24 
tain vermin to hate light and cleanli- 
ness. 
The eleventh and last article is 
* England and France.’ We think 
sometimes the Edinburgh and the 
Quarterly lave mutually exchanged 
contributors, aud that some of the 
articles in the former breathe a more 
aristocratical, and ‘in the latter a more 
democratical, spirit than formerly. We 
have, in the present instance, a profes- 
sion at least of very liberal opinions, 
though we considersome of the positions 
advanced not exactly tenable. It is 
contended, for example, that there are 
peculiarities in the French character, 
which unfit them now and for ever (so 
we understand the writer) for the en- 
joyment of political liberty. We con- 
fess, ourselves, that we have uo faith 
in the permanency of national character 
at all; we think that the character of 
a people will ever vary with the cha- 
racter of their institutions. This 
opinion at least is warranted by expe- 
rience. Greece, Spain and Italy have 
exhibited every variety of feeling from 
the most lofty to the most degraded— 
and what has operated these mutations ? 
Certainly not changes in climate nor 
soil, for these are unchangeable, but 
changes in government, which have 
alternately exalted or debased the 
mind of the inhabitants. 
The writer says again, that a people 
should be fit for liberty before they 
enjoy it. This is very true; we 
would have nations, and individuals 
also, qualified for their functions be- 
fore they exercise them: but how is 
this fitness to be acquired ? Not under 
despotic institutions, for they call for 
the developement of no political capa- 
city, but under institutions favourable 
to freedom. The way indeed is ob- 
vious; give a nation liberty she will 
learn to enjoy it; let her have popular 
assemblies, and she will acquire talents 
_for deliberation ; give encouragement 
to virtue, valour and knowledge, and 
they will abundantly abound. The 
national mind of a people, is like a 
piece of land in the hands of their 
rulers, they may educe from it good 
or bad qualities, they may cultivate 
what virtues they please, 7f they will 
only plant and encourage their growth. 
The writer also adverts to the early 
history of France, and exhibits a 
frightful picture of the disorders and 
excesses under the old dynasties ; but 
what does this prove? Not the incapa- 
Trade with Russia. 
[Feb. 1, 
city of modern France for liberty; 
bné the inherent vices of her old go- 
vernment, which, in the course of so 
many centuries, could train up a people 
to so little wisdom and humanity. 
— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
T a moment when it is univer- 
sally confessed that the physical 
agency of Great Britain by far exceeds 
every means yet discovered to find an 
adequate employment for its powers, 
the developement of ene resource in 
which her rising population can be 
called into useful, profitable, and ho- 
nourable exertion, it is hoped may not 
be thought either visionary or fallaci- 
ous; this hope generates into confi- 
dence of ultimate success, when it is 
recollected that in its disclosure the 
mercantile interests of the country, are 
found to bea co-relative object with the 
projector. 
A literary gentleman of general in- 
formation, has it in contemplation to 
offer to the public through the medium 
of the press, a work of considerable 
utility and erudition, which he caleu- 
lates will realize both the before-named 
objects, to be entitled, * Boreo-orien- 
talis et occidentalis Tartarorum Lin- 
gua Polyglotta; or, a yocabulary of 
nouns, numbers, and other common 
and most general words used in the 
thirty-three different nations inhabit- 
ing those immense districts known as 
European and Asiatic Tartary, the 
Bucharys, Kamtschatka, &c. in the 
north east of Europe, and north east 
and west of Asia. With the most cor- 
rect maps of each kingdom, elegantly 
and correctly engraved from a large 
survey, and corrected from astronomi- 
cal observations, in three volumes, 
octavo. 
Eacb vocabulary to be preceded by a 
clear, but brief summary, descriptive 
of every district, where the succeeding 
language is used; containing, among 
other things, an antiquarian retrospect 
of the origin and descent of such na- 
tion ; a geographical description of its 
soil and climate; the manners, reli- 
gion, and peculiar habits of its people ; 
the chief sea-ports, where the coast is 
maritime; its large rivers, canals, 
made by the patriotism of the present 
government for commercial conveni- 
ence; other statistical and beneficial 
regulations; the natural and acquired 
produce of each nation; the usual 
prices 
