that there are certain discoveries in physics, which should not be revealed without having first considered their moral and political effects, and the means of preventing their inconveniences. He spoke of the article of brandy, which his countryman distilled from wine, the growth of the country. It required six barrels of the latter, (worth 180 livres) to make one of the former, which produced scarcely 80 livres. The country, therefore, were considerable losers by the discovery. So, in the affair of the skyrockets, the blazing talents would have done well to have considered their effects, and the methods of preventing their inconveniencies before they tried the discovery upon the enemy. It was evident that they could, at that time, reap little advantage from the experiment; but as the chief engine of their own defence, as well as that of annoying the enemy, was their own flotilla, ought they not to have considered that the enemy might, on some future occasion, have turned it against themselves? Time will disclose that, as well as other things.

We have already noticed several instances of their patriotism, and economy of the public

money in raising their own salaries, and seizing on the sinecures for their families; and to these may be added their pulling down one of the public buildings, and expending 15,000 livres, for the scite of another, which as much more money would not build up. But the most glaring instance of the whole was their new-fangled military system, the offspring of Mr. Windpuff's confused, smoke-jack brain; which put the manor to an additional annual expense of 800,000 livres; extinguished the most noble flame of patriotism that ever blazed on the altars of any country, and then itself vanished into smoke.On the Bantam's threat of invasion, we have already said that the tenantry flew to arms, enrolled, equipped, and trained themselves. But the Director of the Forces must appear to be doing somewhat for his salary; and, besides, these volunteers were not under his controul; were not obliged to dance attendance at his heels, nor afforded any posts for his creatures. In his profound wisdom, therefore, he declared that the regular force of the country was very inadequate to its defence; that it ought to be speedily recruited,

and that the volunteer system was repugnant to the recruiting, as they enrolled themselves chiefly to avoid being drawn for the militia; in which case, they would have been at the country's disposal, and might have been ordered to march to any part of it. By these means, the regular forces were obliged to do the duty at home, and could not be sent abroad, if any opportunity should present itself of annoying the enemy. Not contented with these arguments, he levelled the most injurious theories at the volunteers, although he himself was a commander of one of the corps, and when it was opposed to him that whenever the services of the regular forces were required abroad, the volunteers would be found fully sufficient for home-defence, he pre- sumptuously and ignorantly, (we repeat ignorantly, for he had never smelt powder in his life except on an innocent shooting excursion) asserted that the volunteers, according to their present mode of training, could never be made to stand the fire of regular soldiers. Here was, indeed, a cobler holding forth to Alexander on the art of war! Mr. Windpuff had forgot, it seemed, that the Bantam had taken youths ar

bitrarily enrolled, and even dragged in handcuffs to the army, and had made them regular soldiers, and the conquerors of regular soldiers, within the space of six weeks. Could regular soldiers be made out of such men, and not out of Freelanders, who burned with ardour to defend their country-the remnants of their constitution, their religion, families, and property?

-No other complexion but thine, Mr. Windpuff, could ever have continued the same after an open avowal of such a calumny. But thou didst persist in attempting to fetter the volunteers, and didst even succeed in diminishing a scurvy allowance, which had been allowed to some whose necessities required it, and who received it only when on actual duty. Yes-thou didst persist, Mr. Windpuff; but the volunteers despised thy arbitrary aims and thy meanness.Many of them disembodied themselves, and the rest contented themselves with resting upon their arms, conscious of their readiness to step forward in the defence of their country, whenever its exigences should require it, although they would not submit to be under the orders of such a Jack Falstaff as thou, Mr. Windpuff

This affair will be always a millstone about thy neck, and it will be happy for thyself if it should sink thee beneath the notice of posterity. If we stood in such an ignominious predicament, we

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- would not bear to be reproach'd;
But dig down deep, to find a grave beneath,
And hide us.'

Another instance of oeconomy in the public expenditure was that of granting increased allowances to the younger branches of the lord's family. How very ready great men are to help those who are able to help themselves! Freeland Frederic, we are happy to say, appeared to have resumed himself. He was extremely attentive to the condition of the forces, and led the domestic life of his father, having discarded his former frailties. Amongst these was his ardour for campaigning; it was happy for the country that he seemed to have given it up, as he could do much good at home, and little harm abroad except to his friends. He had a family, and consequently an establishment to maintain; and the tenants would not have