revenue fettled on his majesty's civil lift to the amount of 800,000l. a year, he has a farther aid, from a large penfion lift, near 90,000l. a year, in Ireland; from the produce of the dutchy of Lancafter (which we are told has been greatly improved); from the revenue of the dutchy of Cornwall; from the American quit-rents; from the four and a half per cent. duty in the Leeward Iflands; this laft worth to be fure confiderably more than 40,000l. a year. The whole is certainly not much fhort of a million annually.

But

These are revenues within the knowledge and cognizance of our national councils. We have no direct right to examine into the receipts from his majefty's German dominions, and the bishoprick of Ofnaburg. This is unquestionably true. that which is not within the province of parliament, is yet within the sphere of every man's own reflexion. If a foreign prince refided amongst us, the state of his revenues could not fail of becoming the subject of our fpeculation. Filled with an anxious concern for whatever regards the welfare of our fovereign, it is impoffible, in confidering the miferable circumstances into which he has been brought, that this obvious topick fhould be entirely paffed over. There is an opinion univerfal, that these revenues produce fomething not inconfiderable, clear of all charges and establishments. This produce the people do not believe to be

་

hoarded,

hoarded, nor perceive to be spent. It is accounted for in the only manner it can, by fuppofing that it is drawn away, for the fupport of that court faction, which, whilft it diftreffes the nation, impoverishes the prince in every one of his refources. I once more caution the reader, that I do not urge this confideration concerning the foreign revenue, as if I fuppofed we had a direct right to examine into the expenditure of any part of it; but folely for the purpose of fhewing how little this fyftem of favouritifm has been advantageous to the monarch himself; which, without magnificence, has funk him into a state of unnatural poverty; at the fame time that he poffeffed every means of affluence, from ample revenues, both in this country, and in other parts of his dominions.

Has this fyftem provided better for the treatment becoming his high and facred character, and fecured the king from thofe difgufts attached to the neceffity of employing men who are not perfonally agreeable? This is a topick upon which for many reafons I could wish to be filent; but the pretence of fecuring against such caufes of uneasiness, is the corner-stone of the court party. It has however fo happened, that if I were to fix upon any one point, in which this fyftem has been more particularly and fhamefully blameable, the effects which it has produced would juftify me in choofing for that point its tendency to degrade the perfonal, dignity

of

of the fovereign, and to expofe him to a thousand contradictions and mortifications. It is but too evident in what manner thefe projectors of royal greatnefs have fulfilled all their magnificent promifes. Without recapitulating all the circumftances of the reign, every one of which is more or lefs a melancholy proof of the truth of what I have advanced, let us confider the language of the court but a few years ago, concerning most of the perfons now in the external administration: let me afk, whether any enemy to the perfonal feelings of the fovereign, could poffibly contrive a keener inftrument of mortification, and degrada tion of all dignity, than almost every part and member of the prefent arrangement? nor, in the whole courfe of our hiftory, has any compliance with the will of the people ever been known to extort from any prince a greater contradiction to all his own declared affections and diflikes than that which is now adopted, in direct oppofition to every thing the people approve and defire.

An opinion prevails, that greatnefs has been more than once advised to fubmit to certain condefcenfions towards individuals, which have been denied to the entreaties of a nation. For the meaneft and most dependent inftrument of this fyftem knows, that there are hours when its exiftence may depend upon his adherence to it; and he takes his advantage accordingly. Indeed it is a

4

law

law of nature, that whoever is neceffary to what we have made our object, is fure in fome way, or in fome time or other, to become our mafter. All this however is fubmitted to, in order to avoid that monftrous evil of governing in concurrence with the opinion of the people. For it feems to be laid down as a maxim, that a king has fome fort of intereft in giving uneafinefs to his fubjects: that all who are pleafing to them, are to be of course difagreeable to him: that as foon as the perfons who are odious at court are known to be odious to the people, it is fnatched at as a lucky occafion of fhowering down upon them all kinds of emoluments and honours. None are confidered as wellwifhers to the crown, but thofe who advise to fome unpopular courfe of action; none capable of ferving it, but those who are obliged to call at every inftant upon all its power for the fafety of their lives. None are fuppofed to be fit priefts in the temple of government, but the perfons who are compelled to fly into it for fanctuary. Such is the effect of this refined project; fuch is ever the refult of all the contrivances which are ufed to free men from the fervitude of their reafon, and from the neceffity of ordering their affairs according to their evident interefts. These contrivances oblige them to run into a real and ruinous fervitude, in order to avoid a fuppofed reftraint that might be attended with advantage.

If therefore this fyftem has fo ill answered its own grand pretence of faving the king from the neceffity of employing perfons difagreeable to him, has it given more peace and tranquillity to his majesty's private hours? No, moft certainly. The father of his people cannot poffibly enjoy repofe, while his family is in such a state of diftraction. Then what has the crown or the king profited by all this finewrought scheme? Is he more rich, or more fplendid, or more powerful, or more at his ease, by so many labours and contrivances? Have they not beggared his exchequer, tarnished the fplendour of his court, funk his dignity, galled his feelings, difcompofed the whole order and happiness of his private life?

It will be very hard, I believe, to ftate in what respect the king has profited by that faction which prefumptuously choofe to call themselves his friends.

If particular men had grown into an attachment, by the distinguished honour of the society of their fovereign; and, by being the partakers of his amusements, came fometimes to prefer the gratification of his perfonal inclinations to the support of his high character, the thing would be very natural, and it would be excufable enough. But the pleasant part of the story is, that these king's friends have no more ground for ufurping fuch a title, than a refident freeholder in Cumberland or in Cornwall. They are only known to their fove

reign