A Prince, (whofe piety and felf-denial, one would think, might fecure him from fuch a multitude of worldly neceffities), with an annual revenue of near a million Sterling, unfortunately wants money. The navy of England, by an equally frange concurrence of unforeseen circumftances, (though not quite fo unfortunately for his Majefty), is in equal want of timber. The world knows in what a hopeful condition you delivered the navy to your fucceffor, and in what a condition we found it in the moment of distress. You were determined it fhould continue in the fituation in which you left it. It happened, however,, very luckily for the privy purse, that one of the a bove wants promifed fair to fupply the other. Our religious, benevolent, generous Sovereign, has në objection to felling his own timber to his own admiralty to repair his own fhips, nor to putting the money into his own pocket. People of a religious turn naturally adhere to the principles of the church. Whatever they acquire falls into mort main.-Upon a representation from the admiralty of the extraordinary want of timber for the indifpenfible repairs of the navy, the furveyor-general was directed to make a furvey of the timber in all the royal chases and forefts in England. Having obeyed his orders with accuracy and attention, he reported, that the finest timber he had anywhere met with, and the propereft, in every respect, fon the purposes of the navy, was in Whittlebury Foreft, of which your Grace, I think, is hereditary ranger. In confequence of this report, the usual warrant was prepared at the treafury, and delivered to the furveyor, by which he, or his deputy, were authorized to cut down any trees in Whittlebury Foreft which should appear to be proper for the purposes above mentioned. The deputy, being informed that the warrant was figned and delivered to his principal in London, croffes the

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country to Northamptonshire, and with an officious zeal for the publick fervice, begins to do his duty in the foreft. Unfortunately for him, he had not the warrant in his pocket. The overfight was enormous; and you have punished him for it accordingly. You have infifled, that an active, useful officer should be difmiffed from his place. You have ruined an innocent man and his family. -In what language fhall I addrefs fo black, fo cowardly a tyrant?--thou worse than one of the Brunfwicks, and all the Stuarts!-To them who know Lord North, it is unneceffary to fay, that he was mean and base enough to fubmit to you. This, however, is but a small part of the fact. After ruining the furveyor's deputy, for acting without the warrant, you attacked the warrant itself. You declared, that it was illegal; and swore, in a fit of foaming frantick paffion, that it never fhould be executed. You afferted, upon your honour, that in the grant of the rangerfhip of Whittlebury Foreft, made by Charles the Second (whom, with a modefty that would do honour to Mr. Rigby, you are pleafed to call your ancestor) to one of his baftards, (from whom I make no doubt of your defcent), the property of the timber is vefted in the ranger.-I have examined the original grant; and now, in the face of the publick, contradict you directly upon the fact. The very reverfe of what you have afferted upon your honour is the truth. The grant, exprefsly, and by a particular claufe, referves the property of the timber for the ufe of the Crown.-In fpite of this evidence,--in defiance of the reprefentations of the admiralty,-in perfect mockery of the notorious diftrefles of the English navy, and those equally preffing and almoft equally notorious neceflities of your pious Sovereign,-here the matter refts. The lords of the treafury recal their warrant-the deputy-furveyor is ruined for doing

his

his duty;-Mr. John Pitt (whofe name I fuppofe is offenfive to you) submits to be brow-beaten and infulted; the oaks keep their ground;-the King is defrauded, and the navy of England may perifh for want of the best and fineft timber in the island. And all this is submitted to-to appease the Duke of Grafton !-to gratify the man who has involved the King and his kingdom in confusion and diftrefs, and who, like a treacherous coward, deferted his Sovereign in the midft of it!

There has been a ftrange alteration in your doctrines, fince you thought it adviseable to rob the Duke of Portland of his property, in order to ftrengthen the intereft of Lord Bute's fon-in-law before the last general election. Nullum tempus occurrit regi, was then your boasted motto, and the cry of all your hungry partifans. Now, it feems, a grant of Charles the Second to one of his baftards, is to be held facred and inviolable! It muft not be queftioned by the King's fervants, nor fubmitted to any interpretation but your own.My Lord, this was not the language you held, when it fuited you to infult the memory of the glorious deliverer of England from that detefted family, to which you are ftill more nearly allied in principle than in blood.-In the name of decency and common fenfe, what are your Grace's merits, either with King or miniftry, that should entitle you to affume this domineering authority over both!-Is it the fortunate confanguinity you: claim with the house of Stuart ?-Is it the fecret correfpondence you have for fo many years carried on with Lord Bute, by the affiduous affiftance of your cream-coloured parafite ?-Could not your gallantry find fufficient employment for him in thofe gentle offices by which he firft acquired the tender friendship of Lord Barrington ?-Or, is it only that wonderful fympathy of manners which fubfifts between your Grace and one of your fu

periors

periors, and does fo much honour to you both? Is the union of Blifil and Black George no longer a romance?-From whatever origin your influence in this country arifes, it is a phenomenon in the history of human virtue and understanding.-Good men can hardly believe the fact. Wife men are unable to account for it.-Religious men find exercife for their faith; and make it the last effort of their piety, not to repine against Providence. JUNIUS.

LETTER LVIII.

ADDRESSED TO THE LIVERY OF LONDON.

GENTLEMEN,

Sept. 30. 1771. IF you alone were concerned in the event of the present election of a chief magiftrate of the metropolis, it would be the highest presumption in a ftranger to attempt to influence your choice, or even to offer you his opinion. But the fituation of publick affairs has annexed an extraordinary importance to your refolutions. You cannot, in the choice of your magiftrate, determine for yourfelves only. You are going to determine upon a point in which every member of the community is interefted. I will not fcruple to fay, that the very being of that law, of that right, of that con-" flitution, for which we have been fo long contending, is now at ftake. They who would enfnare your judgment tell you, it is a common, ordinary cafe, and to be decided by ordinary precedent and practice. They artfully conclude from moderate peaceable times, to times which are not moderate, and which ought not to be peaceable.-While they folicit your favour, they infift upon a rule of rotation which excludes all idea of election.

Let me be honoured with a few minutes of your attention.

attention The question, to those who mean fairly to the liberty of the people, (which we all profefs to have in view), lies within a very narrow compafs. Do you mean to defert that just and honourable fyftem of meafures which you have hitherto purfued, in hopes of obtaining from parliament, or from the Crown, a full redrefs of paft grievances, and a fecurity for the future?-Do you think the caufe defperate, and will you declare that you think fo to the whole people of England? · If this be your meaning and opinion, you will act confiftently with it in choofing Mr. Nab.-I profefs to be unacquainted with his private character.But he has acted as a magiftrate,-as a publick man. As fuch, I fpeak of him.-I fee his name in a protest against one of your remonftrances to the Crown. He has done every thing in his power to deftroy the freedom of popular elections in the city, by publishing the poll upon a former occafion; and I know, in general, that he has diftinguifhed himself, by flighting and thwarting all those publick measures which you have engaged in with the greatest warmth, and hitherto thought moft worthy of your approbation.-From his paft conduct, what conclufion will you draw, but that he will act the fame part as Lord Mayor, which he has invariably acted as Alderman and Sheriff? He cannot alter his conduct, without confeiling, that he never acted upon principle of any kind.—I fhould be forry to injure the character of a man, who, perhaps, may be honeft in his intention, by fuppofing it poffible that he can ever concur with you in any political measure or opinion.

If, on the other hand, you mean to perfevere in those resolutions for the publick good, which, though not always fuccefsful, are always honourable, your choice will naturally incline to thofe men who (whatever they be in other refpects) are most likely to co-operate with you in the great

purposes