Addrefs of a Mandrin of China. have turned honefty and plain-dealing out of doors; a fincere attachment to the holy rites, is degenerated into a contempt of every thing facred; These indecencies among the great, encourage the common people to follow them, for whatever is glaring, wanton, or licentious, naturally strikes the fenfes, and easily leads aftray: Oftentation. fraud, wantonnefs, intemperance and infidelity, are but bad examples to fet before a people; thofe are not the means to render them happy and flourishing, and one need not therefore be aftonished, that they make every day a visible progrefs in vice. "Formerly, the nobles and officers under the government made it their principal ftudy, both by inftructions and example, to inculcate in the people a fincere love of virtue, and criminals then were hardly to be found, at least hardened ones; but of late, both precepts and example have been laid afide, and the people being abandoned to their lufts, have forfaken juftice; fo that criminals are now fo encreased, that every year they may be reckoned by hundreds. "If then vice reigns fo abfolute throughout the empire, it cannot be imputed to the decrees of fate, but to the wrong measures that are taken to prevent it. There are in the hearts of the people two principles very oppofite; the one of good, the other of evil; they have a fund of goodness and juftice, but they have alfo avarice and intereft. Your predeceffors never could utterly extirpate from the breasts of their fubjects all paffion and intereft, but they took meatures fo well, that they yielded to reafon and equity. "A wife prince cannot do better, than to examine hiftory, and attentively weigh the different events that are there pointed out, in order to trace their fprings, and fo diftinguish what is worthy of imitation, and what ought to be avoided; hence he will observe, that the first care of a prince fhould be to leave, as an inheritance to his defcendants, a large fhare of juftice, and virtue; how true is it, that without them, all other goods are idle, vain and tranfitory! 'Tis not enough VOL. VIII. 25 that he alone fhould fet the example of religion and of virtue; he fhou'd encourage the practice of it among his officers, and punish, by his dif pleafure, whoever fhould be found remifs therein. "The evils, gracious fovereign, that I have to complain of, are great indeed, and many feem incurable; but if there is a remedy, it is you alone, O prince, that must apply it. If there is a poffibility to recal former times, your example muft do it; I fay, if they can be recalled, for it appears almost impoffible to put things upon that footing, that former times have feen. "But however, though our times fall fhort of former ones, the zeal of your fubjects ftill fubfifts; they are loaded with duties to fupply the exigencies of the ftate, taxes are heaped upon taxes; your fubjects fuffer a great deal, and are not infenfible of their mifery; notwithstanding which, they make it their duty to furnish all the neceffary charges,, and no one remonftrates against them. they being the ordinary means of providing for ftates. But I muft befeech your majefty to look back a little, to examine with attention, and to imitate the laudable frugality of fome of your anceftors, and to cut off fome part of the enpences of your court in falaries and ********* for while many of your officers and dependants are gratifying their paffions for pleafures to the utmoft ftretch of imagination, a great number of your induftrious fubjects are ftarving for want; ought things to go on thus, under a monarch whom providence by placing on the throne, has appointed as a father, equally in dulgent to all his people? "May the admonition of heaven infpire your majefty with a generous compaflion for the fufferings of your poor and miferable fubjects, and kindle in your heart an ardent defire to enquire into the real caufe of their calamities. Let the regulation of your nobles and fervants first take place; extend your cares ftill farther, recommend a refpectful reverence and attention to our holy religion; open a large door for complaints; feck out for men of merit; and above all, ho D nour ITTING one evening at home by myself, examining the lottery prizes, I was interrupted by the pen ny-poftman. who brought me a letter. This letter was, to be fure, a moft unwelcome one; it was from my humble fervants, Richardson and Goodluck, who very obligingly informed me that my ticket was that day drawn a blank. Indeed the information eafed me of the pains of anxiety, bnt furnished me with the torments of difappointment, fince I nourished every thought that flattered me with the most diftant profpect of a capital prize. In fhort, I expected nothing less than to fee my number coupled with a ten or twenty thousand. After I had raved and curfed a little at Dame Fortune, I endeavoured to fupport this her adverfe ftroke will all the philosophy I was mafter of, though all, I affure you, was very inadequate to the occafion; for every attempt to restore my mind to ferenity was rendered abortive by the formidable authority which chagrin ufurped. 'Tis certain that the smallest indulgencies to our paffions, when they thus break forth, are a fufficient introduction to the extirpation of rationality, and encouragement of inconfiftency. I was fo far overcome by this unfavourable decifion of fortune, as to quarrel, in my mind, with our grammarians for admitting fuch a hateful word as blank into the English language; from this my mind run upon the management of the lottery, and then, I could not perfuade my felf but that there must be a damn'd deal of roguery in it, or that the ancient lady abovementioned, was very injudi cious as well as blind. With regard, to the roguery, my opinion was fomnewhat corroborated by an odd whim that popped into my head;-nothing lefs than a lottery of my own contrivance :-On a fufficient number of bits of paper I wrote the names of fome of our great people, wrapped them up, and put them into a hat on one fide of my chair; on the like number of bits of paper I wrote different things, by way of blanks and prizes, wrapped them up, and put them into a hat on the fide of my chair; this done, I began to draw, in order to fatisfy myfelf whether the names would be match'd according to their deferts; the following is the exact ftate of the drawing, and every person feems, to me at least, to have got what would well become them; therefore I am convinced that the ftate lottery has not been conducted upon an equitable footing.-You may publish this, Sir, if you please. Your's, TIMOTHY GRIN, Hints for Preferving the Health of Mariners. Lord T-t, A bare bone of beef. 27 Mr. Ws, An halter. Mr. S. G-, A horse whip. Mr. Hn, An Enfign's commiffion. The Soc. of the B― of R-, a flogging at a cart's tail. Junius, Premier of England. Marq. of R, Some affes milk. Sir Lau. D———, Newgate and bread. and water for life. Col. B———, A sheriff's officer. HINTS for Preferving the Health of MARINERS, From Dr. ROUPPE's Treatife on the Difeafes incidental to Seamen, just published. of health, and which are esteemed by all writers on the fubject, as the chief caufes of diforders on board of thip. In the first place, the provifions fhould be examined, and if it is neceflary they fhould be changed. I fhall not now dwell on the rules and advice which fome very able men in this way have laid down, as well as the method which they propofe for pickling the vegetables, in order to preferve them good in every long voyage; nor fhall I enquire into the reasons why their advice is not followed, but shall beg leave to lay down my own precepts, perhaps indeed not better, but fomewhat more convenient. Experience affures us, beyond all man. ner of doubt, that failors will live three or four months, nay longer, on the ufual food on board of fhip, without any material detriment to their health; and that if they eat it too long, and have nothing of any other kind at the fame time, that they grow thin and pale, and lofe their strength. From hence it appears, that fuch food is unfit for the purposes of nourishment any length of time. But with respect to altering this matter, it cannot much be expected, unless the people in power at the head of the state would take the cafe in confideration, and fettle a plan, that the failors who ftay any time in harbour, or lie in a road, fhould be allowed fresh meat and vegetables boiled together inftead of peafe, fish; and bacon; and that if it could be contrived, they thould have freth bread, with fome beer, or a fmall quantity of wine, and the extraordinary expences fhould be made good to the captains. This would be fully fufficient, and fave them the trouble of loading their fhips with provifions, which they could not very well find room for. At first, perhaps, this may seem to be too expenfive a method; but if we confider, we fhall find that it really is not fo. For out of half a pound of meat, with a fmall quantity of barley or rice, fuch a mefs may be made, as is fully fufficient for one man; as for the other things, they are not very dear. The time likewife when this fhould be done ought to be confidered. If meat is too dear, apples, pears, plumbs and grapes might be boiled, with the barley, with treacle inftead of butter, or fome lemon and orange juice, and treacle might be put to the boiled barley. For dinner and fupper they might have whatever vegetables could be prccured, particularly onions, leeks, &c. boiled with their peale. And at the latter end of the boiling, in the prefence of an officer, fome butter and falt, and if agreeable, fome vinegar might be added. This might likewife be done at fea, without the vegetables, and would be particularly ufeful in warm climates, for if the butter is grown very rancid, the vinegar in fome meafure corrects it. They might eat this kind of fauce with a little multard with their fish, and the failors may thus get rid of the trouble of keeping their own butter, which there is fcarcely occafion for. Since it would be better, if the captain would order a D 2 certain 28 ner, Hints for preferving the Health of Mariners. certain quantity of butter to be mixed in the coppers, and diftributed to each man, than that the whole crew should be troubled with keeping it every one for himfelf: by which means another advantage would arife, namely, their having more room in the chefts, and their being kept fweeter and cleaner. The men by living thus in harbour might refresh themselves in fuch a manthat they would be able to live many months at fea on the cuftomary food, without greatly injuring their ftrength or health. With refpect to the poffibility of getting at these things, I believe there is fcarce any harbour, where fome of them cannot be procured. But if this method does not please, care fhould be taken not to fuffer the failors to run in debt at sea, or spend in drink the money which they receive of the purfer. How this is to be done is well known to the officers, and they may hinder it if they pleafe. The failors then would be obliged to buy fresh bread and vegetables, nor would a little wine hurt them. The officers in the mean time might take care, that the proper provifions be brought on board, and fix a price upon them, that the failors might not be impofed upon. For experience tells us, that by thefe methods, failors avoid many diforders, which are owing to the want of fresh vegetables; from whence it may be inferred, that this diet would act as a prefervative, where the body was not already much affected. I have mentioned how ftinking water may be sweetened; namely, by a large aperture in the cafk, or by taking off the head of the cafk; by which method it is expofed to the open air. But this is done ftill more fpeedily by firring it fometimes with a flick, or by ufing a pair of bellows, with a long tube, and blowing into it, and then it will pretty quickly lofe its fœtid quality. The fhips which go to the East Indies fhould always carry a great quantity of water; where it is to be placed, the officers can beft tell, who know how much can be ftowed in a fhip. But this I am certain of, that although a fhip be full, they may, if they please, take in a deal more than is commonly done. To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. (With an elegant Copper-plate, reprefenting a Scene in the Kitchen at Arthur's.) SIR, T is very remarkable, that none but the most abandoned of mankind ftand any tolerable chance to receive the favours of the prefent My. The young cub, who is in poffeffion of a very lucrative and honourable poft, keeps his office chiefly at Arthur's, and when any material bufinefs is tranfacted, that requires his fignature, he is obliged to leave his Game and retire into the Kitchen for that purpose. This is, however, a hard cale, to be obliged to leave an amufement, in which, perhaps, fome thousand pounds depends on a fingle deal, to tranfact affairs that produce only a few thousands per annum.-But a confcientious man, who engages in public bufinefs, ought certainly to give the preference to his public concerns; this behaviour shews fome degree of patriotifim. Befides, as he might probably lofe a thoufand or two whilst he is writing his name; this attention to the public good may turn out to his own private emolument. Please to infert the enclosed Design in your next Magazine, and you will oblige, Your most humble fervant, S. L. His |