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er, the king fent him word, he had not till the whipper foon obliges them to part.
yet met with the defired fuccefs; hav- And what can be more wretched than the
ing attempted to break up two towns, condition they then engage upon? Bi-
but having been twice repulfed: But nifhed from their country, from their
that he still hoped to procure the num-
friends and relations for ever, from every
ber of flaves. In this defign he perfifted, comfort of life, they are reduced to a
till he met his enemies in the field. Aftate fcarce any way preferable to that of
battle was fought, which lafted three beaits of burden.
days. And the engagement was fo bloody,
that four thousand five hundred men
were flain upon the fpot."-Such is the
manner wherein the negroes are procu-
red! Thus the chriftians preach the gof-
pel to the heathens!

5. Thus they are procured. But in what numbers and in what manner are they carried to America?—Mr. Anderfon in his hiftory of trade and commerce obferves, England supplies her Ame rican colonies with negro flaves, amounting in number to about an hundred thousand every year." That is fo many are taken on board our hips; but at least ten thousand of them die in the voyage: About a fourth part more die at the different iflands, in what is called the feafoning. So that at an average, in the paffage and feasoning together, thirty thoufand die: that is, properly, are murdered. O earth, O fea, cover not thou their blood!

6. When they are brought down to
the fhore in order to be fold, our furge-
Ons thoroughly examine them, and that
quite naked, women and men, without
any diftinction: Thofe that are appro-
ved are set on one fide. In the mean
time a burning iron, with the arms or
name of the company, lies in the fire,
with which they are marked on the
breaft. Before they are put into ships,
their matters ftrip them of all they have
on their backs: So that they come on
board ftark naked, women as well as men.
It is common for feveral hundred of them
to be put on board one veffel where
they are flowed together in as little room,
as it is poffible for them to be crowded,
It is eafy to fuppose what a condition
they muft foo be in, between heat,
thirit and ftench of various kinds. So
that it is no wonder, fo many fhould die
in the paffage; but rather that any fur-
vive it.

7. When the veffels arrive at their
destined port, the negroes are again ex-
pofed naked, to the eyes of all the flock
together, and the examination of their
purchafers: Then they are feparated to the
plantations of their feveral masters, to
fee each other no more.
Here you may
fee mothers hanging over their daughters,
bedewing their naked breatis with tears,
and daughters clinging to their parents,

August, 1775.

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In general a few roots, not of the nicef kind, ufually yams or potatoes, are their food, and two rags, that neither fcreen them from the heat of the day, nor the cold of the night, their covering. Their fleep is very fhort, their labour continual, and frequently above their ftrength: fo that death fets many of them at liberty, before they have lived out half their days. The time they work in the West Indies, is from day-break to noon, and from two o'clock till dark: During which time they are attended by overfeer, who, if they think them dilatory, or think any thing not fo well done as it thould be, whip them molt unmercifully, fo that you may fee their bodies long after wheal'd and scarred ufually from the fhoulders to the waist. And before they are fuffered to go to their quarters, they have commonly fomething to do, as collecting herbage for the horfes, or gathering fuel for the boilers. So that it is often patt twelve before they can get home. Hence, if their food is not prepared, they are fometimes called to labour again, before they can fatisfy their hunger. And no excufe will avail. If they are not in the field immediately, they muft expect the lafh. Did the Creator intend that the nobleft creatures in the visible world, fhould live fuch a life as this!

"Are these thy glorious works, parent of good :"

8. As to the punishment inflicted on them, fays Sir Hans Sloan, "they frequently geld them, or chop off half a foot: After they are whipped till they are raw all over, fome put pepper and falt upon them. Some drop melted wax upon their skin. Others cut off their ears, and conftrain them to broil and eat them. For rebellion," (that is, afferting their native liberty, which they have as much right to as to the air they breathe)" they faften them down to the ground with crooked fucks on every limb, and then applying Pre by degrees, to the feet and hands, they burn them gradually upward to the head."

9. But will not the laws made in the plantations prevent or redress all cruelty and oppreffion? We will take but a few of thofe laws for a fpecimen, and then let any man judge.

Rrr

In order to rivet the chain of flavery, the law of Virginia ordains, "That no flave fhall be fet free, upon any pretence whatever, except for fome meritorious fervices, to be adjudged and allowed by the governor and council: And that where any flave shall be fet free by his owner, otherwife than is herein directed, the church-wardens of the parith wherein fuch negro fhall refide for the fpace of one month are hereby authorifed and required, to take up and fell the faid negro, by public cutery."

Will not thefe law-givers take effectual care, to prevent cruelty and oppreffion? The law of Jamaica ordains," Every flave that fhall run away, and continue abfent from his mafter twelve months, fhall be deemed rebellious:" And by another law, fifty pounds are allowed to thofe who kill or bring in alive a rebellious flave." So their law treats thefe poor men with as little ceremony and confideration, as if they were merely brute beafts! But the innocent blood which is fhed in confequence of fuch a deteftable law, must call for vengeance on the murderous abetters and actors of fuch deliberate wickedness.

11. But the law of Barbadoes exceeds even this, "If any negro under punifhment, by his matter, or his order, for running away, or any other crime or misdemeanor, shall suffer in life or member, no perfon whatsoever shall be liable to any fine therefore. But if any man of WANTONNEES, or only of BLOODY-MINDEDNESS or CRUEL INTENTION will fully killa negro of his own"(Now obferve the fevere punishment!)" He shall pay into the public treasury fifteen pounds fterling! And not be liable to any other punifliment or forfeiture for the fame!"

Nearly allied to this is that law of Virginia; "After proclamation is iffued against flaves that run away, it is lawful for any perfon whatfoever to KILL AND DESTROY fuch flaves, by sUCH WAYS

AND MEANS AS. HE SHALL THINK FIT."

We have feen already fome of the ways and means which have been thought fit on fuch occafions. And many more might be mentioned. One gentleman, when I was abroad, thought fit to roaft his flave alive! but if the mott unnatural act of "running away" from intolerable tyranny, deferves fuch relentless feverity, what punishment have thefe law-makers to expect hereafter, on account of their own enormous offences?

(To be concluded in our next.)

A Letter from Sir Walter Raleigh to the King, the Night before his Death.

HE life which I had, moft mighty

THE

prince, the law hath taken from me, and I am now but the fame earth and duft out of which I was made.-If my of fence had any proportion with your majefty's mercy I might defpair; or if my deferving had any quantity with your majefty's unmeafurable goodness, I might yet have hope, but it is you that must judge and not I; name, blood, gentility, or estate I have none; no, not fo much as a being, no not fo much as a vitam planta. I have only a penitent foul in a body of iron, which moves towards the load one of death; and cannot be with-held from touching it, except your majefty's mercy turn the point towards me that expelleth. Loft I am for hearing of vain man, for hearing only and never believing, nor accepting; and fo little account I made of that speech of his which was my condemnation (as my forfaking him doth truly witnefs) that I never remembered any fuch thing till it was at my trial objected againft me. So did he repay my care, who cared to make him good, which I now fee no care of man can effect. But God (for my offence to him) hath laid this heavy burthen upon me, miferable and unfortunate wretch that I am.

But for not loving you (my fovereign) God hath not laid this forrow on me; for he knows (with whom I am not in cafe to lie) that I honoured your majefty by fame, and loved and admired you by knowledge. So that whether I live or die, your majetty's loving fervant I will live and die. If now I write what feems not well favoured (most merciful prince) vouchfafe to afcribe it to the counfel of a dead heart, and to a mind that forrow hath confounded. But the more my mifery is, the more is your majefty's mercy, (if you please to behold it) and the lefs I can deferve, the more liberal your majesty's gift shall be; here you fhall only imitate God, giving free life; and by giving to fuch a one from whom there can be no retribution, but only a defire to pay a lent life with the fame great love which the fame great goodness fhall beflow on it. This being the first letter that ever your majefty received from a dead man, 1 humbly fub mit myself to the will of God, iny fu preme Lord, and fhall willingly and patiently fuffer whatever it fhall please your majefty to afflict me withal.

WALTER RALEIGH.

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PETER

ETER the Great had a violent affection for an Officer's daughter, named Munce, and ufed more affiduous means to gain her than Monarchs are generally forced to; at last fhe yielded, and became his public Miftrefs, and for many years he loved her with a fondnefs rarely found. One fatal day he went to fee a castle he had built in the fea, attended by his own and the foreign Minifters. At their return, the Polish Minifter, by fome accident, fell over the draw-bridge, and was drowned, notwithftanding all endeavours to fave him. The Emperor ordered all the papers in his pocket to be taken out, and fealed up, before all the company. On fearching his pockets, a picture dropped, which the Emperor took up, and, judge his furprife, when he found it was the portrait of the Lady. In a sudden guft of paffion he tore open fome of the papers, and found feveral letters from her written to the deceafed in the tendereft ftyle. He left the company that inftant, came alone to the apartment of one of the Ladies in waiting, and ordered her to fend for the Lady thither. When he entered, he locked the door on them three, and afked her how the came to write to fuch a perfon? She denied the had; he then produced the picture and letters, and, when he informed her of his death, the buift into tears, while he reproached her with ingratitude in fuch a form of paffion, that the Lady who furnished this account expected to fee her murdered; but, on a fudden, he alfo melted into tears, and faid he forgave her, fince he fo feverely felt how impoffible it was to conquer inclination; for,' he added, notwithstanding you have returned my fondnefs with falfhood, I find I cannot hate you, though I do myfelf for the meannefs of fpirit I am guilty of; but it would be quite defpicable in me to continue to live with you; therefore begone while I can

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keep my paffion within the bounds of hu.

manity. You fall never want, but I will never fee you more.' He kept his word, and foon after married her to one who had an employment at a distance,

and was always kind to them in point of fortune.

Very different behaviour was fhewn by the Czar to his wife Eudoxia, of the noble family of Lapuchin. He married her when he was very young, and by her had one fon, who was afterwards put to death, but left a fon and a daughter behind him After fome years marri age he grew weary of her, and pretended jealousy. She was on this fufpicion confined, and all her nearest relations, and fome of the Gentlemen of her Court, taken up, and according to the custom adopted in Ruffia, examined by torture; but none of them accused her, though they had offers of pardon, if they would. Thefe examinations lasted fome months, in which about fourteen of her nearest relations were put to death; and one of her Gentlemen, Colonel Glebow, of whom Peter had the greatest suspicion, underwent fuch repeated tortures as it was thought no creature could have borne, with great conftancy, perfifting in his own and her innocence during his torments. At laft the Czar himself came to him, and offered him pardon, if he would confefs. He fpit in the Czar's face, and told him, he fhould difdain to fpeak to him, but he thought himself obliged to clear his miftrefs, who was as virtuous a woman as any in the world; and, faid he, the only weakness I know her guilty of is loving thee, thou inhuman" butcher; and, if any thing can make me think thee more a devil than thy cruel treatment of her, it is fancying I could ever be brought to accuse an innocent perfon to fave myself; for, could my body hold out thefe torments as long as thou shalt plague the world, I could fuffer them with pleasure, rather than relieve them by fuch falfhood.' After this he would speak no more, and, when no confeffion could be got from him, his head was severed from his body. The unhappy Emprefs was immured in a Convent during the remainder of the Czar's life; but, on the acceffion of her grandfon to the throne, the returned to Court, and lived in ease and tranquility.

Sketch of the Mode of Living obferved by

their Majeflies during their Summer Refidence at their Royal Palace at Kew.

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their feveral houfes to Kew-house, to breakfast with their illuftrious relations. At nine their younger children attend to lip or fmile their good-morrows; and, whilft the five eldest are closely applying to their task, their little ones and their nurfes pafs the whole morning in Richmond gardens.

The King and Queen frequently amufe themfelves with fitting in the room while the chil ren dine; and once a week, at tended by the whole number, in pairs, make the delightful tour of Richmond gardens. In the afternoon the Queen works, and the king reads to her; and, whatever charms ambition or folly may conceive await fo exalted a fituation, it is neither on the throne, nor in the drawing room, in the fplendor or toys of fovereign ty, that they place their felicity; it is in focial and domeftic gratifications, in breathing the free air, admiring the works of nature, tatting and encouraging the elegance of art, and living to their own hearts. In the evening all the children again pay their duty at Kew-house, before they retire to bed; and the fame order is obferved through each returning day. The fovereign is the father of his family; not a grievance reaches his knowledge that remains unredreffed, nor a character of merit or ingenuity difregarded; his private conduct therefore is as exemplary as it is amiable; and, was he only as happy in his counsellors, as his immedate predeceffors, there would be little doubt of his equalling them in glory.

Though naturally a lover of peace, his perfonal courage cannot in the fmalleft degree be impeached; he exercises his troops himself, underftands every martial manœuvre as well as any private centinel in his fervice, and has the articles of war at his fingers ends. Topography is one of his favourite ftudies; he copies every capital chart, takes the models of all the celebrated fortifications, knows the foundings of the chief harbours in Europe, and the strong and weak fides of moft fortified towns He can name every fhip in his navy, and he keeps lifts of the commanders. As all there are private and felf-elected acquifitions, it may be juftly prefumed, that, if care had been taken of his education, he would have been no lefs fkilful in the arts of government, than in these under-branches of princely occupation.

The Prince of Wales and the Bifhop of Ofnaburgh bid fair, however, for excelling the generality of mankind in learning, as much as they are their fuperiors

in rank: eight hours close application to the languages and the liberal sciences is daily enjoined them, and their industry is unremitting all the ten indeed are fine children, and it does not yet appear that parental partiality is known at court.

:

Exercife, air, and light diet, are the grand fundamentals in the king's idea of health and fprightlinefs; his Majesty feeds chiefly on vegetables, and drinks little wine: the Queen is what many private gentlewomen would call whimfically abftemious; for, with a table covered with dainties, fhe culls the plainest and simplest dish, and seldom eats of more than two things at a meal. Her wardrobe is changed every three months; and, while the nobility are eager to fupply themfelves with foreign trifles, her care is that nothing but what is English fhail be provided for her wear. The tradefmens bills are regularly paid once a quarter for what comes under the childrens department, and the whole is judiciously and happily conducted.

A Sketch of the Times.

So univerfally prevalent is the love of

gluttony and feafting, that one would be ready to conceive, that man was endowed with an immortal thinking mind, only to invent high-flavoured fauces, and confult what dishes are moft pleafing to his palate; a luxury of invention is employed to banith plain viands from their tables; and the most pernicious compofitions of ftrong wines, and deftructive fpices, fubftituted in their stead. Inhofpitable men! they poifon their guests, and think they do them a favour. When the bufinefs of a parish is to be fettled, a public feaft is provided; when the bounds of a diftrist are to be determined, a public feaft is provided; when the commons attend upon their mayor, a public feaft is provided; and when the governors of public charities meet together, public feafts are provided. In fort, nothing is celebrated, nothing is performed; there is no loyalty, no patriotifm, no public fpirit, no charity, no harmony, unlefs public feafts are provided. Thefe public feafts conftantly begin with glut tony, proceed with drunkennefs, and end in riot and confufion. The father of a family reeling home from his debauch, is feduced by the courtezan to the houfe of ill-fame, which his fon, perhaps, had left a few moments before him.

Premiums

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OR having effectually reclaimed the

which day the faid claims are to be finally adjudged.

Bog reclaimed by poor Renters.

To the poor renter or renters of bog, having a leafe thereof for one or more lives, or for not lets than 20 years from the commencement of the fame, who shall have effectually reclaimed one acre of bog, fo that in the year 1775, it fhall be in tillage or meadow, the fociety will give a premium of 31. The fum of 2401. will be appropriated in thele premiums to each of the provinces, and if more than eighty claimants fhould appear from any one province, then the fum of 2401. will be divided among fuch claimants, but no one claimant is

Fgreatest quantity (not lefs than go acres) in any cafe to receive a higher premium thas

of bog, fo that in the year 1775, it fhall be in tillage and meadow 50l.

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For the next quantity, not less than 25 351.

acres

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1461.

To be adjudged the 25th of Jan. 1776. The improvementmust have been begun fince the 25th of July 1765, at which time these premiums were first offered.

Every claimant, at the time of his claiming, is to lay before the fociety the quality of the bog before reclaiming, the several methods he fhall have taken to reclaim it, and the depth and breadth of the drains he fhall have made: No person fhall be entitled to any premium, unlefs the depth of the bog before reclaiming fhall have been at leaft four feet from the furface to the bottom of the bog, and two feet after reclaiming, nor fhall any perfon receive more than one premium for the fame ground; every thing else alike. Renters of land fhall have the preference.

To entitle a claimant to any of the foreign premiums for the reclaiming of bog, fo as that it may be in tillage or meadow, it must be made to appear to the society, that the reclaimed bog has produced a crop of corn, or hay, or potatoes; and that the faid bog, before reclaiming, was not worth more, nor would fet to a folvent tenant for more than three shillings yearly, per

acre.

For the future, all claims of premiums from poor renters of land, for reclaiming bog, mountain, or moor, are to be lodged with the affiftant fecretary on or before the third Thurfday in December, in every year, and no fuch clairn fhall be received for that year after that day; that all the faid claims be then referred to the committee for agriculture, who are then to meet thereon, and have power to fubdivide themfelves into committees for each province, and to adjourn from time to time, but to dole their report before the laft day of January immediately fol lowing, fo as to lay it before the society on the firft Thursday of February in every year, on

31. and no perfon will be entitled to receive any of thefe premiunis offered to poor renters, who holds above 20 acres of arable land.

The fum of 240l. will be appropriated in thefe premiums to each of the provinces 9601

The claims must be lent in on or before the 21ft day of December 1775, to be adjudged on the firft day of February 1776.

The improvement must have been begun fince the 7th of August 1766, at which time these premiums were firft offered.

The affidavit of the claimant, that he never received any premium from the Dublin Society for the fame reclaimed bog; and alfo, his affidavit and that of fome other perfon, together with a certificate from a neighbouring juftice of the peace, concerning the improvement made, will be required at the time of adjudging thefe premiums.

To entitle a claimant to any of the foregoing premiums, for poor renters to reclaim bog, fo as that it may be in tillage or meadow, it must be made to appear to the fociety, that the reclaimed bog has produced a crop of com or hay, or potatoes, and that the faid bog before reclaiming was not worth more, nor would fet to a folvent tenant for more than three fhillings yearly, per acre.

Printed forms for the affidavits and certificates to be sent in by the claimants of the foregoing premiums for reclaiming unprofitable bog, may be had at an eafy price of Mr. William Sleater, printer and bookseller, in Castleftreet, Dublin.

acres

Mountain reclaimed.

For effectually reclaiming the greatest quartity (not lefs than 18 acres) of unprofitable mountain, fo that in the year 1775, it shall be in tillage or meadow 181 For the next quantity, not lefs than 15 151 For the next quantity, not lefs than 12 121 For the next quantity, not less than 9 91. For the next quantity, not less than 6 acres 61. For the next quantity, not lefs than 5 acres

acres

acres

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The fum of 651. will be appropriated in thefe premiums to each of the provinces 2601 To be adjudged the 7th of Dec. 1775.

Every claimant is to lay before the fociety the nature of his mountain land before reclai

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