owned throughout Europe, his party difbanded in England. His majefty came indeed to the inheritance of a mighty war; but, victorious in every part of the globe, peace was always in his power, not to negotiate, but to dictate. No foreign habitudes or attachments withdrew him from the cultivation of his power at home. His revenue for the civil establishment, fixed (as it was then thought) at a large, but definite fum, was ample, without being invidious. His influence, by additions from conqueft, by an augmentation of debt, by an increase of military and naval establishment, much strengthened and extended. And coming to the throne in the prime and full vigour of youth, as from affection there was a strong diflike, fo from dread there feemed to be a general averfenefs, from giving any thing like offence to a monarch, against whofe refentment oppofition could not look for a refuge in any fort of reverfionary hope.

These fingular advantages infpired his majesty only with a more ardent defire to preferve unimpaired the spirit of that national freedom, to which he owed a fituation fo full of glory. But to others it fuggefted fentiments of a very different nature. They thought they now beheld an opportunity (by a certain fort of statesmen never long undifcovered or unemployed) of drawing to themselves, by the aggrandizement of a court faction, a degree of

power

power which they could never hope to derive from natural influence or from honourable fervice; and which it was impoffible they could hold with the leaft fecurity, whilst the system of administration refted upon its former bottom. In order to facilitate the execution of their defign, it was neceffary to make many alterations in political arrangement, and a fignal change in the opinions, habits, and connexions of the greatest part of those who at that time acted in publick.

The

It

In the firft place, they proceeded gradually, but not flowly, to deftroy every thing of ftrength which did not derive its principal nourishment from the immediate pleasure of the court. greatest weight of popular opinion and party connexion were then with the duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt. Neither of these held their importance by the new tenure of the court; they were not therefore thought to be fo proper as others for the fervices which were required by that tenure. happened very favourably for the new fyftem, that under a forced coalition there rankled an incurable alienation and disgust between the parties which compofed the adminiftration. Mr. Pitt was first attacked. Not satisfied with removing him from power, they endeavoured by various artifices to ruin his character. The other party feemed rather pleased to get rid of fo oppreffive a fupport; not perceiving, that their own fall was prepared

by

by his, and involved in it. Many other reafons prevented them from daring to look their true fituation in the face. To the great Whig families it was extremely difagreeable, and feemed almoft unnatural to oppose the administration of a prince of the house of Brunswick. Day after day they hefitated, and doubted, and lingered, expecting that other counfels would take place; and were flow to be perfuaded, that all which had been done by the cabal, was the effect not of humour, but of fyftem. It was more ftrongly and evidently the intereft of the new court faction, to get rid of the great Whig connexions, than to deftroy Mr. Pitt. The power of that gentleman was vaft indeed and merited; but it was in a great degree perfonal, and therefore tranfient. Theirs, was rooted in the country. For, with a good deal lefs of popularity, they poffeffed a far more natural and fixed influence. Long poffeffion of government; vaft property; obligations of favours given and received; connexion of office; ties of blood, of alliance, of friendship (things at that time fuppofed of fome force); the name of Whig, dear to the majority of the people; the zeal early begun and steadily continued to the royal family: all these together 'formed a body of power in the nation, which was criminal and devoted. The great ruling principle : of the cabal, and that which animated and harmonized all their proceedings, how various foever

they

they may have been, was to fignify to the world, that the court would proceed upon its own proper forces only; and that the pretence of bringing any other into its fervice was an affront to it, and not a fupport. Therefore when the chiefs were removed, in order to go to the root, the whole party was put under a profcription, fo general and severe as to take their hard-earned bread from the lowest officers, in a manner which had never been known before, even in general revolutions. But it was thought neceffary effectually to deftroy all dependencies but one; and to fhew an example of the firmness and rigour with which the new system was to be supported.

Thus for the time were pulled down, in the perfons of the Whig leaders and of Mr. Pitt (in fpite of the fervices of the one at the acceffion of the royal family, and the recent fervices of the other in the war) the two only fecurities for the importance of the people; power arifing from popularity; and power arifing from connexion. Here and there indeed a few individuals were left ftanding who gave fecurity for their total eftrangement from the odious principles of party connexion and perfonal attachment; and it must be confeffed that most of them have religiously kept their faith. Such a change could not however be made without a mighty fhock to government.

To reconcile the minds of the people to all these movements,

movements, principles correfpondent to them had been preached up with great zeal. Every one must remember that the cabal fet out with the moft aftonishing prudery, both moral and political. Those who in a few months after foufed over head and ears into the deepest and dirtieft pits of corruption, cried out violently against the indirect practices in the electing and managing of parliaments, which had formerly prevailed. This marvellous abhorrence which the court had fuddenly taken to all influence, was not only circulated in converfation through the kingdom, but pompously announced to the publick, with many other extraordinary things, in a pamphlet* which had all the appearance of a manifefto preparatory to fome confiderable enterprife. Throughout it was a fatire, though in terms managed and decent enough, on the politicks of the former reign. It was indeed written with no fmall art and addrefs.

In this piece appeared the first dawning of the new fyftem; there first appeared the idea (then only in fpeculation) of feparating the court from the adminiftration; of carrying every thing from national connexion to perfonal regards; and of forming a regular party for that purpose, under the name of king's men.

To recommend this fyftem to the people, a per

* Sentiments of an honest Man.

fpective