attacked did not: but at length, apprehending that the infinite number of scandalous falfhoods, which his writers repeatedly afferted in all the public papers, and industriously propagated by every other mode of publication, might injure their reputations, and weaken that confidence with which they were honoured by the people, as a reward for their spirited and difinterested conduct; their friends who were best acquainted with all their motives and actions, determined to rescue their characters from the pens of fuch infamous affaffins. Thus began the paper war, which was carried on with great fury, by both fides, for a confiderable time. At length the affailants being completely defeated, and grieved and fore to death, refolved to relinquish that mode of fighting, because they found truth make fo ftrongly against them, and to take another fort of more serious and up dangerous instruments. They, in a wild and frantic fit of rage and revenge, broke down all the fences of the constitution, arbitrarily feized and confined whom they pleased; then called in the aid of the

crown

crown lawyers, and afterwards, that of the parliament: all which the following sheets will fufficiently fhew. Thus they who were one day encouraging and paying writers of the most defamatory libels, the next beat at their own weapons, under frivolous diftinctions, flying to law; and left that should fail, to parliament, for the means of fuppreffing, and punishing, what was only the blessed fruit of their own example.

The peace made. The Oppofition formed. The principal perfons dine together. Remark. Attempt to divide the Oppofition.

IN

N the mean time, the Favourite pushed on his work of peace, which the could not be fo defirous of grantenemy ing, as he was of obtaining. The language confidently held at Versailles was, that the Favourite was the only ruling power in England, that he had not capacity to conduct the war, and therefore could not preserve his power, unless he made a peace.

The

The arguments which were offered against this peace, the reader will find in all the political publications of that time. However, Mr. LEGGE's opinion of it (delivered a short time after) may perhaps not be unworthy his notice: it was to this fhort effect. "The union of the whole House of Bourbon, which is replete with reciprocal advantages to both France and Spain, is not even attempted to be broke. The fishery that is granted to the former, will prove to her a mine of wealth. The Weft India fettlements which are restored to both, will immediately, and without any expence, put their commerce upon a refpectable footing; and in a short time furnish them with the means for maintaining another war; while before our acquifitions, which require great fums, great improvements, and long time, can be made even valuable at all, we shall have this dance to go over again, with one hundred and forty millions upon our backs."

While the Favourite was madly (if not treacherously) running into the arms of France, for any peace, fuch as the enemy would

would grant him, his virtuous affociate was honourably employed in another kind of negotiation at home. The relations, friends, and confidents of almost every man, were industriously found out, and tampered with. Temptations were offered to the vain, the needy, and the vicious, according to their feveral paffions, or wants. All who chose to serve the Favourite, might now have their price. All were invited to a certain pay office, where twenty-five thousand pounds were iffued in one day. All, indeed, were not of one opinion, but the Majority were. All knew the peace to be the convenient and neceffary measure of the Favourite; yet but few difregarded, whether their oppofition to it would become an infallible bar to their ever being able to renew their peace at St. James's.

The difgufted party who were lately gone out, because the Favourite did not chufe to accept of their fervice, were fo infatuated with a luft of power, and caft fo many longing looks towards the offices from which they had been precipitately driven, that a great number of them flunk

away,

away, when the merits of the Butean preliminaries came under examination. Some feigned fickness, others ran out of town, and many more had not even the fhadow of excufe for their fcandalous defertion upon this important occafion. But Mr. PITT, to his great honour, although he had been for fome time confined to his bed by a fevere fit of the gout, came down to the House, and spoke near three hours in this debate. He gave his opinion upon almost every article; fome of which he approved, and others he condemned; but his greatest emphasis was laid on what related to the fishery; because, in the negotiation with M. BUSSY, Lord TEMPLE and himself, had contended for the whole exclufive fishery; but in that, as well as in many other things, they were over-ruled: And, upon the whole, he infifted, that the terms propofed, were inadequate to the conquefts, and just expectations of the nation. He was fo infirm, and fo afflicted with pain, that when he could no longer stand, although fupported by his friends, he was allowed to deliver the remainder of his fentiments fitting;