The National Register.
London, England, 1816-10-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

PAMPHLVITER, No. XV.

AS many of the Pamphlets contained in this number
are particularly interesting at the present moment, wo
have thought it useful to lay before our readers an ab-
stract of their contents:—

i. Mr. CURWEN'S Speer/e on the Present A'lnte qf the
Poor Lures, is the first artii•h in this number. Mr.

•C. tales u review of the various acts that have been

.passed un this subject; and proves, by several examples,
that the facilities afforded by tote erection of vrorkhousts,
which vs ere instituted by the sib and Out William and Mary,
have slackened the industry, and corrupted the morals of the
poor. Mr. C.'s own proposal is, that 11•VeIN individual, making
ally profit or advantage of his labour, should coneolanne to-
.wards the establishment of a parish fond, for the &trimmer-
meat of industry and good morals, for a general plan of edu-
• cation, and such other objects as might be conducive to the
college and happiness of the labouring classes. That to this
.fund. capitalists and all property should contribute. That all
ranks and classes of society should join in promoting a system
.for bettering the situation, and increasing the comforts of the
•great hulk of the nation. He proposes that the government
of the f Is should bra:Mooned to *committee, to Ise elected
,from the labouring classes. Hy thisidan, the present evils of
'management .winoiti be remedied; and a sentiment of minuet
regard waßld unite all who are interested in the system. In
respect to natural chiklren abandoned by their partnts, he
•areggests that, after .5 years of age. the boys might be placed
sin the army and 1111”, and the girls properly educated to be
=bound out as apprentices. He proposes a few other municipal
regulations.

H. :In his Dirserta on Me Eleutinion sad Barehie
Ilkyrierier, Mr. TAYLOR nutintains that the shows of the
lesser mysteries ware designed to signify occultly the
,condition of the moult in a terrene body. He cites

several authorities to prove that " anima was considered by
the Egyptians as a mire of mud " But this doctrine was not
communicated to the majority of the initiated, nor, in Mr.
TA opinion, was it known even to Virgil himself. As the
&shows of dime lessernlytiteries signified the miseries of the soul
.in suhjection to the body, oo those of the greater obscurely
demoted by mystic and splendid visions, the felicity of the
-sal both here and hereafter, when purified from its material
vature, and constantly elevated to the reaLtits of intellectual
'vision.
1.11. The Discourse of the lion. S. RAFFLES, address-
ed ts the Literary and Scientific Societe at .Java, asiverts
fto the present state of several oriental countries, front
Infannatiox afforded by researches originating from the
European establishments. 01 these the remarks on Japan are
.among the most interesting. The arts are in much higher pet--
Motion at Japan than among the Chinese, and there is a con•
-olderible degree of estrangement between the two nations.
"The'finsales here are not secluded as in China, lint associate
'like those of Europe. Bating their political restrictions, the
.31tpaneae seem " to throw themselves into the hands
al any nation of superior intelligence." Their impposed illibe.
*silty in religions matters is denied, and the late mission ex-
tperienced the reverse in a degree hardly credible. They are
not averse to the indulgence of social excess; and on these
isocaliona, glee a latitude to their speech which would not rea-
dilly be expected.
Eor seven years past, In obedient..e to an edict of the Em-
peror, the English language has been cultivated at the College
of Interpreters.
JV. In the next pamphlet, as the Mildew of Wheat,
the author touts-ovens an hypothesis of Sir J. iIaNRB on
that subject. He concludes, that soils, in general, are
.good or bad conductors of heat, according to the moisture
they contain. Consequently, clay being of all others the most
retentive, will defend crops from the mildew better than drier
'soils. Allowance being made for local differences, soil. must
liable to lame their crops injured, may be stated in the follow.
in; order;—peat or moor, calcareous, sand, grey earth, and '
at
V.. Dr. CROURIZ'S Letters on the Present State of the
.Airrieulistral Interest, are next in order. He thinks
that the chief cause of the present reduced price of
a-osa, is the increased supply, and the consequent surplus in
.the market. But though he maintains that the supply regn•
Sates the price, Ile does not affirm that the one will be 'precise-
ly:in the inverse ratio of the other. " Whenever the hopes
and fears of mankind interpose, reason and calculation are
disregarded:" and the farmer's apprehension of a still further
declining price, have impelled him to hurry his grain to mar.
met. The same sheet has hero produced by other causes.
The return of peace, by diminishing the tsar consumption,
Liss lessened the prier of the commodity ; for those classes mho
saiispiy the army and navy, are maintained with less expense
aititinise. Di. Crombie thinks that the present low price of
grain will necessarily diminish cullisation, and this lessened
supply wid operate in raising the prier. After objecting to
Ifire several remedies that have been proposed for the relict of
the present distresses, lie adsises that the land holder shook!
redece his rent, ur mildew his laud to lie waste; and lie suppotts
the justice and expediency or his measures, by pointing out
she advantages which the landholder, during the war, has en-
joyed above tity nett of the cunmmunitc.
VI. The ensttipi tract, by Dr. W. RICHARDSON, is
entitled "Simple . leasures, 6, which /hr recurience of
Famine saw toff prevented," Ike. It contains some earnest
'trio:Aims on Mr. Malthiss's Essay on the Principle of Porn
Ittion. A. the petatoe may be used both for the sustenance
of man as d maimats, Dr. It. suggests the cultivation of hay, amid
its tesaigninent for the support of cattle, so as to supply the do
fleiency of potatoes in those ocea.ional seasons of dearth, ashen
man may trans* the latter to his own use. He pates
that a deficiency of 2 million quarters of wheat will be • um-
pentatiril for by 288,000,000 stones of potatoes. He also cal-
culates that oue-S.lth part of the present arable ground of
England and Wales would produce the substitute required ;
Ida he does net admit that a diminution of the usnal amount

efgrain would be the consetrence; for it is well known to agri.
cuiltorists, that the more potatoes they cultivate, the more
grain they are enabled to nw. He 11144 likewise other re-
sources hart!' grass, in straw, in couch grass, lbc. And he
enters into variesis agricultural d -tails, which are well dem:it/-
tog die noti'•c of the political economist.
NUL Nov occur " Thoughts on he Present Crisis," by
W. Parrett, Esq. He combats the doctrine of legitimacy,
and reprobates divers proceedings of the allied Sovereigns.
A 'subject of exusarc is [wood Dearer horse iu the daises wf