1751. MISCHIEFS of SUPERSTITION. it with inhabitants, and that we hould have a greater number of manufacturers and foldiers: This is what every perfon wishes for, from the prince of the blood to the vine labourer. To this, fuperftition a lone formerly made an oppofition; A but reafon fubmitted to faith crushes fuperftition. B The prince may, by a fingle word, prevent at leaft that vows fhould be made before the age of 25: And should any one afk the fovereign, what will become of the daughters of people of rank, which are facrificed to the fortunes of the eldeft fons? The prince will an, fwer; that they will be on the fame footing as thofe in Sweden, in Denmark, in Pruffia, in England, in Holland; that they will increafe C the number of citizens, as being born for that very purpofe, and not for repeating over Latin, which they do not understand; and that one woman, by rearing up two children and by fpinning, does greater fervice to her country than can ever be done by all the convents put together. It were a great bleffing for the prince and the commonwealth, that there fhould be a number of philophers inculcating all these maxims in the minds of their fellow creatures. Philofophers having no per. fonal intereft, can fpeak only in behalf of reafon and of publick intereft. Philofophers do fervice to princes in deftroying fuperftition, which is for ever the enemy of princes. It was fuperftition which caused the murder of Henry III. of Henry IV. of William prince of Orange, and of so many others. From it fprang rivers of blood fince the reign of Conftantine. Superftition is the most dangerous enemy to human kind; when it governs the prince, it hinders him from promoting the good of his people; when it governs the people, D E it makes them rife against their prince. The oppofition of philofo phers to the laws of their prince is without example: A fingle age can not be found in which fuperftition and enthusiasm have not caused moft dreadful havock. There is no éxample of troubles and diffenfions happening, when the prince hath been abfolute master of the ecclefiaftical polity: We hardly meet with any thing elfe but diftarbances and calamities, when churchmen were not entirely fubject to the prince. The happieft thing that can hap pen to the human race is, that the prince fhould be a philofopher: The prince-philofopher knows, that the greater progress reafon makes in his dominions, the lefs mifchief will be done by difputes, theological jar rings, enthufiafm, or fuperftition he will therefore promote the pro. grefs of reafon. This progrefs alone will prove fufficient, for inftance, to ftop all difputes on grace; because the number of rational men being increafed, the number of wrong minds, which feed on absurd opinions, must be leffened. What we call a Janfenift, is really a madman, a bad citizen, and a rebel. He is a madman, because he takes fome fingular notions for demonftrated truths: Should he make ufe of his reafon, he would learn that philofophers never did, nor ever could, difpute on a demon ftrated truth: Were he to make use of his reafon, he would know, that Fa fect which brings on convulfions, is a fect of madmen. He is a bad citizen, because he difturbs the order of fociety. He is a rebel, because he disobeys. G A Defcription of LINCOLNSHIRE. folly. The prince-philofopher will encourage that religion which always teaches a morality, pure and useful to men. He will prevent difputes on fpeculative points, because nothing but mischief ever enfued from fuch difputes. He will ren- A der, as much as is in his power, diftributive juftice more uniform and lefs tedious; and will blufh for our forefathers, that what is true at Dreux fhould be false at Pontoise. The prince-philofopher will be convinced, that the more laborious B and induftrious a nation is, the greater must be its wealth. He will take care, that his cities fhould be embellished, because then there will be more work; and that the refult will be both useful and pleafant. A large book could be written on all the good that might be done but a prince-philofopher ftands in no need of a large book. Thus far this celebrated Piece, in which tho' there are many good fentiments, yet in others we may plainly fee the Frenchman, and the Hobbift. A Defcription of LINCOLNSHIRE. Tlarge extent, and in form C D like a bended bow, is bounded on E Jan. Lincolnshire is divided into three parts, Holland, Kesteven, and Lindfey. The churches are its chief ornament, being built of fine polished ftone; fo that it is remarked, that no county affords better churches, nor worse houses. The diocese of Lincoln is the largeft for jurifdiction of any in England, taking in the entire counties of Lincoln, Leicester, Huntington, Bedford, Bucks, and part of Hertfordshire, and having under it fix archdeaconries, and 1255 parishes, of which 577 are impropriations. The air of this county, in the western and northern parts, is much more healthful than in the eastern and fouthern, where it is foggy and thick, by reafon of the fea and the fens. The foil is alfo different, being exceeding fertile and pleafant in the weft and north, yielding rich pafture, and bearing good crops of corn; but fenny, and more barren in the east and fouth; however, they have here great plenty of fifh, and fowl both wild and tame. Their cattle are reckoned larger than in any other county, except Somerfetfhire, which took a breed from hence about 80 years ago, and has much improv'd their bignefs by their richer pastures. Upon the whole, the chief commodities of Lincolnshire are corn, cattle, fifh, fowl, flax, wool, alabafter, &c. In defcribing the places of note in this county, we fhall go according to the three divifions above mentioned, and begin with, I. Lindsey, which is the biggest and moft north; where we have, 1. Lincoln, 1oz computed and 128 measured miles N. from London, a city and county of itself, fituate on the river Witham; antient, large, and built on the fide of a hill, having 13 parish churches, befides the cathedral, a ftately Gothick ftructure, beautiful and lofty. The reprefentatives for this city in the prefent parliament are Charles Monfon and Conningfby Sibthorpe, Efqrs. It has markets on 1751. A Defcription of LINCOLNSHIRE. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and gives title of earl to the family of Clinton. (See more of this city, in our Magazine for 1749, p. 605, where is alfo a beautiful VIEW of the fame.) -2. Grimsby, or Great Grimfby, about 26 miles N. E. of Lincoln, A faid to be the first or second corporation in England. It is governed by a mayor, high-steward, recorder, 12. aldermen, two bailiffs, &c. and fends 2 members to parliament, the present being William Locke and John Gore, Efqrs. The chief trade B is in coals and falt, brought to the town by the Humber. Its market is on Wednesdays, and it enjoys feveral privileges. It has a handsome large church, that looks like a cathedral.3. Barton, about 15 miles N. W, from Grimfby, a ftraggling town, noted for little elfe but being the common ferry over the Humber to Hull. It has a market on Mondays.-4. Burton, or Burton Stather, about 12 miles S. W. of Barton, well fituate for trade on the eastern bank of the 7 1 rectly to and from London, its trade is vaftly increased, and the buildings much inlarged. It has a very great market on Tuesdays, and gives title of earl to the family of Noel.-13. Stanton, or Market-Stanton, 7 miles S. E. of Market Rafen; market on Monday.-14. Alford, 10 miles S. E. of Louth; market on Tuesday. 15. Burgh, 5 miles S. E. of Alford, has a small market on Thursday.--16. Wainfleet, 4 miles S. W. has a good market on Saturday. It has a free-fchool, founded by William Wainfleet, bishop of Winchester, and founder of Magdalen college, Oxon.-17. Spilsby, 6 miles N. W. a pretty good town, with a confiderable market on Monday. 18. Horncaftle, 7 miles W. an antient, large, well-built town, on the river Bane, with a great market on Saturday.-19. Bolingbroke, 6 miles S. E. an antient town, with a market on Tuesdays. It was a royal manor, and Henry IV. was born here, whence he was called Henry of Bolingbroke. Q. Anne created Henry St. John, Efq; then fecretary of ftate, viscount Bolingbroke; but he was afterwards attained, and tho' pardoned as to life and eftate, was not restored to his title.-20. Tattershall, 8 miles S. W. a small town, but well built, and has a market on Friday. 21. Wragby, 9 miles N. W. of HornCaftle, has a market on Thursday, and an alms-houfe for 6 minifters widows, and 6 other poor. C D Trent, and having a good market F in the fummer feafon.-10. Market- II. Kefteven, the fecond divifion, lies S. of Lindsey, and gives title of duke, jointly with that of Ancafter, to the family of Bertie, hereditary great chamberlains of England. Places of note are, 1. Sleaford, 15 miles S. E. of Lincoln, fituate in a pleasant valley, upon a fmall river: It is of late large market on Saturday.-2. Grangrown very populous, and has a tham, about 12 miles S. W. of Sleaford, an antient, populous, well-built borough-town, governed by an alderman, &c. and has a large market on 8 A Defcription of LINCOLNSHIRE, on Saturday. The members for this 4. Bourne about 8 miles S. has a III. Holland, the third and laft divifion, is fo called from its low fituation, like that of the Low Countries, and is thought to have been recovered out of the fea, against which it is now defended by banks, and well improved. It gives title of earl, jointly with that of Warwick, to a branch of the family of Rich. On 5 E F G Jan. the S. of this divifion lie the Wafhes, paffable at ebb, but overflowed by the tide. Here K. John loft his baggage and many of his men, by a fudden inundation, during his war with the barons. Places of note are, 1. Bofton, the chief town in this divifion, about 16 miles E. of Sleaford, on the river Witham, where it is navigable by veffels, and over which it has a high wooden bridge. 'Tis an antient town-corporate, governed by a mayor, 12 aldermen, &c. and fends two members to parliament, thofe in the prefent parliament being John Michell, Efq; and lord Vere Bertie. It is one of moft confiderable towns in the county, rich and populous, has a good trade, and markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Its church is large and beautiful, and has a lofty tower, which ferves as a guide to mariners: It is reckoned the finest in England, and above 280 feet high. This 4. tower has 365 steps, and the church 52 windows, and 12 pillars.-2. Dennington, about 10 miles S. W. has a market on Saturdays.-3. Holbeach, about 11 miles S. of Boston, has a market on Thursdays. Spalding, about 7 miles S. W. of Holbeach, is well built, has a gord trade, tho' not far from the Walhes,. and a market on Thursdays.-Crowland, or Croyland, 7 miles S. W. of Spalding, has a fmall market on Saturdays. It lies among the fens, and is acceffible only on the N. and E. by narrow caufeys. It has 3 ftreets, separated froin one another by watercourfes planted with willows. They have a communication by a triangular bridge, curioufly contrived. The houfes are built on piles of wood. Here was formerly a famous abbey or monastery of Benedictine monks, of which Ingulphus was abbot, who wrote its history. The people go in little boats to milk their cows in the field, and make great profit of their fish and wildducks in the Fens. JOUR Gateburton Starth Ravendale Harmeston N.Coats Marsh Ch Crosby. Thurganbyr Trinted for Baldwin Jun at the Rose in Fater. Toster Row. Chedlethorn S For the London Magazine Kingflan upon Hull Barton Herstore. Saxby Scuter Ferry •Joxhill R Heydon Wation Kirlinghot Sunk I. Pattrington HUMBER R. Caburn Spurn H |