British fubjects, who return with fortunes from the Eaft. That it is even a direct violation of Magna Charta, and tends to the establishment of a defpotifm equally odious with that of the ftar-chamber. After painting this fubject in ftrong colours, Mr. Dallas proceeds to suggest the pernicious confequences which may refult from the operation of the act, fhould it not be repealed. But he profeffes to entertain the utmost confidence that the British legislature will comply with the prayer of the petition; and for this purpose, he is not a little flattering in his encomiums on fome of the principal characters in the nation. The Speech is undoubtedly plaufible and animated; but difcovers a juvenility of declamation, intermixed with claffical apoftrophes not perfectly fuitable, we may fuppofe, to a promifcuous audience in the East Indies. Subjoined is an Appendix, containing the Proceedings of the Meeting held at the Theatre in Calcutta ; with the Speech of Philip Yonge, Efq. the Sheriff, to the fame purpose as that of Mr. Dallas; and the Refolutions which were propofed, and unanimously agreed to, for carrying the object of the meeting into effect.

POETRY.

Translation of Huntingford's First Collection of Monoftrophics. 8.vo. 15. 6d. Dilly.

We cannot compliment this gentleman on the fuccefs of his undertaking. The last poem is thus rendered:

'O Greece! in ancient times fo much admir'd,
Who both in arms and arts have borne the fway;

With poetry and music first inspir'd;

Who fofter'd heroes with thy genial ray:
Favour'd of heav'n! blefs'd land! I thee adore;
Accept my fong-farewell-Ifay no more.'

Surely there never was a more lame and impotent conclu fion.' Yet, flat and infipid as the two laft lines are, the preceding ones have no right to triumph over their affociates' de fects. The first has no kind of excellency to boast of, the fecond is ungrammatical, the third not quite intelligible (as we know not who were infpir'd), and the fourth nonfenfical; for to fofter heroes with a ray' is a fimilar abfurdity to that in the Rehearsal, of grafping a ftorm in the eye of reafon.' Moft of the poems are undoubtedly rendered in a styleʼrather fuperior to that we have quoted, but not in fuch a manner as to confer any additional celebrity on the Monoftrophics.

The Exodus, a Poem. By the Rev. Samuel Hayes, M. A. 410.

25. Wilkie.

We first meet with fome good advice addreffed to ambitious monarchs, but fuch as has been given over and over again, to very little purpose, time immemorial. The only peculiar circumftance in this part of the poem is, that the riches of those kings is fuppofed to be chiefly employed in ornamenting their tables, and that their foldiers ftand around their thrones in prder of battle.

Though wealth on wealth be in your coffers ftor'd, /
Exhauftlefs fund to deck the fplendid board;

While round your thrones the marshall'd legions fland,
Obfequious flaves to ev'ry fell command.'

Many rhetorical flowers are as confpicuous in the prefent as the laft performance of Mr. Hayes. We are told that

Miriam, watching Mofes wrapt in verdant fedge,' and obfervant of the Fates,' fees Thermutis going to bathe herfelf, or, according to the following elegant periphrafis,

in the refreshing flood

To check the fervour of the throbbing blood.'

After we are told that the whirlwind fweeps along the sky,' we expect in the next line fome terrible inftance of its effects;

And the parch'd duft diftorts the trembling eye,'

Inftead of houfes overthrown, or forefts laid wafte, the confequence is merely fuch as the traveller may experience any fummer day on the Illington turnpike; for we cannot fuppofe the eye would be more diftorted' by Egyptian than English duft. Mofes

caught a ferpent's figure.' Pharaoh reprehends Aaron worshipping not an ideal of adoration not very in

arins with faith the Euctuating fenfe.' His rod, inftead of affuming, It likewife breaks tyrannic force.' for his vain parade of words, and God, but an ideal name;' a mode telligible. Instead of profcribing Mofes, he

the bold offender's life proclaim'd.'

The Ifraelites are promis'd the hofpitable plains of Canaan,' a country of which they acquired poffeffion by force of arms. Notwithfanding thefe defects and blunders, there are feveral paffages in the poem of a better kind, though not of fufficient merit to intitle the author to a freehold on Parnaffus; but the long leafe he has taken of the Kiflingbury eftate will probably atone for that disappointment.

See Vol. lvii. p. 77.

The