The distance of the Colonies would make it impoffible for them to take an active concern in your affairs, if they were as well affected to your government as they once pretended to be to your perfon. They were ready enough to distinguish between you and your minifters. They complained of an act of the legislature, but traced the origin of it no higher than to the fervants of the crown: They pleased themfelves with the hope that their Sovereign, if not favourable to their cause, at leaft was impartial. The decifive, personal part you took against them, has effectually banished that firft diftinction from their minds. They confider you as united with your fervants against America, and know how to diftinguifh the Sovereign and a venal parliament on one fide, from the real fentiments of the English people on the other. Looking forward to independence, they might poffibly receive you for their king; but, if ever you retire to America, be affured they will give you fuch a covenant to digeft, as the prefbytery of Scotland would have been afhamed to offer to Charles the Second. They left their native land in fearch of freedom, and found it in a defart. Divided as they are into a thoufand forms of policy and religion, there is one point in which they all agree they equally deteft the pageantry of a king, and the fupercilious hypocrify of a bifhop.

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It is not then from the alienated affections of Ireland or America, that you can reasonably look for affiftance; still lefs from the people of England, who are actually contending for their rights, and in this great question, are parties against you. You are not, however, deftitute of every appearance of fupport: You have all the Jacobites, Nonjurors, Roman Catholics, and Tories of this country, and all Scotland without exception. Confidering from what family you are defcended, the choice of your friends has been fingularly directed; and truly, Sir, if you had not loft the whig intereft of England, I fhould admire your dexterity in turning. the hearts of your enemies. Is it poffible for you to place any confidence in men, who, before they are faithful to you, muft renounce every opinion, and betray every principle, both in church and ftate, which they inherit from their ancestors, and are confirmed in by their education? whose numbers are so inconfiderable, that they have long fince been obliged to give up the principles and language which distinguished them as a party, and to fight under the banners of their enemies? Their zeal begins with hypocrify, and must conclude in treachery. At first they deceive, at laft they betray.

As to the Scotch, I muft fuppofe your heart and understanding fo biaffed, from your earliest

infancy

iafancy, in their favour, that nothing less than your own misfortunes can undeceive you. You will not accept of the uniform experience of your anceftors; and when once a man is determined to believe, the very abfurdity of the doctrine confirms him in his faith. A bigotted understanding can draw a proof of attachment to the house of Hannover from a notorious zeal for the houfe of Stuart, and find an earnest of future loyalty in former rebellions. Appearances are however in their favour; fo strongly indeed, that one would think they had forgotten that you are their lawful king, and had mistaken you for a pretender to the crown. Let it be admitted then that the Scotch are as fincere in their prefent profeffions, as if you were in reality not an Englishman, but a Briton of the North, you would not be the first prince of their native country against whom they have rebelled, nor the first whom they have bafely betrayed. Have you forgotten, Sir, or has your favourite concealed from you that part of our history, when the unhappy Charles (and he too had private virtucs) fled from the open avowed indignation of his English fubjects, and furrendered himself at difcretion to the good faith of his own countrymen, Without looking for fupport in their affections as fubjects, he applied only to their honour as gentlemen

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men, for protection. They received him as they would your Majefty, with bows, and smiles, and falfehood, and kept him until they had fettled their bargain with the English parliament; then basely fold their native King to the vengeance of his enemies. This, Sir, was not the act of a few traitors, but the deliberate treachery of a Scotch parliament reprefenting the nation. A wife prince might draw from it two leffons of equal utility to himself. On one fide he might learn to dread the undisguifed refentment of a generous people, who dare openly affert their rights, and who, in a juft caufe, are ready to meet their Sovereign in the field. On the other fide, he would be taught to apprehend fomething far more formidable;————————a fawning treachery, against which no prudence can guard, no courage can defend. The infidious fmiles upon the cheek would warn him of the canker in the heart.

From the uses, to which one part of the army has been too frequently applied, you have fome reason to expect, that there are no fervices they would refufe. Here too we trace the partiality of your understanding. You take the fenfe of the army from the conduct of the guards, with the fame juftice with which you collect the sense of the people from the reprefentations of the ministry.

Your

Your marching regiments, Sir, will not make the guards their example either as foldiers or fubjects. They feel and refent, as they ought to do, that invariable, undistinguishing favour with which the gards are treated; while thofe gallant troops, by whom every hazardous, every laborious fervice is performed, are left to perifh in garrifons abroad, or pine in quarters at home, neglected and forgotten. If they had no fenfe of the great original duty they owe their country, their refentment would operate like patriotifm, and leave your caufe to be defended by thofe to whom you have lavished the rewards and honours of their profeffion The prætorian bands, enervated and debauched as they were, had still strength enough to awe the Roman populace: but when the diftant legions took the alarm, they marched to Rome, and gave away the empire.

On this fide then, which ever way you turn your eyes, you fee nothing but perplexity and diftrefs. You may determine to fupport the very miniftry who have reduced your affairs to this deplo rable fituation; you may shelter yourself under the forms of a parliament, and fet your people at defiance. But be affured, Sir, that fuch a refolution would be as imprudent as it would be odious. If it did not immediately shake your establishment, it would rob you of your peace of mind for ever.

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