inftructions to offer, but also their piques and difappointments to revenge. If Június was fometimes influenced by thefe, he is the more excufable; as, however severe his reprehenfions, they appear to have ever been founded on justice and truth.

This affociation, under a fingle name, appears to have been of some confequence to the perfonal fafety of this writer; who, as he could not take upon him to be the author of all the anecdotes communicated to him, and at the fame time was not authorized to disclose the informant, could not be expected to justify, in his own perfon, every thing for which he might be called to account. The communicating parties therefore bound themselves, it seems, reciprocally to support each other; a circumftance of which the real Junius was wife enough to profit in an altercation that happened between him and a gentleman of rank in the army, who had been very roughly handled in one of his letters." Lam in"formed, Sir, faid the officer, that you wrote the let"ter which appeared in to-day's Public Advertiser, "under the fignature of Junius. I fhall be obliged to

you if you would tell me whether your did or not? Really, Sir, replied our author, that is a queftion I cannot be fo obliging as to anfwer, as I fee no reason for your asking me the queftion. If you believe your informer, it is needefs; and if you do not, it is rather rude to found your fufpicion of me on the information of one you suspect to be a liar. Sir, retorted the officer warmly, Lord T. challenged Mr. W. on a fimilar occafion, and I

think

think it is a queftion a gentleman has a right to afk, and
a reafon to expect an answer. You, Sir, returned
Junius coolly, may adopt the conduct of Lord T. if
you please; but, I affure you, I fhall not make Mr.
Wilkes the standard of mine." I am determined I
will fomehow have fatisfaction." "You are perfectly
right, Sir, but you have no right to make me determine
the quo modo," "Are not you Junius?" Angrily
"If I were, Sir, and you were to dispatch one Junius to-
day, you would have another to encounter before the
end of the week," turning round on his heel and walk-
ing away. The military gentleman was ready to burst
with rage at the affected fang-foid of our author; but
not having the keen-killing ftomach of a Bobadil, he
ftifled his resentment, and fuffered the matter to drop.
A more pleasant inftance of this multifarious charac-
ter of Junius was given the public, in his hafty and
inadvertent reply to a letter addreffed to him in the news
papers by a fuppofed female writer; to which our au-
thor, in his gaité de Cœur, returned fo light and ludi-
crous an answer, that it was condemned, it seems, in full
conclave, by the graver part of the individual units of the
junto; whether because they judged its wit to be incom-
patible with politics, or that they thought its levity
unbecoming the pen of a writer, engaged in the difcuf-
fion of the important affairs of government. Junius
therefore was reduced to the disagreeable task of disown-
ing his own hand-writing, and imputing the fault to
a mistake of the printer; who, it was pretended, was de-
ceived

eived by a ftriking fimilitude of the penmanship. But could this fimilitude be accidental? Or, could a corref pondent, not in the fecret of the junto, copy the handwriting of Junius fo nearly as to deceive the printer ? Credat Judæus Apella. Be this, however, as it may, both the addrefs and anfwer were of little confequence, though we have not omitted the latter in the following collection: from the instructive and entertaining perufal of which ve fhall no longer detain the expectant reader,

LETTER I.

SIR,

THE

Jan. 21. 1769,

'HE fubmiffion of a free people to the executive authority of government is no more than a compliance with laws, which they themfelves have enacted. While the national honour is firmly maintained abroad, and while juftice is impartially administered at home, the obedience of the fubject will be voluntary, chearful, and I might say unlimited. A generous nation is grateful even for the preservation of its rights, and willingly extends the refpect due to the office of a good prince into an affection for his perfon. Loyalty, in the heart and understanding of an Englishman, is a national attachment to the guardian of the laws. Prejudices and paffion have fometimes carried it to a criminal length; and, whatever foreigners may imagine, we know that Englishmen have erred as much in a mistaken zeal for particular perfons and families, as they ever did in defence of what they thought moft dear and interefting to themselves.

B

1

It naturally fills us with refentment, to fee fuch a temper insulted and abused. In reading the history of a free people, whofe rights have been invaded, we are interested in their caufe, Our own feelings tell us how long they ought to have fubmitted, and at what moment it would have been treachery to themselves not to have refifted. How much warmer will be our refentment, if experience should bring the fatal example home to ourselves!

The fituation of this country is alarming enough to roufe the attention of every man, who pretends to a concern for the public welfare. Appearances juftify fufpicion, and, when the safety of a nation is at stake, suspicion is a just ground of enquiry. Let us enter into it with candour and decency. Refpect is due to the ftation of minifters; and if a refolution muft at laft be taken, there is none fo likely to be fupported with firmness, as that which has been adopted with moderation.

The ruin or profperity of a state depends fo much upon the administration of its government, that, to be acquainted with the merit of a ministry, we need only observe the condition of the people. If we see them obedient to the laws, profperous in their industry, united at home, and respected abroad, we may reasonably presume that their affairs are conducted by men of experience, abilities and