Williams's father and mother again accufe her of extravagance, and tell her that she will ruin their fon; yet, on her affuring them, that Mr. Williams had never discharged a debt contracted by her, they invite them to spend a month with them in the fummer. Mrs. Williams cannot prevail on her hufband to accept of the invitation: he commences an intrigue with a young lady in the neighbourhood, who is thrown into a confumption by his behaviour, and her own remorse. Soon after this infamous tranfaction, Mr. William's little boy dies : his wife is brought to bed of a daughter, who lives only a few hours. During her dangerous illness, Mrs. Williams wonders fhe hears nothing of his father and mother: he tells her, that they will never fee her any more. As his income depends upon his father's will and pleasure, he thinks it better they fhould be angry with ber than bim. After a great deal of ill treatment which the receives from him in various shapes, they go to France; from thence they proceed to Aix. Before they leave England, he wanted very much to have her fign articles of feparation, but Mr. Smith prevents fuch a procedure: that gentleman promises to be a father to Mrs. Williams, and the parts from him with great concern. At Aix Mr. Williams meets with Sir Charles, who goes to England and marries Sophia. Having loft her only friend, Mrs. Bertram (Williams having deferted her in France) fhe determines to come to England; but both her fifter and Mr. Smith advife her against fuch a step, affuring her that the abufe and perfecutions to which she would be expofed from her husband's family would prove extremely difagreeable to her. They endeavour to prevail on her to stay, at least till Mr. Williams's infamous conduct is more generally known. While fhe is abroad the receives many kind letters from her uncle Boldly, who infists upon joining with Mr. Smith in fettling a penfion upon her during her husband's life. Her fifter, at the fame time, laments that her nearly-expected lying in hinders her from making her a vifit. Mrs. Williams then takes a cottage not far from Avignon, and lived in a retired manner for two years. The countess of Vitu, with whom he had been acquainted at Paris and Lyons, finds her out in her retreat, and takes her to Paris with her. There the first commences a friendship with Mademoiselle D'Angeville. From Paris Mrs. Williams goes to Spa, and into Flanders. In Flanders Sir Charles and her fifter meet her from thence they proceed to Paris. At Paris they leave her with her friend Adelaide. While fhe is in Flanders fhe receives the news of her husband's death, which happened in Italy: furrounded with baftards by different women; and being a heretick, he was first plundered and then fung into a ditch near the town in a common deal box. The death of her uncle Boldly, who furvived her aunt, and had generously left her a large legacy, involves her in a law-fuit; but it is decided in her favour. On her return to England, this legacy reconciles her father and mother to her; though the former never discovers the affection which he once had felt for her. Soon afterwards the marquis D'Aife comes to England, and Mrs. Williams is married to him, with the entire confent of all her friends. The confent of those friends, however, is not thoroughly to be accounted for, as the marquis is a catholic, and he does not appear to have changed her religion. Mr. Smith declares he will go with them to France, and end his days there: but before he sets out, he makes his will, and leaves the marchionefs ten thousand pounds, which, at her hus band's particular requeft, is fettled on her. Thus has she, at laft a fair prospect of being happy, after Having feverely fuffered for her disobedience. The story is told in a very agreeable manner: there is ease, and even elegance, in the language; and the piece abounds with fine fentiments, ftrikingly expreffed. X An Essay on the Eaft-India Trade, and its Importance to this Kingdom; with a comparative View of the Dutch, French, and English Eaft-India Companies; and the Privileges and Support that have been granted to each, by its refpective State; also the Rights of the East-India Company to the Revenues they are possessed of in India, impartially confidered. 8vo. Pr. 1. Payne. ΤΗ "HE matter contained in this Effay is by no means new, but it is seasonable and portant. Our fenfible writer exhibits a short historical view of the principal transactions of the three great European companies trading to the Eaft; and, from some accurate obfervations upon the conduct of each, deduces the fources of frequent bankruptcy of the French, and the flourishing fituation of the English and Dutch companies. • On a comparative view, fays he, of the Dutch and French Eaft-India companies, it may be obferved, that the conftant fuccefs of the one, and the repeated failure of the other, have proceeded chiefly from the nature of their respective govern ments. The States-general, who faw clearly the great national benefits to be derived from an Eaft-India trade, and that it would not poffibly be carried on to fo diftant a part of the world by separate adventurers, either to the advantage of themselves or the public, obliged, in fome measure, the several parties who had first attempted it to unite into one body, to whom they granted granted the most ample powers that could be deemed neceffary. Every territorial, or other acquifition of the company in India, was confidered by that wife body as a national one. Their property at home, or abroad, was held as facred as any man's private property. The full yearly profits arifing from their trade or revenue in India, were fairly divided among the proprietors, even when they amounted fo high as 75 per cent. As the powers and protection afforded to the company were the acts of the ftate, they were always fteady and conftant. The proprietors were under no apprehenfion of not having them continued, as long as the trade fhould be found beneficial to the public, of which there could be no doubt. There was no need of the favour or mediation of a mini· fter, nor apprehenfion of being obliged to pay an exorbitant fine on any renewal of their charter; and as the ftate never interfered with the concerns of the company, but for their general advantage, the management of their affairs was left to those who were appointed by themselves to prefide over them. • The feveral edicts that had been published for the establishment of French Eaft-India company, and the extenfive privileges granted to them, though neceffary to their being, could never be fufficient to fecure their duration, in a kingdom where fo much depends on the favour of a fingle perfon, who, as he grants, may likewife take away; where the obtaining or continuance of that favour depends chiefly on a minifter, whofe interest it must ever be to prefer the advantages of the revenue, to any commercial; where thofe who are to be intrufted with the management of the affairs of a trading company, must be appointed or approved by the minifter, under the heavy penalty of lofing his favour and protection: I fay, in a kingdom where a commercial company lies under any of thefe difadvantages, there must always be a doubt of its fuccefs; where all of them occur, it is almost impoffible it fhould fucceed. That the conftant interfering of minifters was one great cause of the failure of the French company, may fairly be inferred from the fuccefs of the private traders at St. Malo's, who, although they had paid a large fum for the hire of the few privileges that were let to remain with the company, made a very confiderable profit by the trade in a few years; because, being at a confiderable distance from the court, and free from minifterial reftraint, they were at liberty to conduct their affairs in whatever manner appeared most advantageous to themfelves." The author very fenfibly explains the benefits refulting to this nation from the India trade, in the following words. At the time the Eaft India company was established, the rents Tents of all the lands and houses of England were estimated, on the most exact calculation, at fix millions per annum, at which time, the current value of the lands was twelve years purchase; confequently the value of the whole cannot be estimated at more than 72 millions. At the fame time the ftock of England, including filver and gold coin, bullion, wrought plate, mines, jewels, furniture, stock in trade, and cattle, was computed at 17 millions. The present yearly rents of lands and houses, at a moderate eftimation, may be deemed 25 millions, which, at twentyfive years purchase, amounts to 625 millions, and the stock, at the lowest valuation, may be estimated at 262 millions; fo that on a moderate computation, the nation must have gained 887 millions fince that time, by its trade and commerce, as it has neither gold nor filver mines, by which it could have increased its wealth. It is a difficult matter to eftimate, with any degree of precifion, what part of this increased wealth should be placed to the account of the East-India trade. The national profit it has produced, when uninterrupted, including what it has brought in, in return for India commodities exported from hence to other countries, and what it has faved the nation, with respect to its own confumption, by keeping that money at home, which must have been fent out for the purpose, has been estimated at 1,200,000l. per annum, before the establishment of the new company. Since both companies have been united, the trade has been increafed very conterably; and the profits may, very reasonably, be computed at two millions per annum. So that, taking the profits before the companies were united at one million per annum, on average, and fince that time at two millions, the whole profits will have amounted to 220 millions. But when it is confidered, that the wealth introduced by this trade has been employed in establishing and advancing feveral valuable branches of our manufactures; that these manufactures have, in confequence, become confiderable articles of our exportation; that the money brought into the kingdom, on this account, has, by enriching and increafing the number of our manufacturers, been the principal caufe of the increafed rent and value of lands; that the confiderable fortunes that have been acquired in India, or by that trade, have been chiefly employed in the purchafe and improvement of lands and houses; it seems more reasonable to estimate the national profits that have arifen immediately, and in confequence of that trade, at one half of the increased value of the lands, and ftock of the kingdom; which would then amount to 399 millions. 2 The The increase also of our maritime power, which should be confidered as a matter of still greater importance to this nation than the increafe of its wealth, may, in a great meafure, be attributed to this trade. It may be obferved from general hiftory, that whatever nation, from the days of Solomon to the present time, has been in poffeffion of any confiderable share of the East-India trade, has alfo arrived to a proportionate degree of maritime power; and that the maritime power of fuch nation has conftantly declined, or funk, in proportion to the decay or lofs of this trade.' He then proceeds to recite the fteps by which the English company came into poffeffion of their prefent confiderable revenues in India; the neceflity of the measures they pursued; the legality of their territorial poffeffions; the affiftance they yielded to the common caufe in the course of the laft war; and concludes with these very just reflections, to which we think our readers will eafily affent. It must be allowed to be fomewhat too late at present, to offer arguments against any part of an agreement, which has been confirmed by parliament; but it is to be hoped, it is not too late to apply to the juftice and equity of the legislature, for a renewal of the charter of the company; which may be deemed fome kind of compenfation for fo great a fum as two millions, they have agreed to pay; and for which they have not received even the shadow of an equivalent; more especially, as the general benefits of this trade are so very manifeft, and the im practibility of its being carried on to public advantage, but by a company, has fufficiently been evinced from the experience of this, and other kingdoms. A renewal of their charter will be the fureft means of fecuring their prefent acquifitions to this country, and promot ing its trade to that. And a reverfal, or at least an enlargement of the restrictive claufe, by which their dividends have been fo narrowly limited, feems requifite to incite them to endeavour the establishment of new fettlements, and the extenfion of their trade and commerce; which, under the prefent restriction, common prudence muft abfolutely prevent them from attempting. The French Eaft India trade has been repeatedly ruined, by fome of the greatest of their minifters interfering too much in it; for, though a minifter who guides the helm of a state, may naturally conclude himfelf capable of conducting any other bufinefs in it; yet there ever has been found fomething too delicate, or perhaps too free, in the nature of trade and commerce, to bear the reftraint or controul of any minifter. ⚫ Were it ever unfortunately to happen, that our Eaft-India affairs |