the prophefying by dreams, but from their malevolence to the religion of the realm ?

Stuart's Enquiry into the Principles of Political Economy.-This work, they fay," abounds in ideas, many of them “new, and all presented to the mind with the advantage of ❝ an excellent arrangement; fo that the whole may not un"aptly be compared to a piece of rich embroidery, wherein

the pattern is fo full of work, and at the fame time fo art "fully and fo extenfively varied and combined," a running pattern I prefume,' that a diminished view of it must appear confufed and indiftinct, and every feparate part imper"fect." Now the gentlemen of the Critical Review declare this fame work, fo artfully varied and combined, to be various and intricate, and the arrangement to form a labyrinth. Both cannot be true, and indeed neither of them appears to be fo The book is no more remarkable for being perfpicuously arranged, than for being involved in perplexity; and why a piece of work, fo artfully, and fo extenfively combined, more than any other, muft, to a diminished view, appear confused and indiftinct, I do not fee: By inverting a spying-glass, though it diminishes, it does not confound the objects; and how this diminished view fhould feparate the parts fo artfully combined I cannot perceive. I imagine, by a diminished view, they would mean a diftant or a partial view; but this will not anfwer the purpose, because the whole of a large object is, by the laws of optics, better to be feen at a diftance than when it is nearer to the eye: And in fact, a diminished view, if they do not mean a decay of eye-fight, the only way it fignifies any thing to their purpose, is the bringing the object nearer to the eye; for certainly the view is leffened when the thing to be seen is brought nearer to the organ; but there is no end to their deviations from common fenfe, when they dare to be figurative.

Having advanced the preceding remark, they give us a long extract from the author, and Sir James's idea of a statesman, and then add," nothing less than fuch a demi-god as our au"thor has fuppofed at the head of affairs, can be fit to apply "the principles he has inveftigated, and guide the vaft ma"chine of political economy in all its magnitude and minute"nefs, comprehending the whole, and defcending to the "fmalleft parts." This is moft incomparably nonfenfical, and fublime; the minuteness of a vast machine, a machine at once both vastly great, and vaftly little; and he that comprehends the whole, may nevertheless not comprehend the parts. Thus the whole of an object, and the parts which it contains, are, according to thefe mathematical critics, two different things. A difcovery which challenges the attention of the reader, and deferves the applause of all who are deep in criticifm, and defire the improvement of knowledge. (To be continued.)

THE

POLITICAL REGISTER,

For SEPTEMBER, 1767.

NUMBER V.

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

s i R,

I inclofe for the first part of your Political Regifter, which I think may be very properly entitled Arcana Imperii, An Aceount of the caufe and manner of the extraordinary difmiffion of lord E. from the post of treasurer of his M——'s houshold ; which I hope will prove acceptable to your readers.

T

I am your friend, &c.

ANONYMOUS.

O form a clear idea of the true caufes or motives for this extraordinary difmiffion, it is neceffary to take a fhort retrofpect of the principle upon which lord Chm formed his adminiftration. He determined to make himself the firft and only man of importance in it, and therefore he collected a number of the most weak and needy men he could find, to fill the offices of government, whofe venality, or whofe ignorance would make them perfectly obedient to his will. Men of ability, honour, and property, he took particular care to avoid; he therefore quarrelled with his neareft relations, his best friends, and all

Nn

thofe

those who had talents to fupport his administration. With a vanity and prefumption that was equally infolent and ridiculous, he deemed himself, alone, all-fufficient. Where he had predilections, he fcandaloufly lavished enormous fums. He named a minifter plenipotentiary to the court of Ruffia, which coft upwards of ten thousand pounds, without knowing whether it would be agreeable to that court, to conclude a treaty which was already concluded: and when it was known, that a minister in that character would not be received at Petersburgh, because that court would not fend fuch a minister hither, the perfon appointed, continued to enjoy, for a confiderable time afterwards, the falary of minifter plenipotentiary. To defcribe all the infamous jobs, by which feveral parts of this paltry and contemptible adminiftration have been formed, would be no way difficult; but would really present such a picture of corruption and profligacy, as, for the credit of our country, and the honour of mankind, I wifh could be buried in eternal oblivion. With refpect to this particular difmiffion, which compleated his plan, there was no other reason, than an unneceffary promife of the poft of treasurer of the houshold to another, who already held places under the government to very confiderable amount, and who had deferted his relations and natural friends, to pay homage and adoration to this new minifter. This is the avowed, or publickly affigned motive. Fame reports another; with what truth, the knowledge and judgment of the reader muft determine. Being in strong and perfect union with the Scottish Thane, he had taken it into his head to imagine, that the treasurer of the houfhold did not wish well to that union. There was an uniformity of conduct, and an integrity of principle, in that officer, which drew upon him the fufpicions of the minifter: and he refolved not to have any in his fervice, who fhould prefume to have an opinion, or a principle of his own, or who paid the leaft regard to honour, confiftency, or friends: lord E.'s ftaff was therefore destined for Mr. Sh-I-y; not fo much because the minifter had promifed it him, for he is as regardless of his promifes, as he is changeable in his friendships; but because he had a mind to make a vain and wanton display of his power, and to exhibit a fresh mark of his proud, habitual infolence, in order to terrify the whole court into an abfolute and flavifh fubmiffion to his will.

So much for the motive.-The particulars of the dismission itself, which follow, in the manner that they have been related within the circle of a few friends, are curious, new, and interesting.

About the 20th of November 1766, the minifter fent a note to lord E. acquainting his lordihip, "That a great per"fonage

"fonage had determined upon making fome alterations in "his fervants; and that he [the minifter] fhould be glad to "fee lord E. in Bond-ftreet, or would wait upon his lordship "in Upper Grosvenor-street." Lord E. directly waited upon the minifter in Bond-ftreet. The minifter began with. highly commending his lordship's abilities, his virtues, his, integrity, and recited the contents of his letter. Then, after many paufes, and inarticulate founds, he faid, "He was very "forry for it, was extremely concerned it fhould happen fo- . buta--it was neceflary--a--." Here lord E. ftopped him fhort, and bluntly demanded" if his poft was. deftined for another." The minifter, after a little paufe, and uttering a few more broken fentences, acknowledged that it was, and that it had been fo for fome time. Lord E. then proceeded to remind him of the measures of the late oppofition; "that he had, for four years, fteadily and uniformly "fupported those measures; measures which he [the minifter] "had approved and adopted; and which were now happily "effected: that he had never deferted any of the great quef"tions upon the subjects of the liberties and interests of his 66 country; and expreffed his aftonishment that this treatment "fhould be the reward of a conduct that had manifeftly the "approbation of, and was agreeable to the spirit and princi"ples of the minifter, while in oppofition." The force of thefe truths, and this conclufion, obviously made an impreffion upon the minifter, and he said, "that however unwilling 66 a great perfonage was to encrease the number of his lords "of the bed-chamber, yet he [the minifter] would neverthe"less venture to place his lordship upon that lift." Lord E. directly made answer, "that however willing he really was to "hold fome place, in order that he might continue in office "with his friends, and fupport the measures of government,

yet, after this ufage, he would not take any place, nor re"fign that which he held, to any but the Great Perfonage "himself." And added, "that it was extremely impolitic "thus to turn out perfons of rank; perfons of great parlia66 mentary intereft." The minifter burft out; "Oh!" said he, if that be the cafe, let me feel myself! I defpife your par❝liamentary intereft! I do not want your affiftance!" And added, "that he trufted to the uprightness of his measures, "for the fupport and confidence of the K-, and the favour "and attachment of the people; and acting upon these prin"ciples," faid he, "I dare look in the face the proudest con"nections of this country!" They parted.

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* Words which he afterwards repeated in another place.

Two

Two days after, lard E. received a note fignifying a Great Perfon's defire of his staff. On Monday the 24th of November, 1766, he waited on the Great Perfon, who faid, "that "he was very forry to part with his lordship, of whofe fer"vices he had a very high opinion, as well as of his lord"fhip's abilities, and attachment to his perfon, and especially "because his lordship had no mixture of factious principles "in his difpofition. But," fays he, "My M tell me it "must be fo;" and added, "that the idea of the bed-cham"ber was purely his own." "Lord E. returned the Great "Perfon his fincere and moft humble thanks for the good opi"nion he was pleased to entertain of him; and expreffed the

great obligation he was under for it, and the more fo," added he, for not preffing the bed-chamber upon me; "all which more than pay me for the ill ufage of your minifters." The ftaff was given up, and Mr. Sh-1-y ap pointed treasurer of the houthold.

Next day the earl of Befsborough, who was one of the joint poft-masters, offered to make room for lord E. by refigning that poft in favour of his lordship, and taking the bed-chamber, which had been offered to that Lord. But this obliging offer was rejected. Upon which the duke of Portland, the earls of Befsborough and Scarborough, and lord Monson, refigned the next day, which was Wednesday, November the 26th, 1766. And thefe refignations were immediately followed by thofe of Sir Charles Saunders, Sir William Meredith, admiral Keppel, &c.

The account of the conferences between the D. of B. and the E. of Chm, at Bath and in London, previous and fubfequent to the above tranfaction, is come to hand, and fhall be inferted in the next number, which will be published on the firft of November, 1767.

T