328 Notes of the Month on Affairs in General Q 



for that one, -which is the most fatal and unhappy infliction of our 

 climate, on the most interesting part of its population. 



A-propos, in a former article upon the subject, we happened to make 

 mention of a lady, who was stated to have attended this method of 

 'cure, without the presence of a chaperon. This we took word for 

 word from the statement in the newspapers. We have subsequently 

 understood that this was an error, that the lady in question was always 

 accompanied by her friends. We regret that we had any share in 

 repeating this assertion, as it would be certainly among our last inten- 

 tions to hurt the feelings of any respectable person. But we made 

 mention of no name; and, even thus, desire the lady to accept our 

 regrets. 



The age of political prophecy is gone by, and every man now who 

 pretends to a character for common-sense, disclaims all idea of what will 

 happen beyond the week. On the Continent, a still shorter time may 

 make the difference between peace and war between living in quiet 

 under one's own fig- tree, and flying half-naked over half the world, 

 pursued by swarms of sharpshooters and clouds of dragoons. But the 

 state of England is of more importance to us ; and it is impossible to 

 deny that it deserves to excite the strongest anxiety. The ruin of empires 

 in the clays of antiquity was by the vices of their kings. An army 

 revolted or a military usurper,, taking advantage of the national dis- 

 gust or some daring power, that had waited only until public spirit 

 was dead, made a rush upon the empire, and broke it down. 

 ' But the chief cause of decay in modern kingdoms has been public 

 waste. A wise finance is the secret of a permanent government ; and a 

 prodigal treasury the sure agent of undoing. What must be the feelings 

 of a true lover of England, when he sees what the progress of her debt 

 has been ? The world has had no other example of a burthen so rapidly 

 increased, and so utterly beyond the strength of a people to bear, or 

 their hope to shake off. What says the history ? 



"' George the Third reigned fifty-nine years, thirty-three of which were 

 passed in war, and twenty-six in peace. The Debt, at his accession, was 

 120,000,000. ; at his demise, .820,000,000. ! George the Third found the 

 annual charge of taxation X6,000,,000., and left it 60,000,000., including the 

 expense of collection." 



From this tremendous debt, sixteen years of peace have literally taken 

 nothing ; for the operation of the sinking fund, by some hocus-pocus, 

 seems never to lighten a shilling of the burthen ; and, year by year, we 

 have the old eight hundred millions staring us in the face! The 

 debt must be paid in some shape or other ; and yet, what political pro- 

 phet will tell us from what source payment is to come ? 



