the princes of India will not readily imagine us capable of moderation; nor can we expect they will ever be attached to us by any other motive than FEAR. If you mean to maintain your prefent poffeffions and advantages, the command of the army and the receipt of the revenue must be kept in your own hands." SUCH was the nature of the reform and regulation which his lordship exerted his influence to establish, and SUCH the GREAT AND SALUTARY PURPOSES he was folicitous by his authority and personal prefence in India to effect. But in order to fhew how excellently ambition can moralize, he concludes with faying All is not fafe: Danger ftill fubfifts, from more formidable enemies within-luxury, corruption, avarice, rapacity-these must be extirpated, or they will destroy us: for we cannot expect the fame caufes which have ru ined the greatest kingdoms, fhall have different effects on fuch a ftate as ours." NOR, as his lordship's fuperior fenfe and fagacity might have fuggested, against which he fo justly and feverely inveighs, will ever ceafe to threaten the fubverfion of a state, whilst the "riches and fecurity" of the GOVERNORS, and not the welfare and happinefs of the GOVERNED, are without hesitation admitted and avowed to be the grand end and object of GOVERNMENT.

It is now time to revert to the fituation of affairs in England. The earl of Chatham, late Mr. Pitt, notwithftanding the ideas which he had too flatteringly indulged on his re-elevation to the pinnacle of power, foon found himself in a predicament not lefs embarraffing than unplea fant. The lofs of his popularity was a fource of perpetual chagrin. The fraternal breach which had taken place with ford Temple, who had been for many years his confidential friend and adviser, excited in his breaft the moft fenfible uneafinefs; the profpect of the powerful oppofition forming against him, contrafted with that glorious period of his life when civil difcord "bound in brazen chains" feemed expiring at his feet; and finally, perhaps the proofs

already

already perceivable that he was far from poffeffing that ab folute authority in the cabinet which he had with hopes too fanguine previously expected to exercife;-all these confiderations conjoined depreffed his genius, corroded his temper, and visibly impaired his health. He perceived the ne ceffity of strengthening his intereft previous to the meeting of parliament, by a partial coalition at leaft with one or more of the political parties now combined against him, however difunited amongst themselves. At the beginning of October the earl of Chatham and the duke of Bedford being then on a temporary vifit at Bath, an interview took place at the defire of the former, who declared in explicit terms, "that he fhould be happy to fee the king's administration countenanced and supported by his grace's approbation and intereft," and proceeded to ftate the measures which he purposed to pursue:-1. To keep the peace inviolate, and to endeavor to prevent any infraction of it by foreign powers. 2. He would enter into no continental connections, nor make any fubfidiary treaty with any European power. 3. He firmly resolved to obferve, in the expenditure of the civil government, a ftrict and rigid œconomy." The duke replied, " that these were precifely the measures for which he had ever contended, and which he would certainly support, whether he and his friends were in or out of office." This interview, which terminated amicably, was understood to be only the prelude to another. Having fo far fucceeded, lord Chatham, on his return to London, no longer fcrupled to rifque an open rupture with the Newcastle or Rockingham party-ever, as it but too evidently appears, the object of his fecret averfion --by the difiniffion of lord Edgecombe, a nobleman diftinguished by his attachment to that connection, from his of fice of treasurer of the houfehold, which was conferred on Mr. afterwards Sir John Shelley. Upon this the duke of Portland, lord Chamberlain, Sir Charles Saunders firft lord of the admiralty, the lords Scarborough, Befborough,

Monfon,

Thefe refignations

Monfon, &c. refigned their offices. lord Chatham purposed to supply by his intended coali tion with the Bedford party; but on exhibiting his ultimate plan of promotions, new and formidable obftacles arofe in the way of its accomplishment. Much larger conceffions being exacted by the auxiliary party than they were thought entitled to expect, the negotiation with the duke of Bedford was abruptly broken off.

In a fhort time Sir Edward Hawke was placed at the head of the admiralty; lord le Despencer, late Sir Francis Dashwood, who under the administration of lord Bute occupied the office of chancellor of the exchequer, was appointed poftmafter; Mr. Charles Jenkinson, lord Bute's private fecretary and confidential agent, was made a lord of the admiralty; and Mr. Stuart Mackenzie, brother to lord Bute, restored to his office of privy feal for Scotland,

Lord Chatham was now univerfally confidered as reconciled in a very extraordinary and alarming degree to the fyftem of the court. This, however, was an opinion altogether founded on misapprehension; the great and efficient offices of government were still entirely in the hands of the whigs, who at this period wanted only unanimity to carry their own plans of government into full and vigorous execution. After the fift moments of reflection were paffed, confcious of the additional odium he had incurred by the late proceedings, lord Chatham again retired in all the gloom of discontent to Bath, where he fell into a paroxism of the gout, which feemed to threaten his exiftence. His corporeal infirmities were increafed by the conAlict of paffions which agitated his mind-torn at once with jealoufy, difappointment, anger, and unavailing regret*.

During

* In a letter written about this period by general Lee to the king of Poland, that extraordinary and eccentric genius thus expreffes himfelf:- I am apt to

agree

During his abfence, the minifters his affociates, fuppof ing him for ever incapacitated for public bufinefs, were engaged in a variety of hoftile political intrigues; Mr. Charles Townfhend, chancellor of the exchequer, a man of afpiring views and deep designs, making, as it was affirmed, fecret advances to the ex-minifter, lord Rockingham, for the removal of the duke of Grafton, with whom he had been for fome time on terms by no means the moft cordial. Difappointed, but not difcouraged, at the rejection of his overtures, this verfatile and reftless genius foon turned his attention to a different and oppofite quarter, ftill preferving however the appearances of friendship to the duke,

During the courfe of the preceding fummer, riots and tumults had in various parts of the kingdom taken place in confequence of the high price of provifions, and the magistrates were at length obliged to call in the military to the aid of the civil power. Many lives were loft, and a fpecial commiffion was iffued for the trial of the numerous rioters apprehended, who were nevertheless treated with every degree of lenity that the nature of the crime would permit. Few examples were made the fentence of the majority being mitigated to transportation, and many receiving a free pardon. The inceffant rains which fell during the fummer and harvest months afforded however a very alarming prospect of increasing scarcity; and it was thought expedient in the autumn, when the extreme deficiency of the crop was fully ascertained, to iffue by virtue

of

agree with the majority of the better fort, that this once noble mind is quite overthrown. Can it be reconciled to reason, that the fame man who rendered his name fo illuftrious, fo tremendous, fhould fplit upon ribbands and titles? By finking into a peerage, his popularity would vanish of courfe. I recollect your majefty was of the fame way of thinking, that there was nothing very monftrous in his acceptance of a peerage, but that it argued a fenfeleffness of glory to forfeit the name of PITT for any title the king fhould beftow. He has fits of crying, ftarting, and every effect of hysterics-it is affirmed indeed, that ten years ago he was in the very fame condition-that therefore a poffibility remains of his recovering once more his nerves, and with them all his functions."

of the royal authority an embargo on the exportation of corn, though as yet below the fixed and legal ftandard*.

When the parliament met at the usual season, it was found indispensably requisite to bring in a bill of indemnity, in order to prevent any profecutions, in the courts of law, of the officers of the crown concerned in the execution of the act. But it was remarked, that, though this bill provided for the indemnity of the executors of the proclamation, it made no mention of the ADVISERS. The amendment proposed in confequence of this omiffion occafioned fome warm altercations, The lords Chatham and Camden, in their too eager vindication of the late exertion of prerogative, maintained "that no indemnity was wanting for those who had advised the crown to adopt this wife and neceffary measure." Citing the words of LOCKE, they afferted, "that it was ridiculous VOL. I.

K

to

* A fucceffion of wet and unfavorable feasons may fufficiently account for the extraordinary scarcity which prevailed at this particular period; but the grand and interesting problem yet remains to be folved: WHEREFORE is it, that the means of fubfiftence have been for thirty years paft less easily attainable by the bulk of the people than at any former æra ?-that while on the one hand our ears are foothed and delighted with those annual parliamentary prolufions, in which the profperity of the nation is described in the moft brilliant and glowing colours of eloquence, on the other our eyes are grieved and fhocked at the difplay of wretchednefs and mifery which the habitations of the poor every where exhibit? Whence is it that the poors' rates are fo alarmingly increased, that the workhouses of the kingdom are crowded, and the villages deferted?that the laborer is bereft of the comforts which once made his cottage the abode of contentment; his family pining under the accumulated evils of cold, nakedness, and hunger? That this is an ideal picture, those who move in the gay and fplendid circles of fashion would no doubt willingly affect to believe, but the evidence of facts is too strong to be refifted or weakened by a pompous parade of words; and, where fuch a state of things exifts, to talk of the profperity of the country is a grofs abuse of language. Effects fo fatal must no doubt originate in fomething radically wrong in the general fyftem. Two caufes obviously present themselves as jointly and powerfully co-operating to their production: 1. The enormous increase of the national debt, which is in fact only a taxation of the poor householder for the benefit of the rich stockholder; and, 2. The vast and prodigious fortunes amaffed by individuals, particularly by the oppreffors and plunderers of the Eaft, which have contributed more than is eafily conceivable to the rapid and aftonishing increase of luxury, i. e. of the confumption of fuperfluities, which has an immediate and irresistible tendency to raise the price of the neceffaries of life-while by the exceffive influx of wealth the value of money is perpetually decreafing. Thus the blood we have fo profufely fhed in our fucceffive wars, the treasures we have lavished, and the treasures we have extorted, all combine to induce a state of political debility, languor, and decay, in which it may be truly affirmed " that the whole head is fick, and the whole heart is faint." And as there is no profpect of a change of fyftem, it muft neceffarily terminate in a catastrophe, which will be the more dreadful in propor tion as it is procraftinated by artificial and temporary expedients.