sets, advance into view, or sink into shadow and oblivion. All people who move in the higher circles of society, must have met with Mrs. Arlberries, Mrs. Burlingtons, Sir Sedley Clarendels, and the whole host of tonish loungers, eccentric triflers, and re

morseless preyers upon the time, fortune, and peace, of the unlucky dupes who fall in their way. These are to be found every where in the garden of folly; and if the accomplished writer did not lead us through its avenues to the more delightful bowers of propriety, wisdom, and domestic love, we should lament that she had introduced us at all to such a tribe of coquettes and coxcombs.

The publication of Camilla, which was favoured with one of the largest subscriptions that ever preceded the title-page of any book, brought a golden wreath to adorn the brows of its amiable author. It is seldom that literary genius meets with such weighty encouragement in this country. Fame is very liberal in her tribute; but it is merely "words, words, words!" She was, long ago, deserted by that spirit of munificence, which, in former ages, used to dedicate the gilded tripod, and the glittering casket, in the temple of Apollo. An Io pean is all that is now devoted either to the god, or to the priests of his shrine.

Besides the novels already mentioned, Madame d'Arblay wrote a tragedy, called Edwy and Elgiva. It was brought out at Drury Lane Theatre, and met with as hard a fate as that which befel its hero and heroine, nearly a thousand years ago. It did not

survive the first night of representation; and yet there was much interest in the plot, while the language was elegant and impressive. The faults seemed to lie in the protraction of the ecclesiastical debates, and the excessive length of the speeches; which errors rendered the display of passion rather a description than an imitation of its effects. Mrs. Siddons looked lovely in the character of Elgiva ; and John Palmer could not have been excelled in the stern and haughty Dunstan.

After the publication of Camilla, Madame d'Arblay and her husband remained for a considerable time at their cottage in Surry. Contented with her. lot, and grateful to that Providence which had cast it in the vale of life, where storms seldom rage, and envy will not deign to enter to disturb its calm, she enjoyed with temperance and satisfaction the endearing tenor of her days. Thus did month a'ter month, and year after year, glide gently over her head. But Monsieur d'Arblay longed to revisit his country; his patriot spirit "yearned for his buried home;" and when peace was last proclaimed between England and France, he proposed to his wife a journey to the continent. His wishes were commands to her, whose happiness was entirely comprised in his; and after a short time spent in the usual preparations, separations, condolements, and promises of return, they set out for France.

They are now there; and, however affectionate was the welcome which the amiable pair met from the friends of Monsieur d'Arblay; however honour

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able to his wife, who was hailed with ardour by those of his countrymen, who knew how to appreciate British talents and virtues; England must still regret, that so fair a flower of her own growth is transplanted to a soil which is filled by her enemies.

SIR CHARLES MORICE POLE, BART.

ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE; AND CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE FOR INQUIRING INTO THE ABUSES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, AND OTHER BRANCHES OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

THE immensity of our national debt has long been a fruitful source of declamation, and at times engendered doubts, and even despair. At first, like most other evils, it assumed an aspect which apparently afforded but little cause for future dread, and foreboded few or none of those dangers that have since been prognosticated. The continental wars that arose out of the establishment of William III. on the English throne, introduced, and indeed seemed to justify, the adoption of the funding system; a new project in finance borrowed immediately from Holland, but originating in Italy. By means of this our progenitors were enabled to draw a bill of exchange upon posterity, which their descendants have duly honoured; and it must be allowed, that the influx of wealth, from a peaceful commerce, has hitherto enabled the nation to bear up against the pressure of accumulating taxes, and in some measure rendered

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rendered the resources of England equal to all her exigencies.

But at times the increase of fiscal regulations has been so sudden and so enormous, as to overleap the bounds of sober calculation, and in a certain degree embarrass, if not to defeat, the plans of those who have presided in succession at the Exchequer Board. Itisa melancholy consideration, also, that the continual jealousy and rivalship of two neighbouring nations should have produced such mighty evils to both; "although it be some consolation, that while the people of France, groaning under the despotism formerly of a king, and now of an emperor, have become impoverished by the struggle, we have experienced a far less degree of hardship, and risen superior to all our misfortunes, by means of that energy which springs out of an happy union of commerce and liberty.

In former times, a campaign either by sea or land was decided by a battle, often incomplete in itself, and for which both parties not unfrequently returned thanks to Heaven. An engagement in Germany, a fight off Cape la Hogue, and the capture of two or three colonies appertaining to the enemy, were the chief, and indeed the only events of a war. Fif teen or twenty millions were then funded, a few trifling taxes were imposed, and half a score or agents and contractors acquired splendid fortunes. In the mean timea salutary dread of future accumulation was deeply impressed on the minds of our ministers; and one of our ablest* historians actually prophesied, that

Hume.

the

the national debt could never exceed the sum of one hundred millions. He himself, however, lived long enough to be able to falsify his own prediction; and we find him at length coming boldly forward, and frankly confessing, "that public credit was a plant of a hardier kind than he had imagined."

The contest with America formed a new epoch in the history of finance, and proved a most fruitful source of debt and abuse. The war soon proved unpopular, and the minister was at length abhorred. To obtain support, and multiply adherents, it became. necessary to gratify them: an enormous expenditure readily afforded the means, Nothing was more easy, at that period, than to purchase the services of numbers by means of a profitable loan, or to enrich a favoured individual all at once through the medium of an advantageous contract. Under the covert of this species of protection, almost every engagement with the public degenerated into a job; inquiry in such circumstances became difficult, and detection was almost impossible.

Towards the conclusion of hostilities, the prime minister of the present day, with all the energy of youth, and all the severity of conscious virtue, stood forward as an advocate for reform, and declaimed, in the name of the nation, against a variety of gross abuses. During the late war, when the expenditure

* The sum charged for altering the house of the first Lord of the Treasury, in Downing street, now inhabited by Mr. Pit himself, was enormous; and that gentlema animadverted with no small degree of severity, on an extraordinary item, in a bill of one

of