1776. The Origin of Politeness. 85 Aurora, like Juno fair, bewitching fofter than oil, were fharper than a as Venus, and as Pallas befpeaking. two edged fword. Her reproofs were She was called Moderation. When difguifed, and yet had their wifhedfhe spoke, charms innumerable iffued for end, and her admiration was as from her lips. Her voice was more diftant from flattery, as the north is tuneful than Cytherea's, and her fi- from the fouth. Her obfervations gure more graceful than Melpomene's. gently paffed through the paffions, Her, Sincerity (after a littletime spent flowly flid by the gale, but impercepin courtship) married. She was the tibly ftuck in the heart, where they means of recovering his loft credit. worked with unremitting ardour. She She by her foothing language effected was too excellent to be copied. She more than he could ever do by his has a fifter of illegitimate birth, known fharp expreffions; and by her tales by her fantastic habits, and who is aland fongs of wars and warlike men, ways moft inclined to fhew her kindof heroes and of gods, luiled the paf- nefs when the means to deceive. It is fions of thofe, whom Sincerity alone faid that the true Politeness, being could never overcome; diffipated difpleased with the admiration beftowtheir hate, and attracted their admi- ed on the falfe one, took flight from ration, infomuch, that when she had the town of her nativity, with an indone fpeaking, they liftened as though tent to live in fome reclufe part of the the fpake. This couple were bleffed world, but it is very well known that with a daughter whom they named this intent has been fruftrated, because Politenefs. She is the fame with Com- fhe is a conftant attendant on fome of plaifance or Civility. Her they care- the most diftinguished perfons, and in fully educated; the inherited the vir- the most noble companies, in this tues of her parents, joining her fa- kingdom; and to its honour be it fpother's aufterity with her mother's foft- ken, that thofe perfons who are in the nefs and compaffion. She was uni- highest fituations in life, are her greatverfally admired. Her words, though eft patrons. To the EDITOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE. SIR, 86 Curious Epitaphs-On Affaffination. I am but fleeping refting in my bed, His foul afcended is above heavens cope; [duft And Chrift fhall raise our bury'd bones and Unto the Refurrection of the juft. Here lies the body of Mrs. Ann Dear, widow, who died Wednesday the 27th inftructing young ladys and gentlewomen. Underneath are laid The earthly remains Of a virtuous and good woman, Bleft with a clear head And an honest heart, In life and death A true Chriftian; Such was of April, Anno Dni. 1720, aged 71 years. In the year of { SIR, The most famous mistress in the Weft of England for well educating and Feb. Our Lord MDCCLIII. Here alfo are buried Two of her children, who died infants. For the LONDON MAGAZINE. "MOST nations trace their anceftors from remoteit time.-Jubal the fon of Japhet, they pretend was the firit who peopled our country-however, without entering into difquifitions which are only an additional mark of the vanity of mankind, I will confine myfelt merely to what may be afcertained with fome degree of truth -The Greeks, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians, are the first people fpoken of as the inhabitants of Portugal; and the various antiquities which are to be met with, corroborate history in this particular-after them came the Romans, who remained in poffeffion of it till the decline of their empire; when the Goths, Huns and Vandals made thofe famous revolutions in Eu rope.-Whatever then were the cuf toms and manners to this period, they were fuch as were authorized by the molt enlightened people at that time in the world. "The northern nations had not that continued poffeffion of Portugal, which they had of their other conquefts; for they were interrupted by the Moors, who in their turn again were difpoffeffed of it; fo that their customs and manners had not time to take root; and as a proof of it, duelling is to this day little practifed among us, which is evidently a Gothic inftitution. "It follows then that the power which individuals affume among us to do juftice to themfelves, is derived from the first inhabitants of Portugal, the Greeks and Romans; and has been handed down to their posterity, notwithstanding the different revolutions that have happened. "It is no doubt happier for a people to remit all their animofities into the hands of others, than to decide them themselves; but as neither morals nor legiflation have yet arrived to that perfection, is it not abfurd, as with you, for a man to put himself on the footing with one who has violated every principle of honour and equity, and not only expofe his life, but often fall a victim to the villain who deferves to lose it ?-Thefe are the arguments which we ufe. However, what has been the great caufe of affaffination among us, is jealoufy ;-but now the intercourfe and communication is 1776. Port. Anecdotes-Assault on the K. of Portugal. grown fo great, that a man fees it would be an endless talk to punish the infidelities of the other fex-We therefore begin to imitate the manners of our neighbours, and are fatisfied with making reprifals on each other-You have all been in Spain; and I am perfuaded you must have observed with furprize the familiarity in which men 87 and women live in general with each other, though they are still confidered by those who have not been among them as the fame jealous kind of people they were about an hundred years ago. They copied from the Frenchthe French taught the Italians, and we shall foon be equal to either." To the EDITOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE. SIR, THE HE following is a converfation between fome Portuguese gentlemen on their prime minifter, &c. "Our minifter, faid one, has been always found implacable-he would fooner pardon an indignity to the king than difrefpect to himself; for you know his majefty leaves his honour to the arbitration of his excellency; and a happy ufe he makes of it!" "True, (replied an officer) and for my part, I can never reflect but with indignation, that fo honeft a man as the king fhould fuffer himfelf to be treated with so much contempt;for what can more debafe majesty than to be shut up in a cage whenever he gives audience, and receive the petitions of his fubjects, only from third hands?-Would it not be more noble and more manly in a prince to expofe himself to the rancour of his people, and even meet death at their hands, than live on fuch vilifying conditions? -But the truth is, his majefty has no need of fuch apprehenfions, and it is only to encreafe his power over him, by creating in him fuch a jealoufy and diftruct of his fubjects Gentlemen, (continued the major) I was upon guard in the palace of Villa Viciofa, the day the king was attacked by that madman, which has occafioned fo much noife; and I will relate to you all the circumftances of that affair; for it is not neceffary to mention that it was this adventure that gave the marquis a pretext for perfuading the king to fubmit to the indignity that has been mentioned. -- "This madman, then, (for though he was not a lunatic, be deferves no other name) after ferving the greatest part of his life as a foldier in the artillery, was difcharged as unfit for fervice. The king remained in arrears to him fix years pay; and, befides, he claimed the value of a mule, which had been preffed from him during the war, for his majetty's fervice.-He fet forth his claims in a petition to the king, which he prefented himself. After waiting fome days in fruitlefs attendance, he prefented another, which the king likewife received, and gave to one of his fuite. However, as this met with the fame fate as the first, he determined to prefent a third; but the king recollecting the man's face again, pufhed it on one fide, and faid to him, "Fellow, why do you plague me thus with your petitions?" -The old foldier was obliged to retire, but fullen and thoughtful, thus he reafoned with himself." I have ferved the king the best part of my life-I am now cld, and he owes me money-yet he not only refuses to pay me, but treats me with contemptI will have fatisfaction." Accordingly be provided himfelf with a long ftout stick, with which he was refolved to give his majesty a drubbing the next morning as he went a-hunting;-he therefore planted himfelf very compofedly at the park gate; and juft as his majesty paffed through, he fell moft heartily upon him; and if he had not been immediately feized, he would probably have brought the king to the ground. The attendants in their fury would inftantly have dispatched him, if they had not been prevented by the king, who called out to them to fpare his life. He was ordered into strict cuftody; and, foon after, all his friends and relations, and those with whom he had any intimacy or acquaintance, were fent to prifon, in order to find out who it was that had infligated him to fo rath an action ;-but all 88 Dr. Price's Account of the National Debt. their enquiries proved fruitless, and it did not appear that he had any accomplices, but had acted merely from a principle of taking fatisfaction for the injuftice the king had done him. For the LONDON Dr. Price's State of the National Debt T Feb. What became of the poor fellow afterwards, God knows ;-but the army owe him, at leaft, this piece of fervice, that fome time afterward their arrears were paid." MAGAZINE. Annual Income-Annual ExpenditureSinking Fund-Taxes-and Scheme for a quick Reduction of the public Debt. Account of the NATIONAL DEBT. HE amount of the capital at the Bank, South Sea, Principal. See the particulars in an account by R. Helm, at Stock Exchange, corrected for January 5th, 1775. Deduct 424 50cl. confol. annuit. 246,300l. reduced; 161,650l. Old S. S. annuit. 124,200l. New S. S. annuit. and 43,350l. annuit. 1751, making in all a million of the 3 per cents, paid off in 1775; and the remainder will be Annuities for 99, 96, and 89 years, granted in King William's time. Suppofing 18 years to come of thefe annuities, their value will be (reckoning the intereft at 3 per cent.) 13 years purchase, or nearly Annuities for lives, with benefit of furvivorship, in King William's time, fuppofed worth four years purchase. N. B. The benefit of furvivorship is to be continued till the annuitants are reduced to feven; and they are not yet reduced to this number Annuities on lives, with benefit of survivorship, grant ed Anno 1765-valued at 20 years purchase Annuities for two or three lives granted in 1693. Alfo annuities on fingle lives 1745, 1746, 1757. The original amount of thefe annuities, taken all together, was near 130,000l. They are now reduced by deaths to about 80,000l. I have valued them at 10 years purchase Long annuity for 99 years 1761-The value of this annuity is in the Alley about 25 years purchase; but the remaining term is really worth 27 years purchase Unfunded Debi, confifting of Exchequer Bills (1,250,000l.) Navy debt (1,850,000l.) and Civil lift debt, fuppofed 500 000l. The intereft is reckoned at no more than 24 per cent. Total of the National debt in 1775 I have given the Navy Debt as it was about a year ago. It must be now greatly increafed.The Civil Lift Debt has been given by guefs. It is generally reckoned not to be less than the fum I have fpecified; and it is alfo expected, that the Civil Lift income will be raised to 900,000l. per annum In 1769 the fum of 513,5111. was granted by parliament towards dif 4 124.056,454 4.317,870 1.801,179 136,453 30,268 10,800 7,567 540 800,000 80,000 248,250 6.702,750 3.600,000 90,000 1776. State of the Annual in my poffeffion, 26.182,9811. 175. 6d. or 795,2421. per ann. They fell short, therefore, taking one year with another, more than they exceeded.In 1747, they had been deficient for feven years together; and the whole deficiency amounted to 456,7331. 16s. -which, in conformity to the act I have mentioned, was made good to his majesty out of the fupplies for that year. In 1729 alfo, 115,000l. was granted out of the fupplies for the like reafon. This is all the money, received by his late majefty from parliament, towards fupporting his household and the dignity of his civil government; or 810,7491. per ann. I have thought proper to ftate this matter fo particularly here; because accounts grofsly wrong have been given of it. The amount of the national debt, it has appeared, was laft year 137 millions. The great deficiencies of last year, added to the extraordinary expences of the prefent year, will increafe this debt confiderably.. Drawing out, embodying, and maintaining the militia in the laft war, colt the nation near half a million per ann. -We cannot reckon upon a lefs expence in doing this now. Add to it pay for foreign troops, and all the extraordinary expences of our increafed navy and army, transport fervice, recruiting fervice, ordnance, &c. and it will be evident that the whole expence of this unhappy year must be enormous.-But I expect that care will be taken to hide it, by funding as little as poffible, and that for this reafon it will not be known in its full magnitude, till it comes to appear another year under the articles of navy debt, extraordinaries of the army, tranfport bills, ordnance debentures, &c. making up a vaft unfunded debt which may bear down all public credit. State of the NATIONAL ACCOUNT in 1775. ANNUAL INCOME. Cuftoms in England, being the medium of the payments into the f. Exchequer, for 3 years ending in 1773 2.528,275 Amount of the Excifes in England, including the malt tax, being the medium of 3 years ending in 1773 4.649,892 Land Tax at 35. 1.300,000 Salt Duties, being the medium of the years 1765 and 1766 218,739 280,788 385.369 tenths of 250,000 95,229 Duties on houfes and windows, being the medium of 3 years ending in 1771 Poft Office, feizures, wine licences, hackney coaches, the clergy, &c. Excifes in Scotland, being the medium of 3 years ending in 1773 Customs in Scotland, being the medium of 3 years ending in 1773 Inland taxes in Scotland, deduction of 6d. in the pound on all penfions, falaries, &c. cafual revenues, fuch as the duties on gum-fenega, American revenue, fale of lands in the ceded inlands, &c.-Thefe are little articles, and I have fuppofed them to amount to as much as will make the whole revenue ten millions per ann. tho' it is almoft certain they cannot produce fo much The annual medium of the payments into the Exchequer from the Customs in England, for the last five years, has been 2.521,7691.- In 1774 this payment was 2 547.7171.—In 1775, it was 2.476, 3021. -The produce 68,369 222,339 Total . 10.000,000 Feb. 1776. Thefe branches of the revenue produced in 1754 210,2431. I do not know how much they have produced lately; but I believe I have efimated them at the higheft. |