The protestant interest in Europe hath declined very much since the treaty of Westphalia. In France there were several flourishing protestant churches, which are now entirely destroyed. There were five hundred churches in Poland; but being neither permitted to rebuild or repair the places of assembly, they are now reduced to forty, who are harassed on every pretence, of which Thorn has been a bleeding instance. In Hungary they are at this time depriving the protestants of their churches, and it is to be feared that a persecution now rages as openly there, as ever it did in France. Every one must know, and there can be few but feel the miseries which the Saltzburghers have lately undergone. Their hardships could only be equalled by their resolution in meeting, and their patience in bearing them. Many of these have been dragged from prison to prison till they perished by want; the rest, men, women, and children forced to renounce their faith, or drove vagrants from their country. There have been above twenty-three thousand of these exiles; and by advices received here lately, the number of converts among them to the protestant religion increases every day. In the Palatinate a concealed persecution is on foot; Deux Ponts, Bergues, Juliers, and all the Palatinate were formerly under protestant princes, and are now subject to a zealous Roman Catholic. The head of the house of Saxony, that was formerly the great support of the protestant interest in Germany, is firmly attached to the Romish religion. The church of Rome hath also gained the chiefs of many other families in Germany. The preferments in the Teutonic, and Malteze orders, the rich benefices, and great ecclesiastical sovereignties, the elective crown of Poland, and the imperial dignity itself, are used by that court to gain or keep the nobility, and even the sovereigns of Germany dependent on their supremacy and when the sovereigns are of their profession, they think they can make more converts in a day by force, than in whole ages by preaching; for if the prince orders his protestant subjects to renounce their religion, they must submit, resist, or fly. Resistance is in vain, unless they are assisted by protestant princes, which these cannot do without raising a religious war through Europe; which is not to be expected on every oppression for religion, since it could not be procured in the flagrant instances of Thorn and

Saltzburgh. They have no remedy then but flight. Whither shall they fly? Not to other Roman countries, and the protestant ones are not capable of giving assistance to a great number. Sweden, the great bulwark of the protestant religion in the north, having lost all Livonia, and the chief of her corn-bearing provinces, is reduced to a weak condition, and has more men than she can well support, as have many of the protestant dominions in Germany. Our king, as elector of Hanover, has indeed wisely and generously given reception to a thousand Saltzburghers. The king of Prussia has likewise established some of them in regular colonies on his frontiers, but he has declared he will take no more. There remain then of the protestant powers the Swiss, Holland, and England, to receive these distressed protestants. The Swiss increase so in people, that instead of receiving others, they are forced to send out great numbers every year to foreign countries; and at this time a hundred of them, (who have been used to the dressing of vines, and raising hemp and flax,) are petitioning to be sent with their families, and settled in Georgia. Holland, though swarming with people, yet yearly takes at present a vast number from Germany and Switzerland. As for England, she is unable to support any great additional number of inhabitants in her present circumstances. For husbandry-work, though there is indeed a demand in harvest-time, yet there is not employment enough in winter, as is evident by the many thousands that come from Wales and the west to assist in getting in the harvest in the eastern and midland counties, and return again, not finding work sufficient to support them there. As for trades and manufactury, the other means of livelihood, they are (as I have before observed) so overstocked, there is not employment for the men bred to them. Indeed the impossibility of England's using any great number of foreign hands has been proved by experience in Queen Anne's time. It is well known, that all the endeavors of the court could not dispose of ten thousand poor Palatines, that then came. over; and after they had tried all methods, were forced to send some of them to Ireland, and the greater part to America, in the last of which places they have succeeded very well, and the kingdom has gained great benefit from their labor.

At a time when the Protestants are so persecuted, how

much will it be for our honor, that the crown of England, which in queen Elizabeth's reign, and at some times since has been looked on as the head of the Protestant interest in Europe, should still preserve the same title? And at this time, when his Majesty as elector of Hanover, when Holland, and Prussia have offered relief to so many of them, how much is our honor concerned, that England should not be the last to open her arms to receive her unhappy brethren, grant them a support, and allow them the valuable privilege of worshipping their Great Creator, in the way which they think will best secure their interests in eternity? As men can we refuse them relief? As Christians can we neglect the offering it? Indeed it is possible to frame but one objection to it, which is, it will be attended with such advantages to England, that it may seem to be the effect of self-interest, not of charity; and in that light, for the sake of most of my readers, I will consider it.

If there is any weight in Sir Josiah Child's calculation, that every man by the produce of his labor in the plantations gives employment, i. e. maintenance to four people at home: if (as the same author proves) where there is Employment, people will always resort; the people of England will be considerably increased by settling such a colony as Georgia, which will be (by the possessions and privileges it will grant,) such an invitation to those foreign Protestants, who are forced to fly from home, and those likewise, who are obliged openly to profess the Romish religion, because they have no asylum. This will not seem strange to any one, who considers the reasons why our own subjects go from hence. The want of employment here has furnished France and Spain with woollen manufacturers, and Russia from the same cause is able to show us artificers of our own countrymen in almost every trade. If these people had been sure of work and subsistence here, they would never have gone to live under governments where liberty and property are precarious, and at so great a distance from their friends and acquaintance. If therefore employment abroad will carry away the subjects of this country from the superior advantages of our government and constitution, it cannot be doubted, but by raising more employment at home, they will readily return to their native country, which they know is the seat of liberty; and it is as little to be feared, but

numbers of foreigners will from all parts flock hither, rejoicing to find an asylum from persecution and arbitrary power, if they can be sure of a support. This support will be granted them by procuring them work, and work will never be wanting, if we will raise the rough materials in such a colony as Georgia for our manufactury.

I will consider this question then very shortly on each side.

If we have not employment enough for our people, and some of them are hereby in a starving condition, it is just to send them where they may live by their labor, and prudent to secure for ourselves the benefit of it.

If we have employment enough for our people, and yet a greater number would be an addition to the riches of our country; it is surely for the interest of England, to settle as many foreigners as possible in Georgia; when she knows that by every thousand, who will be transplanted thither, she will raise the means for employing four thousand more at home. Yet if none of our people were useless here, it would be absolutely requisite to settle with the foreigners some of them in Georgia, who might keep up the English language and government.

Among the crowns which the Romans bestowed on the deserving, as an incitement to virtue, the most honorable was the Corona Civica, which was granted to any soldier, that preserved the life of a fellow citizen in an engagement; the most remarkable respect and immunities were annexed to it, such a value did that truly wise and great people set on acts of generosity, and a life of a fellow citizen. Nay, by a law, which Romulus made, it was criminal to kill, or so much as sell an enemy in war if he yielded; he judging right the necessity of a number of men to cultivate the land which he conquered. How meritorious then will it be in us to preserve the lives of so many fellow citizens and subjects, and gain so many new ones as will be by this colony? Not only preserve their lives, but procure for them ease and affluence? And by this very act of humanity, get so much new wealth for our country, by opening a new spring for our trade?

As the mind of man cannot form a more exalted pleasure, than what arises from the reflection of having relieved the distressed; let the man of benevolence, whose substance enables him to contribute towards this undertaking, give a

loose for a little to his imagination, pass over a few years of his life, and think himself in a visit to Georgia. Let him see those, who are now a prey to all the calamities of want, who are starving with hunger, and seeing their wives and children in the same distress; expecting likewise every moment to be thrown into a dungeon, with the cutting anguish, that they leave their families exposed to the utmost necessity and despair: let him, I say, see these living under a sober and orderly government, settled in towns, which are rising at distances along navigable rivers flocks and herds in the neighboring pastures, and adjoining to them plantations of regular rows of mulberry trees, entwined with vines, the branches of which are loaded with grapes; let him see orchards of oranges, pomegranates, and olives; in other places extended fields of corn, or flax and hemp. In short, the whole face of the country changed by agriculture, and plenty in every part of it. Let him see the people all in employment of various kinds, women and children feeding and nursing the silk worms, winding off the silk, or gathering the olives; the men ploughing and planting their lands, tending their cattle, or felling the forest, which they burn for potashes, or square for the builder; let him see these in content and affluence, and masters of little possessions, which they can leave to their children; and then let him think if they are not happier than those supported by charity and idleness. Let him reflect, that the produce of their labor will be so much new wealth for his country; and then let him ask himself, whether he would exchange the satisfaction of having contributed to this, for all the trifling pleasures, the money which he has given would have purchased.

Of all public-spirited actions, perhaps none can claim a preference to the settling of colonies, as none are in the end more useful. If on this account only, queen Elizabeth's name must be 'ever dear to England, who looked so far into futurity for the good of her subjects; for this so much esteem is due to the memory of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Bacon, and those patriots, who assisted in settling Virginia; and we are indebted to the Lord Shaftsbury, and that truly wise man Mr. Lock, for the excellent laws which they drew up for the first settlement of Carolina.

Common is the complaint we hear, that public spirit is lost among us, and that no one pursues any dictates but