mufic, and dancing, engrofs no fmall portion of their leisure: they have an ear for mufic, and a graceful activity in dancing, far beyond the difmal fcrapings, and aukward caperings of an English May-day, or a country wake. A negro knows the hours of his work, and what is expected from him; and he is fenfibie, alio, that if he performs his duty with alacrity, he is in no danger of correction, or an other punishment. He is fo far from dreading the expences of children, that he has every inducement to with for a numerous family, and, confequently, enjoys the pleafures of a hufband, and a father, without alloy. The terrors of fickness and pain are mitigated by the reflection, that he is certain of having proper advice and assistance, as well as neceffary care and attendance. He has none of the pinching rigours of inclement feafons to combat with, but paffes his whole life in a climate congenial to his conftitution, and where a conftant, and luxuriant vegetation, enfures him a return for fuch cultivation as he chufes to bestow on his own little plantations, Nor has he the leaft reafon to look forward, with . anxiety, towards the approach of old age, and infirmities; being fure, that when totally past the lighteft labour, his regular allowance will be continued to him, in addition to the attentions paid him by his own defcendants.'

The judicious reader will readily conclude that the bright colouring of this picture is in proportion to the gloom which this anonymous writer throws over the condition of the labouring clafs of people in Great Britain.

Our author fucceeds better in detecting the imperfections and inconfiftencies of Mr. Ramfay, than in proving the hap pinefs of the flaves in the Weft-Indies. "I muft beg leave to obferve, that it appears a little extraordinary, that during the author's refidence of twenty years in the colonies it never occurred to him to favour the world with the ebulitions of his philanthropy before fo late a period; but perhaps in those days, his views and expectations were confined within the tropics, as he lived in focial intimacy and near relation with the very men whom he fo lavishly abuses."

Our author animadverts on his opponent for ufing the term advancement, when it is obvious that he means the freedom of flaves, which he thinks muft involve in it the ruin of individuals, But here it is juft to remark, that Mr. Ramfay's plan does not fuppofe fimultaneous, but the gradual abolition of flavery,

"The great fecret, fays Mr. Ramfay, of the Moravian mish"onary, is, to contract an intimacy with them; to enter into their "little interefts; to hear patiently their doubts and complaints; to "condefcend to their weaknefs and ignorance; to lead them on

flowly and gently: to exhort them affectionately; to avoid care"fully magifterial threatnings and commands." By thefe means, fays our author, they have introduced decency among their people" and no mean degree of religious knowledge, a fobriety in

"their carriage, a fenfibility in their manner, a diligence and faithfulness in their fltations,&c."-And by the fame means, I may fafely repeat, fays our author, "that our refident established minifters "would be able to do as much; nor would they meet with a fingle "planter abfurd enough to obftruct fo defireable and valuable an improvement among his flaves."

46

Mr. Ramfay, on the fubject of his own tenderness towards his flaves fays, that they were well" clothed, and plentifully fed; their employment, which was only the common work of a private family, was barely fufficient for the exercife neceffary to preferve their health. There was more than a fufficient nuinber "of them, In fhort, they were plump, healthy, and in fpirits. They were not punished for one fault in ten they committed, and "never with feverity. They were carefully attended when fick, Nothing was at any time required of thein, but what was necessary and much within their ability."

66

66

*All this, fays our author, may be ftrictly true, for any thing I know to the contrary.-I cannot, however, refrain from remarking, that two or three fucceding paffages in his book give no fmall room to fufpect, that his amiable milkinefs of nature was occafionally fubject to be accidulated, and that fometimes at leaft, he was driven to the fame difagreeable neceffity with his neighbours. In page 169 for example, he confeffes" he has been obliged to fend three negroes off the

ifland for theft and running away, that he might not be under "the neceffity of punishing with feverity."-That is, his fcruples, though they prevented his inflicting fevere punishment with his own hands, did not extend to hinder the unfortunate victims of his difpleafure from being moft cruelly treated by other people-In page 246, Mr. Ramfay gives an account of one of his flaves," who was fo cunning that he was hardly ever able to find an opportunity of "correcting him, he therefore turned him out of the family to

have him taught a trade;" by which means, in all probability, he fubjected him to the unmerciful difcipline of a negro, or mulatto tafk-mafter, who are, of all tyrants, the moft unfeeling and defpotic. -But the most extraordinary paffage of this kind occurs in page 247-Take it in Mr. Ramfay's own words:" There is another "lad who could ftand, without flinching, to be cut in pieces with the

..

whip, and not utter a groan. A whipping was a triumph instead "of a punishment to him. I was obliged to overlook the most noto"rious faults or affect generously to pardon them, rather than pre"tend to correct them, &c."-In the next page the author alfo acknowledges he had another boy," who could ftand, with the fullen "air of a ftoic, to receive the feverest correction."-I fhall make no comment on the forgoing paffages, but leave the reader to compare them with the quotation immediately preceding them.-Indeed! indeed! Mr. Ramfay, after all we can fay for ourselves, the very best of us are but men!'

Our author, in an appendix produces, from a book lately published in the Weft-Indies many proofs, of the harthnefs

*Notwithstanding all which he confeffes (page 170) that “he "poffefled not a fingle flave on whom he could place dependence."

and

and peevishness of Mr. Ramfay's temper, of his cruel treatment of his flaves, of his avarice, and of his great neglect of his duty as a clergyman. Notwithstanding all thefe, it may ftill be true that the flaves in our colonies fuffer great feve rities, and that a relaxation of thefe, and mild treatment, with their inftruction in the Chriftian religion, would not only be great humanity but also good policy. And as our author, for mottos to his book, has applied fome texts. of fcripture, by way of cenfure, † to Mr. Ramfay, so we fhall apply one in his juftification. "Some indeed preach Chrift (i. e. the gofpel of Chrift) even of envy and ftrifeWhat then? whether in pretence or in truth, Chrift is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea I will rejoice. Epift. Paul. Phillipp. 1. 15-18."

If Mr. Ramfay pleads for the inftruction and manumiffion of flaves through ftrife, we ought to respect the doctrines of mercy even in the mouths of the unmerciful.

ART. XIV. Letters concerning the Trade and Manufactures of Ireland, principally fo far as the fame relate to the making Iron in this Kingdom, and the Manufacture and export of Iron Wares, In which certain Facts and Arguments fet out by Lord Sheffield in his Obfervations on the Trade and prefent state of Ireland are examined. By Sir Lucius O'Brien Bart. With a Letter from Mr. William Gibbons of Bristol, to Sir Lucius O'Brien Bart. and his Anfwer. To which is added, the Refolutions of England and Ire land relative to a Commercial Intercourfe between the two Kingdoms. 8vo. 25, Stockdale, 1785.

IN this long title page we meet with fomething that looks

like the art of a bookfeller. First, we are given to underftand that this pamphlet contains more letters than one, a feries of letters by Sir Lucius O'Brien; and fecondly, that Sir Lucius wrote a letter befide in anfwer to one from Mr. Gib bons whereas in fact this is the only letter of Sir Lucius O'Brien's with which we are prefented.

Sir Lucius, in this letter, having traced back the proceed. ings of the English Houfe of Commons refpecting the Irish manufactures of iron and steel, which he confiders as juft and liberal, declares his opinion" that the whole export of IreJand in iron and iron manufactures, under their various denominations, has been and probably ever will continue to

The texts quoted against Mr. Ramfay are," Who art thou that judgeft another man's fervant? Romans xv. 3.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil fpeaking be put away from you, with all malice, Ephef. iv. 31. "Wherefore if I come, I will remember the deeds which he doth, prating against us with malicious words, ii. Epiftle John. v. 10.

be an object too minute for national obfervation, if the prefent alarm had not fwelled it into fome degree of fignificance " It is to prove and illuftrate the truth of this, that is Sir Lucius's object in his letter to Mr. Gibbons. He writes with elegance and fpirit; difplays great variety and extent of knowledge; and certainly refutes fome of the arguments of Lord Sheffield the great advocate for a rigid adherence to the navigation laws. Sir Lucius makes fome animated digref fions to the injuftice and impolicy too of the monopolizing fpirit of England, and endeavours to fhew that there may be competition between England and Ireland without injury to either.

·

It may now be afked, he fays, in conclufion, if this be exactly as I have stated it; if there is no probability that Ireland will ever become the fuccefsful rival of England in the iron trade,-whence all this anxiety upon the fubject, and wherefore this pamphlet of fo many pages? I will anfwer directly I faw an alarming jealousy rifing between thefe two kingdoms; I thought there were fome men in Britain who confidered Ireland on all occafions, as a capable and willing opponent, who, unlefs ftrongly coerced, muft in the end carry away the greater part of her manufactures; and that in this country, alfo, there were many who thought they could well perceive, that though the legislature of Britain had lately emancipated our conftitution and our trade, yet the manufacturing part of the people ftill feemed to claim the right of reftraining, of taxing, of legiflating for us, juft as might fuit their private convenience.-I felt the powerful, though I am perfuaded unintended effect of Lord Sheffield's publications, (at least through this country) in exciting and confirming this jealoufy, and I confefs, I trembled when I looked back on fcenes juft paffed away on the other fide of the Atlantic.

Fraternas Acies, Alternaque Bella profanis decertata Odiis. And I wifhed, while yet it was not too late, that my poor endeavours might be employed in counteracting thefe greatest of calamities. You, Sir, (from motives of reciprocality and affection I admit) have thought fit to appeal to me on a part of this fubject, and have thereby afforded me an opportunity of delivering fo far my opinions, which I have with the greater freedom, as they have not been taken up upon the fpur of the prefent occafion, but which appear to have been conceived, and uniformly acted up to for more than seven years, and as fuch, I may hope they will be confidered impartial.

The clofer England and Ireland become connected, the more eafy, no doubt, will be the intercourfe, more of our nobility and gentry, more of our ingenious and refined artifts will probably go to your country. In the coarfer branches, which depend on cheapness of living, where lefs capital and lefs ingenuity are required, (if from local advantages fuch works can be better carried on in Ireland) many of them probably will be established here. But, in a fhort time, if there be an increase of inhabitants and of trade, these will raife the price of labour and of provifions. And taxes will, I fear, not be wanting in any part of the British dominions, fo foon as there

fhall

fhall be found a capability of paying them-and thus things ftill will preferve their natural level.

In the mean time, I cannot fee how the fuccefs of one country, on one fide of the narrow channel between these iflands, can injure another on the other fide, more than how the property of Yorkthire is to be affected by that of Lancashire, or your trade annihilated by the continuance of the Carron Company.

"Our empire, I fear, has already powerful enemies on the Continent; let us not weaken ourfelves by internal divifion, let every part rather be ftrengthened, and all united in affection; let us be true to one another, and Britain, I trust, may yet be confident against the world in arms, and this Sir, is the warmest with of

Your very obedient,
Humble Servant,
LUCIUS

O'BRIEN.

Sir Lucius does not fe how the profperity of Ireland can injure that of England, any more than the profperity of one English county injures that of another.. Were the legifla ture of England alfo the legiflature of Ireland, were the kingdoms united by one political head, this would be juit reafoning. But fays our author, "let us be true to one another." Meffages of love faid an English patriot, in the reign of a prince who began to invade the conftitution, never comes into Parliament. Meffages of love, we fay on this occafion, do not unite feparate kingdoms. It will be a difficult matter indeed to maintain the abfolute independence of both kingdoms, and at the fame time to unite them in permanent concord, and co-operation for the common interests of both. Let us be true to one another," is the language of humanity, of juftice, and of true policy on an enlarged and abftracted scale and it might, by a citizen of the world, be properly addrefied to all nations on earth, would they, as they ought, confider one another as brethren. But all nations are more or lefs in a state of hoftility to one another. Natural antipathies unfortunately fet all the maxims of found morality, which, could they all agree, would alfo be found to be those of found policy, at defiance.

ART. XV. A new Experimental Inquiry, into the Nature and Qualities of the Cheltenham Water, &c. by A. Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S. &c. 8vo. is. 6d. Taylor, Bath.

CHELTENHAM has lately become a fashionable watering place during the fummer, and the numbers that now refort there for the reftoration of their health, together with the little knowledge which preceeding writers upon mineral waters appear to have of the properties of this fpring, render the investigation in thefe pages both ufcful and ne. ceffary.

The