the Tories were driven into Jacobitifm; but after repeated unsuccessful efforts, the cause of the Pretender was given up as desperate, and his very name had funk into contempt and almost into oblivion. The more refpectable part of the Tories, long fince abandoning the abfurd fpeculative opinions of their anceftors, but retaining at bottom ftrong monarchical prepoffeffions, with high and arbitrary maxims of government, confined their oppofition to the new and unconftitutional measures adopted by the Whigs. Since the death of the late Prince of Wales their political importance had much diminished, and they seemed, in gloomy and portentous filence, myfteriously to reserve themselves for more favourable times. The principles of the Whigs, who constituted the bulk of the Kingdom, had suffered little variation. It might nevertheless be obferved, that, as the national attachment to the Houfe of Brunswic increased, the national diflike of the Whig or Hanoverian fyftem of politics had proportionally diminished. A ftanding army, a national debt, a German war, a feptennial Parliament, a Government by influence-terms once of terrific and hateful found -no longer excited alarm. The third grand political diftinction was that of the Diffenters, comprehending under this ge-. neral denomination all the different claffes of Proteftant Sectaries, who had been ever uniformly and clofely connected with the Whigs by their common attachment to the principles of liberty civil and religious-by their zeal for the Houfe of Hanover, and their indifcriminate fupport of the measures of the Court -a zeal at this period still fubfifting and operating on their part with unabated ardor. This very circumftance however, taken in conjunction with the known fact that the bulk of the Eftablished Clergy had fince the æra of the Revolution invariably fided with the Oppofition, plainly fhowed, to adopt the words of a profound and philofophical hiftorian*, " that an extrinfic "weight, SOME BIAS, was yet hanging on the Conftitution, “which turned it from its natural course." But the Establifhed Clergy, once the firm and paffionate adherents of the Houfe

* Hume.

House of Stuart, began at length to be fenfible of the strange delufion they had labored under, and were now well difpofed to compenfate for former deficiencies, by the exceffive overflow of their prefent loyalty. When a competition for royal favor was thus eftablished between the Church and the Sectaries, it was evident that the latter muft foon find themfelves unable to maintain the conteft. The interefts of the Church, i. e. of the Clergy, must be allowed fo far to co-incide with those of the Crown, as clearly to fuggeft the policy of oppofing, with united strength, all innovations by which the power or fplendor of either might be eventually affected. Exclufive of this leading confideration, the dignity, the grandeur, the opulence affociated with an Establishment, would give it a decifive fuperiority, in the fcale of royal estimation, over a body of men entirely deftitute of these advantages. Confcious of their prodigious inferiority in these refpects, the Diffenters would naturally regard the prerogative of the Monarch, and the authority of the Church, with jealous eyes. They would eagerly seize every occafion to fecure and extend the general system of liberty, and in the ufual courfe of things would be inclined to favor the party in oppofition to the Court. No juft conclufion however can hence be drawn, that a wife and equitable government would find it impracticable, or even difficult, to reftrain this difpofition within reasonable and falutary bounds. In proportion as the Sectaries feel that comparative weakness and insecurity which muft neceffarily both excite and justify a certain degree of habitual alarm and apprehenfion, would they be foothed and flattered with any marks of refpect or confidence from the Executive Power, which, however unimportant in their own nature, would be confidered as proofs of a favourable dispofition. And a Government acting either on a selfish or a benevolent principle, would find itself amply repaid for these trivial indulgencies in the gratitude and affection of a numerous class of citizens, on every account entitled to attention and regard. . Agreeably to the genius of Sects in general, who must neceffarily poffefs elevated ideas of their own religious fuperiority

in doctrine, discipline, or practice, the English Sectaries will be found not deftitute of a confiderable tincture of enthufiafm or prejudice. For it is abfurd to fuppose the diffent of the generality to be founded on reafon, whether it be or be not capable of a reasonable vindication. Sectaries taking them in the aggregate, will also with their religious prejudices combine more rigid morals than can with probability be expected in the promiscuous multitude. On this account, and from that degree of knowledge and intelligence which, from obvious and permanent causes, will be very generally diffused among them, though few perhaps will drink deep of the fountain of Philofophy, or attain to the highest seats in the temple of Science, they will certainly, upon the whole, poffefs very extensive influence in the grand sphere of civil and focial life. If then these people observe a disposition in Government to treat them with contempt and rigor-if they perceive an eagerness in the ruling powers on every occafion, to show that they are regarded by them as perfons partially difaffected to the Conftitution, as men undeferving of confidence, who are endured by the lenity, and not protected by the justice of the Government, a spirit of refentment, animofity, and rancor; will be most furely excited*.

By

* An effe ulla major aut infignior contumelia poteft, quam partem civitatis velut CONTAMINATAM haberi? Quid eft aliud quam exilium inter eadem mania, quam relegationem pati? Sic nos fub legis fuperbiffimæ vincula conjicitis, quá dirimatis focietatem civilem, quafque ex una civitate faciatis." Liv. lib. iv. cap. 4.

Thus the wifdom of antiquity pronounced. But in the view of fools wisdom is doomed to appear as folly. A few extracts from the celebrated pamphlet afcribed to the prefent Bishop of Rochester (Dr. Horsley), entitled "Review of the Cafe of the Proteftant Diffenters," will afford a complete fpecimen of the language and fentiments which, fince the revival of the TORY SYSTEM, have been most fashionable and acceptable at the Court. That a Diffenter, whatever may be his integrity and piety, is an unfit perfon to be intrufted with authority or influence in a State, is an axiom in politics, this High-church Prelate affirms, of which a regular proof is not wanting.In this country the Statesman finds an Established Church amidst a variety of brazuling Sects, all clamorous against the Hierarchy, to whofe candor and liberality they are in great part indebted for TOLERATION-It becomes the friends of peace and order, whenever the univerfal acknowledgment of the right of private judgment is pretended, to proteft ALOUD against it.The exclufions of the Corporation and Teft acts hardly amount to incapacities"-and for the reafon which his Lordship affigns, an Auto de Fe by which the tribunal of the Holy Inquifition commits the bodies of Heretics to the flames for the good of their fouls, inflicts no punishments," because they are only fuch as the delinquent hath, by a recantation

By being conftantly fufpected, they will become the just objects of fufpicion. By being falfely branded as difaffected, they will become truly difaffected: and though that difaffection may not produce any immediately vifible effect; nay, though the indifcreet expreffions of anger and political alienation on their part, in confequence of great and recent provocations, fhould expose them to the temporary warmth of general refentment; yet in the ceafelefs viciffitudes of human affairs an impreffion may, at fome crifis favourable to a fudden and unexpected change of fentiment, be made on the public mind, which fhall ftrikingly demonftrate this odious fyftem of policy to be as devoid of wisdom, as it is of justice and magnanimity. On these general axioms the Hiftory of the prefent Reign will afford in many respects an inftructive and mournful comment.

In the month of March (1761) while the Parliament was yet fitting, very alarming commotions took place in feveral of the northern counties, in confequence of the expiration of the three years term of service prescribed by the Militia Act, and the new ballot now about to take place. At Hexham in the county of Northumberland, the justices being affembled for the purpose of enforcing the act, the populace, regarding this military

There is too much

recantation of his errors, in his own power to remove." reafon, as his Lordihip intimates, to fufpect" that the principles of a Nonconformist in religion and a Republican in politics are infeparably united;" and yet the Non-conformists are univerfally allowed to have been in fact the firmeft friends of thofe Monarchs who have treated them as friends." The truth feems to be," fays his Lordship, contrary to the uniform and pofitive tenor of the hiftoric evidence" that the Diffenters were equally with the Papifts the original objects of the Teft act ! !!-The Corporation Act with great wifdom and juftice hath provided for the perpetual exclufion of the Non-conformifts.It matters little what might be the original purpofe of the Test Act. It now ftands in the Statute-book a declared provifion against the Diffenters.This argument (the inefficacy of the Teft) proves the expediency of Queen Anne's ftatute against occafional conformity. The NON-CONFORMISTS have no claim upon the GRATITUDE, the JUSTICE, or the IMPARTIALITY of the British Government.-Should the Teft Laws be repealed, the work of Reformation will go on till one ftone will not be left ftanding upon another of the admired fabric of the British Conftitution." Such are the maxims which conftitute the wisdom and policy of the prefent reign with regard to the Diffenters; and yet it is made a fubject of wonder and reproach that the Diffenters are become difcontented and indignant-as if Diffenters did not participate of the common paffions and feelings of human nature. "REST, REST, IMMORTAL SPIRITS of LOCKE, HOADLEY and SOMERS! Seek not to know by what improvements on your exploded principles the Houfe of Brunfwic now governs the Empire of Britain !"

military compulfion as a tyrannical and infupportable grievance, collected to the number of many thousands, armed with clubs and other offenfive weapons, with which they affaulted the guard of foldiers ftationed for the protection of the Magiftrates. The Riot Act was read without effect, and they were proceeding to still greater outrages, when the military received orders to fire upon the affailants, five-and-forty of whom were killed on the spot, and no less than three hundred miferably wounded, amongst whom were many women and children; and various of the rioters were in the fequel apprehended, tried, and executed. By a refolute exertion of military force, a general and fullen fubmiffion to the Act was at length obtained; but the wisdom and humanity of those by whom the Bill was originally framed, ftill remained at least as problematic as before. In the course of the fummer the King declared in Council his refolution to demand in marriage the Princess Charlotte-Sophia of Mecklenburg Strelitz: and the Earl Harcourt being appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Court of Strelitz, the contract of marriage, after a negotiation not very tedious, was figned, and the Princefs conducted to Stade, whence the embarked on board one of the royal yachts, and arrived at the Palace of St. James's, September 8, the nuptial ceremony being the fame evening performed in the Chapel Royal. And on the 22d of September the coronation of their Majefties was celebrated with much pomp and magnificence. The new Queen foon acquired great popularity by the sweetness and affability of her manners, which by the prudence and propriety of her conduct fhe has invariably retained.

The operations of the war were ftill carried on with the accustomed vigor and fuccefs. In the month of June, the island of Dominique, important from its fituation between the islands of Martinico and Guadaloupe, was reduced with little difficulty or lofs by an armament commanded by Sir James Douglafs and a body of troops under Lord Rollo. A far more hazardous enterprise was undertaken about the fame time against the Ifland of Belleifle, fituated oppofite the harbor of Vannes VOL. I. C

on