roughs, while not a fingle Scotch borough is ever represented by an Englishman. We should not fee English peerages given to Scotch ladies, or to the elder fons of Scotch peers, and the number of fixteen doubled and trebled by a fcandalous evasion of the act of union.-If it fhould ever be thought advisable to diffolve an act, the violation or obfervance of which is invariably directed by the advantage and intereft of the Scots, I fhall fay very fincerely with Sir Edward Coke.-*" When poor Eng"land flood alone, and had not the accefs of an"other kingdom, and yet had more and as potent "enemies as it now bath, yet the King of Eng"land prevailed."

SOME opinion may now be expected from me, upon a point of equal delicacy to the writer, and hazard to the printer. When the character of the chief magistrate is in question, more must be understood, than may safely be expreffed. If it be really a part of our constitution, and not a mere dictum of the law, that the

Parliamentary hiftory, 7. V. p. 400.

the King can do no wrong, it is not the only instance, in the wifeft of human inftitutions, where theory is at variance with practice.That the Sovereign of this country is not amenable to any form of trial, known to the laws, is unquestionable. But exemption from punishment is a fingular privilege annexed to the royal character, and no way excludes the poffibility of deferving it. How long, and to what extent a King of England may be protected by the forms, when he violates the spirit of the conftitution, deferves to be confidered. A mistake in this matter proved fatal to Charles and his fon. For my own part, far from thinking that the King can do no wrong,-far from suffering myself to be deterred or impofed upon by the language of forms in oppofition to the fubftantial evidence of truth, if it were my misfortune to live under the inauspicious reign of a prince, whose whole life was employed in one bafe, contemptible struggle with the free spirit of his people, or in the detestable endeavour to corrupt their moral principles, I would not fcruple to declare to him,

"Sir, You alone are the author of the "greatest wrong to your fubje&ts and to your"felf. Instead of reigning in the hearts of 66 your people, instead of commanding their "lives and fortunes through the medium of "their affections, has not the strength of the 66 crown, whether influence or prerogative, "been uniformly exerted, for eleven years to"gether, to support a narrow, pitiful system "of government, which defeats itself, and ❝anfwers no one purpose of real power, pro"fit, or perfonal fatisfaction to You?-With "the greatest unappropriated revenue of any, "prince in Europe, have we not feen You "reduced to fuch vile, and fordid diftreffes, 66 as would have conducted any other man to "a prison ?With a great military, and the "greatest naval power in the known world, "have not foreign nations repeatedly infulted "You with impunity ?-Is it not notorious "that the vaft revenues, extorted from the "labour and industry of your fubje&s, and "given You to do honour to Yourself and "to the nation, are diffipated in corrupting

"their reprefentatives ?-Are You a prince "of the House of Hanover, and do You ex"clude all the leading Whig families from "your councils?-Do you profefs to govern "according to law, and is it confiftent with "that profeffion, to impart your confidence "and affection to those men only, who, tho' now perhaps detached from the defperate "cause of the Pretender, are marked in this << country by an hereditary attachment to high "and arbitrary principles of government ?"Are You fo infatuated as to take the sense "of your people from the representation of "minifters, or from the fhouts of a mob, no"torioufly hired to furround your coach, or "ftationed at a theatre ?-And if You are, "in reality, that public Man, that King, "that Magistrate, which these questions fup"pose You to be, is it any answer to your "people, to fay that, among your domestics "You are good-humoured, that to one lady "You are faithful ;-that to your children "You are indulgent?Sir, the Man, who "addreffes You in these terms is your best "friend. He would willingly hazard his life

"in defence of your title to the crown; and, "if power be your object, would still shew "You how poffible it is for a king of England, "by the nobleft means, to be the most absolute "prince in Europe. You have no enemies, "Sir, but those, who perfuade You to aim at "6 power without right, and who think it fattery to tell you that the character of King dif"folves the natural relation between guilt and "punishment."

I CANNOT conceive that there is a heart fo callous, or an understanding so deprayed, as to attend to a difcourfe of this nature, and not to feel the force of it. But where is the man, among those who have access to the closet, resolute and honeft enough to deliver it? The liberty of the prefs is our only refource. It will command an audience, when every honeft man in the kingdom is excluded. This glorious privilege may be a security to the King, as well as a refource to his people. Had there been no ftar-chamber, there would have been no rebellion against Charles the first. The conftant cenfure and admonition of the prefs VOL. I. would