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7 o HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c.

Lisle, on its furrender to the power of France, poffeffed ftates of its own; and the king of France agreed tofummon them annually for the alfelfment of taxes. But how thofe promifes have been obferved, I will not relatein the patriotic language of Lille. I have only to obferve, that democratical or philofophical liberty was not thefubjeft of converfation, or thought of when the revolution was in contemplation: and that it feemed to be theintention of French Flanders, to claim only its ftipulated privileges.

In this Hate of things, it may be fuppofed I did not take out my port-folio. It would have been thoughtunmanly in an Englifhman to produce any books but thofe of Sydney, Harrington, and Locke. On the firftrumors of civil commotions, the arts are difregarded, fufpended, and endure injurious violence. We thereforecontented ourfelves with contemplating Lille, which is a moft important fortification, with a ftrong citadel and fort.The town is large, well planned, and populous. It Hill polfelfes the forms, names, and fome of the privileges ofan intendancy, a mint, a caftellany, a bailiwick, and a foreft-court. It has thirty churches, feven of which are

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parochial, and one collegiate; a great number of convents, and a noble hofpital.

The caftellany of Lille is divided into feven quartiers, to which belong feveral towns, and a hundred and thirty-feven villages. It was fixed under the power of France by the treaty of Utrecht.

We left Lille and proceeded to Calais, and had a pleafant paffage to Dover in four hours. The return toour native country was rendered doubly agreeable by the impreffions made on our minds by the ftate of Flanders.For however defirable liberty may be deemed, the efforts to obtain it occafion fome of the fevereft misfortunes ofmankind. We experienced no perfonal injuries or dire6t infults ; but a fufpicion and gloom pervaded all fociety,and the indications of approaching ftorms imprefled our minds with apprehenfion and uneafinefs. We weretherefore inclined to apoftrophife our native country on touching her happy fhores—to charge Britain to guardthofe bleflings, which are fought on the Continent at every hazard; to correct her errors; and to Item thofecurrents of corruption which may fwell into torrents, and burft all the boundaries of that fyftem of governmentwhich has hitherto rendered her fo powerful and fo happy.

THE END.