modern Cassandra. Hostilities, in fact, had already commenced at Lexington, at Concord, and at Bunker's Hill; and, General Washington had taken the command of the colonial forces.

In the following session, the haughty tone of the address again called Burke to offer a strong but ineffectual protest against an obstinate appeal to force in the disputes with America. Nor did he stop here; five weeks afterwards he brought forward a second scheme of conciliation with America, founded on the statute of Edward I., de tallagio non concedendo. This speech is said to have been a wonderful effort of oratory, but scarcely a vestige of it remains.

His efforts were of no avail; the ministry still persevered. Petitions and remonstrances from merchants, both at home and abroad, met with a sort of ostentation of neglect, which at length provoked Mr. Burke to move a resolution in the shape of a taunt, to the effect, that, "The house knowing all things relative to America, needed no further information."

Thus, finding their efforts to oppose the obstinacy of ministers ineffectual, Lord Rockingham's party determined to absent themselves from parliament, and no longer endure the humiliation of seeing measures passed which they believed fraught with calamities to the country, and to which they could offer no availing resistance. Two addresses, one to the king and the other to the colonies, were drawn up in explanation of their conduct by Mr. Burke. This unprecedented policy was not persisted in. It, however, called forth Burke's eloquent letter to the "Sheriffs of Bristol."

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The attempt to remove certain heavy restrictions on the trade of Ireland, met with the approbation and support of Burke. But the narrow spirit of Bristol, jealous for its commercial interests, took alarm. Burke, however, resolved to preserve his independence, though at the expense of his popularity. He accordingly persisted in his course; and in consequence, his patriotism cost him much of the favour of his constituency. He defended his conduct in "Two letters to Gentlemen of Bristol, on the Bills relative to the Trade of Ireland."

Nor in this point only did he give umbrage to his constituents. As narrow-minded in their general policy as they were selfish in their commerce, the people of Bristol could not sympathise with his support of Sir George Saville's bill for the relief of the Catholics. The state of things, however, at Bristol, met a counterbalance in the conduct of Dublin, which, in the ardour of gratitude and admiration, proposed a statue to his honour.

At this period an occurrence took place which proved Burke's constancy in friendship. Admiral Keppel had fought an indecisive action with the French fleet. For this he had to appear before a court-martial. Mr. Burke who had long felt for him the warmest friendship, attended the gallant seaman throughout the anxious scene of his trial at Portsmouth; cheered and encouraged him; and report says, aided in preparing his defence.

In 1780, Mr. Burke displayed his eloquence and his extensive knowledge in another effort. Taxes had increased in proportion to the expenses of a costly and ruinous war, and the people at length became clamorous for redress. Mr. Burke under

took the arduous task of constructing a measure on this subject: hence his speech on "Economical Reform."

The chief points this speech embraced were an abolition of all the inferior royal jurisdictions, of an immense number of useless offices in the royal household, of some of the civil departments of the mint and the ordnance, of the patent offices of the exchequer; the regulation of the army, navy, and pension pay-offices; and a new adjustment of the civil list.

Applause unbounded this oration obtained, but the project shared the usual fate of opposition measures, and at that time fell to the ground.

After the melancholy riots stirred up by Lord George Gordon, Mr. Burke, while urging condign punishment on the principal offenders, evinced great humanity in exerting himself to procure pardon for the subordinate agents. About the same time he drew up the heads of the plan for the abolition of the slave-trade. It became impracticable, however, then to bring it forward. The great achievement remained for Wilberforce.

On the dissolution of parliament in the autumn of 1780, when Mr. Burke repaired to Bristol, he found his constituents in no very propitious mood. Their prejudices, duly inflamed by the industry of his opponents, had poisoned their minds against him. Resolved, however, that he would neither abandon the contest, if a reasonable prospect of success remained, nor persist in it merely for the sake of opposition, he called a meeting at the Guildhall on the 6th of September, to enable him to form an opinion of the issue of an election. On this occasion, he defended himself at great length from the charges which had been

brought against him. The principal seemed to be that he had not visited the city so frequently as he ought; in other words, that he had not practised with sufficient assiduity the common artifices for gaining popular favour. He had preferred serving his constituents to flattering them. The other objections were to his support of the Insolvent Debtors' Bill, the Irish Trade Acts, and the relief granted to the Catholics. On all these questions, his speech breathes the spirit of manly independence and a sustaining consciousness of integrity.

Finding it, however, essentially necessary to retire from the contest, he sought Malton once more; and for this place he sat during the remainder of his parliamentary career.

In March, 1782, the ministry resigned, and the Rockingham party again entered office. The province which in this change fell to Burke was the paymastership of the forces, and a seat in the privy council. Burke proved as active in office as in opposition. His His "Economical Reform Bill," though curtailed of some of its proportions (sacrifices which he was compelled to make to propitiate the lords), passed both houses, while his own office became subjected to thorough alteration, not more extensive than judicious. This demanded and obtained such sacrifice on his own part as rendered it difficult which most to admire, the genius which could devise, or the disinterestedness which could effect. Certain perquisites of his office, amounting nearly to 10007. a year, he threw into the public treasury. The ministry had hardly time to arrange their plans when Lord Rockingham suddenly died. Lord Shelburne succeeding, several of the ministry,

and Burke amongst them, resigned. On the subsequent formation by Mr. Fox and Lord North, of the much blamed Coalition administration, Burke once more became paymaster.

This ministry, led by Mr. Fox, framed the famous "India Bill," to correct the gross misgovernment of the British Indian Empire, which had again and again roused the indignation of parliament. In support of this measure, Burke delivered that speech which, in his works, goes under the name of the "Speech on Mr. Fox's India Bill."

The bill passed the house of commons; but the king exerted all his secret influence to procure its defeat in the lords. It was accordingly rejected; ministers summarily dismissed from office; while the youthful but ambitious Pitt succeeded to the premiership. A strange and fearful struggle now ensued between the royal will, which had fixed on Mr. Pitt, and the house of commons who were as determined on thwarting it. This hard-fought political struggle was maintained by the minister with a cool courage and perseverance almost incredible. Constantly disgraced and out-voted, he still kept his ground; till after numberless defeats his pertinacity met with success. The opposition majority, which had once been fifty-four, at length broke down to one. At this critical moment Mr. Pitt advised the daring measure of dissolving parliament: his success was signal; no less than 160 members of the old parliament being thrown out.

In April, 1784, the University of Glasgow elected Burke Lord Rector; and repeated the honour in the following November. He was installed amidst a splendid assemblage of all the principal literati of