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sent day an interval of 1,300 years having elapsed since its creation.

The history of this unique republic comprises only seven folio pages. The first commemorates the origin: the second records the purchase of a castle (A.D. 1100): the third the purchase of another castle (A. D. 1170): the fourth mentions a war (A. D. 1460), in which the inhabitants assisted Pope Pius II. against one of the lords of Rimini, and for which they received four small castles in recompence: the fifth gives an account of their territories, reverting to its ancient limits the sixth records some of the intrigues of Cardinal Alberoni to overturn the republic: the seventh and most interesting page, records a proposition, that was made to them by Buonaparte, of increasing their territory; which, in conformity to ancient principle, they had the magnanimity to refuse.

Thus, among precipices, the natives of San Marino, 5,400 in number, enjoy a liberty and a tranquillity, entirely unknown in any other part of the world. The natives of this republic seem to be indebted for a great portion of their happiness to three peculiar regulations; viz. the commissary, who pronounces judgment, must always be a foreigner, a doctor of laws, and resident only three years :-The physician must be thirty-five years of age, and remain only three years: - and the school-master is chosen for the purity of his morals, his humanity, mildness of temper, and useful knowledge. One of the chief doctrines, he is called upon to instil into the minds of his pupils, is to make them satisfied with their condition; to love their country as their own house, and their fellow-citizens as their own families. Thus situated

For the correspondence between him and Cardinal Corsini, &c., vid. Risposta al Manifesto, &c., annexed to Relaziona anonima, &c. &c.

b Mons. Augustus Frederick Crome, in his General View of the Relative Political Strength of European Nations, states, that the republic of San Marino is, in extent, about eighteen English square miles; that it has six thousand inhabitants, and a public revenue of fifty thousand Rhenish florins.

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and thus educated, the inhabitant of San Marino thinks that every thing, which is valuable, is centered on his native rock".

With these detached people we may, not inappropriately, associate the natives of St. Kilda. ST. KILDA is a large rock, five miles in circumference, rising out of a sea that never sleeps and against which the waves dash with an appalling fury. Though this rock is insulated from land several leagues, it has wells of the purest water. The natives are described as being models of simplicity and innocence. Envy, jealousy, and ambition are said to be totally unknown amongst them, They have no money; but barter with fowls, feathers, Solan geese, and birds' eggs. Bred in social affection, they are mild and humane; and when sailors are wrecked upon their shore, they pay them all possible attention. They are, also, extremely sensible to the charms of poetry and vocal music.

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The great Loo-choo Island is, also, fortunate in many respects. It lies out of the usual track of trading ships it has no want of foreign commodities; and produces nothing to tempt the avarice of stangers. The inhabitants have ho arms, and no money: and, cannot be made to understand the nature of war. Kæmpfer relates, that they are all either fishermen or husbandmen; that they lead a contented life; are cheerful and affectionate; and that after their daily work is done, they take their children and wives into the fields; where they sit; drink a little rice liquor; and play upon musical instruments. Hall and Macleod's accounts of this interesting people are equally picturesque and engaging. The Deity is known to them by the name of Boòsa: but there is nothing in the climate of this island to make the

• Boccalini fables (Adv. Parnass. vii.), that a difference arose in Parnassus, on the subject of precedence, between Corbelli, doctor of law at San Marino, and the Baron of Bisagnano. This difference was referred to the congregation of ceremonies, who decreed, that Corbelli being born in a free country was to walk hand in hand with kings; and, therefore, to take precedence of any baron, or even prince, born in a country where liberty was unknown.

b Clifford's Vocabulary of the Loo-choo language.

inhabitants wiser, better, or more happy, than their neighbours; and yet they are so.

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Of the climate of England much has been said by those, who have written on the subject. For my own part, my Lelius, I am persuaded, that you are well contented with it; being thoroughly convinced, that Bishop Berkely was justified in saying, that groves and meadows were no where in such perfection as in England; and that Charles II. was equally correct, when he declared, that a gentleman might walk out oftener and with greater comfort in England, than in any other country of Europe. Let us, therefore, adapt our wishes to our climate; rather than presume to expect, that Nature will adapt our climate to our wishes: and the more so, since, even in the age of Elizabeth, the best compliment, ever paid to any climate in the world, was paid to this: viz. “That it was too pure for a slave to breathe in "." Britons! remember, that liberty is not only your birth-right, but the birth-right of your children. Be, therefore, neither cheated, canted, coaxed, nor conquered out of it. It is more to be valued than beauty, manners, wealth, rank, power-ah! more to be prized than life itself. It is the gem of all mental ornaments; and the whole universe has nothing to compare to it, either in grandeur or in beauty.

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In this part of my subject, I shall take leave to record the very extraordinary season of 1818 and 1819. The year 1817 had been remarkable for its violent storms, inundations, and earthquakes. The mountain of Hausnick, in Upper Austria, sank into a lake; the lake of Porciano, in the territory of Ferentino, (Italy,) became dry; flames issued out of a bed of sulphur, near Salzborg, in Bavaria; and a whole mountain, in the bailiwick of Rattenburg, fell into the valley, which stretched at its feet. The summer of 1818 was the most delightful,

a For some curious observations, relative to the weather of these islands, vide Lieut. Mackenzie's System. He makes the cycle complete in fifty-four years. b 2. Rushworth, p. 468.

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in respect to weather, ever remembered in this country. The days were so mild, so pure, so radiant ; and the evenings so serene that it might be said, that England, for one season, was converted into the south of France! In August, such was the dryness of the air, that the leaves fell from the trees, as in autumn; the harvest moon being the third of a series of ten years, in which it proves most beneficial to farmers. During these remarkable heats, it was observed, that they were nearly equal in many European latitudes; the thermometer of Reaumur standing at the same point at Rome, Madrid, Vienna, and Berlin. In November the narcissus was seen to bloom in Hampshire; in some districts grass was mown; and, in others, wheat was seen coming into ear. deed, a miracle seemed to be effected in the vegetable world, almost every day. In the county of Perth, garden strawberries were in full blossom; the berries of the arbutus were ripe; the buds of many forest trees swelled, and those of many hazel bushes expanded; tulips appeared in leaf above the ground; and sweet pease and mignionette were luxuriantly in flower. In December, tulips were seen in Scotland, five inches in height; flowers of ten weeks' stocks, and marigolds, were as fresh and vigorous as in August: on Wanstead Flats, in the county of Essex, leaves of lime-trees fully expanded; a snow-drop was in blossom; and swallows were still seen. At Appledore, in Devonshire, a second crop of apples were gathered, full grown, the tree being in bloom, when the former crop was gathered. Near Plymouth, jonquils, hyacinths, anemonies, pinks, stocks, and monthly roses bloomed in great perfection; there were, also, ripe raspberries. In the fields and hedges violets, hearts'-ease, purple vetches, red-robins, and other flowers blossomed; the oak and elm retained much of their foliage; and birds were sometimes heard, as if it were spring and on the 24th, a robin's nest, with four young ones, nearly fledged, was found in the thatch of a poor man's cottage at Hemington, near Salisbury.

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During the first six days in January, the air was calm, but foggy; the wind fluctuated between the south and east; from the 7th to the 14th, fell several heavy showers; but, during the month, there were not less than twelve serene days, and no snow had fallen from the commencement of the winter. On Eskdale Moor, in Cumberland, a young brood of red grouse were hatched; and by the 24th, they were able to fly. In the first week of February, bean plants were from ten to twelve inches high, with all their perfection of foliage, similar to what they are in June. The German tamarisk was observed in full bloom, and in the beginning of the month, the blossoms of the Erica herbacea began to open.

In Sweden and Norway there was neither frost nor snow; and in Russia great inconvenience was felt from that want of regular intercourse between one province and another, which snow, frozen, contributes so much to facilitate. Not only Mount St. Bernard but Mount St. Gotharda and the Simplon were crossed without difficulty. In the beginning of February, too, several swallows were seen in the gardens of the Tuileries at Paris.

Such was the season in Europe during the winter of 1818 and 1819. But of all climates the island of Teneriffe presents the most delightful; since it is suited to the wheat and vines of Europe; the bread-tree of Otaheite; the coffee-tree of Arabia; the figs of India; plants common to Jamaica and to Lapland; the cinnamon of Moluccas; the cocoa of America; the date of Provence; the laurels of Italy; the olives of Greece; and trees, resembling the oaks of Thibet.

Montesquieu was accustomed to observe, that "Germany was the country to travel in; Italy to sojourn in; England to think in; and France to live in."-Tempora mutantur! And Pompey being, one day, on a visit to Lucullus, at Tusculum, enquired of that general, how he could be so absurd, as to make his villa fit only for a summer residence. "What?" said

Canton of Uri.

b Canton of Valois.

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