import it; but if Mr. Hanway's computation be juft, the importation and the ufe of it ought at once to be stopped by a penal law.

The author allows one flight argument in favour of Tea, which, in my opinion, might be with far greater juftice urged both against that and many other parts of our naval trade. "The Tea-tradė

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employs (he tells us) fix thips, and five or fix hun"dred feamen, fent annually to China. It likewise brings in a revenue of three hundred and fixty thousand pounds, which, as a tax on luxury, may "be confidered as of great utility to the ftate." The utility of this tax I cannot find; a tax on luxury is no better than another tax, unlefs it hinders luxury, which cannot be faid of the impoft upon Tea, while it is thus ufed by the great and the mean, the rich and the poor. The truth is, that by the loss of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, we procure the means of flifting three hundred and fixty thoufand at beft, only from one hand to another; but perhaps fometimes into hands by which it is not very honeftly employed. Of the five or fix hundred feamen fent to China, I am told that fometimes half, commonly a third part, perifh in the voyage; fo that inftead of fetting this navigation against the inconveniencies already alleged, we may add to them, the yearly lofs of two hundred men in the prime of life; and reckon, that the trade of China has destroyed ten thousand men fince the beginning of this century.

If Tea be thus pernicious, if it impoverishes our country, if it raises temptation, and gives opportunity to illicit commerce, which I have always

looked on as one of the strongest evidences of the inefficacy of our law, the weakness of our government, and the corruption of our people, let us at once refolve to prohibit it for ever.

“ If the question was, how to promote induftry "moft advantageously, in lieu of our Tea-trade, fup"pofing every branch of our commerce to be already "fully fupplied with men and money? If a quarter "the fum now spent in Tea, were laid out annually 'in plantations, in making publick gardens, in “ paving and widening ftreets, in making roads, in "rendering rivers navigable, erecting palaces, "building bridges, or neat and convenient houses "where are now only huts; draining lands, or

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rendering those which are now barren of fome use; "fhould we not be gainers, and provide more for health, pleafure, and long life, compared with the "confequences of the Tea-trade?"

Our riches would be much better employed to thefe purposes; but if this project does not please, let us first refolve to fave our money, and we fhall afterwards very eafily find ways to spend it.

IT

REPLY

то

A PAPER

In the GAZETTEER of May 26, 1757*.

T is obferved in the fage Gil Blas, that an exasperated author is not eafily pacified. I have, therefore, very little hope of making my peace with the writer of the Eight Days Journey: indeed fo little, that I have long deliberated whether I should not rather fit filently down under his displeasure, than aggravate my misfortune by a defence of which my heart forebodes the ill fuccefs. Deliberation is often useless. I am afraid that I have at laft made the wrong choice; and that I might better have refigned my cause, without a struggle, to time and fortune, fince I fhall run the hazard of a new offence, by the neceffity of afking him why he is angry.

Diftrefs and terrour often difcover to us those faults with which we fhould never have reproached ourfelves in a happy ftate. Yet, dejected as I am, when I review the tranfaction between me and this writer, I cannot find that I have been deficient in reverence. When his book was firft printed, he hints that I procured a fight of it before it was published. How the fight of it was procured I

* From the Literary Magazine, Vol. II. Page 253.

do not now very exactly remember; but if my curiofity was greater than my prudence, if I laid rash hands on the fatal volume, I have furely fuffered like him who burft the box from which evil rushed into the world.

I took it, however, and infpected it as the work of an author not higher than myfelf; and was confirmed in my opinion, when I found that these letters were not written to be printed. I concluded, however, that though not written to be printed, they were printed to be read, and inferted one of them in the collection of November laft. Not many days after I received a note, informing me, that I ought to have waited for a more correct edition. This injunction was obeyed. The edition appeared, and I fuppofed myself at liberty to tell my thoughts upon it, as upon any other book, upon a royal manifefto, or an act of parliament. But fee the fate of ignorant temerity! I now find, but find too late, that instead of a writer whofe only power is in his pen; I have irritated an importaat member of an important corporation; a man who, as he tells us in his letters, puts horfes to his chariot.

It was allowed to the difputant of old to yield up the controverfy with little refiftance to the master of forty legions. Those who know how weakly naked truth can defend her advocates, would forgive me if I fhould pay the fame refpect to a Governor of the Foundlings. Yet the confcioufnefs of my own reetitude of intention incites me to afk once again, how I have offended.

There are only three fubjects upon which my unlucky pen has happened to venture, Tea; the

1

Author

Author of the Journal; and the Foundling Hofpital.

Of Tea what have I faid? That I have drank it twenty years without hurt, and therefore believe it not to be poifon : that if it dries the fibres, it cannot foften them; that if it conftringes, it cannot relax. I have modeftly doubted whether it has diminished the ftrength of our men, or the beauty of our women; and whether it much hinders the progrefs of our woollen or iron manufactures; but I allowed it to be a barren fuperfluity, neither medicinal nor nutritious, that neither supplied ftrength nor cheerfulness, neither relieved wearinefs nor exhilarated forrow I inferted, without charge or fufpicion of falfehood, the fums exported to purchase it; and propofed a law to prohibit it for ever.

Of the Author I unfortunately faid, that his injunction was fomewhat too magifterial. This I faid before I knew that he was a Governor of the Foundlings; but he feems inclined to punish this failure of respect, as the czar of Muscovy made war upon Sweden, because he was not treated with fufficient honours when he paffed through the country in difguife. Yet was not this irreverence without extenuation. Something was faid of the merit of meaning well, and the Journalist was declared to be a man whofe failings might well be pardoned for his virtues. This is the highest praise which human gratitude can confer upon human merit; praise that would have more than fatisfied Titus or Auguftus, but which I muft own to be inadequate and penurious, when offered to the member of an important corporation.