1 ! voyages fubfequent to the expedition of Having been informed, in the courfe of A tranflation of this treatife, moulded however into a fomewhat different and convenient form, and illustrated by occafional notes and references, Mr. Coxe gave the public in a 4to.volume in 1780, entitled "Account of the Ruffian Difcoveries "between Afia and America: to which "are added the Conquest of Siberia, and the Hiftory of the Tranfactions and "Commerce between Ruffia and China," This work in the fame year arrived at a fecond edition, and a third, we are informed, is now preparing for the prefs. In the next year, 1781, he publifhed a fmall pamphlet, entitled, " Account of "the Prifons and Hofpitals in Ruffia, "Sweden, and Denmark, with occafional "Remarks on the different Modes of "Punishments in thofe Countries." 8vo. In 1784, his greatest work appeared, viz. Travels into Poland, Ruffia, Sweden, and Denmark," in two vols. 4to. which has been fo well received, that a fecond Edition was printed in the next year 1785; and this, we are well informed, will, in a fhort time, be followed by a third in 8vo. which is now in the prefs. Soon after the publication of this work, Mr. Coxe was folicited to repeat his tour with Samuel Whitbread, Efq; junior, and accordingly, in May 1785, he proceeded in company with that gentleman through Flanders, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy. During this tour he collected further materials for a fupplemental volume to his Northern travels, and additions and corrections to his Letters on Switzerland. We are informed by a Gentleman who is juft returned from a tour on the continent, that he met Mr. Coxe at Paris, whofe reception there and at Verfailles was extremely flattering; and that Monf. de Vergennes in particular paid him the higheit compliments on his literary talents, and the political knowledge he has difplayed in his laft work. He returned to England in June 1786, and had been scarcely three weeks in his native country, before he received an offer from William Henry Portman, Efq; of Bryanston in Oxfordfhire, to fuperintend his fon's education, and to travel with him. This he has accepted of, and from his future pursuits we doubt not but the world will derive ftill further information and amusement. Mr. Coxe, though now arrived at the age of forty years, feems to have obtained neither patronage nor preferment, notwithstanding the rank and affluence of the perfons with whom he has been connected. This we remark with fome furprize, without any power of accounting for it. His works are at this time held in the highest eftimation abroad, and have been tranflated into moft modern languages. The POLITICAL STATE of the NATION and of EUROPE, for Jan. 1787. THE principal and almost the only to pick of public fpeculation, at the commencement of the year, was, the difpofal of our convicts at Botany Bay, Norfolk Island, or fomewhere elfe, nobody knew where the Commercial Treaty being deferred, by general confent, to the meeting of Parliament, the proper time of d luffing it, and strange guel ings an conjectures there have been about it, and about it, without any thing being revealed by authority on the farange novel subject !—We have all along fuggefted that Minifters would want the authority of Parliament for this fuppofed vast expenditure of publick money. How and in what manner they have afked for this fanction, we leave our readers to judge for themselves. The middle of the month was taken up with preparations for, and the actual folemnization of the Queen's birth-day, en the day adopted for that purpose; which was held with a cold kind of folem nity, nity, on account of the abfence of two branches of the Royal Family, whofe joint prefence used to give life, hilarity, and eclat to the joyous part of this convivial rejoicing-day. In the mean time, advices from the centre of Government in the East Indies, indicate fome difcontents among the Governors, in refentment of the abrupt difmiffion of the Chief Governor, who had opportunely stepped in to fupply the place of one returned home before a fucceffor was appointed. This may produce fome inquietudes among our Nabobs and Nabob-makers. The Eaft India Company is in a very odd fituation at prefent, fomewhat like a fhip guided by two helms, in the hands of two different pilots, who fteer by different and differing compaffes, -and with different points in view. Witness the jealoufies and bickerings between the Board of Directors and their new Directors the Board of Controul, here at home! Well then may they wrangle and jangle abroad. At length, after long prorogation, Parliament has met, and his Majelty has addreffed both Houfes as ufual, in afpeech from the throne; one of the fhorteft that we think we ever remember at the opening of a Seffion!-As the fpeech and the correfpondent addreffes feem to have been admitted on both fides of both Houfes to país pro forma, without dipping into particulars therein contained or referred to, we fhall follow the example, and avoid any difcuffion of the one or the other, until fome future proceedings of Minifters fall throw more light upon the fubject than we can at prefent view it in. The grand object of publick attention, towards the clofe of the month, is, the Commercial Treaty with France, and the reception it meets with from, and the proceedings that will be had thereon in the Grand Council of the Nation. A fubject of magnitude truly, and conte quence immenfe and unknown; requiring all the care, circumfpection, deliberate confideration, and mature judgment that the minds of Britons are capable of! -A mistake in this bufinefs, will be to the nation like a falfe step in marriage to a delicate woman; marrying a proff gate and a brute, undoes her forever. -We cannot help thinking our Minifters are fomewhat fool-hardy in this awful and tremendous bufinefs: they feem little to Enow their own ftrength, ability, and negociating talents, compared with their counter-parties. A little more modefty, delicacy," and self-diffidence, would do them infinite fervice, and the nation through them. If they go on carelefs, fearless, and undaunted, they will affur edly be caught in the fnare which that old Cunning French fox has artfully spread for them. But if Minifters will run on, without looking backward or forward, and plunge headlong into the pit of the Frenchman's digging, we hope and truft the Legislature will not be led on by the intemperate zeal of a rash impetuous inexperienced youth into a fyftem which more than threatens national rain; but will act cautiously, coolly, and circumfpectly in this momentous confequential concern.-If this treaty is really falutary and beneficial for Great Britain this year, it would certainly be equally fo in the next year, abating only the lofs of one year's expected benefit, which might be amply compenfated by the melioration and improvement it would naturally undergo during fo long and critical an investigation; confequently neither nation could fuftain any lofs by the prudent delay. On the other hand, thould it prove an infidious, injurious, and pernicious compact to Great. Bri. tain, how dreadful the confequence?Where might the mifchief end ?-We think we fee abundant caufe to dread this pretended boon of France to the fons of Britain, which our concife plan will not permit us to go into the minute detail of at prefent. Poffibly, in our next, we fhall not deal in bare affertions without well-founded arguments, and found candid reafoning upon them. Above all things, we deprecate hatte and rafhnefs in the proceedings on the fubject, which would tend directly to certain ruin. Confider, O Britons! in and out of Parlia ment, whofe hands we are now in--the French Cabinet. Who guides that Cabinet? The aged, experienced, fly, and fagacious Count de Vergennes, who, at this moment, is leading all the courts of Europe in iron or golden chains-cr with filken cords; and wants only this nation in his trammels, to make the catalogue compleat. The opening Speech of the Irifh parlia ment feems to denounce vengeance againft the Whiteboys! We hope they will first enquire into their grievances, and, where they find them well-founded, redress them. They will then find it a much easier talk to fupprefs all the irregularities and outrages faid to be perpetrated by thefe difcontented people. The difcuffion of the Commercial Treaty, fo far as it refpects Ireland, we leave to the investigation of Irift Irish politicians, in and out of parliament. --We fhall only lay, that we think there is either too much or too little faid about Ireland in the treaty. The whole French nation is all curiofity and warm expectation as to what their Grand Monarch is going to do with them in the Bed of Justice which he has fummoned together! They will find it foon enough to their coft, when he lays his heavy hand of taxation upon them, under the fanction of this femblance of a parlia. ment, or body of reprefentatives of the people, not of their chuting but of his election. Under this fanction of a mock parliament, a defpotic prince may fafely do what he durft not name by his own arbitrary power. Spain has undergone a great revolution in its interior cabinet, by the removal of the monarch from the exercife of his government, on account of infanity, real or pretended: we pretend not to be in the fecret.- -This nation will not probably fuffer much by the derangement; as the prefent vicegerent cannot be more devoted to the French than his predeceffor. ; : The Emperor has found a great deal of difficulty to perfuade himself to take a long journey to meet his beloved fitter and ally the Emprefs of Ruffia, on her long expedition to her new-acquired dominions and even after refolving in part, is yet undetermined as to the whole of the way proposed fo that, from the hindrances the meets with, and the hindrances he meets with, each in their own way,and the difcouragements they thereby throw in one another's way, we are doubt ful whether this projected complex journey will take place at all.-Indeed, confidering the relative fituations of both in their refpective dominions, we fcruple not to pronounce it an impolitic undertaking on both fides, for various obvious reafons ; but this we must leave them to difcufs. IN The Czarina's affairs do not yet wear a very promifing afpect of being finally fettled with the PORTE, fince that power has affumed a more firm and determined afpect than it wore fome years ago. The intermediate dependent nations between thefe potentates add to the difficulties and uneafineffes of both those extensive Empires. The Ottoman Empire, which has, at all times, rebellions raging fomewhere or another in its bofom, is not without its ufual fhare of internal commotions now. Still it holds up its awful head, bidding defiance to its numerous potent enemies, regardless of their entreaties, remonftrances, and threatenings.--Strange compofition of a terrestrial government! incomprehenfible to diftant obfervers!-and even those who have had ample opportunity of viewing it microf copically, can give us but very little infight into it. The new King of Pruffia feems to study to carry his cup even with all furrounding powers, and keep himfelf out of all their bickerings, except the internal feuds of the Dutch; in which, however, he moves very cautioufly, without burning his fingers on behalf of either fide.-It does not yet appear, that any other potentate withes to put his courage and conduct to the test. His mediatorial office in Holland, confequently, goes on very quietly and very flowly. Perhaps flow and fure is beft in this as in many other cafes. The States of North America keep rufhing more and more into anarchy, confulion, and political deftruction. They are faid to have concluded a treaty with the Emperor of Morocco: much good may it do them! They will not find it a very eafy matter to feed him with prefents; and even then they would have more work on their hands than ever they will be able to perform. For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. PLATE II. N pursuance of our promife of prefenting our readers with Specimens of the Architecture of their humble ancestors; we now offer to them the following, viz. Plate II. Fig. 1. Reprefentsa Houfe fituate at the corner of St. John's-lane, in St. |