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war, with whom I have acted, both in office and in oppofition, with great confidence and cordiality, though I thought many of their acts criminal and impeachable. Whilft the mifconduct of Mr. Pitt and his affociates was yet recent, it was not poffible to get Mr. Fox of himself to take a fingle ftep, or even to countenance others in taking any ftep upon the ground of that misconduct and falfe policy, though if the matters had been then taken up and purfued, fuch a ftep could not have appeared fo evidently desperate as now it is.-So far from purfuing Mr. Pitt, I know that then, and for fome time after, fome of Mr. Fox's friends were actually, and with no finall earneftness, looking out to a coalition with that gentleman. For years I never heard this circumftance of Mr. Pitt's mifconduct on that occafion mentioned by Mr. Fox, either in public or in private, as a ground for oppofition to that minister. All oppofition, from that period to this very feffion, has proceeded upon the feparate meafures as they feparately arofe, without any vindictive retrofpect to Mr. Pitt's conduct in 1784. My memory, however, may fail me. I muft appeal to the printed debates, which, (fo far as Mr. Fox is concerned) are unusually accurate.

Whatever might have been in our power, at an early period, at this day I fee no remedy for what was done in 1784. I had no great hopes even at the time, I was therefore very eager to record a remonftrance on the journals of the Houfe of Commons, as a caution against such a popular delufion in times to come; and this I then feared, and now am certain, is all that could be done. I know of no way of animadverting on the crown. I know no mode of calling to account the Houfe of Lords, who threw out the India Bill, in a way not much to their credit. As little, or rather lefs, am I able to coerce the people at large, who behaved very unwifely and intemperately on that occafion. Mr. Pitt was then

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accufed, by me as well as others, of attempting to be minifter, without enjoying the confidence of the Houfe of Commons, though he did enjoy the confidence of the crown. That Houfe of Commons whofe confidence he did not enjoy, unfortunately did not itself enjoy the confidence, (though we well deferved it) either of the crown or of the public. For want of that confidence, the then House of Commons did not furvive the conteft. Since that period Mr. Pitt has enjoyed the confidence of the Crown, and of the Lords, and of the Houfe of Commons, through two fucceffive parliaments; and I fu£ pect that he has ever fince, and that he does still enjoy as large a portion, at least, of the confidence of the people without doors, as his great rival.Letter to the Duke of Portland.

KOCKINGHAM (MARQUIS OF.)

THE noble Marquis of Rockingham and his worthy colleagues, whilft they trembled at the prof pect of fuch diftreffes as you have fince brought upon yourfelves, were not afraid fteadily to look in the face that glaring and dazzling influence at which the eyes of eagles have blenched. He looked in the face one of the ableft, and, let me fay, not the most fcrupulous oppofitions, that perhaps ever was in this houfe, and withstood it, unaided by, even one of, the ufual fupports of adminiftration. He did this when he repealed the ftamp-act. He looked in the face a perfon he had long refpe&ted and regarded, and whofe aid was then particularly wanting; I mean Lord Chatham. He did this when he paffed the declaratory act.

It is now given out, for the ufual purposes, by the ufual emiffaries, that Lord Rockingham did not confent to the repeal of this act until he was bullied into it by Lord Chatham; and the reporters have gone fo far as publicly to affert, in an hundred companies

that the Honourable Gentleman under the gallery*, who propofed the repeal in the American committee, had another fet of refolutions in his pocket directly the reverse of thofe he moved. Thefe artifices of a' defperate cause are, at this time, fpread abroad, with incredible care, in every part of the town, from the higheft to the lowest companies; as if the industry of the circulation were to make amends for the abfurdity of the report.

Sir, whether the noble lord is of a complexion to be bullied by Lord Chatham, or by any man, I must fubmit to those who know him. I confefs, when I look back to that time, I confider him as placed in one of the most trying fituations in which, perhaps, any man ever food. In the Houfe of Peers there were very few of the miniftry, out of the noble lord's own particular connexion (except Lord Egmont, who acted, as far as I could difcern, an honourable and manly part) that did not look to fome other future arrangement, which warped his politics. There were in both houfes new and menacing appearances, that might very naturally drive any other, than a moft refolute minister, from his measure, or from his ftation. The household troops openly revolted. The allies of miniftry (thofe, I mean, who fupported fome of their measures, but refufed refponfibility for any) endeavoured to undermine their credit, and to take ground that must be fatal to the fuccefs of the very caufe which they would be thought to countenance. The queftion of the repeal was brought on by minif try in the committee of this Houfe, in the very inftant when it was known that more than one court negociation was carrying on with the heads of the oppofition. Every thing, upon every fide, was full of traps and mines. Earth below fhook; heaven above menaced; all the elements of minifterial fafety were diffolved. It was in the mindst of this chaos of

* General Conway.

plots and counter-plots; it was in the midst of this complicated warfare against public oppofition and private treachery, that the firmness of that noble perfon was put to the proof. He never flirred from his ground; no, not an inch. He remained fixed and determined, in principle, in measure, and in conduct. He practifed no managements. He secured no retreat. He fought no apology.-Speech

on American Taxation.

ROUSSEAU.

WE have had the great profeffor and founder of the phylofophy of vanity in England. As I had good opportunities of knowing his proceedings almoft from day to day, he left no doubt in my mind, that he entertained no principle either to influence his heart, or to guide his understanding, but vanity. With this vice he was poffeffed to a degree little fhort of madness. It is from the fame deranged eccentric vanity, that this, the infane Socrates of the National Affembly, was impelled to publifh a mad confeffion of his mad faults, and to attempt a new fort of glory, from bringing hardily to light the obfcure and vulgar vices which we know may fometimes be blended with eminent talents. He has not obferved on the nature of vanity, who does not know that it is omnivorous; that it has no choice in its food; that it is fond to talk even of its own faults and vices, as what will excite furprize and draw attention, and whatwill pafs at worft for opennefs and candour. It was this abuse and perverfion, which vanity makes even of hypocrify, which has driven Rouffeau to record a life not fo much as chequered, or fpotted here and there, with virtues, or even diftinguifhed by a fingle good action. It is fuch a life he chooses to offer to the attention of mankind. It is fuch a life, that with a wild defiance, he flings in the face of his Creator, whom he acknowledges only to brave.

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Your affembly, knowing how much more powerful example is found than precept, has chofen this man (by his own account without a fingle virtue) for a model. To him they erect their firft ftatue. From him they commence their feries of honours and diftinctions.

It is that new invented virtue which your nafters canonize, that led their moral hero conftantly to exhauft the ftores of his powerful rhetoric in the expreffion of univerfal benevolence; whilft his heart was incapable of harbouring one fpark of common parental affection. Benevolence to the whole fpecies, and want of feeling for every individual with whom the profeffors come in contact, form the character of the new philofophy. Setting up for an unfocial independence, this their hero of vanity refufes the just price of common labour, as well as the tribute which opulence owes to genius, and which, when paid, honours the giver and the receiver; and then he pleads his beggary as an excufe for his crimes. He melts with tenderness for those only who touch him by the remoteft relation, and then, without one natural pang, cafts away, as a fort of offal and excrement, the spawn of his difguftful amours, and fends his children to the hofpital of foundlings. The bear loves, licks, and forms her young; but bears are not philofophers. Vanity, however, finds its account in reverfing the train of our natural feelings. Thoufands admire the fentimental writer; the affectionate father is hardly known in his parish.

Under this philosophic inftructor in the ethics of vanity, they have attempted in France a regeneration of the moral conftitution of man. Statesmen, like your prefent rulers, exift by every thing which is fpurious, fictitious, and false; by every thing which takes the man from his houfe, and fets him or a ftage, which makes him up an artificial creature, with painted theatric fentiments, fit to be feen by the glare of candle-light, and formed to be contemplated

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