crushed the hopes of the Tories, and put an end to their combinations.

In reply to a question relative to the valuable paintings which I had heard were in possession of the Lenthal family, of the Priory, Burford, he told me I was misinformed as to their value and importance. He said that, at the Restoration, Lord Clarendon sent a message to Mr. Lenthal, whose life was called for loudly by the king's friends, and told him, that, as their families were neighbours, and he had received some civilities at his hands under the reign of the Usurper, through the medium of Mr. Lenthal, there was one condition upon which he would undertake to protect his life and property.-" Name it, (said the republican statesman:) if it is cousistent with my honour, I'll thankfully comply." It is only to give me my choice of the paintings that belonged to the late king, and which you found means to obtain in other times.' The speaker paused for a few seconds, when he said, "I would willingly have kept them; but I have played a losing game, and must submit." The principal pieces, Dr. Brookes said, were transported across the forest to Cornburyhouse; and he believed the late Lord Cornbury sent many of them away to France. Those which remain at the Priory, are but the refuse of King Charles the First's collection.

I asked him, if the modern family possessed any considerable share of talents? He smiled, and answered by saying, that the squire was esteemed as the first-rate trencherman in the county. That he was of a very morose, sour temper, and could not endure contradiction." But I have heard, Doctor, (said I,) that when you used to meet upon county business, you did not always spare him."- I never bowed to a golden calf yet, (said the old gentleman.) When we met relative to matters connected with the highways, we generally took opposite sides. He used to call me a forward fellow, because my forefathers were only yeomen, and I did not take much pains to conceal that I thought him a stupid blundering sort of a village tyrant. There is a legacy left to repair the road in Burford. Mr. Lenthal wished to employ it in mending a way that led to the Bear Inn, which, being altogether foreign to the donor, though personally convenient to the magistrate, who preferred that house, and wished to encourage it, I resisted its appropriation; and the angry

gentleman thought proper to indulge in some very coarse personalities: upon which I said to him, in the hearing of all the meeting, 'I don't much admire you, Mr. Lenthal; but, as you are so very anxious to promote the welfare of the Bear Inn, I could tell you how to effect that purpose without attending to the road, and without expense.'"How?" asked the impatient auditor. Why, very easily; and all the county will bless you for the deed: just take down the present sign, and hang yourself upon the sign-post. It will then be the original bear, and would infallibly attract abundance of company, in defiance of bad roads." And how did he bear that cut?' said I.-" Why, like a philosopher, (replied the humorous narrator;) and, instead of resenting the roar of laughter it excited, he shook hands, and never quarrelled with me again."

Dr. Brookes was an excellent planner of roads. When first he obtained the vicarage, the roads about Shipton were so bad, that it was dangerous to travel in the depth of winter, and the farmers could not send their corn to market. It involved him in continual contests, but he persevered; and his neighbours are indebted for the excellent roads that he assisted in making. He said he had once to meet Dr. Blackstone (afterwards Judge), at a county-meeting. He was rather late; and, it seems, he cursed and threatened the driver, till he made the lad as angry as himself. Dr. Brookes and others advanced towards the chaise, when the boy, before he opened the door, said, with all imaginable coolness, "Is that old gentleman in the chaise the person you are waiting for?"—"Yes, certainly,' said Dr. Brookes.-" Why, then, I have brought you the d-1; and much good may he do you."

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

ERMIT me to make a few short

remarks on Mr. William Angus's defence of pawnbroking. He acknowledges he is a pawnbroker by trade; I shall not therefore attempt to convince him that there is anything wrong in it, knowing the moral impossibility of convincing a person that what he is engaged in is wrong, and which he finds profitable. I therefore address the public. This is not the first instance of people taking refuge in that old fort, "by this our craft we get our wealth," in defence I have never of an unlawful trade. said,

E 2

said, or pretended to insinuate, that there are no instances of money being raised by pawnbroking for any purpose but drunkenness; on the contrary, I allow it is often for necessaries, though I believe the greater number of instances would be found to be for vices: but, suppose it is not so, I do not scruple to say, that the system which holds out a temptation to any class in society, but especially to the lower classes, to anticipate their gains, and to spend money on their pleasure before they earn it, under the hope of being able, by their future labour, to work it out, is wrong. It is this principle of anticipating future gains, that lies at the bottom of almost all our pauperism. If persons setting out in life were assured that, unless they laid up something out of their earnings against a time of need, they must perish, it would not be neglected: And where are the workmen in any business whatever, and low as wages are at present, but could save something while he is single? Facts are almost daily recorded of persons laying up money out of small gains, and, by the constant habit of saving, having accumulated considerable property; and nine instances out of ten of the pauperism of the present day, if looked into, would be found to have arisen from a want of economy when they first set out in life, in not laying up something out of their earnings, but spending all they got, under the hope of doing better some time. With nothing beforehand, they have ventured upon some indulgence, and, though not unlawful to those who could afford it, it was so to them, because they could not obtain it but by pawning some of their property to raise the money for it: and, as one indulgence generally makes way for another, they have never had fortitude and resolution sufficient to deny themselves so far as to recover it. Now, if pawnbroking holds out temptations, and affords facilities, to persons of this turn and disposition to spend what they ought not, I do not scruple, in most direct terms, to pronounce it a most demoralizing principle, and that such a trade is morally wrong.

Mr. Angus says, that people lament the immorality of the poor,-not a word about the vices of the rich; but I beg to say, that the vices of some who hold rank among what are called the genteel part of the community, ought to be held in abhorrence and contempt. It is too well known, that many of them are in

the constant habit of pawning many of their valuables, such as plate and jewels, twice a-year, before rent-day, to raise money for an entertainment. But what does this prove? Why, that the same vile practice prevails, from the highest to the lowest, of anticipating their income, and spending their money before they ought, to the shame and disgrace of those who do it, as well as of those who assist them in it: so far, therefore, from pawnbroking being an advantage to the public, it is a great evil. But there is one circumstance which renders it worse in the lower classes; and it is this: Persons who move in the higher circles, although they spend the property they ought to save for their families, and reduce themselves to a comparative degree of poverty and want, yet seldom go so far as to deprive themselves of the necessaries of life; and therefore are not dependent upon parishes for relief; and, though they may be reduced very low, they do not apply to the public for a maintenance, which the lower classes, when reduced, are obliged to do: consequently, until they are a burthen upon the public, it has less right to complain of them.

I am very glad Mr. Angus has stated what he calls the advantages of pawnbroking, to tradesmen who pawn goods to raise money to pay a bill. There may be instances where this may be useful; but, in the majority of cases, it is very injurious. This facility of raising money, has occasioned many to speculate to an unjustifiable extent, depending upon such means as a resort in case of need; and how often has it been seen, when a person has overtraded himself, and has a payment coming due he knows not how to provide for, that he goes and buys goods on credit, at whatever price they cost, though he has no other occasion for them, than to pawn them to raise some ready money, whereby he is at an expense equal to an interest of 30 or 40 per cent. per annum. Any person obtaining a loan upon such terms must be hard drove for money; and, if often repeated, it will soon ruin him: and, were there no such resource, the counsequence would often be, to send the party into the Gazette while he could pay ten or twelve shillings in the pound; but, raising money by pawnbroking, keeps him upon his legs until he cannot pay half-a

crown.

I am of opinion, that our laws against

usury

usury are very unequal: A person who lends money on houses or land, and gets a mortgage, is allowed to charge 5 per cent. per annum interest. A licensed pawnbroker, who gets valuable property into his hands for security, is allowed to charge 20 per cent. per annum for in terest; while a person who lends a sum of money on note, must charge only 5 per cent. so that he who lends money without any security, must charge no more than he that has a landed estate secured to him: surely, where there is a greater risk there ought to be the greater interest.

I could have wished to say more on the subject, and have contracted what I have wrote as far as I can, lest I should trespass too far on your valuable pages. To an impartial reader, I think, nothing that I have said deserves the sneering epithet "hypocritical cant," as Mr. Angus politely terms it; nor do I belong to the very respectable society for the "suppression of vice." Mr. Angus is no doubt aware, that, if their very meri. torious endeavours are successful, his trade will suffer by it, as it is vice, in some shape or other, that supports it. Mr. Angus says a bishop or nobleman may have his concerts and his cardparties on a Sunday evening:"-I hope he has never lent a bishop money on a pledge for that purpose. J. K. Liverpool; Dec. 8, 1819.

66

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

HAVE been in the habit, for some years, of making observations upon the weather; and think that a great deal more might be known in the way of prognostication, if strict attention were paid to the state of the barometer and thermometer, under particular directions of the wind. My plan has been this: At seven o'clock every morning, I have put down the exact height of the barometer and thermometer, and the direction of the wind. During the day, I have observed particularly the kind of weather we have had: if rain,-little, moderate, or much; if cloudy, a little so, or more, or very cloudy; if fair, exactly according to the degree, and put it down the next morning. Thus, in a morning, I have frequently been able to give the character of the day, as soon as I have entered upon it, merely by referring to my notes, and observing the direction of the wind.

Many persons, no doubt, will have observed, that the barometer may be

very low with a south or south-east wind, and yet the weather may be fair; whilst, on the contrary, the barometer may be high with a north, and particularly a north-east, wind, and the weather cloudy and rainy. In the former case, the thermometer is almost always high, and in the latter low. But my object in this paper is, to request that some of your correspondents would follow the same plan; for instance, one who resides in Northumberland, one in Cornwall, one in Sussex, or elsewhere, as they felt disposed: but the extreme parts of the kingdom would be best. A comparison of the state of the air, and character of the weather, in various parts of the country, would be to me very interesting, and perhaps to many of your readers.

I propose that each one starts on the 1st of March, 1820; and, as seven o'clock will be rather early for some who love the softness of the pillow, suppose we fix eight; trusting that I shall not be alone, and that you, Mr. Editor, will give us a little space in your entertaining and useful work. W. W.

St. Ives, Dec. 1, 1819.

For the Monthly Magazine. FOURTEEN REASONS why no MAN ought to be held AMENABLE to any ENGLISH TRIBUNAL for publishing his THEOLO

GICAL OPINIONS.

1. ECAUSE no man can in jus

Btice be made criminally an

swerable for mere abstract opinions, which result from the honest convictions of his reason.

2. Because the publication of opinions, on abstract, scientific, and speculative, subjects, is no criminal libel, breach of the peace, or social crime; but is a duty which every honest man is bound to perform; that, if true, they may be adopted, and that, if false, they may be refuted.

3. Because no opinions can be exceptions to the preceding rule; fór, if it be said that certain doctrines are from God, and ought therefore not to be disputed,fit is evident that doctrines, which emanate from an all-powerful Deity, cannot be shaken or overturned by man; and therefore the publication of any adverse opinions of man must necessarily be harmless.

4. Because it is evident, that the employment of the force of Law, which implies the civil and military power of the state, to maintain Opinions, affords a demonstrative proof, that those who consider it necessary to resort to such weapons,

must

must know their opinions to be indefensible, and must be aware that they will not be supported by omnipotent power.

5. Because, on matters of religion, there can be no standard of truth but human reason, or the alleged operations of the spirit of God, and conviction is the result of either or both; and this result, as a natural or as a supernatural effect, is a question between a man and his own powers of reason, or between a man and his God; and therefore not properly cognizable by any other man, or controulable by any human tribunal.

6. Because the attempts to render courts of law, or mere human tribunals, standards of theological opinions, have led to all the wicked, bloody, and disgraceful, martyrdoms which stain the pages of history; and at which every succeeding age blushes for the errors, absurdities, and crimes, of the preceding ages.

7. Because, if an erroneous, persecuting, vindictive, and intolerant proceeding, were to lead to any cruel punishment, the proceedings of the court, and all concerned in them, would be viewed by sensible, just, and liberal men, in this age, and by all men in future ages, with the abhorrence in which all men hold the courts of Inquisition, and the jurisdictions of barbarous times, by whom similar martyrdoms have been perpetrated.

8. Because it is not only wicked and blasphemous, but absurd and unjust, for any man to set up his own opinions, as standards of theological faith for the implicit guide of any other man.

9. Because it has been invariably found that, where the mind has had its free exercise, mankind have founded different points of faith on the same system of religion; and that such variation arises from the varied dispositions of men, and proves the absurdity of restraint, or of legislating on matters of religious opinion.

10. Because any pretended common law, on which to found a prosecution, can be no other than the law of prejudice, malice, and persecution, inherent in all ages in the minds of wicked and unjust men, and is the very same law, having the same sources, as the pretended laws under which Socrates was poisoned and Our Saviour crucified.

"If this work be of men, it will come to nought; and, if it proceed from God, ye cannot overthrow it."

1

11. Because the unshackled right of free discussion, and of publishing truth on all subjects useful and interesting to society, is the great bulwark of civil and religious liberty, and is a fundamental right and undoubted part of the common laws of England; which, without limitation or condition, ought to be maintained and asserted by all who duly feel and duly respect the value of truth and liberty.

12. Because, in every Christian country in Europe, the utmost latitude of free opinion has been practised with impunity; particularly in France, Holland, Switzerland, and Prussia; even under the despotic sway of the Bourbons, the writings of Voltaire, Diderot, d'Alembert, Rousseau, Volney, and others, being freely published, and obtaining for their authors honour and renown.

13. Because, if this right were subject to any restriction or limitation, as far as regards subjects and questions of general interest, it would be altogether useless; for the publication of error often leads to the detection of truth, and error is harmless whilst free enquiry and discussion are allowed, inasmuch as it can easily be refuted.

14. Because, if the opinions of persons in authority were admitted as standards of truth, just as the opinions of the prosecutors might on any occasion be assumed as standards of truth, we might at this day, by parity of reasoning, have been involved in the darkness of Pagan worship, of Druidical rites, of Roman mythology, and of Popish superstition; all of which have successively been standards of truth among the public authorities of former ages.

A CHRISTIAN.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

industry,

industry, and on the other diminishes the number of work-people that can be employed, but shall advert only to the improvement in question.

There are reckoned to be kept 1,500,000 horses in the kingdom, and each horse consumes as much of the produce of the soil as would feed four persons; so that the whole number of horses consume what would feed six millions of people, that is, as nearly as possible, one-half the population of the island.

At least one-third of these horses are now employed in the tillage of the ground: though only a part of these, should the scheme of the steam-engines succeed, could be dispensed with, yet, if the work of only 100,000 horses could be so done, it would leave food for 400,000 persons, which would be a great object. Coals would be consumed instead of corn, hay, and grass. The raising and carrying coals, and making and repair ing the engines, would employ a great number of workmen, and the persons employed in agriculture would not be lessened in number; for the plough would require to be guided, as at present, and the engine attended to. The advantage both to agriculture and manufactures, it appears to me, would be very considerable; and I do not see any disadvantage to counterbalance or even to diminish these advantages.

I understand that the engines in question may be employed to dig the ground as with a spade; and, if so, the labour will be more effectually performed than by the present mode of ploughing, in which case the produce of the land will be increased.

As I have often observed that much advantage has been derived from the communication of ideas and of information in Magazines, I should wish that some of your able correspondents would take a view of this subject; but, in the mean time, I must observe, that I see many difficulties that will attend the plan.

1st. Agricultural people are not accustomed to that nice attention that is necessary to keep in repair such a machine as a steam-engine; there must, then, be an establishment on purpose.

2d. The horse that ploughs performs many other works during the season. The engine can probably only serve to plough and to turn a threshing machine: however, I think it might possibly be employed in winter to grind the corn for the farm, which, if it could be done,

would, no doubt, be attended with great advantage.

To what other agricultural purposes these engines may in time be employed, it must be left for experience to prove; but I think, upon the whole, that it is greatly to be wished that the trial might be made on the plough, harrow, and rolling-machine. COLUMELLA.

Wandsworth; Dec. 5, 1819.

For the Monthly Magazine. NOTES made during a JOURNEY from LONDON to HOLKHAM, YORK, EDINBURGH, and the HIGHLANDS of SCOTLAND, in July and August 1819, by JOHN MIDDLETON, esq. the author of an AGRICULTURAL VIEW of MIDDLESEX, and other works.

[Continued from vol. 48, p. 517.]

E also viewed the basin of the

Caledonian Canal, near Loch Beauley and Inverness. On quitting that town, we were drawn along the borders of Loch Ness, about fifteen miles, to Drumdroocan, where neat people provided us with a breakfast of coffee, bread, cream, and butter, together with honey and orange marmalade. This is a village of dispersed small houses in the beautiful Glen Urquhart; and here two mountain-torrents pour their waters, with great quantities of large rounded stones, into the Loch. There are many wet-weather streams, and hollow places worn down the precipitous sides of the mountains by cascades in winter, which are contributing their united efforts towards filling it up; and they will, in a vast length of time, reduce it to a moderate-sized river. This morning's ride has been through the most picturesque scenes in nature: Switzerland can hardly exceed it for mountains, rocks, shrubbery, and water. About five miles before we got to this place, a wild or mountain cat presented itself at some distance before us, and stopped to reconnoitre us during a minute or two; it then cantered along the road a short distance, and disappeared among shrubbery.

we

Grant, esq. has a cottage-villa here, to which he is said to resort during the grouse-shooting season; and were informed that Mr. Grant gives permission to gentlemen, on their application to him, to shoot over such of the neighbouring mountains as belong to him. At the end of a few miles farther we came to Glen Morris, where a gentleman of that name has a villa, in a pic

turesque