nourable, in a man who pretends to love the army, and calls himself a foldier, to make a traffic of the royal favour, and turn the highest honour of an active profeffion into a fordid provifion for himself and his family? It were unworthy of me to press you farther. The contempt with which the whole army heard of the manner of your retreat, assures me, that as your conduct was not justified by precedent, it will never be thought an example for imitation.

THE last and most important question remains. When you receive your half pay, do you, or do you not, take a folemn oath, or fign a declaration upon your honour, to the following effect? That you do not actually hold any place of profit, civil or military, under his Majefty. The charge which the question plainly conveys against you, is of fo fhocking a complexion, that I fincerely wish you may be able to answer it well, not merely for the colour of your reputation, but for your own. inward peace of mind.

JUNIUS.

LET

LETTER

SIR,

TO JUNIUS.

VI.

27. February, 1769.

I HAVE a very fhort answer

for Junius's important queftion: I do not either take an oath, or declare upon honour, that I have no place of profit, civil or military, when I receive the half-pay as an Irish colonel. My most gracious Sovereign gives it me as a penfion; he was pleafed to think I deferved it. The annuity of 200 1. Irish, and the equivalent for the half-pay together, produces no more than 380 1. per annum, clear of fees and perquifites of office. I receive 1671. from my government of Yarmouth. Total 547 1. per annum. My confcience is much at eafe in thefe particulars; my friends need not blush for me.

JUNIUS makes much and frequent use of interrogations: they are arms that may be eafily turned against himself. I could, by malicious interrogation, difturb the peace of the most virtuous man in the kingdom; I could take the decalogue, and fay to one

man

man, Did you never fteal? To the next, Did you never commit murder? And to Junius himself, who is putting my life and conduct to the rack, Did you never bear false witness against thy neighbour? Junius muft easily fee, that unless he affirms to the contrary in his real name, some people who may be as ignorant of him as I am, will be apt to fufpect him of having deviated a little from the truth: therefore let Junius ask no more queftions. You bite against a file: ceafe viper.

AN academical education has

given you an unlimited command over the most beautiful figures of fpeech. Mafks, hatchets, racks, and vipers dance through your letters in all the mazes of metaphorical confufion. These are the gloomy companions of a disturbed imagination; the me

lancholy

lancholy madnefs of poetry, without the inspiration. I will not contend with you in point of compofition. You are a fcholar, Sir William, and, if I am truly informed, you write Latin with almost as much purity as English. Suffer me then, for I am a plain unlettered man, to continue that ftile of interrogation, which fuits my capacity, and to which, confidering the readiness of your answers, you ought to have no objection. Even * Mr. Bingley promifes to anfwer, if put to the

torture.

- Do you then really think that, if I were to ask a most virtuous man whether he ever committed theft, or murder, it would diftrub his peace of mind? Such a question might perhaps difcompofe the gravity of his mufcles, but I believe it would little affect the tran

quility of his confcience. Examine your own breaft, Sir William, and you will difcover, that reproaches and enquiries have no power to afflict either the man of unblemished integrity, cr the abandoned profi

*This man, being committed by the court of King's Bench for a contempt,`voluntarily made oath, that he would never answer interrogatories, unless he thould be put to the

torture.

gate.

gate. It is the middle compound character which alone is vulnerable: the man, who, without firmness enough to avoid a difhonourable action, has feeling enough to be afhamed of it.

I THANK you for the hint of the decalogue, and fhall take an opportunity of applying it to fome of your most virtuous friends in both houses of parliament.

You seem to have dropped the affair of your regiment; fo let it reft. When you are appointed to another, I dare fay you will not sell it either for a grofs fum, or for an annuity upon lives.

I AM truly glad (for really, Sir William, I am not your enemy, nor did I begin this contest with you) that you have been able to clear yourself of a crime, though at the expence of the highest indiscretion. You fay that your half-pay was given you by way of penfion. I will not dwell upon the fingularity of uniting in your own person two forts of provision, which in their own nature, and in all military and parliamentary views, are incompatible; but I call upon you to VOL. I. juftify

E