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PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR; J. RIDGWAY, YORK-STREET;

H. D. SYMONDS, PATERNOSTER ROW;

AND D. HOLT, NEWARK.

1795.

PREFACE.

No

event ever proved fo interesting, to mankind in general and to the inhabitants of Europe in particular, as the discovery of the new world, and the paffage to India by the cape of Good Hope it at once gave rise to a revolution in the commerce and in the power of nations, as well as in the manners,' industry and government of almoft the whole world. At this period new connections were formed by the inhabitants of the most distant regions, for the supply of wants they had never` before experienced. The productions of climates fituated under the equator were consumed in countries bordering on the pole; the industry of the north was tranfplanted to the south; and the inhabitants of the weft were clothed with the manufactures of the east; in short, a general intercourse of opinions, laws and customs, diseases and remedies, virtues and vices, were established amongst men.

In Europe, in particular, every thing has been changed in confequence of its commerce and connection with the American continent; but the changes which took place prior to the late revolution, (which established the liberties of the United States, and transformed the dependent colonies of Britain into an independent commonwealth, or rather a fociety of commonwealths) only ferved to increase the mifery of mankind, adding to the power of defpotifm, and rivetting fafter the fhackles of oppreffion; the commerce of Spain, in particular, with the new world, has been supported by a system of rapine,