trivial, though the arguments urged against it were forcible, and the oppofition general, the minifter, who entertained doubtless very different ideas of political wisdom from his predeceffor Sir Robert Walpole, refolved, with that obstinate inflexibility which is fo often mistaken for dignity and firmness, to persevere; and the bill finally paffed into a law.

mies.

But fcarcely was this favorite measure carried into exe-cution, when the kingdom was aftonished with the intelligence of the refignation of the minifter, who having, as he boafted, restored peace to the world, forfeited no engagement, abandoned no friend, and formed a minifterial connection fo powerful as no longer to need his affiftance, was now determined, by retiring to the bleffings of the life he loved," to demonftrate that minifterial greatness had for him no charms, All his political purposes he had completely attained; and, by voluntarily divesting himself of his public authority, he was folicitous to fhow, that in his private capacity he dared the utmost malice and vengeance of his eneThese motives were however of a nature by which men even the most virtuous, and particularly statesmen, are fo rarely actuated, that little credit was given by the public at large to profeffions of moderation and difinterestedness fo inconfiftent with those measures of alternate artifice and violence, by which the late minifter had attained to the fummit of that power and greatness to which he now pretended a frigid and philofophical indifference. It was affirmed with boldness by his enemies, and faintly controverted by his friends, that, although his pride would not fuffer him to recede from a measure he had once adopted, he found him→ felf on the paffing of the late unpopular act in a fituation which he had neither the ability nor the fortitude to sustain. Conscious that he was the object of the general abhorrence— that alone to him was imputed the difmiffion of the late роpular and patriotic minifters-that he was charged with having betrayed the interefts of the nation by the late shameful

treaty

treaty of peace-that he had abufed the confidence of his fovereign by introducing a fyftem of favoritifm into the administration of affairs-that his partiality to his countrymen the Scots was grofs and palpable-that he had facrificed the honor of the king and kingdom abroad, by abandoning to his fate our ally the king of Pruffia--and that by the general tenor of his domeftic policy he had given clear proof of his intention to establish a plan of defpotism at home--confcious that thefe charges, whether well or ill founded, were almost universally believed, and that he stood on that pinnacle of power from which he might be fuddenly plunged into the gulph of political perdition, it was no wonder in circumftances fo perilous that he wished, while yet within his reach, to fecure a fafe and honorable retreat; and knowing his influence over the mind of his fovereign to exift in undiminished force, it would be eafy for him at a more propitious feafon openly to re-affume the direction of affairs, or, which better accorded with the my tery and artifice pervading his whole character and conduct, whoever might be permitted to occupy the oftenfible posts, fecretly to guide the reins of government, and thus to enjoy the reality of minifterial power without fubjecting himfelf to the responsibility conftitutionally attached to it.

To the earl of Bute fucceeded as first commiffioner of the treasury, Mr. George Grenville, brother to earl Temple, a man accurately verfed in the routine of business, practifed in all the punctilios of form, and the minutiæ of office; open and affable in his manners; not deficient in probity, although ambitious of diftinction. But though his abilities were of a clafs to entitle him in a fubordinate ftation to respect, he was utterly deftitute of those commanding talents, that intuitive fagacity, and intellectual compre-henfion, which mark the man whom nature seems to have deftined to the government of empires.

On the death of lord Egremont, which took place nearly at this period, the feals were given to the earl of Sand

wich';

wich; the earl of Egremont was advanced to the head of the admiralty; and the duke of Bedford, now returned from his embally to Paris, was appointed prefident of the council in the room of the famous earl Granville, who had for many years paft, and to the close of life, under all the changing viciffitudes of power, occupied with the highest reputation that honorable exalted office. In confequence of the retreat of the earl of Bute, a general coalition of parties feemed now to be again practicable, and overtures to that purpose were made to Mr. Pitt, and the other leaders in oppofition: but after repeated conferences, the negotiations terminated ineffectually; the king declaring, that the terms infifted on by Mr. Pitt were incompatible with his dignity, and of a nature to which he could not in honor accede: and the new adminiftration feemed refolved to refer to the decifion of experience, whether they were not competent, by their own unaffifted strength, in defiance of all oppofition both in and out of Parliament, to establish an efficient Government*.

In

*Lord Bute had a conference, by his own particular defire and request, with Mr. Pitt, Auguft 25, 1763. He acknowledged to Mr. Pitt, that the prefent adminiftration was too weak to continue; and intimated, that the king wifhed to arrange a new administration with the advice and concurrence of Mr. Pitt. On Saturday the 27th, Mr. Pitt waited by command on his majesty, at the queen's palace. The conference lafted three hours, in the courfe of which Mr. Pitt delivered his fentiments on men and things very freely to his majesty; representing the present degraded fituation of the kingdom both foreign and domeftic; that the great whig families had been driven from his majesty's councils and fervice; and that it would be equally the intereft of his majefty and the nation to restore them. The king hearkened with complacency; and upon the renewal of the conference on Monday, Mr. Pitt again enforced thefe topics, faying, that affairs could not be carried on without the great families who have fup-ported the revolution government, and others, of whofe abilities and integrity the public has had experience. "I fhould only deceive your majefty if I should leave you in an opinion that I could go on, and your majefty form a folid adminiftration on any other foot." The king, whofe behaviour was perfectly gracious, at length unexpectedly terminated the conference, by faying, "Well, Mr. Pitt, I fee, or I fear, this won't do; my honour is concerned, and I must support it." "Mr. Pitt," fays lord Hardwicke, who is the relater of these partitulars (in a letter to his fon lord Royfton), " affirms, that if he was examined upon oath, he could not tell upon what this negotiation broke off. He believes that my lord Bute was fincere at firft, and that the king was in earnest the first day; but that on the intermediate day, Sunday, fome ftrong effort was made, which produced the alteration. The minifters, Mr. Grenville and lord Halifax, his lordship affirms, were highly offended that lord Bute fhould thus

attempt

In confequence of the ill fuccefs of the recent attempt at reconciliation, the rage of party seemed more inflamed than ever, and the prefs teemed with political pamphlets on each fide, couched in terms of the extremeft virulence and abuse. Thefe the ministry feemed totally and wifely to disregard, till on the appearance of the 45th number of a periodical publication styled the North Briton, containing a perfonal and very indecent attack upon the king, charging him with affirming a direct falfehood in his fpeech from the throne, it was in an evil hour judged expedient, for the vindication of his majefty's honor, to exert every effort of government to rescue the Sovereign from an imputation, the impreffion made by which, had it been regarded with the dignity of filent contempt, would probably have lafted only till the 46th number had promulgated fome new abuse, as impu dent, as malignant, and as futile as the former. The well known and almoft avowed author of the publication in queftion was Mr. Wilkes, member of parliament for the borough of Aylesbury, a man of ruined fortune and profligate morals, who had made repeated applications to the ministry for fome poft that might repair his fhattered circumstances; but failing of fuccefs, probably through his total want of character, he refolved in revenge, and it is said that he scrupled not openly to declare his refolution, to try how far it was practicable to carry the licentiousness of writing under the pretext of exercifing the liberty of the prefs. A warrant was iffued under the hand and feal of lord Halifax, directed to certain of his majefty's meffengers

in

attempt to facrifice them to his own fears and timidity; and they give it out, that he is to retire to the continent for a twelvemonth or more. You know a certain Cardinal was twice exiled out of France; and governed France as abfolutely whilft he was abfent as when he was prefent." When Mr. Pitt, after the last conference, appeared at the levee. the king behaved to him with fuch marked condefcenfion and affability, that Mr. Pitt was heard to fay, "His majefty is the greatest courtier in his court."

*No minifter had ever been more virulently attacked than Mr. Pitt, nor did the political publications of the times fpare the perfon of the late king; but Mr. Pitt, on being urged to profecute the libellers, replied only with a smile, that the prefs was like air, "A CHARTERED LIBERTINE,"

in the ufual official form, commanding them to apprehend the authors, printers, and publishers of that feditious and

treafonable paper.

On the 29th of April, 1763, late at night, the messengers entered the houfe of Mr. Wilkes, and produced their warrant, with which, on account of the general terms in which it was drawn, he abfolutely refufed compliance; but on their return the next morning, he was compelled to accompany them to the office of the secretary of state, whence he was committed clofe prifoner to the tower, his papers being previously feized and fealed, and all access to his person strictly prohibited. Application being made to the court of common pleas for an habeas corpus, a writ was accordingly iffued, directed to the conftable of the tower, in confequence of which, Mr. Wilkes was brought up the next day to Westminster Hall; and the cafe being new and important, he was, after the pleadings were finifhed, remanded till Friday May 6, that the Judges might have leifure to form their opinion. On that day being again brought before them, lord chief juftice Pratt, afterwards created lord Camden, a firm and invariable friend to conftitutional liberty, proceeded to give the opinion of the court. He declared, as to the leading points involved in this complex queftion, the commitment of Mr. Wilkes to be not in itself illegal, being justified by numerous precedents; and though in ftrict contemplation of law the warrant of the secretary of state was not of fuperior force to that of a juftice of peace-where a combination of circumftances gave a strong suspicion of facts incompatible with the public fafety, he was fupported in the commitment even without receiving any particular information for the foundation of the charge. As to the fecond objection, the court was of opinion, that there was no neceffity for the fpecification of those particular paffages in the 45th number of The North Briton, which had been deemed a libel. The paper did not, at that time, come under the cognizance

of