facrifice those of the nation, is no check to a brutal, degenerate mind. Without infifting upon the extravagant conceffion made to Harry the eighth, there are instances, in the hiftory of other countries, of a formal, deliberate furrender of the public liberty into the hands of the fovereign. If England does not fhare the fame fate, it is because we have better refources, than in the virtue of either house of parliament.

I SAID that the liberty of the prefs is the palladium of all your rights, and that the right of the juries to return a general verdict is part of your conftitution. To preferve the whole system, You must correct your legiflature. With regard to any influence of the conftituent over the conduct of the reprefentative, there is little difference between a feat in parliament for seven years and a feat for life. The profpect of your refentment is too remote; and although the

last session of a septennial parliament be ufually employed in courting the favour of the people, confider that, at this rate, your representatives have fix years for offence, and but one for atonement. A death-bed repentance seldom reaches to restitution. If you reflect that in the changes of adminiftration, which have marked and difgraced the present reign, although your warmeft patriots have in their turn been invested with the lawful and unlawful authority of the crown, and though other reliefs or improvements have been held forth to the people, yet that no one man in office has ever promoted or encouraged a bill for fhortening the duration of parliaments, but that, (whoever was minifter) the oppofition to this meafure, ever fince the feptennial act paffed, has been constant and uniform on the part of government, -You cannot but conclude, without the poffibility of a doubt, that long parliaments are the foundation of the un

due

due influence of the crown. This in fluence anfwers every purpose of arbitrary power to the crown, with an expence and oppreffion to the people, which would be unneceffary in an ar bitrary government. The best of our minifters find it the eafieft and moft compendious mode of conducting the King's affairs; and all minifters have a general interest in adhering to a system, which of itself is fufficient to support them in office, without any affiftance from personal virtue, popularity, labour, abilities, or experience. It promises every gratification to avarice and ambition, and fecures impunity.

These are truths unquestionable.-If they make no impreffion, it is because they are too vulgar and notorious. But the inattention or indifference of the nation has continued too long. You are roused at last to a sense of your danger. The remedy will foon be in

your power. If Junius lives, You shall

often

often be reminded of it. If, when the opportunity presents itself, You neglect to do your duty to yourselves and to posterity,―to God and to your country, I fhall have one confolation left, in common with the meaneft and bafeft of mankind.-Civil liberty may still last the life of

JUNIUS.

PRE

(xi)

PREFACE.

THE encouragement, given

to a multitude of spurious, mangled publications of the letters of Junius, perfuades me, that a compleat edition, corrected and improved by the author, will be favourably received. The printer will readily acquit me of any view to my own profit. I undertake this troublesome task, merely to serve a man who has deferved well of me, and of the public; and who, on my account, has been exposed to an expenfive, tyrannical profecution. For these reasons, I give to Mr. Henry Sampfon Woodfall, and to him alone, my right, intereft, and property in these letters, as fully and compleatly, to all intents and purposes, as an author can poffibly convey his property in his own works to another.