chase fhips, engage men, send out remittances, their vefsels and cargoes are seized, they, and their families, who lived in affluence and respect, are plunged at once into bankruptcy and indigence, drawing along with them many small dependants. But thould they be so fortunate as to succeed in the attempt, and gain great sums by the prosperous ifsue of their lawless enterprise, they stop not there. Fate acts the same part by them, as a cunning fharper at whist does by a pigeon; allowing them to run on in the gaudy path of gain till their heads are uplifted with the inchanting phantom; and with one blow they are cast down, and all their flowery prospects come to nought. Thus it happens with all, rich and poor, in those unhappy countries where smuggling prevails. If I except a very few, indeed, who die worth considerable sums of money made by the diabolical traffic; and these increase the evil by being looked at by their countrymen as happy examples, worthy of imita tion. 3dly. The good morals of the people, by this term I mean the proper direction of the principle of distinguishing right from wrong, are, by every able politician, whether in a public or private capacity, considered as an object of the first importance. And these are, by smuggling, entirely destroyed. When the laws in one instance are held at nought, very little respect is paid to them in another; and it is a well known fact, that in every country where smuggling is practised extensively, it is not only ac counted no crime to defraud the revenue, but it is also considered as a virtue; and I believe that, had smuggling been as near the origin of society in Galloway, as fighting was in Rome, virtue * would have implied dexterity in smuggling in the former, as it did bravery in the latter. How often do we not hear of spightful murders being committed in Kent, of rebellious combats in Galloway and Ayrshire, betwixt his majesty's officers and the people; and of unparalleled, and bragged-of feats of swindling in all the smuggling counties of Britain? All are owing to smuggling. I could enumerate many more instances of the baneful effects of illicit commerce, all of which operate most powerfully in those very parts of our country that are destined by nature to fhine in commerce, and spread wealth and happinefs around them, if that evil were removed; but I must hold for the present, and in my next paper I fhall probably state what are the effects of exorbitant duties on the amount of the revenue, which is the primary object of consideration in imposing them. Leith, 1792. TRADER POLITICAL ON THE MILKY WAY. For the Bee. If our sun were viewed by a person at the nearest fixed star, that star would appear a sun, and our sun would appear a fixed star. 'How grand is the idea that every fixed star is a sun to a number of planets around it! And yet, if we reason from analogy, it is not more strange than true. The breadth Virtus, in Latin, signifies bravery. of the earth's orbit scarcely bears any sensible proportion to the distance of the nearest fixed stars. We shall here hazard a conjecture concerning the universe from the appearance of the milky way. The milky way, (when seen to perfection in a clear night, so clear as to occur only once or twice in twelve months, and brighter than is necessary to discover the planet Herschell to the naked eye,) the milky way appears a great circle in the heavens, pafsing by the swan on the north, and dog-star on the south, and not far from the pole of the ecliptic. Of this great circle of the milky way, the earth of course appears to be the center. The conjecture we hazard from this appearance, is, that the universe of the fixed stars is a great zodiac, or grand ecliptic, of some thickness, but of little thicknefs in comparison to its vast length and breadth, or amazing circumference: That the fixed stars have formed themselves into such a grand zodiac by mutual attraction; as the planets, by a like attraction, have resolved themselves into the plane of the ecliptic: That we, who are placed in the middle of this grand zodiac of the universe, see the more distant parts of it like a round belt, or great circle, of some breadth, of which we ourselves are in the center: That this great circle is the milky way: That the fixed stars we see on every side of us, are all comprehended within the compafs of the grand zodiac; but being comparatively near us, must appear to us in all points of the sphere: That we only perceive it to assume. the figure of a zodiac in those parts that are compa ratively more remote: And that, in the most distant parts of it, myriads of fixed stars, forming them selves, rank behind rank, into embattled legions, present to us, and to our view, the great circle of the milky way. Our ecliptic stands nearly at right angles to the surface of our earth: The position of the milky way may have determined the position of our ecliptic. ASTRONOMICUS. READING MEMORANDUMS. THE weak mind, unable to think, naturally flies to anecdote to find conversation; and you will seldom be entertained with a happy, or decent selection. There is often an unfortunate concurrence of circumstances, which is sometimes so intricate, from chance, as to leave the innocent bewildered in the maxes of suspicion, without affording the slightest clue for them, to retrace their way out of it. Friendship (like love,) now a-days is a word of fashion. 'Tis a sort of superstitious, cabalistical word, which once had the power of joining people -together, but, like witchcraft, has now lost its force. Let not the unfeeling stoic deride the pleasures of this world, and despise a happiness, which his gloomy soul is incapable of tasting; it presents many enjoyments, which the eye of reason may behold with approbation. "The ways of providence are dark and intricate, On reading Blair's sermons, it is observed, "those sermons are piety in the most enticing form; and July 18. whilst you admire the elegant language they are replete with, a secret impulse bids you follow the charming precepts. Melancholy brings to one's mind the exprefsions of others, which exactly describe our own sensations, more than any other affection. . We are never more angry than when we find ourselves duped. Natural, justifiable pride revolts against duplicity; and we can sooner forgive any injury than that of deceit. Courage incites soldiers to fight for their country: But it is cowardice alone that drives duelists together. Three maxims never to be departed from, for a happy life. Ist. An implicit acquiescence in the will of providence, from a conviction that all its dispensations are ultimately intended for our good. 2d. That, without embarassing ourselves by reverting to the past, or looking forward to the future, we ought, in every present instance, to act in strict conformity to the dictates of conscience and reason. 3d. Never consider slight omifsions, and trifling. errors, as beneath our care and attention. . Many things would remain perfectly harmless by neglect, that are too frequently exalted into mischief by being legally noticed. |