I OBSERVE your agreeable correspondent Arcticus is at a lofs to tranlate the expression la plus belle ame qui fat jamais in the well drawn character he has given you. I remember an exprefsion I met with in Scotiaud, when I was there, which if it does not exactly suit it, is at least equal in beauty. A lady on a particular occasion, said to me she was not in the least surprised at my partiality for another lady of "the whom I had bec speaking with great respect, for she was, sweetest blooded woman in Scotland." The expression made then an indelible imprefsion on my mind for a thousand nameless somethings comprehended in it. I am, &c, CAMBRO BRITANNUS. The Editor is much indebted to this obliging correspondent for bringing forward the beautiful exprefsion above, so well known in this country, but which, like the French phrase perhaps alike admits not of a translation into any other language; but he suspects Arcticus, who is a scotsman, will not admit it to be of the exact same import with the other. The Scotch phrase denotes a beneficent and gentle disposition of mind, conjoined with a meekness of temper, that is the farthest possible removed from irritability, and though it is by no means incompatible with genius, it is not necessarily connected with it. The French phrase, supposes goodness of heart with a tincture of meeknefs also, but it does not so totally exclude that emotion of mind, which sometimes borders upon warmth. This kind of ardour it supposes to be moderated by the influence of a polished taste and refined understanding it verges more towards the cofinnes of genius, and farther from the mildness of innocence. The lamb is the true emblem of the Scotch phrase; but if we could conceive an animal possessing a portion of the innocence of the lamb conjoined to the elegance and spirit of the horse, it would be a more proper emblem of the French. Kindness and love, are the sensations the Scottish affection is naturally fitted to excite in the mind of another; but a respect bordering upon admiration, more naturally results from the comtemplation of the qualities denoted by the French phrase. They are both beautiful, both elegant, both expressive, though the exprefsion is somewhat different. I am glad to have an opportunity of here recording them together.

**The obliging favour of Amicus came too late, as all the room was filled up before it arrived, which the Editor much regrets, Loke's favour is received, hut also came too late.

163.

APPENDIX TO

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

VOL XVIII.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21. 1794.

LETTER TO SIR JOHN SINCLAIR PRESIDENT OF THE NEW BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

IT must, give much pleasure to every sincere well-wither of Great Britain, to see the honourable list of distingushed characters who adorn the new board of Agriculture; but when we observe that the public spirited and indefatiguable author of the great statistical work of Scotland is president, and the writer of the celebrated annals of Agriculture, secretary, we have little reason to be afraid that the new board will want energy, or spend its time in hunting after nick nacks, like too many societies on the Continent, who have promised so much, and done so little to meliorate the cultivation of their respective countries.

On the contrary, we have all reason to suppose, that the board will proceed by the most direct and effective practicable methods, to promote the species of Agriculture, which may appear the best calculated for the different provinces that demand its foftering care and support, without spending precious time in idle theoretic disquisitions vol, xviii. Y Y

Jan. 21. which have so long retarded the progrefs of useful knowledge, and has at last fallen upon government, for the punishment of their sins upon the too prosperous nation.

I make no doubt, but the useful institution will readily lend its aid to any district of the two larger islands that may require it, but I am not equally certain if it will afsist the smaller with the same alacrity, whilst any remains of ancient opinions still exist against the pofsibility of cultivating them. It is surprising how very prevalent these prejudices were even amongst men otherwise well informed, before the appearance of Dr Campbell's political survey of G. Britain; a book that seems to have been designed by the worthy philanthrophic author, to direct the exertions and attention of some such powerful patriotic society as the board of agriculture, that might arise one day to profit by his peculiar labour.

Another very sensible and favourable report of these islands, given since by another patriotic countryman engaged to survey them, I hope has conspired with Dr. Campbell's to do away ancient opinions, and to point out the unexpected capabilities, to use a modern surveyors phrase, of an appendage to the British crown, which it is not hazarding too much to prognosticate, will becomet in time, with proper attention, of great and lasting advantage to the sovereign island, much lefs liable to the events of fortune, than the most wealthy foreign possession, or than any species of distant colony, conducted even with the utmost stretch of human wisdom, although certainly these are highly desireable whilst you can retain them, whatever severe moralists may say of the dangerous and destructive effects of such an influx of Indian riches as at present inundates England, and raises the price of land in Scotland to so extraordinary a height..

There is one prejudice that militates against these unfortunate islands, and which possibly I might contribute to remove in my northern situation, viz climate, laid often so much strefs upon when the cultivation of the Shetland, Orkney, and Western Islands has been brought upon the carpet; now, if reasoning from analogy may be admitted to prove that even the ultimo thule of the ancients is

every thing else that a

within the region of corn, and hardy industrious race of men can reasonably have occasi on for, putting luxuries out of the question, which they will probably be happier never to taste, I will endeavour to illustrate the fact by declaring, that after many years residence in the latitude of 60, where vegetation is arrested for six months of the year by a thick coat of ice and snow, which locks up both earth and water for all that time, and where the mean heat of the year is not near half so great as that of London, and certainly a third less than the mean heat of any one of the islands in question *. Still I observe that this province, though far from being a rich soil, and certainly its agriculture not the most enlightened, is fully adequate, not only to the support of its present inhabitants, but even a much larger population, as the peasants bring a considerable quantity of grain to market in this city, which of course is the excefs of their consumption, whilst we are well supplied with greens aud roots of many kinds, such as cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, beans, artichokes, asparagus, brokoli, &c. with great abundance of turnips, carrots, potatoes beet, radishes; all grown in open air. Now if we add to this cata

*You will see by a paper in the second volume of the philasophical transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh that, the mean heat of the climate of Petersburgh is only 24 degrees of Reaumures thermometer whilst that of London is 74 or much more than double.

Jan. 21: logue of good things, (many of these you know originally exotics even in England, and obtained from much lower latitudes,) apples, cherries, and a whole host of berries, including goose berries, strawberies, cranberies for which we are so famous, as well as the genera of rubus, and ribes; in which the north excells the rest of the globe; and even combat the scurvy without the aid of the citric acid. I say when all these necefsaries (even luxuries, some of them,) are produced in the latitude of 60, it is scarcely fair to urge climate, as a reason for not making every attempt to cultivate the lefser British islands, especially when it is remembered that they are preserved from the extremes of temperature, (an advantage we have not,) by constant exhalations from the surrounding

ocean,

Planting has likewise been supposed by some as impofsible there—an idea that we smile at in the North, where we see self-planted trees growing from the crevices of bare rocks; and beautiful gardens in the English stile, formed on the most bleak and exposed situations of Ingria, as I have fhewn in a former letter in the Bee volume 9th p. 155

Now sir, when we join to this reasoning from analogy of what may be effected a-fhore, the immense resource which the surrounding sea offers these islands, not only of food but even wealth, if not blasted by the impolitic fiscal regulations, more dangerous and hurtful to these regions than either the north or east-winds much reasonable expectations may be entertained of their future consequence, if properly attended to, as it was from these very seas that the industrious Dutch principally drew wherewith to support that liberty which gave them a distinguished rank amongst nations, and that rendered them so formidable a naval power.