3 C This was Doricourt, a young man whole perfon had every advantage that could please a woman, and his mind every power that could feduce her; his manner had all the brilliancy of his age, and his difcourfe all the pow er of fentiment: There was an air of gaiety in all that be faid and did, but perfectly without affectation. Many women of great experience had been miftaken in him; he had brought on a rupture fo as entirely to fave his credit, for one of his principal fecrets was to make himself hated, after he had made himfelf beloved: He fpared B no pains in either, and he generally fucceeded; his vanity, indeed, fuffered a little, but he freely facrificed that to his pleasure. His attempts were always made where it was most diffi cult to fucceed, and he never entertained any woman with love, that was not worthy of esteem: The art of ap pearing to be always forfaken by thofe who, in fact, he forfook, produced a conndence in him which left thole who were inclined to favour him, nothing to fear, With there fo forces he attacked the young Marchiones; and a character D and conduct (o different from all the bad ever feen, neceflarily fixed her attention: An addrefs fo full of refect, favs the, one may furely fuffer without danger." Dorfigni, however, was of another opinion, the appearance of refpect alarmed him much more than the flighty liberties that were taken by others. Celaza, says he, • will not certainly be the dupe of this artifice, if my friendhip does not fapply her want of experience; my Friend dip, however, is happily at Hand. The alliance fuppofed to be of fuch importance was afforded, and Dorfigni gave the Lady much good advice, which he thought wholly und neceffary, belides, the found it unpof.. fble to live in the fame folitude at Paris as in the country, nor could five prevent the visits even of Daricourt, confiftent with the laws of good breed E the eloquence of Friendship is thrown away upon a woman, he is to be moved only by other language; but mhould I therefore change mine? Thave never pretended to be the lo ver of Celiana; my view was only to render her fituation Jess klame ; but I fee plainly fne might have been trufted to do that for her felf J While the Count was making thefe reflections, Celiana had engaged in a fet converfation with Daricourt. Sir, Tays the, people very frequently form falle ideas of a woman that has not been used to live in the metropolis; fhe finds it a kind of fhowy, and it fixes her attention a little while, at the fame timme her fituation procures her many civilities; the pleasure of feeing a new face, the desire of being thought firft to introduce it to the world; the fuppofed merit of doing this with fuccefs, are concurrent caufes of the homage fle receives; and the preference which your politenefs has given to me, certainly (prings from the fame fource. Ah! Madan, faid he, in a tone that exprefed the greatest tenderness and ardour, how much do you injure yourfelf and me, vonchfafe, at leaft, not to confound me with the herd of general lovers that farround you; I have nothing in common with them but youth, and a few levities which custom always allows it. I am not without prin ciple, Madam, and will venture to fay, thit my principle has always regulated my conduct I have not lefs conftancy than fenfibi, lity, and the first bonds that held me "would have held me till now, if I only could have broke them.” "This is fomething extraordinary, faid Celiana'to herigif," but, Sir, fays fhe, you conclude too haftury, does another's having forfaken you, prove that you would not have forfaken them?" The confelion, Madam, fays he, proves at least, that I prefer a truth that mortides my vanity, to a falfhood that would gratify it. ing. This he took an opportunity to G" That is honett, and honey is the best obferve to the Count; "But do not be under any apprehenfion, faid the, on my account, for to fay tender things in a tender manner, is not fulfi cient to make an impreffion on my beart."Alas, Madam, laid Dorfigni, thofe who prefume so much upon their own ftrength, are always upon the brink of a defeat.'-' I fee, contined he, when he was alone, that miftake fo natural to young people, of imputing to women imperfections which do not belong to them ?"—O! A no, faid he, my error lies the other way; but though I have a real esteem for the fex in general, an esteem for an individual must be well foundved before it can become the bafis of a particular attachment." He is right in that, faid the Marchioness to herfelf, and the attention he pays me is the more flattering: with you, Sir, faid the, it is the judg- B ment that directs the paffion; this, I • believe, is not commonly the cafe;" So then I fhould attempt it in vain, faid he, During this converfation, Doricourt diffufed a kind of eloquence into his locks, which gave his language new power and Celiana thought them both fingularly forcible and expreffive. They might be yet more lo, faid The, and I fhould be ftill able to refift them, but why does not Dorfigni speak this language?" It was, however, but too true, that this language interefled her, and the Count's preachments became every day more irkfome: "In fhort, fays Celiana, I am in love with my tutor; I am acting the character in the play, with only this difference, that the tu tor in the play did not moralize.". She begins to be out of humour, faid the Count, when he was deliberating what to do; by that time I have made two more remonftrances, I hall be completely hated. I feel that my friendship dreads this ha. tred, and it is very natural that it fhould; but I dread still more to fee Doricourt beloved. But what is it to me? Why fhould I make myfelf uneafy about it? Am I a lover of Celana myfelf? Certainly I am 4 not; yet I cannot conceive why I fhould hate all those that are !' (To be concluded in cur next D G H Confiderations on the Trade and Finances of this Kingdom, and on the Measures of Adminiftration, with respect to those great national Objects, fince the Conclufion of the Peace; from a "amphlet publifhed this Month. TH HAT the wealth and the power of Great Britain depends upon its trade, is a propofition, which it would be equally abfurd in thefe times to difpute or to prove: It was not indeed apprehended, that they were so great as they have been found to be; we did not ourselves know our own ftrength, till the vigour of the latt war applied the resources of that wealth, and exerted the efforts of that power in the progress of it, many acquifitions highly beneficial to commerce were made; and the moft important of them were lecured by the peace; but, on the other hand, the abilities of this country were fretched to their utmost extent Trade muft fuffer in proportion for the price both of labour and materials was enhanced by the number and the weight of the new taxes, and by the fudden and extraordinary demand which the ruin of the French navigation brought upon Great Britain. In confequence of which, rival nations, who were not before, may now be able in many articles to underfell us at foreign markers, and even become competitors at our own. Both public and private credit were at the fame time oppreffed, by the vast and rapid increase of the national debt; the yalue of the stocks being funk by the quantity of them, fcarcity of money and high rates of intereit enfued, and the large unfunded debt which remained behind, aggravated the evil, and affected every money tranfaction.Thefe are circumstances of very derious concern to ftate them therefore distinctly; to fet against them the advantages we have gained, and to examine into the measures which have been purfued fince the peace, as well those which will contribute to reitore order to the finances, to preferve or to recover trade, and to improve our new acquifitions, as thofe which have a contrary tendency; in order, from the whole view, to form fome judgment of the real ftate of this kingdom, with refpect to its finances and its commerce, will be attempted in the following confiderations; but meafures having varied, and the national fituation and profpects being thereby Confiderations on thereby different at different times, it' will be neceffary to diftinguilh them into two periods, the one ending in the laft year, the other comprehend ing all fabfequent operations: and I fhall therefore endeavour to keep the confideration of each separate, as the only means of determining on either. A fell more than he wished the entire bill only, and not a part of it being faleable and as many of them were for large, and most of them for fraces tional fums, it was often difficult for difpofe of them: Stock, onothe cone trary, in any proportion, and at any time, will find a purchaser. Onethele confiderations, the majority ofthepros prietors, to the amount of 3,483135376 were induced to fubfcribe, and the market was thereby cleared of a great quantity of paper-circulation upon government fecurity, which had ex cluded a like circulation upon private fecurity, and engroffed all the ready cah: This operation therefore made an opening for the admiffion of notes and perfonal fecurity, facilitated dif count, and occafioned an easier circus lation of money, atsvarg sved. C. But notwithstanding this relief, a large debt was ftill unprovided for it accumulated the next year and trade and credit and the ftocks all la boured under the oppreffiant: It was fo fenfibly felt, that many perfons, im patient of the burthen, thoughtaifor,. ther loan neceffary for paying off a confiderable part of itp but they did not fufficiently reflect on other permanent mifchief which the creating of a fund equal to fuch a loan would have occafioned: the confiderable furplufies which were in the difpofab of parties ment, the furpluffes of the duties on coals and culin, of thoseton fuapy pa per, ftarch, linens, filks, calliques, and Huffs; of the ftamp dutiesiamh of the duties upon licences for detailing spi rituous liquors, were all appropriated. The high duties which the legiflature had laid upon fpirituous bquors, to prevent the too frequent ofe of them, were alfo applied: The funds which uxury could fapply, were exhaufted, by the taxes impofed upon a plate, cards, dice, brandy, and wine. Commerce had furnished its quota,byca further fubfidy on Eufi Indian commodities, on the produce of our own plantations, on grocery, linens, and other mifcellaneous articles: Property had again and again been called upon to raise fresh contributions, by additional ftamp duties, additional duties on houses, additional duties on windows: And the demands of the war ftill crouding on, recourse had at last been had to thofe fupplies which an univerfal home-consumption could raife: The common beverage of the people was chofen, and duties were The debt contracted by the war, which had been funded before the negociations for peace began, conffted of 50,730,000 l. redeemable annuities; of 472,500 1. being the value at 14 years purchafe of the annuities upon lives which were granted in 1757, and B of 6,826,875. being the value of the Jong annuities granted in 1761 and 1762, at 27 years purchase, which was the price they bore about the time of figning the preliminaries, and is nearly a medium price. The increafed funded debt was therefore at that rime 58,029,3751. but the expences of the war did not ceafe with its operations: they continued for fome time to be very confiderable; diftant fleets and armies could not be fuddenly recalled; large establishments could not be immediately reduced; and on these accounts it was neceifary, between the figning of the preliminaries and the conclusion of the peace, to make a loan of 3,500,000. The fund provided for the payment of the annuities thereon were the additional duties of 81. per ton on French wine and vinegar, of 41. per ton on other wines and vinegars, and of 1. per ton on cyder & pery imported, and a new duty of 4s, per hoofhead on all cyder & periy made in Great Britain, to be paid by the inaker. The fum to be raised on this fund was wanted for immediate services, and a valt debt fill remained unfunded that part of it only which F confifted of navy bills and ordnance debentures amounted to 3,670,739 and for thefe a temporary provihon was made, in the fame manner as had been done at the end of the former war, with refpect to the then outtanding bills & debentures, by char- G ging upon the finking fund fo many of then as thould be fubfcribed, to be converted into fuck at 4 per Cent. re. deemable. The interelt was the fame as before, but when it was upon bills, the time of pagment was uncertain; upon the flock it is regular: they were H indeed always affignable, but not diwifible; if therefore the money which the bill holder wanted was lels than - bill was worth, he was obliged to E A laid on malt, on beer, and on cyder: immediate remittances to the places Thefe preffed immediately on the danger were dling and lower ranks, on husband.. the greatest. The encouragement and men and manufacturers, who were not concurrence of a firm adminiftration indifferent toomany of the other du fupported their refolution, & feconded ties; the wages of labour were raised; their efforts: The Bank, on this prefthe value of foreign commodities, and fing occafion, instead of paying in fileven of our native produce, was en- ver, doubting on fecurities, gave the hanced ; and these are circumstances moft liberal and effectual affiffance, by always prejudicial, frequently dan discounting bills with the readiest difgerous, and fometimes fatal to trade patch, and to an incredible amount; and manufacturers. Was this a time and the merchants being from thence to impofe a new tax, which must have fupplied with larger fums than they been heavy to have been effectual; B themselves thought it poffible for them and which, fo far as our commercial to command, and fending away all interefts might have been affected by they could procure, by fuch a feafonit, would not in the end have been a able and vigorous exertion of their benefit, thoit fhould be a present re- powers, prevented the bankruptcy of lief, to public credit Europe. But all their generous endeayours might have failed, if the money wanted for this great purpofe had been diverted to any other; or if any check had been given to an operation, to which the lealt delay mat have been fatal, and which the forteft intermiffion might have, rendered abortive. A loan made under fuch cirD cumstances would have been attended with the ruin of many individuals; the price of the Atocks, already fallen by the quantities which had been fold C E funk till tower, and the further depreffion of both publick and private credit would have been the inevitable confequences of fuch a desperate meafure. But even if a fund free from any objection had been ready, an accidental diftrefs from another quarter would have prevented the application of it: The failures at Berlin, at Hamburgh, and in Halland, which happened about September 1763, had spread terror to every commercial city on the continent! the effects of such bankrupt. cies could not but be, great and extenfive they were unknown, and therefore appeared greater no man wasyfure that he himself was fafe; e-in order to raise money, mult have very one concluded that others were ruinedy they were afraid they should be drawn upon; they were afraid to draw and difmay and diftruft appear. ing in every countenance, increafed abeirimbtual apprehensions. The Briti merchants alone behaved with a pirit equal to the crifs though they were particularly unprepared for fuch an event, when all Europe was deeply, and they were more deeply than any, engaged in the flocks, which, in confequence of this calamity, were falling; thol most of their transactions therein were time bargains, by which their credit was already ftrentglied, & they had made themselves antwerable for a -new species of demands, great in a. mount, near in profpect, and which could not be postponed, even for a day; yet, amid thefe accumulated diffi. fculties, regardless of the partial fecu. -rity of their own particular houfes, they applied themfelves wholly to pro. vide for the general safety tho' the raations of their correfpondents were H acknowledged to be precarious, they ettufted them more than ever. They turned all they could into money; they fold at a lofs, they borrowed, in Norder to lend and then made vaft & On the other hand, it seemed at first fight impoffible, effectually to relieve the public, of the burthen of fo large an unfunded debt by any other means: It was however attempted, and the atF tempt has fucceeded beyond expectation. A ftrict fcrutiny was, during the late adminiftration, made into the feveral branches of the revenue, into the collection, and into the expenditure: Thofe revenues were increased, by a feady execution of the laws reGlating to them, and improved by additional regulations: New refources of finance were opened; & the whole was conducted with a frugality, which was important because it was univerfal, and generous, as its object was Juice. From the concurrence of all thefe measures, fupplies were found, in 1764 and 1765, fufficient to reduce the unfunded debt within fuch a compafs, as to be no longer oppreffive upon public credit; that part which confifted in navy bills only excepted ; they had accumulated fo falt, that LA tho |
