miffion and reward; and I, my Lord, who do not esteem you the more for the high office you poffefs, would willingly have followed you to your retirement. There is furely fomething fingularly benevolent in the character of our Sovereign. From the moment he afcended the throne, there is no crime, of which human nature is capable, (and I call upon the Recorder to witness it) that has not appeared venial in his fight. With any other Prince, the shameful desertion of him, in the midst of that diftrefs, which you alone had created,—in the very crisis of danger, when he fancied he faw the throne already furrounded by men of virtue and abilities, would have out-weighed the memory of your former fervices. But his Majefty is full of justice, and understands the doctrine of compeníations. He remembers with gratitude how foon you had accommodated your morals to the neceffity of his fervice ;how chearfully you had abandoned the engagements of private friendship, and renounced the moft folemn profeffions to the public. The facrifice of Lord Chatham was not loft upon him. Even the cowardice and perfidy of deferting him may have done you no differvice in his eleem. The inftance was painful, but the principle might please.

You did not neglect the magiftrate, while you flattered the man. The expulfion of Mr. Wilkes

Wilkes predetermined in the cabinet ;-the power of depriving the fubject of his birthright, attributed to a refolution of one branch of the legislature;- the conftitution impudently invaded by the house of commons ;the right of defending it treacherously renounced by the house of lords.-Thefe are the ftrokes, my Lord, which, in the prefent reign, recommend to office, and conftitute a minifter. They would have determined your Sovereign's judgment, if they had made no impreffion upon his heart. We need not look for any other fpecies of merit to account for his taking the earliest opportunity to recall you to his councils. Yet you have other merit in abundance. -Mr. Hine, the Duke of Portland,-and Mr. Yorke.-Breach of truft, robbery, and murder. You would think it a compliment to your gallantry, if I added rape to the catalogue;-but the ftile of your amours fecures you from refiftance. I know how well thefe feveral charges have been defended. In the first inftance, the breach of trust is fuppofed to have been its own reward. Mr. Bradshaw affirms upon his honour, (and fo may the gift of fmiling never depart from him!) that you reserved no part of Mr. Hine's purchase-money for your own use, but that every fhilling of it was fcrupulously paid to governor Burgoyne. -Make hafte, my Lord,E 2

- another

patent, applied

applied in time, may keep the OAKS † in the family. If not, Birnham Wood, I fear, muft come to the Macaroni.

crown.

The Duke of Portland was in life your earlieft friend. In defence of his property he had nothing to plead, but equity against Sir James Lowther, and prefcription against the You felt for your friend; but the law must take its courfe. Pofterity will fcarce believe that Lord Bute's fon-in-law had barely intereft enough at the treafury to get his grant compleated before the general election .

Enough has been faid of that deteftable tranfaction, which ended in the death of Mr. Yorke, I cannot speak of it without horror and compaffion. To excufe yourfelf, you publicly impeach your accomplice, and to his mind perhaps the accufation may be flattery. But in murder you are both principals. It was once a queftion of emulation, and if the event had not disappointed the immediate schemes of

the

† A superb villa of Col. Burgoyne, about this time adertifed for fale.

It will appear by a subsequent letter, that the Duke's precipitation, proved fatal to the grant. It looks like the hurry and confufion of a young highwayman, who takes few fhillings, but leaves the purfe and watch behind him.And yet the Duke was an old offender!

the clofet, it might ftill have been a hopeful fubject of jeft and merriment between you.

This letter, my Lord, is only a preface to my future correfpondence. The remainder of the fummer fhall be dedicated to your amufement. I mean now and then to relieve the feverity of your morning ftudies, and to prepare you for the bufinefs of the day. Without pretending to more than Mr. Bradshaw's fincerity, you may rely upon my attachment, as long as you are in office.

Will your Grace forgive me, if I venture to express fome anxiety for a man, whom I know you do not love? My Lord Weymouth has cowardice to plead, and a desertion of a later date than your own. You know the privy feal was intended for him; and if you confider the dignity of the poft he deferted, you will hardly think it decent to quarter him on Mr. Rigby. Yet he must have bread, my Lord; or rather he must have wine. If you deny him the cup, there will be no keeping him within the pale of the miniftry.

LETTER

XLIV.

TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF GRAFTON.

MY LORD,

July 9, 1771.

THE influence of your Grace's fortune till

feems to prefide over the treafury. The genius of Mr. Bradshaw infpires Mr. Robinson §. How remarkable it is, (and I fpeak of it not as matter of reproach, but as fomething peculiar to your character) that you have never yet formed a friendship, which has not been fatal to the object of it, nor adopted a cause, to which, one way or other, you have not done mifchief. Your attachment is infamy while it lafts, and which ever way it turns, leaves ruin and difgrace behind it. The deluded girl, who yields to fuch a profligate, even while he is conftant, forfeits her reputation as well as her innocence, and finds herfelf abandoned at laft to mifery and fhame.-Thus it happened with the best of Princes. Poor Dingley too! I proteft I hardly know which of them

we

By an intercepted letter from the Secretary of the Treafury it appeared, that the friends of government were be very alive in fupporting the ministerial nomination of sheriffs.