hood of the greatest part of the well-
affected clans, who chiefly inhabit.
that fide of the country, many of
whom had given ftrong affurances
of their readinefs to join the king's
troops, and had, in fome fort, re-
quefted the general to advance that A
way. It was not, at that time, cer-
tain, that the rebels would venture
to the fouthward, and, if they did,
it was hoped, that by affembling a
body of the well-affected, at Inver-
nefs, and fending it upon the rebels
lands, all their views of advancing B
to the Low-lands would inftantly va-
nish, and they would immediately
return back to take care of their own
defence. It is true, the fuppofed
general arming of the well-affected
about Inverness, proved a mere chi-
mera, and all the advantages expect- C
ed from thence, fell to the ground.
But, I appeal to every impartial per-
fon, who carefully confiders the fol-
lowing report, whether, before the
event, the reafons and inducemeuts
for this march were not fuch, as
would have expofed the general to D
the cenfure of having wilfully ruined
his master's affairs, had he not re-
folved on it.

I have dwelt the longer on this article, as it was, I confefs, a matter which had appeared to me, from common fame, to be of moft mischievous E confequence. But it is time to have done with it, and to follow the report, in what relates to Sir John Cope's conduct, after his arrival at Inverness.

It appears, by the enfuing examination, that when the rebels advan- F ced to the fouthward, and the propotal for forcing them back by a diverfion, proved abortive, Sir John Cope loft no time in endeavouring to get into the neighbourhood of Edin burgh before them. As the returning by land was tedious and hazard G ous on account of the difficult country, and rivers which lay in his way, where the rebels might deftroy the reads, break down the bridges, fink

the boats, and harrafs the troops; it was therefore thought most prudent to march to Aberdeen, and thence, to pass the army by fea, to the fouth fide of the Forth. In executing this project, it is proved, no time was loft, and indeed it had, well nigh, fecured the city of Edinburgh, for the troops landed at Dunbar the very day that Edinburgh was given up to the rebels.

But the most extraordinary part of the ensuing report, and what, I conceive, will be digefted by the publick, with the most reluctancy, is, the account therein given of the battle of Prefon-Pans. For, furely, after the prepoffeffions which have fo long prevailed, it will not be eafily credited, that the field of battle for the king's troops, was well chofen; that their difpofition was prudent, that the army was perfectly formed before the rebels attack'd it; that after the dragoons, both on the right and left, went off, the foot ftood, and were broken, gradually, from the right, as the enemy who first attacked the right, moved up the line That Sir John Cope remained with the foot till they were utterly routed, and exerted himself all he could, to have rallied them, and, if poffible, to have retrieved the affair; that at laft, feeing the foot totally difperfed, he then, and not till then, rode to the dragoons, whose flight had been retarded by a park wall in the rear, and try'd his utmost, tho' in vain, to rally them and to march them against the enemy. That, indeed, when they had ran through the village of Pref ton, 450 of then were collected, and perfuaded to ftand; but a party of the rebels appearing in fight, their old panick return'd, fo that all the intreaties of Sir John Cope, and the officers who were with him, could not prevail on them to charge; that therefore, as nothing was then to be expected from them, no other ftep could be taken than to marchr

them

A

them to Berwick. All thefe circumftances of the battle, how well foever fupported by the most unqueftioned evidence, will yet, I prefume, be fufficient, immediately, to defroy the contrary opinions, which have, fo long, poffeffed mens minds; and therefore, as I have myself found it difficult to mafter my prepoffeffions, and impartially to weigh the veracity of thefe facts, I will lay before my * Countrymen, the reafons, which, in oppofition to my former fentiments, have prevailed on me to affent to the B report, and to believe, the conduct of Sir John Cope at the battle of Prefton-Pans to have been unexceptionable.

E

That the troops were perfectly formed before the attack of the rebels, and that Sir John Cope continu- C ed with the foot, endeavouring to animate them, till they were entirely difperfed, are matters attefted by fuch a number of witneifes, that, unless it can be fuppofed they were all inftructed beforehand, and refolved to concur in the fame tale, these D two points, (the most material in queftion) cannot be controverted, But if it be confider'd, that the evidences are,, all the officers of the army that were in action, the greateft part of them, never accufed, or fufpected, of having any misconduct of their own to answer for, and yet, great fufferers by the unhappy event of that day; it will, I fuppofe, be allow'd, that their loffes, wounds, and imprisonment, and other difad vantages to which they were expofed, by belonging to ruin'd regiments, F were fuch incitements to them to have laid open the faults of their general, as it was not in his power to have diverted, or mitigated, efpecially, as he was far removed from all influence over their fortunes, or preférment. Indeed, when I confider, G that the fact of the army's being in excellent order before the attack, is proved by every officer on the line, who all affert, that the particular boFebruary; 1749.

dy they belong'd to, was compleatly formed; and when I farther confider the number of thofe who depofe, they faw Sir John Cope active amongst the foot, and endeavouring to rally them, after the first confufion; Ï cannot but own, that thefe proofs appear to me, beyond the power of collufion, or management of any kind, and confequently, I cannot but affirm the conduct of Sir John Cope in the action, to have been unexceptionable, efpecially too, as among all thofe who were examined, there is but one fingle evidence to the contrary; and he having, in matters of an indifferent nature, depofed, what could not poffibly be fact, and almoft every article he afferts, being denied by those who were on the fpot, I cannot think his fingle teftimony of the least weight.

Thus have I briefly gone through the principal matters contained in the enfuing report, tho' with much lefs force and diftinctnefs, than what they there appear with. As I had not spared to treat the character of Sir John Cope with great freedom, whilft I believed him culpable, I thought it my duty, as an honest, man, to make him the best reparation in my power, by publishing to the world the very fame materials which had convinced me of my error, ftrongly perfuaded, that the following fheets will have the fame effect upon all who will attentively perufe them. Whilft we were obliged to truft publick fame for our information, and the interefting nature of the fubject would not permit us to keep our judgment in fufpence, we were not, perhaps, to be blam'd for forming fuch opinions of this gentleman, as tallied with the faulty accounts we could procure. But, as the following report furnishes more authentick materials in relation to his conduct, than can, perhaps, be met with, in any other inquifition of a like nature; every one who is appriz'd of

L

the

of Speech

to grow cool, they would not bear to be told how ftrangely they had been deceived. I conceive, too, that on other accounts, the prefent conjuncture is the moft proper that can be A peace with all foreign powers, no chofen, fince, as we are now at imputation of impropriety can be urged against the difclofing to the world, any of the facts or correfpondence contain'd in the report and its appendix.

importance of reputation, and
who believes the wanton defpoiling
an innocent man of his character to
be a crime, is now bound in honour
to fufpend thofe cenfures of Sir John
Cope, which former imperfect rela-
tions may have given countenance
to, till he has carefully perused the
following fheets, and has impartially
confider'd in his own heart, whether,
prepoffeffion and prejudice apart,
there can be urged the leaft fhadow
of a reafon for difbelieving the con-
current evidence there given, and B
confequently, whether Sir John Cope
is not clearly abfolved from the nu-
merous accufations, with which he
hath been fo continually, and con-
fidently burthened.

I have only to add, that, how
defirous foever I may have been to
lay the enfuing report before the
world, yet I was deterred from pub-
lifhing it fooner, left it might have
failed of having its full force.
For, during the war, the attention
of the nation was fo entirely ingroffed
by the military events on the con-
tinent, that the re-examination of a
matter, which every one had already
decided in his own thoughts, was
a fubject too trite, and barren, to
merit even a perufal, efpecially as
it was known, that its refult was op-
pofed to the general opinion, and,
it had thence, fo prodigious a weight
of prejudice to encounter. But fince
the publick tranquillity is happily
reftored, and the striking occurrences
of new marches, new fieges, and
new battles, are ceafed; it is pre-
fumed the annexed authentick ac-
count, though it be of tranfactions
long fince finish'd, may, in the pre-
fent leisure of mankind, be confi-
dered. Befides, as precipitate judg-
ments are ufually attended with a ve-
hement obftinacy, which, confuta-
tion, and contradiction, ferve only to
inflame, I believed that this difpofi-
tion like all other violent paffions was
only to be calmed by time; and that
until mens minds had been fuffered

it may be hoped, that the following From all thefe confiderations, then, fheets may, now, have some chance, at least, of being read; and, that they should be attentively read, is, I imagine, all that is neceffary to fix the opinion of the world for ever, C John Cope. with regard to the conduct of Sir

D

E

SIR,

To the FOOL.

Ttheir governors is true, while they

HAT men ought to fpeak well of

deferve to be well spoken of; but to do at it, without hearing of it, is only the publick mischief, or to connive and wink prerogative of tyranny: A free people can only fhew that they are so, by lafhing, with freedom of speech, the mal-practices of vile ministers and publick traitors to their country. This facred privilege is fo effential to our free government, that the fecurity of our property, and the freedom of speech, tries where a man can't call his tongue his always go together. In the wretched coun

own, he can scarce call any thing his own ;' and therefore publick traitors, who would overthrow the liberty of a nation, must begin first by fubduing and fmothering the freedom of speech, which is terrible to all bafe minifters. In the reign of Charles I. F difaffection, and punish'd as fedition, to which was a series of errors, it was judg'd speak or write about religion, to talk of parliaments or wicked minifters, the state: having combin'd to fupprefs truth by law, and to make laws against truth and reason, in order to cook up tyranny. When James II. was duke of York, he went avowedly to mass; yet honeft men were fined, impripapift; becaufe he was first minifter, and foned, and undone, for faying he was a

G

heir apparent to the crown.

The adminiftration of government is nothing else but the attendance of the trustees of the people; and, as all publick business ought to be tranfacted for the people, it is

the

the business, the right, and prerogative of the people, to fee whether it be ill or well tranfacted. Honeft and good magiftrates will be glad to have their deeds openly examined and scann'd: Only wicked governors dread what is faid of them; audivit Tiberius probra queis lacerabatur, atque perculfus eft; the publick cenfure was true, A elfe he had not felt it bitter.

It is only guilt that dreads liberty of fpeech, which drags it out of its lurkingholes, and expofes its deformity and horror to day-light. Horatius, Valerius, Cincinnatus, and other virtuous magistrates of the Roman commonwealth, were not afraid of liberty of fpeech: Their administration, upon examination, was brighten'd, and B gain'd by enquiry. When Valerius was accufed, upon flight grounds, of affecting the diadem, or fovereignty, he did not accufe the people for examining thoroughly into his conduct; but proved his innocence in a speech to them, gave them full fatiffaction, and gained himself such popularity, as to get him a new name, viz. Pub- C licola, fignifying he was the favourite of the people.

Things afterwards, however, took ano. ther turn: Rome, with the lofs of its liberty, loft its freedom of fpeech: Then mens words began to be feared and watch'd; informers, hirelings, villains, mercenary varlets, and the fcum of the earth, were encouraged and enrich'd under the vile miniftry of Sejanus, Tigellinus, Pallas, and Cleander.

The best of princes always encourag'd freedom of fpeech; they knew that upright measures would defend themselves, and all upright men will defend them.

D

Old Spencer and his fon, who were the betrayers and minifters of Edward II. E would have been glad to have ftopp'd the mouths of all the honeft men in England. These vile men dreaded to be call'd traitors, because they were fuch; but I dare fay, Q. Elizabeth's Walfingham was never afraid of reproach, because he was conscious that he deferved none. Honeft measures ought to be publickly known, that they may be pub- F Lickly commended; and, if they be knavish or dangerous, they are to be exposed pubJickly, that they may be the object of publick hatred.

Freedom, then, of fpeech is the great bulwark of true liberty; they profper and die together. This freedom is the terror of traitors and oppreffors, and is a barrier against them. It produces excellent writers, G and encourages men of fine genius. The Roman commonwealth bred. great authors, who wrote with great boldness and elo. quence: When Rome was enflaved and corrupted, those great wits of Rome were no more; poftquam bellatum apud Actium, atque

omnem poteftatem ad unum conferri pacis inter-
fuit, magna illa ingenia ceffere; tyranny
ufurped the place of equality, which is the
foul of liberty, and destroy'd publick cou-
rage.
Mens minds are always terrify'd by

unjuft power, and fo degenerate into the
vileness of fervitude and its methods; fyco-
phancy, and blind fubmiffion, were then
the only means, as they now in fome pla
ces be, for preferment: Ignorance and
flattery made the man! Pliny the younger
obferves, that this dread of tyranny had
fuch an effect, that the great Roman fenate,
or parliament, became at laft stupid and
dumb; hence, fays he, our spirit and genius
are ftupify'd and funk for ever. Speaking
of the works of his uncle, he makes an a-
pology for 8 of them, as not written with
the fame fpirit as the rest, because his spi-
rit of writing was cramp'd by fear of that
cruel vile fellow Nero! Sub Nerone - cun
omne ftudiorum genus paulo liberius & erectius
periculofum fervitus feciffet. Therefore those
minifters of state only, who were or are
oppreffors, have been, and will be, loud
in their complaints against freedom of
Speech, and the licence of the prefs. In
confequence of this, writers are brow-
beaten, they are punish'd violently, and
against law, and their works burnt; and
all, because truth alarms wicked doors.

Of this Tacitus gives a famous instance : Cremutius Cordus, in his annals, prais'd Bru tus and Caffius; this gave offence to vile Se janus, the first minifter, and fome other underling hirelings in the court of Tiberius ; being conscious of their own characters, they took the praise bestow'd on every brave Roman, as fo many reproaches caft upon themselves; they complain'd of the book to the fenate; and the fenate, or parliament, being now only the machine of tyranny, condemn'd the book to be burnt; but, fays Tacitus, Manferunt tamen occultati

editi. The more the book was cenfur'd, the more it was fought after; for the punishment of bold and brave writers gains credit to their writings; Punitis ingeniis glif

cit au&toritas.

fuch infinite importance to the prefervation Dear Englishmen, freedom of speech is of

of liberty, that every one who loves liberty ought to encourage freedom of speech. Let us always cherish this matchlefs bleffing, almost peculiar to ourselves, that our pofterity may, many ages hence, afcribe their freedom to our zeal : The defence of liberty is a noble and a heavenly office, which can only be perform'd where liberty is.

Marcellus, the Roman conful, complained, in a popular affembly, of the overgrown power of Pompey; the people answer'd him with a fhout of approbation: Upon which the conful told them, Shout on, gentlemen,

Shout

fbout on; use these bold figns of liberty while you may, for I do not know bow long they will "be allow'd you.

An ASTRONOMICAL QUESTION.

T London, the 21st instant 45 minutes

A after 2, the fub-stile of an erect

fouth dial declining eaft caus'd a fhade A
exactly equal to 8 of itfelf: What an-
gle did the plane make with the ecliptick
at that time?

Another SOLUTION of the QUESTION
in Dec. laft, p. 536, which requires the
-great eft Parallelog, am, that can be in-
Jeribed in a given Ellipfe.

B

Let, therefore, the given ellipfe be cir-
cumfcrib'd by a circle; and let the greatest
rectangle be infcrib'd therein, perpendicu-
Jar to the tranfverfe diameter of the ellipfe; C

also, connect the extremities of those 2 or-
dinates of the ellipfe which lie in the fides
of the fquare with lines parallel to the
tranfverfe: So will what was required be
conftructed. For, fince any ordinate in
the ellipfe, is to a chord in the circumfcrib'd
circle (at the fame diftance from the center)
in a conftant ratio; and fince both rectan-D
gles have one fide common (namely, the
diftance of the ordinates) it follows, be-
cause the area of the one is the greatest
poffible, that of the other is fo Kikewife.
2. E. D.

Note, That fide of the parallelogram, which is equal to the fide of the fquare, is to the tranfverfe diameter, as the chord of 90 deg. to the diameter of the circle; that is, (if t be put for the diameter) as

that is (both being divided by t) as√
is to ; which is the fame proportion as
was found by fluxions.

To the FOO L,

Dear Coufin,

MORTON.

S it hath always been the custom in

A antient and celebrated families to

congratulate each other on any remarkable honours or emoluments, which may have. arriv'd to them; nay, I have been told that it was formerly the principal concern of the poets to compliment their patrons

E

F

gibus, &c. (if they are wrong fpelt, pray,
coz, get them corrected) I, therefore could
no longer forbear rejoicing with you for
the prodigious reputation and grandeur at
which we are arrived; with what zeal
and ardour very many are daily, as it were,
preffing and crouding to be admitted
amongst us! This must appear to any one
who frequents most of our publick di
verfions and amufements, particularly the
Italian Opera, where you may hear fame
laughing, clapping, hiffing, and criticifing
an entertainment they do not understand
a word of: But fure, nothing could re-
dound more to our honour and glory, than
a late most memorable event, whether we
confider it with respect either to the digni-
ty, politeness, numbers, or genteel behavi-
our of the affembly. (See p. 34, 35.) How
agreeably have I been entertain'd at a cof-
fee-house, in attentively liftening to the many
learned arguments, and wife conjectures, it
has occafioned! But how hath my heart
been warmed with a fecret rapture, to ob

ferve the wondrous prevalency of truth in
our favour, when, after all their debates
and difputes, it hath obliged them at last to
confefs, That none but a company of fools
could bave been fo imposed on !

It was with great concern I heard of the
illuftrious Don Jumpedo's misfortune, who
in practifing fome curious feats of activity
in a gallon-pot, by a flip diflocated his
fhoulder, which, for the prefent, renders
him incapable of performing; but I am
affured by an eminent furgeon, who hath
the care of him, that he will be able in a
little time to oblige the publick with his
furprizing dexterity in tumbling, jumping,
&r. to the incredible delight and fatis-
faction of our fraternity.

You may perceive, dear coufin, how
zealous I am for the honour of our house,
how folicitous to promote any acceffion of
grandeur or magnificence to it; and being
always attentive to any thing which may
advance its luftre, I fhall endeavour to
oblige any one, who is fond of affociating
with us, by fetting and placing his trans-
actions in the most confpicuous and ad-
vantageous light, that my poor abilities are
capable of.

Your most affectionate kinsman,
SIMON SIMPLETON

From the FOOL, Feb. 11.
Coufin Fool,

on the honours and antiquity of their pre-GBANG deftitute of all employment, i

deceffors; and tho' it is beneath the dignity of us to be converfant with fuch oldfashion'd obfolete authors, yet I remember a few words, which I am inform'd are a proof of it, viz, Matenas atavis edite re

was one day fauntering up the road that leads to London, when by chance I met with one of our near relations just come from thence; whereupon I asked him if he had brought any good news with him? Coufin Jack, quoth he, you know, out,

1