patriotism and its rapid conversion to official zeal, as now for the more tangible product of sheep and oxen; where the perpetual defalcation of revenue was proudly overpaid by the perpetual surplusage of orators ready to defend the right at all hazards and all salaries, and rally round government to its last shilling, it was in Ireland, where the remoteness of the Treasury table seems never to have dulled the appetite of the guests for the banquet, that the minister dazzled the eyes of opposition at home, by the display of his unchecked munificence.

One day, the 2d of July, 1777, saw the Irish peerage reinforced by eighteen new barons, seven barons further secured by being created viscounts, and five viscounts advanced to earldoms! Against the wielder of patronage like this, what party fidelity could stand? There never had been such a brevet in Ireland and every man suddenly discovered the unrighteousness of resistance to a minister so gifted with wisdom, and the privilege of dispensing favours. The fountain of honour had often before flowed copiously in ministerial emergencies; but now, as one of the Irish orators said on a similar occasion, in the curious pleasantry of his country, "It flowed forth as freely, spontaneously, and abundantly as Holywell, in Wales, which turns so many mills." It fairly washed Irish opposition away. In Eng

land it softened even the more stubborn material

D

of Opposition to an extraordinary degree of plasticity. In the midst of popular outcry, the increase of public expenses, and disastrous news from America, the address was carried by a majority of three to one.

But a more powerful and inflexible antagonist than political partisanship soon rose against this feeble system of expedients; public misfortune was against the ministry. The American revolt had rapidly grown from a scorned insurrection into a recognised war; Washington's triumphs over the ignorance of a succession of generals, who should never have been trusted out of sight of Hyde Park, legitimated rebellion. Victory threw a covering of dignity and justice over the original nakedness of a revolt not more against England than against every principle of right and honour; and popular indignation at unexpected defeat turned round and revenged itself on the premier. In this emergency, North undoubtedly exhibited powers which surprised and often baffled his parliamentary assailants. If fancy and facetiousness could have sustained an administration, his might have triumphed, for no man ever tossed those light shafts with more. pungent dexterity. But his hour was come. Every wind that blew from America brought with it evil tidings for the minister. Opposition, paralysed by its first defeats, now started up into sudden boldness. Every new disaster of the

cabinet recruited the ranks of its enemies. There was treachery too within the camp. Every man who had any thing to lose provided for the future by abandoning the falling cause. Every man who had any thing to gain established his claim by more open hostility. The king alone stood firm. At length, worn out by this perpetual assault, North solicited leave to resign, left his power to be fought for by the parties that instantly sprang out of Opposition; and, after one more grasp at office, which shewed only how ineradicable the love of power is in the human heart, retired to make apologues on political. oblivion, and, like a sage of Indian fable, tell children that the world was governed by sugar-plums, and that the sugar-plums were always forgotten when their distributor had no more to give.

On the first of January, 1781, the prince, though but little more than eighteen, had been declared of age, on the old ground that the heir apparent knows no minority. A separate establishment, on a small scale, was assigned to him, and he was, for the first time, allowed to feel that the domestic discipline of Kew was about to be exchanged for the liberty suitable to his age and station. The measure was beginning to form an angry topic; but it was accidentally extinguished by another which is given, as having attracted the whole curiosity of the time.

This topic was the seizure of De la Motte, a

French spy, of remarkable adroitness and some personal distinction. De la Motte had been a

colonel in the French regiment of Soubise, and behaved with gallantry on several occasions in the preceding war. On the peace his regiment was reduced; but a considerable estate falling to him, with the title of baron, he flourished for a while in Paris. Play, at length, broke down his resources; and, at once to evade his creditors and to profit by the gaming propensities of this country, he fixed himself in London; where, on the breaking out of the American war, he yielded to the temptation of acting as a private agent to the French ministry. An intercourse was soon established with a clerk in the navy department, through one Lutterloh, a German. This person figured as a country gentleman, of no slight importance. He took a villa at Wickham, near Portsmouth, to be on the spot for intelligence of the fleets; he lived showily, even kept a pack of hounds, and gave entertainments, by which he ingratiated himself with the resident gentry and officers, and was considered a prodigious acquisition to the hilarity and companionship of the country. De la Motte remained in London, attracting no attention, but busily employed in forwarding the information received from his confederate; until full information of his treason reached government, a messenger was despatched for him, who found him tranquilly studying at his

lodgings in Bond Street, and conveyed him to the secretary of state's office, then in Cleveland Row. He was evidently taken by surprise, for he had his principal papers about his person, and could find no better way to get rid of them than by dropping them on the stairs of the office. They were of course immediately secured, and given to the secretary, Lord Hillsborough. His diligence as a spy was sufficiently proved by their value. They contained particular lists of all matters relating to the British dock-yards, the force and state of every ship, with their complements of men at the time of their sailing; and his accuracy was urged so far as even to details of the number of seamen in the various naval hospitals.

An order was now issued for Lutterloh's apprehension. He was found following the usual easy pursuits of his life, with his hunters and pack waiting for him, and his boots ready to be drawn on. The messengers prohibited his hunting for that day, and ordered him to deliver the keys of his desks, where they found but money, cash and bills for 3007.; but on looking more carefully at the bills, they perceived that they were all drawn payable to the same person, and dated on the same day, with those of the baron. Lutterloh now felt that he was undone, and offered to make a general disclosure of the treason. His garden was dug up, and a packet of papers was produced in his hand-writing, the