This may be logic at Cambridge or at the Treafury, but, among men of fenfe and honour, it is folly or villany in the extreme.

I fee the pitiful advantage he has taken of a fingle unguarded expreffion, in a letter not intended for the public. Yet it is only the expreffion that is unguarded. I adhere to the true meaning of that member of the fentence, taken separately as be takes it, and now, upon the coolest deliberation, re-affert that, for the purposes I referred to, it may be highly meritorious to the public, to wound the perfonal feelings of the Sovereign It is not a general propofition, nor is it generally applied to the Chief Magiftrate of this, or any other conftitution. Mr. Horne knows as well as I do, that the beft of Princes is not difpleafed with the abufe which he fees thrown upon his oftenfible Ministers. It makes them, I prefume, more properly the objects of his Royal compaffion; neither does it escape his fagacity, that the lower they are degraded in the public esteem, the more fubmiffively they muft depend upon his favour for protection. This, I affirm, upon the moft folemn conviction, and the moft certain knowledge, is a leading maxim in the policy of the Clofet.It is unneceffary to pursue the are gument any farther.

Mr. Horne is now a very loyal subject. Hë laments the wretched ftate of politics in this country, and fees, in a new light, the weaknes and folly of the Oppofition. Whoever, or whatever is Sovereign, demands the respect and Support of the people. It was not fo, when Nero fiddled while Rome was burning. Our gracious Sovereign has had wonderful fuccefs, in creating new attachments to his person and family. He owes it, I prefume, to the regular fyftem he has purfued in the ministry of converfion. He began with an experiment upon the Scotch, and conclude's with converting Mr Horne.What a pity it is, that the Jews fhould be condemned by Providence to wait for a Meffiah of their own!

The priesthood are accused of mifinterpreting the fcriptures. Mr. Horne has improved upon his profeffion. He alters the text, and creates a refutable doctrine of his own. Such artifices cannot long delude the understanding of the people; and, without meaning an indecent comparifon, I may venture to foretel, that the Bible and Junius will be read, when the commentaries of the Jefuits are forgotten.

August 13th, 1771.

JUNIUS.

LET:

LETTER XLVII.

Το

JUNIUS.

August 16, 1771.

I

Congratulate you, Sir, on the recovery of your wonted stile, tho' it has coft you a fortnight. I compaffionate your labour in the compofition of your letters, and will communicate to you the fecret of my fluency.Truth needs no ornament; and, in my opinion, what the borrows of the pencil is deformity.

You brought a pofitive charge against me of corruption. I denied the charge, and called for your proofs. You replied with abufe and reafferted your charge. I called again for proofs. You reply again with abuse only, and drop your accufation. In your fortnight's letter there is not one word upon the fubject of my corruption.

I have no more to say, but to return thanks to you for your condescenfion, and to a grateful public and boneft ministry for all the favours they have conferred upon me. The two latter, I am fure, will never refuse me any grace I fhall folicit; and fince you have been pleased to acknowledge that you told a deliberate lye in my favour out of bounty,

and

and as a charitable donation, why may I not expect that you will hereafter (if you do not forget you ever mentioned my name with difrepect) make the fame acknowledgment for what you have faid to my prejudice? this fecond recantation will perhaps be more abhorrent from your difpofition; but fhould you decline it, you will only afford one more inftance how much easier it is to be generous than juft, and that men are fometimes bountiful who are not honeft.

At all events I am as well fatisfied with your panegyric as Lord Chatham can be. Monument I fhall have none; but over my grave it will be faid, in your own words, "Horne's fituation did not correfpond with his intentions.",

JOHN HORNE,

LET

LETTER XLVIII:

To his Grace the Duke of GRAFTON.

My LORD,

Sept. 27, 1771 HE people of England are not apprised of

TH

the full extent of their obligations to you. They have yet no adequate idea of the endlefs variety of your character. They have feen you distinguished and fuccefsful in the continued violation of thofe moral and political duties, by which the little, as well as the great focieties of life, are collected and held together. Every colour, every character became you. With a rate of abilities, which lord Weymouth very juftly looks down upon with contempt, you have done as much mischief to the community as Cromwell would have done, if Cromwell had been a coward, and as much as Machiavel, if Machiavel had not known, that an appearance of morals and religion are useful ip fociety.To a thinking man the influence of a crown will, in no view, appear fo formidable, as when he obferves to what enormous exceffes it has fafely conducted your Grace, without a ray of real understanding, without even the pretenfion to common decency or principle of any kind, or a single spark of perfonal refolution. What must be the operation of D d

that