mility of complaint. The doctrine inculcated by our Laws, That the King can do no wrong, is admitted without reluctance. We feparate the amiable good-natured prince from the folly and treachery of his fervants, and the private virtues of the man from the vices. of his government. Were it not for this juft diftinction, I know not whether your M----y's condition, or that of the Utopian nation, would deferve molt to be lamented. I would prepare your mind for a favourable reception of truth, by removing every painful, offenfive idea of perfonal reproach. Your fubjects, fir, with for nothing but that, as they are reasonable and affectionate enough to separate your perfon from your government, fo you, in your turn, fhould diftinguish between the conduct, which becomes the permanent dignity of a K-, and that which ferves only to promote the temporary interest, and miserable ambition of a minifter. You afcended the throne with a declared, and, I doubt not, a fincere refolution of giving univerfal fatisfaction to your fubjects. You found them pleased with the novelty of a young prince, whofe countenance promised even more than his words, and loyal to you not only from principle, but paffion. It was not a cold profeffion of allegiance to the first magiftrate, but a partial, animated attachment to a favourite prince, the native of their country. They did not wait to examine your conduct, nor to be determined by experience, but gave you a generous credit for the future bleflings of your reign, and paid you in advance the dearest tribute of their affections. Such, fir, was once the difpofition of a people, who now furround your throne with reproaches and complaints. Do justice to yourself. Banish from your mind thofe unworthy opinions with which fome interested perfons have laboured to poflefs you. Diftruft the men, who will tell you that the Utopians are naturally light and inconfiftent:--- that they complain without a caufe. With draw your confidence equally from all parties; from minitters, favourites, and relations; and let there be one moment in your life in which you have consulted your own understanding. When you affectedly renounced the name of an Utopian for that of B-n, believe me, fir, you were perfuaded to pay a very ill-judged compliment to one part of your fubjects, at the expence of another. While the natives of S -d are not in actual rebellion, they are undoubtedly entitled to protection; nor do I mean to condemn the policy of giving fome encouragement to the novelty of their affections for the House of Hr. I am ready to hope for every thing from their new-born zeal, and from the future fteadiness of their allegiance. But hitherto they have no claim to your favour. To honour them with a determined predilection and confidence, in exclufion of your Utopian fubjects, who placed your family, and, in spite of treachery and rebellion, have fupported it upon the T-ne, is a mistake too grofs, even for the unfufpecting generofity of youth. In this error we fee a capital violation of the most obvious rules of policy and prudence. We trace it, however, to an original bias in your education, and are ready to allow for your inexperience. To the fame early prejudice we attribute it, that you have defcended to take a share not only in the narrow views and interests of particular perfons, but in the fatal malignity of their paffions. At your acceffion to the throne, the whole fyftem of government was altered, not from wisdom, or deliberation, but because it had been adopted by your predeceffor. A little, perfonal motive of pique and refentment, was fufficient to remove the ablett servants of the crown; but it is not in this country, fir, that fuch men can be difhonoured by the frowns of a K- -. They were dif miffed, but could not be difgraced. Without entering into a minuter difcuffion of the merits of the peace, we may obferve, in the imprudent hurry with which the first overtures from F---e were accepted, in the conduct of the negociation, and terms of the treaty, the strongest marks of that precipitate fpirit of conceffion, with which a certain part of your fubjects have been at all times ready to purchase a peace with the natural enemies of this country. On your part we are fatisfied that every thing was honourable and fincere, and if Utopia was fold to F----e, we doubt not that your My was equally betrayed. The conditions of the peace were matter of grief and furprize to your fubjects, but not the immediate cause of their prefent difcontent. Hitherto, fir, you had been facrificed to the prejudices and paffions of others. With what firmness will you bear the mention of your own? A man not very honourably distinguished in the world, commences a formal attack upon your favourite, confidering nothing, but how he might best expofe his perion and principles to detestation, and the national character of his countrymen to contempt. The natives of that country, fir, are as much diftinguished by a peculiar character as by your My's fayour. Like another chofen people they have been conducted into the land of plenty, where they find themselves effectually marked, and divided from mankind. There is hardly a period, at which the molt irregular character may not be redeemed. The mistakes of one fex find a retreat in patriotifm: those of the other in devotion. Mr. W----- brought with him into politicks the fame liberal fentiments by which his private conduct had been direded, and seemed to think that, as there are few exceffes in which an Utopian gen tleman may not be permitted to indulge, the fame latitude was allowed him in the choice of his political principles, and in the spirit of maintaining them ---I mean to ftate, not entirely to defend his conduct. In the earnestness of his zeal, he suffered fome unwarrantable infinuations to efcape him. He faid more than moderate men would justify but not enough to entitle him to the honour of your M----y's perfonai refentment. The rays of R-1 indignation, collected upon him, served only to illuminate, but could not confume. Animated by the favour of the people on one fide, and heated by perfecution on the other, his views and fentiments changed with his fituation. Hardly ferious at first, he is now an enthusiast. The coldest bodies warm with oppofition, the hardest fparkle in collifion. There is a holy miftaken zeal in politicks as well as religion. By perfuading others we convince our felves. The paffions are engaged, and create a maternal affection in the mind, which forces us to love the caufe for which we fuffer.Is this a contention worthy of a K...? Are you not fenfible how much the meanness of a caufe gives an air of ridicule to the difficulties, into which you have been betrayed? The deftruction of this man has been now, for many years, the fole object of your government, and if there can be any thing ftill more difgraceful, we have seen, for fuch an object, the utmost influence of the executive power, and every minifterial artifice exerted without fuccefs. Nor can you ever fucceed, unlefs be should be imprudent enough to forfeit the protection of thofe laws, to which you owe your C-.--n, or unless your minifters fhould perfuade you to make it a question of force alone, and try the whole ftrength of government in oppofition to the people. The leffons he has received from experience will probably guard him from fuch excefs of folly; an in your M-y's virtues we find and unquestionable affurance that no illegal violence will be attempted. Far from fufpecting you of fo horrible a defign, we would attribute the continued violation of the laws, and even the last enormous attack upon the vital principles of the conftitution, to an ill-advised, unworthy perfonal refentment. From one falfe ftep you have been betrayed into another, and as the cause was unworthy of you, your minitters were determined that the prudence of the execution should correfpond with the wildom and dignity of the defign. They have reduced you to the neceffity of choofing out of a variety of difficulties; -to a fituation to unhappy, that you can neither do wrong without ruin, nor right without affliction. Thefe worthy fervants have undoubtedly given you many fingular proofs of their abilities. Not contented with making Mr. W--- a man of importance, they have judiciously transferred the question from the rights and interefts of one man to the molt important rights and interests of the people, and forced your fubjects from withing well to the caufe of an individual, to unite with him in their own. Let them proceed as they have begun, and your My need not doubt but the catastrophe will do no dishonour to the conduct of the piece. The circumstances to which you are reduced will not admit of a compromife with the Utopian nation. Undecifive, qualifying meatures will difgrace your government ftill more than open violence, and, without fatisfying the people, will excite their contempt. They have too much understanding and fpirit to accept of an indirect fatisfaction for a direct injury. Nothing less than a repeal, as formal as the refolution itself, can heal the wound, which has been given to the constitution, nor will any thing lefs be accepted. I can *H 2 readily readily believe that there is an influence fufficient to recall that pernicious vote. The Hof C undoubtedly confider their duty to the C---n as para mount to all other obligations. To us they are only indebted for an accidental exiftence, and have justly transferred their gratitude from their parents to their benefactors from thofe, who gave them birth, to the minister from whose benevolence they deprive the comforts and pleafures of their political life...who has taken the tenderet care of their infancy, relieves their neceffities without offending their delicacy, and has given them, what they value moft, a virtuous education. But if it were poffible for their integrity to be degraded to a condition fo vile and abject, that, compared with it, the prefent eftimation they stand in is a state of honour and respect, confider, fir, in what manner you will afterwards proceed. Can you conceive that the people of this country will long fubmit to be governed by fo flexible a H of C? It is not in the nature of human fociety, that any form of government, in fuch circumftances, can long be preferved. In ours the general contempt of the people is as fatal as their deteftation. Such, I am perfuaded, would be the neceffary effect of any base conceffion made by the prefent H- of C, and, as a qualifying meature would not be accepted, it remains for you to decide whether you will, at any hazard, fupport a fet of men, who have reduced you to this unhappy dilemma, or whether you will gratify the united withes of the whole people of Utopia, by diffolving the P Taking it for granted, as I do very fincerely, that you have perfonally no defign against the conftitution, nor any views inconfiftent with the good of your subjects, I think, you cannot hesitate long upon the choice, which it equally concerns your intereft, and your honour to adopt. On one fide, you hazard the affections of all your Utopian fubjects; you relinquish every hope of repote to yourself, and you endanger the establishment of your family for ever. All this you venture for no object whatsoever, or for fuch an object as would be an affront to you to name. Men of fenfe will examine your conduct with fufpicion; while those who are incapable of comprehending to what degree they are injured, afflict you with clamours equally infolent and unmeaning. Suppofing it poffible that no fatal struggle should enfue, you determine at once to be unhappy, without the hope of a compenfation either from intereft or ambition. If an Utopian K― be hated or despised, he must be unhappy; and this perhaps is the only political truth, which he ought to be convinced of without experiment. But if the Utopian people fhould no longer confine their resentment to a fubmiffive reprefentation of their wrongs ; if, following the glorious example of their ancestors, they fhould no longer appeal to the creature of the constitution, but to that high being who gave them the rights of humanity, whofe gifts it were facrilege to furrender, let me afk you, fir, upon what part of your subjects would you rely for affistance? The people of Utopia's fifter have been uniformly plundered and oppreffed. In return, they give you every day fresh marks of their difcontent. They defpife the -e g -r you have fent them, because he is the creature of L---d B---e; nor is it from any natural confufion in their ideas, that they are fo ready to confound the original of a K--- with the difgraceful reprefentation of him. The distance of the colonies would make it impoffible for them to take an active concern in your affairs, if they were as well affected to your government as they once pretended to be to your perfon. They were ready enough to diftinguish between you and your minifters. They complained of an act of the legislature, but traced the origin of it no higher than to the fervants of the C--n: They pleafed themselves with the hope that their Srn, if not favourable to their caufe, at least was impartial. The decifive, perfonal part you took against them, has effectually banished that firt distinction from their minds. They confider you as united with your fervants against A--r--a, and know how to diftinguith the S.-r--n, and a venal Pt on one fide, from the real fentiments of the Utopian people on the other. Looking forward to independence, they might poffibly receive you for their K---; but, if ever you retire to A---r--a, be affured they will give you fuch a covenant to digeft, as the prefbytery of Sd would have been afhamed to offer to Charles the fecond. They left their native land in search of freedom, freedom, and found it in a defert. Di vided as they are into a thousand forms of policy and religion, there is one point in which they all agree: they equally deteft the pageantry of a K—, and the fupercilious hypocrify of a bishop. It is not then from the alienated affections of Id or A---r---a, that you can reasonably look for affiftance; ftill lefs from the people of Utopia, who are actually contending for their rights, and, in this great question, are parties against you. You are not, however, deftitute of every appearance of support: You have all the Jacobites, Nonjurors, Roman Catholics, and Tories of this country, and all S- —, without exception. Confidering from what family you were descended, the choice of your friends has been fingularly directed; and truly, fir, if you had not loft the whig intereft of Utopia, I should admire your dexterity in turning the hearts of your enemies. Is it poffible for you to place any confidence in men, who before they are faithful to you, muft renounce every opinion, and betray every principle both in church and state, which they inherit from their acestors, and are confirmed in by their education? whole numbers are fo inconfiderable, that they have long fince been obliged to give up the principles and language which diftinguished them as a party, and to fight under the banners of their enemies? Their zeal begins with hypocrify, and muft conclude in treachery. At first they deceive; at laft they betray. As to the Sh, I muft fuppofe your heart and understanding fo biaffed, from your earliest infancy, in their favour; that nothing lefs than your own misfortunes can undeceive you. You will not accept of the uniform experience of your ancestors; and when once a man is determined to believe, the very abfurdity of the doctrine confirms him in his faith. A bigotted understanding can draw a proof of attachment to the House of H....-n---r, from a notorious zeal for the houfe of Stuart, and find an earnest of future loyalty in former rebellions. Appearances are however in their favour; fo ftrongly indeed, that one would think that they had forgottten that you are their lawful K., and had miftaken you for a pretender to the C---n. Let it be admitted then that the S----h are as fincere in their prefent profeffions, as if you were in reality not an Utopian, but a Briton of the north, you would not be the first P---ce of their native country, against whom they have rebelled, nor the first whom they have bafely betrayed. Have you forgotten, fir, or has your favourite concealed from you that part of our history, when the unhappy Charles (and he too had private virtues) fled from the open avowed indignation of his Utopian fubjects, and surrendered himself at difcretion to the good faith of his own countrymen? Without looking for support in their affections as fubjects, he applied only to their honour, as gentlemen, for pro tection. They received him, as they would your My, with bows and fmiles, and falfhood, and kept him until they had fettled their bargain with the Utopian parliament; then bafely fold their native K to the vengeance of his enemies. This, fir, was not the act of a few traitors, but the deliberate treachery of a Sparliament representing the nation. A wife P.--ce might draw from it two leffons of equal utility to himself. On one fide he might learn to dread the undifguifed refentment of a generous people, who dare openly affert their rights, and who, in a juft caufe, are ready to meet their Sn in the field. On the other fide, he would be taught to apprehend fomething far more formidable ;--a fawning treachery, again't which no prudence can guard, no courage can defend, and the infidious fimiles upon the cheek would warn him of the canker in the heart. From the ufes, to which one part of the army has been too frequently applied, you have fome reason to expect, that there are no fervices they would refufe. Here too we trace the partiality of your understanding. You take the fenfe of the army from the conduct of the guards, with the farne justice with which you collect the fenfe of the people from the representations of the minittry. Your marching regiments, fir, will not make the guards their example either as foldiers or subjects. They feel and refent, as they ought to do, that invariable, undiftinguishing favour with which the guards are treated; while thofe gallant troops, by whom every ha zardous, every laborious fervice is per formed, are left to perish in garrisons abroad, or pine in quarters at home, neglected and forgotten. If they had no fenfe of the great original duty they owe their country, their refentment would ope rate rate like patriotifm, and leave your caufe to be defended by thofe to whom you have lavished the rewards and honours of their profeffion. The prætorian bands, enervated and debauched as they were, had still ftrength enough to awe the Roman populace: But when the diftant legions took the alarm, they marched to Rome and gave away the empire. On this fide then, which ever way you turn your eyes, you fee nothing but perplexity and diftrefs. You may determine to fupport the very miniftry who have reduced your affairs to this deplorable fituation: You may shelter yourself under the form of a P- " and fet your people at defiance. But be affured, fir, that fuch a refolution would be as imprudent as it would be odious. If it did not immediately shake your establishment, it would rob you of your peace of mind for ever. confider the late proceedings of the Hof By depriving a subject of his birthright, they have attributed to their own vote an authority equal to an act of the whole legislature; and, though perhaps not with the fame motives, have ftrictly followed the example of the long parliament, which firft declared the regal office ufelefs, and foon after, with as little ceremony dissolved the House of Lords. The fame pretended power which robs an Utopian fubject of his birthright, may rob an Utopian K- of his C. In another view, the refolution of the Hof , apparently not so dange rous to your My, is ftill more alarming to your people. Not contented with divelting one man of his right, they have arbitrarily conveyed that right to another. They have fet afide a return as illegal, without daring to cenfure thofe officers On the other, how different is the prof who were particularly apprized of Mr. pect? How eafy, how fate and honourable W's incapacity, not only by the deis the path before you! The Utopian na- claration of the H- but exprefly by tion declare they are grofsly injured by the wit directed to them, and who ne their reprefentatives, and folicit your M-vertheless returned him as duly elected. to exert your lawful prerogative, and give They have rejected the majority of voices, them an opportunity of recalling a truft, the only criterion by which our laws judge which they find, has been fo fcandaloufly of the fenfe of the people; they have abused. You are not to be told that the transferred the right of election from the power of the H- of is not collective to the reprefentative body; and original, but delegated to them for the by thefe acts, taken feparately or together, welfare of the people, from whom they they have effentially altered the original received it. A question of right arifes be conftitution of the H- of tween the constituent and the reprefenta. Verfed as your M· undoubtedly is, in tive body. By what authority fhall it be the Utopian hiftory, it cannot easily escape decided? Will your My interfere in you, how much it is your intereft, as well a question in which you have properly no as your duty, to prevent one of the three immediate concern? it would be a step eftates from encroaching upon the proequally odious and unneceifary. Shall vince of the other two, or affuming the the L--ds be called upon to determine the authority of them all. When once they rights and privileges of the C -ns? have departed from the great constituti They cannot do it without a flagrant onal line, by which all their proceedings breach of the conftitution. Or will you fhould be directed, who will antwer for refer it to the judges? They have often told their future moderation? Or what affor your ancestors that the law of Parlament ance will they give you that, when they is above them. What part then remains, have trampled upon their equals, they but to leave it to the people to determine will fubmit to a fuperior? Your M for themfelves? They alone are injured, may learn hereafter, how nearly the flave and fince there is no fuperior power to and tyrant are allied. which the cause can be referred, they alone ought to determine. I do not mean to perplex you with the tedious arguments upon a fubject already to difcuffed, that infpiration could hardly throw a new light upon it. There are, however, two points of view, in which it particularly imports your M- y to Some of your council, more candid than the reft, admit the abandoned profligacy of the prefent H- of -, but oppole their diffolution upon an opinion, I confefs not very unwarrantable, that their fucceffors would be equally at the difpofal of the treatury. I cannot perfuade my felf that the nation will have profited fo little |