philofophers, refpecting the many changes which this globe has fuffered, at fundry periods of time, by means of fubterraneous fire. The arguments he ufes in fupport of the volcanic theory are fair and just; and the objections against it are fully and fatiffactorily answered.

We do not hesitate to recommend this performance, as it abounds with fuch obfervations as cannot fail to inftruct and please those who attentively peruse it.

ART. XI. An Account of the prefent State of Nova Scotia. 8vo. 35. Edinburgh printed; fold by Longman, in London. 1786.

HIS publication affords us a pleafing account of the country which it briefly defcribes, and flatters us with the hope that it may, from its own flourishing state, contribute, in no fmall degree, to advance the profperity of Great Britain. The Author claffes his obfervations very judiciously under a number of diftinct heads, fuch as, Situation and extent; Climate and feafons; Natural productions; Animals; Dangers on the coast; Fisheries; Indians; Fur-trade; New fettlements, towns and barbours; Trade and navigation, and Government. It would be easy to felect particulars from each of thefe heads which are worthy of fome attention; but we must fatisfy ourselves with a few curfory remarks.

Among the natural productions of this country, the writer takes particular notice of tar, pitch, and turpentine, to be procared from the pine-forefts, which may be fuppofed to occupy four fifths of all the land in the province: he confiders this as an article deferving the ferious attention of the legislature; • fince, fays he, it is furely no longer good policy to take from the United States thofe things, which, with proper encouragement, our own colonies are found to produce.' The iron ore

discovered here is faid to be equally good with that which is found in any part of America, and it is added, that notwithftanding the application which is requifite to hufbandry and the fisheries, there can remain but little doubt, that the iron made here may become a ufeful article of trade in the course of a few years.' Hemp and flax, which muft always be an object of national importance, are faid to be perfectly fitted to the foil and climate of this country; it is therefore to be concluded that the eye of the legislature will be directed hither, that measures may be adopted to encourage their growth.

Whatever benefits may have accrued to Europe from its connection with America, humanity muft fhudder at the defolation which that connection hath brought on its native inhabitants, amounting almoft to extirpation. Our Author chiefly afcribes this calamity to the introduction of fpirituous liquors,

of

of the very worst kind, purchased of the white people; and of the small-pox, which at different periods has made dreadful rayages. On the whole, it appears, that the poor Indians have little reafon to congratulate themselves on their acquaintance with the Europeans. The evil occafioned by fpirituous liquors alone is fufficiently dreadful. A fmall dofe, it is faid, never fatiffies them. They drink it unmixed, until they can drink no more, and then become literally mad; thus, by frequent repetition, they are befotted and enfeebled, and the mifchief spreads to their pofterity.

In the account of the fur-trade, it is remarked, that monopolies have been at all times hurtful to indufiry, and fill more fo to commerce. Every kind of reftraint that is laid on this trade must therefore hurt, inftead of anfwering the intended purpole of doing it good; and, like a plant left to its own native foil, if left to itself, it will be found to thrive the better. In fine, it is impoffible the extent of the advantages can be afcertained, which the province may receive from it. Thus far it may be affirmed, that it is a thing which, though capable of great improvement, has this farther to recommend it, that the perfeverance of the inhabitants in giving encouragement to it, by trading on reasonable terms with the Indians, is fully ade quate to the purpose of rendering it, as much as poffible, advan tageous either to Great Britain or themselves.'

The hint offered by this writer, in a note, when he mentions the mafts that are cut for the royal navy, may require fome notice: It is furely,' fays he, bad policy to mark all the large fir-trees for the ufe of government without allowing any thing in confideration of damages to the proprietor of the lands where fuch trees grow; as in this cafe, they will not be over-folicitous for the prefervation of the large timber.'

The importance of the navigation act is ftrongly pleaded for in this volume: It can never be too often repeated,' we are told, that those laws, and the principles of them, which have raised thefe iflands to their prefent greatnefs, will, without doubt, if once relaxed, have a contrary effect, and plunge us into the very depth of wretchedness and mifery; fince a decrease of thipping muft of neceffity be attended with a proportional lofs of revenue, of seamen, and of national confidence, which in the prefent state of things is the chief bulwark of the kingdom. If the fimple requifitions of that law (the Navigation act), enjoining all our national shipping to be British built, and to be manned with at leaft two thirds of feamen born in the dominions of England, have produced fuch mighty effects, what could equal the folly of giving them up ?'

From the view which is here given us of the territories yet emaining to Great Britain in North America, we cannot but nfer, that, under a wife and proper direction, they may be ren

dered

dered profperous in themselves, and beneficial to the mothercountry. We affected,' obferves this writer, to defpife a country, with whofe worth we were unacquainted, and refted fatisfied in an unpardonable degree of ignorance. Canada was equally neglected, though poffeffed of a luxuriant foil, a territory almost unbounded, the nobleft woods, rivers without number, and lakes equal to the feas of Europe in extent, and probably in usefulness; it was confidered with a gloomy fatisfaction that bordered on malevolence. The folly and misfortunes of the French nation loft them the poffeffion of a province, to the importance of which they had been, until that moment, ftrangers. If then fuch ample poffeffions are left to Britain, it will be true wisdom to improve and encourage them, especially as the war itself, however deftructive in other refpects, has added fo greatly to their population, many citizens independent on those on whom the fentence of banishment has been paffed by their countrymen, having come voluntarily to refide on the lands guaranteed to them by a conftitution, that is equally free from the defpotism of kings, and the abuses of a democracy.'

We will not enter into an enquiry concerning the justice of the encomium which is paffed on the numbers, who under the denomination of loyalifts, have lately fettled in this country; it is probable that, as a body, they may not be at all more respectable than those whom they have left, and that many individuals may have placed themfelves among them in the hope of bettering their circumftances by a connection with Britain: it is time, however, that these confiderations should now be dropped: the acceffion which has been made by different means to the population of Nova Scotia appears greatly to advance its importance, and from the prefent afpect, the province is likely to be flourishing and confequential, as in other refpects, especially in this, as entirely commanding the fisheries, which,' adds this writer, * while properly encouraged, may be confidered as an inexhaustible mine of wealth to the empire at large, and one of the chief finews of its power."

It is not always easy to decide on the merit of publications that are, in any degree, political; and which, like paragraphs in a news-paper, are fometimes written with a concealed finifter purpose, to mislead the reader, or to prepare the way for fomewhat, perhaps, unfuspected. The tract before us, however, feems to be very honeftly intended, and certainly affords bot! entertainment and inftruction; it is not a mere compilation, bu written by a man acquainted with the country, and whofe remark appear to merit attentive confideration.

The anonymous writer profeffes himself a warm friend to th liberties of mankind. He very briefly defcribes the form of ge vernment in Nova Scotia, which, he fays, approaches as neary to that of the parent ftate as poffible;' and adds, This kind

government

government, though apparently complicated, is, on a clofer analyfis, juft and fimple. The liberties of the people can only be endangered by the pufillanimity or treachery of their reprefentatives; and, whilft their freedom is guarded against the encroach- ments of weak, arbitrary, or profligate minifters, by the power and authority of a British parliament, an entire, full, and complete exemption from taxation for ever, but by their own confent, is fecured to them by the fame facred contract.'

Again it is remarked, where freedom does not exift, in the fullest and most unconfined fenfe, very little good is to be expected from the richest foil, or moft unbounded territories, even in those countries where science has long fince reared its head, and the arts have enjoyed the patronage of the great; but, in countries newly planted, whote inhabitants know how to prize their liberties, and efteem them as natural and inherent rights, every innovation that can 'poffibly affect them, must be a step toward the ruin of the colonies, and the means of fowing eternal difcord with the mother country.'

The work is clofed in the following terms: Long may this ifland continue, by the wifdom of her councils, and the juftice of her measures, to unite all the diftant parts of fo great an empire in one strict and indiffoluble bond of fraternal union; and while the freedom of her facred conftitution beftows bleffings on the unborn millions, who may hereafter become inhabitants of her remaining colonies, may it be the fecond with of every fubject, that the King may long continue the fovereign of a free people,-the first fhould be, that the people may be free.'

ART. XII. A Supplement to the fifth Edition of Collins's Peerage of England: containing a general Account of the Marriages, Births, Promotions, Deaths, &c. which have occurred in each Family, from that Publication in the Year 1779 to the prefent Time. Alfo an Account of thofe Families which have been advanced to the English Peerage, whether by Defcent or Creation, fince that Period. With their paternal Coats of Arms, &c. on 34 Copperplates. By B. Longmate, Editor of the 5th Edition of Collins's Peerage. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1784.

A

Work of this nature requires great induftry and application, and a particular talent for that fpecies of minute inveftigation which an accurate genealogift ought to poffefs.With these qualifications, Mr. Longmate appears to be endowed in a very confiderable degree; and the prefent work is an eminent proof of it. It is a valuable Supplement to Collins's useful Memorials of English Peerage; and may also be confidered as a promising specimen of the Author's abilities for a publication of a more difficult, but not lefs curious and interesting nature, viz. "The extinct Peerage of England,"

The

The title, as above, hath already given our Readers a general idea of the present work.

The additions to Collins's eight volumes, as published by Mr. Longmate in 1779, end with the barony of Coniers, now poffeffed by the eldeft fon of the Marquis of Carmarthen in right of his mother, daughter of the late Countefs of Holderneffe, in whom the title was vefted.

Since this period, a confiderable addition hath been made to the English peerage. A particular account is given in the prefent volume of the families which have been enobled, beginning with Wedderburn, Lord Loughborough, and ending with Dutton, Lord Shirborne *.

The genealogies of the families are traced out with great accuracy, and from the most authentic memorials; though the Author had many great difficulties to furmount, particularly in the younger branches of ancient families. This circumftance he particularly notices, when he speaks of Lord Rodney; defcended, by fome diftant and obfcure ramification, from the old ftem of the Rodneys of Stoke Rodney in Somerset hire. The flender notice (fays he) taken of fuch branches, in the heralds vifitations, the long difufe of thofe vifitations, together with the general confufion in which this kingdom was involved by the civil war between King Charles and the Parliament, and the great deftruction of family deeds and evidences which it occahioned, mult render it extremely difficult, if not altogether impoffible, for not only his Lordfhip, but alfo moft of the defcendants of the younger fons of the best families in the kingdom, to join themselves to the old family stock.'

Perfons attached to genealogical ftudies will find in this work much information and amusement. We have noticed fome flight inaccuracies relating to names, places, and dates; and poffibly there are others, which we were incapable of obferving, for want of a fufficient acquaintance with these minutia of genealogy.

From a publication of this nature, little can be extracted for the entertainment of general readers. It may be, however, amufing to every one to read the method in which our ancient monarchs conveyed a grant of royal lands to their favourites.

William the Conqueror granted to an ancestor of Lord Rawdon the estates in Yorkshire, on which is the noble manfion called

Griffin, Lord Howard of Walden, is the laft peer of whom we have an account in this Supplement. But his title is not fo much a new creation, as the revival of an ancient peerage in right of his great-grandmother, Lady Effex Howard, daughter of the last Lord Howard of Walden.-This right, in Sir John Griffin Griffin, was confirmed by Parliament, Aug. 3, 1784.

Rawdon