412 Character of Lord Camden. on the fubje&t; and that his fpeech T Auguft his auditors. He feems much more folicitous to perfuade them that they are not acting wrong, than to convince them that they are acting right. His lordihip's genius feems to direct him this way; in fhort, the quicknefs and fenfibility of his eye, the animation of his countenance, the sweetness and diverfity of his voice, the graces, frength, and harmony of his elocution, all unite to render him the first orator in either Houfe; but fic tranfit gloria mundi, his voice, pronunciation, and fpirits, to fay no more, feem to be very fenfibly on the decline; the evening of his abilities as well as of his life, begin to make their appearance at a distance, and his lordfhip's moft folid enjoyments will fhortly be the confcioufnefs of a life devoted to the interefts of his country, and the happi-. nefs of human kind." Character of Lord CAMDEN. HIS nobleman was, on the change of miniftry, which was formed by lord Chatham, in July 1766, and thought for fome time to have been under his,controul and direction, appointed Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. His lordthip, previous to his appointment, flood high in the opinion of the public, as well on account of his ftrong intellectual powers and profeffional knowledge, as his laudable and hitherto unfhaken political integrity. Brought in under the aufpices of his fteady friend, it may be prefumed their views and fentiments were the fame; happy for one of them, we believe, that they had feparately thought for themfelves. An opportu. nity foon prefented itfelf, which opeated like the touch of Ithuriel's fpear. Our new chancellor was to be tried in the double capacity of lawyer and tatefman. The Lord Mayor of London, who happened to be a cornfactor, alarmed the miniftry with an account of a fhort crop of corn at home, a failure of the harveft all over Europe, and a rapid exporation under the corn laws. The queftion came to be confidered in the cabinet; a royal proclamation was ifiued, forbidding any further exportation; and the laws, at leaft in this inftance, were made to give way to the arbitrary mandates of the Council Table. The Tories inftantly turned Whigs and patriots, and arraigned the measure, as both an open attack on the conftitution, and a direct invafion of the laws; they emphatically called it, the forty days tyranny, and contended it was much more dangerous than the cafe of Ship Money, in the reign of Charles the Firf, or the difpenfing power affumed by James the Second. The opening was given, the plot was hit; the meafure might be foftened, or palliated, but could not be defended; yet, what was the noble lord's conduct? Did he confefs or acknowledge that his feelings for the fufferings of his fellow fubjects misled his understanding; or that his love of justice founded in governmental protection, and political prefervation, directed or influenced him? No, his lordfhip food on the beaten ground of fiate neceffity; and not only fixed the exercife of the royal prerogative in the first magiftrate, where to be fure it fhould always refide; but endeavoured to establish the option in the first magiftrate when and on what occafion that inherent prerogative is to be exercifed, in direct contradiction to the known and ftatute law of the land, and the acknowledged principles of the conftitution. Such was part of the first three months Chancellor fhip of 1776. His Parliamentary Abilities. of the once celebrated Chief Juftice of the court of Common Pleas. His patron's infirmities of body daily encreafing; his weight in the clofet daily and proportionably decreafing; the noble duke at the head of the Treasury foon attaching himself to another party, his lordship at once found himself fripped of his popularity, and rendered a cypher in the cabinet; and thus for three tedious years remained a filent fpectator in parliament, while the Port American duty bill, the explanation by address of the ftatute of Henry the Eighth, for the trial of offenders for crimes committed beyond fea; and the affair of the Middlefex elec. tion, feverally received the approbation of a majority, both in cabinet and in parliament. His patron having for fome time before refigned, and recovered his ftrength and fpirits, his lor fhip caught the holy flame, and once more commenced patriot. At the opening of the feffion in 1770, he feparated from his colleagues in office, and condemned, in the most unquali fied terms, the conduct of adminiftration in the affair of Mr. Wilkes and the Middlefex election. In 1774, the affairs of America having become a continual fubject of parliamentary dif. cuffion, his lordship has refumed his old line of politicks, and is now one of the greatest advocates for the natural, chartered, and conftitutional rights of America, in contradiction to the ministerial and parliamentary claims of this country. He is, indeed, more able himself than a host of ordinary adverfaries. His lordship's parliamentary abilities are unqueionable. In point of contrast to the last noble lord, [lord Mansfield] he is by no means fo great an orator in the ftrict fenfe of the word; but he is infinitely his fuperior in depth of reafoning, in logical definition, in the philofophical arrangement and feparation of his ideas, in conftitutional law, and rational deduction. He never leaves thofe openings to his antagonists which eternally recur in the harangues of his learned and noble brother. He feldom addreffes himself merely to the paffions; and if he does, he always almoft addreffes them thro' the medium of true argument and found logic. In fact, if he was to fpeak in an audience, compofed of men of talents and expe 413 rience, allowing his principles to be juft, there is no fan in either House.. would ftand the leaft chance for victory; but in merely driving or leading a her, lord Mansfield, lord Chatham, and even lord Lyttelton, are confesfedly his fuperiors. In respect of delineation, lord Camden is cool, deli, berative, argumentative, and perfuafive. He is fond of firit principles; he argues clofely, and never lets them out of his view; his volubility, choice of language, and flowings of ideas and words to express them, are inexhauftible. The natural rights of the Colonifts, the privileges and immunities granted by charter, and their reprefentative rights as native fubjects of the British empire, are the fubrata on which he erects all his arguments, and draws all his conclufions. His judgement is, if poffible, ftill greater in debate, than his mere powers of oratory as a public fpeaker. He either takes a part early in the debate, decides the question, and embarraffes his adverfaries; or he waits till they have spent all their force, and refts his attack on fome latent or neglected point overlooked, or little attended to. In fine, as lord Mansfield is the greatest orator, fo we do not hesitate to pronounce lord Camden by far much the molt able reafoner in either house of parliament. On the other hand his lordfhip deals too much in fit principles, denied or controverted on the other fide; and feems more eager to convince the people of America, though at three thousand miles distance, that they are right; than to perfuade his noble auditory, that they are wrong. Many of his fpeeches bear much too inflammatory an appearance. His filence or acquiefcence in the measures he now fo loudly condemns, takes off much of that weight his arguments must be otherwife intitled to. His difcourfes are fometimes too fine fpun, oftener intricate, and too frequently partake of the bar fubtility, and refinement of Weftminster-hall. On the whole, he feems always difpofed to irritate, embarrafs, and embroil unneceffarily, even where he does not wish to perfuade. This we take to be a wanton abufe of his great talents; and what, in our opinion, he ought above all things totally to avoid, or ftudioufly learn to correct. CHA 474 Auguft CHARACTER and ANECDOTES of DR. CHARLES LUCAS, an Apobecary and MY Y intimacy with this extraordinary perfon (whom I am proud to call by the name of friend) may perhaps lead me into a warmth, that his enemies will call partiality. His perfon is very agreeable; he has all the requifites to render him engaging in focial life; he has all the requifites to render him ufeful in public life; he is a good fcholar, and to crown all, he is a man of virtue. His peculiar happiness as an orator was fo univerfally admired, that it largely contributed to his feeming ruin. When he was chofen into the Common Council of this city, his talents were fo fuperior to all in that affembly, that he foon grew a leader there. And as the richest body of men in all kingdoms are apt to diftress the poorer, it was not to be wondered the aldermen had committed numberlefs encroachments on the city, with impunity. Charles Lucas had penetration to discover, elocution to difplay, and joined to thefe abilities, the greatest firmness of mind that ever poffeffed the breaft of a human being. From all this you will not wonder at his carrying every thing before him-or that his election for the city to parliament would have met with the leaft doubt-but his opponents in the city were too contemptible for fo enterprifing a genius; he foared at higher game, and from refcuing the city from davery turned his thoughts at once to refcue the nation, He began that attempt when confined to his chamber in a long fit of the gout. I found him one day fo earnestly employed with his papers, that it excited my curiofity to enquire after his fubject-he confented and read to me for an hour, which was nothing less than a fatirical defcription of the political fituation of Ireland with England. I heard with amazement! and when I had expreffed my diflike to it with fome warmth, he laughed it off, by asking my pardon for forgetting I was an Englishman! To conclude, he published this work in three or four large pamphlets, which gave great offence to government; and when the earl of Harrington came over Lord Lieutenant, thofe pamphlets were bound in a handsome volume, which he had the fpirit and indifcretion to prefent to his Excellency one morning at his levee. Thus many perfons have been ruined by thofe popular virtues, for which they were firft admired. On the day the Lord Lieutenant went to the Houfe of Lords, to open the parliament, Mr. Lucas came to vifit me, and when the cannon were firing to denote the business of the day, I laid my hand upon his, and faid, "You hear thofe guns-prithee tell me Charles-have you no fears.?" -he answered "he had not ;" and I really believed him, fo fecure was he of fafety in his popularity; but in lefs than four hours after, it appeared in print that the Lord Lieutenant in his fpeech from the throne had pointed him out as an object of resentment to the House of Commons. The Commons proceeded with feverity, but at the fame time with a dignity becoming that houfe; and the best friends of Mr. Lucas were obliged to affemble to force him into a boat, to carry him to the Isle of Man, to avoid his commitment to Newgatethat measure was happy for him and government, confidering the outra geous temper of the populace; had he been committed, great mifchiefs muk have enfued, which must all have been carried to his account. He was a long time in London; if you had met with him, you would have found the truth of his character he was particularly kind and friendly to Mifs D. He was in the theatre the first night the appeared in the character of Indiana-and what with his fears for her, and the distress of the character of the last act (which was new to him) and the fuccefs the met with- from all thefe circumftances he was feen to fhed a plentiful number of tears; of fo gentle and tender a difpofition is the heart of this amiable man. The 1 1776. 415 The WOODEN LEG: An Helvetic Tale. [From the German of Gefner.] N the mountain from whence the own. We cultivate our own fields themo kainti precipitates into the valley, a young hepherd fed his goats. His pipe called echo gayly from the hollow rocks, and echo bid the vallies feven times refound his fongs melodious. On a sudden he perceived a man climbing with pain the mountain's fide. The man was old; years had blanched his head. A ftaff bent beneath his heavy tottering steps, for he had a wooden leg. He approached the young man, and feated hinfelf by him on the mofs of the rock. The young fhepherd looked at him with furprife, and his eyes were fixed on the wooden leg. My ton, faid the old man, fmiling, do you not think that, infirm as I am, I fhould have done better to have remained in the valley? Know, however, that I make this journey but once a year, and this leg, as you fee it, my friend, is more honourable to me, than are to many the most ftraight and active. I don't doubt, father, replied the thepherd, but it is very honourable to you, though, I dare fay, another would be more ufe ful. Without doubt, you are tired. Will you drink fome milk from my goats, or fome of the fresh water that Ipouts below from the hollow of the rock? Old Man. I like the frankness painted on thy vifage. A little fresh water will be fufficient. If you will bring it me hither, you fhall hear the history of this wooden leg. The young thepherd ran to the fountain, and foon returned. When the old man had quenched his thirft, he faid, let young people, when they behold their fathers maimed, and covered over with scars, adore the Almighty Power, and bless their valour; for without that you would have bowed your necks beneath the yoke inftead of thus bafking in the fun's warmth, and making the echoes repeat your joyful notes. Mirth and gaiety inhabit thefe hills and vallies, while your fongs refound from one mountain to the other. Liberty! fweet liberty! All we fee around us is our with pleasure. The crops we reap are ours; and the time of the harvest is with us rejoicing days. Young Shepherd. He does not deferve to be a freeman, who can forget that his liberty was purchased with the blood of his forefathers. Old Man. But who, in their place, would not have done as they did? Ever fince that bloody day of Nefels, I come once a year to the top of this mountain; but I perceive that I am now come for the last time. From hence I ftill behold the order of the battle, where liberty made us conquerors. See, it was on that fide the army of the enemy advanced; thou fands of lances glittered at a distance with more than two hundred horfemen covered with fumptuous armour. The plumes that fhaded their helmets nodded as they marched, and the earth refounded with their horfes hoofs. Our little troop was already broken. We were but three or four hundred men. The cries of the defeat were re-echoed from every fide, and the fmoke of Nefels in flames filled the valley and fpread with horror along the mountains. However, at the bottom of a hill, where we now are, our chief had placed himself. He was there, where thofe two pines shoot up from the edge of that pointed rock. I think I fee him now, furrounded by a fmall number of warriors, firm, immoveable, and calling around him the difperfed troops. I hear the ruling of the ftandard that he waved in the air; it was like the found of the wind that precedes a hurricane. From every fide they ran towards him. Doft thou fee thofe floods rufh down from the mountains? Stones, rocks, and trees, overthrown, in vain oppofe their courfe; they o'erleap, or bear down all before them, and meet together at the bottom of that pool. So we ran to the cry of our general, cutting our way through the enemy. Ranked around the hero, we made a vow, and God was our witness, to conquer or die. The enemy, advan 416 Examples of Bravery and Generofity. cing in order of battle, poured down SIR, Auguft cried, heavens! what doft thou fay? Doft thou know, my fon, who my deliverer was? Young Shepherd. I am much deceived, if it was not my father. Often he has told me the story of that battle, and often I have heard him fay, I wonder if the man I carried from the battle be still alive! Old Man. O God! O angels of heaven! was that generous man thy father! Young Shepherd. He had a fcar here, (pointing to his left cheek :) he had been wounded with a lance, perhaps it was before he carried you from the field. Old Man. His cheek was covered with blood when he bore me off. O my child! my fon! Young Shepherd. He died two years ago; and, as he was poor, I am forced for fubfiftence to keep thefe goats. The old man embraced him, and said, heaven be praised! I can recompenfe thee for his generofity. Come, my fon! come with me, and let fome other keep thy goats. They defcended the hill together, and walked towards the old man's dwelling. He was rich in land and flocks, and a lovely daughter was his only heir. My child, faid he to her, he that faved my life was the father of this young hepherd. If thou canst love him, I fhall be happy to fee you united. The young man was an amiable perfon; health and pleafure fhone in his countenance; locks of yellow gold fhaded his forehead, and the fparkling fire of his eyes was foftened by a fweet modefy. The young maiden, with an ingenuous referve, afked three days to refolve; but the third appeared to her a very long one. She gave her hand to the young fhepherd; and the old man with tears of joy, faid to them, My bleffing rest upon you, my children! This day has made me the most happy of mortals. For the LONDON MAGAZINE. 'N your laft, you favoured your rea gluttony, and inftances of immoderate eaters; with a bill of fare containing the heterogeneous articles which one glutton at a city hofpital feaft lodged in his ftomach. It would be well for many perfons if they confidered that excefs in eating is a vice as odious as it is prejudicial to our nature. Hir pocrates |