By blinds and other contrivances, the keeper concealed from the obfer vation of the prifoners, unless where he thinks fit to fhew himfelf: hence, on their part, the fentiment of an invifible omniprefence.-The whole circuit reviewable with little, or, if neceffary, without any change of place.

One ftation in the infpection-part affording the moft perfect view of two stories of cells, and a confiderable view of another :-the refult of a difference of level.

The fame cell ferving for all purposes: work, fleep, meals, punishment, devotion:The unexampled airynefs of conftruction conciliating this economy with the moft fcrupulous regard to health-The minifter with a numerous, but moftly concealed, auditory of vifitors, in a regular chapel in the centre, visible to half the cells, which on this occafion may double their compliment.

The fexes, if both are admitted, invisible to each other.

Solitude,or limited feclufion, ad libitum.-But, unless for punishment, limited feclufion in afforted companies of two, three, and four, is preferred: An arrangement, upon this plan alone, exempt from danger. The degree of feclufion fixed upon may be preferved, in all places, and at all times, inviolate. Hitherto, where felitude has been aimed at, fome of its chief purpofes have been fruftrated by occafional affociations.

The approach, one only-Gates opening into a walled avenue cut through the area. Hence, no ftrangers near the building without leave, ñor without being furveyed from it as they pass, nor without being known to come on purpefe. The gates, of open work, to expofe hoflile mobs: On the other fide of the road, a wall with a branch of the road behind, to shelter peaceable paffengers from the fire of the building. A mode of fortification like this, if practicable in a city, would have faved the London prifons and prevented the unpopular accidents in St. George's Fields.

The furrounding wall, itself furrounded by an open palifade, which ferves as a fence to the grounds on the other fide.-Except on the fide of the approach, no public path by that fence -A centinel's walk between: on which no one elfe can fet foot, without forcing the fence, and declaring himfelf a treipaffer at least, if not an enemy. To the four walls, four fuch walks flanking and crofing each other at the ends,Thus each centinel has two to check him.

Thus fimple are the leading principles -The application and prefervation of them in the detail, required, as may be fuppofed, fome variety of contrivance.

The expence of this mode, would not, it is fuppofed, be above half of that of the late ingenious Mr. Blackburn, which, for a national penitentiary houfe, was to have cost above 120 l. a man †.

The editor is much obliged to the friendly affiftance of A. R. for this communication, and will an others for Communications of the fame fort when they fall in their way. Every propofal that tids t alleviate nunuan m fery, will claim a particular fadre of as attention. It would be a wat addition to the lavour now conferred, if the gentinian could dirt where a plan and clevation of toluerentialy heeft could be procured. No pace would be grunged.

Notices of the Proceedings in France, respecting the establifement of Civil Liberty,

THE Editor of this mifcellany, a long time ago, intended to prefent his readers with fome account of the tranfactions in France, thofe efpecially hat were calculated to eftablish the freedom of the prople; a fubject hat ought ever to be dear to the inhabitants of Britain. But the multiplicity of his avocations have hitherto hndered him from overtaking it; and the preffure of other matter has prevented him from finding room. In future, he intends to be particularly attentive to that quarter; and from the fmalinefs of type he has chofen for this department, he hopes to be able to fatisfy the curiofity of his readers, in tome refpect, on this fubject.

As the power of arbitrary imprisonment was the great grievance that ferved to unite all parties in the cause of freedom, fo the demolition of the Baftile, (the principal ftate-prifon in France), is fixed upon as the great æra of civil liberty in that kingdom. This event has given rife to many writings in the caufe of freedom, that have been univerfally read, and have produced great effects upon the minds of the people. Among thefe writings, the reflections on the baftille by M. de La Harpe is juftly diftinguished, not only for the elegance of ftile and warmth of elocution, but for the importance of the facts it brings to light, and the forcible reafoning with which thefe are accompanied. The following extract from that work difplays the villainous fyftem of government thae there prevailed. While we read it, let us be on our guard to eradicate from among ourselves, the feeds of fuch a fyitem of defpotifm, fhould they ever be introduced into this country.

"To ftrengthen that juft averfion every good and reafonable man has long entertained to the fyftem of our exchequer, it may be proper to read the cafe of Mr. Rubigni de Beterval, tanner in Paris, fent to the Baftille in 1777, for having written memorials prefented to the miniftry against the ruinous impoft of marking leather. There is perhaps nothing more calculated to difplay all that was vicious and baneful in the arbitrary system of our administration. That worthy citizen had merited the protection and encouragement of two enlightened and virtuous minifters of finance, M. Turgot and M. Neckar, who had done juftice to the wifdom of his views and patriotic. inttutions. But in confequence, he had reaton to expect the animadverfion of Abbé Terray, and above all, the implacable hatred of the Leather-office (Regie des cuirs). Of this he adduces an incontrovertible proof, from a letter of one of the directors of the office to an infpector.

The company, Sir, are informed, that it is the Sieur de Berteval "who writes against them; we must go to law with that man, and "crush him if poffible: your places depend on it."

"Let us not be furprized at this letter. Intereft, particularly in companies, operates in fuch a way; it is a matter of courfe. M. de Berteval had demonftrated, "that, before the tax, he manufactured up-"wards of 46000 hides; but fince its impofition, not more than 6000

"skins of all forts: that in 1759, there were in the principal cities of "the kingdom, 662 tan-houses; that in 1775, they were reduced to "198; that the leather-office had deftroyed the goodnefs of the manu“facture, disturbed the peace, and the trade of 30,000 families, oc"cafioned a prodigious emigration of able workmen; and finally, that "the lofs to the ftate fince 1750 was 160 millions *."

"The author of a memoir of fuch utility and importance, would have been diftinguished and confulted at London by the Houfe of Commons; but here a Regie (a board) was a power not to be controuled. At first they attempted to ruin M. de Berteval, by caufing falfe marks to be put on the hides in his warehoufe, by means of the officer, whose businefs it was to examine them. This piece of villainy, unhappily too frequent, was without effect, and without punishment. Afterwards they tried to intimidate him, by demanding of him in a public audience of the police, to renounce all intentions of writing against the Regie. He refufed. Still there remained the great, the univerfal refource, the Baftille; and though he was then protected by M. Neckar then in office, yet as every minifter was abfolute in his own department, they obtained from him who prefided over Paris, an order to a reft, in open day, a refpectable trader, and to tear from the arms of his wife and children, a father of a family. After fome days he was enlarged; but the great blow had been struck; a kind of ftigma had been affixed on him; a man in business is not imprisoned in fuch a manner, without fuffering in his affairs and reputation at least for fome time; without being at least fomewhat difgufted with writing for the public intereft in oppofition to a board, who he finds attend fo particularly to their own private intereft; and thus it is, that all is for the best in this beft of poffible worlds.

"However defirous I am to abridge this article, which has lengthened in fpite of me, it is not poffible to pafs over a fingular trait in this hiftory of inhumanity, and which would be incredible, but for the infallible and irrefragable registers of the Baftille. It is, that an old man upwards of a bunderd years of age, M. Conftant, was fhut up in this flate prison, the 5th March 1760, and enlarged the tenth of April following. The register adds, he was then aged one hundred and eleven years, and remarkably well. The Editors remark, that the motive of his detention is not expreffed. I am not surprised at it; but I am fo that they should be ignorant of a matter which was fo public, and made a good deal of noise at the time. It is without doubt curious to know what could have fent to the Bastille a man of that extraordinary age, fo far beyond the term of life at which the law ceafes to imprifon debtors. Thus M. Conftant was a citizen of good reputation, and had obtained a small penfion from Louis XV. from the rare circumftance of having lived a century. As it was not punctually paid, and he was ftraitened for want of it, he went to make his complaint at the public levee of the minister Comte St. Florentin; there probably he had in fome little degree exercised the right of age, and had not preferved in his expreffions and tone, that guarded circumfpection which fuited the etiquette of the place: This was the least that was due to the Majefty of a minister, whom he had dared to reproach for keeping back what had been granted by the goodness of the King.

*This calculation was verified in the Affembly of the Notables by Meffrs, Forqueaux and Dupont

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

FOR

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13. 1791.

On the Folly of being difcontented with our native Coun

:

try

I a

Home is always home, tho' it were e'er fo homely.

PROVERB.

So bountiful has the Creator of this universe been to his creatures, that he hath diffeminated those things which can minifter to human enjoyment in a much more equal degree through the different regions of the earth, than can eafily be perceived by a fuperficial observer on one region he hath conferred bleffings of a particular kind, which he hath withheld from another, while advantages of a different kind make up for the partial want. To thofe who know how to make a proper use of the bleffings that fall to their share, this wife difpofition of providence is pleasing: But the peevifh and the ignorant feldom experience the sweet solace that arifes from a grateful contentment with the lot that hath fallen to their own fhare. While they feel the evils to which they themselves are fubjected, they look around them, and perceiving that others are not fubjected to the fame hardships, they haftily conclude VOL II.

L

Not

that they enjoy a happier lot than themfelves. having felt the ills, perhaps of a feverer kind, to which others are expofed, they perceive them not at all, and rafhly conclude, that Heaven hath ftrewed the path of other men with rofes only, while nothing but briers and thorns, and noxious weeds, fpring up in the dreary road which they are compelled to tread. Their minds become thus peevish and discontented. All nature asfumes to them a gloomy appearance; and they dare to lift up their prefumptuous eye even to heaven, and blafpheme the merciful creator of this univerfe, by accufing him, in their hearts, of partiality and injuftice.

In no one particular are men more apt unjustly to complain of their lot, than by depreciating the climate and the country in which they live. In other respects, the grievances of individuals vary fo much, that each is reduced to the neceffity of uttering his own folitary complaints, without being joined by others; but in this respect the complaint of one man is re-echoed by another, and they fo cordially agree in exciting the bad humour of each other, that they act without reftraint. The fame complaints are fo often repeated, that they come at length to be believed as facred truths which admit of no difpute.

It is in this way we hear repeated every day such loud and unqualified complaints of the nature of the climate in which we live, that many perfons have brought themselves feriously to believe it is the most inhofpitable region in the universe. Here the effects of cold, in particluar, are at times fo feverely felt, that moft people are inclined to believe, that thofe who live. in warmer regions are in every refpect more comfortably fituated than ourselves; we think of the delicious fruits that are natives of these regions, and languish for the gratifications that these would afford to us: we spy the rofe, while not within our grafp; its balmy fragrand e inchants us, its delicate blush invites us to pluck it, but we perceive not the thorn with which it is accompanied. It pricks us only when we take it in our