charmed with thy beneficence, which rendered fo many individuals happy ; feduced by the thousand amiable qualities that have been admired in thee; I would fain have erected a monument to thy glory; but torrents of blood flow in upon me, and inundate my defign: the chains of thirty millions of flaves ring in my ears, and deafen me; the crimes which have reigned in thy name call forth my indignation. I throw away my pen, and exclaim, "Let there be henceforth no glory without virtue! Let injustice and depravity be tranfmitted with no other laurels to pofterity than the fnakes of Nemefis."

Here we take our leave of the late Empress, to note the character, mark the progrefs, and fcrutinize the conduct of her fucceffor, at a crisis when every thing relative to him becomes an interefting fubject of information to our fellow-fubjects. Paul I. fome short time pat, was cfleemed the magnanimous, the potent, and difinterefted ally of Britain; at prefent there is too much reafon to fear he will be her determined enemy, and exhibit to the world an example of perfidy and injuftice, which cannot be better accounted for than by the perufal of these memoirs, which afcribe to him acts of defpotifm, cruelty, and ill-humour, that can only be palliated by confidering him as labouring under mental de rangement.

If his own fubjects were deceived by first appearances on his acceffion to the throne, we cannot be furprifed that the Minitters of foreign nations residing at Petersburgh could not difcover his real character, concealed under the mask of political duplicity. His frivolity and caprice were kept in the back-ground, whilft he was Grand Duke, as he led a retired life at his palace at Gatfhina, being allowed only a fmall ftipend of between two and three thousand pounds fterling, and never fuffered to come to court, but on the extraordinary occafion of the King of Sweden's intended marriage with his daughter; and it is a fact afcertained beyond a doubt, that the late Empreis was concerting meafures privately to fet him atide from the fucceflion, and to place Alexander his eldest fon upon the throne; a Prince of a most amiable difpofition, and univerfally beloved: her fudden death prevented the execution of this plan; but as it was no fecret to Paul, it fug

gefted to him the neceffity of acting with the greatest delicacy and precaution at the commencement of his reign, more efpecially as fufpicions had all along been entertained that he was not the fon of the unfortunate Peter III. but of Catharine's first favourite Sergius Soltikoff, Peter's Chamberlain, when he was Grand Duke; and it was thought by fome of the oldest politicians at Court, that the taking up the body, and the funeral honours paid by Paul to the remains of the murdered Emperor, were purposely defigned to obliterate that popular opinion. The detail of the awful ceremony, as given by our Author, is equally firiking and unprecedented. See Chapter IV. p. 195, and fequel.

"The firft fteps that he took after he was proclaimed, feemed to contradict the reports of his ftern and capricious difpofition. He had long fuffered by the abufes and diforders of the Court's bred in the fchool of misfortune, the crucible in which great minds are refined, and little ones evaporate; a distant fpectator of affairs, fcrutinizing the plans and conduct of his mother; he had had thirty years leifure to regulate his own. Accordingly, it appeared that he had in his pocket a multitude of regulations ready drawn. up, which he had nothing to do but to unfold, and put in execution: this he accomplished with atonishing rapidity. Far from imitating the example of his mother with respect to himself, he immediately called his fons about him, entrusted each with the command of one of the regiments of guards, and made the eldeft Military Governor of Petersburgh, an important poft, which chained the young Prince to his father's fide. His firft behaviour to the Emprefs his wife, likewife, furprised and delighted every one. Inftead of his former rudenefs and parfimony, he fuddenly changed his conduct, aligned her a confiderabie revenue, increafed thofe of his children, and loaded his whole family with careles and kindnefles.

Zubof, Catharine's laft favourite, who had every thing to fear, he continued, together with her other Minifters, in office, requiring from them, in condefcending terms, that they would ferve him with the fame fidelity as they had done his mother; and he even feemed to pity Zubof's deep affliction for the fudden death of his generous miftrefs.

The first ukafe (edit) he iffued announced pacific difpofitions. In fhort, every hour, every moment, produced fome wife changes, fome juft punithment, or fome well-merited favour. The Court and the city were furprised. People began to imagine that his character had been mistaken, and that his long and melancholy pupillage had not entirely depraved it. All the world faw itself happily deceived in its expectations; and the conduct of the Grand Duke was forgotten in that of the Emperor; but it was too foon brought again into remembrance. Let us beltow a few minutes more on the hopes of happiness which he promised to his empire.

The first two political steps taken by Paul infpired confidence, gained the Nobility, and fufpended two horrible fcourges which Catharine feemed to have bequeathed to Ruffia-War, and a ftate of bankruptcy. She had refolved to act directly against France, by fuccouring the Emperor of Germany; and by attacking the King of Pruffia, to compel him to return to the coalition. In confequence of this plan, the had iffued orders for railing nearly one hundred thoufand recruits. The coffers of the State being emptied, and affignats multiplied to fuch a point, that they were threatened with the fame depreciation as in France, the thought proper to double her current coin, by giving to every piece of money twice its former value. Paul quafhed thefe two difaftrous measures, which were already began to be put in execution. At the fame time, he broke off the treaty of fubfidy with England, then on the carpet; not that it was his intention, as had been published abroad, to acknowledge the French Republic, but because his Imperial pride was above entering into the pay of England, like a petty Prince.

Kofciufko, the famous Polish patriot, confined with his affociates as prifoners of war, he fet at liberty, and permitted the wounded and infirm laft defender of his country to be carried to Court, and introduced to the Emprefs. It is well known that this virtuous chief refused a liberal establishment in Ruffia, but accepted a fum of money from the Emperor to enable him to live independent in America.

He alfo caufed a fearch to be made for thofe Officers who were attached to his father at the time of his unhappy catastrophe, and who had fince lived in difgrace and obfcurity. They were found out in their retreats, brought to Court, and honourably employed. Fi. nally, the vengeance he took on fome of the aflaffins of Peter III. poffeffed a degree of fublimity which was univerfally approved.

"This," fays our Author, "was the conduct of Paul in the first days of his reign; and I have collected the whole of it together, left thofe inftances of reafon, juftice, and feeling fhould be loft and forgotten in the heap of unaccountable actions with which they were afterwards obfcured."

Of thefe, in their order, as they have affected his own fubjects, and injured thofe of our own country, we propofe to give a concife, but fatisfactory account, from thefe curious Memoirs, in another review, when the strange occurrences to be related will probably ferve to throw fresh light upon the intelligence we may expect to receive from Peterburgh of the further progrefs or cure of the Imperial brainfever. It will open with a difcuffion of the Author's question in Chapter V. "Has Paul reafon to fear the fate of Peter III. ?”

(To be concluded in our next.)

M.

THIS is not one of thofe ordinary publications which have been multiplying daily, fince the melancholy fcourge of an unprecedented high price of fine bread, to which the generality of our people of all ranks have been

accustomed in the fouthern parts of Britain, now upwards of a century. The diftinguifhed rank, the extenfive knowledge, the genuine patriotism, and difinterested conduct of the noble writer, exhibited upon various public occa

4

fions,

fions, give a weight and influence to his fentiments and advice upon this important and diftreffing fubject, to which few authors can lay a fimilar claim; and we enjoy a peculiar fatisfaction from the full confidence we place in his Lordship's well-known candour, that he will not take offence at any difference of opinion which may arife in the review of his well-written and ufeful performance.

Though the Author's remarks are moftly founded on authentic documents, there are fome ftrong objections to the evidence he produces to fubftantiate the great fcarcity of wheat after the harveft, which he is pleafed to call a bad one, of 1799, that it is the Reviewer's duty to ftate with becoming deference; and that they may operate more forcibly on his Lordship's mind, he takes the liberty to affure him, that he likewife took great pains to inveftigate the question in the winter of 1795 and the fpring of 1796, "Whether the then exorbitant price of wheat, and confequently of bread, was the refult of a real fcarcity, or of concealment of great quantities in all parts of the kingdom, by great, or gentlemen-farmers" Similar circumitances, he has good reafon to believe, have exifted from the month of October 1800, to the prefent hour, and have hitherto escaped detection, becaufe the proper means have not been taken to difcover consealed grain.

Thefe obfervations refpect the firft part of his Lordship's pamphlet, in which he states the mifapprehenfions that have taken place refpecting corn. For as to the fecond part, pointing out the means of relief from the prefent afumed fcarcity, it contains the most judicious and friendly advice to all ranks of the community. But before we proceed to the remedy, it will be proper to difcufs his Lordship's information concerning the caules which have produced the evil.

Our prefent difficulties, according to this refpectable writer, are fo dependent on, and blended with thofe which arofe from the bad harveit of 1799, that it is effential to include the whole of that period in the obfervations he has to make on the fubject. And we are told, "that, owing to an inclement feafon, the worst ever experienced, the deficiency in the crops of 1799, was greater than the deficiency in 1796, the period of a former very high

price of bread, and of a prefumed scar. city of wheat-that 472,991 quarters of wheat, and 60,413 cwt. of wheaten four, were imported in the last quarter of the year 1799; and 950,867 quarters of wheat and flour before the 10th of October 1800 and yet with these two powerful circumstances operating, which ought to have created a fuperfluity, if there had been no scarcity, it is known, that it was neceflary immediately to begin on the new crop, in confequence of the old one being abfolutely exhaufted; fo much fo, that in many instances they began to thresh for the fupply of the neighbourhood the very day the corn was brought into the barns; and millers and others, from diftant counties, fo late as the latter end of last October, reforted to the London market for foreign wheat, our own growth not coming faft enough to the markets to fupply the demand. The average yearly confumption is computed at eight millions of quarters; and the beft opinions agree, that the crop of 1759 was not fo much as two thirds of a crop neceflary for the ufual confumption of Great Britain and its dependencies. Deficiency, 2,666,666 quarters, which it became neceflary to fupply from the stock in hand of the former crop (the premature confumption of which would produce scarcity the enfuing year), or by importation." In fine, his Lordthip has taken great pains to fhew, that there has exifted a real great fcarcity from 1799 to the prefent hour, and to exculpate all perfons engaged in the corn bufinefs, from the farmers and millers down to the London corn-factors, from all unfair dealings whatever: and he laments, that "notwithstanding the deficient state of crops in England, the exhausted stock previous to the laft harveft, and the infufficiency of the quantities imported, we have heard ftill more violent affertions of great abundance and of artificial fcarcity, with a redoubled and outrageous hue and cry against engroflers, foreftallers, and regraters. That men of weight and refpectability, to whom the country looks up for information, re-echo and encourage the opinion, that no real deficiency exifts, and that there are no juft grounds for the pre-, fent moft exorbitant prices of corn, and of all the other firft neceffaries of life-that even corporations and meetings of all forts have entered into refolutions declaratory that there is abund.

ance

for thefe hoards 125s. that is, fix guieas a quarter for wheat; which, for a long feries of years before gentlemenfarmers were known in the country, was fold at the average prices of 21. 4s. and 21. 8s. per quarter. And as to agricultural improvements, let the fact fpeak for itself. We now pay, and have done it for a confiderable time paft, large fums of money for foreign corn imported. Before partial inclofures, and engroffing farms was encouraged by great landholders, who eitab lithed gentlemen-farmers, we received millions yearly for our furplus corn exported to foreign countries.

His Lordthip next acknowledges, there is reafon to regret, that in a great part of England the millers are not content with their proper bufinefs of grinding and dreffing meal, but have added to their own trade, the trades of mealmen and corn-dealers." After enlarging upon this fubject in p. 47 and 48, we were furprised to find, in p..49, the following remark: "As long as they unite the feveral trades of miller, corn-dealer, and mealmen, the fame argument which is used in respect to farmers and dealers in corn may be fed in the favour of millers, namely, that they hold the magazines fo neceffary for a fteady fupply of the markets, and without which this country could not be fubfifted." Let the reader conraft thefe two paffages, and decide on their confiftency.

A few excellent obfervations on the mifguided conduct of the populace, in augmenting the public diftrefs by riots and infurrections, which defeat the very purpofe they mean to accomplish, clofe this first divifion of his work.

As the noble Author has fufpended, for a thort time, the third part of his intended publication, we recommend with deference a revifion of the first part, when it shall be neceffarily reprinted to make the whole complete; fince the difpatching the firit and fecond part," has occationed many inaccuracies in the former.

Of Part II. we shall fay the lefs, becaufe we with to recommend the whole in the ftrongest terms: it fuggefts all the effential means of relief from the prefent diftrefs, fo far as refpects the confumption of grain; and the heads of families cannot have a furer guide for their conduct. The fingle article to which we object relates to public granaries, which have been eftablished

in all the countries on the continent, and have been found highly beneficial in times of real scarcity; and the city of London holds its charter at this very hour under a condition totally overlooked and grown into difufe, that of providing public granaries of wheat to be fold by the Corporation to poor Citizens, in times of fcarcity, at the average price of years of plenty.

His Lordship juftly obferves, "that nothing is more defirable to import than rice; it goes fo much further than any other grain, that at first it seems almoft incredible; it is alfo brought into ufe at much less expence, and pays no toll either to millers or bakers;" he should have added, if boiled whole. "Yet the confumption in England is ufually fmall; and why is it not larger at prefent? Because a vulgar notion prevails amongst the populace, that feeding on rice occafions blindness. Surely, Government fhould make the Royal College of Physicians of some use to the public under the prefent circumftances, by calling upon them, as a privileged body, to publish an opinion contradictory to this mischievous prejudice.

The Appendix we confider as a very valuable part of this performance; it contains the examination of Mr. Samuel Wyatt and Mr. Sheredine before the Privy Council in 1795, by which it appears, that the houthold bread now enacted to be the only bread to be made by the bakers after the 23d of January 1801, is the most wholefome and nutritive" it is made from the whole meal, with only the bran taken out." But how fhall we prevent adulteration? For Mr. Sheredine fays, "that when the flour is made of the whole of the meal, it is impoffible to tell whether they, the miller, mealman, or baker, have taken any fine flour out of it."

It appears alfo, that the Albion Mills were a public benefit to the inhabitants of London; the annual faving being 463,6661. yet we all know how violently, how thamefully thefe mills were decried by interefted farmers, mealmen, and corn-dealers and how they were destroyed by fire, remains to this hour an unrefolved question.

The tables are invaluable, as they confift of accurate copies of the printed reports delivered to the Members of both Houfes of Parliament-there are ten in all, the moft material of which,

for