Defoe evidently means only to deny that he was the originator and proprietor of the _Mercator_, not that he was not the principal writer in it. The _Mercator_ was a government paper set on foot by Harley to support the proposed measure of the Treaty of Commerce with France; and the _Review_, which Defoe had so long and so ably conducted, being brought to a close in the beginning of May, 1713, he was retained to follow up the opinions he had maintained in the _Review_ as to the treaty in this new periodical. He had not the control of the work undoubtedly, otherwise, cautiously abstaining as he does himself from all personal attacks upon his opponents, the remarks on Henry Martin would not have appeared, which led to a severe and very unjust retaliation in the _British Merchant_, in which Defoe's misfortunes are unfeelingly introduced. There cannot, however, be the slightest doubt to any one at all acquainted with Defoe's style, or who compares the _Mercator_ with the commercial articles in the Review, that the whole of the _Mercator_, except such portion as appears in the shape of letters, and which constitutes only a small part of the work, was written by Defoe. The principal of these letters were probably written by William Brown. The excessive rarity of the _Mercator_, which Wilson could never obtain, and of which probably very few copies exist, has rendered it the least known of Defoe's publications. Even Mr. M'Culloch, from the mode in which he speaks of it (_Literature of Political Economy_, p. 142.), would appear not to have seen it. And therefore, whilst the _British Merchant_, "the shallow sophisms and misstatements" of which we now treat with contempt, is one of the most common of commercial books, having gone through at least three editions, besides the original folio, the _Mercator_, replete as it is with the vigour, the life and animation, the various and felicitous power of illustration, which this great and truly English author could impart to any subject, still exists only in probably four or five copies of the original folio numbers. How many of the advocates for free trade are acquainted with a production in which one of the most gifted minds that the country ever produced, exerts his delightful powers and most effectual "unadorned eloquence" in the support of their favourite doctrine? I do not see any copy of the _Mercator_ noticed in the printed catalogue of the British Museum. I owe my own to the kindness of MR. BOLTON CORNEY, who allowed me to possess it, having purchased it, I believe, at Mr. Heber's sale. JAS. CROSSLEY. PUNISHMENT OF EDWARD PRINCE OF WALES, BY KING EDWARD I., FOR DISRESPECT TO A JUDGE.