On the Acquirement of Fame. an honourable matriculation under her aufpices. If a conqueft is propofed for the attainment of her, I can imagine myself the vifionary pof feffor of half the globe. Says another, Columbus's discoveries inftall'd his fempiternal reputation. This is an excellent field for your aggrandisement. Well, the hint is accordingly and immediately taken; and the difcovery of the unkown continent is already as comprehenfive to my conceptions as I could reasonably wish. But then, the misfortune is, I no fooner refolve upon a preface in this my feeble undertaking, than I am befet with a thousand terrifying apprehenfions. This intruding thought fuggefts my mortality, that the contagion of fome epidemical diftemper may carry me off this world. All then conclamatum eft, according to Terence. In failure of the above fuppofition, which is too well founded, my men may mutiny, the confequence of which defertion muft be either a deprivation of my exiftence, or an ignominious degradation from my poft. What will then fignify all my premeditated defigns? Will they then preferve, can they refift the ruft of obscurity? In short, however plaufible at firft view the exordium of my fchemes may appear, fo as even to acquit me of eleven Herculean labours, the objections are generally fo formidable, and fo numerous, the nearer I approach to accomplish, that by their cruel intervention, all my aerial caftles vanish into their native element. What I would therefore particularly defire of you is a prefcription to lead me to the poffeffion of fo defirable an object. I muft, however, previously recommend it to you, to have it fuch a one as my country, by the attainment, may be not the leaft prejudiced. Many, it is true, fignalize themselves, and make themselves confequential, by their great pene very 87 tration, and the auxiliary gift of fcurrility. Administration with men of fuch principles has been an extenfive topic for a little declamation. Nor do they often fail in the defired fuccefs. The people of England (though I am one myself) have been characterized as very jealous, very tenacious of their privileges; confequently, when a man, to introduce himself to public view and indulgence, proceeds to the talk of expofing the corruption of the minif ters, or the venality of reprefentatives, and declares they are in danger of lofing that jewel called Liberty, he may eafily enfure himself of approbation to his defigns; the poifon will operate, depend upon it. Naturally addicted as they are to calumny and detraction, they must admire the man who can find flaws in any dignified perfonage. They will naturally with him be induced to put the most unfavourable conftructions upon very undefigning actions. But obferve me I don't endeavour at fishing in troubled waters; nor would I chufe to have myself conspicuous at the rifque of my country's ease. It was my misfortune (if fuch it may be called) to have other fentiments inftilled in my younger years. The fcope of my education ever tended to demonftrate, that when a man endeavours to attract the world's attention by fuch methods as the tearing of his country's bowels by mifreprefentation, and setting her in a flame againft her principal members, that too without juft caufe, that he, I fay, was guilty of very impolitic, very barbarous meafures; that in wreaking his revenge upon whole communities for the fake of one culprit; this perfon could not be actuated by the most patriot motives. Some, no doubt, would say, this is' patriotifm. These are the effects of true love for one's country. I am forry to pronounce it enthufiafm, oftenta this machine make it thus defervedly contemptible. But can the heaviest inquifitiorial punishment be an equivalent, the meritorious confequence of fuch impious apoftacy, for thofe, ftrictly speaking, are the vileft of apoftates, who, to the completion of their own bad infernal schemes, mangle the mother that bore them.As to thofe who have been the favourites of their fovereign, the idols of the people, and who, in their administration, have been the conftituent caufes of their country's glory; for thefe to abftract themfelves from all their noble employments for the confideration of a paultry penfion or place, feems fomething aftonishing. Thefe I blot out from the lift of rational beings. Poor vain mortals! that can facrifice fuch a harveft of renown, to be made peers of the realm. But they generally meet with the punishment they deferve, While their preceding behaviour attracts the admiration and applause of the world, their fubfequent one is aggravated by reflection. Their memory is infulted by lampoons and pafquinades. Themselves ever after the objects of ignominy and detefta tion. These are the rocks you are to avoid. I beg you will honour this with infertion; and fhall therefore wait for your indulgence. oftentation. Not but that in fome predicaments, thefe proceedings are not only excufeable, they are juftifiable and had it not been for the exertion of a Wilkes, or a Glynn, we might ere now have not fuffered a bare curtailment of our confiitutional rights; who knows but we might have felt the effects of a total anni, hilation? But I exceed the allotment of my paper, and it is time to proceed to an example, the imitation of which I reject from my heart. The perfons most deferving of our contempt, of ignominy in their purfuit of fame, are thofe, who under the fanction of favourites, and other probable obligatory ties, take thence the opportunity to fuck in private their country's vitals. These are the objects that merit our vengeance, our perfecution; who, by their parafitical pliancy, infinuate themselves into the graces of their fovereign, mislead him in his operations, blindfold him to truth, impofe dangerous prejudices; who, to conclude the complicated fcene of villainy, imbezzle the public money, and then abfcond; traitors to a king confiding in them, to a people with them depofing their facred depofita. This, with the poet, may be justly filed, Monftrum horrendum, informe, ingens. And as an offender to his king and country, ought to pass the remainder of his life in penitence and tears. Inquifition, it is true, is a difgrace to human nature. The primary ends of Hexham, Feb. 19. I am, Gentlemen, The Confultation of Surgeons, with a Copper-plate annexed, B* Tis faid, that on a late Chirurgical Examination, there was the greatest privacy imaginable fupported: not only feveral young Surgeons (who being advertifed of their meeting, went there for the fake of inftruction). were denied admittance; but there were two centinels on the outfide of the door to prevent any perfon from liftening. Strange inquifitorial proceedings ! Whether Whether there is any Foundation in the Old Saying, " That an Englishman's Houfe is his Cafle." TH HE Electors of the City and Liberty of Westminster, having inftructed their Reprefentatives to enquire into the Administration of Juftice and Commiffion of the Peace, this brings afresh into my mind the little foundation there is now a-days for faying, "That an Englishman's Houfe is his Caftle." I am forry to fay, that I have often heard, that, till many things are ameliorated, there is not a lefs fafe city to ftay in, on earth, than London. The facility of arrefting any man's perfon from a fingle affidavit, taken privately before a fingle Magiftrate, deprives the people of an hour's fecurity; and this facility of oath-taking being attended too often with impunity, what man is fafe from the attacks of a malicious, befotted, or interested enemy? not even a Magiftrate himself. General Warrants are in vain deftroyed, if other warrants are permitted to remain in the ftate they are: every reasonable being muft behold with aftonishment, horror, and pity, an honeft man arrested, carried before a Juftice of Peace, fent to Newgate, difhonoured, and perhaps hanged, from a fingle affidavit. The Laws of God fpeak emphatically a very different language. v. B. Mof. xix. One Witnefs fhall not rife up against any man for his iniquity, or for any fin in any man that finneth; at the mouth of two or three witneffes, fhall the matter be established. Again, Tim. chap. v. ver. 19. Against an Elder receive not accufation, but before two or three witneffes. Moft rarely indeed, fhould one witness fuffice to take a man's life away, for the greater the punishment, the more witneffes fhould be required; but with us the fame perfon is permitted to be Accufator, Calumniator, Dela1or, Propagator, & Injurians. BeVOL. II. fides, oaths ought to be adminiftered with much more folemnity than they are, the manner in which many an affidavit is taken, puts one in mind of the Gafcoon, who faid, je jurerai bien, mais je n'épargnerai point. The number of perfons put to death ought greatly to be diminifhed; there are few crimes that deferve death, and the deftruction of mankind is as cruel, as impolitic; but to caft a veil over the final and moft extreme catastrophe of our race, let us firft confider the facility of arrefting a citizen's perfon; and fecondly the fending him to Newgate on any private information, to the utter confufion, difhonour, and ruin of himfelf, fortune, and family. Would it not be humane to find out means to avoid, as much as poffible, occafioning fuch calamities? Are men not wretched enough from their own domeftic and natural concerns, but they must be made more miferable? Is a man to be dragged fhamefully before a Magiftrate, and be at his fole mercy from any private information? Shall fo overloading and exorbitant a difcretionary power be left with any one, that, from his fingle opinion of an affair, he fhall be able to inflict fuch punishments on a citizen, as Newgate, Bridewell, &c. Would not every wife Magiftrate be glad to have fo confcientious a burthen taken from him, and fettled moft clearly by law; and, will any.. man of a liberal education fuffer himfelf to be caft into one of the filthieft dungeons in Europe, there probably to die of fhame, grief, and vexation (tho' innocent) before the feffions be- · gin? Is it reasonable to commit to the fame place, or fort of place, a citizen, only accufed, he who is convicted, and he who is condemned. Why might not the first be fecured from |