doned at last to mifery and fhame.Thus it happened with the beft of Princes.-Poor Dingley too!-I proteft I hardly know which of them. we ought most to lament ;-The unhappy man, who finks under the sense of his dishonour, or him who furvives it. Characters, fo finished, are placed beyond the reach of panegyric. Death has fixed his feal upon Dingley, and you, my Lord, have fet your mark upon the other.

The only letter I ever addreffed to the King was fo unkindly received, that I believe I fhall never prefume to trouble his Majesty, in that way, again. But my zeal for his fervice is fuperior to neglect, and like Mr. Wilkes's patriotism, thrives by perfecution. Yet his Majefty is much addicted to ufeful reading, and, if I am not ill-informed, has honoured the Public Advertijer with particular attention. I have endeavoured therefore, and not without fuccefs, (as perhaps you may remember) to furnish it with fuch interefting and edifying intelligence, as probably would not reach him through any other channel. The fervices you have done the nation,

your integrity in office, and fignal fidelity to your approved good mafter, have been faithfully recorded. Nor have his own virtues been entirely neglected. Thefe letters, my Lord, are read in

other

other countries and in other languages; and I think I may affirm without vanity, that the gracious character of the best of Princes is by this time not only perfectly known to his fubjects, but tolerably well understood by the rest of Europe. In this refpect alone, I have the advantage of Mr. Whitehead. His plan, I think, is too narrow. He feems to manufacture his verfes for the fole ufe of the hero, who is supposed to be the fubject of them, and, that his meaning may not be unlawfully exported in foreign bottoms, fets all tranflation at defiance.

Your Grace's re-appointment to a feat in the cabinet was announced to the public by the ominous return of Lord Bute to this country. When that noxious planet approaches England, he never fails to bring plague and peftilence along with him. The King already feels the malignant effect of your influence over his councils. Your former adminiftration made Mr. Wilkes an Alderman of London, and Reprefentative of Middlesex. Your next appearance in office is marked with his election to the Shrievalty. In whatever mea fure you are concerned, you are not only difappointed of fuccefs, but always contrive to make the government of the best of Princes contemptible in his own eyes, and ridiculous to the

whole

whole world. Making all due allowance for the effect of the minifter's declared interpofition, Mr. Robinson's activity, and Mr. Horne's new zeal in fupport of adminiftration, we ftill want the genius of the Duke of Grafton to account for committing the whole intereft of government in the city, to the conduct of Mr. Harley. I will not bear hard upon your faithful friend and emiffary Mr. Touchet, for I know the difficulties of his fituation, and that a few lottery tickets are of ufe to his œconomy. There is a proverb concerning perfons in the predicament of this gentleman, which however cannot be strictly applied to him. They commence dupes, and finish knaves, Now Mr. Touchet's character is uniform. I am convinced that his fentiments never depended upon his circumstances, and that, in the inoft profperous ftate of his fortune, he was always the very man he is at prefent.But was there no other person of rank and confequence in the city, whom government could confide in, but a notorious Jacobite Did you imagine that the whole body of the Diffenters, that the whole Whigintereft of London would attend at the levee, and fubmit to the directions of a notorious Jacobite ? Was there no Whig-magiftrate in the city, to whom the fervants of George the Third could VOL. II. intruft

I

of his favour is fatal to the candidate, and that when the party he wishes well to has the fairest profpect of fuccefs, if his royal inclination should unfortunately be discovered, it drops like an acid, and turns the election. This event, among others, may perhaps contribute to open his Majefty's eyes to his real honour and intereft. In spite of all your Grace's ingenuity, he may at last perceive the inconvenience of felecting, with fuch a curious felicity, every villain in the nation to fill the various departments of his government. Yet 1 fhould be forry to confine him in the choice either of his footmen or his friends.

JUNIUS.

LET

FARCE, Comedy and Tragedy,

Wilkes, Foote, and Junius, united at the fame time against one poor Parfon, are fearful odds. The two former are only labouring in their vócation, and may equally plead in excufe, that their aim is a livelihood. I admit the plea for the second; his is an honeft calling, and my clothes were lawful game; but I cannot fo readily approve Mr. Wilkes, or commend him for making Patriotism a trade, and a fraudulent trade. But what fhall I say to Junius, the grave, the folemn, the didactic; ridicule, indeed, has been ridiculously called the teft of truth; but furely, to confefs that you lose your natural moderation when mention is made of the man, does not promise much truth or justice when you speak of him yourself,

You charge me with "a new zeal in support "of Adminiftration," and with " endeavours in

"Support