The cryital gates of heav'n expanded wide, After defcribing the first appearance of the Sun, above our horizon, he proceeds to draw a lively picture of the various objects that prefented themselves to his view. The whole poem is a feries of landscapes, wherein is beautifully painted, firft the dawning, then the fun-rifing, after that a piece confifting of corn fields, meadows and groves; and laftly a description of the effects of spring on the feveral orders of animals. Having already given an example of his defcription of the dawning, we shall next fubjoin a fpecimen of the other parts. And first of the fun-rifing. While fhortly with the blazing torch of day The refplendence of the fun's beams on the fea, and the fporting of the fifh, are next defcribed; after which the landscape of meadows and corn fields follows. The fair creation fwell'd upon the eye; Lo! by foft zephyrs wak'd and gentle showers, Some red, pale, purple, yellow, brown, or blue; The effects of the Spring on Animals. Emerging from their coral-paven cave But But ftream-prefiding nymphs, and Naiads trim, Such is the moody genius of their mind. ART. XXXII. ART. XXXII. Reflexions on the expediency of a law for the naturalization of Foreign Proteftants, &c. Part II. By Jofiah Tucker, M. A. 8vo. I s. Trye. * TOtice has already been taken of the firft Part, nor do we fee any reason to deny the fame recommendation to Part II. now under our confideration. It is written by way of queries, poffibly in imitation of the Bishop of Cloyne's Querift; between which and the prefent tract, there feems to be a very great correfpondence, and that in regard to the matter as well as method. In a prefatory difcourfe, the reverend author has fet forth the various hardfhips fuffered by the proteftants abroad, in a very concife, clear, and affecting manner; the conclufion of which is in thefe words: Let the candid and benevolent reader conceive himself in the fituation of these unhappy fufferers, helplefs and diftreffed, forced to abandon all his poffeffions, his deareft relations, and his native country, and flying from his perfecutors into a land of strangers, where he only defires a secure retreat, with an exclufion from all public employments, and from parliament, and upon his giving the ftrongeft affurances of fidelity to the government, to be received as a faithful subject; may the Almighty direct him to form fuch a judgment concerning the treatment due to persons in these circumftances as becomes a chriftian and a proteftant!' and Though we have a ftrong defire to declare our fentiments on this fubject, we choofe rather to be filent, that the charitable may have the pleasure of determining for themfelves. No arguments are neceffary to convince them, that to do good and relieve the diftreffed are indifpenfible christian duties. It is the avaricious part of mankind, who ftand in need of felf-interested motives to induce them to practife thofe virtues, which the truly benevolent exercise with pleafure, merely on account of their intrinfic excellence. Our author, therefore, takes a good deal of pains to convince the former, that the naturalization of foreign proteftants, inftead of being detrimental, would really be for the advantage, and true intereft of Great Britain. As this is a matter of the greatest importance, the reader will no doubt See Review for December last, p. 523. be be pleased to see it cleared up by the following queries, taken from page 31. feq. I. Was there any claufe ever offered in a naturalization bill to deprive the freemen of towns corporate of their rights and privileges? And was it not always declared by the promoters of fuch bills, that freemen fhould preferve thefe (Suppofed) privileges, as long as they themselves would chufe to keep them, and till they would petition to be released from them? 2. What are the privileges of freemen? are they real or imaginary? Would the inhabitants of Birmingham, Manchefter, and Leeds, accept fuch privileges if they were offered them? 3. Are the tradesmen in Westminster the poorer for being without, or the tradefmen in London the richer for being within the liberties of the city? · 4. If a tradefman fells the dearer by excluding those who are not free, doth he not buy the dearer of other tradesmen for the like reafon? If his intention is only to exclude rivals, do not the freemen of other trades exclude their rivals upon the fame motives? And when other tradesmen exclude their rivals, do not they in fact exclude fuch as might be his customers? 5. Is not every tradefman willing to buy as cheap, and feil as much as may be? But how can he do either where trade is not free? 6. If there will and must be rivals either at home or abroad, which is the most detrimental to the kingdom? To have competitors at home? or, to be out-rivalled abroad? 7. What is the public good? Is it not, for the moft part, the refult of emulation among the members of the fame fociety? And what would become of industry, temperance, frugality, and the defire of excelling, if there were no emulation? 8. Which is the best for the publick, to have emulations among tradesmen and manufacturers, or combinations? And which of these hath the strongest tendency to heighten the price of exportable goods, and impoverish our country?? In anfwer to the objection, that foreigners would take the bread out of the mouths of the natives, he has the following queries, p. 34. 1. Which fort of foreigners are moft to be dreaded, as taking taking the bread out of the mouths of the natives? Those without the kingdom? or thofe within? - 2. If the good people of England could fee through a telescope thofe merchants and manufacturers in the feveral parts of Europe, who out rival them, and prevent the fale of their manufactures, would they not rather fay, these are the people who take the bread out of our mouths? But will the refufal of a naturalization bill be a means to cure this evil? 3. Who are those who have carried the myfteries of trade out of the kingdom? - Foreigners or Englishmen? And whether there are not Englishmen fettled very lately in moft kingdoms in Europe, who teach the natives of those countries the particular trades in which we moft excell? Whether alfo there are not undeniable proofs of their having folicited charters to exclude goods of the fame kind coming from England?' In order to expose the bad policy of denying foreigners the privilege of fettling in this kingdom, he has, among others, the following queries, p. 36. 1. Whether the kingdom of Spain would have been depopulated by the Spanish fettlements in America, if all the manufactures fent to that country had been worked up in old Spain? 2. As great multitudes of French, English, Dutch, Italians, and other nations, are now employed in the making of manufactures for the Spanish West-Indies, - Would not old Spain be a very populous country, if thefe people, with their wives and children, were transplanted there? 3. Whether the Spaniards, from a sense of this truth, are not now inviting foreigners to fettle among them? And do not the English feem inclined to run into the oppofite error? 4. Whether it is not prudent to keep open two doors in a state, one for fuch perfons to go out to our colonies, as may have their reafons for fuch departure, and the other to admit those persons in, as are inclined to live a mong us?' This fpecimen, we prefume, will, not only juftify the character already given, but likewife excite the reader's curiofity to perufe the piece itself. W. ART. XXXIII. |