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been no better than a visionary amufement, like the scheme of Harrington's political club, and not a business in which the nation had a real concern. As a powerful party, and a party constructed on a new principle, it is a very inviting object of curiofity.

It must be remembered, that fince the Revolution, until the period we are speaking of, the influence of the Crown had been always employed in fupporting the Minifters of State, and in carrying on the public bufinefs according to their opinions. But the party now in question is formed upon a very different idea. It is to intercept the favour, protection and confidence of the Crown in the paffage to its Ministers; it is to come between them and their importance in Parliament; it is to feparate them from all their natural and acquired dependencies; it is intended as the controul, not the fupport, of Administration. The machinery of this fyftem is perplexed in its movements, and falfe in its principle. It is formed on a fuppofition that the King is fomething external to his govern ment; and that he may be honoured and aggrandized, even by its debility and difgrace. The plan proceeds exprefsly on the idea of enfeebling the regular executory power. It proceeds on the idea of weakening the State in order to ftrengthen the Court. The scheme depending entirely on diftruft, on disconnexion, on mutability by principle, on fyftematic weaknefs in every particular member; it is impoffible

that

that the total refult should be substantial strength of any kind.

As a foundation of their fcheme, the Cabal have established a fort of Rota in the Court. All forts of parties, by this means, have been brought into Administration, from whence few have had the good fortune to escape without difgrace; none at all without confiderable loffes. In the beginning of each arrangement no profeffions of confidence and fupport are wanting, to induce the leading men to engage. But while the Minifters of the day appear in all the pomp and pride of power, while they have all their canvas fpread out to the wind, and every fail filled with the fair and profperous gale of Royal favour, in a fhort time they find, they know not how, a current, which fets directly against them; which prevents all progrefs; and even drives them backwards. They grow afhamed and mortified in a fituation, which, by its vicinity to power, only ferves to remind them the more ftrongly of their infignificance. They are obliged either to execute the orders of their inferiors, or to fee themselves opposed by the natural instruments of their office. With the lofs of their dignity they lofe their temper. In their turn they grow troublefome to that Cabal which, whether it fupports or oppofes, equally difgraces and equally betrays them. It is foon found neceffary to get rid of the heads of Adminiftration; but it is of the heads only. As there always are many rotten members belonging to the best connexions, it is not hard to perfuade

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fuade feveral to continue in office without their leaders. By this means the party goes out much thinner than it came in; and is only reduced in ftrength by its temporary poffeffion of power. Befides, if by accident, or in course of changes, that power fhould be recovered, the Junto have thrown up a retrenchment of these carcafes, which may ferve to cover themselves in a day of danger. They conclude, not unwifely, that fuch rotten members will become the first objects of disgust and refentment to their antient connexions.

They contrive to form in the outward Adminiftration two parties at the leaft; which, whilst they are tearing one another to pieces, are both competitors for the favour and protection of the Cabal; and, by their emulation, contribute to throw every thing more and more into the hands of the interior managers.

A Minister of State will fometimes keep himfelf totally estranged from all his collegues; will differ from them in their councils, will privately traverse, and publicly oppofe, their measures. He will, however, continue in his employment. Instead of suffering any mark of displeasure, he will be distinguished by an unbounded profufion of Court rewards and careffes; because he does what is expected, and all that is expected, from men in office. He helps to keep fome form of Administration in being, and keeps it at the fame time as weak and divided as poffible.

However, we must take care not to be mistaken, or to imagine that fuch perfons have

any

any weight in their oppofition. When, by them, Administration is convinced of its infignificancy, they are foon to be convinced of their own. They never are fuffered to fucceed in their oppofition. They and the world are to be fatisfied, that, neither office, nor authority, nor property, nor ability, eloquence, counfel, fkill, or union, are of the leaft importance; but that the mere influence of the Court, naked of all fupport, and deftitute of all management, is abundantly fufficient for all its own purposes.

When any adverse connexion is to be deftroyed, the Cabal seldom appear in the work them-. felves. They find out fome person of whom the party entertains an high opinion. Such a perfon they endeavour to delude with various pretences. They teach him first to distrust, and then to quarrel with his friends; among whom, by the fame arts, they excite a fimilar diffidence of him; so that, in this mutual fear and distrust, he may suffer himself to be employed as the inftrument in the change which is brought about. Afterwards they are fure to deftroy him in his turn; by fetting up in his place fome perfon in whom he had himself repofed the greatest confidence, and who ferves to carry off a confiderable part of his adherents.

When fuch a perfon has broke in this manner with his connexions, he is foon compelled to commit fome flagrant act of iniquitous perfonal hoftility against some of them (fuch as an attempt to ftrip a particular friend of his family eftate), by which the Cabal hope to render

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render the parties utterly irreconcileable. In truth, they have fo contrived matters, that people have a greater hatred to the fubordinate inftruments than to the principal movers.

As in destroying their enemies they make use of inftruments not immediately belonging to their corps, fo in advancing their own friends they pursue exactly the fame method. Το promote any of them to confiderable rank or emolument, they commonly take care that the recommendation fhall pass through the hands of the oftenfible Ministry: fuch a recommendation might however appear to the world, as fome proof of the credit of Minifters, and fome means of increafing their ftrength. To prevent this, the perfons fo advanced are directed, in all companies, induftriously to declare, that they are under no obligations whatfoever to Administration; that they have received their office from another quarter; that they are totally free and independent.

When the Faction has any job of lucre to obtain, or of vengeance to vengeance to perpetrate, their way is, to felect, for the execution, thofe very perfons to whose habits, friendships, principles, and declarations, fuch proceedings are publicly known to be the most adverfe; at once to render the inftruments the more odious, and therefore the more dependent, and to prevent the people from ever repofing a confidence in any appearance of private friendship, or public principle.

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