"candidate with the feweft votes." Vide Anfwer to Sir William Meredith p. 18. PERMIT me now, Sir, to fhew you that the worthy Dr. Blackstone fometimes contradicts the miniftry as well as himself. The Speech without doors afferts, page 9, "that "the legal effect of an incapacity, founded "on a judicial determination of a complete "court, is precifely the fame as that of an "incapacity created by act of parliament.” Now for the Doctor. The law and the opinion of the judge are not always convertible terms, or one and the fame thing; fince it fometimes may happen that the judge may mistake the law. Commentaries, Vol. I. p. 71. THE answer to Sir William Meridith afferts, page 23, "That the returning of"ficer is not a judicial, but a purely mi"nifterial officer. His return is no judicial "act."-At 'em again Doctor. The Sheriff. in his judicial capacity is to hear and determine caufes of 40 fhillings value and under in his county court. He has also a judicial power in divers other civil cafes. He is likewife to decide the elections of knights of the Shire (subject to the control of the house of commons), to judge of the qualification of voters, and to return fuch as be fhall DETERMINE to be duly elected. Commentaries, page 332. Vol. I. I s Vide WHAT WHAT conclufion fhall we draw from fuch facts, and fuch arguments, fuch contradictions? I cannot exprefs my opinion of the prefent miniftry more exactly than in the words of Sir Richard Steele," that we are " governed by a set of drivellers, whofe folly “takes away all dignity from distress, and makes "even calamity ridiculous." PHILO JUNIUS. The following curious letter is omitted in the author's own edition. The double entendre, though very delicately carried forward, was perhaps thought an improper fubject to be claffed with grave political I SIR, FIND myfelf unexpectedly married in the newspapers, without my knowledge or confent. Since I am fated to be a husband, I hope at least the lady will perform the principal duty of a wife. Marriages, they say, fay, are made in heaven, but they are confummated upon earth; and fince Junia* has adopted my name, she cannot, in common matrimonial decency, refuse to make me a tender of her perfon. Politics are too barren a fubject for a new-married couple. I should be glad to furnish her with one more fit for a lady to handle, and better fuited to the natural dexterity of her sex. In short, if Junia be young and handfome, the will have no reason to complain of my method of conducting an argument. F abominate all tergiverfation in difcourfe, and he may be affured that whatever I advance, whether it be weak or forcible, shall, at any rate, be directly in point. It is true I am a ftrenuous advocate for liberty and property, but when these rights are invaded by a pretty woman, I am neither able to defend my money nor my freedom. The divine right of beauty is the only one an Englishman ought to acknowledge, and a pretty woman the only tyrant he is not authorised to resist. JUNIUS *THE fignature of a letter in the papers. LETTER XXXVI. TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. MY LORD, 19 Sept. 1769. You OU are fo little accustomed to receive any marks of refpect or efteem from the public, that, if in the following lines, a compliment or expreffion of applaufe fhould escape me, I fear you would confider it as a mockery of your established character, and perhaps an infult to your understanding. You have nice feelings, my Lord, if we may judge from your refentments. Cautious therefore of giving offence, where you have fo little deferved it, I fhall leave the illuftration of your virtues to other hands. Your friends have a privilege to play upon the eafiness of your temper, or poffibly they are better acquainted with your good qualities than I am. You have done good by stealth. The rest is upon record. You have still left ample room for fpeculation, when panegyric is exhausted. You are indeed a very confiderable man. The highest rank;-a fplendid fortune; and a name, glorious till it was yours, were fufficient to have fupported you with meaner abilities abilities than I think you poffefs. From the firft, you derive a conftitutional claim to refpect; from the fecond, a natural extenfivé authority; the laft created a partial expectation of hereditary virtues. The ufe you have made of these uncommon advantages might have been more honourable to yourself, but could not be more inftructive to mankind. We may trace it in the veneration of your country, the choice of your friends, and in the accomplishment of every fanguine hope, which the public might have conceived from the illuftrious name of Ruffel. THE eminence of your ftation gave you a commanding profpect of your duty. The road, which led to honour, was open to your view. You could not lofe it by miftake, and you had no temptation to depart from it by defign. Compare the natural dige nity and importance of the richest peer of England; the noble independence, which he might have maintained in parliament, and the real intereft and respect, which he might have acquired, not only in parliament, but through the whole kingdom; compare these glorious diftinctions with the ambition of holding a fhare in government, the emoluments of a place, the fale of a borough, or the purchase of a corporation; and though you may not regret the virtues, which create respect, |