1816.] Mr. Plat/fair on the 



jk, parish of D, shire of M, when brought 

 into tillage in 1815, shewed at the bot- 

 tom of deep ftiirows many grains of 

 barley in perfect preservation. The in- 

 ftreuce favours my opinion, that expe- 

 riments alone are wanting towards im- 

 portant discoveries for making- farmers 

 oiX a large scale independent of mono- 

 polizers. Ready money will lempt 

 jsmall tenants to sell their little produce, 

 in favour of forestaliers; but their in- 

 fluence might be nearly eounlerbalanced 

 by ilie more opulent growers bringing 

 their corn to a fair market. 



Before I conclude, allow me to ob- 

 serve, that the late distressmg stag- 

 nation in trade has alforded an awful 

 caveat to successful speculators of every 

 ilescription. Let the prosperous dealer 

 henceforward bend his attention to ac- 

 cumulate a capital, instead of indulging 

 in display, during the temi)orary influx 

 pf wealth. It is the dictate of wisdom 

 to spare ourselves the risk of pain in 

 relinquishing superfluities, — forbearance 

 is less bitter than retrenchment ; and, 

 when unforeseen misfortune impairs our 

 finances, a timely reduction in our ex- 

 penditure may avert utter insolvency. 

 Let not the free-born Englishman con- 

 tract or bow his noble heart under the 

 severest pressure of calamity. A high- 

 spirited endurance of hardship, and 

 manly exertion, can extract good out 

 of evil. No ex<reme of advci-sity can 

 bereave of religious consolation and in- 

 tellectual enjoyments the upright, well 

 regulated, and cultivated mind ; and 

 even they who are self-condenmed for 

 many errors, may correct themselves, 

 and find unspeakable comfort in self- 

 correction. They, who in the tumults 

 of the breast, created by alternate busi- 

 ness and dissipation, have neglected 

 their own higher faculties, may deiive 

 wncere satisfaction, or soothing balm, 

 from expanding their mental ca))aci(ies, 

 and even in the gloom of a debtor's pri- 

 son may experience a happiness never 

 to be found in fictitious pleasures. A. 

 late publication, the third part ot the 

 Popular Models, places those Irullis in 

 a variety of lights, adapted for Ihe prc- 

 Hent times ; and contains instances of 

 fortitude under the most overwhelming 

 privations in real life. 'J'h. N. R. 



To the Editor of the MontUy Magazine. 



SIK, 



MY name having appeared to a 

 statement of the finances in your 

 Magazine, rerpiires some explanation, 

 Mo.MHLY 3lAG. No, 2*8. 



State of the Finances. 129 



not in consequence of any inconsistency 

 in my conduct, on that account, as a po- 

 litical writer, but because, to those who 

 abett indiscriminately the plans of mi- 

 nisters, as well as those who uniformly 

 oppose them, it may appear so. 



It is now twenty-three jears that I 

 have written occasionally on politics, 

 and always in support of tiie measures 

 of Mr. Pitt : — that is, resistance to 

 French revolutionists, whetlier as repub- 

 licans or .supporters of Bonaparte. In 

 doing that, I thought I was defending 

 the interests of my country. I never 

 gota shilling from ministers, nor solicited 

 them for a larthing, and ncv^r wrote a 

 line to defend them as ministers, but as 

 the suppoiiers of measures of which I 

 approved. When France fell from the 

 first rank amongst nations to a state oi 

 humiliation, which, so far from being 

 formidable to others, excited pity, Mr. 

 Pitt's plan was finished ; but those who 

 guided the state had not his abilities; 

 and they are now (though undesignedly, 

 I suppose) driving it as fast as possible 

 to ruin and destruction. Having never 

 supported ministers, but measures, thera 

 is no inconsistency in my writing against 

 them ; and I chose the Monthly Ma- 

 gazine, as being full of useful and im- 

 portant matter, and widely circulated. 



I do not agree with all its political 

 principles, but that is nothing to tha 

 purpose ; you wish well to your country, 

 and that is enough. All men are not 

 obliged to be of one opinion in politics, 

 I consider all those who disguise the 

 dangers of the countiy, as either acting 

 ignorantly or interestedly, and I wish to 

 expose them. 



Whilst we were engaged in a des- 

 perate struggle, it was prudent to con- 

 ceal our internal weakness ; but what 

 was prudent then is criminal now; yes, 

 Sir, and highly criminal. 



As to ministers, I do partly absolve 

 them, for I really believe " tliey know 

 not what they do." 



The last six months has brought dis- 

 aster after disaster, and embariassment 

 after embarrassment ; but every new 

 trouble found them totally unprepared, 

 and they are equally unprepared now. 



They have not money to last over the 

 month of November ; yet they count on 

 not calling Parliament till after Christ- 

 mas! 



'i'hcy know that the nation has no 



moans of paying the public creditors, 



and the inevitable daily expcnces ; and 



yet they protest against the smallest 



& dimiuution 



