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did not fully authorize and require it. But why then is it charged upon this noble Lord? Does it appear, or can it be pretended with the leatt truth, that he was even afked his opinion about it, much more that he gave any fuch advice or direction to the Attor

ney General. Does merely holding the great feal then, and affitting at the cabinet council, make a man refponfible for an Attorney General's execution of his office? If fo, why is not the noble Lord, who at prefent fills that station, arraigned throughout this libel, for every itep of the proceedings against Mr Wilkes, inttead of the two Secretaries of State, and the late and prefent Attorney General ?

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The next thing which prefents itfelf is a modeft affertion, (introduced into a long & laboured paffage, which C is intended, I fuppofe, to pafs or a complete character of his Lordship) of his having once affected the title of Earl of Clarendon. A more abfurd piece of falfhood was never invented, nor one lefs probable, in the cafe of a man who had for fo many years ennobled his own name by the force of his own genius, nor lefs fuitable to the judgment, modefty, and whole behaviour of that noble perfon. The truth is, he more than once declined the honour of the advancement itself; during which time, a report being fpread, that his late majefty was gracioully pleafed to intend it for him, it was feveral times inferted in the newspapers, that he was to be created Earl of Clarendon. This is literally the whole foundation there ever was, or could be, for fuch an idle tale; unfels one would fuppole it was defigned to give uneafinels to the family and defcendants of that celebrated minilter.

He then proceeds to give a most falle account of Lord H-'s fpeech/ in the House of Lord, upon the preliminaries. I don't mean to dwell upon fuch infiquations or expreffions as have already been animadverted upon; but it is impoffible to let fuch notorious falfhoods be repeated, and aggravated day after day, without expreffing a jutt indignation at fuch hame.efs profligacy. He was fo far from objecting to the boundaries between the British and French colonies in North America. lettled by that treaty, that he thought them the best imagable. This, the author has been already told in print; notwithstanding which, as if determined to bear down Truri atief by mere effrontery,

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he has added a particularity to the fuppofed objection, as foolish and as falfe as all the rest.

What opinion their Lordships entertained of his fpeech that day, I shall not prefume to determine. Sure I am, however, that he retained the powers of his mind too perfect, even to the laft, to give the leaft colour for the low comparison, under which the prejudiced and vulgar ideas of this malignant writer, have thought fit to reprefent him.

He felt, perhaps, as few of the defects of age as most of his contemporaries; and yet he has been known to fay of himself, in that affembly, Non eadem eft ætas, non mens. But let thofe

who remember the part he sustained for fo many years, at the bar, upon the bench, and in parliament, during the warmest political contefts, against the ableft fpeakers, recollect the light in which he always appeared, his grace, ftrength and dignity of manner, quickness and comprehenfion of thought; and let them fay, if they can, that he had neither imagination, wit, or eloquence; that he betrayed on any occation, a want of the ornamental and graceful accomplishments of literature, in which he had the felicity to be better grounded, and to have more accuracy and extent than almost any man, who had engaged fo early and fo long in public business; or that he gave any marks of that plainness of education, which this polite, ingenious and accomplished writer, with as little regard to truth as decency, is pleased to bestow upon him.

The reflections caft upon his fpeech on the first draught of the militia bill fent up by the Houfe of Commons in 1756, have been fo fully answered in a former paper that I fhall fay but little to them. I must, however, obferve, that though he fuggefted many and weighty political objections to that bill, he made none of a religious nature,unless the author is abfurd enough to call difapproving the mode prepared in that bill of exercising the men on Sundays, a religious objection. So far from enervating the fcheme by propofing to reduce the number to one H half, he made it, by that means, a practicable measure; and whoever will attempt to increase the number, will have enough to contend with in anfwering the complaints of the country upon fuch an augmentation. So far from contriving to defeat the executi

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on of it, in his particular county, af ter it became a law the most punctual obedience was paid to the act in every particular, by the noble person who was then, and is now, his majesty's lieutenant in that county; the militia of which was actually railed and difciplined for two years together during the war, and is now on foot again, and was called out to their annual exercise in May last.

to please the selfish, the interefted, andthe violent; too free and independent in his fituation and fortune to lay himfelf (in the language of this writer) at the feet of any man, or to caft his opiniA ons into any minifterial or popular mould, because it may happen to fuit with the times, or with his own intereft. He is therefore peculiarly marked out for vengeance; his conduct in parliament misrepresented and traduced, where, in truth, it gained him much credit in all the inftances alluded to; and his good name to be branded with every ill natured epithet and falfe reflection, which the infolence, the injuftice, and the private views of others can fuggeft.

There is but one thing more which truth compels me to take notice of; and that is what this well informed B writer thinks proper to fay with regard to the judges who were called to that important ftation, whilft the great feal was in his hands. Can any one who looks round Weftminfier Hall at this hour, forget who recommended many of the ableft who now fit there? as able and as upright men as ever administered justice in any age or any country. Can he forget, or affect to treat with contempt, the names or profeffional merit of fome who are dead, or retired, Reeves, Lee, Ryder, Strange, Wright, Burnet, Fofler, Clarke, and o thers who might be mentioned? Or will he venture to affert that these men obtained their feats upon the bench by minifterial, not profeffional merit?

Though I perceive that the fubject has carried me farther than I at first defigned, yet before I have quite done with it, I think fome notice thould be taken of the many fcattered paffages in this curious medley of factious politics, extravagant law doctrines, and perfonal abufe, inferted with the generous purpose of depreciating by this virulent libel the honour and reputation of the family and defcendants of the noble perion above-mentioned. But as there happens to be one among them whofe talents, eloquence, learn. ing, and integrity, have raised him to a height in the profeffion of the law, which in the general efteem of the bar, and in the public voice, give him just and regular pretensions to the first honours in it, who filled for many years two great stations with as much capacity and reputation as any man whatever, and who lately refigned one of them fo as to affert his own honour and fentiments with the most weight and freedom at the hazard of every thing which can be called profit or ambition, who is too knowing to be dictated to on points which concern the law and conftitution, too fagacious and honest to be made a tool, too wife and temperate in his public conduct

After all, let me appeal to the zeaJous admirers of this libeller, whether he who wantonly_facrifices the truth of facts and characters above fufpicicon, to the dark purposes of calumny and envy, has the leaft claim to the applaufe or confidence of any party?

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Law difperfed by fuch writers, is like a fword in the hands of a madman, it will ftab indeed, but it will ftab in the dark, the friends rather than the enemies of the conftitution; and thus it may become a terror to innocent and worthy citizens, inftead of an inftrument of juftice against profligate minifters and lawless fubjects. I am, Sir, &c.

Original Letter from Prince Charles to Sir Thomas Fairfax. From the MS.

WEE have foe deepe a fence of the

prefent miferies and calamities of this kingdome, that there is nothing that wee more earnestly pray for to Almighty God, then that hee would be pleafed to reftore unto it a happy peace; and we should think it a great bleffing of God upon us if wee might bee foe hapie as to be an instrument in the advanceing of it; and therefore wee have refolved to fend two of our councel unto the king our father, with fome fuch overtures as wee are hopeful may conduce thereunto; and doe hereby defire you to fend or procure from the Lords and Commons affembled in parliament at Wefiminfler, a fafe conduct for the Lord Hopton and Lord Culpeper, with twelve fervants to go to our royal fa ther, and to return to us; and we shall then manifeft to the world our mo

earnest endeavours to stoppe this iffue of blood, which muft otherwise, in a fhort time, render this unhappye land most miferable. Given at our court at

Excefler this 15th day of September 1645. CHARLES, P.

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But fee, he enters with his fcutling gait,
Lord, fays her Grace, how could you be fo late!
I'm forry, Madam, if I've made you wait,
Bateman reply'd; I only ftaid to bring
The neweft, charming, moft delightful thing.
Oh tell me, what's this curiofity,
Oh fhew it me this moment, or I die.

To please the noble dame, the courtly 'fquire
Produc'd a tea pot made in Staffordshire;
With eager eyes the longing dutchels flood,
And o'er and o'er the fhining bawble view 'd.
Such were the joys touch'd young Atride's breaft,
Such all the Grecian hofts at once express'd,
When from beneath his robe to all their view
Laertes' fon the fam'd Palladium drew;
So Venus look'd, and with fuch longing eyes,
When Paris first produc'd the golden prize.
Such work as this, the cry'd, can England do?
It equals Drefden, and out-does St Clou;
All modern china now fhall hide its head,
And ev'n Chantilly must give o'er its trade.
For lace let Flanders bear away the bell,
In fineft linen let the Dutch excel,
For prettiest ftuffs let Ire'and first be nam'd,
And for beft fancy'd filks let France be fam'd;
Do thou, thrice happy England, ftill prepare
This clay, and build thy fame on earthen ware.
More the'd have faid, but that again fhe heard
The knocker, and the *General appear'd :
The gen'ral, one of those brave old commanders
Who ferv'd thro' all the glorious wars in Flanders,
Frank and good natur'd, of an honest heart,
Loving to act the fteady friendly part;
None led through youth a gayer life than he,
Chearful in converfe, fmart in repartee;
Sweet were his nights, and joyful was each day,
He din'd with Walpole, and with Oldfield lay:
But with old age its vices came along,
And in narration he's extremely long;
On every fubje&t he his tale relates,
Exact in circumftance, ard nice in dates:
If you name one of Marlb'ro's ten campaigns
He tells you its whole hiftory for your pains,
And Blenheim's field becomes, by his reciting,
As long in telling as it was in fighting.
His old defires to please are still exprefs'd,
His hat's well cock'd, his perriwig well drefs'd;
He rolls bis ftockings, fill white gloves he wears,
And in the boxes fill the beau appears;

His eyes thro' wrinkled corners caft their rays,
Still he bows graceful, ftill foft things he fays,
And ftill rememb'ring that he once was young,
He trains his crippled knees, and ftruts along :
The room he enter'd imiling, which bespoke
Some worn out compliment, or thread-bare joke;
For not perceiving lofs of parts, he yet
Grafps at the fhade of his departed wit:
How does your Grace ! I hope I fee you well!
What a prodigious deal of rain has fell!
General Chh

Will the fun never let us fee his face?
But who can want the fun that fees your grade!
Your fervant, Sir; but fee what I have got,
Isn't it a prodigious pretty pot?

And ar'n't you vaftly glad we make them here?
For Dicky got it out of Staffordshire;
Well, what a handle! blefs me, what a spout!
See how that charming vine twines all about,
And that old pagod and the charming child,
If Lady Townshend faw it she'd be wild.

To this the general: Madam, who would not!
Lord! where could Mr Bateman find this pot?
Dear Dicky could not you get fome for me?
I want fome useful china mightily,
Two jars, two beakers, and a pot pourie.
At Margafs's, and fuch fire-works I have feen!
Oh Mr Churcbill! where d'ye think I've been!
So very pretty, charming, odd, and new,
And, I affure you, they're right Indian too.
I've bought them all, there's not one left in town
And if you was to fee them you would own
You never faw fuch fire-works any where:
Oh madam! I must beg your pardon there
(The general cry'd) for 'twas in the year ten,
No, let me recollect, it was not then,
'Twas the year eight, I think, for then we lay
Encamp'd with all the army near Cambray ;
Yes, yes, I'm fure I'm right by one event,
We fupp'd together at Cadogan's tent;
Meredith, Lumley, Pames, and poor George Grove,
And merrily the bumpers round we drove ;
To Marlbro's health we drank confounded hard,
For he had beat the French at Oudenard;
And Lord Cadogan then had got by chance
The beft champaigne that ever came from France,
And 'twas no wonder that it was so good,
For fome dragoons had feiz'd it on the road,
And they had heard from thofe they took it from
It was defign'd a prefent for Vendeme;
So we but fee another *Charles's face,
Cuts fhort the general, and relieves her Grace.
So when fome crop-fick parton in a dofe,
Is reading morning fervice thro' his nofe,
Another in the pulpit ftraight appears,
Charming the tir'd out congregation's ears,
And with a duller fermon ends the pray'rs.
For this old Charles is full as dull as t'other,
Bavius to Mavius was-no more a brother;
From two defects his talk no joy affords,
The want of matter and the want of words:
I hope, fays he, your Grace is well to-day,
And caught no cold by vent'ring to the play:
Oh fir, I'm mighty well; won't you fit down?
Pray, Mr Stanbope, what's the news in town?
Madam, I know of none, for I'm just come
From feeing a curiofity at home,
'Twas fent to Martin Folkes as being rare,
And he and Defaguliers brought it there;
The wonderfuli'ft of all the works of nature!
It's call'd a Polypus.-What's that? a creature
Hither it came from Holland where 'twas caught,
(I fhould not fay it came, for it was brought)
To-morrow we're to have it at Crane-Court,
And 'tis a reptile of fo ftrange a fort,
That if 'tis cut in two it is not dead,

Its head fhoots out a tail, its tail a head;
Take out its middle, and obferve its ends,
Here a head rises, there a tail defcends;

• C-s St-pe.

Or

Or cut off any part that you defire,

That part extends, and makes itself entire ;
But what it feeds on ftill remains a doubt,
And how it generates is not yet found out;
But at our board to-morrow 'twill appear,
For all that learned body will be there.

Oh I must fee it, or I am undone,

My lord, you never fee her but at night,
By th' advantageous help of candle-light,
Drefs'd out with every art that is adorning,
Ob if your lordship faw her in a morning!
It is no more that Fanny once fo fair,
No rófes bloom, ne lilies flourish there,
But hollow eyes, and pale and faded cheek,

(The dutchefs cry'd) pray can't you get me one Repentance, love, and difappointment speak.

I never heard of fuch a thing before,
I long to cut it and make fifty more;
I'll have a cage made up in tafte for mine,
And, Dicky, you shall give me a defign:
But here the gen'ral to a yawn gave way,
And Stanbope had not one more word to fay,

And on each fide the goddess they ador'd,
One Charles fat fpeechless, and the other fnor'd,
When chafte Sufanna's all-fubduing charms
Made two old lovers languish for her arms;
Soon as her eyes had thaw'd the froft of age,
Their paffions mounted into luftful rage,
With bru al violence they attack'd their prey,
And almost bore the wifh'd-for prize away:
Hail happy dutchefs! 'twixt two elders plac'd,
Whofe paffions brutal luft has ne'er difgrac'd,
No warm expreffions make your blushes rife,
No ravish'd kifs fhoots light'ning from your eyes,
Let them but vifit you they ask no more,
Guiltless they gaze, and innocent adore.

But hark! a louder knock than all before! Lord, fays her Grace, they'll thunder down my door;

Into the room fee fweating Lovel break,
(The Dutchefs rifes and the elders wake)
Lovel, the oddeft character in town,
A lover, fta efman, connoiffeur, buffoon;
Extract him well, this is his quinteffence,
Much folly, more cunning, and some sense;
To neither party in his heart inclin'd,
He fteers 'twixt both with politics refin'd
His lordship makes his bow, and takes his seat,
Then opens with preliminary chat:
I'm glad to fre your grace. the gen'ral too,
Old Charles how is't and Dickey how d'ye do?
Madam, I hear that you was at the play,
You did not fay one word on't yesterday;
I went (who'd no engagement any where)
To the opera-Were there many people there
The dutchess cry'd? Yes, madam, a good many,
Says Lovel, there was Cb-fler field and Fanny
In that eternal whisper tha: begun

Ten

years ago, and never will be done;
For tho' you know he fees her every day,
Still he has ever fomething new to fay;
There's nothing upon earth fo hard to me
As keeping up difcourfe eternally;
He never lets the conversation fall,
And I'm fure Fanny can't keep up the ball;
1 faw that her replies were never long,
But with her eyes the answer'd for her tongue;
Poor I am forc'd to keep my diftance now,
She won't e'en curt'fy if I make a bow;
Why things are firangely chang'd the gen'ral cry'd,
Ay, Fortune de la Guerre, my lord reply'd;
But you and I, Charles, hardly find things fo
As we both did fome twenty years ago,
And take off twenty years, reply'd her grace,
'I would do no harm to Lady Fanny's face;

Late Lord L -1.

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The general found the lucky minute now

To fpeak; Ay! Ma'am you did not know Mifs
Howe,

I'll tell you all her hiftory he cry'd;

At this Charles Stanhope gap'd extremely wide
Poor Dicky fat on thorns her grace turn'd palc
And Lovel trembled at th' impending tale:
Poor girl! faith fhe was once extremely fair,
"Till worn by love, and tortur'd by defpair,
Her pining looks betray'd her inward fmart,
Her breaking face foretold her breaking heart.
At Leic'ßer-Houfe her paffion firft began,
And Nunty Lowther was a pretty man ;
But when the princefs did to Kew remove,
She could not bear the abfence of her love,
Away fhe flew-but here the clock ftruck three,
So did fome pitying deity decree,

The dutchefs rings to drefs, and fee her maid
With all the apparatus for her head;
The adoring circle can no longer stay,
Each rifes, bows, and goes a different way;
To ancient Boothby's ancient Churchill's flown,
Home to his dinner Stanhope trots alone,
Dicky to feaft with her, her Grace invites,
And Lovel's coachman drives, unbid, to White's.

ODE for the NEW-YEAR, performed before their
Maj fties Jan. 1, 1765. By William White-
head, Efq; Poet Laureat.

SACRED to thee
O Commerce, daughter of sweet Liberty,
Shall flow the annual strain.
Beneath a monarch's foftering care
Thy fails unnumber'd fwell in air,
And darken half the main.
From every cliff of Britain's coafts,
We fee them toil, thy daring hofts
Who bid our wealth increate,
Who fpread our martial glory far,
The fons of fortitude in war,

Of industry in peace.

On woven wings

To where, in orient climes, the grey dawn springs,
To where foft evening's ray
Sheds its laft blush, their course they feer,
Meet, or o'ertake the circling year,

Led by the lord of day.
Whate'er the frozen poles provide,
Whate'er the torrid regions hide
From Sirius' fiercer flames,
Of herb, or root, or gem, or ore,
They grafp them all from fhore to fhore,
And waft them all to Thames.

When Spain's proud pendants wav'd in western
fkies,

When Gama's fleet on Indian billows hung,
In either fea did ocean's genius rise,
And the fame truths in the fame numbers fung,
"Daring mortals, whither tend
Thefe vain purfuits? forbear, forbear!
Thefe facred waves no keel fhall rend,
No Areamers float on this fequefter'd air!
-Yes

Yes, yes, proceed, and conquer ton:
Succefs be yours: But mortals, know,
Know, ye rafh adventurous bands,

To crush your high blown pride,
Not for yourfelves, or native lands,
You brave the feasons, and you ftem the tide.
Nor Betis' nor Iberus' ftream,

Nor Tagus with his golden gleam,
Shall infolently call their own

The dear bought treasures of these worlds unknown.

A chofen race, to freedom dear,
Untaught to injure as to fear,

By me conducted, shall exert their claims, Shall glut my great revenge, and roll them all to

Thames.

Extracts from the RACE, a Poem; just

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published.

THE Subject of this poem is a Race of authors, and it is an imitation of the Race of book fellers exhibited in the DUNCIAD. The fubject is introduced by the following veries.

To all the rhyming brethren of the quill Fame (ent her heralds to proclaim her will. "Since late her vot'ries in abufive lays "Had madly wrangled for the wreath of bays; "To quell at once this foul tumultuous heat, "The day was fix'd whereon each bard should "meet.

"Already had the mark'd the deftin'd ground, "Where from the goal her eager fons fhould "bound,

"There, by the hopes of future glory fed. "Prove by their heels the prowess of the head; "And he, who fleeteft ran, and fi ft to fame, "The chaplet and the victory fhould claim.

A ditch is reprefented as croffing the courfe called the gulph of oblivion which,of all that ran, Churchill only paffed.

Those who offered to enter are, the Laureat ; Robert Dodley; Dr Armfrong; Dr Hill; Dr Smollet; John Wilkes; Samuel Johnson; Murphy; Jones, who altered the Earl of Effix; the tranflator of Fingal; David Mallet; Vaughan; Churchill; Fawkes, and Wotty; Bickerstaff; Elpbinfton; Dr Arne; Derrick, Mafon; Colman; Ogilvy; Hays; Langborne, and the author of the Traveller.

The characters of these writers are drawn with great fpirit and humour; but Jobnfon, Mafon, Colman, Ogilvy, Hays, Langborn, and Goldsmith, did not run; Jobafon being perfuaded by Virtue to wait for his reward of Fame, which would certainly be beftowed hereafter, and the reft coming into the field too late. The competitors are at last reduced to two, Murphy, and Churcbill; the account of the Race itself, with its iffue, is contained in the following verfes.

The flag difplay'd, promifcuous forth they bound, [ground. And fhake with clatt'ring feet the powder'd Equal in flight, thefe two difpute the race With envious ftrife, and meature pace for pace, Straight all is uproar natumultuous din; This tumbles down another breaks his thin; That wears his puffing negabour tinks of gin.

Each joftles each, a wrangling, madding train,
While loud, To Order, Derrick calls in vain.
Stuck faft in mire, here fome defponding lay,
And, grinning, yield the glories of the day.
For, maugre all primeval bards have fung,
Steep is the road to fame, and clogg'd with
dung.

Borne on the wings of hope now M--p--y flies, Vain hope! for fate the wifh'd-for boon denies; Arriv'd, where fcavengers, the night before, Had left their gleanings from the common shore,

With head retorted, as he fearful spied The giant Churchill thund'ring at his fide, Sudden he tript--and, piteous to tell! Prene in the filth the hapless poet fell. "Diftanc'd, by G--" roars out a ruffic 'fquire, [mire." "He must give out, thus fons'd in dung and Lord M I'll hold you fix to ten, "Spite of the t-d, he'll rife and run again," A burft of laughter echoes all around, While putt'ring dirt, and miting from the ground, "Ceafe, fools, your mirth, nor fneer at my dif

replies,

66 grace;

"This curied bog, not Churchill, won the race; "And fure, who fuch difafters can foresee, "Must be a greater conjuror than me."

While Churchill, careless, triumphs in bis fall, Up to the gulph his jaded rivals crawl; Here, fome the watchful harpies on the fhore Plunge in-ah! defin'd to return no moreWhile others wond'ring, view them as they fink,

And fear'd, ftand quiv'ring on the dreadful brink.

Now rous'd the hero, by the trumpet's found, Turns from his rueful foe, and fraces around; No bard he views behind-but all have past Him, heedless of their flight, and now the laft. Stung at the thought, with double force he fprings,

Rage gives him ftrength, and emulation wings: ound regain'd" Stand clear the fieraly faid)

The

"Who bars my paffage, horror on his head."Unhappy Dapper! doom'd to meet thy fare, Why heard it chou not the menace, e'er too late? Fir'd with difdain, he spurn'd the witling's breech,

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