I maintain, that Mr. Wilkes did commiffion Mr. Thomas Walpole to folicit for him a penfion of one thousand pounds on the Irish eftablishment for thirty years; with which, and a pardon, he declared he would be fatisfied: and that, notwithftanding his letter to Mr. Onflow, he did accept a clandeftine, precarious, and eleemofinary penfion from the Rockingham adminiftration; which they paid in proportion to, and out of their falaries: and fo entirely was it minifterial, that as any of them went out of the miniftry, their names were fcratched out of the lift, and they contributed not longer. I fay, he did folicit the governments, and the embaffy, and threatened their refufal nearly in these words-" It coft me a year and a "half to write down the laft administration; "fhould I employ as much time upon you, very "few of you would be in at the death." thefe threats did not prevail, he came over to England to embarrass them by his prefence: and when he found that Lord Rockingham was fomething firmer and more manly than he expected, and refused to be bullied-into what he could not perform, Mr. Wilkes declared that he could not leave England without money; and the Duke of Portland and Lord Rockingham purchased his abfence with one hundred pounds a-piece, with which he returned to Paris. And for the truth of what I here advance, I appeal to the Duke of Portland, to Lord Rockingham, to Lord John Cavendish, to Mr. Walpole, &c.-I appeal to the hand-writing of Mr. Wilkes, which is ftill extant.

When

Should Mr. Wilkes afterwards (failing in this wholefale trade) choose to dole out his popularity by the pound, and expofe the city offices to fale to his brother, his attorney, &c. Junius will tell us, it is only an ambition that he has to make them* chamberlain, town-clerk, &c. and he must not be oppofed in thus robbing the ancient citizens of

their

their birthright-because any defeat of Mr. Wilkes would gratify the King!

Should he, after confuming the whole of his own fortune, and that of his wife, and incurring a debt of twenty thousand pounds, merely by his own private extravagance, without a fingle fervice or exertion all this time for the publick, whilft his estate remained; fhould he at length, being undone, commence patriot, have the good fortune to be illegally perfecuted, and in confideration of that illegality be efpoufed by a few gentlemen of the pureft publick principles; fhould his debts (though none of them were contracted for the publick) and all his other incumbrances be difcharged; fhould he be offered 600l. or 1000l. a-year to make him independent for the future; and fhould he, after all, instead of gratitude for thefe fervices, infolently forbid his benefactors to beftow their own money upon any other object but himself, and revile them for fetting any bound to their fupplies; Junius (who, any more than Lord Chatham, never contributed one farthing to thefe enormous expences) will tell them, that if they think of converting the fupplies of Mr. Wilkes's private extravagance to the fupport of publick measures- -they are as great fools as my grandmother; and that Mr. Wilkes ought to hold the ftrings of their purfes-as long as he continues to be a thorn in the King's fide!

Upon these principles I never have acted, and I never will act. In my opinion, it is lefs difhonourable to be the creature of a court, than the tool of a faction. I will not be either. I underftand the two great leaders of oppofition to be Lord Rockingham and Lord Chatham; under one of whofe banners, all the oppofing members of both houses who defire to get places, enlift. I can place no confidence in either of them, or in any others, unless they will now engage, whilft they are OUT, to grant certain effential advantages for

the

the fecurity of the publick when they shall be IN adminiftration. These points they refuse to ftipulate, because they are fearful left they should prevent any future overtures from the court. To force them to these stipulations has been the uniform endeavour of Mr. Sawbridge, Mr. Townfend, Mr. Oliver, &c. and THEREFORE they are abused by Junius. I know no reason but my zeal and industry in the fame cause, that should entitle me to the honour of being ranked by his abuse with perfons of their fortune and ftation. It is a duty I owe to the memory of the late Mr. Beckford to fay, that he had no other aim than this, when he provided that fumptuous entertainment at the Manfion-house for the members of both houses in oppofition. At that time he drew up the heads. of an engagement, which he gave to me, with a request that I would couch it in terms fo cautious and precife, as to leave no room for future quibble and evafion; but to oblige them either to fulfil the intent of the obligation, or to fign their own infamy, and leave it on record: and this engagement he was determined to propose to them at the Manfion-house, that, either by their refufal they might forfeit the confidence of the publick, or by the engagement lay a foundation for confidence. When they were informed of the intention, Lord Rockingham and his friends flatly refufed any engagement; and Mr. Beckford as flatly fwore, they fhould then-" eat none of his "broth" and he was determined to put off the entertainment: But Mr. Beckford was prevailed upon by to indulge them in the ridiculous parade of a popular proceffion through the city, and to give them the foolish pleafure of an imaginary confequence, for the real benefit only of the cooks and purveyors.

It was the fame motive which dictated the thanks of the city to Lord Chatham; which were A a expreffed

exprefied to be given for his declaration in favour of fort parliaments; in order thereby to fix Lord Chatham at leaft to that one conftitutional remedy, without which all others can afford no fecurity. The embarraffment, no doubt, was cruel. He had his choice either to offend the Rockingham party, who declared formally against short parliaments, and with the affiftance of whofe numbers in both houfes he must expect again to be minifter; or to give up the confidence of the publick, from whom finally all real confequence muft proceed. Lord Chatham chofe the latter: and I will venture to fay, that, by his anfwer to those thanks, he has given up the people without gaining the friendship or cordial affiftance of the Rockingham faction; whofe little politicks are confined to the making of matches, and extending their family connexions, and who think they gain more by procuring one additional vote to their party in the house of commons, than by adding their languid property and feeble character to the abilities of a Chatham, or the confidence of a publick.

Whatever may be the event of the present wretched ftate of politicks in this country, the principles of Junius will fuit no form of government. They are not to be tolerated under any conftitution. Personal emnity is a motive fit only for the devil. Whoever, or whatever, is Sovereign, demands the refpect and fupport of the people. The union is formed for their happiness, which cannot be had without mutual respect; and he counfels maliciously who would perfuade either to a wanton breach of it. When it is banished by either party, and when every method has been tried in vain to restore it, there is no remedy but a divorce: But even then he must have a hard and a wicked heart indeed who punishes the greatest criminal merely for the fake of the punishment;

and

and who does not let fall a tear for every drop of blood that is fhed in a publick ftruggle, however just the quarrel. JOHN HORNE.

LETTER LIV.

TO THE PRINTER OF THE PUBLICK ADVER

I

SIR,

TISER.

Aug. 15. 1771.

OUGHT to make an apology to the Duke of Grafton, for fuffering any part of my attention to be diverted from his Grace to Mr. Horne. I am not juftified by the fimilarity of their difpofitions. Private vices, however deteftable, have not dignity fufficient to attract the cenfure of the prefs, unless they are united with the power of doing fome fignal mischief to the community.Mr. Horne's fituation does not correfpond with his intentions. In my own opinion, (which, I know, will be attributed to my ufual vanity and prefumption) his letter to me does not deferve an answer. But I understand that the publick are not fatisfied with my filence that an answer is expected from me; and that if I perfift in refufing to plead, it will be taken for conviction. I fhould be inconfiftent with the principles I profess, if I declined an appeal to the good fenfe of the people, or did not willingly fubmit myself to the judgment of my peers.

If any coarfe expreffions have efcaped me, I am ready to agree that they are unfit for Junius to make ufe of, but I fee no reason to admit that they have been improperly applied.

Mr. Horne, it feems, is unable to comprehend how an extreme want of conduct and discretion can confift with the abilities I have allowed him nor can he conceive that a very honeft man, with a very good understanding, may be deceived by a knave. His knowledge of human nature muft be limited

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