no commerce with any other nation: what country can shew such broadcloth, and fine stuffs where can we find such flesh of all sorts? where better fish and fowl? or who ever saw better corn, and in greater plenty, than we have it? And not only mines of coal, of brass, of lead, tin, iron, and copper, but of silver also, would we dig for it. σε Every spot of ground affords one sort of herb or other, to cure our diseases, which, were they more studied and used, it is very probable would be more agreeable to our constitutions, and be more conducive to health, than all the exotic drugs, and dangerous slops, which are at this day made use of; nor can we suppose that God created such numbers of herbs, and planted them in England, for nothing but to grow up every year, and wither away again; for it is observable, that very few plants, which are of physical use, are ever eat by the beasts of the field; so that if man does not use them, the end of their creation is wholly lost. We have stone for fortifications, lead and iron for shot and guns, and salt-petre for powder in great plenty, if we would take pains to make it; we have (or might have) variety and plenty of delicate liquors to drink; and, indeed, every thing else of the English product, that could make this life comfortable to us. But, besides all this, to make our cup brim full, we have the riches of both the Indies; the gold of Mexico'; the the silks of Persia; the perfumes of Arabia, and all other things our hearts can wish for, brought home to our doors, in, spight of all the force our enemies can make against us. "How happy would other nations look upon themselves,did they enjoy but half those blessings, which we so ungratefully possess! Pray, Gentlemen, you of the Grumbling Tribe, consider the miserable condition of France, whose monarch is absolute, and country desolate, and whose trade is insignificant, any where!" CAUSES OF INSOLVENCY. 1706. It may be interesting to some of my readers to compare the facts now laid before them on this subject with present customs. The Observator of John Tutchin, which has been noticed before, asserts, that the apprentices of his time prepared the way for their subsequent ruin, by becoming masters before they were men, by refusing to clean the shoes of the family, or carry their master's Bible after them to church, and by learning the way to the theatres rather than to places for divine worship. The ancestors of his generation, he adds, knew nothing of the practice of young men keeping horses during their servitude, to take the air in the country on Sundays and holidays; the consequences of which were visible enough in their future lives. These evils Tutchin attributed to the total indifference of the mas ters ters as to the welfare of the souls and bodies of their apprentices: besides, he accused the former of endeavouring to ruin the latter on their commencing trade, by contriving to introduce them to parish-offices, to serve as jurors, and to have them called upon the livery in their companies, leaving them the disagreeable alternative of paying heavy fines, or non-attendance upon their customers or employers. Another cause of bankruptcy arose from the general propensity of the young tradesmen for "playing at soldiers in our artillery grounds," before the expiration of their term, and when they became their own masters. "Perhaps," says the author, "those that have been bred to trade may find out more means by which persons become insolvent; but if we name a general cause, extravagance is the chief reason. This may be seen every where; not only in the masters and mistresses, but even in the servants, who now, by their habit, cannot be distinguished from able housekeepers." EXTRAORDINARY RELEASE FROM STARVATION. Bridge, the publisher of the Loyal Post, gives the following relation, as an absolute fact, in his 44th Number, for March 4, 1706. The scene of the occurrence is laid at a nameless place in Essex, in the neighbourhood of which a gentleman was in the habit of amusing himself by by hunting. One day the dogs started a hare, and pursued the animal with great vivacity till they encountered a large hollow tree, where they stopped unanimously, fixed their eyes on it, and barked in concert; naturally supposing that the hare had taken shelter in the tree, the gentleman and his attendants rode up, and soon heard a low moaning surprized at this circumstance, he ordered a servant to feel whether any animal was within reach, while he stood prepared to obstruct its passage or escape; the domestic obeyed, felt a human head, and soon drew a child from the trunk, apparently two years of age this unfortunate little fellow suffered so severely from hunger, that he had gnawed part of the flesh from one of his arms: the gentleman, touched with compassion at this wretched scene, determined to take the infant home, which he did, and soon recovered him from the consequences of his cruel confinement. The ensuing Christmas produced an explanation of the mystery attending the discovery almost as remarkable as the barking of the dogs around the tree. Several young women had visited the town where the benevolent protector of the child resided, in order to keep the wassel of the season, one of whom seeing the boy at his door, immediately observed to a friend with her, "If Goody 's nurse-child was not dead, I should have sworn this had been it." The servant entrusted ; with the care of the foundling having heard this speech, conveyed the information to her master, who made further enquiry, and was conducted to the house of the nurse: he demanded of her where the child was which she had recently nursed the woman declared her charge died, and positively asserted it was buried in a church-yard she named; the gentleman contradicted her in decided terms, and added his belief that she had destroyed the infant, insisting that the precise place of interment should be pointed out, that he might be satisfied, by personal examination, whether her statement was founded in truth. Thus compelled, the woman reluctantly led her accuser to the burial-ground, where the earth was removed that covered the supposed body, in presence of proper witnesses, when, instead of the child, the persons employed removed from a coffin the wax resemblance of a face, and a figure made for the purpose dressed in the usual habiliments of the grave: this was complete conviction; and the culprit at length confessed that she had been urged to murder the boy by his guardian, who was his heir to property amounting to fifteen thousand pounds: an imperfect sense of rectitude led this vile woman to fancy she pitied the forlorn state of the infant, who had lost both of its parents; she therefore determined not to embrue her hands in his blood, though she did not scruple, in consideration of a large reward, to immure it |