incapacity of being elected. If it had been fo, the prefent House of Commons fhould at least have followed ftrictly the example before them, and should have stated to us, in the fame vote, the crimes for which they expelled Mr. Wilkes; whereas they refolve simply, that having been expelled, he was, and is incapable. In this proceeding I am authorised to affirm, that they have neither ftatute, nor custom, nor reafon, nor one fingle precedent to fupport them. On the other fide there is indeed a precedent fo ftrongly in point, that all the inchanted caftles of minifterial magic fall before it. In the year 1698, (a period which the rankeft Tory dare not except againft) Mr. Wollafton was expelled, re-elected, aud admitted to take his feat in the fame parliament. The Miniftry have precluded themselves from all objections drawn from the caufe of his expulfion; for they affirm abfolutely that expulfion of itself creates the difability. Now, Sir, let fophiftry evade, let falfhood affert, and impudence deny ;-here ftands the precedent, a land-mark to direct us through a troubled fea of controverfy, confpicuous and unremoved.

I have dwelt the longer upon the difcuffion of this point, because in my opinion it comprehends the whole question. The rest is unworthy of notice. We are enquiring whether incapacity be or be not created by expulfion. In the cafes of Bedford and Malden, the incapacity of the perfons returned, was matter of public notoriety, for it was created by act of parliament. But really, Sir, my honeft friend's fuppofitions are as unfavourable to him as his facts. He well knows, that the clergy, befides that they are reprefented in common with their fellow fubjects, have alfo a feparate parliament of their own;-that their incapacity to fit in the House of Commons has been confirmed by repeated decifions of the House, and that the law of Parliament, declared by thofe decifions, has been for above two centuries notorious and undifputed. The author is certainly at liberty to fancy cafes, and make whatever comparifons he thinks proper; his fuppofitions ftill continue as diftant from fact, as his wild difcourfes are from folid argument.

The conclufion of his book is candid to an extreme. He offers to grant me all I defire. He thinks he may fafely admit, that the cafe of Mr. Walpole makes directly against him, for it seems he has one grand folution in petto for all difficulties. If, fays he, I were to allow of this, it will only prove, that the law of election was different, in Queen Ann's time, from what it is at prefent.

This indeed is more than I expected. The principle, I know, has been maintained in fact, but I never expected to fee it fo formally declared. What can he mean? Does he affume this language to fatisfy the doubts of the people, or does he mean to rouse their indignation? Are the miniftry daring enough to affirm that the House of Commons have a right to make and unmake the law of parliament at their pleafure? Does the law of parliament, which we are fo often told is the law of the land; does the common right of every subject of the realm depend upon an arbitrary capricious vote of one branch of the legislature? The voice of truth and reafon must be filent.

The

The ministry tell us plainly, that this is no longer a question of right but of power and force alone. What was law yesterday is not law to-day and now it feems we have no better rule to live by than the temporary difcretion and fluctuating integrity of the Houfe of Commons.

:

Profeffions of patriotifm are become stale and ridiculous.

For

my own part, I claim no merit from endeavouring to do a fervice to my fellow-fubjects. I have done it to the best of my understanding; and without looking for the approbation of other men, my confcience is fatisfied. What remains to be done concerns the collective body of the people. They are now to determine for themfelves, whether they will firmly and conftitutionally affert their rights, or make an humble, flavish furrender of them at the feet of the ministry. To a generous mind there cannot be a doubt. We owe it to our ancestors to preserve entire thofe rights, which they have delivered to our care. We owe it to our pofterity, not to fuffer their deareft inheritance to be deftroyed; but if it were poffible for us to be infenfible of thefe facred claims, there is yet an obligation binding upon ourselves, from which nothing can acquit us-a personal intereft, which we cannot furrender. To alienate even our own rights would be a crime as much more enormous than fuicide, as a life of civil fecurity and freedom is fuperior to a bare exiftence; and if life be the bounty of heaven, we fcornfully reject the nobleft part of the gift, if we confent to furrender that certain rule of living, without which the condition of human nature is not only miferable, but contemptible.

JUNIUS.

I

SIR,

A Note from JUNIUS to the Printer.

MUST beg of you to print a few lines in explanation of fome paffages in my laft letter, which I fee have been misunderflood.

1. When I faid that the house of commons never meant to found Mr. Walpole's incapacity on his expuifion only, I meant no more than to deny the general propofition, that expulfion alone creates the incapacity. If there be any thing ambiguous in the expreffion, I beg leave to explain it by saying, that in my opinion, expulfion neither creates, nor in any part contributes to create the incapacity in question.

2. I carefully avoided entering into the merits of Mr. Walpole's cafe. I did not enquire whether the house of commons acted juftly, or whether they truly declared the law of parliament. My remarks went only to their apparent meaning and intention, as it stands declared in their own refolution.

3. I never meant to affirm that a commitment to the tower created a difquali fication. On the contrary, I confidered that idea as an abfurdity into which the miniftry muft inevitably fall, if they reafoned right upon their own principles.

The cafe of Mr. Wollafton fpeaks for itfelf. The miniftry affert that expulfion alone creates an abfolute, complete incapacity to be re-elected to fit in the fame parliament. This propofition they have uniformly maintained, without any condition or modification whatsoever. Mr. Wollafton was expelled, reelected, and admitted to take his feat in the fame parliament.----I leave it to the public to determine, whether this be a plain matter of fact, or mere nonfenfe and declamation.

JUNIUS,

The following remarkable Addrefs having engaged the Attention of the Public more than any Publication that has appeared for fome Time; in Juftice to the Author of the REMONSTRANCE to the King of MONOMOTAPA, printed in the 4th Volume of the POLITICAL REGISTER, Pages 129 and 193, we intreat our Readers to refer to that Piece, and to compare it with this Addrefs, by which Means it will appear how far thefe two Writers concur in their Sentiments, wherein they differ, and which is moft original.

SIR,

TH

To the KING*.

HOUGH the facred Majefty of Kings ought not in common. Cafes to be approached by every little Bufy-body or frivolous Remonftrance-maker; yet when our Prince's Palace is on fire, and his facred Perfon in the Midft of the Flames, the meanest of his Subjects hath the Privilege then to give him Warning of his Danger, and to affift to quench the Fire. This, I am afraid, Sir, is at prefent too near our Cafe, or I would not have affumed the Boldnefs to disturb your Repofe, or have placed myfelf fo difadvantageoufly before your Majefty as I must expect to appear under the Character of a public Cenfor of the Manners of your Minifters, and a petty State Reformer. But it is not I alone that am thus concerned and bufy for the Public; the whole Nation are at this Time mournfully reflecting on the miserable State we are fallen into, from that happy and glorious Profpect of Things which we had in the Beginning of your Majefty's Reign. This hath put all Men upon Enquiry into the Caufes of the unhappy Change of our Affairs; and Innd it is agreed on all Hans, that the principal Occafion of our Misfortunes (or rather Mifmanagements) is from the intrufting thofe with the Government of all, who are the irreconcileable Enemies to the Conftitution of this Kingdom,

And yet there are fome about your Majefty who (for bafe and private Ends) endeavour to poffefs you with the deftructive Politics of courting and trufting the notorious Enemies of your Family, and would perfuade you that the Jacobites and Tories are the only Party truly principled for Monarchy; and that on the contrary your Majesty's belt Friends, whom they call Whigs, though they feated your Family on the Throne, are Haters of Monarchy, and are of Commonwealth Principles; or at beft for making their Kings no more than Dukes of Venice, and Kings of Clouts. Now this is a Notion fo falfe, fo fatal to the Profperity of your Affairs, and fo dangerous to the very Being of your Government, that I cannot but think it highly neceffary that this Matter fhould be fairly ftated and laid before your Majefty. I am fenfible how unfit I am for the Tafk, and how open I lie to a Charge of Prefumption in attempting it. But as the Son of Cyrus, who was from his Birth dumb, broke Silence when he faw his Father in the Hands of his Murderers, fo have I refolved to break through all impediments, and to endeavour to refcue my King out of the Hands of thofe arbitary-principled Men, who have never fail d to ruin all thofe Kings in this Country who have been guided by them; and

Vol. V.

X

And *First printed November 1692. Our correfpondent acknowledges that his copy is not very correct.

who will as undoubtedly bring you and your Affairs into as great Difficulties if you be not delivered from their Counfels.

And now, Sir, if I may presume so far, will your Majesty be pleafed to examine what Honour, what Profit hath accrued to you or the Nation by your following implicitly the Inftructions of those who have all along directed your Cabinet. For God's fake, Sir, caft up the Account of your whole Reign, and fee what you have gained by exchanging Whigs for Tories and your People for a Favourite. Have not your Affairs gone backward both at home and abroad? Have not Mifma agements been multiplied; Have they not cooled the Affection of your Subjects, and leffened the Refpect and Confideration due to you from foreign States? Do not your Minifters obftru&t all Bufinefs which ought to be dispatched, and dispatch all Bufinefs which ought to be obftructed? Do they not betray your Subjects, by delaying and deferting them in their most juft Claims and Pretenfions, whilft they comply with your Enemies in their most unreasonable Demands; Do they not connive at every Crime, and countenance every Oppreffion of the People; fnatching from the Hands of Justice thofe whom the Law hath condemned to Death for Treafon and for Murder? Would not fuch Minifters and Friends as these be lefs dangerous to you when profeffed Enemies, nay in Arms against you in the Field, than in your Council, Cabinet, and Offices? Undoubtedly they would.

But I know the common Anfwer to all thefe Kind of Complaints is, that it is more eafy to find Faults than Remedies. If you please, therefore, Sir, we will confider of Remedies, and I think there may be fome found out both eafy and certain; and they are thefe:

First, Sir, be pleased to remove from your Perfon, Council, Confidence, and Offices of Truft, Men bred up and confirmed in Principles deftructive to our English Government and hateful to your People; and to discountenance all State-Projectors and Mountebank.Minifters who make Wounds in the State, and pretend Disorders to recommend their own Quack Medicines, and to prefcribe, as they term it, effectually.

Throw out, Sir, thefe ACHANS to be ftoned by the People; who will otherwife, I fear, prevent God's Favour to you; who blaft your Succefs abroad, and rob you of the Affections of your Subjects at home, with their ACCURSED THING, I mean that Tinfel-POWER-with which thefe Mifcreants dazzle the Eyes of Princes and lead them out of the right Way. God is difpleafed with it: For uncontroulable and unaccountable Power is the Right and Attribute of God alone; And (as the Scripture tells us) He will not give his Glory to another, nor fuffer thofe to act as Gods, who are to die like Men. Your People alfo are difpleafed with a defpotic Power: for the Kings of England are bound by Laws, by mutual Compacts, &c. and if thefe are broken, ENGLISHMEN, who believe themselves Subjects to the Crown of England (as by Law established) and not Slaves to any particular Perfon who may chance to wear it; ENGLISHMEN in fuch a Cafe become impatient, angry, and at length perhaps not to be appeafed but with the Pu

nishment

hishment of their Oppreffors. And whenever they fee their Kings befet with Minifters of lawless Principles (thofe wholesale Mer chants of arbitrary Power) they grow mistrustful and uneafy, and are apt in fuch Cafes, to fhut their Purses and open their Mouths. And give me Leave to fay, Sir, that had not the People been made apprehenfive and jealous by feeing thofe Men in Favour whofe mifchievous Methods they were fo well acquainted with, and did so much abhor; had they not feen them without fhame and without Controul, pouring the Wealth of this nation into their own Pockets: fo far from murmuring, the People would have been well pleafed if, inftead of half a million, your ministers had demanded two; provided they had confulted therein your honour more than their own gain; and had thereby enabled you to difcharge not only your own debts compleatly, but your father's too, which indeed by every law of honour, honefty and juftice, are your own, and ought to have taken place of the augmentation of the Chief-jufticeship in Eyre, and all the other numerous corrupt Sinecures and Penfions.

An English King is the greatest Monarch upon Earth when he reigns in the Hearts of his Subjects; and all other Methods to Pow er and Greatnefs have hitherto been found, and I truft ftill will be found, ineffectual in England. I remember I once faw written over a Mercer's Shop, Keep thy Shop and thy Shop will keep thee; and though it be a homely Allufion, it is very applicable to the prefent Point-KEEP YOUR LAWS, SIR, AND YOUR LAWS WILL KEEP YOU. Support your People in their Rights and Liberties, and Queen Elizabeth fhall pafs her Royal Word for them; they will fupport your juft Prerogative at home, and your Honour abroad. And, Sir, by the Way, do not let your Flatterers give you a cheap Opinion of a Power derived from the People, for it is undoubtedly from their Confent alone that all Power muft come; and though the free Voice of the Majority of the People, may not at prefent be thought fufficient to appoint their own REPRESENTATIVE, there was a Time once when it was found to be fufficient to appoint a KING. Nor let this make you uneafy that your Title to the Crown is alone from the fame free Choice of the Majority of the People: Revere that facred Choice, and fuffer not your Minifters by Corruption to weaken your own Claim in the Person of another; for believe me neither any PRINCESS, or STUART, nor your Ministers, nor all the polluted Lawyers who have spoken, or written, or voted on this Subject will ever be able to find you out a better.

In the next Place, difcharge all Jacobites and mercenary Trimmers from Offices of Truft and from Confidence, remembering always the Answer of our warlike and wife Prince King Henry the Fourth, who, upon a Complaint from his People against fome of his Ministers, replied, "I know no Evil by thefe Men; but if they are thought by my People unfit for my Service, I shall not think fit to continue them in it."

But, Sir, Purgatives alone will not perfect the Cure of your Government, and restore it to perfect Health; you must make use of

X 2

Alt.ratives