which being perform'd, it fhall be lawful for the Merchant fafely to carry his Goods to his own Houfe, without being fubject to any farther Search; it fhall alfo be free for him to remove his faid. Goods from one House or Warehouse to another, within the Walls of the fame City, provided it be done between the Hours of Eight in the Morning and Five in the Afternoon, having first given notice to the Farmers of the Alcavalas and Cientos with what Intention he does fo, viz. whether he defigns to fell his Goods; in which cafe, the Duties not yet paid are to be all paid down; or not to fell them, in which cafe the ufual Certificate or Teftimonial fhall be deliver'd out for them to the Merchant.

XIII. And whereas nothing is more detrimental to mutual Commerce, than the Diversity of Duties wherewith Goods are exceffively burthened; his Royal Catholick Majefty being defirous to remedy this Evil throughout all his Kingdoms in Europe, confented and agreed fome Years ago, in favour of the British Nation, That all the antient Duties which used to be demanded upon Goods imported or exported, or that had been lately laid thereon. fince the Deceafe of King Charles II. fhould be fupprefs'd; and that all the Duties fhould every where be reduc'd to one equal Sum, viz. to a Cuftom of 10 per Cent. upon the Value, to be paid, as well for importing as exporting Goods; and this not only at Cadiz, St. Mary, and other Ports of Caftile, but alfo in those of Arragon, Valencia and Catalonia; excepting only the Provinces of Biscay and Guipufcoa, where the Customs on Importation and Exportation fhall be paid as the French hitherto have done, and as the English and Dutch do at prefent; fo that the 10 per Cent. once paid, upon the importing of the Goods into Spain, the Merchants, or thofe to whom the Goods belong, may freely tranfport the fame any where by Land or by Sea, or by means of the Rivers carry them through all Parts of Spain, without being obliged to pay any other new Duty or Impoft, into whatfoever Port or Place the faid Goods fhall be carried; and it fhall be fufficient for that Purpose to produce the Certificates or Acquittances for the faid firft Payment, and the Bales or Bundles marked with Lead, and the ufual Marks of the Cuftom-houfe; nevertheless, the Duties of Alcavalas, Cientos, and Millones are excepted, concerning which a feparate Regulation hath been made. And as it has been exprefsly agreed between his Sacred Imperial and Catholick Majefty, and his Sacred Royal Catholick Majefty, that their refpeEtive

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Ctive Subjects in all their States, Territories and Provinces, in whatever Part of the World they are fituate, fhall enjoy all the Rights, Liberties, Favours and Immunities, which have been, are, or fhall hereafter be ever granted to the most favoured Nations, and namely to the Subjects and Inhabitants of Great Britain, Holland, and the Hans Towns; therefore his Royal Catholick Majefty hereby declares and promifes, That he gives to the Subjects of his Imperial Majefty the full Ufe and Effect of all thofe things that are contained in this Article; fo that throughout all Spain they fhall not be obliged to pay for the Importing and Exporting, or Tranfit of their Merchandizes, any more Duties than the above-mention'd 10 per Cent. in the very fame manner as the English ufe to do; except, nevertheless, the Duties of Alcavalas, Cientos, and Millones, concerning which it has been agreed as follows:

XIV. His Imperial Majefty's Subjects may defer paying the 'Duties call'd Alcavalas and Cientos, as long as they let their Goods and Merchandizes remain in the Cuftom-houfe, where great Care fhall be taken of them; but if they have a mind to take the faid Goods from thence, in order to carry them to fome other Place in the Kingdom, or even to fell them in that Place, or to remove them to their own Houfe, they fhall be permitted fo to do, provided they give fufficient Security in writing to pay the Duty two Months after the Sale of the Goods; which being performed, a Discharge fhall be given them; which having been received, they may carry elfewhere their Goods mark'd and leaded, and may fell them in any Port or Place of the Spanish Dominions in Europe by Wholefale, commonly call'd en Gros; and if any Officer of the Customs having feen the Acquittances for the first Payment, and the Marks and Lead, fhould prefume to exact the Duties again, or even to oppofe the removing of the faid Goods, fuch Officer fhall pay a Fine of two thoufand Crowns to the King's Treasure; all which, neverthelefs, is only to be understood of the first Sale; but if the Merchant would fell his Goods by Retale, or in Parcels, he fhall be obliged to pay the particular Duties according to the Royal Edicts; but it fhall not be lawful for the Officers to take more than fifteen Reals de Billon, for dispatching the Certificates or Acquittances above-mentioned.

XV. The fame Regulation fhall be obferved in regard to the Duty called Millones, which is collected on Fish and other Eatables;

that

that is to fay, that the fame fhall not be demanded upon their ber ing imported, fo long as their Owners fhall fuffer them to lye depolited in the publick Warehouses; but as foon as they fhall be defirous to fend them into the Inland Places of the Kingdom, or to fell them in that very Place, or to remove them to their own. Houfe; then they fhall oblige themfelves in writing, and fhall give fufficient Security to pay the faid Duty, call'd Millones, two Months after the Date of fuch Obligation: Which being done, the neceffary Letters fhall be given to them, without Delay; and the Goods being feal'd, mark'd with Lead, and distinct Marks, by the Farmers or Officers of the faid Duty, may be carried to any Places whatfoever in which they used to be confumed, and may be fold without being charged with any new Duty of Millones And if any Officer, or Receiver of the faid Millones, after the Acquittances of the Office, and the said Marks and Seals shall have been fhewn to him, fhall prefume to exact the faid Duty again, or even to oppofe the tranfporting or felling of the Goods, fuch Perfon fhall forfeit two thoufand Crowns, to be paid into the Royal Treafury as aforefaid.

XVI. As to the Ports of Guipufcoa and Bifcay, which are not fubject to the Laws of Caftile; the Regulation about paying the Duties which is above prescribed in the 13th Article, with refpect to other Nations, fhall be obferved in those Ports.

XVII. Whereas Mafts, Yards, and all Timber used in the building of large or fmall Ships are most neceffary Commodities, it hath been thought expedient to except them out of the general Rule; fo that the Importation thereof may be free from all Payment of Duties by whatever Name or Title they may be called.

XVIII. To prevent all Disputes which might arife between the Farmers of the Duties, and the Owners of Goods, about rating the Goods; it hath been agreed, That the Book of Rates, commonly call'd the Tariff, and the Treaty of Commerce made between his Catholick Majefty and the King of Great Britain, in the Year 1716. in Execution of the third Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, fhall be deemed a true Regulation in this particular, between the Subjects of his Imperial Majefty, and the Farmers or Officers of the Duties; and that therefore ten per Cent. fhall be paid univerfally.

XIX. As to the feveral Species of Goods which may not be expreffed in the faid Tariff, it hath been judg'd proper to stick to.

the antient Custom, according to which they are to be valued by the Farmer of the Cuftoms, or his Subftitute: Upon this Condition, nevertheless, that it fhall be lawful for the Owner of the Goods to yield them up to the Farmer for the Price at which he hath valued them, which the Farmer fhall be obliged to pay down forthwith.

XX. Hungarian Salt fhall pay the fame Duty as Spanish Salt; the fame Equality fhall be obferved as to Spanish Salt in his Imperial Majefty's Dominions.

XXI. His Catholick Majefty gives Permiffion to his Imperial Majefty's Subjects, living in the Ports and Cities of the Kingdoms of Andalufia, Murcia, Arragonia, Valencia and Catalonia, as likewife in the Provinces of Bifcay and Guipufcoa, to hire Dwellinghouses and proper Store-houfes for their Merchandizes; and grants them the fame Privileges, Rights and Immunities with the English and Dutch; his Imperial Majefty grants the fame Right and mutual Privileges to the Spanish Subjects in his Kingdoms and Provinces.

XXII. The Chief of thofe Privileges are the following; a Liberty to change their Abode at their own pleasure, and without any previous Leave from any one; an Exemption from all Enquiry, Search and Moleftation in their Dwellings and Warehouses, on account of their Merchandizes, except in cafe of a wellgrounded Sufpicion, or an evident Proof of their having defrauded the King's Customs, in which cafe they fhall be liable to be fearched; but nevertheless, under this Caution, that it fhall not be done but in the Prefence of the Conful, who fhall be exprefsly called in for that purpose; nor fhall any other Trouble be given to the Merchant or his Goods; and if the Merchant shall be convicted of having imported Goods fraudulently, they shall be confifcated, and he fhall pay the Charges of the Search; but his Perfon, and the rest of his Goods fhall remain free. His Imperial Majefty promises the fame Liberty and Privileges to his Catholick Majefty's Subjects in all his Dominions.

This Treaty shall be concluded in our next.

of

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Of the Publick Shews and Diverfions.

E have not one Branch of these but what affords fome Matter. Three Mafquerades, a new Opera, a new Comedy, a new Tragedy, and two new Sets of Legerdemain Tricks. I must confefs, I cou'd heartily have wifh'd that I had taken upon me to act the Critick at fome happier Juncture, and not at a time when I must be look'd upon as fowre and ill-natur'd, because I cannot poffibly find out one thing to commend.

The firft I fhall chufe to take notice of, is the Tragedy of Hecuba; whofe Author, tho' he expected his Play to do Wonders, had the Prudence to conceal his Name, and is ftill unknown. The Writer, or rather Tranflator of this Piece, seems better acquainted with the antient Greeks, than with his own Countrymen; and makes no Difference between the Taste of this Age, and that which prevail'd in the Time of Euripides; and he has ftuck fo clofe to his Original, that he has kept the very Stile, and calls Agamemnon, King of Men, and King of Kings; and, like Euripides too, he had at firft open'd his Play with a Ghoft, but at the Perfuafion of his Friends he alter'd it, and contented himself with giving the Audience, in his firft Scene, a Relation of that Apparition: And to do the Writer Juftice, his greatest Fault is chufing a Greek Play for the Entertainment of an English Audience.

As this is not the first Attempt of this Kind that has been made, and all of 'em having fucceeded juft in the fame manner, it were worth while to enquire into the real Caufe of it. Phædra and Hippolitus is as well written a Piece as any in our Tongue, whether we confider the Purity or Elegance of the Stile, the Beauty of the Defcriptions, or the truly poetical Flights. All that cou'd be faid of it was, that it was borrow'd from Euripides, for it was far from being a Tranflation; yet Phaedra and Hippolitus was damn'd by the Town, and hifs'd off the Stage. Few People cou'd tell why or wherefore they had condemn'd it; when they came to read it, they wondred at themfelves, and would fcarce be perfuaded that this was the Piece that they had fo inveighed against, and heartily wish'd they had an Opportunity of doing the Author Juftice; and determin'd, if ever there fhould be another Reprefentation of it, to be as loud in their Applaufe, as they had been