X. 1772. and the queen and in 1771, when Matilda was CHAP. delivered of a daughter, fhe, feeing the new-born princefs, faid with a malicious smile, that the child had all the features of Struenfee. The evil report was induftriously propagated; and it was farther afferted, that the ruling party had formed a defign to fuperfede the king, to appoint Matilda regent during the minority of her fon, and Struenfee fupreme director of affairs. The report of the intended depofition was never fubftantiated by any proof; and the other rumour, which was never feconded either by teftimony or circumftantial evidence, must stand in history as a FALSE AND MALICIOUS SLANDER against the fifter of the British fovereign. The queen, finding herself an object of unjust fufpicion, took a part very natural to confcious innocence, but often injurious to female reputation: fhe difregarded the rumours, and did not abstain from the company of the fufpected party. This conduct, neither prudent nor judicious, greatly accelerated the fuccefs of her enemies. It was not difficult to fpread fcandal against the friend of a man fo defervedly unpopular; and the charge was very generally believed. The king was eafily impreffed with the prevailing opinion, being a mere tool in the hands of any party that happened to predominate. On the 17th of January, the queen dowager and her fon, coming at four in the morning to the king's bed-chamber, afferted to him, that the queen and Struenfee were at that very hour framing an act of renunciation of the crown, which they would compel him immediately to fign; and therefore that his only means of efcaping this danger, was to fign orders which they had drawn up for VOL. II. I the Accufation and arrest of Matilda. X. 1772. CHAP. the arreft of the queen and her accomplices. The king, though reluctant, at length complied, and the orders were immediately executed; but the queen being found in her own apartment, and Struenfee and Brandt in bed in their respective houses, manifefted the falfehood of Julia's charge. Having before fecured the army and people, the dowager reigned without control. Struenfee and Brandt were tried; but, culpable as they both might be, there was no evidence that they had perpetrated any capital crine; they were, however, fentenced to death, and executed. Refpecting queen Matilda, the ruling party did not attempt to establish their charges. The dowager was unwilling to establish a precedent for trying a queen by fubjects; and befides, though by fubornation and iniquity fhe might eafily have crushed an unprotected individual however innocent, yet to put to an undeserved death the fifter of the king of England, would be a very His Britan- dangerous act of tyranny. His Britannic majefty, nic majesty knowing that it would be in vain to attempt the and refcues vindication of his fifter's character in a country governed by her inveterate enemies, refolved to rescue her from those malignant calumniators, and fent a SQUADRON to demand the unfortunate princefs. The court of Denmark, not chufing to refuse a requifition fo feconded, delivered her to comand affords modore Macbride, who conveyed her from the scene of her perfecution to Zell, a city in the dominions of Hanover, where her royal brother had provided her an afylum, in which the refided during the remainder of her fhort life*. demands bis fuffering fifter, her an afylum in his German dominions. * She died May 10th, 1775, of a malignant fever, in her 24th year. CHAP. XI. America, tranquil in the fouth, is turbulent in the north.Maffachufets difavows the authorities of the British conftitution. Britain. Mercantile failures of 1772.-Alexander Fordyce.-Change of mercantile character.-Influence of accumulation in India.-Stock-jobbing-fictitious creditextravagant adventure without capital.-High eftimation of lord North for financial skill.-Affairs of the India company-its pecuniary embarraffinents-conduct of its fervants, and distresses of the natives-reported to the house of commons by a committee. The company propofe a fcheme for correcting and reftraining its fervants.-Parliament undertakes the taskCompany's petition for a loan-granted on certain conditions. -Company allowed to export tea from Britain duty free.—— Lord North's plan for the government of India-difcuffed in parliament-paffes into a law.-Inquiry into the conduct of lord Clive.-Diftinguished abilities of Meffrs. Thurlow and Wedderburne fhewn against and for lord Clive.--The war with the Caribs.-Increafe of half-pay to naval captains.-Petition of the diffentars-is rejected.—Supplies.— Reduction of the national debt.—Continental affairs.—Completion of the dismemberment of Poland.-Violent attacks of Roman catholic powers on their clergy.-America-tranquility, and flourishing commerce.-Britain-difcontent and licentioufnefs fubfide.—Increafing trade and profperity imputed to the policy of lord North.-The minifter now at the zenith of his fame. XI. 1772. TRANQUILLITY continued to prevail in the middle CHA P. and fouthern colonies of America; but in the northern, the democratical fpirit was daily gaining ground. The falaries of the provincial judges, and the attorney and folicitor general, paid by the affemblies, were very scanty. To render men in fuch important I 2 fitua XI. 1772. America, tranquil in the fouth, is turbulent in the north. CHA P. fituations more independent in their circumftances, government had this year affigned them liberal falaries out of the American revenue. The New Englanders affected to believe that this arrange ment was intended to corrupt the fource of justice, and render decifions dependent on government. A meeting of Boftonians, called by themselves the felect men, on the 25th of October petitioned government to hold an affembly for the purpose of confidering the evil tendency of the new regulations. The governor not complying, the committee iffued a new declaration of rights, more republican than any that had yet been published; which confidered the provincials merely as free men, not as British fubjects, and denied the right of the British parliament to legiflate in any cafe for the colonies. A general meeting of Boftonians immediately adopted this declaration of their committee; the provincial affembly published their approbation of the doctrines in their moft democratical extent; and the proceedings of all claffes and orders in Maffachufets amounted to a difavowal of the established Republican Maffachufets dif avows the authorities of the British con- authorities of the British conftitution. ftitution. Britain: mercantile failures of 1772. turbulence in the north, and tranquil acquiefcence in conftitutional authority through the middle and fouthern colonies, ftrongly manifefted a diversity of fentiment, which it was the duty of legiflative wisdom to confider, in its policy towards the refpective provinces. In Britain, this year was remarkable for very great and numerous bankruptcies, important in themselves, but more momentous as they demonstrated the close and complex connections and inter mingled XI. 1772. Alexander Fordyce. mingled dependencies of commercial credit, and CHAP. also marked a change that had taken place in the mercantile character. A Scotch adventurer, named Alexander Fordyce, had rifen in a few years to fuch a height in the city of London, that his downfal appeared for a time to shake all credit and confidence throughout the metropolis. Fordyce was a projector, who poffeffed ingenuity to form planfible schemes, infinuating manners, and dexterous addrefs to engage confidence, but without found judgment and prudence to direct his conduct. He had gambled in the funds to a very great amount; and having at times fucceeded, by his occafional command of ready money, and by becoming a partner in a very eminent banking-house, he was entrusted with many and large fums belonging to others. He now dealt in stock-jobbing to an extent unknown in the annals of gambling. At length the bubble burft: he failed to an amount little fhort of half a million, and involved his partners in his ruin; and many others, who had trufted him with money or bills, fhared the fame fate. The fall of fo great a houfe carried its effects far beyond immediate creditors, excited a diftruft of other banking and mercantile firms, and, obstructing the ufual accommodation, produced many ftoppages. But thefe evils, occafioned in a confiderable degree by Fordyce and his connections, originated in caufes much more general, which influenced the conduct and determined the fortune of many others. The gains of British merchants in former times were chiefly from the gradual operation of fkill, industry, economy, and bold yet prudent adventure. The riches ac Change of canile cha the mer racter. |