But granting his notion of a fubordination in the fpecies of men to be true, it would puzzle a logician to discover how any juftification of making thefe people flaves could from thence be derived. The fyllogifm muft ftand thus: Thefe people are inferior to us, and we have the power of making them flaves: But where power exifts, there also exifts right; therefore we have the right. A robber, who avails himself of his fuperior power to plander the unwary and defenceless traveller, has exactly the fame argument in his favour, though he feldom has the impudence to appeal to it. Hume enumerates the negroes at least as a species of men. It is therefore contrary to truth, and the nature of things, that they fhould be treated as cattle. Such a comparifon, however juft in fact, is, as Hume himself fays, fhocking in principle. In his Effay on the populoufnefs of ancient nations, he delivers his opinion of flavery in plain terms of disapprobation. "The remains (fays he) that are found of flavery in the American colonies, and amongst some European nations, would, never furely create a defire of rendering it more univerfal. The little humanity commonly obferved in perfons accustomed, from their infancy, to exercife fuch an authority over their fellow-creature, and to trample upon human nature, were fufficient to difguft us with that authority. Nor can a more probable reason be given for the fevere, I would fay barbarous manners of ancient nations, than the practice of domeftic flavery; by which every man of rank was rendered a petty tyrant, and educated amidft the flattery, fubmiffion, and low debafement of his flaves." Indeed it rarely happens but that writers eminent for their talent, are also eminent for their humanity; and no modern writer, at least of this defcription, can perhaps be produced, who, in adverting to the fubject, has not expreffed his disapprobation or abhorrence of flavery, [To be continued occafionally.] on a fubject, however ufelefs, which has excited much curiofity. The following fhort dialogue will, therefore, fatisfy every body. Q. What is this air balloon? A. It is a hollow globe, covered with thin filk, well varnished, and then filled with inflammable air; which air, being ten times lighter than common air, disposes it to rife in common air, as a cork rifes in water. Q What is inflammable air ? A. What Dr. Priestley calls Phlogifton. Q. How is it prepared and introduced into the balloon? A. By putting fome old nails, or iron, into a narrow-mouthed veffel, and pouring upon them a certain quantity of oil of vitriol and common water, which will caufe an effervefcence; and as the inflammable air will rife in a plentiful ftream, it must be conveyed by a pipe into the balloon, and you will foon perceive it to have a difpofition to afcend. Q. How high will it go? A. 'Till it rifes into an atmosphere lighter than itself, and there (without fome foreign aid) it will remain 'till it bursts or falls. A TRUE ANECDOTE of one of the GREATEST MSF France ever produced. SO OME time fince a young man, whofe name was Roberts, was waiting at Marfeilles 'till fome paffenger should enter his boat, that he might ferry him over. A perfon presently came; but, as Roberts had not the air of a boatman, he was going again, faying, fince the boatman was not there, he would find another. "I am the boatman, (faid Roberts,) where do you wish to go?" "I would be rowed round the harbour, (said the paffenger,) to enjoy the fresh air of this fine evening; but you have neither the manners nor the air of a mariner." "I am not a mariner, (replied Roberts,) and only employ my time this way on Sundays and holidays, to get money." "What! are you avaricious at your age?"Ah! Sir, (faid Roberts,) if you knew my reafon for thus employing myself, you would not fufpect me of fo mean a vice." "Well, row me where I have defired, and be fo good as to tell your reafons." " I have only one, but that is a dreadful one: my father is in flavery.” “ In flavery!" "Yes, Sir; he was a broker in Marseilles, and with the money he and my mother, who is a milliner, had in many years been able to fave, he purchased a part in a veffel that traded to Smyrna: his delite to enrich, and make his children and his family happy, was fo ftrong, that he would go in the fhip himfelf, to difpofe of his property to the best advantage: they were met and attacked by a Corfair, and my father, among the reft, was carried a flave to Tetuan: his ranfom is a thoufand crowns, but as he had exhausted almoft his whole wealth in that unfortu nate adventure, we were very far from poffefling fuch a fum. My mother and my fifters work day and night, and I do the fame: I am an apprentice to a jeweller, and I endeavour, as you fee, to profit likewife by the Sundays and holidays, when my mafter's fhop is fhut. I intended to have gone and freed my father, by exchanging myfelf for him, and was just about putting my project into execution, when my mother coming to the knowledge of it, affured me it was impracticable and dangerous, and forbad all the Levant captains to take me on board." And do you ever receive news of your father? Do you know who is his mafter at Tetuan, and what treatment he meets with ?” His mafter is intendant of the king's gardens; he is treated with humanity, and his labour is not beyond his ftrength, as he writes: but, alas! where are the comforts he used to find in the fociety of his dear wife, and three beloved children?" "What name does he go by at Tetuan ?" "His name is Roberts; he has never changed his name, for he has no reafon to be afhamed of it." "Roberts! and his mafter is intendant of the king's gardens !" "Yes, Sir." "I am affected by your misfortune, and I find your fentiments fo noble and fo virtuous, that I think I dare predict a happier fate to you hereafter; and I affure you, I wish you all the happiness you deserve at prefent, I am a little thoughtful, and I hope you will not think me proud, because I am inclined to be filent: I would not be, nor be thought, proud to fuch men as you."-When it was dark, the paffenger defired to be rowed to the fhore; and as he stepped out of the boat, he threw a purfe into it, and ran off with precipitation. The purfe contained eight double louis d'ors, and ten crowns in filver. This generofity made the moft lively impreffion upon Roberts, and it was with grief he beheld him run from him fo fwiftly, without ftaying to receive his thanks. Encouraged by this af fiftance, the virtuous family of the Roberts's redoubled their efforts to relieve their common parent, and almoft denied themfelves a fufficiency of the moft ordinary food. Six weeks after, as the mother and the two daughters were fat at dinner over a few chefnuts, and bread and water, they faw Roberts, the father, enter. Imagine their joy, their tranfports, their aftonishment!-The good old man threw himfelf into their arms, and thanked and kiffed them ten thousand times for the fifty guineas he had received after the purchase of his free 4 H 2 dom, dom, for the payment of his paffage in the veffel, for the cloaths they had fent him, and for all the exactness and care they had taken in every thing that related to his release, and safe return : he knew not how to repay fo much zeal, fo much love. The mother and the daughters liftened, and looked with immoveable furprize at each other: at laft the mother broke filence; her fon had done it all, fhe faid, though fhe knew not by what means; and related how, from the first moment of his flavery, young Roberts would, had the not prevented him, have gone and taken his father's place; how the family had actually in the house above five hundred crowns towards his ranfom, which had most of it been earned by the labours of young Roberts, &c. The father, on hearing this account, was inftantly feized with a most painful fufpicion that his fon had taken fome difhoneft method to release him; he could no way elfe account for it; he fent for him. Unhappy young man, (faid he,) what haft thou done? Would't thou have me owe my deliverance to crimes and dishonour? Thou would't not have kept thy proceedings fecret from thy mother, had they been upright; I tremble to think that fo virtuous an affection as parental ove fhould render thee guilty." "Be calm, my father, (anfwered the young man,) your fon, I hope, is not unworthy of you; nor is he happy enough to have procured your deliverance, and to prove how dear to him his father is; no, it is not me; it is, it must be our generous benefactor, whom I met in my boat; he, my mother, who gave me his purfe: I'll fearch through the world but I'll find him; he fhall come and fee the happiness he is the author of."-He then told his father the anecdote before related. The elder Roberts having foon a foundation to begin again, foon became rich enough to be at eafe, and fettle his children to his fatisfaction, while the younger made every poffible effort to difcover their benefactor. After two years of fruitless fearch, he at last met him walking alone on the beach of Marfeilles. He flew to throw himfelf at his feet, but his fenfations were fo ftrong that he fainted. The ftranger gave him every affiftance, and a croud of people prefently gathered round them. As foon as Roberts came to himself, he began to thank him, to call him the faviour of his family, and to beg of him to come and fee the happiness he was the author of, and receive the bleffings of thofe whom he had greatly bleffed. The ftranger, however, pretended not to underfland him, and the multitude becoming great by their contention, he found an opportunity of mixing with them, and efcaping from the importunities of Roberts. He was never feen nor heard of afterwards by his grateful debtors; debtors; and though the ftory was fo extraordinary, that it foon made its way through Frauce, it was never known 'till after his death by his papers, when the famous and immortal Montesquieu was found to be the perfon. The note for 7,500 livres was found; and Mr. Mayn, banker of Cadiz, faid he had received it of Montefquieu, for the release of a flave at Tetuan, of the name of Roberts; and it is known that Montefquieu ufed to vifit his fifter, Madam D'Hericourt, who was married, and lived at Marseilles. Μ' MINOS: A FABLE. INOS was looked upon as the justest king upon earth. He governed his Cretans with equity, and was highly favoured by the Gods, who are faid to have frequently given him their inftructions, both by voices and dreams. One day in particular, when he was retired into the facred grotto, in the garden behind his palace, he fell into a dream, or rather vifion, (for his mind feemed to be perfectly clear and awake, though he faw none of the objects round about him,) which was in the following manner : Mercury appeared to him with a mild and pleafing aspect, and told him that he came by the order of Jupiter, to bring him before his prefence in the higheft heavens. He was immediately conveyed through the air by his divine conductor, quite up to the palace of light, much above the fixed stars. On their arrival there, they faw Jupiter fitting on a throne with a pair of fcales in his hands, (as the Goddefs of Juftice is generally reprefented in ftatues,) and a number of little weights, with trange characters on them, piled up in two heaps, on each side of him. Before him ftood a fpirit, juft departed from our world, who turned away his face, as ftruck on a fudden with fhame and confufion. That fpirit (fays Mercury) is juft going to receive his fentence for what he has done on earth, and it feems likely to be worfe with him than he expected. All the actions of men, you know, must be either good, bad, or indiffe rent. We above call thofe actions only good, which produce fome real benefit or happinefs among men; and those bad, which produce fome real mifchief or unhappinefs. Every action that does neither, we call indifferent. Every good action, as foon as performed, is marked down on a golden weight, (like thofe you fee on the right hand of Jupiter,) exactly proportioned in fize to the good produced by fuch action; and every bad one is marked on a brafs weight, (like thofe on Jupiter's left |