If you have ferved with him, you ought to have pointed out fome inftances of able difpofition and well concerted enterprize, which might fairly be attributed to his capacity as a General. It is you, Sir William, who make your friend appear aukward and ridiculous, by giving him a laced fuit of tawdry qualifications, which nature never intended

him to wear.

You fay, he has acquired nothing but honour in the field. Is the ordnance nothing? Are the Blues nothing? Is the command of the army, with all the patronage annexed to it, nothing? Where he got thefe nothings I know not: but you at least ought to have told us where he deserved them.

As to his bounty, compaffion, &c. it would have been but little to the purpose, though you had proved all that you have afferted. I meddle with nothing but his character as commander in chief; and though I acquit him of the baseness of felling commiffions, I ftill affert that his military cares have never extended beyond the difpofal of vacancies; and I am juftified by the complaints of the whole army, when I fay that, in this diftribution, he confults nothing but parliamentary interests, or the gratification of his immediate dependants. As to his fervile fubmiffion to the reigning miniftry, let me afk, whether he did not defert the caufe of the whole army, when he fuffered Sir Jeffery Am

herst

herft to be facrificed, and what fhare he had in recalling that officer to the fervice? Did he not betray the just intereft of the army, in permitting Lord Percy to have a regiment? and does he not at this moment give up all character and dignity as a gentleman, in receding from his own repeated declarations in favour of Mr. Wilkes.

In the two next articles I think we are agreed. You candidly admit, that he often makes fuch promises as it is a virtue in him to violate, and that no man is more affiduous to provide for his relations at the public expence. I did not urge the last as an abfolute vice in his difpofition, but to prove that a careless difinterested fpirit is no part of his character; and as to the other, I defire it may be remembered that I never defcended to the indecency of inquiring into his convivial hours. It is you, Sir William Draper, who have taken pains to reprefent your friend in the character of a drunken landlord, who deals out his promises as liberally as his liquor, and will fuffer no man to leave his table either forrowful or fober. None but an intimate friend, who muft frequently have feen him in thefe unhappy, difgraceful moments, could have defcribed him fo well.

The laft charge, of the neglect of the army, is indeed the moft material of all. I am forry to tell you, Sir William, that, in this article, your first

fact

fact is falfe, and as there is nothing more painful to me than to give a direct contradiction to a gentleman of your appearance, I could wish that, in your future publications, you would pay a greater attention to the truth of your premises, before you fuffer your genius to hurry you to a conclufion. Lord Ligonier did not deliver the army (which you, in claffical language, are pleased to call a Palladium) into Lord Granby's hands. It was taken from him, much against his inclination, some two or three years before Lord Granby was commander in chief. As to the state of the army, I fhould be glad to know, where you have received your intelligence. Was it in the rooms at Bath, or at your retreat at Clifton? The reports of reviewing Generals comprehend only a few regiments in England, which, as they are immediately under the royal inspection, are perhaps in fome tolerable order. But do you know any thing of the troops in the West Indies, the Mediterranean, and North America, to fay nothing of a whole army abfolutely ruined in Ireland? Inquire a little into facts, Sir William, before you publifh your next panegyric upon Lord Granby, and believe me you will find there is a fault at head quarters, which even the acknowledged care and abilities of the Adjutant General cannot correct.

Permit me now, Sir William, to addrefs myself perfonally to you, by way of thanks for the honour of your correfpondence. You are by no means undeferving of notice; and it may be of confequence even to Lord Granby to have it determined, whether or no the man, who has praised him fo lavishly, be himself deferving of praife. When you returned to Europe, you zealously undertook the cause of that gallant army, by whofe bravery at Manilla your own fortune had been established. You complained, you threatened, you even appealed to the public in print. By what accident did it happen, that in the midft of all this buftle, and all thefe clamours for justice to your injured troops, the name of the Manilla ransom was fuddenly buried in a profound, and, fince that time, an uninterrupted filence? Did the miniftry fuggeft any motives to you, ftrong enough to tempt a man of honour to defert and betray the caufe of his fellow foldiers? Was it that blufhing ribband, which is now the perpetual ornament of your perfon? or was it that regiment, which you afterwards (a thing unprecedented among foldiers) fold to Colonel Gisborne ? or was it that government, the full pay of which you are contented to hold, with the half-pay of an Irish Colonel? And do you now, after a retreat not very like that of Scipio, prefume to intrude yourfelf, unthought of, uncalled for, upon the patience

of

of the public? Are your flatteries of the commander in chief directed to another regiment, which you may again difpofe of on the fame honourable terms? We know your prudence, Sir William, and I fhould be forry to stop your preferment,

LETTER

JUNIUS.

IV.

Feb. 10, 1769.

I

SIR,

F the voice of a well meaning individual could be heard amid the clamour, fury, and madness of the times, would it appear too rafh and prefumptuous to propofe to the public, that an act of indemnity and oblivion may be made for all paft tranfactions and offences, as well with respect to Mr. Wilkes as to our colonies? Such falutary expedients have been embraced by the wifeft nations fuch expedients have been made ufe of by our own, when the public confusions had arrived to fome very dangerous and alarming crifis; and I believe it needs not the gift of prophecy to foretel, that some such crifis is now approaching. Perhaps it will be more wife and praife worthy to make fuch an act immediately, in order to prevent the poffibility, not to fay the probabiltity of an infurrecton

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