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"them. I have already mentioned the term killing "nurse, as known in fome workhouses: Venice treacle,

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poppy water, and Godfrey's cordial, have been the "kind inftruments of lulling the child to his everlasting "reft. If these pious women could fend up an eja"culation when the child expired, all was well, and "no questions afked by the fuperiors. An ingenious "friend of mine informs me, that this has been fo "often the cafe, in fome workhouses, that Venice "treacle has acquired the appellation of the Lord "have mercy upon me, in allufion to the nurses hack"neyed expreffion of pretended grief when infants expire! Farewel!”

દર

I know not upon what obfervation Mr. Hanway founds his confidence in the Governors of the Foundling Hofpital, men of whom I have not any knowledge, but whom I intreat to confider a little the minds as well as bodies of the children. I am inclined to believe Irreligion equally pernicious with Gin and Tea, and therefore think it not unfeasonable to mention, that when a few months ago I wandered through the Hofpital, I found not a child that seemed to have heard of his creed, or the commandments. To breed up children in this manner, is to rescue them from an early grave, that they may find employment for the gibbet; from dying in innocence, that they may perifh by their crimes.

Having confidered the effects of Tea upon the health of the drinker, which, I think, he has aggravated in the vehemence of his zeal, and which, after foliciting them by this watery luxury, year after year, I have not yet felt; he proceeds to examine how it may be fhewn to affect our intereft;

and

and firft calculates the national lofs by the time fpent in drinking Tea. I have no defire to appear captious, and fhall therefore readily admit, that Tea is a liquor not proper for the lower claffes of the people, as it fupplies no ftrength to labour, or relief to difeafe, but gratifies the tafte without nourishing the body. It is a barren fuperfluity, to which thofe who can hardly procure what nature requires, cannot prudently habituate themfelves. Its proper ufe is to ainufe the idle, and relax the ftudious, and dilute the full meals of thofe who cannot ufe exercife, and will not ufe abftinence. That time is loft in this infipid entertainment, cannot be denied; many trifle away at the Tea-table thofe moments which would be better fpent; but that any national detriment can be inferred from this waste of time, does not evidently appear, because I know not that any work remains undone for want of hands. Our manufactures feem to be poffibility of work, but by the

limited, not by the poffibility of fale.

His next argument is more clear. He affirms, that one hundred and fifty thousand pounds in filver are paid to the Chinese annually, for three millions of pounds of Tea, and that for two millions more brought clandeftinely from the neighbouring coafts, we pay, at twenty-pence a pound, one hundred fixtyfix thousand fix hundred and fixty-fix pounds. The author juflly conceives, that this computation will waken us; for, fays he, "The lofs of health, the lofs of time, the injury of morals, are not very

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fenfibly felt by fome, who are alarmed when you "talk of the lofs of money." But he excufes the Eaft-India Company, as men not obliged to be po

litical

litical arithmeticians, or to inquire fo much what the nation lofes, as how themselves may grow rich. It is certain, that they who drink Tea have no right to complain of thofe that import it; but if Mr. Hanway's computation be juft, the importation and the use of it ought at once to be stopped by a penal law.

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The author allows one flight argument in favour of Tea, which, in my opinion, might be with far greater juftice urged both against that and many other parts of our naval trade. "The Tea trade employs (he "tells us) fix fhips, and five or fix hundred feamen, "fent annually to China. It likewife brings in a revenue of three hundred and fixty thousand pounds, which, as a tax on luxury, may be confidered as of great utility to the ftate." The utility of this tax I cannot find; a tax on luxury is no better than another tax, unless it hinders luxury, which cannot be faid of the impoft upon Tea, while it is thus ufed by the great and the mean, the rich and the poor. The truth is, that by the lofs of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, we procure the means of thifting three hundred and fixty thoufand at beft, only from one hand to another; but perhaps fometimes into hands by which it is not very honeftly employed. Of the five or fix hundred feamen fent to China, I am told that fometimes half, commonly a third part, perish in the voyage; fo that inftead of fetting this navigation against the inconveniences already alleged, we may add to them, the yearly lofs of two hundred men in the prime of life; and reckon, that the trade of China has deftroyed ten thousand men fince the beginning of this century.

If

If Tea be thus pernicious, if it impoverishes our country, if it raises temptation, and gives opportunity to illicit commerce, which I have always looked on as one of the strongest evidences of the inefficacy of our law, the weakness of our government, and the corruption of our people, let us at once refolve to prohibit it for ever.

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"If the question was, how to promote industry "moft advantageously, in lieu of our Tea-trade, fuppofing every branch of our commerce to be already fully fupplied with men and money? If a quarter "the fum now spent in Tea, were laid out annually "in plantations, in making publick gardens, in paving and widening ftreets, in making roads, in rendering rivers navigable, erecting palaces, build ing bridges, or neat and convenient houfes where are now only huts; draining lands, or rendering those "which are now barren of fome use; fhould we not "be gainers, and provide more for health, pleasure, "and long life, compared with the confequences of "the Tea-trade ?"

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Our riches would be much better employed to thefe purposes; but if this project does not please, let us first resolve to fave our money, and we fhall afterwards very easily find ways to spend it.

REVIE W

OF

"AN ESSAY

"ON THE

"WRITINGS and GENIUS of POPE."

HIS is a very curious and entertaining miscellany of critical remarks and literary history. Though the book promifes nothing but obfervations on the writings of Pope, yet no opportunity is neglected of introducing the character of any other writer, or the mention of any performance or event in which learning is interested. From Pope, however, he always takes his hint, and to Pope he returns again from his digreffions. The facts which he mentions, though they are feldom anecdotes in a rigorous fenfe, are often fuch as are very little known, and fuch as will delight more readers than naked criticism.

As he examines the works of this great poet in an order nearly chronological, he neceffarily begins with his paftorals, which confidered as reprefentations. of any kind of life, he very justly cenfures; for there is in them a mixture of Grecian and English, of ancient and modern, images. Windfor is coupled with Hybla, and Thames with Pattolus. He then compares

fome

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