1817.] ^I>'' Ahhott on Expences of House-keeping in Cumberland. 301 



assistance, while all his boasted feats 



its benefits, and the prescription of time. 

 But this new tribunal, as it is intended 

 solely to prevent the collisions of nations, 

 need not alarm the pride of antient mo- 

 narchies; for to repel unjust aggression, 

 or violent encroachincnt, by judicial au- 

 thority, instead of the sword, cantiot 

 reasonably be thought, in any degree, to 

 diminish their dignity, or control their 

 independence. 1 do not deny that to 

 lay the proper foundation, by a distribu- 

 tion of territory, satisfactory to all, may 

 be a work of time and dilficulty; but 

 that, by the means which 1 have men- 

 tioned, the whole may be kept unal- 

 terably fixed, I consider as no absurd or 

 romantic expectation. 



As war is undoubtedly the greatest 

 evil in the world, not only on account of 

 tlie destruction which it occasions, but 

 also by reason of the ferocious dispo- 

 sitions which it cherishes; these rellee- 

 tions on the possibility of its extinction, 

 though crude and general, will, it is 

 hoped, be listened to with indulgence. 

 They may perhaps induce others to give 

 their more matured sentiments on this 

 subject 



I cannot conclude without expressing 

 my opinion, that the real necessity for 

 ■war would be easily got over were it not 

 for that strong predominant passion in 

 favour of it, which, notwithstanding its 

 frightful and repulsive aspect, has ex- 

 isted in all ages, and among all nations. 

 This singular predilection must be ac- 

 counled for, principally, from the consi- 

 deration that common characters could 

 not, by any other means, except by the 

 profession of war, attiact general admi- 

 -ration, or even raise themselves into any 

 distinction. 'I'here is no subject, I must 

 observe, on which mankind have gone 

 into a greater delusion than in their Jiigh 

 estimation of a successful warrior ; for 

 surely the qualities which are necessary 

 to compose that character, are neither 

 of much rarity nor excellence; the most 

 cimspicuous are bodily strength and 

 manual dexterity. AnJ, though we carry 

 our ideas to the highest pitch, and con- 

 template the consummate general, we 

 will be satisfied, without much argu- 

 ment, that talents of the most sublime 

 kind are not needed for the contrivance 

 of plans to destroy, in the most expedi- 

 tious and decisive manner, masses of 

 men. It is a mortification, Hume has 

 observed, to literary superiority, that, in 

 the general opinion, it has always been 

 eclipsed by the triumphs of war. The 

 Iiero, however, ought to be reminded 



that literature chu iluurisji without hh 



would soon perish wilhout the aid of 

 genius and learning. I do not make 

 these observations with any invidious 

 wish to lessen the general admiration of 

 the actions of our countrymen during the 

 late war, whici). if we consider tiie skill 

 of their opponents, are distinguished 

 beyond all that are recorded in antient 

 or modern times. W. N. 



Beilford-Row. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magszine, 



SIR, 



IN Cumberland, Westmoreland, or 

 the nortiiern parts of Yorkshire, five 

 or six miles from a market tf)wn, your 

 correspondent L. G. may hire a decent 

 house and garden, and as much land as 

 would maintain a cow, for twelve 

 pounds a-year, where poor-rates even 

 now amount to very little; where lie 

 might have coals at about l-Sy. a chal- 

 dron ; butcher's meat a penny or three- 

 half-(iei!cc per pound cheaper than in 

 the south; chickens 6f/. a-piece ; ducks 

 9.'/. ; eggs, three for a penny ; butter Qd. 

 or 10c/. per lb. ; and good cheese at 6d. 

 or 7d. per lb. Servants' wages and 

 board-wages not much more than half 

 of what they are in many other parts of 

 the kiugdoic. And yet for all these ad- 

 vantages he need not sacrifice the com- 

 forts of society, for he would live ia the 

 midst of a wcll-cdiicatrd, sociable, 

 temperate, and, I jiecd not add, a happy 

 race of peojjlc; possessed of that an- 

 cient honest simplicity of manners 

 which, in large towns, has long since 

 given ))lace to modem refinement. 



Lon^ Straiton ; J. Ablott. 



Nov. 7, 1816. 



P.S. Since writing the above, I have 

 seen two answers to L. G.'s enquii-y ia 

 your number for October, one fiom Poul- 

 ton-iii-the-Fylde, in Lancasliiic, which 

 seems very unlikely to answer L. G.'s ex- 

 pectations — on account ot tlie dearness of 

 provisioiis during the Ijatliiiig season ; the 

 liisrh state of tlie poor-rates ; and perhaps 

 lie wonid not like to have his cars conti- 

 nually stunned with the unintermitting 

 noise of tlie weaver's slmttle. — On the 

 other answer, from Chester, I shall make 

 DO other remark, tli.an that a person must 

 not make choice of a large town as a cheap 

 place of residence. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



IN my second letter on the preser- 

 vation of grain, I noticed the sa- 

 gacity of rats; and perhaps some of your 

 icatlcrii viil bo able to paiallcl Uie fol- 

 lowing 



