men, were always ftudiously avoided. In the month of June 1775, no less than 265 falmon were caught at one draught, at the Low Lights in the river Tyne. There had been great commotions among the failors of Shields and Sunderland in the month of March preceding. The fubfequent account of the lead exported from the port of Tyne, on an average of fix years to Christmas, 1776, was communicated by Mr. Page, deputy comptroller of the port of Newcastle. "To London and other ports of Great Britain, To foreign parts, Weight, at 1 cwt. 2 qrs. per piece, 7072 tons and a half.” "In 1782 the exports were + coals, lead, glafs, falt, though this trade is now almoft loft, grind-ftones, cinders, coastways. The imports are: Wine-Portugal. Port-Lifbon. Wine, mountain-Malaga. Corn-Dantzic, Koningburgh. "Befide the home and coaft trade, adds this account, the foreign trade of Newcastle, in general, is with Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Germany, Ruffia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Poland; befide oc cafional fhips to and from America, the Weft Indics, &c. and four or five fitted out every feafon for the Greenland fishery. The manufactures of fteel, and both caft and wrought iron in this neighbourhood, are very confiderable; that for wrought iron, at Swallweil, about three miles from Newcastle, up the river, commonly called Crowley's- works, being the greatett in England. Here is alfo a confiderable manufactory of broad and narrow woollen cloth (in Gatefhead), and two fugar-houses which have been established here for fome time. Likewife two publie offices of infurances upon fhips and merchandise, and three printing-offices, whofe weekly newspapers circulate feveral hundred miles." † Of the exports from the river Tyne, Hutton, in his Plan, gives the following account: "Tallow, of which there is fhipped annually 40,000 cwt. butter, of which there is fhipped annually 30,000 firkins, and falmon, for which there are a great many fifheries on the river, which produce immenfe quantities. But the greateft quantity of falmon is fhipped from Berwick, with the title of Newcastle falmon-for anciently they were brought to Newcastle by land-carriage, and being fhipped from this port, were called, with the fifth really caught in this river, by the common name of Newcastle falmon in London. "Our imports are moft kinds of merchandife, he adds, as corn and flour, wines, fpirits, timber, tar, deals, flax, iron, fruits, fmalts, ashes, &c." Pitch, Pitch, tar-Sweden-Ruffia." March 5th, 1787. From a general ftate of the Greenland whale-fifhery (from the accounts of the veffels at that time fitting out at the different ports of the kingdom), it appeared that, at Newcastle upon Tyne, there were then preparing seven fhips for that trade; burthen, in all, 2300 tons.' The lofs of the falt trade certainly arifes from the improvement of other nations in this manufacture. In 1539, English ships 503; foreign ships 344, total 847, only entered the Tyne: in 1777, the last year to which this account reaches, there were 4376 English coafters, and 350 English fhips cleared to cross the fea; in the whole 4726, with but 42 foreign ships; a circumstance which is not more flattering from the number employed than from the large proportion of our own fhipping. In 1785, our author tells us, there were cleared at the customhoufe 4339 veffels coaftwife, and 491 over fea; in all 4830. In 1772, the revenue of the custom-houfe was estimated at 41,000l. per annum, exclufive of the fhilling per annum, on all coals fent coaftwife, paid to the duke of Richmond. His revenue amounts to about 15,000 pounds more. Glafs works are faid to have been established, on building the Abbey of Weremouth, near the mouth of the Tyne, A. D. 674;i and the little variations in the circumstances of the glafs-makers, in confequence of difputes, are particularly detailed; but we muft lament that in this part of the work, as well as what relates to the trade of Newcastle more generally, the information is scattered, often borrowed from other works, and fometimes paffages of real importance are crouded into notes. It is a little remarkable that, except it be from incidental information, when it is least expected, we have little account of the trade of Newcastle fince 1777; and even from 1772 to 1777, the accounts are far from being regular and well distinguished. In 1772, we are told from Hutton, that there were in Newcalle fixteen large glafs-works: one for plate-glafs; three crown-glafs houses; five for broad or common window-glafs ; two for white or flint-glafs, and five bottle-houses.' What is the prefent number? though it only required him to ask the queftion, no account is given: yet every infignificant epitaph, every variation in coats of arms, is explained with great dif. tinctness. The monastery of Jarrow, which boafts of the education and refidence of the Venerable Bede, is next defcribed with our author's ufual minuteness; and every scrap which relates to the priory of Tinmouth is apparently collected with great affiduity. The Hiftory of Newcastle upon Tyne, as a corporate town or borough, is next described. It was at firft the property of the Northumbrian kings, and afterwards held under royal commiffion N 4 commiffion by the earls of that county. It was fortified by Robert, the fon of William the Norman, and first converted into a borough by that monarch. After this, borough history is always the fame, if names only are changed, and, to thofe who are acquainted with it, we need not add, that it is ufually uninterefling. A lift of the bargeffes, reprefentatives, and recorders is fubjoined. In the History of the Society of Merchants Adventurers, we find fome curious facts relating to the ancient regulations of commerce, which appear to be partial, often abfurd, inconfistent, and contradictory. The proportion of 30,000 facks of wool, granted by the parliament to Edward III. imposed on Newcastle, was 73 facks, one quarter, two stone, three pounds, and three fourths. In 1534, the exports of the Society to Zealand were skins, wool, lead, tanned leather, cloth, woollen cloth, and kerfies. The general exports were about this time canvafs, fheep-fkins, lamb-fells, lead, grindstones, coals, rough and tanned leather. An act made for the apparel of the apprentices in 1554, affords a curious picture of the manners of the times. "An act for the apperell of the apryntices, made in November. 1554, Mr. Cuthber Ellyfon then beyng governour." After inveighing as follows against the vices and exceffes of the times, "what dyfeng, cardeng, and mummyng, what typleng, da infeng and brafenge of harlots! what garded cotes, jagged bofe lyned with filke and cutt Shoes! what ufe of gitternes by nyght, what wearynge e of berds! what daggers ys by them worne croffe overthwarte their backs, that theis theire dooings are more cumlye and decent for rageng ruffians than feemlie for honest apprentizes!" the act proceeds to forbid apprentices to daunfe, dyfe, carde, or mum, or ufe any gytternes; to wear any cut hofe, cut fhoes or pounced jerkens, or any berds; to weare none other hofes than floppes of courfe clothe wherof the yarde do not excede 12d.-their fhoes and cotes to be of courfe clothe, and housewifes makeing they are to wear no ftraite hoofe, but playn without cutts, pounfyng or gards."The apprentices of mayors, fheriffs and aldermen are excepted in the drefs articles of this very humiliting order." In 1556 this fociety occurs as trading in wools, lead, and cloth to Flanders, " at the colde and Eafter marte, as also at Danske, and to France." The following year two ships of war are mentioned as convoying their fleet to Zealand.' In 1603 the exports were of a fimilar kind, but more varied. Woollens feem to have been exported in greater quantities and greater varieties: cottons, great and small, black lead, as well as lead ore, is added. We fhall felect one other paffage, relating to the apprentices in 1697. November 24th, 1697, there is an order of this fociety, forbidding 8 forbidding the apprentices to go to dancing or fencing-fchools, to mufick houfes, lotteries, or pl y-houfes to keep horfesdogs for hunting, or fighting cocks, till they had ferved feven of their ten years. They are to ufe no gold or filver trimming) in their apparel or hats, nor to line any garment with any fort of filk-to wear no point-lace, nor any embroidery at all-no ruffles at their breaths, necks, or fleeves, and, lafly, no long wigs, nor any fhort ones above the value of fifteen fhillings.' On the fubject of coal, the author has collected all that he probably could hear of, or find in any author. His compilation is an ill-digefted and an injudicious one; for he has not even established his firft pofition, that coal is of vegetable origin. After having often examined the reputed foflilised trees in their beds, we own that we have many doubts of this original; nor can it be ascertained with certainty that coal even frequently owes its existence to vegetables. That it always does must be denied by those who truft to the observations of baron Born, who found coal in the veins of the cavities of lava, formed by retraction. Coal was certainly known to the Britons, and the name is derived from their language. The first mention of it among the Saxons is in 852, when it occurs in a grant made by the abbey of Peterborough. The first charter granted to the townfmen of Newcastle to dig coals was by Henry III. in 1239; but in 1306, its ufe was prohibited by proclamation in London, as it was faid to corrupt the air with its stink and fmoke. This History contains many curious facts, which we fhould willingly have noticed if it would not have extended our article too far. An account of the coal-trade, on an average of fix years, to the Christmas of 1776 we have fubjoined. To London, and other ports of Great Britain, 351,000 ehaldrons of coals (of which 260,000 to London); to the British colonies and plantations 2,000 chaldrons; to foreign parts. 27,000. In all 380,000 chaldrons, Newcastle meafure, per annum.' The hiftory of the twelve myfteries, the incorporated trading or manufacturing companies, next follows; and fome of their bye-laws are curious. There are fifteen companies also, styled bye-trades; eight companies, diftinct from the bye-trades, and eleven companies extinct; among the latter are cooks, spicers, vintners, bowyers, spurriers, &c. We find next a mifcellaneous account of the officers and fervants of the corporation; fome particulars concerning the Corpus Chrifti playes; and an entire interlude, which may be called the Deluge, though it confifts only of the command of the Almighty to Noah, and the devil's attempt, by ploughing with the heifer,' to prevent the building of the ark. It is, in its execution, greatly fuperior to the moralities in general. A fhort hiftory of Newcastle, entitled Annals Annals and Hiftorical Events, concludes the volume. The account of coins is fomewhat curious; and it is evident, from the testimony adduced by Mr. Brand, that Henry I. coined pennies at Newcastle, probably the first money coined there. Newcaftle had a confiderable fhare in the former wars on the borders, the naval actions of the early periods of our naval history, and the civil wars, which brought the unfortunate Charles to the fcaffold. Thefe tranfactions are related with fufficient fidelity and impartiality. In the fubfequent wars of Cromwell, Newcastle was often the scene of action; and we cannot refift the temptation of tranfcribing an original letter of Cromwell, written with his own hand, the day before the battle of Dunbar we apprehend it has never been before printed. "Deere fir, wee are upon an engagement very difficult, the enimie hath blocked up our way att the paffe at Copperfpeth, thorough which wee canott gett without almost a miracle. He lyeth foe upon the hills that wee knowe not how to come that way without great difficulty, and our lying here dayly confumeth our men whoe fall ficke beyond imagination. I perceave your forces are not in a capacitye for present releife, wherefore (whatever becomes of us) itt will be well for you to gett what forces you can together and the fouth to helpe what they can, the bufineffe neerely concerneth all good people. If your forces had beene in a readineffe to have fallen upon the back of Copperfpith itt might have occafioned fupplies to have come to us, but the only wife God knowes what is beft, all fhall worke for good, our fpirits are comfortable (praised bee the Lord) though our prefent condition bee as it is, and indeed wee have much hope in the Lord, of whofe mercy we have had large experience. Indeed doe you gett together what forces you can against them. Send to frendes in the fouth to help with more. Lett H. Vane know what I write. I would not make it publick leaft danger fhould accrue therby. You know what ufe to make hereof. Let me heere from you. I reft your fervaunt, "O. CROMWELL. "Its difficult for me to fend to you, lett me heare from (you) after. "Septr. 2d, 1650. "For the Honble Sir Ar. Hafelridge, at Newcastle or elsewhere, theafe haft haft." Though this letter contains fomewhat of his cant, yet it is clear, intelligible, and wholly the work of a man of business, understanding, and a calm fteady refolution. In the rebellions of 1715 and 1745, the inhabitants of Newcastle teftified great loyalty, and the events with which it was connected, are pro-. perly detailed. The |