Hero and Leander, a Poem The Modern Atalantis, or the Devil in an Air Balloon The Temple of Wit and the Temple of Folly Puddicombe's Ode to the Right Hon. William Pitt Walter's Epistle to Thomas Lamb, Efq. NATIONAL POLITICAL State of Europe for the Year 1783. Diffusion of Literature favourable to Liberty Danger to our Freedom if America had been fubdued Importance of the India Trade to Great Britain AFFAIR S. What an Enterprizing Prince might do at Prefent Holland, Scotland, the Emperor, Turkey Struggle between the Crown and Coalition concluded Coalition Defeated: Reflections on the Event Arguments to prove the Prerogative has gained no Ground 159 160 236 ibid. 237 Account of the late Peace between Ruffia and Turkey Weight of the Commons greater than the other two Branches ibid. Scotland, Ireland, East Indies Holland, France, Spain, and Turkey Elections; Returns in Favour of Mr. Pitt; Scotland Ireland, Holland, Ruffia, and Turkey 238 239 ibid. 240 316 317 Confquences of Ruffia obtaining the Crimea 318 ibid. Marine Hofpital at Conftantinople Abilities of the Vizier prevents fresh Hoftilities 319 ibid. New Parliament: Pitt's Situation: Weftminfter Election Preparations of the Porte to render themselves refpectable 320 Mr. Dempfter's Election: Business of Parliament 393 Agriculture and Fishing: Eaft India Bill 393 Views of the Emperor: Situation of the Dutch 394 Difpofitions of the different States of America Conduct of France; Dutch Settlements in India the Object Ambition and Cunning of a certain Species of Ecclefiaftics in Scotland. 398 Defcription of a Prefbyterian Parfon turned Beau Decifion of the Commons on the Westminster Election cenfured 478 Mr. Pitt contidered as a Patriot and a Minifter 399 400 Contradiction in his Political Character: ought to be watched 479 ibid. ibid. 480 Germany, France, Holland, Turkey, Spain, Portugal ibid. THE ENGLISH REVIEW, For JANUARY, 1784. ART. I. Infiitutes, Political and Military. Written originally in the Mogul Language, by the Great Timour, improperly called Tamerlane; firit tranflated into Perfian by Abu Taulib Alhuffeini; and thence into English with Marginal Notes, by Major Davy, Perfian Secretary to the Commander in Chief of the Bengal Forces from the year 1770 to 1773. And now Perfian Secretary to the Governor General of Bengal. The original Perlian tranfcribed from a M. S. in the Poffetlion of Dr. William Hunter, Phyfician Extraordinary to the Queen, F. R. and A. S. and of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris; and the whole Work published with a Preface, Indexes, Geographical Notes, &c. &c. By Jofeph White, B. D. Fellow of Wadham College, and Laudian Profelor of Arabic in the University of Oxford. 4to. 11. 11s. 6d. Boards. London, Murray. Oxford, Prince. IN Concluded from our last Number. N the fecond book of his Inftitutes, Timour, addreffing himself to fuch of his pofterity as may enjoy the regal authority, exhibits an account of the laws and regulations he established for the government of his dominions. His confidence in his own opinions and fentiments is very great; and he appears to have been strongly impreffed with the idea, that if his ordinations were fcrupuloufly followed, they would preferve to his defcendants the ftability of his fortune and power. When we confider the fuccefs of Timour, we form naturally a high opinion of his capacity; but when we perufe his Inftitutes we are ftill more convinced of it, and can even account for the career which he run. From being the potentate of a small Tartar Principality, he raised himself to be the abfolute fovereign of more then twenty kingdoms. His grandeur correfponded with his power; and his fubjects melted with the idea of his clemency, or awed by the terror. of his frown could not venture into his prefence without triking their foreheads on the ground. To arrive at this ENG. REV. Vol. III. Jan. 1784, fummit A fummit of dominion, and to retain it, argues, doubtless, the poffeffion of very extraordinary talents. And thus upon general principles we may conclude, that Timour enjoyed all the natural and acquired accomplishments which conftitute a confummate Commander, and a great King. But while his fortune is a ftriking evidence of his capacity, his book is ftill more fo. For it demonftrates in the molt irrefragable manner, that his conduct was directed by a most wonderful fyftem of active enterprize and political wifdom. He could conquer in fituations the moft trying and difficult; and he could take the fulleft advantage of his conquefts. He had the art to make himself at the fame time the object of affection and of terror. He reigned over the minds as well as the perfons of his fubjects; and by his ordinations he was ambitious to tranfmit this greatnefs to his posterity. His rules of conduct and his laws were founded in a deep policy, and with a view to the paffions of his fubjects as well as his own. It was by an entire and eafy command over himself, that he was chiefly enabled to exercise a command over others; and as his experience was moft extenfive and ample, he was affiduous to make the proper use of it, and to profit by the moft profound reflexions. He affirms, for example, that his behaviour was regulated by twelve CERTAIN maxims; and while he recommends them by affirming, that they feated him firmly on the throne of empire, he ftrenuously contends that every Prince who neglects them must reap little advantage from his dominion and royal ftation." thefe maxims the detail will amufe our Readers. Of I REGULATED my conduct by TWELVE CERTAIN MAXIMS: and by them I feated myself firmly on the throne of empire. And from experience it is known unto me, that every prince who adhereth not to thefe Twelve Maxims, fhall reap little advantage from his dominion and regal station. own. FIRST. It is neceffary that his words and his actions be his That is to fay, that his foldiers and his fubjects may know that what the king fayeth and doeth, he fayeth and doeth from himfelf; and that no other perfon hath influence therein. THEREFORE it is requifite that a king be not fo guided by the conduct and the counfels of others, as to make them his affociates in his regal authority. For although he be obliged to hear good advice. from all, yet he must not to that degree attend unto them, as to enable them by their meafures and their counfels to become his equals, and in the end his fuperiors, in the concerns of his go vernment. SECONDLY. It is neceffary to a king that he adhere to justice in all his actions, and that he receive into his fervice minifters who are juft and virtuous. For if a king be guilty of oppreffion, an upright minifter may counteract the evil thereof. But if the minifter be be unjuft and cruel, it fhall speedily come to pafs, that the edifice of his master's power and dominion fhall be levelled with the earth. THUS Ameer Hooffcin had a cruel and a wicked minifter, who levied oppreffive fines on the foldiers and on the fubjects; until in a thort time by the oppreffions of that unjust and cruel minifter, the fabric of the dominion of Ancer Hooflein was laid in the duft. THIRDLY. In his infunctions and in his prohibitions he muft act with refolution and with firmnefs. And he himfelf must iflue his royal commands, that no one niay have the temerity, or the power, to interpofe, to alter, or to corrupt them. • FOURTHLY. He must be firm and conftant in all his determinations. That is to fay, on whatever plan or enterprise he shall refolve, he must not alter his refolution, nor withdraw his hand from that enterprise, until he hath brought it to a fortunate conclufion. THE FIFTH is the fpirit of command. For whatever command he giveth, it is neceffary that, that command fhould be obeyed: that no one fhould have the power to act in oppofition thereto, even though inconvenience or mischief fhould be the expected confequence of that command. So it hath been related unto me, that Sooltaun Muhmood, emperor of Ghizni, ordered on a certain occafion that a ftone fhould be caft down at the entrance of the plain of Ghiznein : `and the horses of the people started and fprang back from that stone. And although his fervants folicited his permiffion that they might remove the ftone from the entrance of the road, he refused his affent: he anfwered unto them, I have iffued forth the order; and I will not turn back from, or contradict, my own commands.' SIXTHLY; (for from hence proceedeth fecurity and power) he must not trust the concerns of his government to others, nor deliver over the reins of his authority into the hands of a fervant: for the world is full of treachery, and hath many lovers; and it may foon come to pafs that the powerful fervant fhall afpire to regal dignity, and feat himself on the throne of his master. 6 • SUCH was the conduct of the minifters of Sooltaun Muhmood towards their lord. They expelled him from the imperial throne, and they divided his dominions and his power amongst themfelves. It is neceffary therefore that the powers and important affairs of government be divided; and that they be intrufled to the care of divers perfons of approved fidelity, and of known loyalty; fo that being employed in their own proper departments, no one of them may afpire to the fupreme authority. SEVENTHLY. On the affairs of his government he must liften to the opinions of his fervants : thofe which are good, he must lay up in the treafury of his heart, and call them forth into action at their proper feafons. EIGHTHLY. In the concerns of dominion, and in those things which relate to his fubjects and his foldiers, he must not act by the affistance and the advice of others. If his Vizzeers or his Ameers fpeak unto him concerning any one, whether that which they fay be good, or whether it be evil, let him hearken to them; but in forming his determination thereon let him be cautious and circumfpect, until the truth be apparent unto him. A 2 NINTHLY. |