ing the famous Mr Hugh Mackail and other preachers to officiate in his chapel at Cardrofs, he was confiscated, and forced to pay another fine of a thousand pounds sterling.

His whole estate of Cardrofs was wasted, and his house occupied by a garrison for eight years together, during the life time of his father; and now in the year 1679, it was again garrisoned, and himself committed a close prisoner to the castle of Edinburgh, until he should pay a fine of three thousand pounds, immoderately laid beyond his power of present performance, that his person might be secured.

In June of this year the king's forces, on their march to the west, (the day before the duke of Monmouth came to them,) wheeled, and went out of their route, that they might quarter upon lord Cardrofs's estate of Strathbroke, where they plundered and destroyed the corns and cattle of his tenants, and made as great havock as the time would permit.

After this, lord Cardrofs finding it impofsible for him to live with safety or honour in his own country, compounded for his fines, and engaged with those who settled on Charlestown neck in South Carolina, where he established a plantation. From thence a few years afterwards he and his people were driven by the Spaniards, many of the colonists being killed, and almost all their effects destroyed. Forced to return again to Europe, he took up his abode at the Hague, with his persecuted coun

trymen, and obtained a command in the army of the states general of Holland; from whence he came in the year 1688 with William prince of Orange, his son David Erskine attending him and commanding a company .of foot.

Lord Cardross raised a regiment of cavalry for the service of the state, soon after his arrival in England, to the command of which he was appointed!; and he acquitted himself bravely and honourably under the command of general Mackay in Scotland, to perfect the good work of establishing the throne. of king William on the basis of rational law and parliamentary election.

But lord Card rofs's health, which had been impaired by his close imprisonment, and the fatigues of his American plantation, sunk under the effects of his military duties in Scotland, and he died at Edinburgh in the year 1693, having only completed his forty-third year.

The chief intent of this slight notice concerning lord Cardrofs, is to suggest the reflection that ought to arise from the comparison of times that appear troublesome and hazardous, with those that have been truly dangerous and afflicting in former ages; and to set forth the example of a virtuous man, who rather than disturb the tranquility of his country, and endanger that of his relations and friends, chose the hard alternative of seeking an asylum on the other side of the Atlantic.

There are times when it is impofsible for a wise .man to operate with success in reclaiming his countrymen from inveterate prejudices; and in such times.

for a man of a philosophical turn of mind, and of strict and delicate virtue, the simile of Plato ought to be well considered.

"If one, says he, fhall observe, a great company run out into the rain every day, and delight to be wet in it, and if he judges that it will be to little purpose for him to go and persuade them to come. into their houses and avoid the rain, so that all that can be expected from his going to speak to them, will be that he fhall be wet with them; would it not be much better for him to keep within doors, and preserve himself, since he cannot correct the folly of others?"

ON THE VALUE AND USES OF THE LARCH TREE. Ir a traveller fhould come from a strange country, and report that he had there found a tree whose wood was nearly incorruptible; who fhould say, thay under ground it would remain for centuries firm, and at length acquire almost a metallic hardness; that above ground, though exposed to the weather, it could scarcely be said ever to rot: that if cut into plank after being thoroughly dried, it was neither apt to fhrink nor warp in any way that no kind of warm was known to make any impression on it for ages, if made into furniture; and that even the sea worm in tropical regions, so destructive to most other kinds of wood, did not affect it: that it resisted fire, so as scarcely ever to be put into a flaine; and only consumed slowly in circumstances that

were very favourable for combustion: that though light and soft, it was strong and elastic that it was a tall and stately tree, of remarkably quick growth and elegant appearance, that it throve on a great diversity of soils, and in a variety of exposures, even in very cold climates: that it bore seeds early, which germinated freely, and was easily propagated: that the verdure of its leaves was very vivid and pleasing that its blofsoms were of a fine purple colour in great adundance early in the spring, so as to make it one of the most beautiful ornamental trees that could any where be found; would not every one who should read this description pronounce it to be greatly exaggerated, and be satisfied that no one kind of tree could pofsefs such a great number of valuable properties? Yet such we now know with certainty the larix to be ; and that from facts established by undeniable evidence, every one who examines this subject wich attention, must admit the whole without hesi tation. That a tree pofsefsing these valuable qualities, ought to be cultivated with care, no one will deny; but in a country where it has not come into general use, and where its qualities are of course not experimentally known, it may be of use, not only to specify a few of the facts which prove that it really does pofsefs the qualities above ascribed to it; but also to point out some of the many uses to which it may be applied; in order that by directing the attention of individuals to a subject of so much importance, care may be taken to disperse it as early as pofsible into all those parts of the country where it would tend most effectually to promote

the improvement of arts, manufactures, or agriculture in any way.

The incorruptibility of this wood has been several times hinted in this miscellany and other perfor mances; but as the facts which prove this cannot be too generally known, there will be little harm in recapitulating some of these, and adding some others lefs generally known.

Vitruvius mentions this wood as the best that had ever been known for rafters, and other parts of the wood work in buildings that required great strength; and attributes the perishable nature of modern buildings in his time, in a great measure to the want of it in the neighbourhood of Rome. The houses of Venice are well known to be built upon piles of larch wood, which have remained sound for many hundred

years, and are now found to be so hard as to resist an edged tool almost like a petrifaction. Many of the pictures of Raphael Urban are painted upon boards of larch wood, which are still perfectly entire. It is about three hundred years since he died. Had the wood either fhrunk or warped during that time, it is evident the paintings must have been destroyed; as must also have been the case had it been eaten by worms.

These are a few facts that have been long known in Europe. The following have been more lately observed, and are lefs generally known. "I have in my garden, says M. le president de la Tour D'AIGUES, in the year 1787, some rails, part of which are oak, and part of them rch wood. The rails were made in the year 1743, and only once painted. The oak has yielded

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