As to the 7th question, whether it would not be equitable or expedient that boroughs now in the poffeffion of individuals thould be purchafed by the nation; I think, that although no man can have a strict claim in equity to be refunded the lofs of what neither buyer nor feller had a right to barter, yet it will be wife to purchate the good-will, or at least to foften the refiftance of the prefent powertul potleflors of boroughs by a moft ample compenfation. The liberties of a nation cannot be bought too dear, but the whole cost of thefe boroughs would not amount to the profits of one jobbing contract.

I have now anfwered all the questions you have been pleased to propofc; but I muit mention another advantage, which ought to recommend the meafures you are purfuing to every friend to the internal peace and quiet of the kingdom, which is, that when the people have obtained a regular, legal, and tpeedy way of giving effect to their fentiments, there can no longer be any apprehension of their endeavouring to redrefs themiclves by mobs and tumults; and even fuch regular and well-conducted meetings as your's will become needlefs. I mention this circumstance with the more fatisfaction, as it ftamps your conduct with the most unequivocal marks of difinterested patriotifm. Power, when once acquired, is generally endeavoured to be preferved by its pofleflors; but you, after having taken up your's from neceffity, and employed it ufefully, are now endeavouring with unexampled virtue to render its continuance unnecetlaTy. For great as your fervices have been, in fo foon forming a complete army, in the advanrages you have procured for your country, in the good order you have preferved, and in the efficacy you have given to law, you will derive till greater credit, in my opinion, from your good fente in feeing that a great military force Totally unconnected with the civil government cannot be a permanent establishment in a free country, whofe first principle is, never to truft abfolute power in any hands whatever. Your prefent endeavours to restore the constitution to its purity and vigour evidently tend to make this and every extraordinary institution unneceifary; for when the people are fairly and equally reprefented in Parliament, when they have annual opportunities of changing their deputies, and through them of controlling every abufe of government in a fafe, eafy, and legal way, there can be no longer any reafon for recurring to thofe ever dangerous though fomerimes neceflary expedients of an armed force, which nothing but a bad government.can justify. Such a magnanimous end to your proceedings, when, after having reftored liberty, Lommerce, and tree government to your country, you shall voluntarily retire to the noble character of pavate citizens, peaceably enjoying the bleflings to have procured, will crown your labours with everiefting glory, and is worthy the genuine patriotic fphit which animates the Irih

which did fubfit was on fuch narrow and ab. furd principles that no friend to either kingdom can regret its lofs. Founded on constraint and dependence, incompatible with the condition of freemen, Ireland had an indifputable right to diffolve it whenever the chofe fo to do. But furely, if we do not mean a total feparation, it would be right to agree upon fome new terms by which we are to continue connected. I have always thought it for the intereft of the two iflands to be incorporated and form one and the fame kingdom, with the fame legiflature meeting fometimes in Ireland as well as in England: but if there are difficulties to fuch an union not to be got over at prefent, fome fort of federal union at least between the two kingdoms feems neceflary to afcertain the many circumstances that concern their joint intereft; and an union of this fort may now be formed with much greater propriety than before, as it will be fanctified by the free confent of independent

nations.

I do conceive that fome ftep of this fort is abfolutely neceflary, becaufe the prefent footing. of feparation, rather than union, is too unfair to be able long to fubfiit, England, befides the load of the whole debt contracted for the use of both kingdoms, bears all the burdens of naval defence and foreign negociations, and by fat more than its proportion of the land fervice in time of war. But what is worie, is, that there is no certainty now left that we fhall have the fame enemies and the fame friends: different interefts, as they may appear, may lead one kingdom to think a war neceflary, and the other to remain in peace: the fame King, in his different kingdoms, may think it wile to follow the advice of his refpective parliaments: 1 need forcely add, that the unavoidable cofequences of fuch a difference are a war betweea the two kingdoms. Unless fome fettlement takes place upon thefe and many other important fubjects, I am far from being clear that it will be for the advantage of liberty in either kingdom, that its monarch thould continue the fovereign of a neighbouring state with which it has no connection. I am fenfible that there are great difficulties attending the adjustment of fuch an union, and that it requires great wifdom and temper to form it, cfpecially on the part of Ireland, which muft feet that the ought to give the preponderance to Great Britaiɗ; but I am fure the buncis ought not to be neglected, and that every true friend to both kingdoms ought to give it his mot zealous affittance.

I beg pardon for having gone into a subject not immediately belonging to that upon which you have defired my opinion; but I thought it io contected with it, and at the fame time fo important, that I trud you will excule my having introduced it. I fear I have been very long; but it was impoffible for me to compreis to much matter into a lefs compais; and when you withed to have my opinion, I thought it beft to give it fully, or at least as fully as 1 could in a letter I it contains one thought that can be uletul, I fhall be happy. I have only to affure the committee of the zeal I feel for the caufe the Voluntier have undertaken, to the fupport of

maft were drawn out of it with fuch force, that they were stuck into the main-deck fo faft, that the carpenter was obliged to ufe an iron crow to draw them out. They had five men knocked down, and one of them greatly burnt by the explofion. They thought that the ball, which appeared of the fize of a mill-ftone, ftruck the middle of the main-top-matt, as the top of that maft, above the hounds, was not fplintered. They had had a very hard gale of wind from the N. by W. to the N. N. E. for two days before the accident happened, with a great deal of rain and hail, and a large fea from the northward, but no thunder or lightening either before or after the explofion. The ball came from the N. E. and went to the S. W.

On the 22d of July, 1750, and about 20' paft nine at night, a ball of fire was feen by Mr. William Smith, of Peterborough, and others, between that place and Werrington, a village about two miles to the N. W. of that place. He faw it first on his left hand, about 20° high, moving from N. W. to S. W. It was bigger than a ftar of the firft magnitude, and not much unlike a rocket; having a tail of light, to his conception, about 3 feet long. It moved in a straight line, horizontally, and its motion through the air was a little fwifter than that of a pigeon, hawk, or duck. He had fight of it for about three-quarters of a minute, and then loft fight of it behind fome trees. It was feen alfo by feveral perfons on the fouth fide of Peterborough, who gave the fame account of it: alfo at Bourne, which is twelve miles N. W. of Peterborough, as well as in Borough Fen, which lies a confiderable way to the N. E. of it, on the fame hand, of the fame form, and moving in the fame direction.

This meteor was alfo feen at Norwich, by Mr. William Ardetton, F. R. S. and many others, at nine o'clock in the evening, true time. Mr. Arderton fays its direction was nearly from N. to S. and it moved with great velocity. When due eaft of him, he judged it to be about 30° high; and by its diftinctnefs not more than two

The beauty

or three miles from him. and fplendor of its nucleus, particularly the fore-part of it, furpatfed all the fires heever faw; being, he fays, of a bright filver colour; its tail was the colour of a burning coal, but rather fainter. The nucleus appeared to him under an angle of more than 2°; and its tail was of 21 degrees. He loft fight of it in a cloud, not above 20 above the fouthern part of the horizon; but a friend of his being about four miles more foutherly, faw it again after it came out of that cloud, till it entered another. The weather had been exceeding hot all the preceding part of the month.

20o

On the 26th of February, 1754, at 10 55'apparent time, Mr. Hirit, F. R. S. coming down the hill adjoining to the fouth fide of Hornfey-church, found himfelf fuddenly furrounded with a light equal to that of the full moon, though the moon (which was then four days old) had been fet near an hour. He turned round to that quarter from which the light came, and had a diftinct, though fhort view of a ball of fire, which, when he firft faw it, was about 15 high, and bore W. by N. The path of its defcent was not perpendicular to the horizon, but made an angle of 80° with it, fo that it funk below the horizon at W. N. W. It moved with great velocity, fo that its continuance above the horizon was not much more than 2"; but short as its duration was, its fize and fhape might be well difcerned; and Mr. Hirft judged that the diameter of its nucleus, or head, was about half that of the full moon, when pretty high, and its tail, which terminated in a point, feemed not longer than twice the diameter of its head. Neither its appearance nor exit was attended with any noife; nor did it leave any luminous track behind it. There is fome reafon to believe this meteor was feen in Ireland; but the accounts which were given of it were fo extravagant, that no reliance could be placed on them.

On Sunday, the 26th of November, 1758, a very remarkable meteor, of the kind I am now giving accounts of, was feen almoft all over England and Scotland, as well as fome parts of Ireland,

3

about

about nine o'clock at night, the track of which that excellent philofopher, the late Sir John Pringle very carefully inveftigated: and I fhall give the fubftance of the information which he received in as fhort a compafs as I poffibly can..

in this

The most foutherly ifland that we certainly know it was place feen at was near Ilchefter, a town in Hampshire, about 45 ftatute miles W. S. W. of London. It was feen there by three countrymen; but the Rev. Dr.Shipley, then minifter of that parish, took great pains to afcertain the circumftances, by taking the men to the place, and making them point them out, and the different fituations, by the objects that were round them, and taking the altitude and bearings with proper inftruments. They defcribed it to be at its first appearance of the fize of a large fhooting ftar; but its motion much flower: that its direction was northerly, declining towards the horizon, and leaving a ftream of light behind it. In its progrefs it grew larger, fo that at laft it became as broad at the great end as a man's head, was of a conical figure, with the point upwards, and apparently about five feet long. They further related that, a little before it reached the horizon, it burst into a flame resembling a flash of lightening, and then immediately difappeared. Dr. Shipley found from their defcription, that it burft at the altitude of about 1° 15', and bearing N. 35° W. The time could not be determined.

It was feen by a perfon between Thorpe and Colchester in Effex, who fays its direction was from N. W. to S. E. its motion very fwift, its body not fo large as the full moon, but more bright; and that it left a train of light behind. He did not fee it break into ftars, like a rocket; but it feemed to fall whole into a wood.

In the neighbourhood of Cambridge it was feen by two perfons; from one of whom the Rev. Mr. Mitchell, then fellow of Queen's-College, collected, with great care, the circumftances attending it. When they firft faw it, it was at least 70° high, and it appeared to be moving directly from the zenith LOND. MAG, Dec. 1783.

towards a point of the horizon, which, as Mr. Mitchell found afterwards, bore. N. 23° W. the head, which went foremoft, was of a bright white, like iron, when almoft of a melting heat, but it emitted no fparks; and its diameter was about half that of the moon. It. had a tail, which was about a fifth part the breadth of the head; and this tail was longeft when the meteor was about 27 high, and might then be about & long. When the head was about 62 or 7 high the tail burft; and, afterwards, appeared like three fmall balls, following the head, or large one, until they defcended below the horizon. The light, according to all thefe obfervers, was fuch, that the minuteft objects might be difcerned on the ground; and when the tail burft, the light was fo great to the Cambridge obferver as to dazzle his eyes. The time was

about half past eight o'clock.

Following the meteor northward, it was next feen by Lord Derby's gardener, at Knowfley, about feven or eight miles from Liverpool. He faid he faw a ball of fire, of half the breadth of the moon, moving horizontally eaft, a little inclining toward the north, with a hifling noife. That a train of light followed it, which being foon collected into a body, it burft; part feeming to fall down like stars, and the reft vanifhed. He thought he faw it for two minutes. Others, in the fame neighbourhood, defcribe it as a ball of fire which rofe in the east, appeared to incrcafe in fize for fome time, and then burft without noife. Its direction, they fay, was towards the north.

At Cockermouth, in Cumberland, it was defcribed to be as big as the moon when high; but much brighter: that it had a tail of a conical form; and the light very intenfe. Its motion was towards the N. W. and very fwift. None of the preceding obfervers heard any explosion.

The fame meteor was feen at Carlisle, at the altitude of 32°, when it bore N. 41° W. moving towards the N. W. and it burft at an altitude of 8°: about a minute after which two very loud reports were heard, as of cannon 3 R

fired

fired at two or three miles diftance, and, immediately after, a rumbling noife in the air, which continued for at leaft twenty feconds. It appeared here of a conical form, the head being about fourteen inches diameter, and the length about five yards. It continued in fight about twenty-five feconds; and its path was wholly to the weftward of that city. The report was alfo heard, though I do not find that the meteor was feen, at Stone-garthfide, a place about fifteen miles N. by E. of Carlife. The noife is faid to be much louder than the report of any heavy cannon, and it continued about feven or eight feconds.

The meteor was alfo feen to burft when bearing N. W. by N. at Butterby, about a mile fouth of Durham; but no noife was heard there. It paffed a little welt of Newcastle, about nine o'clock, moving northward; and appeared to be about the fize of a man's head, with a tail of two or three yards long.

The Rev. Mr. Henderfon, vicar of Felton, a village about twenty-four miles N. N. W. of Newcastle, faw it a little after nine o'clock. The road was inftantly enlightened, fo that he could have feen a pin. Its head was the fize of a fix or feven pound shot; and it had a tail like a comet, of about a yard long. The velocity was very great, and the time he faw it not above fix or feven feconds; but his view was confined by a hill on one fide, and trees on the other. Its path was towards the N. W.

It was feen at Dumfries in Scotland, which is a few miles N. of Solway firth, and 30 N. W. by W. of Carlisle, by a young man, who was in a room looking N. E. and who defcribed it to be about as large as a middle fized man. According to his report, its direction was from S. E. to N. W. and the broadest part went foremost. As it proceeded, part of the tail was feparated from the reft; but he thought that part ftill followed the reft for fome time, and then burft to pieces, as if Split by gunpowder, but without noife, Whilft the body kept its courfe as far as he could fee it. A lady, who was in the freet at this place, faw it like

wife, and fad it was a ball of fire, about as big as the fun, with a tail as long as her arm; and that it paffed almoft directly over her head. That it burit without noife into fparks, which fell down, and, as the thought, almost reached the tops of the houfes.

The Rev. Mr. Turnbull, minister of Abbotrule, a parifh about forty-four miles N. E. by E. of Dumfries, was fitting in his parlour, which had a S. W. window, about nine o'clock at night, and faw a flash of lightening, as he thought it to be, but was furprised at its colour and permanence. However, having no thoughts of any thing elfe, he waited in expectation of a clap of thunder; accordingly, at the end of five or fix minutes, he heard an explofion, not indeed fo much like thunder, as the crashing noife of a houfe falling down: and being perfuaded that this was really the cafe, and that the gable-end of his own had fallen down, he ran out, but found no damage done; and the evening was very fine, and without clouds.

The beft account by far, that we had of this meteor from Scotland, was given by James Turnbull, a farmer at Ancram. Ancram is a village about thirtytwo miles S. E. of Edinburgh. This very intelligent perfon was just going into his houfe, which fronts the S. E. about nine o'clock at night, and faw the whole fide of his houfe fuddenly enlightened with a brightnefs, as if of funfhine. He turned quickly about, to fee what might be the caufe of it, and faw a globe of fire, the diameter of which might be about half or two thirds that of the moon when the is pretty high. It came from the S. F. by S. and, as he thought, directly towards him. He had fcarcely time to think before it patted by him with great fwiftnefs, and very high in the air; and when it came oppofite to the gable end of his houfe, he then faw the true figure of it: namely, that it was perfectly round at its great end, which went foremost, and tapered for three or four yards, as he thought, to a point. It paffed to the fouth-weft of his zenith; and when it had fo done, and bore W. by N. about one-third