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purpose a writer may have clear ideas himself, if he be not poffeffed of a precifenefs of expreffion, capable of conveying them

to others.

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Reports of the Humane Society, inftituted in the year 1774, for the recovery of perfons apparently drowned. For the year 1776. 8vo. Printed for the Society.

In these reports for the year 1776, the worthy editors have, in fome refpects, adhered to their former plan; they have firft given thofe fuccefsful cafes which have fallen under the immediate infpection of the Society; together with a fummary view of the unfuccefsful ones; by which the reader will plainly fee how much they have gained over the preceding years: they have afterwards given the cafes which have been communicated to them from individuals, or from other Societies. To these they have fubjoined a fecond part; containing a general account of the proceedings of the Society, and of other eftablishments which have originated from theirs; and alfo fome fingular cafes, chiefly felected from the publications of the Dutch and French, in order to demonftrate ftill further the affertion, that perfons are equally recoverable in fudden fufpenfions of the vital powers from various other caufes, and to animate to ftill greater perfeverance in the moft defperate and alarming accidents.

In the introduction we are alfo made acquainted with a circumftance, that does not appear from the perufal of their reports, viz. that of the number of objects, for whom the promifed rewards were paid, no less than eleven out of fourteen have been preserved from committing an act of fuicide: that all of them are reconciled to life; nor have they indicated the Icaft inclination to repeat their horrid purpotes.

Succefs to the humane and pious endeavours of fo truly laudable an inftitution !

Inftructions of a Dutchefs to her Son; tranflated into English from the original Italian. By a young Lady, 4to. 2s 6d. Becket,

A tolerable tranflation of a tract, confifting of commonplace obfervations on trite topics; published by the tranflator's Italian master, as a specimen of his fair pupil's proficiency in the language.

The

The Hiftory of America, By William Robertfon, D. D. Principal of the University of Edinburg, and Hiftoriographer ta bis Majefty for Scotland. 2 Vols. 4to. 21. 2s. Cadell, London. Balfour, Edinburgh.

(Continued from Page 7.)

In the eighth and laft book of this valuable and entertaining hiftory, the ingenious author enters on the confideration of the Spanish fyftem of colonization, a fubject peculiarly interefting at the prefent juncture. In doing this he gives a general idea of the policy of Spain in the original fettlement of its American provinces.

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"But the establishments of the Spaniards in the New-World, fays he, though fatal to its ancient inhabitants, were made at a period when that monarchy was capable of forming them to beft advantage. By the union of all its petty kingdoms, Spain was become a powerful ftate, equal to fo great an undertaking. Its monarchs, having extended their prerogative far beyond the limits which once circumfcribed the regal power in every kingdom of Europe, were hardly fubject to controul, either in exerting, or in executing their meafures. In every wide extended empire, the form of government must be fimple, and the authority of the fovereign abfolute; that his refolutions may be taken with promptitude, and pervade the whole with undiminished force. Such was the power of the Spanish monarchs, when they were called to deliberate concerning the mode of establishing their dominion over the most remote provinces, that had ever been fubjected to any European ftate. In this deliberation, they felt themselves under no constitutional restraint, and that as independent mafters of their own refolves, they might iffue the edicts requifite for modelling the government of the new colonies, by a mere act of prerogative.

"This early interpofition of the Spanish crown, in order to regulate the policy and trade of its colonies, is a peculiarity which diftinguishes their progrefs from that of the colonies of any other European nation. When the Portuguese, the English, and French, took poffeffion of thofe regions in America which they now occupy, the ad vantages which they promifed to yield were fo remote and uncertain, that they were fuffered to ftruggle through a hard infancy, almoft without guidance and protection from the parent flate. But gold and filver, the first productions of the Spanish fettlements in the New World, were more alluring, and immediately attracted the attention of their monarchs. Though they had contributed little to the difcovery, and almost nothing to the conqueft of the New World, they inftantly affumed the function of its legislators; and having acquired s fpecies of dominion formerly unknown, they formed a plan for exercifing it, to which nothing fimilar occurs in the history of human affairs."

Our Hiftorian proceeds to trace the outline of the fyftem of government, adopted by Old Spain, for the fubjection of VOL. VI,

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her Colonies; expatiating on the political motives for fuch adoption.

"The first object, fays he, of the Spanish monarchs was to fecure the productions of the colonies to the parent ftate, by an abfolute prohibition of any intercourfe with foreign nations. They took poffeffion of America by right of conqueft; and, confcious of the feebleness of their infant fettlements, and aware of the difficulty in establishing their dominion over fuch vaft regions, or of retaining fo many reluctant nations under the yoke, they dreaded the intrusion of ftrangers; they even fhunned their infpection, and endeavoured to keep them at a distance from their coats. This fpirit of jealoufy and exclufion, which at first was natural, and perhaps neceflary, augmented as their poffeffions in America extended, and the value of them came to be more fully understood. In confequence of it, a fyftem of colonizing was introduced, to which there had hitherto been nothing fimilar among mankind. In the ancient world, it was not uncommon to fend forth colonies. But they were of two kinds only. They were either migrations, which ferved to disburden a state of its fuperfluous fubjects, when they multiplied too faft for the territory which they occupied : or they were military detachments ftationed, as garrifons, in a conquered province. The colonies of fome Greek republics, and the fwarms of northern barbarians which fettled in different parts of Europe, were of the first fpecies. The Roman colonies were of the fecond. In the former, the connection with the mother country quickly ceafed, and they became independent ftates. In the latter, as the disjunction was not complete, the dependence continued.

In their American

fettlements, the Spanish monarchs took what was peculiar to each, and ftudied to unite them. By tending colonies to regions to remote, by establishing in each a form of interior policy and administration, under diftinct governors, and with peculiar laws, they disjoined them from the mother-country. By retaining in their own hands the rights of legiflation, as well as that of impofing taxes, together with the power of nominating the perfons who filled every department, civil or military, they fecured their dependence. Happily for Spain, the fituation of her colonies was fuch, as rendered it poffible to reduce this new idea into practice. Almost all the countries which the had discovered and occupied, lay within the tropics. The productions of that large por-tion of the globe, are different from thofe of Europe, even in its most fouthern provinces. The qualities of the climate and of the foil natu...,, rally turn the induftry of those who fettle there into new channels. When the Spaniards first took poffeffion of their domains in America, the precious metals which they yielded, were the only object that attracted their attention. Even when their efforts began to take a better direction, they employed themfelves almoft wholly in rearing fuch peculiar productions of the climate, as, from their rarity or value, were of chief demand in the mother-country. Allured by vaft prof pects of immediate wealth, they dildained to wafte their induity on what was lefs lucrative, but of fuperior moment. In order to render it impoffible to correct this error, and to prevent them from making any efforts that might interfere with thofe of Spain, the establishment of

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feveral fpecies of manufactures, and even the culture of the vine, or olive, are prohibited in the colonies, under fevere penalties. They muft truft entirely to the mother-country for the objects of primary necefity. Their cloths, their furniture, their inftruments of labour, their luxuries, and even a confiderable part of the provifions which they confume, were imported from Spain. During a great part of the fixteenth century, Spain poffelling an extenfive commerce and flourishing manufactures, could fupply with great eafe the growing demands of her colonies, from her own ftores. The produce of their mines and plantations was given in exchange for thefe. But all that the colonies received, as well as all that they gave, was conveyed in Spanish bottoms. No veffel belonging to the colonies was ever permitted to carry the commodities of America to Europe. Even the commercial intercourfe of one colony with another, was either abfolutely prohibited, or limited by many jealous reftrictions. All that America vields flows into the ports of Spain; all that it confumes muit illue from them. No foreigner can enter one of its colonies without exprefs permiffion; no veffel of any foreign nation is received into their har bours; and the pains of death, with confiication of moveables, are denounced against every inhabitant who prefumes to trade with them. Thus the colonies are kept in a flate of perpetual pupillage; and by the introduction of this commercial dependence, a refinement in policy of which Spain fet the first example to the European nations, the fupremacy of the parent ftate hath been maintained over remote colonies during two centuries and a half.”

Such, according to our hiftorian, were the capital maxims, to which the Spanish monarchs attended in forming their new fettlements in America. They could not plant, however, he obferves, with the fame rapidity that they had deftroyed; while, from many concurring caufes, their progrefs was fo extremely flow, in filling up the immenfe void their devaftations had occafioned.

"As foon as the rage for discovery and adventure began to abate, the Spaniards opened their eyes to dangers and distreffes, which at firtt they did not perceive, or had defpifed. The numerous hardthips with which the inembers of infant colonies have to ftruggle, the difeafes of unwholesome climates, fatal to the conftitution of Europeans; the difficulty of bringing a country, covered with forefts, into culture; the want of hands neceflary for labour in fome provinces, and the flow reward of industry in all, unlets where the accidental difcovery of mines enriched a few fortunate adventurers, were evils univerfally felt and magnified. Difcouraged by the view of thefe, the fpirit of migration was fo much damped, that fixty years after the difcovery of the New World, the number of Spaniards in all its provinces is computed not to have exceeded fifteen thousand."

This computation, indeed, was made by Benzoni; who, writing with the fpirit of a malcontent, probably calculated rather too low. Be this as it may, it is pretty certain, that when Benzoni wrote, viz. in the year 1550, the number of

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emigrants

emigrants from Old Spain, with their immediate defcendants, formed but a very inconfiderable body of people, in comparison with their number in prefent ftate of increafed population; which our author thus defcribes.

So fertile and inviting are the regions of America, which the Spaniards have occupied, that notwithstanding all the circumstances, which have checked and retarded population, it has gradually increased; and filled the colonies of Spain with citizens of various orders. Among thefe, the Spaniards, who arrive from Europe, diftinguished by the name of Chapetones, are of the first rank and power. From the jealous attention of the Spanish court to fecure the dependence of the colonies, every department of confequence is filled by perfons fent from Europe; and in order to prevent any of dubious fidelity from being employed, each must bring proof of a clear descent from a family of Old Chriftians, untainted with any mixture of Jewish or Mahometan blood, and never difgraced by any cenfure of the inquifition. In fuch pure hands, power is deemed to be fafely lodged, and almost every public function, from the viceroyalty downwards, is committed to them alone. Every perfon, who by his birth, or refidence in America, may be fufpected of any attachment or interest adverse to the mother-country, is the object of diftruit to fuch a degree, as amounts nearly to an exclufion from all offices of confidence or authority. By this confpicuous predilection of the court, the Chapetones are raifed to fuch pre-eminence in America, that they look down with difdain on every other order of

men.

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The character and state of the Creoles, or defcendants of Europeans fettled in America, the fecond clafs of fubjects in the Spanish colonies, has enabled the Chapetones to acquire other advantages, hardly lefs confiderable than those which they derive from the partial favour of government. Though fome of the Creolian race are defcended from the conquerors of the New World; though others can trace up their pedigree to the nobleft families in Spain; though many are poffetled of ample fortunes, yet, by the enervating influence of a fultry climate, by the rigour of a jealous government, and by their defpair of attaining that diftinction to which mankind naturally afpire, the vigour of their minds is fo entirely broken, that a great part of them waste life in luxurious indulgences, mingled with an illiberal fuperftition ftill more debating. Languid and unenterprifing, the operations of an active extended commerce would be to them fo cumberfome and oppreffive, that in almott every part of America they decline engaging it it. The interior traffic of every colony, as well as its trade with the neighbouring provinces, and with Spain itself, are carried on chiefly by the Chapetones; who, as the recompence of their industry, amals immenfe wealth, while the Creoles, funk in floth, are fatisfied with the revenues of their paternal eftates.

From this ftated competition for power and wealth, between thofe two orders of citizens, and the various paffions excited by a rivalship fo interesting, their hatred is violent and implacable. On every occafion; fymptoms of this averfion break out, and the common appellations which each beftows on the other, are as contemptuous as thofe which

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