thod of increafing shipping and navigation that can be devised?

6. País a law to enable, but not to compel, every perfon, or body-corporate, who has a right of common, to demand a fpecial jury of the sheriff of the county, for inquiring into the nature and extent of this right, and to allot him a piece of land out of the faid common, in compenfation of it. As foon as one man fhould begin this practice, all the reft would follow of courfe, fo that the whole kingdom would be cultivated, inclofed, improved, and inhabited, in a few years. Now thefe are the colonies which you ought to have planted, and no others. Whereas, to depopulate the mother-country, in order to people the wilds of America, and to call fuch fatal miftakes valuable acquifitions (which fome of you have lately done), is a folecifm againft common fenfe, and an utter pervertion of the ufe of language. Therefore colonize at home.

7. País a law to enable, but not to compel, all rectors and vicars (with the confent of their ordinaries and patrons) to exchange their tithe, both great and fmall, for portions of land, with fuch land-holders who would prefer this method to the prefent one of paying tithes. The advantages of fuch a fcheme are fo clearly understood already, that more

need not be faid about it.

ts;

8. Pafs a law to enable, but not to comfel, all holders of stock in the three percents. (now at 601. or thereabouts), to take and receive ten notes, or tickets, of 101. each, for every hundred pounds Rock; each note to have a fixpenny Hamp, as a fecurity against counterfeits and each to carry an annual intereft of fx fhillings, payable half yearly to bear, like an Eaft-India bond. And when great quantity of fuch notes are in circulation, it would be right to allot a place or two in each county for the regular payment of the intereft thereof; in order to fave the trouble and expence of fending fuch notes half-yearly up to Lon

don.

keeping an office of this kind, where fuch fums of money would lie in his hands uncalled for. By thefe means, every man in the kingdom, from the higheft to the loweft, who had rol. to fpare for ever fo fhort a time, would get after the rate of 3 per cent, per annum for that money which otherwise muft have lain dead. And poor men, in particular, journeymen, labourers, menfervants, and maid-fervants, would then have a fafe depolit for their little favings, and a regular intereft, in order to induce them to fave more. How different from this is the cafe at prefent!

My LORDS and GENTLEMEN, both in town and country,

These are the plans now humbly offered to your unbiaffed confideration and ferious attention, by a truly independent man. They require no new taxes, no places, no penfions, no governors, guards, garrifons, fleets, tranfports, contracts, &c. &c. &c. for carrying them into execution. Add to this, that they would neither create wars abroad, nor require any alarming affociations at home. Now, are fuch fchemes as thefe the end and aim of all your labours? are you in earneft? and have you nothing else but the good of your country really in view? Here then are the very objects which you wifh for plainly laid before you. And till these defirable ends are accomplished, you need look no farther. Thefe, therefore, are the things which ought principally to be done as foon as poffible: but alas! thefe are the things which fome among you (I much fear) never mean to

do.

CASSANDRA.

Glocefter, Feb. 22. 1780. A remarkable inftance of FANATICISM. From An hiftorical account of the rife and progrefs of the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia. 2 vols. 10s. THE family of Dutartres, confifling

of four fons and four daughters, were defcendents of French refugees, who came into Carolina after the revocation of the edict of Nantz. They lived in Orange quarter; and, though in low circumftances, always maintained an honeft character, and were efteemed by their neighbours perfons of blamelefs and irreproachable lives. But at this time a trolling Moravian preacher happening to come to that quarter where they lived, infinuated himself into their

P 2

tainily,

family, and, partly by converfation, and partly by the writings of Jacob Behmen, which he put into their hands, filled their heads with wild and fantastic ideas. Unhappily for the poor family, thofe ftrange notions gained ground on them; infomuch that in one year they began to withdraw themselves from the ordinances of public worship, and all conversation with the world around them, and firongly to imagine they were the only family upon earth who had the knowledge of the true God, and whom he vouchfafed to inftruct, either by the immediate impulfes of his Spirit, or by figns and tokens from heaven. At length it came to open vifions and revelations. God raised up a prophet among them, like unto Mofes, to whom he taught them to hearken. This prophet was Peter Rombert, who had married the eldeft daughter of the family when a widow. To this man the Author and Governor of the world deigned to reveal, in the plaineft manner, that the wickedness of man was again fo great in the world, that, as in the days of Noah, he was determined to destroy all men from off the face of it, except one family, whom he would fave for railing up a godly feed upon earth. This revelation Peter Rombert was fure of, and felt it as plain as the wind blowing on his body; and the reft of the family, with equal confidence and prefumption, firmly believed it.

A few days after this, God was pleafed to reveal himself a fecond time to the prophet, faying, "Put away the woman whom thou haft for thy wife; and when I have deftroyed this wicked generation, I will raife up her firft hufband from the dead, and they fhall be man and wife as before: and go thou and take to wife her youngeft fifter, who is a virgin; fo fhall the chofen family be reftored entire, and the holy feed preferved pure and undefiled in it." At firft the father, when he heard of this revelation, was staggered at fo extraordinary a command from heaven; but the prophet affured him that God would give him a fign, which accordingly hap pened; upon which the old man took his youngest daughter by the hand, and gave her to the wife prophet immediate ly for his wife; who, without further ceremony, took the damfel, and deflowered her. Thus, for fome time, they continued in acts of inceft and adultery, until that period which made the

fatal difcovery, and introduced the bloody fcene of blind fanaticism and madness.

Thofe deluded wretches were fo far poffeffed with the falfe conceit of their own righteousness and holiness, and of the horrid wickedness of all others, that they refused obedience to the civil magiftrate, and all laws and ordinances of men. Upon pretence that God commanded them to bear no arms, they not only refufed to comply with the militialaw, but also the law for repairing the highways. After long forbearance, Mr Simmons, a worthy magiftrate, and the officer of the militia in that quarter, found it neceffary to iffue his warrants for levying the penalty of the laws upon them. But by this time Judith Dutartre, the wife the prophet had obtained by revelation, proving with child, another warrant was iffued for bringing her before the justice to be examined, and bound over to the general feffions, in confequence of a law of the province framed for preventing baftardy. The conftable having received his warrants, and being jealous of meeting with no good ufage in the execution of his office, prevailed on two or three of his neighbours to go along with him. The family obferving the conftable coming, and being apprised of his errand, confulted their prophet; who soon told them, that God commanded them to arm, and defend themselves against perfecution, and their fubftance against the robberies of ungodly men; affuring them at the fame time, that no weapon formed againft them should profper. Accordingly they did fo; and, laying hold of their arms, fired on the conttable and his followers, and drove them out of their plantation. Such behaviour was not to be tolerated, and therefore Capt. Simmons gathered a party of militia, and went to protect the conftable in the execution of his office. When the deluded family faw the juftice and his party approaching, they shut themselves up in their house, and firing from it like furies, hot Capt. Simmons dead on the spot, and wounded feveral of his party. The militia returned the fire, killed one woman within the house, and afterwards forcibly entering it, took the reft prifoners, fix in number, and brought them to Charlestown.

At the court of general feffions, held in September 1724, three of them were brought

brought to trial, found guilty, and condemned. Alas! miferable creatures, whatamazing infatuation poffeffed them! They pretended they had the Spirit of God leading them to all truth; they new it, and felt it: but this fpirit, inflead of influencing them to obedience, perity, and peace, commanded them to commit rebellion, inceft, and murder. What is ftill more aftonishing, the principal perfons among them, I mean the prophet, the father of the family, and Michael Boneau, never were convinced of their delufion, but perfifted in it until their laft breath. During their trial they appeared altogether unconcerned and fecure, affirming that God was on their fide, and therefore they feared not what man could do unto them. They freely told the incestuous ftory in open court in all its circumftances and aggravations, with a good countenance; and very readily confeffed the facts refpecting their rebel. Ben and murder, with which they ftood charged; but pled their authority from God in vindication of themfelves, and infifted they had done nothing in either cafe but by his exprefs command.

As it is commonly the duty of clergymen to vifit perfons under fentence of death, both to convince them of their error and danger, and prepare them for death by bringing them to a penitent difpofition; Alexander Garden, the Epifcopal minifter of Charlestown, to whom we are indebted for this account, attended thofe condemned perfons with great diligence and concern. What they had affirmed in the court of juftice, they repeated and confeffed to him in like manner in the prifon. When he began to reafon with them, and to explain the beinous nature of their crimes, they treated him with difdain. Their motto was, Anfwer him not a word; who is be that thould prefume to teach them, who had the Spirit of God fpeaking inwardly to their fouls? In all they had done, they faid they had obeyed the ice of God, and were now about to affer martyrdom for his religion. But God had affured them, that he would ether work a deliverance for them, or afe them up from the dead on the third day. These things the three men coned confidently to believe; and, notwithtanding all the means used to conace them of their mistake, perfifted in the fame belief until the moment they spired. At their execution they told

the fpectators with feeming triumph, they should foon fee them again, for they were certain they fhould rife from the dead on the third day.

With respect to the other three, the daughter Judith being with child, was not tried; and the two fons, David and John Dutartre, about eighteen and twenty years of age, having been alfo tried and condemned, continued fullen and referved, in hopes of seeing those that were executed rife from the dead: but being disappointed, they became, or at leaft feemed to become, fenfible of their error, and were both pardoned. Yet not long afterwards one of them relapfed into the fame fnare, and murdered an innocent perfon, without either. provocation or previous quarrel, and for no other reafon, as he confeffed, but that God had commanded him so to do. Being a fecond time brought to trial, he was found guilty of murder, and condemned. Mr Garden attended him again under the second sentence, and acknowledged, with great appearance of fuccefs. No man could appear more deeply fenfible of his error and delufion, or could die a more fincere and hearty penitent on account of his horrid crimes. With great attention he liftened to Mr Garden, while he explained to him the terms of pardon and falvation propofed in the gospel; and feemed to die in the humble hopes of mercy, through the all-fufficient merits of a Redeemer.

Thus ended that tragical scene of fanaticifm, in which feven persons loft their lives; one was killed, two were murdered, and four executed for the murders: A fignal and melancholy inftance. of the weakness and frailty of human na❤ ture, and to what giddy heights of extravagance and madness an inflamed imagination will carry unfortunate mortals.

E have, till of late, been only dabbling

in the culture of flax; little fown, and that fmall quantity badly managed. Time has now done away difficulties. The plan of winning the feed, by keeping it upon the flax, has been introduced; and the greatest fuccefs has attend. ed this method.

Last seafon, a very confiderable quan, tity of lintfeed was fown. In four parishes in Eaft Lothian, I know of more than one hundred acres of this commodity. It has turned out well ;--the feed

is good. I have seen a deal of it, and I declare I like it as well as that we import from Holland. Since we can now ferve ourselves in this neceffary article, is not our country much benefited? Great fums which were formerly remit ted abroad, may now be kept at home, and an immenfe good, befides, done to the community, by the employment of hands which the cultivation and dreffing this article requires.

A long prejudice has prevailed against Scots lintfeed. It is now found, however, to grow fully as well, and give as good increase, as either Riga or Dutch. I had occafion lately to fee fome feed which had been four times refown fince its importation, and it was not in the leaft degenerated.

Premiums have been the life and foul of this infant culture. Every thing needs a beginning; and, without this temptation, no farmer would have precipitated himself into the trouble and expence which is incurred at the introduction of any new fyftem of husbandry. What with flax, feed, and premiums, even wheat-crops have been a bauble in comparison. Where it fucceeds, the moft handfome returns are got; and it is certain, at this time, that no grain can profit a farmer so much as the cultivation of flax.-I am, &c.

PHILO-SCOTIE.

To JOSEPH PLANTA, Efq; Secretary to the Royal Society. SIR, Enfield, Nov. 25. 1779.. INclofed I fend you the proportions of an extraordinary large child, a native of this parish, born Feb. 7. 1779, as taken by Mr Sherwen, an ingenious furgeon and apothecary of this place, whofe accuracy and judgement I can confide in, as I have not yet had an opportunity of examining this phænomenon myself. The child's father has the conduct of a papermill by the fide of Enfield Marsh, and is I believe about thirty-fix years of age; his mother about forty-two, and at prefent of a healthy habit; neither of his parents remarkable for their fize or ftature. They have had five children: the eldeft of the three now living is twelve years old, and rather fmall of his age; but his paternal grandfather was of a fize larger than ordinary. They had another fon of uncommon proportion, who died of the meazles in January 1774, at the age of fifteen months: the carpenter who

made his coffin obferved, that he had never measured fo tall a child. The prefent fubject, being the fecond of the kind, excites a greater degree of curiofity; of which the father intends to avail himself, by carrying the child up to London, and making a public fhew of him.

In the year 1744-5, Dr Mead laid before the Society an account of a gigantic boy of two years old, at Willingham, in Cambridgeshire [10. 74.]. As the ftory may not be fresh in every one's memory, I fhall compare his dimenfions with those of young Everit; premifing this one obfervation, that the Willingham lad, whofe name was Hall, allowing for his years, was, in this refpect, less a prodigy than the Enfield boy; though, as Mr Dawkes, the furgeon, who defcribed him, remarks, he paffed through the four ftages of life in less than fix years, being five years and ten months old at his death, and only four feet fix inches high, fix inches round the wrift, one foot two and three fourths inches thicknefs of thigh, and one foot four and a half inches thickness of waist.

Mr Sherwen annexed the dimenfions of a fine lufty boy, who is upwards of feven years old, and thofe of Thomas Everit, nine months and two weeks old, as under, Everit's being in the left-hand column, and the other boy's in the righthand or outer column.

2.2 3 24

0 M

Length of Everit from the crown of the head to the fole of the foot, 3 feet 1 inch 3 4ths.

Mr Sherwen adds, he should have been glad to have given the folid contents of animal fubftance in pounds avoirdupois : but this was not poffible, as the mother is poffeffed with the vulgar prejudice againft weighing children. He could therefore only fay, that, when the expofes his legs, thighs, and broad back to view, it is impoffible to be impreffed with

His weight was guessed at nine stone.

any

any other idea than that of seeing a young giant. The boy has very fine hair, pure clear skin, free from pimple or blemish: he is extremely lively, and has a bright clear eye, the pupil not in the leaft dilated; and, excepting a pair of broad cheeks, his head is rather lefs in proportion than his other parts. From thefe circumstances Mr Sherwen ventures to prognofticate, that he is as likely to arrive at maturity (accidental diseases excepted) as any child he ever faw.

Soon after the date of the above let ter, the boy was carried to a relation's in Great Turnftile; but the confined fituation had fuch an effect on his health, that he was foon brought back into his native air. He has now been in London above a month, and is arrived at the following dimenfions.

Height three feet three inches, round the breaft two feet fix inches, loins three feet one inch, thigh one foot ten inches, leg one foot two inches, arm eleven inches and a half, wrift nine inches. He is well proportioned all over, and fubfifts entirely on the breaft; was not remarkable when born, but at about fix weeks after began, and has rapidly continued, to increase to his prefent amazing fize. His countenance is what every one would call comely, but with rather more expreffion in it than is ufual at his age, tho' exceedingly pleafing, from his being uncommonly well tempered.

An old Englishman in Sweden. THE captain of a veffel lately arrived from Stockholm, fays, that while he was in that city he was introduced to an Englishman, named Mortimer, who was a hundred and twenty-one years of age: he enjoyed all his faculties, and could walk feveral miles a-day. He informed the captain, that he was born in London; that his father was one of the yeomen to Charles II.; that he saw Lord Ruffel fuffer in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields; was prefent at the trial of Colonel AlgerBon Sydney; and heard the infamous Jefferies fay, when the prifoner appeared, There was little occafion to call in evidence, for that Sydney was born a traitor." Mr Mortimer was bred to the law, but preferring a military Life, he joined the Duke of Monmouth, who gave him a commiffion, and he was the battle of Sedgemore. When the Duke's party were routed, he escaped to London, and went from thence to

Holland; where he foon procured a commiffion, and was in that fervice till he came over with the Prince of Orange, who foon after promoted him to a company. He was with that monarch all the time he was in Ireland, and was within twenty yards of him when he was wounded by a cannon-ball in the right fhoulder, near Drogheda. He fays, the ball having firft grazed the bank of the river, did in its rifing flant upon the King's right shoulder, took out a piece of his coat, tore the skin and flesh, and broke the ftock of an officer's piftol: That Lord Conningfby came running up to the King, and clapped his handkerchief on the wound; but his Majefty took little notice of it, and kept on his pace, faying, "There was no neceffity to dreis it at prefent; the ball fhould have come nearer." Mr Mortimer was in all K. William's wars, as well as along with the Duke of Marlborough, during the reign of Q. Anne, where he was made a lieutenant-colonel. On her death he was thinking of retiring, having made a confiderable fortune, but was advised by another officer to go into the Polish fervice. They both did fo, and got regiments; where, after ftaying a few years,, they left it for the Swedish; in which he has ever fince lived, and has a handfome penfion from that government befides an ample fortune of his

own.

He told the captain, he left a brother in London; and that he has a natural fon now in the Pruffian service, to whom he has affigned over all his fortune: his son, he said, was fifty-four years of age, had a large family, and he was thinking of going to pay him a vifit, and perhaps remain there. He was very kind to the captain, and gave him a number of curious anecdotes. Copy of a Letter from the eighty-five focieties

at Glafgow, fent with a prefent of a gold fnuff-box, to the Rt Hon. Lord GEORGE GORDON.