Sect. III.] United States of America. QS5 



ine wealth of their country will hereafter be de- 

 voted to the improvements of knowledge, and 

 especially to the furtherance of all the means by 

 which scientific discoveries arc brought within 

 popular reach, and rendered subservient to prac- 

 tical utility. American publications are every 

 day growing more numerous, and rising in re- 

 spectability of character. Public and private li- 

 braries are becoming more numerous and exten- 

 sive. The taste in composition among their 

 writers is making very sensible progress in cor- 

 rectness and refmem.ent. American authors of 

 merit meet with more liberal encouragement ; 

 and when the time shall arrive that they can give 

 to their votaries of literature the same leisure 

 and the same stimulants to exertion with which 

 they are favoured in Europe, it may be confi- 

 dently predicted, that letters will flourish as much 

 in America as in any part of the world ; and that 

 they will be able to make some return to their 

 transatlantic brethren, for the rich stores of use- 

 ful knowledge which they have been pouring 

 upon them for nearly two centuries. 



