EXPLANATION of the PLATE. AT the Parliament begun and holden on the 25th day of April, 1660, the act for the Militia being paffed, the command of all the forces and garrifons fettled on Monk, and the fleet in his power, in conjunction with Col. Montague, the pretended Parliament authorized their Council of state to provide for the public fafety on all emergencies, and to difpofe affairs as they fhould think fit till the meeting of the next Parliament, Which being done, and the House ready to pass the act for their diffolution, Mr. Crew, who had been as forward as any man in beginning and carrying on the war againit the late King, moved, that before they diffolved themfelves, they would bear their witnefs against the horrid murder, as he called it, of the King. This unexpected motion prevailed with many then prefent, to deny their concurrence to that act against the King, though not to reflect in the fame manner on those who had been concerned in it: and one of them concluded his difcourfe with protesting that he had neither hand nor heart in that affair. Mr. Thomas Scot, who had been fo much deluded by the hypocrify of Monk, as I have already related, in abhorrence of that bafe fpirit, faid, that though he knew not where to hide his head at that time; yet he durft not refufe to own that not only his hand but his heart alfo was in it, and after he had produced divers reasons to prove the juftice of it, he concluded, that he should defire no greater honour in this world than that the following infcription fhould be engraved on his tomb: 'Here lieth one who had a hand and heart in the execution of Charles Stuart,late King of England. - Ludlow's Memoirs, folio edit. p. 329. At the Parliament begun and holden on the 25th day of November, 1762, in a warm debate on the terms of the peace, great fault being found with them by feveral patriotic Lords, and fome fevere reflections being thrown out against the Earl of Bute, as the principal Negotiator of that bufinefs; his lordship, with great vehemence attempted to exculpate himself, and after he had produced divers reafons to prove the juftice of it, he concluded "that he should defire no greater honour in this world, than that thefollowing infcription should be engraved on his tomb: Here lieth one who had a band and heart in the execution of the peace of Paris. An ingenious engraver has in part complied with his lordship's warmeft wishes, and has given us the defign of a fuitable monument for that great Scotfman at the fame time he has prefented us with a view of the tomb of Thomas Scot, an illuftrious Englishman, whofe words the Earl of Bute borrowed upon this remarkable occafion." ADVERTISEMENT. BRITISH INDIGNATION's masterly refutation of the Jure Divino of Alfo, a Subject of King George, but not of Bute, whofe addrefs to the Ho nourable the British Defenders of the Bill of Rights will certainly have a place in the Register for May. We are greatly obliged to our friend R. D. for the Papers from New-York, though we cannot make any ufe of them, as they have already appeared in print. CASSIUS to his Grace the Duke of Grafton is reserved for next month, because it is nearly on the fame fubject as the Petition from St. Chriftophers. Lord Torrington in the fhades to Sir Edward Hawke fhall be in our next; all other favours in hand will have due honour paid to them. and The packet figned MYSTICUS is fealed up, and lies ready for the owner at the publisher's: we are forry he did not write on the fubject while it was fresh in men's minds; but afe glad he is convinced of ourTrict honour, fecrefy and delicacy. THE POLITICAL REGISTER For M AY, 1770. NUMBER XXXVIII. For the POLITICAL REGISTER. LORD TORRINGTON in the Elyfian fields, To SIR EDWARD HAWKE.. SIR, PER ERHAPS a letter from thefe regions, to you that inhabit a more planetary world, may be deemed fomewhat extraordinary, but when you know the occafion I hope it will give you some favourable fentiments on the subject it is upon; I do not love to throw my advice away, in writing to the deaf and blind, which is ever the cafe when every human faculty of the foul becomes callous with the luft of power and felf-intereft: This hath caufed me to keep filence fo long, as I have hitherto done but the fpirit of an old British failor is yet predominant in me, and I can hold no longer. As the place you fill at this time gives you an opportunity of exerting thofe talents heaven has fo liberally beltowed on you, I hope for the good of your fellow-creatures, (though the Almighty fometimes appoints the vileft inftruments to execute his fpecial purposes, as a punishment on the felf-fufficiency of mortals.) I beg you will not trifle with time, who is of fo precarious a difpofition that there is no dependance to be made on him, not even when we have him by the fore-lock; then let not his remarkable indulgence to you, ftifle your virtues with vain notions deftructive to the peace of your Prince, and happiness of your Country-men which are infeparable, whatever witchcraft hath poifoned the ears of the great that think or would have it other ways. When in. your fation, at the clofe of a diffolute life, having VOL. VI. Kk an an opportunity of being of fome fervice to the diftreffed, affifted by heaven, I confidered it as my duty, which I profecuted with vigour, and no fooner fet about, and hardly accomplished, when time ftopped my hour-glafs and dispatched me hither, where I have long, with anxious impatience, waited to hear of fome of my fuceeffors having put a finishing hand to what, with the approbation of my Sovereign, I had so happily begun. But alas, to the fhame of the modern lordlings of the royal navy, not one but hath mauled, mangled, diffected, or made fome time-ferving advantage of it. I fpeak of that provifion made for the fea officers widows, in the year 1733, which the King, my mafter, folely at my request, was graciously pleased to give his royal fign manual for the better regulation of: but how that has been executed we are all judges of on this fide the river Styx: you may believe me, for the genius that attends here keeps an exact regifter. WAGER, on his coming hither went through a fevere penance, though but trifling for what is referved for the day of wrath; he and I have had great debates relating to this affair, but to ftop the cenfure he ftands accufed with, he avers, That he gave up a fum, to the amount of fifty thousand pounds, that was intended for quite a different purpose, to the widows, by way of arrears, to make up the deficiency of the penfions not paid them in full, fince I left the chair; which, he flatters himself is enough to acquit him of the guilt of injuring the widow and orphan. But the general report here, is, that one Scott, a folicitor, gained it them, by applying to the honourable Houfe of Commons; who 'tis faid has made many material difcoveries relating to this important affair. The man is an utter ftranger to me, but I chanced to meet him the other day, and had much conference with him on that head, he feems thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the thing, and fhewed me a lift of an immenfe fupply for the fupport of this fcheme, during the two laft wars, which fairly conducted, must have afforded the widows their full due, as at first inflituted, for ever, by each of our calculations: he was fenfibly affected with the deplorable fituation of these poor women and lamented their forlorn condition, but disappointment was fo ftrongly marked in his vifage methought it made him fomewhat dilatory, however, I think they have loft a very good friend as I know not where they will meet with his like. But oh! arife ye fhades, ye manes, that protect the British flag, fathers, husbands, brothers, fons, and all revenge their wrongs, fuffer not your pofterity to become the flaves of ambiti ous arrogance, poor dunghill fouls, drunk with profperity! I must further obferve, WAGER protests he imagined ANSON would have compleated this thing to the univerfal fatisfaction of all that had any connection with the fea-faring part of the royal navy, more especially as he gained fuch a Coloffan fortune by the deftruction of fuch numbers of his Majefty's liege fubjects, which he he expreffes with much feeming penitence accompanied with an affected ignorance of the conftitution of this country, but as this perhaps may be no more than a plea to palliate his crime, I know not how far it will go when he comes to a final fcrutiny. I have not feen ANSON as yet, for on his arrival here he was immediately put under an arreft for diffipation: not all the intereft lord Hardwicke could make was fufficient to protect him, for our laws, not as in your regions, are executed with equitable juftice, no reverting, evafions, nor innovations, take place here; but all is conducted with candour. The other day I overlooked poor lieutenant Crow and Mrs. Underdown walking in a penfive conference on the banks of Styx, making enquiries of all that arrived in Charon's packet, if any body on your fide the water had followed their example, in giving their mite towards raifing this fund or making it a charter for the widows fupport, when being answered in the negative they expreffed much diffatisfaction, yet not as tho' quite deprived of hope, when just at that inftant SIR PETER WARREN was hurried by, with a frightful group of female petitioners at his heels, and overhearing fome part of their difcourfe, I found, he faid, he thought to have done fomething towards this laudable work himfelf, but on inquiry found it was fo embarraffed and expofed to the chicanery of every minifterial wretch, it altered his purpose, as he imagined it would be giving them greater opportunities of exercifing their talents: when the Genii of this place directed them to their respective confines which put an end to my curiofity. And as to Crow and Underdown they were quite dejected at this declaration and their hopes feemed to wither in defpair, and to compleat their affliction, on Mr. Cleveland's arrival, they got intelligence that their donations had been fold out of the public ftocks, by lord Egmont's orders, to make up the deficiency of the monies collected for the widows, that was improperly applyed during the last war. On which lieutenant Crow with great emotion asked a little fmerking doctor of the robe that ftood by, If the annals of England could produce a precedent to empower even the King himself to difpofe at his will, of the legacies of a true and loyal fubject? adding that no lord on earth had any authority to difpofe of his property in any other fhape than what he had nominated. Who with a deriding fneer anfwered, That minifterial policy was grown wifer in this age, than to obferve old mufty laws, if the keeping them clashed with arbitrary faction, to this the honeft lieutenant replyed, it was no wonder their example was fo little noticed fince that was the cafe, but the infringements fhould be decided by fword and piftol the first time they met. But the Genii told him there were no fuch villainous weapons fuffered to be made ufe of here but he might be fatisfied that his punishment would be of another fort and more to be dreaded. As to Mrs. Underdown, the old gentlewoman on hearing this, grew quite outrageous, declaring there had been fuch misappliCation made of the monies collected for the fupport of this penfion, it was incredible; the having an exact lift of the number of feamen employed in the fervice ever fince the year thirty-fix, (including the two last wars) fent her by a friend whofe veracity would admit of no doubt, which the determines to publish by the first herald difpatched from hence; and taking a paper from her bofom with an heroic grace, Here, fays the female patriot, is the very copy of the royal fign manual, the good old King granted for the fure and lafting fecurity of this Utopian penfion, then she began reading as follows: And for the better fecuring of the monies arifing from the fictitious men, together with the threepences per pound deducted from every officer's pay in the British fervice appropriated to the ufe of their widows. No clerk, fecretary nor collector, under any pretence whatever, fhall receive any pay, prefent, requital or additional falary for his trouble, or attendance; but he or they shall do it voluntarily for the fole profits of the faid widows." Tho' 'tis notorious, fecretary Corbett, while at the board, had four hundred per annum out of this money for his affiftance in giving a lift of the claimants names, and a pay-clerk in the navy office a brace of hundreds from the fame channel, which is fill paid with impunity to them or their fucceffors, for them to fatten upon and flaunt in purple, whilft troops of meagre carcafes, ftarved widows and orphans come here every day. In this manner the good Matron harangued with mighty vehemence, which raifed a numerous body of thefe injured women, who would certainly have torn Corbett piece-meal, they having just discovered him, tho' he has been long here incog. on account of their juft refentment; in particular, feveral boatfwains widows who were more fanguine for revenge than the rest, but for the Genii prefiding here, who are protectors of peace and good order, and on hearing the affair truly ftated, ordered him to be shut up in a cell referved for fuch offenders, there to go through his purgation, with a juftice of the peace to bear him company, whom he formerly appointed to attend out of his voluntary good will, at the fhip in Buckingham court, to give the poor widows their oaths at twelve pence per head, till the quorum hearing of the abuse of his Majefty's royal intention, unanimously agreed to do it gratis, which as we are told to their immortal honours, they have perfifted in ever fince, except a few miscreants who are remarkable for dirty fervices. The Doctor I just now mentioned, who had been neuter all this time, in a fubmiffive tone of voice begged the Genii would permit him to speak a word or two to me, which being complyed with, with a fashionable addrefs he said, the juftices example had fo awakened the compaffion of the Admiralty lords, that to his certain knowledge they had appointed a perfon in that |