Hanway, were there to be bred a greater number of feamen, their wages would fall as their number increased; and the Englich might navigate their veffels cheaper, and be more able to cope with foreigners. Admitting this; may it not be, at the fame time, juftly doubted, whether fuch a reduction of wages would co-operate with the breeding a greater number of feamen? That indeed it would not, Mr. Hanway appears to be fenfible; when he allows that this reduction must be fmall, because, if men can get as much, or more, by almoft any employment on fhore than by going to fea, they will hardly be prevailed on to think the latter more eligible: nor is it reasonable to think that many mariners, merely because they are fuch, will bring up their fons to an occupation, by which they themfelves get fo indifferent a livelihood; when they might be as well, or better, provided for on fhore. It is true, we find many feamen ftrangely attach'd to their peculiar way of life; nor, confidering the known force of cuftom, is it to be wonder. ed at: and yet we do not conceive this attachment fo forcible, or general, as is frequently imagined. There are times, at leaft, navim jactantibus auftris, when the mariner prefers even the worst fituation on fhore to his own: and we may venture to fay, that difappointment and neceffity wed more men to the fea, than any inclination to that, boisterous element. Indeed, from what we, Reviewers, know of this matter, we conceive that, fo long as our manufactures maintain themselves on a refpectable footing, and our improvements in agriculture and hufbandry go forward, fo that every man, who is able and willing to work, may find fome employment on fhore; while this is the cafe, and while the meaneft fubject in Great-Britain may uninterruptedly poffefs the reward of his labour, and eat, drink, or throw it away, like a true fon of liberty, as he pleases, we conceive it improbable, that the number of English feamen in the merchants fervice fhould ever increafe, but in proportion to our own actual trade. In truth, if we reflect on the concurrent causes, that only can fo far augment their number, as to make us capable of carrying on the navigation of other nations as cheap as themselves; we hope never to fee Britons reduced to fo low an ebb by fea, as to the inglorious neceffity of getting hardly bread, on fuch terms as they muft do, ere they will be able to boast themselves the common carriers of Europe; for this never can be the cafe, in our opinion, till Britons on fhore are reduced ftill lower. As our national strength and fecurity, however, depend fo greatly on our naval force, the expediency of a good nurfery for feamen is apparent; nor have we any general objection to a fcheme for preventing our failors from being driven into foreign fervice at the clofe of a war. As to the former, Mr. Hanway hints at our fisheries. These in

deed

deed (we mean particularly the herring and whale fisheries) might be made noble nurseries and refervatories for feamen, provided they were put entirely into the hands of the government; and the men and boys employed therein were actually in the king's fervice. If what was hinted alfo to our Author by his friend, of the government's employing a certain number of fhips in time of peace, to tranfport Portland ftone, were put in execution, it might keep many failors on foot, at a small expence. If the scheme alfo, in which the late Aaron Hill was concerned, of cutting timber in the highlands of Scotland, and transporting it to London, and other ports, either for the king's or private ufe, were undertaken, in like manner, at the expence of the government, it might employ a number of thofe useful hands which we are obliged to look out for at the beginning of a war. That the government will clear nothing by any of thefe fchemes, is no objection to their being adopted. Nay, if any thing of confequence might be gained by them in a mercantile way, it might, with reafon, be thought injurious to particulars, that the adminiftration fhould meddle with them at all: but as, for more reafons than we here chufe to give, there is little likelihood of profit arifing to private adventurers, from any of the projects above-mentioned, we fee no cause that fhould hinder the government, at the end of the war, from keeping a confiderable number of feamen in its fervice, and breeding up others, by these and other means of the like nature which might be pointed out.

Whether, indeed, if a foundation be laid for an honourable and a lasting peace, it may be thought worth while to keep any fupernumeraries on foot, is another queftion: but in cafe it be, that the government must lay its account with losing some thousands annually, is certain: for, as Mr. Hanway justly obferves, without fome money we do not conceive any thing can be done; and we might add, that much of the late national ill-fuccefs was, perhaps, primarily owing to our miniftry's having been œconomifts at the wrong feafon. A hundred thoufand pound might be better employed (and that in more ways than one) to the nation's general advantage in time of peace, than a million fometimes can be in that of a war. At least we know, from indubitable authority, that fuch, or more, would have been the difference between money properly employed, in ond way, a ear before the prefent war broke out, and a year

after.

As to the number of out feamen, who are driven into foreign fervice at the clofe of a war, we do not think it so great as Mr. Hanway would infinuate. He obferves, indeed, that out of 60,000 of thofe feamen which the national parfimony discharged

in the year 1748, not one in forty could be commanded * five years after. This he seems to attribute to their being difperfed abroad, for want of employment at home. Now we conceive it to be owing to the greater part of them having, as above-hinted, found fome better employment at home; and therefore, though they might be wanted in their capacity of feamen, they were no longer willing to ferve as fuch. A fifth part of them were probably dead, and of those that were living, it is as probable, that five years reflection, on their former experience at fea, would little tend to make them break their intervening connexions, and return thither again. Some, doubtlefs, particularly mates and other inferior officers, who might expect preferment, betook themselves to foreign fervice; but can it be expected, these fhould give up their emoluments, and immediately return to ferve their country, with all thofe difadvantages (we had almoft faid cruelties) which failors on board the king's fhips confeffedly labour under? On the whole, we do not fee how the king may be, at any time, certain of any great number of feamen, without keeping them actually in his fervice, or distressing trade by a prefs. The expence of maintaining 12 or 15,000 fupernumeraries, however, to do little or nothing during a peace, will hardly be thought advifeable; and, to lay a heavy tax on one part of our trade, while we are to allow a bounty of 60,000l. a year on the other, for this purpofe; and, after all, to have thefe feamen to look for when they are wanted; this, we fay, though it be our Author's fcheme, we conceive will be thought as little advifeable. The evil of preffing is, indeed, so great, and reflects fo much difhonour on the boafted liberty of our conftitution, that we fincerely with fome fcheme could be hit upon, to fuperfede or foften the rigours of this practice: but, as to a fcarcity of feamen at the beginning of a war, we are perfuaded, though all the wife men in England fhould, with Mr. Hanway, lay their heads together, in a committee, to prevent it, they would never fucceed, in any confiderable degree, without faddling the nation with a burthen, as heavy and troublefome as the evil removed.

* To talk of commanding Englishmen (though feamen) not actually in the King's fervice, is an inaccuracy of expreffion, of which, we wonder, Mr. Hanway did not fee the impropriety.

K-n-k

The

The Analysis of Trade, Commerce, Coin, Bullion, Banks, and foreign Exchanges. Taken chiefly from a manufcript of a very ingenious gentleman deceased, and adapted to the prefent fituation of our trade and commerce. By Philip Cantillon, late of the city of London, merchant. 8vo. 5s. Lewis.

F the many writers on trade, that have lately taken up the trade of writing, Mr. Cantillon does not appear to be poffeffed of the greatest share of literary abilities. He feems, however, to have been a man of bufinefs, and therefore the lefs to feek in the laudable manufacture of book-making, his work being in a good degree a compilation from other writers. We mult do him the juftice, nevertheless, to own he has confulted the best of them, and appears to be well acquainted with the feveral fubjects he treats of, fo far as they concern the private intereft and particular information of the merchant; but when he comes to fpeak of the general interefts of the community, and the political economy of nations, he difplays no very great proofs of his fagacity.

He frequently, indeed, quotes Mr. Hume in juftification of his own fentiments; but does not appear always to comprehend the arguments, or fee clearly into the defign of that masterly writer. His views are, in reality, very confined; hence he bears a mortal antipathy to excife, cuftoms, and taxes, while, on the contrary, he holds bounties in the highest degree of veneration. But how the charges of government are to be born, our trade protected, and bounties allowed, without our paying a due proportion of excife, customs, or taxes, we do not rea'dily conceive.

Of our author's ignorance in hiftory and geography we might point out feveral inftances. His puerility of method and poverty of language alfo, intermixed with the concife and elegant touches extracted from the writings of Swift, Hume, and others, afford fo ftriking a contraft, and give fo motley an appearance to the whole, that the reader cannot fail of being alternately pleafed and difgufted.

In his first chapter, which treats of riches, we are informed, that the earth (by which is evidently meant the foil) is the fource or matter from whence all riches are produced: that land produces herbage for all forts of cattle, corn, flax, timber, coals, mines of gold and filver, minerals, and mulberry-trees. Nay, though it be true that the feas abound with fish, yet the feas belong to the adjoining lands: whence we are led to conclude, that fifh are alfo the product of the earth, as well as

X 3

mines

mines and mulberry-trees. We are then told, that labour and industry employed in cultivating the earth, is the greatest of all worldly advantages'-that, as power and government were obtained by the fuperior force of genius, or the power of the fword, its folidity and duration is not to be depended upon farther than the intereft, love, and fidelity of the subjects carry them'-that justice, generosity, and humanity are the rudders by which government ought to fieer; and that the equal ballance of power, between king and people, ought to be most religiously obferved.'

Thefe, with a few paffages more, refpecting Oliver Cromwell, and our author's opinion of population, make up all he has to fay on the fubject of riches. A very confiderable part of what is advanced, concerning other fubjects, is alfo equally important and to the purpofe; much of the reader's time being taken up with fuch unneceffary and felf-evident propofitions as thefe. One acre of land produces more corn, and feeds more fheep, than two acres of lefs goodnefs.'- Land produces more or lefs, according to the goodness and fertility of its foil, or in proportion to the expence and pains taken in its culture and improvement. All mines of lead, coals, copper, tin, filver, &c. produce more or less according to the goodness and richness of the veins.'-Gold and filver are metals found in mines.' It is of gold and filver money is made,' &c,

But notwithstanding our author's defects as a writer, we muit acknowledge his merit, in having treated the articles of money and bullion with much plainnels and perfpicuity; and though few of his obfervations are new, they are laid down in a more familiar manner, than is ufual with writers on fuch fubjects,

The clamours which have been lately raifed, on account of the fcarcity of filver coin, have fet many on making inquiry into the cause of fuch a general want of that metal, and propofing a remedy. Among the reft, our author hath fome ftrictures on that fubject, and gives entirely into the opinion of thofe, who allow the fcarcity complained of to be owing to the difproportion of the nominal value of our gold coin to that of our filver; from whence it is, that money-dealers find their intereft in exporting filver coin rather than gold. The remedies propofed for this evil are a new coin

age,

Their profit in this trade is thus explained by our Author. A pound weight of ftandard gold, reckoning the guinea at one and twenty fhillings, is worth, here and in Spain, upwards of fifteen pounds of fandard filver; but in France, Holland, and Germany,