have accidentally, collaterally, or locally contributed to augment the price of provifions, I cannot determine, nor do I think it of much importance to inquire; because I am fatisfied, whatever may have been their effects, they could have had none at all, had they not been aflifted by the firft and great caufe, the increafe of riches; for no ar. tifices of traders can make their commodities dear in a poor country; that is, fell things for a great deal of money, where there is lit. tle to be found. It feems there fore to no purpose to fearch out for caufes of the prefent high price of provifions, from facts, whofe operations are uncertain, and reafons at beft but fpeculative, when it is fufficiently accounted for from these two great principles, the increase of taxes, and the increase of riches, principles as abfolutely indifputable, and as demonftrable as any mathematical problem.

I fhall now make fome curfory obfervations and fhort conclufions on the principles here advanced, which, allowing thefe to be true, can admit of no doubt. First then, although the price of provifions is at prefent very high, they cannot with propriety be faid to be dear. Nothing is properly dear, except fome commodity, which either from real or fictitious fearcity, bears a higher price than other things in the fame country at the fame time. In the reign of Henry II. the value of money was about fifteen times greater than in the prefent age: a fowl then was fold for a penny, which cannot now be bought under fifteen pence; but fowls are not for that reafon dearer now, than they were at that time; be.

2

caufe one penny was then earned with as much labour, and when earned would fetch as much of every thing at market, as fifteen will in thefe days was the value of money now as great, and the price of other things as fmall, as in thofe times, and provifions bore the fame price as at prefent, they would then be dear indeed, and the pamphleteers would have good reafon to impute their dearnefs to the frauds of engroffers and monopolizers; but as the price of every thing befides,of houfes, furniture,cloaths, horfes, coaches, fees, perquifites, and votes, are all equally advanced; nay, as every pamphlet, which used to be fold for one fhilling, has now infcribed on its title-tage, price eighteen pence, their own works are a confutation of their arguments; for nonfenfe is a commodity in which there are too many dealers ever to fuffer it to be monopolized or engroffed. It is certainly therefore improper to say, that provifions are dear, but we fhould rather affirm, what is the real fact, that money is cheap ; and if the complainants would ufe this expreffion instead of the other, and at the fame time confider, that this arifes from the fuccefs of our arms, and the extenfion of our trade, I am perfuaded, that if they were not lefs diftreffed, they would certainly be lefs diffatisfied, and would, perhaps, by degrees, comprehend, that, in a country engaged in expenfive wars and fuccefsful commerce, there must be heavy taxes and great riches; and that where there are taxes and riches, there the prices of provifions, and all other things, muft be high, in fpite of all the efforts of minifters or parliaments, who

ought

ought by no means to be blamed, for not effecting impoffibilities, and counteracting the nature of things.

Secondly, this cheapnefs of money in its confequences affects different conditions of men in a very different manner: to fome,it operates exactly in the fame manner as real dearness and fcarcity, at the fame time that to others it gives confiderable advantages. All thofe who fubfift on fettled ftipends muft inevitably be ruined by it: merchants, and traders of all kinds, are greatly benefited; but the labourer and the land-owner are moft grievously oppreffed. Thofe who fubfift on fettled ftipends muft be ruined; becaufe, if their incomes cannot be advanced in proportion to the decrease of the value of money, and the confequent increase of the prices of every thing, the fame nominal fum which would afford affluence in one age, will not prevent ftarving in another; of which we have numerous examples in our fchools, colleges, alms-houses, and other charitable foundations. Merchants and traders are conftantly gainers by it; because they can always raife the prices of whatever they deal in, fafter than the value of money decreafes: but the labourer, having nothing to fubfift on but his daily work, muft ever be behind-hand in advancing the price of his labour; because he is not able to wait till it acquires its due proportion of value, and therefore by it he muft fuffer extremely. The land-owner likewife cannot raife his rents in any proportion to the fall of the value of money; becaufe the charges of cultivation, the family-expences of the occupiers, and

the maintenance of an increafing poor, all burthens infeparable from his land, muft all rife in proportion to that fall; and these must perpetually retard its progrefs. The price of labour and of land muft by degrees advance, as money decreafes in value; but, as these are the laft that will feel its effects, the labourer muft, in the mean time, be miferably pinched, and the land-owner dreadfully impoverished by it. This is not fpeculation, but a fact which is too well verified by experience at this time, through every part of this kingdom, where the labourer, with his utmost in duftry, cannot now procure a belly full for himfelf and his family; and, notwithstanding all the late improvements in agriculture, the very fame eftates in land which formerly maintained a large family in fplendour and hofpitality, can now fcarce repair and pay windowtax for a fpacious manfion-house, and fupply the owner of it with the neceffaries of life. When I hear a merchant, contractor, or broker, calling out for war, argu. ing for new loans and new taxes, I wonder not, because I know that they are enriched by them, and I know alfo that they have fagacity enough to know it too: but when I hear a landed gentleman talk the fame language, when I fee him eager for war, which muft involve him in new diftreffes, encouraging loans, whofe interests he must pay, pleading for taxes, which muft lie an eternal mortgage upon his eftate, exulting in acquifitions of territories and commerce, which muft daily increase his expences, and diminish his income, and triumphing in victories which muft undo him, I own I am furprifed,

but

but at the fame time rejoice to find, that, in this enlightened age, there is ignorance ftill left amongst us, fufficient to produce fo difinterefted a patriot.

Laftly, from the foregoing premifes one confequence evidently appears, which feems to have efcaped the fagacity of our wifeft politicians, which is, that a nation may, nay muft, inevitably be ruined, who every year increases her debts, notwithstanding her acquiitions by conqueft or commerce bring in double or treble the fums which he is obliged to borrow; and this by a chain of caufes and confequences, which the efforts of no human power or wifdom are able to difunite. New debts require new taxes; and new taxes muft increase the price of provi. fions: new acquifitions of wealth, by decreafing the value of money, ftill aggravate this evil, and render them till dearer; this dearnefs of provifions muft augment the price of labour; this muft advance the price of all manufactures; and this muft deftroy trade; the deftruction of trade muft ftarve the poor, expel the manufactures, and introduce univerfal bankruptcy, riot, and confufion. · Artificers of all kinds will, by degrees, migrate into cheaper countries: the number of clergy, whofe education muft grow more expenfive, and incomes lefs valuable, will be infufficient for parochial duty: the pay of navies and armies must be augmented, or they will no longer defend a country which cannot maintain them; but rather them felves become her internal and moft dangerous enemies.

From what has been here faid, I

think it plainly appears, that the prefent exorbitant price of provifions, and all the neceffaries of life, chiefly arifes from the increase of our taxes, and of our riches; that is, from public poverty and private opulence, the fatal difeafe which has put a period to all the greatest and moft flourishing empires of the world: their deftruc tive effects have been fufficiently known in all ages; but the remedy fuccefsfully to be applied to them, is yet a fecret. No acquifition of foreign wealth can be effectual for this purpofe: was our whole national debt to be at once paid off, by the introduction of all the treafures of the Eaft, it would but accelerate our deftruction; for fuch a vast and fudden influx of riches would fo enhance our expences, and decrease the value of money, that we should at once be overwhelmed with luxury and want. The moft concife method of cure would be to take fuperabundant wealth from individuals, and with it difcharge the debts of the public; but here juftice, liberty, and law, would obftruct our progrefs with infurmountable difficulties. Whoever therefore would attempt this falutary, but arduous undertaking, muft not begin by extirpating engroffers and regraters, nor by deftroying rats and fparrows, thofe great foreftallers of the public markets; but by gradually paying off that debt, not only by œconomy, but by the most avaricious parfimony, and as far as poffible, by narrowing thofe channels, through which riches have flowed in fuch torrents into the pockets of private men he must be deaf to all mercantile application for opening new

inlets of commerce at the public expence he must boldly refift all propofitions for fettling new colonies upon parliamentary eftimates; and moft carefully avoid entering into new wars in fhort, he must obftinately refuse to add one hun dred thousand pounds to the national debt, though by that means millions could be introduced thro' the hands of individuals. How far these measures are practicable, or confiftent with the honour, dig. nity, or even advantage of this country in other refpects, I cannot determine; but this I will venture to affirm, that by no others this calamity, fo loudly and fo juftly at this time complained of, can ever be redreffed.

By what has been here thrown out, I would by no means be understood to mean to difcourage the legiflature from inquiring into a bufes, of which I doubt not but there are many, and applying to them the most efficacious and fpeedy remedies; much lefs to difapprove the falutary meafures they have already taken to redrefs this evil, the wifeft, and perhaps the only ones which are practicable for that end. I propofe only to leffen the unreafonable expectations many have formed of their fuccefs, and the indignation confequent from their difappointment; and to ftem a little thofe torrents of abfurdities, with which one is overwhelmed in all companies, both male and female. Every politician at a coffee-houfe has a noftrum for this difeafe, which he pronounces infallible; and abufes adminiftration for not immediately adopting it. Projectors every day hold forth fchemes unintelligible

and impracticable; for not exe. cuting which, government is arraigned; the ignorant fupport them, the factious make ufe of them, and oppofitions, knowing what it is to be hungry, pathetical ly bewail the miferies of the poor, The dowager at the quadrille table inveighs loudly against the cruelty of parliament, for difregarding the voice of the people, and fuffering provifions to continue at fo 10 exorbitant a price; calls a king; and if the happens to be beafted, grows more outrageous against the miniftry; while the filent old general, her unfortunate partner, in three fentences recommends military execution on all butchers, bakers, poulterers, and fishmongers, as the moft equitable and moft effectual remedy. Were thefe impertinences productive of no mifchief, they would be only ridiculous, and un, worthy of a ferious confutation; but as

He nuga feria ducunt
In male;

they tend to deceive, to difappoint, and to exafperate the minds of the vulgar, and to leave thofe of their betters difcontented, and diffatisfied with government; whatever fhall explain the true and fundamental caufes of this calamity to the people, and give fome check to the nonfenfe, which is every where wrote, talked, and propagated on this fubject, is an attempt. which may render great and important fervice both to the focial and the political world.

Sa

An effay upon theatrical imitation; extracted from the dialogues of Plato, by J. J. Rouleau. (Tranflated from a vol. of Rouffeau's works newly published.)

HE more I reflect upon the eftablishment of our imaginary republic, the more ftrongly it appears to me, that we have pre. fcribed for it laws that are ufeful and appropriated to the nature of man. I find, in particular, that it was neceflary to give, as we have done, fome bounds to the licences of poets, and to forbid their ufing any part of their art that relates to imitation. We will now, if you pleafe, refume this fubject; and in the belief that you will not inform against me to thofe dangerous enemies, I will acknowledge, that I look upon all dramatic writers as the corrupters of the people. For whoever, letting themselves be amufed by their images, are inca pable of receiving them in their real point of light, or of giving thefe fables fuch correction as they require. Whatever refpect I entertain for Homer, their model and first mafter, I do not think I owe more to him than I do to truth; and in order to begin by fecuring it to me, I fhall endeavour to trace what is imitation.

To imitate a thing, an idea muft be formed. This idea is abftract, abfolute, fole, and independent of the number of copies of this thing which may exift in nature. This idea is always antecedent to its execution: fo the architect who builds a palace, hath the idea of a palace before he fets about building it. He does not conftruct the model he follows, and this model was previously in his mind.

na

Confined by his art to this finglefubject, this artist is only capable of making this, or other palaces fimilar: but there are fome, that are much more univerfal, who produce all that can be executed by any workman whatever in the world; all that is produced by nature, all that can be rendered vifi. ble in heaven, upon earth, in hell, even the gods themselves. You comprehend that these marvellous artifts are painters, and indeed, the moft ignorant of men can do the fame with a looking-glafs. You will tell me that the painter does not make these things, but only their images: the workman does no more who really fabricates them, as he copies a model that exifts bcfore him.

I there fee three palaces very dif tinct. First, the original model, or idea, that exifted in the mind of the architect, in nature, or at least in its author, with all the poffible ideas of which it is the fpring. Secondly, the palace of the architect, which is the image of this model; and at length the palace of the painter, which is the image of that of the architect. Thus God, the architect, and the painter, are the author of thefe three palaces. The first palace is the original idea, exifting by itself; the fecond is the image of this; the third is the image of the image, or what we properly call imitation. Hence it follows, that imitation does not, as it is imagined, hold the fecond rank, but the third in the order of beings; and that no image being exact and perfect, imitation is always at a ftill more diftant degree. from truth, than it is believed.

The architect may conftru feveral palaces upon the fame model;

the