that without the importation of foreign corn, the people would be liable to frequent famines. Yet in no country is agriculture more encouraged than in Sweden, where the government justly confiders it as an important object of attention, and rewards by money, privileges, and an exemption from taxes, thofe who firft clear land for cultivation, or amend that which has been already cultivated by others. Formerly only a limited number of perfons was permitted to cultivate each farm; and when this number was completed, the farmer was obliged to difmifs his eldeft fons, whom the government hoped thus to force upon the cultivation of new lands. But this measure was found at length to have a pernicious tendency, and occafioned frequent emigrations, efpecially from the maritime provinces. In 1755, therefore, upon the establishment of the college of furveyors, it was de creed, that each father of a family, under the direction of the furveyor of the district, might divide his farm into as many portions as he pleafed, each portion being chargeable with its fhare of the impofts.

If the surface of the foil in Sweden feems to yield but little to the efforts of art, the inexhaustible ftores of nature afford the inhabitants fome recompence. The timber, tar, and pitch of her immenfe forefts are circulated throughout Europe; iron, that original and neceffary commodity, is to be found in many parts, in great abundance, and even in its pure ftate, at a very fmall depth in the earth; and alum, vitriol, falt-petre. copper, lead, filver, and even gold itself, are the productions which the Swedes likewise extract from their uncultivated mountains. To thofe articles of commerce may be added the herring-fishery upon the western fhores; of which, we are told, that no less than a hundred and fixty thousand tons are exported every year, at the price of fixteen filver dollars per ton.

The revenues of the crown of Sweden arife from the dif ferent impofts and taxes, both permanent and temporary, upon the perfons, eftates, and poffeffions of the inhabitants, as well as upon the produce of the cuftoms, mines, and ftamp duties. But they are lefs now than formerly, the value of money having much fallen fince the time they were first impofed.

We shall here take our leave of this intelligent and agreeable traveller, feveral of whofe letters, towards the conclu fion of the work, prefent us with an abridgment of the Swedish history, from the acceffion of Guftavus Vafa to the year 1986.

The

The laft letter contains a hiftory of the unfortunate Stru enzee, whom the author reprefents as totally undeferving the punishment which he fuffered, though he exceeded the limits of his authority.

Gallery of Portraits of the National Affembly, supposed to be written by Count de Mirabeau. Tranflated from the French. 2 Vols. Small 8vo. 6s. in Boards. Robinsons.

WH

A

HILE the mind is filled by a revolution equally general and unexpected, in a kingdom where defpotifm seemed not only borne with ease, but where it was decorated with splendor, and looked up to with complacency, it is of importance to examine the features of those who contributed to it, and who first act on this new fcene. In uncommon fituations it is not furprising that the minds of thofe engaged fhould step occafionally from the path, fhould be delighted with fpeculations which experience has not yet taught them to be vifionary, and alarmed at the magnitude of the most important attempts, should wish for a time to proceed in a fubordinate career. To either of these circumftances, or to all united, we may, perhaps, attribute the indecifive and dilatory operations of the national affembly; and to these general views the character of the particular members may be added, if we require a more clear elucidation. The Gallery of Portraits, now before us, is confequently an acquifition of fome importance: if the picture is not always faithful and characteristic, it probably affords a general likeness. feature may be occafionally disfigured by party, or disguised by prejudice; but, if the whole had not fome refemblance, the work would have been rejected by those who, from their acquaintance with the perfons, are more capable of judging, and it would not have attained its share of celebrity near the fcene of action. It is attributed to the count de Mirabeau, the force of whose mind, and the variety of whofe talents, the late revolution has added to and developed. Of his former works our readers will recollect the Secret Memoirs of the Court of Berlin, where, though we differed from the author in political views, we found reafon to admire his abilities and acquired knowledge. His firft works are undoubtedly unequal; but we may perceive in them a great mind breaking through a cloud of prejudice, new and important views not yet combined with the rest of his fyftem, and a confufion, owing to the force of understanding acting irregularly without the advantages of a proper and scientific arrangement. The prefent work may appear at first in an unfavourable light from the form, which to us is not new,

and

and with us often adapted to the purposes of party. Since the Debates in the Liliputian Senate, and in the Roman Senate, which contained in difguife thofe of our parliaments, it has not been uncommon to describe well known characters in feigned names; but we ought to confider the substance without being prejudiced by the form.

The firft-volume, for the volumes were publifhed at feparate periods, is fupposed to have been written previous to the de4truction of the Baftile, and it is introduced by fome appofite remarks: We should look for, fays the count de Mirabeau, in a deputy, a found understanding, an unquestionable fortitude, the pure love of one's country, the knowledge of her true interests, a native eloquence, and an immutable adherence to true principles.' Thefe fhould be the criteria of our judgment, and we should not fuffer our opinions to be warped or misled by accidental qualities. The minds of men, he obferves alfo, are now enlightened; mystery is at an end in the fcience of government; and the nation will know and judge of the conduct of minifters; they will discover and difcriminate the talents of those who pretend to the different offices.

The perfons whose characters are examined in the first volume are, De Pompignan, archbishop of Vienne; De Juigné, archbishop of Paris; De Boifgelin, archbishop of Aix; Perigord, bishop of Autun; abbé Sieyes, abbé Maury, duke de Luxembourg, duke de Liancourt, duke de Châtelet, prince de Poix, duke de Nivernois, Mt. Necker, Mr. Baréntin, count de Montmorin, Mr. Bailly, marquis de la Fayette, marquis de la Clermont Tonnerre, marquis de Condorcet, count de Mirabeau, count d'Antraignes, count de Cuftines, vifcount de Noailles, chevalier de Boufflers, Mr. Duval d'Epremefnil, Mr. Dupont, Mr. Bergaffe, Mr. Target, Mr. Bernard Mr. Malouet. Many of these are perfons whofe talents are little known in this kingdom; and it would be enough to give a specimen or two of our author's manner, if we did not wish to bring the pictures nearer, and enable our readers to form their own opinions of the likeness by the future conduct of those who are defcribed. But, to make our account more generally interefting, we fhall confine our remarks and extracts to the perfons with whom we are a little acquainted in England, felecting only fome fpeciments of just reafoning and accurate difcrimination from fome of the other characters.

The duke de Nivernois was, if not the negotiator of the peace of Fontainbleau, at least the ambassador who figned it. He is known in the literary world by many elegant poems, and we remember to have feen from his pen one of the most exquifite tranflations of the Dialogue between Horace and Lydia Vol. LXIX. Feb. 1790.

that

that we believe exifts. The portrait is however unfavourable: the picture is faint and infipid. Born with that kind of ability which can produce nothing, he has made,' fays our author, ⚫ many nothings.' What follows refembles invective and caricature rather than proper character; and we wanted no monitor to tell us, that the duke is one of the fupporters of ariftocracy. His mind feems elegant and polished; rather intelligent than forcible; refined perhaps into weakness, and polished into a smooth undiftinguished furface. These refinements render him equally gracious to all; and Mitis, for that is the duke's masquerade name, may appear, or perhaps may be the occafional fervant of each party.

Of Mr. Necker our author's account is very unfavourable; and though, while all Europe refounded with his panegyrics, we gave offence by faying, that he had a little and a weak mind, the general opinion has fince that time confirmed and added to the cenfure. The count is much more violent, and fcarcely gives him the praise of undeviating accuracy, inviolable integrity, and meaning well: it is at laft awarded coldly and ungraciously:

His childhood was too rude and uncultivated to promife any brilliant fuccefs. His education was that of a book-keeper, and his earliest ambition was to be rich. Repulfed by the fex, favoured by circumftauces, fmiled on by fortune, he amaffed an opulent eftate. Uncouth in his perfon, aukward in his manners, obfcure in his birth, efteemed by no man, liked by no wo man, he trusted he should find in the oftentation of wealth an equivalent for every other enjoyment.'

-No fooner had he entered into this great engagement with the public, than, tormented on one fide with an anxiety to lead, and on the other apprehenfive that the machine of an affembled nation would be too mighty for his grafp, he became terrified at the scene, of which he had lifted the curtain. From that moment every step he took became a blunder.

An affembly of Notables, to which one order of proceeding is prefcribed by the minifter, and another adopted by themfelves. Narfes infpires neither confidence nor refpect, neither the vo Juntary fubjection of esteem, nor the irrefiftible one that we pay to beings of a fuperior order.

Regulation of elections, almost every where rejected. Sys tem and balance of privileges, obfcure, indecifive, irrefolute, and hypocritical. Artificial procrastination and delay. All thefe are the refources of intrigue, not the emanations of genius.

Difcourfe at the opening of the states-general, difcovering at every turn a mind intoxicated with vanity, displaying an incapacity or an unwillingness to explain and illustrate: a compoli

tion, indecent, unmanly, out of place, betraying a narrow understanding and a timorous heart.

Conferences, in which they rather ftammer than difcufs, in which they rather grope than proceed, in which that fearfulness appears in all its deformity, that fprings from a consciousness, that the man is unequal to his fituation, that he is arrived at the limit, when he muft either fuggeft one of thofe grand expedients that reconcile the fluctuating opinions of mankind, or confefs at once his imbecility and nothingness.

Behold then the great fecret revealed, that for ten years was fo fuccessfully concealed from a mifguided nation! Narfes is now difcovered to have no digested plan, to want the mind that should conceive one, to have neither skill to borrow the ideas of others, nor friends to correct his errors, and prompt him how to difcharge a task, that a vulgar mortal fhould never have under

taken.'

We ought to fay that, though apparently violent, much of this is true; for, while we were sketching the features of his mind from his different publications, we have drawn many of these traits, and we may now add to them, that Mr. Necker's eagernefs to be a great financier, a politician, and a favourite, has occafioned the prefent revolution. If he had not anticipated the revenue in the conducting the American war, if he had not made it popular by difpenfing with the war taxes, and by the fame means intoxicated the armies with the delicious beverage of liberty, the deficit would not have been fo great as to occafion the new impofts; the army would not have been fo enlightened as to change its objects and its habits as if by enchantment. But our author's accufations of M. Necker are more ferious: he accufes the comptroller of the finances of duplicity. While he was the idol of the people he was also the flatterer of the court; and, while he opened the mystery of the finances to the people, he supported the extraordinary claims of the king. This is undoubtedly the confequence of weaknefs and indecifion; but the count might have reflected that, though M. Necker was in part guilty, he was lefs guilty than the majority of courtiers; and that it is neceffary to search his works with care to pick out a few detached paffages of the culpable kind. Our author's picture of what a minifter ought to be is an admirable one: it is certainly in part a copy; and if it could ever be perfectly realized, it must have been by a combination of the qualifications of the late earl of Chatham with thofe of his fon. We are forry that its difproportioned length prevents us from tranfcribing it.

The count de Montmorin is chiefly known to us from the fhare he feems to have had in the negociation refpecting the rekoration of the ftadtholder. His apparent conduct, for at last he