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Memoirs of Mr. Peter Collinfon,

effays on electricity. Their minds in this respect were congenial, ever intent upon promoting public good. Perhaps in fome future period, the account he procured of the management of theep in Spain, in refpect to their migrations from the mountains to the plains, and their stated returns, may not be confidered among the leaft of the benefits accruing from his extenfive and inquifitive correfpondence. When America is better peopled, the mountainous parts more habitable, the plains unloaded of their vaft forefts and cultivated, the finest fheep in the world may poffibly cover the plains of Carolina, Georgia, and the Floridas in the winter months, and retreat to the mountains as the fummer heats increafe, and dry up the herbage. Probably it might be practifed even in this ifland to advantage, with this difference, that the highest ground fhould be chofen for the winter refidence of these animals, proper shelter being made for them, and the wetter low lands left for fummer.

Mr. Collinfon's converfation was chearful, and ufefully entertainingit generally turned to fome interefting difquifition, or imparting fome beneficial information. With fome of the moft eminent perfonages in the kingdom, as diftinguished by their taste in planting and horticulture, as by their rank, he frequently spent a few days at their feats, imparting many advantageous hints as to the improvements they were defigning. By his extenfive obfervation and experience of the effects of different methods of cultivation; what foil, what afpect beft fuited different plants and trees; how beft to cover incurable defects; how to improve beauties, &che often prevented young planters from committing capital miftakes, rectified others who had been mifled, and prevailed upon many of his friends, and young people of fortune, to embark in this rational amufement, and to perfevere in it greatly totheir own emolument and the lasting advantage of 'their country.

Planting, he ufed to fay, and gardening, fupply a fund of entertainment, the most lafting and reasonable of any occupation in this life; plea.

Jan.

fures not to be purchafed. The trees
which we ourselves have planted, the
fruits we have raifed, the plants we
have cultivated, feem to be like our
children, a kind of new creation;
their flade, their tafte, their fragrance
and their beauties, affect us with a
richer repaft than any others. What
a pleafing fcene, would he observe,
lies open to a young man of fortune
devoted to fuch amufements! Each fuc-
ceeding year produces new shades, other
fruits, fresh beauties, and brings befides
most certain profit. To behold the rifing
groves, barrennefs made fertile, our
country improved, ourfelves made
ufeful and happy, and pofterity en-
riched! When on this favourite fub-
ject, a very natural reflection often
efcaped him, that he feldom knew a
man poffeffed of a tafte for fuch plea-
fures, who was not at the fame time tem-
perate and virtuous. And indeed he
had a right to make the observation ;
for he had the fatisfaction of reckon-
ing among his moft intimate friends,
men of the most amiable and unble-
mished characters in all stations, par- ́
ties, and diftinctions.

Nor was he only employed in promoting this tatte amongit his friends, in enlarging their views, correcting and refining their judgment, but also in furnishing them with the means of increafing their plantations; and it is but doing justice to his memory, to mention that he was the first who introduced the great variety of feeds and hrubs, which are now the principal ornaments of every garden; and that it was owing to his indefatigable induftry, that fo many perfons of the first diftinction are now enabled to behold groves tranfplanted from the western continent flourishing fo luxuriantly in their feveral domains, as if they were already become indigenous to Britain.

His business in the mercantile way. was chiefly to North America and the Weft-Indies, the former particularly. He had perufed every performance that was wrote refpecting the natural history and produce of all our own settlements, and indeed of all the European colonies in the new world. This enabled him to make enquiries after every thing that was curious and useful, and brought him acquainted with

the

1776. One of the chief Promoters of Nat. Hift. and Botany. 5

the most intelligent people who came over from America; his enquiries raised fome curiofity in thofe countries, and excited a taste for natural history and botanical researches. It perhaps may fafely be faid, that every thing of this fort that has appeared in thofe parts of the world, was chiefly owing to his encouragement. That eminent naturalift, John Bartram, may almoft be faid to have been created fuch by Mr. Collinfon's affiftance; he first recommended the collecting of feeds, and afterwards affifted in difpofing of them in this country, and conftantly, excited him to perfevere in investigating the plants of America, which he has executed with indefatigable labour through a long courfe of years, and with amazing fuccefs.

The quantities of new feeds he received from America, not only fupplied his own garden with every thing that was curious, but furnished him with the means of procuring others, in exchange, from other parts of the globe. He had fome correfpondents in almost every nation in Europe; fome in Afia, and even at Pekin; who all tranfmitted to him the most valuable feeds they could collect, in retu.n for the treasures of America. In this exchange of good offices, there is abundant caufe to believe no man ever exceeded him in refpect to punc tuality, care, or generosity; few had ever more intelligent correfpondents, or fucceeded better in enriching this country with the vegetable produce of every other, that could either add to its advantage or ornament.

The great Linnæus, during his refidence in England, contracted an intimate friendthip with him, which was reciprocally increafed by good of. fices, and continued to the laft without any diminution. Mr. Collinfon frequently prompted the Americans to purfue improvements alike beneficial to themselves and to his country. He often urged the benefit, nay neceffity of cultivating flax, hemp, wine, filk, and other products. In most of the northern and fouthern colonies, there are a variety of native grapes grow ing wild in the woods, and thriving among the trees and bushes for their fupport. Thefe yield fruit in plenty of different kinds, and many of them capable of producing a rich good wine. It would be eafy in autumn to collect

a fufficient quantity of the fruit to make trial of the wine. A few have done it with fuccefs, and the fault feems not fo much in the fruit, as want of fkill or care in making the wine. It is certainly now high time for the Americans to apply themselves diligently to cultivate their native produce, and the measures of adminiftration have at length forced them to do it, whether they chofe it or not.

He was a member of the fociety of Antiquarians from its firft inftitution, and fupplied them often with many curious articles of intelligence and obfervations refpecting this and other countries-for wherever he was, or however feemingly engaged, nothing efcaped his notice, if it appeared likely to be useful or inftructive. He had no greater ambition than to collect what knowledge he could, and to render this knowledge fubfervient as much as poffible to the good of mankind. He lived many years in great domeftic happiness, and his family took the fame bias, and aided his purfuits. He had a pleafing and focial afpect-his temper open and communicative - capable of feeling for diftrefs, and ready to relieve. He rofe very early, and whilft in the country his time was almoft conftantly employed in his garden, obferving and affifting the operations of nature, or in the study of other parts of phyfical knowledge, which contributed to his health and pleasure.

He was fond of fruit to an extreme, and of flowers a perpetual admirer: he was feldom without them in his houfe, from the early fnowdrop to the autumn cyclamen. He would often relate with pleafure the astonishing advancement made in his time in hor ticulture; gave inftances of many plants, which at their first introduction would not bear our winters' without shelter, and now endured almoft our hardeft frofts; fo that foreigners food amazed at the power of vegetation in this country, and the happy temperature we enjoy, notwithstanding the unmerited murmurs of the unthinking and injudicious against a climate the most favourable of all others to the real happiness of mankind..

He hath left behind him a vast treasure of dried fpecimens of plants, and in spite of repeated and cruel de

pre

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Anecdote of King George I. &c.

predations on his garden, whereby he loft a multitude of valuable plants and fhrubs, and had many others deftroyed by the villains in the act of plunder, he has nevertheless left a finall treasure of rare plants, in greater perfection than can be seen perhaps in any other spot.

Excepting fome attacks of the gout, in general he enjoyed perfect health and great equality of fpirits; bearing thofe trials which are incident to man with fortitude and refignation.

In fuch a course he arrived at his 75th year; when being on a vifit to Lord Petre in Effex, for whom he had a fingular regard, he was feized with a total fuppreffion of urine, which baffling every attempt to re

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An Anecdote of a

OUIS XIII. never could be without a favourite. Cardinal Richlieu, hated by every one who was about the king, gave him one in the perfon of young Elliat Cinq Mars, that he might have a creature of his own about the throne. This young man, who was foon made mafter of the horse, wanted to be in the council, and the Cardinal, who would not fuffer it, bad immediately an irreconcileable enemy in him. The king's own behaviour, who, offended with his minifter's pride and state, ufed to impart his diflike to his favourite, whom he always called his dear friend, the more emboldened Cinq Mars to plot against him. He propofed to his majefty feveral times to have him af

Jan.

lieve it, proved fatal on the 11th of Auguft, 1768, and deprived his family, his friends, and country of a man devoted to their intereft and advantage. Inclofed in his will was found a paper, importing, " that he hoped he should leave behind him a good name, which he valued more than riches; that he had endeavoured not to live uselessly; and that all his days he conftantly aimed to be a friend to mankind." Such indeed he was, to the utmost of his ability; and he may justly be confidered as a latent fpring to many important improvements, as well as one of the principal promoters of natural history in general, and of horticulture in parti. cular, in the age in which he lived.

George the Firft.

half the ufual quantity, defiring him to ufe economy, for they would barely ferve him the year at one each night. Being thus forced by neceffity to retrench, he faid he would then eat two every other night; and valued himself on having mortified himself lefs than if he had yielded to the regulation of one each night. An excellent compromife between economy and epicurifm.

King's Friend.

faffinated; but the king afterwards took fuch a diflike to his favourite, that he banished him from his prefence; fo that Cinq Mars conceived an equal hatred to the king and his minifter.

He carried on a correfpondence with the duke of Bouillon and the king's brother: The chief object was the Cardinal's death. Richlieu's good fortune discovered the plot. The confpirators treaty with Spain fell into his hands. This coft Cinq Mars his life; he was beheaded at Lyons. At the hour appointed for his execution, Louis pulled out his watch, and turning to the courtiers about him, faid, "I fancy my dear friend makes a very forry figure juft now."

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

An Abftra& Hiflory of the Proceedings of the fecond Seffion of the fourteenth Parliament of Great Britain, which met and was bolden at Weltminster, Thursday the 26th day of October 1775; to which is prefixed, a general Sketch or Outline of the Parliamentary Conduct and political Arrangements of Adminißration refpecting America during the preceding Seffion.

10 form a true-judgement of the

Tproceedings of parliament fince the commencement of the prefent feffion, and the general fyftem of policy on which thofe proceedings were engrafted, it will be neceffary to take a fhort retrospective view of the ftate of public affairs during the preceding feffion, and the leading tranfactions in both Houses, which more particularly mark that state.

It is no vulgar or common undertaking, for a perfon, born and educated under this government, to enter into political and hiftorical details; and to execute them in fuch a manner as to avoid the appearance of partiality. The attempt has been often made, but the want of fuccefs would lead one to believe it impracticable. In the most earnest purfuit of truth, and with the best and most capable difpofitions for difcovering it, the author, if he be a man of principle, will be at least tin&tured with the prejudices of that party which he has been taught to think ofteneft in the right; (for perfection in politics, is no more to be expected than in morals) if he be not, motives of perfonal and private confideration will induce him to efpoufe that caufe, and enlift under that ftandard, which in præenti or in fe promife moft liberally to gratify his views of faction or felf intereft. Even foreigners, when treating of the affairs of this country, have uniformly laboured under the fame impediment in fome degree; compelled to collect their materials from fyftems of error, and party mifrepresentation, they are whigs or tories, royalifts or republicans, according to the original bias on their own minds, and the preconceived notions of government, which their principles and mode of education led them to adopt. Rapin has given repeated proots of this, in bis Hittory of England, and has hewn himself as rank a partizan, as if he

had drawn his first breath in Middle

fex; or were educated under one

of the foureft nonconforming minifters of the last century. If therefore the author of the following historical abstract thould undefignedly offend fome of his readers of a particular complexion, he trusts that they will arraign his judgement, and not quel tion his intention, as he folemnly affures them, he neither wishes to mifre prefent nor mislead.

Though the minifter was fupported, by very great majorities on every material meafure he propofed to parlia ment laft feffion, the beginning of it bore a very difagreeable afpect. Whether he found himself thwarted in the cabinet, or was not fure of the fupport of the country gentlemen, or dreaded the weight of the mercantile inte ret, or did not fecretly approve of the meafures he was called to carry into execution; or, laftly, whether his conduct was the effect of great art, we will not pretend to decile; but it is certain, he appeared much embarraffed and perplexed; and feemed to feel the difagreeablenefs of his fituation very fenfibly. He attended but feldom before the Christmas recefs, and avoided as much as poffible, every thing, which in its nature and probable confequences might lead to or be productive of explanation. The landed intereft had not yet been tried. The merchants and manufacturers were clamorous. He therefore, we may prefume, fhrunk from the conteft, and induftriously with-held the whole plan relative to his intentions respecting America. In ftrict conformity to this ministerial referve and caution, the national estimates were formed. The army and ordnance for land fervice remained on their former footing; that of the ufual peace eftablifhment. The navy was reduced 4000 men below it; and the land-tax was voted at three fillings in tire

poun.

8

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

pound. The gentlemen in oppofition pointed out the abfurdity of coercing America, with fuch a force; and the direct repugnancy there was, between the estimates now voted, and the meafures recommended in the fpeech from the throne. This argument was frequently preffed. Two or three days however before the Houfe rofe, Mr. Cornwall, one of the gentlemen in adminiftration, pulled the mafque a little afide; and faid it would be very improper to form war eftimates at this feafon, as it might alarm the merchants: therefore the explanations defired could not be properly given, till the measures at large, and the means of executing them, were taken and connected in one view; which, he faid, was intended to be done immediately after the recess,

The alarm spread through the whole body of merchants and manufacturers concerned in the American trade, was much dreaded by the friends of government; and on the meeting of parliament after the adjournment, gave a weight to oppofition, which caufed great uneafinefs to the minifter. An oppofition from the mercantile interest, muf always be a matter of ferious confequence to thofe who are called to the administration of public affairs, as long as trade and commerce conftitute the great fource and bulwark of our internal profperity and external ftrength.

While all mens expectations and wishes were raised to the highest pitch, to know the nature and extent of the intended measures, and the event of the part the merchants had taken in this bufinefs was anxiously fought,an unexpected mode of oppofition broke out in the House of Lords. It was a motion for withdrawing the troops from America, and defifting from all further hoftilities againft the people of that country. Several of the members of that House were men of the firft rate abilities; fome of them had been tried and approved in the most arduous and important ftations. One of them, the noble lord [Lord Chatham] who made the motion, directed the affairs of this country at a moft critical feafon; and had given a luftre to our arms,a dignity,efficacy and fteadiness to our councils, and a national weight and confequence to

1

Jan.

this nation, confidered as a member of the
grand European republic, unknown,
not only in the annals of Britain but of
any other people perhaps in the western
part of Europe, fince the difmember-
ment and diffolution of the Roman
empire. But from the established
mode of conducting public bufinefs;
and more particularly of all measures
connected with the national finances,
the blow, though in fomne degree ju-
dicioufly aimed, loft its intended ef-
fect. The minifter, it is true, felt a
temporary trepidation; but the thun-
ders of that voice, which was wont to
ftrike minifters dumb, and fill the
Treafury Bench with terror and dif-
may, now was vox & præterea nihil,
and went off in mere found; or it
might be aptly compared to an ex-
plofion at too great a distance and in
an improper place; not perhaps
owing to the prefent unfkillfulness of
the engineer, but to his imprudence
in, chufing an improper fituation, and
being compelled to carry on his opera-
tions there, or entirely to defift.

As foon therefore as this ftorm blew
over, the minifter recovered his fpi-
rits. The first step he took was to
which
produce the documents, on
the future measures were to be fram-
ed. The American papers were accord-
dingly laid before the House of Com-
mons. They were well calculated for
the purposes for which they were ma-
nifeftly intended; but they appeared
then, as the event has fince incontro-
vertibly proved them, partial extracts
from a partial correfpondence. We
would not be understood to adopt the
fentiments and language of oppofition
on that occafion, and fay they were
purposely mutilated and garbled; on
the contrary, we are willing to fup-
pofe the extracts were made confonant
to the ufage of office on fuch occas
fions; yet it was evident, from the
very face of them, that his majesty's
fervants, both here and in America,
were predetermined in their opinions ;
and on that predetermination had taken
all their measures. It was evide t
that they had all along only confidered
one fide of the question, and yet it
was equally clear, that they had neg-
lected or forgot, to avail themselves
of the advantages arifing from a pre-
concerted plan of coercion for hi-

therto

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