fhould he refufe either to give bail or ap pear. In order to compel him to appear, the proceedings must be against his eftate, not against his perfon: but this freedom as to his perfon he owes not to the privilege of parliament, but to the privilege of peerage, as the peers have a right to this freedom even when there is no parliament fubfifting. Their title to this freedom is founded upon the common law, and confequently is a stronger title than they can acquire by any order they can make. They may explain it by an order of their boufe, but it can neither be increafed nor diminish ed by any method but by an act of parliament; and they took care that it fhould not be diminished by the abovementioned act 12o Will. Therefore I was furprised to hear, that a proteft was entered upon their journals against their agreeing to the refolutions of the Commons relating to feditious libels [9.]: for if an indictment should be found, or an information filed, against a peer for writing and publishing a feditious libel, will any one fay, that he could by that refolution be compelled by imprisonment to appear? I am convinced, no court in the kingdom would think fo: if he did not appear, they would proceed against his eftate as ufual by fummons and ditrefs infinite; but would never think of attaching his perfon, as this refolution does not in the leaft incroach upon the privilege of peerage. But I fhall hereafter have occafion to confider feditious or fcandalous libels, and fuch petty crimes; for fome new law, or tome explanation or amendment of the laid act 12° Will. does feem to be neceflary, as privilege of parliament is now come to be perpetual. [To be continued.] From M. Villaret's Hiftory of France. HUGO AUERICT, who by merit had gained the esteem of Charles V. (of France), was invefted with the dignity of Provoft of Paris when Charles VI. mounted the throne. He fhewed him. felf worthy of that important poft, by the care which he took for the maintenance of good order, for the embellishment of the city, and for the convenience of its inhabitants. He had contributed to the wholefomeness of the air, and to the neatrefs of the streets, by means of fubterraneous channels, of which he was the inventor. He had built many bridges, in order to facilitate the communication be tween various quarters of the city, and he employed on these different works the beggar, the idle, in a word, those unhappy wretches whom indigence and want of work rendered enemies to the state. Every thing manifefted his diftinguished zeal for the public good. But he had offended the university, and that ruined him. The students, most of them men grown, proud of their numbers, and of their privileges, frequently abandoned themselves to fcandalous exceffes. The Provoft, attentive to the public tranquillity, treated them with all the rigor that their repeated enormities deferved: he had ordered his ferjeants to feize them where-ever they committed disorders, and to confine them in the dungeons of the Little Chatelet, which he had caused to be dug on purpose for them. The members of the univerfity fpared no pains to take the most cruel revenge on him. They made private inquiries into the mo rals of this rigid Provost; and when they thought their proofs fufficient, they cited him before the ecclefiaftical tribunal. At first, depending on the protection of the court, he depifed their prosecution: but the credit of his adverfaries prevailed over the favour of princes; he was arretted, and carried to the prifon of the fpiritual court, and on the evidence of fome witneffes, (fuch as they were), condemned as a bad Catholic, intempe. rate, debauched, as an encourager of women of dissolute lives, particularly of Jes effes, in thort, as a Jew and a Heretic. He would have been burnt alive, if the court had not mitigated his fentence. He was obliged to mount a scaffold; and there, bare-headed, and without a girdle, he was forced on his knees to ask pardon, in the prefence of a croud of people. The rector, at the head of the university, affifted at this melancholy fpectacle; and the Bifhop of Paris, dreffed in his pontifical robes, publicly preached to the accufed, and concluded with condemning him to end his days in a dungeon, with bread and water only, for his fupport. Hugo Aubric was releafed the year after, by the fame populace, who had joyfully af fifted at his punishment. It is from this Provost of Paris that the Proteftants have been called Hugonots; an injurious appellation uled in France to fignify the enemies of the church. AGRI AGRICULTURE, concluded. [479.] · From the before-mentioned treatife, published in 1724. WHen the improvement by fowing of clover, and other grafs-feeds, came first to be tried in England, the fame was done at a confiderable charge, and with no lefs advantage; for they having learned it from Flanders, a rich and fertile country, they believed that they could not well exceed in making their grounds too rich, where they defigned to fow it; whereby the produce was fuch, that the accounts of it, to be feen in the writers of that time, appear to be fabulous to the prefent age: but time and experience having taught them, that thefe grafs feeds were not of fo nice and tender a nature, as at first they were thought, they afterward fowed them upon grounds in lefs fertile condition; and fo at laft came, in place of fowing them upon their beft and richef fields, to fow them upon their grounds that had been wafted with tillage, or fuch as they did not look upon as rich enough for fowing of corn; in which nevertheless, though their profit was not equal to what it was at firft, yet fill their profit was greater than could be expected from any other method of management of those grounds that were to be laid down to reft from tillage for in the first manner of treating thefe grafs feeds, the profit was greater than could have arifen by fowing of grain; and in the last manner of treating them, their profit was only greater than what could be reaped from the natural produce of that ground when it lay lea. And it is upon this laft manner of management that the writers of this age found the rule or direction for fowing of graf-feeds, viz. to fow it upon fuch grounds as are no longer in a condition to bear corns. And upon the mistake of this general rule, is to be charged all the difappointments that any perfon has met with in this piece of improvement: for we in this country being in ufe to labour our grounds at a much fmaller charge, and with lefs industry, than they do in England, are content with a very finall return; fo that we continue to labour our ground for corn, till it be reduced to a ftate of almost absolute fterility, which may be faid of ground when it does render three-fold; and then fuch as incline to fow grafs-feeds, begin to VOL. XXVI. : employ thefe grounds for that purpose: whereas in our neighbouring country of England, grounds are looked upon as unfit to be continued longer in tillage, when they render le's than five-fold: for in their way of reckoning, ground! in tillage at the leaft must yield five rents; viz. one to feed and labour, one to the labourer's family and fervants. one to the mafler or landlord, one to accidents of tear and wear, death of cattle, and lofs of market, &c. and one for the farmer's profit; fo that when grounds are not able to yield these five, they look upon them as proper to be fown with grafs-feeds, by which they become chargeable only with two rents, viz. the mafter's rent, and the labourer's profit; which two the field in grafs is more able to defray, than the other five when in corn, at the increase of five-fold. And if this method were followed, no man could fail of fuccefs: for it may be laid down as a maxim, That a field of ground rich enough to produce five-fold, if fowed with grafs-feeds, will afford the labourer or proprietor more profit than can be reaped from a crop of any grain, at lefs than five-fold increafe, after deduction of feed, labour, and other neceflary expences. Another reafon why fome experiments of this kind are not fo fuccefsful, proceeds from an opinion, that grafs being the natural produce of the earth, the ground does not require to be fo well laboured, and fo well drefled, in order to fow it with grafs-feeds, as if it were to be fown with grain. But furely this error proceeds from want of adverting to a very neceflary maxim in husbandry, viz. That the produce of any field, whether in grafs or corn, is ftill in proportion to the labour that has been bestowed upon it. Befides, when a field is in tillage, il the labourer shall, either through neglect or accident, fow his grains, without giving it due and proper labour, this defe&t may be made up next year with a fmall charge, and a little more induftry. But it is not fo in the cafe of laying down a field to grafs, which perhaps is to lie in that condition for fix or feven years; for a neglect or overfight is not to be remedied without a very great charge, and doing the work over again, or elle foregoing the whole profit that might have been reaped in feven years, had the work been done truly and right at first. Wherefore it is neceffary for the lowing of grass-feeds, that the ground fhould 4 A to require three furrows, in order to reduce it to a proper mould, then it may be proper to prepare and dress it for barley; because the year will be farther advanced before fo much labour can be overtaken; besides, that grounds of this ftiff nature cannot easily be reduced to a fmall mould before they be thoroughly dry, which cannot reasonably be expected in the months of March or April. Let the first plowing be before winter; then about the middle of April, if dry, crossbreak it, as above directed, and plow it a fecond time; then cross-break it again, and immediately after, before the ground grow firm again, plow it for the third and laft time, and fow the barley and grafs-feed, as above directed. But it may be proper to delay fowing of the grass-feed, till the barlev fprout, and begin to appear; for the light and flight harrowing that the grafs-feed requires, will not harm the barlev: and after the grafs-feed is harrowed, and the clods, if any, be broke, let the whole field be rolled, either with a stone or timber roller; the heavier the better, even though it require two horfes to draw it. By thus rolling the field, it is rendered more fim, whereby heat and drying winds will not have accefs to harm the tender grafs feeds; and the barley coming quicker up than any other grain, will foon afford them a further protection Thus far for the method of dreffing the ground, and sowing of the grass feeds, which may be fummed up in these two particulars: 1. That they be not fowed upon ground in worfe condition than what may yield three-fold increase, in an ordinary good feafon. 2. That the ground be well laboured, and the mould made as small as is ordinary for sowing of flax. at least, be it never fo light, have two plowings, and in stiffer grounds three; and if these plowings do not bring it to be as fmall a mould as is ufually made upon the grounds fowed with flax or lint, then the fame must be done by clodding it, and other methods of drefling, as in flax ground. The first of these plowings ought to be done before winter; and the deeper the furrow be, the better: and care must be taken that it be well water furrowed, and no water allowed to stand upon it. If the ground be a clay-fol, it will be proper, about the beginning of March, or fo foon after as the ground is dry, to cross-harrow it with a break-harrow, which is a big harrow, fuch as four horfes or ozen may draw; and if a fandy foil, any common iron harrow may do after which, let it be plowed again, and fowed with oats, harrowing it very fine; and afterward let the grafs-feeds be fown, and either harrowed in lightly with a timber-teeth harrow, or an iron harrow stuck full of bushes; and if the mould be not made fmall enough with this, let it be clodded and dreffed as for flax. And it will be found by experience, that any labour that is here required, more than is generally looked up on to be neceflary for fowing of oats, will be more than repaid by a more plen tiful crop of oats than the ground would have produced from the ordinary way of management; befides, it will render the ground of a more evenly furface, and cafier to be mowed. It is to be noticed, that oats is the propereft grain to fow grals-feeds with; because, being fown pretty early, the grafs feeds will be fprung before the heats in May or June; for the smallness of these grass-seeds not allowing them to be covered fo deep with the earth, they are in very great hazard of miscarrying, if it happen to be hot dry weather at the time of their firft fpring ing. But obferve, that when a field is to be laid down with grafs-feeds, and a crop of corn taken therewith, that the grain be fown much thinner than ordinary, and get its ordinary harrowing four or five days before the grafs-feeds are fown. In cafe the feafon proves 'rainy, that the grafs-feeds cannot be fown fo foon after, it is no matter though the corn be briered two inches high; you may then fow it, and give it a flight harrowing, or roll it with a roller. If the ground be of fo stiff a nature, as Next to be confidered is, The several kinds of grafs-feeds proper to be fown, and the refpective quantities in propor tion to the extent of the ground. The great red clover and rye-grafs grow in either light or ftiff ground, and will profper in proportion to the ftate of fertility that it is in. Hope-clover does beft in light grounds, or fuch as are gravelly and open, but never comes to great height. If clover be to be fown' alone, what is faved on the expence of feed is loft, though in grounds that are exceedingly rich, a lefs quantity will do than in grounds that are poorer: but on ground of the richness above mentioned, it is advifed not to fow less than twenty pound weight to the acre of either red-clover or hope clover; and if either of thefe two clovers be to be fowed along with ryegrafs, twelve pound of clover and three bufhels of rye-grafs ought to be allowed to each acre; if rye-grafs be to be fowed alone, five bushels to an acre ought to be allowed. If the grounds to be fowed with grafsfeeds be defigned to lie in grafs for any number of years, either for hay or pafture, without regard to the faving the feed of any particular grafs, then it would be very proper, with all or any of the above-mentioned grass-seeds, to low the feeds of good upland or lea hay, par ticularly the corn-graffes of all kinds, whereof there is a great variety, and under which kind are comprehended all thofe graffes that fhoot with a long ftalk, and bear a head or ear; as alfo the feed of the white clover, and narrow-leaf plantain, which laft is known among the children by the name of head-men, and the feeds of any other grass that is ob ferved to come up naturally upon the ground where it is good. The reafon why this mixture is propofed is, that where clover is fowed by itself, or with rye-grafs, in three or four years it generally goes out, and leaves either the field very bare, or else a thin fcanty crop of rye-grafs, and fo continues for fome two or three years, till the pafturing of cattle, or the application of fome manure, give the rye-grafs new ftrength, or brings up fuch graffes as are natural to the foil. But where thefe natural grass feeds are fowed alongst with the clovers and ryegrafs, as they decay, the natural graffes take place, and grow stronger; whereby, when the clover is gone, there will remain a good close fward, fit for pafture, which will daily improve thereby; for if the ground be rich enough, it will afford very good hay. What remains is, to lay down fome proper directions for the management of thofe grounds fown with grass-feeds. It cannot be doubted but if these grounds be inclosed, there will be more profit reaped by them than if left open: but if they be not inclofed, all hope of advantage must evanish, unless they be kept carefully from all fort of cattle, firft win ter after fowing; and the fpring thereafter thefe fields must be faved for hay, which may be ready for mowing about the middle of June; and then let them be laid up for a fecond crop, and in a month or fix weeks thereafter it will have made a confiderable advance, and the clover will be again in the flower. But in regard that the too often cutting of it impoverishes the ground, this fecond crop, in place of hay, ought to be paftured till Martinmas; after which time it ought to be carefully kept from cattle, especially from theep. In the fpring of the fecond year, if the feafon prove forward, it will be fit for pafture by the 15th of April, at which time cattle may be put in it, and continued upon it to the 15th or 20th of May, after which it may be laid up for a crop of hay, which will be ready to cut by the latter end of July; after which, if it be kept from cattle, it will be very good for pafture about the middle or latter end of O&tober; from which time it may be paftured to Christmas; after which it is to be laid up till April thereafter, and to be managed as last directed through the rest of the years, until the clover and rye-grafs run out; after which it is to be turned into pasture, till the ground be found to be fufficiently rich for tillage; for that a greater benefit may be expected from tillage than by keeping it for pafture or hay. By the above method of management, there is only one crop of hay to be taken, which may be reckoned the product only of two months; and the produce of the other months, being pastured with cattle, gives an yearly fupply of manure to the ground, by which the field is enriched. Befides, by pafturing the (pring crop, as directed, after the first year, the fodder of a month or fix weeks is faved; and after the oat-feed is over, the cattle will by this pafture be in a condition to work the bear and upon the grafs, which will fave no fmall charges; and the laft, or harveft-crop, will prove a great faving of the fodder in the beginning of winter, and keep fuch cattle as it is able to maintain, in a tolerable good condition, after the grafs of the stubble is over. And befides these advantages, the hay or pafture of the fuminer-crop will be more profitable than any crop of corn that could reasonably be expected from that field; and after being fix or seven years managed in the manner above directed, it will be as fit for corn as any field drefled or dunged with much greater expence: though at the fame time it must be allowed, that if it were allenarly paftured for the number of years above mentioned, the field would be rendered 4 A 2 much much richer. But all advantage that can arife to the field from pafture will be loft, unless the ground be inclofed, feeing without that the cattle cannot lie and durg upon it. If any rerfon want to fave the feed of these graffes, it will be proper to fow each of them by themfelves in fome por tion of ground, in proportion to the quantity he wants to have; because they do not all ripen at one time, except the corn-grafes and narrow-leaf plantain, the rye-grafs excepted, which belongs to the tribe of corn-graffes. As to the time of cutting for the feed, no rule can be given, but when they are ripe, which may be known by rubbing of the heads, and feeing when the feed is full and firm: and after it is cut, let it lie a day or two in the fwath, and then threlh it in a dry day upon boards, laid upon a cloth, in the field; because the rye-grafs, and all other corn-grafes, are apt to fhed the feed, as alfo the hope clover. But as to the red and white clover, they do not run that risk; fo that they may be made into hay, and threshed at what time the feed is wanted. Nota, That when clover is to be cut for hay, without regard to the feed, it is to be done when it is fully flowered, and before the flowers begin to willow and decay if it be to be cut for feed, let it be full ripe; which will be known in the manner above directed, viz. when upon rubbing of the head, the feed comes out hard, and yellow, or purplish; and it must be threfhed upon deal boards or planks with fails, whereof the fouples are ftraight and finooth; because the feed being very finall, and ill to feparate from the hufk, none of it will part with the Iead or husk, but where the flail immediately touches. As for the hope-clover, the feed of it is known to be ripe, when the little hufk in which it grows is black; and each feed being feparate, and in a proper husk by itself, it is not to be feparate therefrom, without being run through a mill, after it has lain fome time in a well-aired loft till it be fufficiently died. But this labour of milling may be faved, where the feed is not to be expofed to fale, but ufed by the proprietor, in lowing of this and former in the busk. SIR, Carge-firest, I. S. Sept. 17. Have just been reading a letter, figned, A SCOT [488.]; and, though an E: glicman, neft confels it is written with becoming fpirit, and great ftrength of mind. But I prefume to hope, that neither the good people of Scotland, nor the wri ter of the above letter, believe that thofe torrents of abufe which have been fo fcandaloufly, as well as wantonly, pour ed out upon that part of the kingdom, are by any means to be looked upon as an act of the English nation. In every community there are men of weak heads, and corrupt hearts: but as we may charitably fuppofe that thefe, the latter more efpecially, are the fewest in number, the character of the whole is not to be impeached through the folly, malice, or refcntments of fuch perfons; nor the greater, and infinitely better, part of it involved in the reproach or guilt which is due only to the minority. A partiality in favour of the country we are born in, is a kind of instinct imprinted in us for wife and good purposes: but this attachment to our own, may, nevertheless, be carried too far; and most certainly is, whenever it leads us to any degree of injuftice towards others, let them be of what community they will. Actuated, therefore, as I find myself on many occafions, by this national principle, I endeavour to confine it to its proper object, and direct it to those ends for which I conceive it was given. But, partial foever as I may be to my own country. I difdain the thought of railing its reputation upon the ruins of another; much more of one to whom nature and found policy both require us to be united. Yet may I, without vanity, or the leaft fufpicion of ill-will to any, be allowed to fay, that no nation under heaven has been more, or more defervedly, celebraed for juice, generofity, and all focial virtues, than the English: and it is, probably, owing to this very kind of temper, that the commonalty are so much impofed on by the artifices of base, defigning men, whom they know not how to fufpect of ill intentions, because they have no fuch themfelves. In the prefent politi cal phrenzy, I can, with truth, aver, that the fober and most sensible part of the nation is highly fcandalized at the many and unprovoked infults offered by fome of their degenerate countrymen, to their friends and fellow-fubjects of Scot• land: and, inflead of countenancing, do, to the utmost of their power, condemn and reprove them for it. So that whatever of this ftamp has already appeared in the public writings, or may hereafter appear |