f 
1799-] 
gance, I fee nothing either confolatory or in- 
tereftingin fuch a pro{pect, I am very little 
anxious however, to afcertain what is in- 
tended by fetting the taxes at liberty; but 
I cannot help obferving, that the compu- 
tations by which it is proved, that thefe 
millions are to be liberated, appear to have 
been formed with no greater accuracy than 
the other ftatements in thefe papers. In 
the 27th fection, it is refolved, ‘¢ that, fup- 
ofing the price of the three per cent. 
tock to be on an average alter the year 
1800, £. 90 in time of peace, and £. 75 in- 
time of war, and the proportion of peace 
and war to be nearly the fame as in the 
courfe of the laft 100 years, the average 
price of peace and war would be £. 85.” 
And in the 28th fection, it'is further re- 
folved, ‘* that from the year 1808. fo the 
year 1833, taxes would be fet free in the 
courfe of each year of peace (on the-fup- 
pofition of the price of ftocks before ftated) 
to the amount of £.133,000, and in each 
year of war to the amount of £. 168,000 5 
making (on the proportion of peace and 
war above ftated) the total amount of taxes 
fet free during that period £. 4,284,000.” 
By the A& of Parliament for eftablith- 
ing the Sinking-Fund in 1786, it is pro- 
vided, that when the dividends on the Stock 
redeemed fhall amount to four millions, . 
the operations of compound intereft’ fhall 
then ceafe, and the fubfequent purchafes be 
Jimited merely to that fum. Suppofing, 
therefore, £. 90 to be the average price of 
Stock in time of peace, four millions at 
that rate, will purchafe nearly £.4,444,000 
of three percents. the dividends on which, 
as rightly ftated above, will amount. to 
about £. 133,000.—But if the proportion 
of peace and war be taken, or in other 
words, if the 4 millions be laid out in 
purchafing three per cents at 85, only 
£- 4,900,000 will be redeemed, and the 
dividends will amount to no more than 
ees Account of Auguftus Lafontaine. 
‘he ££. 4,032,000. 
Sox 
£.141,000, which is £.27,000 per ann. 
lefs than is ftated in this refolution :—4 
nay, fuppofing the whole ftock to be bought 
at the war price, or £.75, it will only re- 
deem £. 5,333,000; the dividends on which 
being £-160,900, ftill falf thort of the 
fum ftated by £.8,000 per ann. ; 
Again, from the year 1808 fo the year 
1833, includes a term of 24 years, and 
therefore, if even £. 168,000 be multipli- 
ed into this number, the produce will only 
But the amount of the 
taxes fet free, is ftated to be £. 4,234,000; 
fo that 252 years, are fuppofed to elapfe be- 
tween thefe two periods ;—a term which has 
probably been computed by fome of thofe 
ingenious perfons who have lately difco- 
vered that 99 years compofe a century. 
Indeed, the whole of this and the re- 
maining refolutions are not only inaccu- 
rate ; but in the higheft degree {peculative 
and unintelligible—Enouch, however, may 
may be feen through the bewildered maze 
to damp our mof. ardent hopes and expec- 
tations.—If the peace of the next 46 
years be interrupted only as often as it has 
been during the laft 46 years, we are told 
that £.4.50,000,000 fterling, will be ne- 
ceflary to defray the expences of the dif- 
ferent wars that will occur in that period, 
even fuppofing thefe expences to continue 
at their prefent rate.—Ifa part of the fup- 
plies, however, are to be raifed) according 
to the new method, within the year, we 
are confoled with the affurance, that an 
immenfe faving will be made in borrowing 
the remainder; but if the whole is to be 
funded, it will entail an additional debt 
upon us of xine hundred millions ! In either 
cafe therefore, ‘the /um to be expended is the 
fame ; and the only difference feems to be, 
that in the one we are to perifh by an acute, 
in the other by a /ingering diforder. 
London, O€fober 14, 1799. M,N. 

ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
ACCOUNT OF AUGUSTUS 
: LAFONTAINE. 
? HE celebrated Lafontaine, whofe 
Clara Dupleflis and Count St. Ju- 
‘ Jien have met with more than common ap- 
plaufe in this country, being frequently con- 
founded with his French namefake, the cele- 
brated author of Fables and other Poems ; 
- 
and to inform ourreaders, thathe was born 
of German parents, whofe anceftors were 
French refugees, and at the time of the 
revocation of the ediét of Nantes fettled 
we deem it our duty to reétify this érror, | 
in Pruffia. His father, who, if we be not 
mifinformed, is minifter of one of the nu- 
merous French colonies, to which Pruffia 
is indebted for a great part of her prefent 
polith and wealth, {pared neither ex- 
penfe nor diligence to give him an’ ex- 
cellent education, and to ftore his mind 
with practical knowledge. He in/pired 
him early with. an ardent love of Greek 
and Roman literature; and the clofe ap- 
plication with which he fiudied the claffics 
of thefe celebrated ancient nations, toge- 
ther with a practical acquaintance with 
ae the 

