362 
months, and depend on millers and mer- 
chants for the remaining three? Had 
you rather /ee the laft three months’ fup- 
ply in the ftack-yards of farmers, in 
every part of the kingdom ; or guefs at 
its exiftence, locked up in granaries, no- 
body knows where, but a few wealthy 
individuals, having every means of ex- 
citing apprehenfions of (carcity, and of 
prottung by them? Farmers cannot 
combine to enhance prices; and their 
ufual mode of preferving it, in ftacks, 1s 
ill adapted to concealing it. 
Oljecticn 2d. ‘* One family only is 
fupported, where two or more familics 
michr be fupported.” 
Why is this love of mediocrity con- 
‘fined to this fubje&t? Is not a large 
manufadtory, a large. fhop, great prac- 
tice in phyfic, in the law 5 in fhort, is 
not.every thing great, liable to the fame 
objection > Follow the principle as far 
as it will lead you, ana | will accom pany 
you, with all my heart: convinced, that 
there would be enough for all todo, and 
for all to enjoy; and that, if the over- 
grown, of every defcription, were re- 
duced to their juft dimenfions, the {mall 
would not be ftinted as they are. The 
maximum rout not be confined to farm- 
ing, becaufe the notions of villenage are 
eur of fafhion; and the cultivator of 
the carth prefumes himfelf entitled toa 
common fhare of the comforts of the 
fociety he feeds and clothes. We are 
not, at this day, attached to the foil, and 
transferable like cattle. We are at li- 
berty to choofe our occupation, © If you 
with, now, to keep the farmers in igno- 
rance, render, by partial reftraints, the 
calling unacceptable to the w ell-inform - 
ed, and fuch as caw take up another. 
‘Thus you may have ignorant, indigent, 
and flavifh farmers. But will it be 
feemly, think you, that the foundation 
of the focial fabric fhould be fo con- 
firuéted >? If, however, it be defirable 
to retain, in this department, men cf 
talents, of education, of property, ailow 
them the opportunity of employing their 
capitals, and their abilities, in farms of 
fizes proportioned to them. ati 

Tothe Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SiR, 
EING a conftant reader of your en- 
tertaining and inftruétive Mifcellany, 
I fhould be greatly obliged to Here of 
your learned and ingenious correfpond- 
ents, for an anfwer to the following quef- 
Matrimonial Query... Poems of Offian: 
[ May; 
tien, provided it be confiftent with your - 
plan of general information: 
Whether or not it be contrary to Scripture, 
to marry aWife’s Sifter ; and, if wt be un-~ 
lawful, to fate the firongeft reajons that car 
be Hea ae from feripiural auibority againft 
ae 
The foregoing queftion arifes from a 
poiat of con{cience. Previous to the com- 
mencement of the prefent suf? and necef- 
fary war, I had the misfortune to lofe an 
excellent wife, and ever fince that me- 
lancholy event, have (through various 
concurring circumftances) refided in the 
fame houfe with her fifter. A mutual 
efteem, the confequence of our long ac- 
quaintance, and thorough knowledge of 
each other's difpofition, has ripened into 
a fincere and lafting friendfhip ; which, 
to render ftill more binding, has deter- 
mined us to enter into the indiffoluble 
bonds of matrimony. Upon fettling the 
preliminaries, the objection was ftarted, 
of our being too nearly allied by confan- 
guinity. This being the cafe, and hay- 
ing no very violent inclination to fubjeét 
ourfelves to the friend interpofition of 
the Ecclefiaftical court, which. would 
probably be the refult of our union, 
through the good offices of fome of our 
own relations, I have taken the liberty 
of troubling you with this fubjeét, hop- 
ing it will gain admiflion in your Maga- 
zine, in preference to any of your co-, 
temporarics. 
. AMICUS. 
W.B. I have carefully examined both: 
the Old and New Teftaments, but can - 
find no very firong reafons to oppofe our. 
intended union, excepting John’s re-" 
proving Herod, Matth. xiv. 3, and fol- 
lowing verfes—Mark, vi. 17, and follow 
ing verfes. : 
faner Temple, March 21, 1797+ 

To the Editor of the Monibly Magazines 
SIR, 
Eig els been-long. an enthufiatftic 
4 admirer of the poems afcribed te: 
the Scottifh bard Ossran, and as there 
has been fuch a diverfity of opinions re- 
{pecting their originality, 1 cannot help 
feeling interefted in the afcertainment 
ef the truth; and dhall feel myfelf 
much indebted to any of your numerous 
‘and ingenious correfpondents (who are 
able to bring ‘forward fatisfaétory intelli- 
gence upon. the fubjeét) if they will, 
through the medium of your Monthly 
Magazine, give fuch information, as may: 
tend to elucidate the deubts which I, 
and 
