their people happen to be out hunting, thofe northern Indians come into their towns well armed, and in fuch numbers that they are not able to refift them.

"I propofe that a treaty of friendship and peace be concluded first with the English, and then with the Cherokees, in such a manner as may render it durable. Some of your people have from fmaller crimes proceeded to greater. First, they waylaid the Cherokees, and killed one of them in the midst of our fet tlements; then they came to Charlestown, where some Cherokees at the fame time happened to be, and though I cautioned them, and they promifed to do no mifchief, yet the next day they affaulted and murdered feveral of them nigh the gates of this town. For thefe outrages I have fent for you, to demand fatisfaction; and alfo for the murder committed in one of your towns, for which fatisfaction was made by the death of another perfon, and not of the murderer. For the future, I acquaint you, that nothing will be deemed as fatisfaction for the lives of our people, but the lives of thofe perfons themselves who shall be guilty of the murder. The English never make treaties of friendship but with the greatest deliberation, and when made obferve them with the strictest punctuality. They are, at the fame time, vigilant, and will not fuffer other nations to infringe the fmalleft article of fuch treaties. It would tend to the happinefs of your people, were you equally careful to watch against the beginnings of evil; for fometimes a fmall fpark, if not attended to, may kindle a great fire; and a flight fore, if fuffered to fpread, may endanger the whole body. Therefore, I have fent for you to prevent farther mifchief, and I hope you come difposed to give fatisfaction for the outrages already committed, and to promife and agree to maintain peace and friendship with, your neighbours for the future."

This fpeech delivered to the Indians was interpreted by Lachlan M'Gilvray, an Indian trader, who understood their language. After which Malatchee, the king of the Lower Creek nation, stood forth, and with a folemnity and dignity of manner that aftonished all prefent, in answer, addreffed the Governor to the following effect: "I never had the honour to fee the great King George, nor to hear his talk-But you are in his place I have heard yours, and I like it well-Your fentiments are agreeable to my own-The great King wifely judged, that the best way of maintaining friendship between white and red people was by trade and commerce :-He knew we are poor, and want many things, and that skins are all we have to give in exchange for what we want-I have ordered my people to bring you fome as a prefent, and, in the name of our nation, I lay them at your Excellency's feet-You have fent for us-we are come to hear what you have to fay-But I did not expect to hear our whole nation accused for the faults of a REV. Dec. 1779. G g few

few private men-Our head-men neither knew nor approved of the mischief done-We imagined our young men had gone a-hunting as ufual-When we heard what had happened at Charlestown, I knew you would fend and demand fatisfactionWhen your agent came and told me what fatisfaction you required, I owned the juftice of it-But it was not advifeable for me alone to grant it-It was prudent to confult with our beloved men, and have their advice in a matter of fuch importance-We met-we found that the behaviour of fome of our people had been bad-We found that blood had been fpilt at your gates-We thought it juft that fatisfaction fhould be made-We turned our thoughts to find out the chief perfons concerned; (for a man will sometimes employ another to commit a crime he does not chufe to be guilty of himself)—We found the Acorn Whistler was the chief contriver and promoter of the mischief-We agreed that he was the man that ought to fuffer-Some of his relations, who are here prefent, then faid he deferved death, and voted for it-Accordingly he was put to death-He was a very great warrior, and had many friends and relations in different parts of the country-We thought it prudent to conceal for fome time the true reafon of his death, which was known only to the head-men that concerted it-We did this for fear fome of his friends in the heat of fury would take revenge on fome of your traders-At a general meeting all matters were explained-The reafons of his death were made known-His relations approved of all that was done.—Satiffaction being made, I fay no more about that matter—I hope our friendship with the English will continue as heretofore.

"As to the injuries done to the Cherokees, which you spoke of, we are forry for them-We acknowledge our young men do many things they ought not to do, and very often act like madmen-But it is well known I and the other head warriors did all we could to oblige them to make reftitution-I rode from town to town with Mr. Bofomworth and his wife to affift them in this matter-Most of the things taken have been restoredWhen this was over, another accident happened which created fresh troubles-A Chickefaw who lived in our nation, in a drunken fit fhot a white man-I knew you would demand satisfaction-I thought it beft to give it before it was afked-The murder was committed at a great diflance from me--I mounted my horfe and rode through the towns with your agent-I took the head-men of every town along with me-We went to the place and demanded fatisfaction-It was given-The blood of the Indian was fpilt for the blood of a white man-The uncle of the murderer purchafed his life, and voluntarily killed himfelf in his ftead-Now I have done-I am glad to fee you face to face to fettle thefe matters-It is good to renew treaties

of

of friendship-I fhall always be glad to call you friends and brothers."

This fpeech throws no fmall light on the judicial proceedings of barbarous nations, and fhews that human nature in its rudeft ftate poffeffes a ftrong fenfe of right and wrong. Although Indians have little property, yet here we behold their chief magiftrate protecting what they have, and, in cafes of robbery, acknowledging the neceffity of making reftitution. They indeed chiefly injure one another in their perfons or reputations, and in all cafes of murder the guilty are brought to trial and condemned to death by the general confent of the nation. Even the friends and relations of the murderer here voted for his death. But, what is more remarkable, they give us an inftance of an atonement made, and justice satisfied, by the fubftitution of an innocent man in place of the guilty. An uncle voluntarily and generously offers to die in the place of his nephew, the favages accept of the offer, and in confequence of his death declare that fatisfaction is made. Next to perfonal defence, the Indian guards his character and reputation; for as it is only from the general opinion his nation entertains of his wifdom, juftice, and valour, that he can expect to arrive at rank and diftinction, he is exceedingly watchful against doing any thing for which he may incur public blame or difgrace. In this anfwer to Governor Glen, Malatchee difcovers confiderable talents as a public speaker, and appears to be infenfible neither to his own dignity and freedom, nor to the honour and independence of his nation. Genius and liberty are the gifts of heaven; the former is univerfal as that space over which it has scope to range; the latter infpires confidence, and gives a natural confidence to our words and actions.'

If this work, which brings down the Hiftory to the year 1766, meets with the approbation of the Public, the Author proposes to continue it from that period to the present time.

ART. XII. A Specimen of the Civil and Military Inftitutes of Timour, or Tamerlane: A Work written originally by that celebrated Conqueror, in the Mogul Language, and fince tranflated into Perfian. Now first rendered from the Perfian into English, from a MS. in the Poffeffion of William Hunter, M. D. F. R. S. Phyfician Extraordinary to the Queen. With other Pieces. By Jofeph White, B. D. Fellow of Wadham College, Laudian Profeffor of Arabic, One of his Majesty's Preachers at Whitehall, and Editor and Tranflator of the Syriac Philoxenian Verfion of the Gospels. Oxford. 4to. I s. 6d. Elmly, London. 1780.

F this Hiftory and Inftitutes of Tamerlane, Mr. Davy, the forces in Bengal, fays, in a letter to Mr. White,

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"The

"The Hiftory of Timour, written by himself, carries with it the ftrongest proofs that he wrote for pofterity only; and that he could not, in prudence, or in policy, make his work public during his life: for it contains not only the fame accurate detail of the facts and occurrences of his reign, as are found in other Authors, but it goes much farther. He gives you that which he only had the power to give, the secret fprings and motives which influenced his conduct in the various political and military tranfactions of his life, the arts by which he governed, as well as the power by which he conquered. He acknowledges his weakneffes, honeftly owns his errors, defcribes the difficulties in which he was occafionally involved by those errors, and the policy by which he furmounted and overcame thofe difficulties. In a word, it is a complete Index to his head and his heart; and though, take it all in all, it redounds to the honour of both the one and the other, yet it was a work by no means calculated for the perufal of his enemies, or even his fubjects during his life; fince it would have enabled those who chofe it, to combat him with his own weapons, or, in other words, to have turned his arts and his policy against himself. Hence it is reafonable to fuppofe, that the work in queftion was entirely unknown during his life; and its fubfequent temporary obfcurity may, I think, be plaufibly accounted for, by the probability of one copy only exifting at the time of his death, by the uncertainty into whofe hands that copy fell, and by the divifions which followed in his family after the death of Shaabroch.'

The fpecimen which Mr. White has tranflated, gives us a ftrong defire to see the remainder of this very curious and interefting work.

The English verfion will be deferving of attention, not only as a faithful tranfcript of a very valuable original, but as a work of great beauty and elegance.

That our readers may be enabled to form fome opinion of the fpecimen, already published, we shall infert an extract, containing fome of the rules established by Tamerlane, for the support of bis glory and empire.

With donations of money and of jewels I rejoiced the hearts of my officers and foldiers; I permitted them to participate in the banquet; and in the field of blood they hazarded their lives in fupport of my power. I withheld not from them my gold nor my filver. I educated and trained them to arms; and to alleviate their fufferings, I myfelf fhared in all their labours, and in all their hardfhips; until, with the arm of fortitude and refolution, and with the unanimity of my chiefs, my generals, and my warriors, by the edge of the

fword

fword I obtained poffeffion of the thrones of seven-and-twenty kings:

From the moment that I cloathed myself in the robe of empire, I fhut my eyes to the foft repofe which is found in the bed of eafe, and to that health which follows tranquillity. From the twelfth year of my age I fuffered diftreffes, combated difficulties, formed enterprizes, and vanquished armies:

Those who had done me injuries, who had attacked my perfon in battle, and had counteracted my schemes and enterprizes, when they threw themfelves on my mercy, I received them with kindnefs; conferred on them additional honours, drew the pen of oblivion over their evil actions, and treated them with fuch a degree of confidence, that if the least veftige of apprehenfion remained in their hearts, it was entirely eradicated.

I ever acted on deliberation; and whatever enterprize I undertook, that enterprize engaged my whole attention: nor did I ever relinquish it, till I had brought it to a conclufion. I adhered to my promifes. I never dealt with feverity towards any one, nor was I oppretive in any of my actions: that God Almighty might not deal feverely towards me, nor render my own actions oppreffive unto me. I enquired of learned men into the laws and regulations of ancient princes, from the days of Adam to thofe of the Prophet, and from that time to the prefent period. I weighed their inftitutions, their manners, their actions, and their opinions, one by one; I felected models for my own conduct from their excellent qualities and approved virtues.

Whoever had been my enemy, and was afhamed thereof, and flying to me for protection, humbled himself before me, I forgot his enmity; and by my liberality and courtesy became a bidder for his friendship. In fuch manner Share Bebraum, the Chief of a tribe, was in my fervice. He quitted me in the hour of action, united with the enemy, and fought against me. At length my falt, which he had eaten, overwhelmed him with remorfe; he again threw himself on my mercy, and humbled himself before me. As he was a man of illuftrious defcent, of bravery and of experience, I covered my eyes from his faults; I raised him to a fuperior rank; and I pardoned his disloyalty in confideration of his valour,

Soldiers, whether affociates or adverfaries, I held in esteem; those who fell their permanent happiness to perishable honour, who rush into the field of battle and of flaughter, and hazard their lives in the hour of danger. The man, who preferving his fidelity to his mafter untainted, drew his fword on the fide of my enemy, and committed hoftilities against me, him I highly honoured; and when fuch a man offered me his fer

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vices,