ftance, as inconfiftent with the just claims an old friend, patron, and benefactor had on his gratitude, and recent political alliances were fuppofed to have on his honour: but we ap. prehend the time is not far diftant when his character will appear in a different point of view; and we will hazard an opinion (not baftily adopted, or founded on mere conjecture), that the behaviour of Lord North, to whom, and to whom only, Mr. Eden was any ways accountable, will foo juttify the political conduct of his friend, and what at first appeared to have been a desertion from the principles of gratitude and honour, will be found perfectly confiftent with both. In a word, we confider this Itep of Mr Eden's as part of a concerted plan between him and his noble friend, and as a prelude to Lord North's withdrawing himielt from an Oppofition which experience has taught him mutt be in vain agamit an adminitration who fo induttriously and fuccessfully pursue the wifeit meatures for the public benefit. THE POLITICAL STATE of the NATION and of EUROPE, for MAY 1786. No. XXVII. N our laft we left the Eaft-India Gover IN nor's caufe juft affuming fome regular form of process, promifing a termination by and by. This procefs was a hearing of both parties, by the profecutor being enjoined to bring forth his fpecific articles of charge against the defendant; and the latter coming forth a volunteer, by permillion of the Houle, to answer to the charges in propria perjuna, without the aid of Countel, Attorney, or Solicitor, or other legal afliftant. The articles, which are numerous and voluminous, with the answer, are both before the Houte and the Public; it would, therefore, ill become us to comment or criticile upon either, or both, at the moment of writing: we must, therefore, recur to our former obfervation, that, in the event, fomebody muft lose honour or reputation, either the accufer or accufed: they could not even divide the guilt between them, without fealing both the characters with infamy. In all events, may trict impartial justice take place to its extent ! We likewife noticed the fplitting the amendment of the Eaft-India regulating-act into two parts, predicting that all three would want amendment in the courie of two or three years. One-half of our prediction has been fulfilled in the courfe of thus revolving mouth: an amendment of the first amendment ran through both Houfes in one day! Of this we need fay no more at prefent. We hinted at fome apparent inconfiftencies and palpable errors in the report of the Secret Committee concerning the national revenue and expenditure, which we offered to point out on demand, on condition of our remonftrances being attended to. It is well we did not give ourtelves that trouble; for true and folid information and correction of errors is not what our Minifters want. We speak pot wantonly, or at random: fome, nay many, of thote errors and defects of the statement of finance and expenditure have been pointed out very clearly by a Member of the one Houfe to the Minifter's face, in one of the most masterly pointed harangues that has been delivered, at least to as to reach our attention, this Seflion, without making the lealt imprefiion upon his mind, or any vifible change in his countenance: it was not even honoured with the formality of a fpeech from the M.nilter in reply. Well, then, may our humble plain lucubrations be neglected and defpifed. Some ftrenuous efforts were likewife made by fome nobie Lords in the other Houfe to open the eyes of Minuters to fee the errors of their ways, and the weakness of the foundation on which they are fondly and vainly building the ponderous fuperit, uċture of national credit; but all to no pur pole. How thail we enter upon and treat & lubject which has occurred this month, to the atomifhment of all mankind, except the actors in the fcene! A wild, vifionary, 10mantic 1cheme of fortification, which we nad the honour to reprobate in February and March, which was reprobated by Parliament, which was reprobated by the whole nation, men and women of understanding and reflection-was in this month re-introduced with leis ceremony than at the firit, as a piece of mere routine butiners, and a malter of indifference to the Nation !--: was inftantly met by the jame gcutieman who attacked it to fuccessfully in the firtt inftance, and with equal or more rapid fuccefs than before; in both which cafes he has acquired immortal honour. Will nothing reach the Minifter, to bring conviction home to his mind, that he is erroneous in mis conduct, and, confequently, grow.ng daily more obnoxious to the people, whole voice and fpirit ufhered inm into power?—It these mementos will not do, we know not what will ftrike conviction upon his calious mind. The Miniter perfeveres in poiting through his Excife-cheme, let what will be the gh fequence! For the moit pernicious, uncon ftitutional, and oppreffive meatures, a miniiter of state never wanted a pretence. The increa increase of the revenue is the prefent minifter's ftanding difh, to answer all purpofes.-The revenue, the revenue! is the only object he places before his eyes; it abforbs all his faculties, and engroffes all his attention. To this he feems willing to facrifice men's liberty and property, and even their lives, with every thing that is dear and valuable to freemen, to rational beings, to Englishmen! So madly bent is he on his revenue-fchemes, his excife fchemes, and stamping schemes, that he wants to make it criminal in the subjects to petition, to complain, to remonftrate, against the multitudinous, heavy, opprettive burdens he is daily heaping upon their fhoulders, and the galling fetters and chains which he is continually rivetting upon their arms and limbs. To comfort them under the preffure, or rather to mock them, he gravely tells them, their burden will be lighter a hundred years bence, by the means of his moon-fhine fcheme of paying the national debt GRADUALLY. Gradually indeed! by flow degrees; the benefit to be felt a hundred years hence; that is, if Frenchmen, and all their friends and followers, fhall continue fo long peaceable neighbours, and itaunch friends to Englishmen; and thefe latter fhall have an uninterrupted run of profperity all that time, and proviced the Minifter and his felect committee have made no blunders in their calculations of Debtor and Creditor of the publick money. Not one of thefe data, however, do we fubfcribe to. In the mean time, Nockjobbing acquires an additional spring to its motion, and gambling will rife in the Alley to a greater pitch than ever, under the aufpices of the Right Hon. the new Superintendants of that illuftrious branch of traffick, To this rapacity of revenue the poor hawkers and pedlers have fallen a total facrifice, and are literally finking under their burden! Lively emblem of their brethren burden-bearers, the tradefmen all over the kingdom. It is what they are all destined to come to,accord. ing to our most excellent Minister's plan, in their feveral turns, one body of men after another, by partial pointed taxation. Owing to fome fecret obstruction, which minifters do not care to publifh, the pra, grefs of their money-bills on deals and bat.. tens through the House has been retarded, and the impoft confiderably altered, enough to fhew with what little judgment the business was first entered upon. The Americans are going great lengths in contraband trade among our West India Islands; and it is even faid that the Con grefs, by their Ambassador here, is calling our Miniftry to order upon that subject, This we must leave to future investigation, when the fact is more firmly eftabl shed, and the concomitant circumstances are more clearly developed, The Irish Parliament have been prorogued, after a most gracious Speech from the Throne, all pacific and calm, undisturbed with foreign politics or the commercial regulation with Great Britain. It does not appear from that Speech that there is any connection or mutual dependence between England and Ireland. This puts a flat negative upon all the arguments of Minifters and their friends, adduced to en force the famous Propofitions being carried into a law. The fears and tremblings of our courtiers on that score are all completely done away, and we hope fuch arguments will never be taken up again, to terrify or precipi tate our legislators into any national compact whatsoever. The face of Europe appears at prefent very calm and ferene. The Dutch seem difpofed to fettle their internal differences among themselves, without calling in foreign Powers to the aid of either of the contending parties: this is one great step towards preferving the public tranquillity undisturbed. The little progress made openly in the Emperor's fchemes is another circumstance which contributes to the fame falutary purpofe. But the precarious ftate of the health of the King of Pruffia feems to be the key-stone of the prefent pacific state of Europe: whenever that drops out, the political state of Europt will probably affume a new afpe&. If to that thould be added the demife or depofition of the Grand Seignior, the fcene would be come gloomy and dangerous indeed. For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. DESCRIPTION of the CHATEAU of FERNEY, the Seat of the late M. DE VOLTAIRE [Illuftrated by an ELEGANT ENGRAVING.] WHEN Voltaire quitted a rented houfe which he inhabited on the territory of Geneva, because he was prevented by the Stares from exhibiting a play there to the Mahal Dake de Richelieu, he purchased a vait tract of land in that part of Burgundy properly called the Pais de Gex, which ftretches almoft to that gate of Geneva winch opens into France, and that part of Switzer land bounding on the fouth-weft fide of the lake. At Ferney, his place of refidence, he found a large old French chateau, which he razed to the ground, and in its tead he erected a very noble feat-like houfe; but by preferving fome awkward gateways and ter rets, the beauty of the building is much deformed on that front which faces the grest road to Gex; and the back-front is only vifi- in two, without any fpiritual licence for so ble to those walking there. doing, or without a with your leave, or by your leave, of the bishop or dean; but, as a falvo to the injury, he put in very large capitals, diftinguishable from the great road to the town of Gex (and fo purposely intended) these words Notwithstanding his long stay in England, and his pretended attention to and affectation of our tafte in planting, building, and gardening, every part of his demefne was equally frenchified as any citizen's plat of ground in the environs of Paris. All his woods were cut into walks ftar- fashion; and all the variety confifted in its being a star of greater or lefs magnitude, with more or fewer rays. Mr. Voltaire's theatre was in one of his but-offices, was neatly fitted up, and might have contained two hundred perfons. The parish-church forming part of the quadrangle or grand court to the old chateau, and Voltaire being thereby intercepted a view of the lake, he fairly fawed the church Deo Erexit Voltaire. The house was built by an architect of Geneva, called Billion; but in this, he was only the bricklayer or stone-maíon, for the model is very common all over France; and was it not for having committed the folly of preferving the gateways, and fome towers capped with pinnacles, according to the French manner of building, it would be a very magnificent fabric. ETPLACE. ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION, ON Monday, May 1, was opened the Annual Exhibition of the Royal Academy. The prefent Exhibition is a very re. spectable one; and, what must give particular pleasure to the lovers of the arts, is, that it abounds lefs in portrait than those of former years, and more in works of imagination. Another comfortable reflection is, that if fome of the old artifts think proper to withhold their works from the Exhibition, there are young ones rifing and advancing with hafty fteps to fupply their places, and amply to make up for the deficiency. The prefent performances of Mr. Opie, Mr. Northcote, Mr. Hoppner, Mr. Browne, Mr Turnbull, Mr. Hodges, and Mr. Webber, will evince the truth of this affertion. The Prefident has about a dozen portraits in this Exhibition; the most striking of which, for character and expreffion, are, the Duke of Orleans and John Hunter; and for the milder graces, the Duchefs of Devonshire and her child. It is to be regretted that Sir Joshua has not indulged himself, nor gratified the Public with any work of fancy this year; if he has got any new Venus, or Paftoral Nymph, he keeps them at home. Mr. Loutherbourgh shines as ufual; every year adds new wreaths to his high reputation; in bis line he is undoubtedly the first artift now living. The lovers of the arts have alfo the fatif faction to obferve, in the prefent Exhibition, that fculpture keeps pace with painting. The death of Diomedes, by Mr. Proctor, is evidently the work of a great genius, bold, energetic, and fublime; and is a full confir 1786. mation of the high opinion which the Public conceived of him laft year, from his model of Ixion. The figure in marble of one of the Titans (a donation to the Academy by Mr. Banks) is admirably conceived, and the anatomy well understood. In fhort, for correctness of defign, and masterly ftile of execution, it seems to be fuperior to any thing in that line that has yet been prefented to the Academy. We now proceed to give an account of fome of the most capital works in the Exhi bition: and firft, of the higher branch of the art, viz. the HISTORICAL. Of all the pictures in the prefent Exhibition, or that perhaps we have yet feen exbibited in this country, the moft ftriking, mot novel, and most extraordinary production is undoubtedly that excellent picture by Mr. Welt, No. 148, "Alexander the Third refcued from the fury of a stag by the intrepidity of Colin Fitzgerald, ancestor of the prefent family of Mackenzie." The compofition is conceived with great judgement; and the tout enjemble arranged with fuch perfpicuity, as explains, at first view, the bufinefs of the picture to the underftanding of every beholder. The drawing is the next great requifite; and in this (as far as a mere amateur can judge) the artift appears to be equally happy, both in correciness, firmness, and spirit; not only in the human figures, but also in the dogs and horfes. The clear obfcure forcible, natural, and of great relief, without blackness, or the too common artificial management, of destroying one half of the picture, to give value to the other half. The |