heart 382 POETICAL ESSAYS in JULY, 1769. As if Britannia now were funk fo low, Or ceafing to be dreaded and ador'd, woe, And fix thy mind alone on rural scenes, On watry columns, capitols to rear, That mix their flowing curls with upper air? Or doft thou, weary grown, these works neglect, No temple, ftatues, obelisks, erect, But with the morning breeze from fragrant meads, [hades, Or fhun the noon-tide ray in wholefome Or fowly walk along the mazy wood, To meditate on all that's wife and good? For nature bountiful in thee has join'd A perfon pleafing with a worthy mind; Not given thee form alone, but means and art, To draw the eye, or to allure the heart. Peor were the praife in fortune to excel, Yet want of means to use that fortune well; While thus adorn'd, while thus with virtue crown'd, At home in peace, abroad in arms renown'd; Should hope, or fear, thy heart alternate tear, Amidst the pangs of fuch inteftine ftrife, With her enlivening and unlook'd for light, How grateful will appear her dawning rays! Content may keep his life, or calmly lofe: Come, fee thy friend retir'd without regret, Not fo robuft in body as in mind, And always undejected, though declin'd ; I Letter from Mr. Wilkes to Mr. John Churchill, Brother of the celebrated "Mr. Charles Churchill, on the Report of a prefent Vacancy for the City of Westminster. Beg the favour of you, my dear fir, to return my best thanks to the friends of liberty in Wefminfier, who have so hand, fomely offered me their fervice on the present vacancy for that city. I wish you to be quite explicit on the occafion, and to declare in my name, that I think it my duty to decline the honour intended me. I am now as much a legal member of the House of Commons as our fpeaker himself. The only difference I can find out is, I reprefent the first county in England, he a fmall borough in Lincolnshire. I am a knight of the fhire, he is a fimple burgefs. At this time I am actually fupporting, as far as I can, the right of reprefentation of my worthy conftituens, and of every elector in the island, which is violated in my pretended expulfion. I will purfue with unwearied zeal fo great a caufe. I hold myfelf fill the colleague of Mr. Serjeant Glynn, because we were both chofen by a majority of the freeholders of the county of Middlefex. I am befides determined not to vacate my feat in parliament, and therefore I cannot be in the capacity of receiving fuch obliging 1769. Letters to and from Mr. Onflow. obliging marks of regard from our Weft- Believe me ever your most affectionate, King's Bench Prifon, A Letter baving appeared in the Public Ad- To the PRINTER. July 16. The fcurrility in general, which has been of late fo heaped upon me in the public papers, I have hitherto treated with the contempt my friends and myself thought it deferved, and fuffered it to pafs with impunity; but this left is fo outrageous, and tends fo mech to wound my character and honour in the tendereft part, that I am determine, if practicable, to fee if a jury will not do me and the public juftice against fuch a libelJer, and whether they will not think the robbing an innocent man of his character is a robbery of the most dangerous kind, and that the perpetrators of it will fick at nothing. For the prefent, I muit content myself with only laying before the public the two fol 383 lowing letters, which will explain to them all the knowledge I had of the deteflable fraud, which has been taken advantage of to charge me with corruption; a crime, which, of all others, I hold the moft in abhorrence. I defy the whole world to prove a single word in your libellous letter to be true, or that the whole is not a barefaced, pofitive, and entire lie. That it is fo, I do affert, and I call upon any body, if they can, to difprove what I fay. GEORGE ONSLOW. Copy of a Letter to Mr. Onflow, received the 27th of June. I SIR, New-Bond-Street, June 25, 1769. Beg you will pardon my thus addreffing you, a liberty I could not think of, was any thing less than my family's bread at large fum of money (which gave us inexprefftake. Some weeks paft my husband paid a fible forrow to raife) to a party, who protest they are empowered by you to infure him, in New Hampshire. I have been told this day return, the collectorship of Piscataway in the treasury bocks confirm the news. one Hughes is in poffeffion of the fame, and I beg leave moft earnefly to intreat you will inform me whether Mr. Hughes is under any engagement to refign, or whether we are duped by thofe who have taken our money. Mr. Burns has had the ftrongest recommendations from perfons of undoubted veracity, and I believe, on all accounts, will be found to be perfectly capable and worthy of the employment. Once more I intreat, good fir, you will excufe this trouble, which is caufed by a heart almoft broken with the fear and terror of a difa.pointment. With the profoundest respect, Your moft obedient Mr. ONSLOW's Answer. Ember Court, June 27, 1769. MADAM, hither only to-day, or I fhould have OUR letter was brought down to me anfwered it fooner. Without having the honour of being known to you or Mr. Burns, it gives me much concern that any body should be fo impofed upon as you have been, and as much indignation that my name fhould be made fo infamous a ufe o I should have been under an equal degree of furprize, had I not this morning had fome intimation of the matter from Mr. Pownall and M. Bradhaw, and made fome enquiry into it of Mr. Watkins at Charing-Crofe, with a determi nation to fift this shocking fcene of villainy to the bottom, and which I shall now be encouraged in by the hopes of getting you your money 384 Letters to and from Mr. Onflow. money restored to you, as well as the earpest defire I have to bring the perpetrators of this roguery to the punishment and shame they deferve. For this purpofe, might I beg the favour of Mr. Burns to meet me at my house in Curzon-ftreet about ten o'clock on Friday morn ing? I will go with him to Mr. Pownall's, of which I have given him notice; and I with Mr. Burns would bring with him Mr. Watkins, or any body elfe that can give light into this unhappy and wicked affair. Till this morning, I never in my life heard a fingle word of either the office itself, nor of any of the parties concerned: you will judge then of my aftonishment, and indeed horror, at hearing of it to-day from Mr. Bradshaw. I am, madam, &c. GEORGE ONSLOW. Since the writing of the above letters, more of this fraud has been detected, and further enquiry is making, in order to bring the actors in it to justice. A woman of the name of Smith, who lives near Broad-street, is the perfon who appears to be principally concerned in the fraud, the money being, it feems for her use. To the Right Hon. GEORGE ONSLOW. Good Sir, IF with another innocent Man, Lord Holland, you too were ambitious to add to the lift of Mr. Walpole's right honourable authors, you might like him have exposed yourself with more temper, and have called names in better English. I fhould be forry to libel you by mistaking your meaning, but the ftrange manner of wording your firft fentence leaves me at a lofs to know whether you intend that my letter, or your own Character, is a grofs and infamous lie from beginning to end." You may fave yourself the expence of taking "the best advice in the law." Depend upon it you can never" hope to make an example of the author, when the publisher is unable or unwilling to give up his name." And you need not wait for a jury to determine, that "robbing a man is certainly a robbery." But you should have confidered fome months fince that it is the fame thing whether the man be guilty or innocent; and whether he be robbed of his reputation or his feat in parliament. of In the Public Advertiser of Friday, July 14, there is a letter from you as well as to you. If that is the fcurrility you speak of, I agree with you that it has been treated with the contempt it deferves by all the world; but how can you say that it has paffed with impunity? I own I cannot conceive, unless indeed you are of opinion with those hardened criminals who think that, because there is no corporal fufference in it, the being gib July beted in chains and exposed as a spectacle makes no part of their punishment. The letter written by you to Mr. Wilkes tends more" to wound your character and honour" than any other, and yet you pass it over in filence. But you fhall, if you please, prove to the world that those who have neither character nor honour may still be wounded in a very tender part-their intereft. And I believe Lord Hillsborough is too noble to fuffer any lord of the treafury to prostitute his name and commiffion to bargains like that I have expofed; but will, if he continues to prefide at the board of trade, refolutely infift either on fuch lord's full justification or difmiffion.-Hinc illa lachryma. You" defy the whole world to prove a fingle word in my letter to be true; or that the whole is not a barefaced pofitive and entire lye." The language of the last part of this fentence is fuch as I can make no use of, and therefore I return it back on you to whom it belongs: the defiance in the first part I accept, and will disprove what you fay. My letter can only be falfe in one particular; for it contains only one affirmation, namely, that I heard the story I relate from very good authority. It then concludes with a queftion to you of-who is this lord of the treafury that fo abhors corruption? Which queftion, fince you have answered, I too will gratify you, and in return for yours do hereby direct the printer to give you my name; which, humble as it is, I fhould not confent to exchange with you in any other manner. Now, fir, I do again affirm that I heard the ftory from the best authority: and that it is not my invention, your own letter is a proof, for I might have heard it either from Mrs. Burns, or from Mr. Pownall, or Mṛ. Bradshaw; but I heard it from better authority. I go farther, I do ftill believe the ftory as I related it to be true; nor has any thing you have faid convinced me to the contrary. I do not mean to charge you or any one; but fince you have condefcended to anfwer my former queftion, be kind enough to explain what follows. Mr. Pownall is fecretary to the board of Trade, Mr. Bradshaw is fecretary to the Treafury: why did these two fecretaries come together to you? Were they fent by their principals or not? Who first detected this very fcandalous though very commen traffick? Has not Lord Hillborough that honour? And is not your exaggerated "abhorrence of corruption, your aftonishment, and indeed borrar at this shocking scene of villany," vaftly heightened by the calm, and therefore unfu pected disapprobation of his lordship, who does not feem to think with you that every whore fhould be hanged alive, but only that they should be turned out of ho neft company. How came you fo inftantly to entertain hopes of getting the money restored to Ma. Buras Burns; when you declared, that " till that morning you never in your life heard a fingle word of either the office itself, nor of any of the parties concerned." Jonathan Wild used to return fuch anfwers; because he knew the theft was committed by some of his own gang. 385 (whom her to be an ideot. Colonel Mr. Pownall, Mr. Bradshaw, and their principals, are fuppofed to know fomething of men and things, and therefore I conclude they did not believe you concerned in this bufinefs though I wonder much that, not believing it, both the fecretaries (hould wait on you fo seriously about it; but perhaps they may think that when honour and juftice are not the rules of men's actions, there is nothing incredible that may be for their advantage. You pretend to have given to the public “all the knowledge you have of this deteftable fraud." I cannot believe it, because I find nothing in your letter on which to found your hopes of restoring the money to Mrs. Buras; and especially because in three weeks after this letter, i. e. from June 27 to Joly 18, you have only difcovered that "Mrs. Smith appears to be principally concerned in this deteftable fraud, the money being it seems for her ufe." Sir, do you not know who Mrs. Smith is? And are you not acquainted with that gentleman? Have you caufed Mrs. Smith or any one elfe to be taken into cufto dy? Have you taken "the beft advice in the law, and are you determined to fee if a jury will not do you and the public juftice" for this deteftable fraud? Or is there yet left one crime which you abhor more than corruption; and for which you referve all your indignation? But why this anger? He that is innocent can easily prove himself to be foreverfion on the moderate terms of one and fhould be thankful to those who give him the opportunity, by making á ftory public. Malicious and faife flander never acts in this open manner; but feeks the covert, and cautiously conceals itself from the party maligned, in order to prevent a juftification. If any perfons have done your character an injury by a charge of corruption, they are most guilty who to thoroughly believed you capable of that crime as to pay a large fum of money on the fuppofition; (an indignity which I proteft I would not have offered to you, though you had negotiated the matter, and given the promise yourself.) And yet I do not find you at all angry with them when they tell you their opinion of you without fcruple. On the contrary, you pity Mrs. Burns in the kindest manner, which thewe plainly that your honour is not like Cæfar's wife. Nay, you feem almoft to doubt whether you might beg the favour of Mr. Burns to meet you at your house in CurzonAreet-;" that is, you humbly folicit Mrs. Burns to do you the favour of accepting your affiftance in the recovery of his money. Arch ifhop Laud thought to clear himself to pofterity from all afperfions relative to prpery, by inferting in his diary his refufal of a cardinal's hat; not perceiving the dif grace indelibly fixed on him by the offer. Mr. Burns has had the ftrongest recommendations from perfons of undoubted veracity, and I believe on all accounts will be found to be perfectly capable and worthy of the employment." The letter from Mrs. Burns to you does not by no means declare July, 17698 But, fit, whatever may be their fentiments of you, I muft intreat you to entertain no refentment to me. My opinion of your character would never fuffer me to doubt your innocence. If indeed the charge of corruption had been brought against a low and ignorant debauchee, who, without the gratifications and enjoyments of a gen tleman, had wafted a noble patrimony amongst the loweft proftitutes; whofe ne ceffities had driven him to hawk about a thousand for two hundred ; whose desperate fituation had made him renounce his prin ciples and defert his friends, thofe principles and those friends to which he flood in debted for his chief fupport; who for a pal try confideration had ftabbed a dear old friend, and violated the facred rights of that grateful country that continued to the fon the reward of his father's fervices. If the charge had been brought against fuch an one, more fit to receive the public charity than to be trufted with the difpofal and management of the pub lic money, fmail proof would have been fufficient; and inftead of confidering it as a crime the moft to be abhorred, we might have fuffered corruption to país amongst the virtues of fuch a man. But your's, fir, is a very different cha racter and fituation, in the clear and unin cumbered poffeffion of that paternal estate with which your ancestors have long been refpectable; with a pention of three thou fand, and a place of one thousand a year; with the certain profpect of Lord Onflow's large fortune, which your prudence will not anticipate; grateful to your country, faithful to your connections, and firm to your principies, it ought to be as difficult to convict you of corruption as a cardinal of fornica tion; for which laft purpose by the canon law no less than feventy-two eye-winelles are neceflary. Thus, fir, you fee how far I am from cafting any reflection on your integrity: however, if, notwithstanding all I have faid, you are ftill refolved to try the determinaCocc sion 386 The Livery of London's Petition to the King. July infulted;" and by a fatal and falfe applitation of this maxim, they have wantonly and wickedly facrificed the lives of many of your majefty's innocent fubjects, and have prostituted your majefty's facred name and authority, to justify, applaud, and recommend their own illegal and bloody actions. tion of a jury, take one piece of advice from Another Freebolder of Surrey. To the King's Moft excellent Majesty. WE, your majefty's dutiful and loyal fubjects, the livery of the city of London, with all the humility which is due from free fubjects to their lawful fovereign, but with all the anxiety, which the fenfe of the prefent oppreffions, and the juft dread of future mifchiefs, produce in our minds, beg leave to lay before your majefty fome of those intolerable grievances which your people have fuffered from the evil conduct of those who have been entrusted with the adminiftration of your majefty's government, and from the fecret unremitting influence of the worst of counsellors. We should be wanting in our duty to your majesty, as well as to ourselves and our pofterity, fhould we forbear to represent to the throne the defperate attempts which have been, and are too fuccefsfully made, to deftroy that conftitution, to the spirit of which we owe the relation, which fubfifts between your majefty and the subjects of these realms, and to fubvert thofe facred laws, which our ancestors have fealed with their blood. Your minifters, from corrupt principles, and in violation of every duty, have, by various enumerated means, invaded our invaluable and unalienable right of trial by jury. They have, with impunity, iffued general warrants, and violently feized perfons and private papers. They have rendered the laws non-effective to our security, by evading the Habeas Corpus. They have caufed punishments, and even perpetual imprifonment, to be inflicted, without trial, conviction, or fentence. They have brought into disrepute the civil magiftracy, by the appointment of perfons who are, in many respects, unqualified for that important truft, and have thereby purposely furnished a pretence for calling in the aid of a military power. They avow, and endeavour to establish, a maxim abfolutely inconfiftent with our contitution that an occafion for effectually employing a military force always prefents elf, when the civil power is trifled with er They have fcreened more than one murderer from punishment, and in its place have unnaturally fubftituted reward. They have established numberless unconftitutional regulations and taxations in our colonies. They have caufed a revenue to be raised in fome of them by prerogative. They have appointed civil law judges to try revenue causes, and to be paid from out of the condemnation money. After having insulted and defeated the law on different occafions, and by different contrivances, both at home and abroad, they have at length completed their defign, by violently wrefting from the people the lat facred right we bad left, the right of election: by the unprecedented feating of a candidate notoriously fet up and chosen only by themselves. They have thereby taken from your fubjects all hopes of parliamentary redress, and have left us no resource, under God, but in your majesty. All this they have been able to effect by corruption. By a fcandalous, mifapplionfure, and a fhameful proftitution of public tion and embezzlement of the public treahonours and employments; procuring deficiencies of the civil lift to be made good without examination; and, inftead of punifhing, conferring honours on a paymafter, the public defaulter of unaccounted millions. From an unfeigned sense of the duty we owe to your majesty and to our country, we have ventured thus humbly to day before the throne thofe great and important truths, which it has been the business of your minifters to conceal. We moft earneftly befeech your majefty to grant us redres. It is for the purpose of redress alone, and for fook occafions as the prefent, that those great and extenfive powers are intrufted to the crown by the wisdom of that conftitution which you majefty's illuftrious family was chofen to defend, and which we trust a God it will for ever continue to fupport. COPY of a LETTER from a Noble Lord To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor. I Na petition prefented by your lordship it is mentioned as a grievance-Inftead of pu nishing, conferring bonours on a paymafler, the public defaulter of unaccounted millions. I am told that I am the paymafter here cenfured: may I beg to know of your lordship if it in fo? |