make an indulgent allowance for the pernicious leffons you received in your youth, and to form the most fanguine hopes from the natural benevolence of your difpofition. We are far from thinking you capable of a direct, deliberate purpose to invade those original rights of your fubjects, on which all their civil and political liberties depend: Had it been poffible for us to entertain a fufpicion fo dishonourable to your character, we should long fince have adopted a ftile of remonstrance very distant from the humility of complaint. The doctrine inculcated by our laws, That the King can do no Wrong, is admitted without reluctance. We feparate the amiable good-natured prince from the folly and treachery of his fervants, and the private virtues of the man from the vices of his governWere it not for this juft diftinction, I know not whether your Majefty's condition, or that of the English nation, would deferve moft to be lamented. I would prepare your mind for a favourable reception of truth, by removing every painful, offenfive idea of perfonal reproach. Your fubjects, Sir, wifh for nothing but that, as they are reafonable and affectionate enough to feparate your per fon from your government, fo you, in your turn, fhould diftinguish between the conduct, which becomes the permanent dignity of a king, and that

ment.

which ferves only to promote the temporary in

tereft and miferable ambition of a minifter.

You afcended the throne with a declared, and, I doubt not, a fincere refolution of giving univerfal fatisfaction to your fubjects. You found them pleased with the novelty of a young prince, whose countenance promised even more than his words, and loyal to you not only from principle, but paffion. It was not a cold profeffion of allegiance to the firft magiftrate, but a partial, animated attachment to a favourite prince, the native of their country. They did not wait to examine your conduct, nor to be determined by experience, but gave you a generous credit for the future bleffings of your reign, and paid you in advance the dearest tribute of their affections. Such, Sir, was once the difpofition of a people, who now furround your throne with reproaches and complaints. Do juftice to yourself. Banifh from your mind thofe unworthy opinions with which fome interested perfons have laboured to poffefs you. Diftruft the men, who tell you that the English are naturally light and inconftant;-that they complain without a cause. Withdraw your confidence equally from all parties; from minifters, favourites, and rela tions; and let there be one moment in your life in which you have confulted your own understand

ing.

When

When you affectedly renounced the name of Englishman, believe me, Sir, you were perfuaded to pay a very ill-judged compliment to one part of your fubjects, at the expence of another. While the natives of Scotland are not in actual rebellion, they are undoubtedly entitled to protection; nor do I mean to condemn the policy of giving fome encouragement to the novelty of their affections for the houfe of Hanover. I am ready to hope for every thing from their new-born zeal, and from the future fteadiness of their allegiance. But hitherto they have no claim to your favour. To honour them with a determined predilection and confidence, in exclufion of your English subjects, who placed your family, and, in fpight of treachery and rebellion, have fupported it upon the throne, is a mistake too grofs, even for the unfufpecting generofity of youth. In this error we fee a capital violation of the moft obvious rules of policy and prudence. We trace it, however, to an original bias

in

your education, and are ready to allow for your inexperience.

To the fame early influence we attribute it, that you have defcended to take a share not only in the narrow views and interefts of particular perfons, but in the fatal malignity of their paffions. At your acceffion to the throne, the whole fyftem of government

government was altered, not from wisdom or deliberation, but because it had been adopted by your predeceffor. A little, perfonal motive of pique and refentment was fufficient to remove the ableft fervants of the crown; but it is not in this country, Sir, that fuch men can be difhonoured by the frowns of a king. They were difmiffed, but could not be difgraced. Without entering into a minuter difcuffion of the merits of the peace, we may obferve, in the imprudent hurry with which the firft overtures from France were accepted, in the conduct of the negotiation, and terms of the treaty, the strongest marks of that precipitate spirit of conceffion, with which a certain part of your subjects have been at all times ready to purchase a peace with the natural enemies of this country. On your part we are satisfied that every thing was honourable and fincere, and if England was fold to France, we doubt not that your Majesty was equally betrayed. The conditions of the peace were matter of grief and surprise to your fubjects, but not the immediate caufe of their prefent difcon

tent.

Hitherto, Sir, you had been facrificed to the prejudices and paffions of others. With what firmness will you bear the mention of your own?

A man, not very honourably diftinguished in the world, commences a formal attack upon your

favourite, confidering nothing, but how he might best expose his perfon and principles to deteftation, and the national character of his countrymen to contempt. The natives of that country, Sir, are as much distinguished by a peculiar character as by your Majesty's favour. Like another chofen people, they have been conducted into the Land of Plenty, where they find themselves effectually marked, and divided from mankind. There is hardly a period, at which the most irregular character may not be redeemed. The mistakes of one fex find a retreat in patriotism; those of the other in devotion. Mr. Wilkes brought with him into politics the fame liberal fentiments by which his private conduct had been directed, and seemed to think, that, as there are few exceffes, in which an English gentleman may not be permitted to indulge, the fame latitude was allowed him in the choice of his political principles, and in the spirit of maintaining them. I mean to ftate, not entirely to defend his conduct. In the earnestness of his zeal, he suffered fome unwarrantable infinuations to escape him. He said more than moderate men would justify; but not enough to entitle him to the honour of your Majefty's perfonal refentment. The rays

Ani

of royal indignation, collected upon him, ferved only to illuminate, and could not confume. mated by the favour of the people on one fide,

and