defendants, and fome of the incidents are fo minute, as that they could fcarcely be thought on by a forger. Crawfurd's teftimony is not without fufpicion. Whoever practices forgery, endeavours to make truth the vehicle of falfhood. Of a prince's life very minute incidents are known; and if any are too flight to be remarked, they may be fafely feigned, for they are likewife too flight to be contradicted. But there are ftill more reafons for doubting the genuineness of thefe let ters. They had no date of time or place, no feal, no direction, no fuperscription.

The only evidences that could prove their authenticity were Dalgleish and Paris, of which Dalgleish, at his trial, was never queftioned about them; Paris was never publicly tried, though he was kept alive through the time of the conference.

The fervants of Bothwell, who were put to death for the king's murder, cleared Mary with their laft words.

The letters were firft declared to be fubfcribed, and were then produced without fubfcription.

They were fhewn during the conferences at York privately to the English commiffioners, but were concealed from the commiffioners of Mary.

Mary always folicited the perufal of these letters, and was always denied it.

She demanded to be heard in perfon by Elizabeth, before the nobles of England, and the ambaffadors of other princes, and was refufed.

When Mary perfifted in demanding copies of the letters, her commiffioners were difmiffed with their box to Scotland, and the letters were seen no more.

The

The French letters, which for almoft two centuries have been confidered as originals, by the enemies of Mary's memory, are now difcovered to be forgeries, and acknowledged to be tranflations, and perhaps French tranflations of a Latin tranflation. And the modern accufers of Mary are forced to infer from thefe letters, which now exift, that other letters exifted formerly, which have been loft in fpite of curiofity, malice, and intereft.

The reft of this treatife is employed in an endeavour to prove, that Mary's accufers were the murderers of Darnley; through this enquiry it is not neceffary to follow him; only let it be obferved, that, if these letters were forged by them, they may eafily be thought capable of other crimes. That the letters were forged, is now made fo probable, that perhaps they will never more be cited as teftimonies,

THOUGHTS

Ο Ν THE

CORONATION

Of his prefent MAJESTY

KING GEORGE THE THIRD;

O R

Reasons offered against confining the Proceffion to the ufual Track, and pointing out others more commodious and proper.

To which are prefixed,

A Plan of the different Paths recommended, with the Parts adjacent, and a Sketch of the Proceffion.

Moft humbly fubmitted to Confideration.

First printed in the Year M DCC LXI.

THOUGHTS

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

CORONATION,

A

LL

&c.

pomp is inftituted for the fake of the public, A fhew without fpectators can no longer be a fhew. Magnificence in obfcurity is equally vain with a fun-dial in the grave.

"As the wifdom of our ancestors has appointed a very fplendid and ceremonious inauguration of our kings, their intention was, that they fhould receive their crown with fuch awful rites, as might for ever imprefs upon them a due fenfe of the duties which they were to take, when the happiness of nations is put into their hands ; and that the people, as many as can poffibly be witneffes to any fingle act, fhould openly acknowledge their fovereign by universal homage.

By the late method of conducting the coronation, all these purposes have been defeated. Our kings, with their train, have crept to the temple through obfcure paffages; and the crown has been worn out of fight of the people. Of the multitudes, whom loyalty or curiofity brought together, the greater part has returned