1769.

The Hiftory of Party, &c.

of anecdotes to the public, which did but little credit to the confiftency of their characters. Mr. Wilkes's pen, though very indifferent, was neverthelefs on this occafion very formidable. The nation has almoft a conftant averfion to minifters, and is feldom better pleased than when they are loaded with abufe; without entring therefore into the leaft examination of Mr. Wilkes's motives, the public gave prodigious applaufe to his letter against the duke of G. they confidered his invective as a proof of extraordinary genius, and fet down what was merely declamation, as an irrefiftable chain of argument. The opportunity was too favourable for Lord T. and his adherents, to be neglected; they encouraged Mr. Wilkes to proceed in his complaints, affected an uncommon regard for his intereft, and endeavoured by his means to leffen the influence of their enemies, the miniftry. Thus fupported, he wrote on with additional eagernefs, kept his caufe continually alive by various productions of a political tendency from the continent, and at laft threatened adminiftration with an hiftory of Eng. land, in which they were to be held up as objects of univerfal contempt to all pofterity.

Notwithstanding the industry which the outs, thus inceffantly exerted to fupplant the ins, and the popularity which they laboured to acquire by Supporting a man, whom they reprefented a martyr in the glorious caufe of freedom, places were found more convincing, than the utmoft energy of their reafoning, and penfions of more weight than the fevereft of their publications. A large majority conftantly joined with adminiftration in the houfe, and the attempts of oppofition were always fo unfuccefsful, that the very name of oppofition began to die away, when the unexpectappearance of Mr. Wilkes as a candidate for the city of London at the general election kindled a flame of popular spirit through the whole kingdom, that blazed with uncommon vehemence, and feemed too powerful for all the ftate engines of the miniftry. In reality nothing could be more weak, more ridiculously weak, than the conduct of government in relation to this gentleman; at a time

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when he was almost forgotten, Lord T. and his adherents found him no inconfiderable inftrument, and excited a pretty general clamour, by his means, against the administration. It was therefore the bufinefs of government, either to render him impotent by a pardon, or to execute the laws upon him with becoming fortitude, the moment he appeared in public, and appeared too as a candidate to represent the metropolis in parliament; he was then labouring under a writ of outlawry, had been for faken by his late friends of the Te faction, and was befides no lefs diftreffed in his private circumftances, than embarraffed in his public character. In fact, the dif trefs of his private circumftances was the principal motive of his return to England. His debts in Paris rendered his itay in France any longer, impoffible, and the fubfcription, which had been fet on foot for his establishment abroad, being extremely ill paid, he had no refource but the expedient of trying what his immediate prefence, and a spirited effort, would be able to effect in his own country.

Actuated by motives of this nature, Mr. Wilkes came over from France a few days before the election for the city of London, and, to the unfpeakable aftonishment of every reafonable man in the kingdom, declared his intention of becoming a candidate. The only encouragement upon which he took this refolution, was the promise of affistance which he received from a few merchants in the city, who poffibly were defirous of rendering themfelves confpicuous by an oppofition to government, or really thought that Mr. Wilkes's quarrel with the duke of G. could never be made up, and that therefore by chooling him, they would be certain of a vigilant obferver upon the conduct of the ministry. Be their motives however what they may, they proceeded very judiciously in the execution of their defign. They gave out in every place, that Mr. Wilkes was certain of fucceeding, that the livery of London were continually offering him their voices, and even propofed very confiderable wagers, that he would upon the poll have a large majority over all the other candidates. Nothing contributes more to the fuccels of any fcheme, than a general

The Hiftory of Party, &c.

1769.

Magna Charta, when granted.

candidate for the county of Middlefex, at the very hour in which he was

255

For the LONDON MAGAZINE.
S

the origin of our conftitution, or
Magna Charta, the reader is here
prefented with the firft inftitution of
that noble pillar of our freedom.

Edward the Confeffor-as he granted many privileges both to church and ftate by particular charter; which liberties and privileges were confirmed by Henry the First, on a celebrated plan now loft; but which was revived and enacted by Henry the Second and King John.

Henry the Third, the fucceffor of this laft prince, after having caused twelve men to make enquiry into the liberties of England in the reign of Henry the Firft, granted a new char ter, the fame as our prefent Magna Charta; this he feveral times broke, and as often confirmed; till in the thirty-feventh year of his reign he went to Westminster-Hall, and there in the prefence of the nobility and bishops, who held lighted candles in their hands, Magna Charta was read; the king all the while holding his hand to his breaft: at length having folemnly fworn faithfully and inviolably to obferve all the things therein contained, the bishops extinguished the candles, and, throwing them upon the ground, they all cried out,

rejected by the city of London, and As the late party disputes have been in a fpeech admirably adapted to his purpose, afcribed his defect not to any diflike which was entertained against him by the livery, but to the lateness of his application for their fuffrages. Mr. Wilkes's conduct on Magna Charta, the great basis of this occafion gave new life to the our laws and privileges, may properdrooping adherents of the T-ely be faid to derive its origin from faction, and they now thought it of confequence to renew their profeffions of attachment for a man whom they had meanly abandoned to the complicated diftrefs of a judicial fentence, and a defperate fortune. The friends of America too, who looked upon the prefent crifis as a favourable opportunity for their caufe, and were indifferent by what means the miniftry were hunted out of office, fo that they were actually difcarded, fupported Mr. Wilkes with the utmost cordiality; they represented him in the moft flattering colours to the view of the populace, mentioned him as a man folely perfecuted for his exalted attachment to his country, and painted the trembling adminiftration, as a junto of tyrants, who wanted to deftroy the conftitution of the kingdom, though it required but little penetration to fee that they were a cluster of fpiritlefs difgraces upon government, that evidently wanted foul to fupport the maintenance even of legal authority. Reflection however is feldom the diftinguishing characteristic of the multitude; the people were therefore fired to an actual pitch of phrenzy; they every where declared a readiness to die for the fupport of their rights, though these rights had been in no fingle inftance violated by their prefent rulers; and they univerfally prepared to refift the defpotifm of a ministry, who fo far from wishing to encroach upon the freedom of the public, were really unable to exact a neceffary obedience to the laws. Thus fituated, defied by Mr. Wilkes's friends, and defpifed by his enemies, all their efforts to prevent that gentleman's election for Middlesex proved abortive, and he was chofen with a degree of accla mation, that poffibly never appeared at any period in any country.

[To be continued.]

"Thus let him be extinguished, and ftink in hell, who violates this charter."

But notwithstanding the folemnity of this confirmation, King Henry, the very next year, again invaded the rights of his people, till the barons entered into a war againft him. When after various fuccefs, he reconfirmed this charter, and the charter of the foreft, in the fifty-fecond year of his reign.

This excellent charter, fo equitable and beneficial to the fubject, is the most ancient written law in the kingdom. By the 23d of Edward the Firft, it was ordained, that it fhould be taken as the common law; and by the forty-third of Edward the Third, all ftatutes made against it are declared void.

The

256

TH

Tallow Tree.-Planet Venus defcribed.

The Tallow Tree.

HIS very remarkable tree grows in great plenty in China; and is fo called from its producing a fubftance of the nature, and anfwering the purposes, of tallow. It is about the height of a cherry tree: its leaves are in the form of a heart, of a deep fhining red colour, and its bark very fmooth.

Its fruit is enclosed in a kind of pod, or cover like a chefnut, and confifts of three round white grains, of the fize and form of a small nut, each having its peculiar capfula, and within a little ftone. This ftone is encompaffed by a white pulp, which has all the properties of true tallow, both as to confiftence, colour, and even smell; and accordingly the Chinese make their candles of it, which would doubtless be as good as thofe in Europe, if they knew how to purify their vegetable, as well as we do our animal tallow.

May

her motion round her own axis in

23 hours.

Venus is eafily diftinguished by her brightness and whitenefs, which exceeds that of all the other planets, and which is fo confiderable, that in a dufky place the presents a sensible madow. She conftantly attends the Sun, and never departs from him above 47°.

When he goes before the Sun, that is, rifes before him, fhe is called Phofphorus, Lucifer, or the Morning Star; and when the follows him, that is, fets after him, Hefperus, Vefper, or the Evening Star.

Venus, when viewed through a telefcope, is rarely feen to fhine with a full face; but has phafes like thofe of the moon, gibbous, horned, &c. &c.

Her illumined part is conftanly turned towards the Sun, or, in other words, looks towards the eat when Phofphorus, and towards the weft when Hefperus. She fometimes appears in the disk of the Sun, in the form of a dark round fpot, where the aftronemers and the learned are now preparing to find her; nor does her visible tranfit fail of its utility. The particulars of which have been too recently published to be mentioned on this occafion.

All the preparation they give it, is, to melt it down, and mix a little oil with it, to make it fofter and more pliant. It is true, their candles yield a thicker smoke and a dimmer light than ours but thofe defects are owing in a great measure to the wicks, which are not cotton, but only a lit- To the AUTHOR of the LONDON tle rod of dry light wood, covered with the pith of a rush wound round it, which, by being very porous, ferves to filtrate the minute parts of the tallow attracted by the burning ftick, which by this means is kept alive.

curious, the following account of her is much at the fervice of fuch of our readers, who, without any trouble, would chufe to be fomewhat acquainted with her.

She is one of the inferior planets, and revolves round the Sun in an orbit between Mercury and the Earth.

According to the beft calculations, the greatest distance of Venus from the Earth is 38415, the mean diftance 22000, and the leaft diftance 5585 femidiameters of the Earth. Her femidiameter is to that of the Earth as 10 to 19; her periodical courfe round The Sun is performed in 224 days; and

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

the wifeft of mankind, a great Great book is accounted, by even evil.-May not then that general difinclination for the perufal of voluminous productions, fo remarkable in the ladies, have fomething better for its foundation than what is commonly

attendant good, is moft undeniable.A knowledge of men and things can alone be obtained by clofe application, and alone communicated in a fucceffion of pages. Those ladies therefore, who would not be uninformed, or wish to render themfelves agreeable companions, as well as objects of admiration, must feel it neceffary to forego their more sprightly ftudies, and exchange the hackney'd love tale, for the hiftoric author.

The advantages to be derived from the ftudy of hiftory, are, of all others, the most valuable. For, befides the pleasure that naturally refults from the

contem

Hiftory and Defcription of Afia.