Useful needle work, and the occupations of the lovely daughters of king Alcinous, with the economy of a table, the history of their country, their father and mother's family, and those illustrious women who have adorned their sex, and blest their families with examples worthy of imitation, are considered only as secondary objects.

The education of our men is quite of a piece with that of our women; all the pursuits of a wonderful Chrichton are crowded into the compafs of a few years, during which time there is little or no discipline to correct the natural sloth and idleness of youth; neither are they warned against the effeminate practices of young men, at the critical age of puberty, which exhaust the vigour of mankind, and wither the stems of families.

They are taught to consider money, acquired by any profefsion, however mean or grovelling, nay even by gaming, by rapine, fraud, and murder, as the only roads to distinction, in a country become altogether venal, and that venality even sanctified by the monstrous nature of the constitution of the nation itself.

From schools and colleges, the young man goes abroad, or fixes in a profefsion. If he goes abroad raw and unprincipled, he goes not like the wise Ulysses, to study the manners and laws of natious, more polished than his own, but the opera girls, and fopperies and fashions of other countries, which have the same tendency in all ages, and in all countries.

If he fixes in a profefsion, he carries along with him. the idleness and difsipation of our seminaries of learning. He scorns to labour a lifetime for an honest progressivė acquisition of profit, but boldly ventures to cast the fortune of his lifetime on a single dye. Indeed, who will labour for a lifetime, when he thinks he can gain it in half an hour.

He sees also, that, in this country, the acquisition of a fortune will sanctify, or at least conceal, every villainy, and that it matters not much whether four thousand pounds a year are acquired as a reward of the virtues of a Chatham, or for starving a million of Gentoos on the o ther side of the Ganges.

A

LETTER FROM MR FRASER OF LOVAT, RESPECTING SALT

DUTIES.

IF gentlemen of family and fortune were to turn their attention to things of equal importance with that which forms the subject of the following letter, we should soon feel the beneficial effects which would result from it; but idleness is not the best school for reflecti on, nor wealth and power the most likely means of increasing wis dom or knowledge. It is not therefore surprising that matters of this sort fhould often elude the notice of men of rank; nor is it to be wondered at that the efforts of men who move in an inferior rank to introduce these to the notice of the public, fhould sometimes be overlooked, seeing it often happens that designing men contrive to mislead those of higher rank, under specious pretexts of public spirit, the fallacy of whose reasoning they are not able to detect. It is very doubtful if more harm to the people has not originated in plans suggested by self interest, though pretending to aim at nothing else than the public good, than from all other sources put together; and as this has been frequently remarked, it has cooled the zeal with which men in power listen to such proposals. From these considerations, the editor of this humble miscellany, who has fre quently exerted his feeble efforts to turn the attention of the public to this important subject, is by no means either hurt or surprised at the little effect it has produced; (for small is the number who know him so well as to be able to perceive that his personal interest can in no respect be affected by it ;) but he is so firmly convin ced of the benefits that would result from an elucidation of this subject that he shall omit no proper opportunity of bringing it into view. On this principle he thinks the following letter deserves to be well considered. In the following number he proposes to submit tojthe public a memorial on the same subject originating in a respec KK

VOL. XVII.

Oct. 161 table source, which will more clearly explain some circumstances that are only hinted at here, that are very little known by the pub lic.

TO THE FREEHOLDERS OF THE COUNTY OF INVERNESS.

I HAVE the honour to transmit the inclosed, which as convenor you will please to lay before the fhire at the first or Michaelmas head court, as it may throw some light on a subject which deeply interests the well-being and prosperity of Scotland; and as measures of public utility fhould be cooly deliberated, they require steadiness and zeal in their pursuit.

"I had the honour to addrefs the fhire on the subject of the coasting coal duties-I have now to solicit your attention to the consideration of those on salt; so as to procure, through the solicitation of your member in parliament, or other legal mode, such an arrangement or commutation of the duties on salt, as may enable meat salted or smoked, and fish cured wet or dry, on the coasts of the kingdom, to find their way to the home market of our cities and manufacturing towns, cured in the wholesomest and best manner, for the use of the poorer as well as the richer inhabitants.

"Such an arrangement duly obtained will further open that which has hitherto been locked up, no matter by what oversight, and will complete the circulation which must arise from the coasting commerce of this kingdomCoal and lime will go north, and salted and cured meats and fish come south in return; the numbers of seamen will be increased, fisheries and cattle-raising promoted.

"It can hardly be too often inculcated, that the coasting trade is the first stage in the nursery for forming of seaOld seamen naturally become fishermen ; and their children, taught by example, think of getting their bread

men.

on the water: It is not so easy to lead ploughmen or herdsmen to become seamen or fishermen.

"I have a few words more to mention on the subject of salt. At Learne, in Ireland, I have seen large cubic chrystalized salt, made there by means of Scots capital, Scots workmen, with English rock salt, and as much I rifh sea water as would difsolve that rock salt. This at present would be an illegal transaction in Scotland, yet, if made legal, would not only open the coasting trade and fisheries, but bring food cured in the wholesomest and best manner to a home market, and be the means of relieving the effects of season and climate in a northern latitude pretty generally, and, in times like these, the distresses of the grazier in the more northern parts, and the operative mechanics in the southern; for when there is no demand for cattle, and they are fat, they may be salted and cured various ways, which with their hides and tallow may be sent to market. And in times of stagnation and distress of manufacture, the operative people, by means of salted meat and fish, with their vegetables, will do very well. In times of prosperity they will be enabled to bring their goods to market on easier terms:

"The Canadian is permitted to freeze what he cannot support with winter provender, and that way carries it to market. Salt of a proper quality is requisite to do the same thing in this climate; and as the law stands at present, any British subject may supply the French general Santerre, but may not relieve the necefsity of the poorer inhabitants of Leith or Edinburgh on the east coast, or the operative manufacturers of Glasgow or Paisley on the west coast of this kingdom.

(Signed)

A. Fraser, Lovat."

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee. A copy of the following letter was in the pofsefsion of a deceased friend of mine. I believe it is not in any publication of the late king of Prussia's works; but if you think it worthy of a place in your Bee, it is much at your service. I am Sir, with great respect, yours &c.

J. F.

Copy of a letter from the king of Prussia to Voltaire.—1760. I have received with pleasure two letters from you at Prithee confefs, has not my large pacquet of one time. poetry appeared ridiculous to you? I fancy myself like Thersites, who attempts to compete with Achilles. I hope in your next to have a criticism upon what I have written, as you used formerly to let me have when I was a poor private inhabitant at Rheinsberg; where the unfortunate Keiserling, whom I regret, and fhall ever regret, gave you his tribute of praise. But Voltaire is become a courtier, and he can now part with nothing but praise, and truly this may be the least dangerous trade of the two. Think not however, that my poetical self-sufficiency can be offended with your corrections; I have not the folly to think that a German is capable of fhining in French poetry. Be so kind then as not to spare me, I know it is very possible to write better than I have done; but then I fhould be glad to be told how.

Are you not of my opinion, that writing verse well is a good introduction to writing prose well? will not this render the style more energetic, particularly if the writer is on his guard not to load his prose with epithets, circumlocutions, or too poetical metaphors.