DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES.

THE arrival of an ambaffador from the court of Conftantinople is amongst the public events of which it is our duty to take notice. A minister of this dignity has not been delegated by the Sublime Porte during more than the last forty years, which fufficiently indicates the importance of his miffion. The curiofity of the public is naturally excited by fuch an occurrence, and will not be displeased to be directed towards the imputed objects of his undertaking.--To open the whole trade of the Levant and Archipelago to the fubjects of Great-Britain, the only European nation whofe navigation and capital can recompenfe the Turkish empire for the interruption of its commerce, occafioned by the blockade of Marseilles, Cette, &c. and the other French ports in the Mediterranean, is, doubtlefs, one of the chief and most important defigns of this extraordinary legation; but it may be fufpected that the views of the divan are not wholly commercial, and that it defires to repair its political alliances, as well as to renew the traffic of its feas. Till the laft peace under the mediation of Great-Britain, France has been the conftant ally, the guardian_genius, of the Turkish dominions in Europe: it was her weakness, not her indifpofition, which compelled her to fuffer this glorious and beneficial office to defcend on the court of St. James. The ftrict alliance between the courts of Vienna and St. Petersburgh, to which no counterpoife can any longer be found in the navies of France, threatens to open the Mediterranean and to expofe the traits of the Dardanelles to the fleets of Revel and Archangel. The politics of Conftantinople feem therefore to require a firm defenfive treaty with England, and the will purchase it with all her invaluable trade; though it can scarcely be doubted, that, were the ftipulations gratuitous on our part, the true intereft of Great-Britain would require of us to fhut thefe feas against the enterprifes of Ruflia. Governor Phillip has given in his refignation of the government of New South Wales; and Capt. Hunter, who commanded the Sirius frigate when the colony was first founded, and who is now affiftant captain of the Queen Charlotte, Lord Howe's flag-thip, is to fucceed as governor of this fettlement.

There are many fincere and zealous friends of ministry who have always been doubtful of the policy of keeping Toulon, confidering the vast number of troops neellary for the defence of it, and the very

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great expence which the requifite military and marine establishments would certain ly have demanded; and it has been pronounced the wifeft measure to destroy and abandon the place. Whatever may be thought of this reasoning, it was certainly right to defend it to the laft extremity; and therefore minifters must be admitted to have acted with a spirit suitable the heroic character of their country, in not directing a retreat from fo important a post till it was found abfolutely untenable; while, on the other hand, due care was taken that it should be effectually demolifhed.

His majefty's cutter Pigmy, of 14 guns, Lieut. Pullibank commander, failed from Torbay with the wind at S. S. W. bound to Plymouth; in the courfe of the day the wind veered farther fouth, and increafed to a violent gale, attended with very thick hazy weather; about fix o'clock in the evening they found themselves very near the fhore, abreast of Motherbank, a fmall inlet, 12 miles east of Plymouth, and the eastern extremity of that port, dividing it from Dartmouth, which place it is faid they mistook for the entrance of Plymouth Sound. The fea running mountains high, and the wind right on the shore, they were under the neceflity of letting go two anchors to prevent her drifting on the rocks; the anchors held faft for about two hours, at which time the cutter began to drive; ene of the boats with five people on-board then put off from her, and the fortunately reached the shore, though one of the feamen was drowned in the attempt. At nine o'clock the cutter drifted on the rocks, and fell broadfide on, when the crew began cutting away the maft, which very providen tially fell towards the fhore, and afforded an opportunity for the officers and crew to fave themselves, the greater part of whom, by this means, reached the rocks in fafety. The commander, Lieut. Pullibank, as the crew report, could not be prevailed on to leave the cutter, though by staying he had nothing but inevitable deftruction before him; and this officer, with about eleven others, (the number not exactly afcertained,) were unfortu nately drowned, and the cutter by eleven o'clock at night was dafhed to atoms. The crew, when the cutter failed from Torbay, confifted of 65 perfons; there was also on-board her, a woman the wife of one of the failors, that had the day be fore been delivered of a child, who toge ther with the infant, were faved.

Major

GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION OF THE CRETAN WARRIORS.

There largest iflands in the old men, to the number of twentyHE republic of Crete, which is tain old men for counsellors. Those Mediterranean, has been celebrated eight, compofed the Cretan fenate. by the panegyric of Plato, ferved They were chofen from among fuch Lycurgus as a model for that which as had discharged the office of Cofhe established in Lacedemon, and was moi, or had diftinguished themselves beheld by all Greece with refpect by extraordinary merit and blameless and admiration. Strabo has thought probity. Thefe fenators continued it not unworthy of his pencil, and has in office during life, poffeffed a weighconfecrated the leading features of its ty influence, and were consulted in conftitution to lafting fame in his im- every affair of any importance. This mortal work. It was indeed a fyftem body was a barrier oppofed by the of legislature whofe direct tendency wifdom of the legiflator against the was to call forth the buds of virtue in ambition of the ten chief rulers. He the heart of infancy; to open and ex- had impofed another restraint on their pand them in youth; to inspire man, power, by limiting the period of their as he reached maturity, with the love administration to one year. His foreof his country, of glory, and of liber- fight went ftill farther. The fufty; and to comfort and fupport the frages of the people might be obtain infirmities of age with the respect and ed by bribery or perfonal influence, efteem due to the experience and wif- and of confequence their choice might dom of that period of life. It laboured fometimes fall on a man unworthy of to form affectionate friends, patriotic fo honourable an office. When that citizens, and worthy magiftrates. It happened, he who had been undefermade no ufe, however, of a multitude vedly advanced to the dignity of of acts and ftatutes to produce thofe Cofmos was degraded, either in a naineftimable advantages. They flow- tional affembly, or fimply by the ed all from one fource; the public voices of his colleagues. This, doubt. education of youth, judiciously di- lefs, is what Plato alludes to, when rected. The virtuous examples fet he says, "Neither the commombefore youth in the courfe of that wealth, which approaches too near education, the illuftrious deeds which to a monarchical conftitution, nor were recited to them with high ap- that which affects a licentious liberty, plause, the honours conferred on va- is founded to the folid basis of a juft lour and on noble actions, the oppro- medium between anarchy and defpobrium invariably caft on vice; thefe,tifm. O Cretans! O Lacedemonians! were the only means which the Cre- by establishing yours on firmer fountan lawgiver made ufe of to form a dations, you have avoided those fatal warlike, humane, and virtuous, nation.

The Cretan government, soon after the expulfion of Idomeneus, became aristocratical. The power was divided between the nobles and the people. Yet, as the chief employments were occupied by the nobles, they directed the administration of affairs. Ten magiftrates were annually elected, by a majority of voices, in the national affembly, These were named Cosmoi, and their public office and character were the fame with those of the Ephori at Sparta. They were the generals of the republic in time of war, and directed all affairs of any importance. They had the right of choofing cerVOL. I, No. 10.

extremes."

Such were the diftribution of power and the administration of public affairs in the Cretan government. Its fimplicity was admirable. A people who were bleffed with the facred enjoyment of liberty, but poffeffed not fufficient knowledge and difcernment to direct themselves, elected magiftrates, to whom they delegated their authority. Thofe magiftrates, thus arrayed with fovereign power, chofe fenators to affift and direct their deli. berations. Thefe counfellors could neither exact or decide of themselves: but they held their office for life; and that circumstance contributed to ftrengthen their influence and to increase their experience. The magi

Brates

ty; fo that men, women, and children, all fubfift at the public expence.

After dinner, the magiftrates and fenators ufually fpent fome time in deliberating on the affairs of the state; they next recounted the noble deeds which had been done in war, celebrat- · ed the courage of their moft diftinguished warriors, and animated the youth to heroic valour. Thofe affemblies were the first school of the youth. At the age of feven, the boy was permitted to handle the bow ;from that time he was admitted into the fociety of the adults, where he continued till the age of seventeen. There, fitting on the ground, and clothed in a plain and coarse dress, he ferved the old men, and liftened, with refpectful filence, to their advice. His young heart was inflamed with the recital of noble deeds in arms, and glowed with ardour to imitate them. He acquired habits of fobriety and temperance. And being conftantly witnefs of illuftrious examples of moderation, wifdom, and patriotifm; the feeds of virtue were thus fown and foftered in his heart before he attained the ufe of reafon.

ftrates were animated by the most powerful motives to distinguish themfelves, when in office, by unwearied activity in the public fervice. On one fide, they were reftrained by the fear of degradation; on the other, actuated by the hope of becoming one day members of the national council. Yet let us enquire what means the Cretan lawgiver used to form virtuous citizens. All the Cretans were fubjected to the power of their magiftrates; and divided into two claffes, the adults and the youth. Men arrived at maturity were admitted into the firft. The fecond confifted of all the young men who were not below the age of feventeen. The fociety of adults ate together in public halls. There rulers, magiftrates, poor and rich, feated together, partook, withous diftinction, of the fame fimple fare. A large bowl, filled with wine and water, which went round the company from one to another, was the only drink that they were allowed. None but the old men had a right to call for more wine. Doubtlefs, that people, fo celebrated for wifdom, were not ftrangers to the power of beauty; for a woman was appointed. He was early accustomed to arms to prefide at each table. She openly diftributed the moft exquifite meats to thofe who had diftinguifhed them felves by their valour or wifdom. That judicious preference was fo far from exciting envy or jealoufy, that it only prompted every perfon to deferve it by a brave and prudent conduct. Near where the citizens fat, two tables were laid, which they named Hofpitable; all strangers and travellers were entertained at thefe: and there was also a particular house fet apart by the public, in which they might spend the night.

To fupply the public expences, every citizen was obliged to bring a tenth part of his annual income into the treafury. The chief magiftrates were to take care that every perfon contributed his proportion. In Crete, fays Ariftotle, one part of the fruits of the earth, of the produce of the flocks, of the revenues of the state, and of the taxes and cuftoms, is facred to the gods: the other is diftributed among the members of the communi

and to fatigue, that he might learn to endure exceffive heat or cold, to clamber and leap among hills and precipices, and to bear manfully the blows and wounds which he might receive amid the gymnastic exercises or in battle. But his education was not confined to the gymnaftic exercies; he was alfo taught to fing the laws, which were written in verfe, with a certain fpecies of melody; in order that the charms of mufic might difpofe him to learn them with more pleafure, and might imprefs them more deeply on his heart, and that, if he fhould ever tranfgrefs them, he might not have the excufe of ignorance to offer. He next learned, hymns in honour of the gods, and poems compofed in praise of heroes. When he reached his feventeenth year, he retired from the fociety of the adults, and became a member of that of the young men.

on.

Here his education was ftill carried He exercifed himself in hunting, wrestling, and fighting, with his companions.