2.-COUNT ZINZENDORF.

He was the Comptroller-General of the Finances,—an intelligent man, and very laborious, and would have been communicative, had he not received express orders to keep every thing in his department as secret as possible. He strongly remonstrated against the prohibitory system, and the imposition of heavy duties on the importation of foreign goods, but in vain.

In various ways the prohibitory system proved highly disadvantageous. It greatly diminished the revenue,―it prevented the exportation of goods in return for those imported,—and compelled the subjects of the Emperor to be satisfied with inferior articles. Hence, owing to the enormous duty of 60 per cent., there was hardly any good wine to be met with at Vienna, except at Sir Robert Keith's and the French Ambassador's.

On the subject of finance, I was favoured with the following communication from the Count :

Le Comte de Zinzendorf* rend mille graces très h. à Monsieur le Chevalier de Sinclair de ses deux brochures sur les

* Translation.

The Count de Zinzendorf returns many thanks to Sir John Sinclair for his two pamphlets upon English finance. He will read them with the greatest attention as soon as he has got them bound. The interesting work upon the nature and species of all the taxes in use in the different states of Europe, of which Sir John Sinclair makes mention, will give him still more pleasure, and he entreats him not to forget his promise of sending it to him.

I subjoin here a list of some German works upon finance, and upon the public administration of them.

Some of these books treat upon some particular state in Germany, others confine themselves in preference to a single branch of political economy. The best are undoubtedly No. 12, 13, 25, 31. Sir John Sinclair will find there some reflexions upon the general mode of administering them, as well as notions upon the finances and taxes of the different states of Europe;-the whole discussed upon principles which harmonize together, and are founded upon justice, the nature of things, and upon the general interest of every class of inhabitants in a well-organized state.

Vienna, 28th October 1786.

finances Angloises. Il les lira avec la plus grande attention. aussitôt qu'il les aura fait relier. L'ouvrage intéressant, Sur la nature et l'espece de tous les impôts en usage dans les différens états de l'Europe, dont Monsieur de Sinclair lui a parlé, lui fera encore plus de plaisir, et il le supplie de ne point oublier sa promesse, de le lui envoyer.

Je joins ici, Monsieur, une liste de quelques ouvrages Allemands sur les finances et sur l'administration publique. Quelques uns d'entre ces livres ont trait à tel état particulier de l'Allemagne ; d'autres s'occupent de préférence de quelque branche seulement de l'économie politique.

Les meilleurs sont, sans contredit, No. 12, 13, 25, 31. Monsieur le Chevalier de Sinclair y trouvera des reflexions sur l'administration publique en général, ainsi que des notions sur les finances et les impôts de différens états de l'Europe,—le tout discuté d'après les mêmes principes cohérens entre eux, et fondés sur la justice, sur la nature des choses, et sur l'intérêt général de toutes les classes des habitans d'un état policé. Vienne, ce 28. Octobre 1786.

3.-COUNT PURGSTALL.

This respectable nobleman received part of his education at Edinburgh, where I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance, and of shewing to him those attentions to which so promising a young man was justly entitled. He was so much pleased with Scotland, that he married a lady there, and then settled in his own country in Austria, where, I understand, he is deservedly much respected, and shews an example to others, in the improvement and management of an estate.

I had the pleasure of receiving from him the subjoined letter, introducing Count Bernstorff, the son of my old and esteemed friend, the Prime Minister of Denmark. He came to England, for the purpose of acquiring agricultural information, and naturally expected any assistance with which it was in my power to furnish him.

DEAR SIR,

Hainfell, November 27. 1799.

The obliging attention you favoured me with while I was in Scotland, induced me to take the liberty to introduce to your acquaintance Count Bernstorff, a second son of the late Prime Minister in Denmark. The character of Count Bernstorff is, I am sure, sufficiently known to all statesmen, and therefore I need say no more to you; but I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of acknowledging the obligations I owe to him, having lived for a long time in his house, where I was always treated as one of his children. The brother of the gentleman who will have the honour of presenting this letter to you, is at present at the head of the foreign department, and though yet very young, fills his place with universal approbation. My friend wishes particularly for agricultural information, and it is with pleasure I introduce him to Sir John Sinclair, whom to get acquainted with, is the anxious desire of every German who goes to England in search of knowledge. I have the honour to be, yours very sincerely, PURGSTALL.

During my stay at Vienna, I received the greatest attention and civilities from the Abbé Denis, who was accounted one of the most distinguished literary characters in Germany. He drew up, and published, a translation of Ossian in German, and seems to have been one of the greatest admirers of the Celtic bard. The Abbé was so good as to send me, several copies of the celebrated Senatus Consultum against the Bacchanals, engraved from the original, which, as a curious remnant of antiquity, I had the pleasure of sending to the universities of England and of Scotland, by whom the donation was highly appreciated.

MONSIEUR*,

Depuis votre depart de Vienne, je n'ai pas laissé de suivre vos traces jusqu'au jour de la session, dans laquelle vous

• Translation.

Vienna, August 20. 1787.

SIR, Since your departure from Vienna,. I have never ceased watching your progress, up to the very day of the meeting at which you dislodged Lord Elcho from your august assembly; and since that time I have had the honour of knowing the author of the "State of the Alterations which may be proposed in the Laws for regulating the election of Members of Parliament for Shires in Scotland." Conceive, then, Sir, the pleasure which your obliging letter gave me, in which you assure me of your remembrance. I place a great value on it, and am now about to give you an account of the literary commissions with which you honoured me.

I was much delighted to learn that the copy of the Senatus Consultum has deserved the attention of your sçavans; on which account I send you, by the desire of the worthy head of the Imperial Library, M. le Baron Swieten, eight other copies for your friends, and particularly one for the celebrated Mr Macpherson, for whom I have done as much as was in my power, to make known his merit to my German countrymen, by means of translations. I beg of you to thank him, at the same time, for his promise of an Ossian in the original tongue, which, I hope, will henceforward silence all those who make it their business to spread doubts as to its authenticity, as if that was not sufficiently proved by the internal character of the immortal songs themselves, such as I defy any modern author to compose without betraying himself.

I add a copy of Malthæus Ægyptius upon the same Senatus Consultum, which is found superfluous in the Imperial Library, and this I do with the consent of the said Mr Baron Swieten.

I was also very happy to procure for you a copy of the Tabula Pentingeriana, still in Albis, for the price of twenty-two and a half florins. You will thus have the satisfaction of getting it bound to your own taste. It will be almost impossible to get the table alone, without the commentary; but, nevertheless, I shall not lose sight of your commission. You know that there was a divinity called Fortuna Libraria, who lived some time since, who sometimes verifies what Ovid says:

Semper tibi pendent hamus

Quo minime reris gurgite piscis erit.

For the Mineralogical Chart of Hungary I have made many inquiries, and our mineralogists have assured me that it is very difficult to find. Nevertheless, in turning over my geographical papers, I have discovered it, and I beg of you to accept of it, such as it is, for my sake.

Messrs Artaria undertake to send you every thing, by their correspondent Mr Torre, in about a month. You can then send me the money by your very worthy minister, Sir Robert, because I have no relation in London.

In conclusion, as you are a zealous antiquarian, and a great admirer of all

avez delogé de votre auguste assemblée Lord Elcho, et depuis ce tems-là j'ai l'honneur de connôitre l'auteur du State of the Alterations which may be proposed in the Laws for regulating the Election of Members of Parliament for Shires in Scotland. Jugez-en, Monsieur, du plaisir que m'a fait votre obligeante lettre, par laquelle vous m'assurez de votre souvenir. J'y mets un très-grand prix, et je m'en vais maintenant vous rendre compte des commissions litteraires dont vous m'avez honoré.

J'étois bien charmé d'entendre, que la copie du Senatus Consultum a merité l'attention de vos savans; ainsi je vous envoie, avec l'agrément du digne chef de la Bibliothèque Imperiale M. le Baron Swieten, huit autres copies pour vos amis, et particulièrement une pour le célèbre M. Macpherson, dont j'ai fait, autant qu'il m'étoit possible, connôitre le merite à les Allemands par mes traductions, en vous priant de le remercier en même tems de la promesse de notre Ossian en langue originale, lequel, à ce que j'espére, fera taire enfin tous ceux qui se font une affaire de repandre des doutes sur son autenticité, comme si elle n'étoit suffisamment prouvée par le caractère interieur même de ces chants immortels, dont je defie tout auteur moderne de faire des semblables sans trahir son siecle et ses connoissances.

J'y joins un exemplaire de Matthæus Ægyptius sur le même Senatus Consultum, qui se trouvoit superflu à la Bibliothèque Imperiale, et cela du consentement du dit M. le Baron Swie

ten.

J'étois aussi assez heureux de vous procurer, Monsieur, une copie de la Tabula Pentingeriana encore in Albis, pour le prix de vingt deux et un demi florin; ainsi vous aurez la satisfaction de la faire relier à votre gré. Il sera presqu' impossible d'attraper la Table seule sans le Commentaire. Mais je ne

that called in the Fortunate Isles Classical Learning, I send you upon another page some verses composed here.

And, requesting you to honour me with a place in your remembrance, I am always, with the greatest esteemn, Sir, yours, &c.