and at the fame time, by reftoring what belongs to him, do him that justice which, as an original writer, he is entitled to. As a proof how freely men of the first name have borrowed from the ftorehoufe of our author, take the following paffage from the second chapter of the fifth book; it is too curious to be paffed unnoticed.

Tyrannies are preferved two ways moft oppofite to each other, one of which is, when the power is delegated from one to the other, and in this manner many tyrants govern in their ftate. Report fays, that Periander founded many of these. There are also many of them to be met with amongst the Perfians. What has been already mentioned is as conducive as any thing can be to preferve a tyranny; namely, to keep down those who are of an afpiring disposition, to take off these who will not fubmit, to allow no public meals, no clubs, no education, nothing at all, but to guard against every thing that gives rife to high fpirits, or mutual confidence; nor to suffer the learned meetings of thofe who are at leisure to hold converfation with each other; and to endeavour by every means poffible to keep all the people ftrangers to each other; for knowlege increases mutual confidence; and to oblige all ftrangers to appear in public, and to live near the city-gate, that all their actions may be fufficiently feen; for those who are kept like flaves feldom entertain any noble thoughts: in short, to imitate every thing which the Perfians, and Barbarians do, for they all contribute to fupport flavery; and to endeavour to know what every one, who is under their power does, and fays; and for this purpose to employ fpies: fuch were those women whom the Syracufians called Пoraywyides. Hiero alfo used to send out lifteners, where-ever there was any meeting or converfation; for the people dare not speak with freedom for fear of fuch perfons; and if any one does, there is the less chance of its being concealed; and to endeavour that the whole community fhould mutually accuse and come to blows with each other, friend with friend, the commons with the nobles, and the rich with each other. It is alfo advantageous for a tyranny, that all those who are under it fhould be oppreffed with poverty, that they may not be able to compose a guard; and that, being employed in procuring their daily bread, they may have no leifure to confpire against their tyrants. The pyramids of Egypt are a proof of this, and the votive edifices of the Cypoclidæ, and the temple of Jupiter Olympus, built by the Pyfiftratida, and the works of Polycrates at Samos; for all thefe produced one end, the keeping the people poor. It is neceffary alfo to multiply taxes, as at Syracufe ; where Dionyfius in the space of five years collected all the private property of his fubjects into his own coffers. A tyrant also should endeavour to engage his fubjects in a war, that they may have employment, and continually depend upon their general.'

Can any one doubt whence Machiavel drew the materials of that fyftem, of which he has arrogated to himself the merit of inventing?

Pre

1

Prefent State of Husbandry in Scotland. Extracted from Reports made to the Commissioners of the Annexed Eftates, and published by their Authority. 2 vols. 8vo. 125. Cadell.

SENSIBLE of the very imperfect state of husbandry prac

tised on the annexed estates,. the commiffioners, from motives truly laudable and patriotic, have attempted a reformation. With this view they appointed our author, Mr. Andrew Wight, of Ormiston, to inspect them. So well fatisfied were they with the manner in which Mr. Wight executed the truft they had repofed in him, that they gave him a further appointment, to extend his furvey to the general ftate of agriculture through the principal parts of the kingdom. The publication before us gives us the minutes of his tour, and it alfo juftifies the opinion the commiflioners entertained of the abilities of their furveyor. His route commences with the Barony of Stobhall. What he fays on the mode of culture which chiefly prevails there, will fufficiently evince the neceffity of fome effectual remedy.

The farms of the late life-rented part of this estate are all run-rig or run-field, and divided in that manner into out and in fields. That which is called the infield, they crop with bear and oats alternately, always ufing the little dung they have to the bear-crop fow a few peafe, fome half a boll, others one boll, and frequently lintfeed upon their best land. The grounds called outfield are generally three year out, and three year in, as termed by the tenants; that is, three years running they take a crop of oats, then allowed to lie for three years to gather grafs, in the most impoverized ftate; the furface a bare wore out foil, expofed to be washed off by every fall of rain, efpecially in a floping fituation, which in moft of the out-fields we find to be the cafe. From fuch practice in husbandry, the corn crops must be exceedingly fmall; and for grafs, I cannot fay they have any, though it is the univerfal practice to keep too great a number of cattle, whereby in winter the whole of the fodder is entirely eat up, and the beafts even starved. fummer the fields producing no grafs, they are obliged to fend all the yell cattle into the highlands, there to be grafed; for which they pay from one to four fhillings per head; and receive them again, after the harveft, in a poor condition. Thus we find the ground in poverty, the tenants poor, the horses and cattle ftarved, no dunghill of any fize for manuring of the ground, and the tenants in general unable to improve with lime

or marl,'

In

From lefs refpectable authority fuch a picture of modern agriculture might feem greatly overcharged. Yet whatever may be our idea of the Stobhall farmers, they have one custom

which might be extended with advantage to every cultivated part of the British empire. This cuftom is what they call riding the guild, performed in the following manner.

A committee of their number, upon a certain day in Auguft, examine every field of those that are under the guild-law; and for each stalk of that weed found at this time among the corns, the committee fine the tenant in one penny or two pence; which is paid most pointedly and by the observance of this falutary practice, the whole lands under its influence are perfectly clean whereas, if we turn our view to the neighbouring lands, many of the fields are covered with more guild than

corn.

I inquired concerning the introduction of this law. The people have no tradition relative to the time and manner of its beginning; only that, in time out of mind, fuch has been the practice and that in old times the custom was, to pay for each talk of guild, a weather fheep, or two pence half-penny. If we judge by the money paid instead of a fheep, as to the æra of this law, our conjectures must go many years back.'

Mr. Wight speaking of the skill and judgement of Mr. Cunningham, of Lathrifk, in feeding cattle, tells us a well-proportioned body (this conveys no very definite idea) a thin, fmall horn, and curled hair, denote the kind that are fittest for the purpose of fatting. And he adds, I was informed by one eminent in the knowlege of cattle, that a bullock which quears a curled coat of hair, will increase in fize as long as he lives." Mr. Wight hardly imagines his informer meant to be underflood literally.

Speaking of the county of Forfar, he acquaints us that,

The lord privy feal poffeffes the unrivalled honour of having led the way to improvements in this county, and who has the fatisfaction of feeing much good done by his example. His first attempt was, inclofing with ditch and hedge, building good houfes for his tenants, and leafing at fuch rents as to excite induftry, and difcourage idleness. One of his great objects was a plan of improvements, which he bound his tenants to follow. This has produced good effects. The tenants are in a thriving way, and the country is greatly embellished. His lordhip brought from England Mr. Batley, a man of thorough knowlege in agriculture, to manage his own farm, and to give inftructions to his tenants. The lands round his lordship's dwelling-houfe were, under Mr. Batley's conduct, laid down in grafs, and well fenced. The grounds are prepared for grafs by fummer-fallow and turnip, dunged and marled, and then laid down with grass-feeds. The old hedges were plafhed in the English way, and the gaps made up with stakes fo effectually as to keep in Sheep.

• From

• From an overfeer Mr. Batley has become a tenant, and money is advanced to him by his lordship for ftocking. The inclosures next to the house were frit fet to him to be pastured with fheep; and by the addition of another farm he now poffelles 500 acres of corn and grafs grounds, befide zoo acres of moorih land inclofed with a stone wall, and used only for feeding fheep and cattle during winter. The profit that Mr. Batley makes of his fheep is fo confiderable, that it deferves to be recorded. Sheep of all animals are the greateft improvers of land by pasture; and in the following inftance the profit upon them will be found to be in proportion. Our improver purchafes highland ewes about Michaelmas, from four to five fhillings per head. These are brought into the large moor-inclofure above mentioned, covered with broom, whins, heath, and coarse grafs, that had been fhut up from pafture from the fpring when the former ftock was removed. The ewes are kept there all winter, without being fmeared, and without receiving any hay, which hitherto they have had no demand for. A ram or two of a large fize are put to them at the ordinary time. The firft week of March they are removed to good pasture hained for them, which, at the time of dropping lamb, puts them in excellent order. The lambs are fold in June for five fillings fix pence per head, and are all taken off at the end of that month. The ewes continue, till, after being fully fatted, they are fold from ten to eleven fhillings per head, to be entirely removed before Christmas. Wedder-sheep are taken in at the fame time with the ewes, wintered on the fame ground, and removed with them to the fresh pafture in March; are fattened, and fold about the first of June, and removed by the middle of it. Thefe wedders, brought alfo from the highlands at eleven fhillings fix pence per piece, are five years old, and fold for twenty fhillings, weighing per quarter from twelve to fourteen pounds. The number of theep that an acre will feed, depends on the goodness of the ground. With refpect to a few fields of old. grafs near the houfe of Belmont, I have Mr. Batley's authofity for faying, that five sheep were fed on each acre, and fix in a remarkable good year; the fheep being laid on the pasture as early as the first week of March.'

Improvements the most important and extenfive were carried into execution by the earl of Strathmore.

He poffeffes, fays our author, an eftate in Angus of 8000 acres arable, befide hills. Happy for Scotland is this nobleman's patriotic zeal for improving his eftate, and enriching the country; and that his refolution and perfeverance are equal to his zeal. I fhall ftate the particulars, as an example to all. His lord fhip at firft fetting out, fecured a vaft fund of thell-marl, by draining the loch of Forfar, and putting locks in a drain from it, to carry the marl by water. The fuccefs of the undertaking has proved the wifdom of it; for over and above what is ne

ceffary

ceffary for his lordship's own improvements, he draws about ioool. yearly for what he fells in the neighbourhood. Stop only. a moment, to confider what a benefit fuch a quantity of fhellmarl, properly laid out, will produce. The benefit cannot be computed at less than 10,000l. fterling yearly; and how much further beneficial it may be, by promoting induftry and activity in agriculture, no man will venture to fay. The foil of this country, at the fame time, is finely adapted for fhell-marl; and, when kilfully cultivated with that manure, produces great returns. The next step was, to erect, good farm-houses, (upon which no expence has been grudged), and to divide his farms fo as that the smallest occupies a plough. The whole of the farms are inclosed at the expence of the earl, the inclofures running from ten to twenty acres; the tenant paying five per cent. for the money laid out; and the fences being upheld the first seven years at the mutual expence of the earl and tenant. The hedges are well kept, and thrive exceedingly. The length of a leafe is generally twenty-one years, with liberty to the tenant to quit the leafe at the end of every seven years. The rents run from five fhillings to fix fhillings per acre the firft feven years; and rife progreffively, fo as at the expiry of the fecond feven years to give ten fhillings per acre the meaner fort, and fifteen shillings

the better fort.

:

To prevent indifcreet cropping after marl, which tenants are prone to, the following plan is prefcribed in their leafes, to which they are strictly bound, viz. to lay fifty boils of marl on outfield land when in grafs, upon which two crops of oats are allowed to be taken the third crop turnip, beans and pease or potatoes, all in drills, and horfe-hoed; or peafe in broadcast: dung must be given whatever crop is chofen: fourth crop, barley and grass-feeds: fifth crop, hay, and paftured five more. The infield is fummer-fallowed, and marled. Firft crop oats; fecond barley, to which dung must be given; third crop turnip, beans and peafe, or potatoes; but that crop must be horse-hoed: fourth crop, barley and grafs-feeds, as in the former cafe. Wheat is not permitted, the foil being too light for that grain. By the encouragement thus given, many fubftantial and active farmers bave taken leafes, and are going on rapidly in the plan of improvement prefcribed to them.

The next step was, to bring in rough and coarfe land into grafs. About 2000 acres are felected for that purpose, and divided into four farms; upon which good farm-houfes and offices are crected. I fhall fhortly ftate the plan of improvements, beginning with the farm nearest to the caftle. Upon this farm is erected a very large court of offices, containing every coavenience. The foil is by no means inviting; it is a foft moor, on a clay bottom; and by that means is peltered with moisture. The part nearest the village of Glammis is a free, dry, gravelly foil; and the lower fields are wettifh, and require draining. Inclofing with ditch and hedge is one branch of improvement,

the