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'^ > Offendet folido : ^id vetat ? quarens illidere dcntem ridentem dicere verum HOR. 'LONDON: Printed for J. Wilkie, in St. PauP$ Church^ 2^ard. iy6i. • > .'i ■^fm.^ ', ■•?■ I ll T O T H E RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL T— MPLE, t ^ My Lord, I HAVE taken the Liberty of addrefling the following Pages to your Lordfhip, not becaufe you are a Friend of Mr. P.'s, and, on that Accpunt, may be fuppofcd to lend a more willing Ear to any Thing that is urged in his De- fence J for, I believe, your Lord- iTiip has fuch a Regard for Truth, that, did you really think the Con- dud of that Gentleman indefensi- ble, you would not even wifh to ^'i a 2 fee J i DEDICATION., „ ^ fee it defended : But I have ad- dreffed them to your Lordfliip, be- caufe, being intimately conneded with Mr. P. and privy to all his Meafures, you muft, of courfe, be the moft competent Judge of what- ever is advanced, either in Support or Diminution of his Charader, «-: I have the Honour to be, My Lord, ! i . -^ YourLordJhif s mofl obedient^ And moji humble Servant. \ i A N r . . i \ ANSWER, &c. SHOULD an able and ikilful pilot, after having fteered a fliip through many flornis and tempefts, and almoft condaded her fafely to her wiihed-for harbour, be removed from the helnij and fliould any one of the paflengers, in order to prevent this pilot from being retlored to his former ftation, endeavour to convince tlie rert, that the merit of s^idino: the fliip vi^^s not due to him, it is certainly the duty and interefl of every man on board, to attend to the arguments advanced by this pafTenger, that, if they are juft, he >> may .ii I i f* I 2 J may acquicfce in the mcafurc that has been taken j and, if faUe, he may em- ploy every juftifiable method for re- committing the helm to that hand, which had fo long ruled it with fuch fignal fuccefs. I' \ h I: Such, and fuch only, is the motive that induced the writer of the following fheets, to make fome animadverfions on a pamphlet lately publiflied, entitled, ** A Letter to the right honourable the «' Earl of B*-''-*," in which the author, (who feems to be a gentleman of learn- ing and abilities, and therefore the more dangerous an advocate in a bad caufc) endeavours to diminiih the merit of a late great minifler, and to rob him of the glory of thofe important conquefls, which diillnguiflied his adminiftration. He indeed pretends to fay, that truth h\ the only fcope of his enquiry; but as ail truths (mathematical aloiu- excepted) arc of a douutful nature, he muft excufe mc. I It has y em- lor re- hand, fucli notive owing 3ns on titled, !e the uthor, learn- more caufc) it of a im of jue/ls, tion. truth 3Ut as ;pted) xcufe mc. '^ M [ 3 J me, if I happen to diiTer from him iii opinion, and think that truth does not always lie on his fide of the queftion. He further declares, that one of his chief intentions was, to prefcrve that fpirit of concord and unanimity, which hath fo happily prevailed in the nation, ever fincc the acceflion of his prefent mnjefty to the throne, and to prevent thofe hsats and animofities, which may probably fucceed the refignation of the great minifler he endeavours to decry. I am as great a lover of peace and con- cord, and as great an enemy to feuds and animofities, as he can poilibly be; but, I hope, I {hall neither be accufed of deflroying the former, nor exciting the latter, by vindicating the condud: of Mr. P. from thofe invidious reflexions, which he has thought proper to throw upon it. If he means that we ought not to find fault with any meafures of t'he prefent B 2 miniftry j'd /" I V [ 4 ] miniflry (for, as it is a maxim in the Englifh conftitution, that the king can do no wrong, we cannot poiTibly find fault with any meaiure of his majefty) he expeds fuch a blind and implicit obedience, as free-born Britons were never accuflomcd to pay, and, I trull, never will be accuftomed to pay to any miniflry whatever. , Indeed, had his majefty removed Mr. P. from the pofl of S— of S— te, and declared his fixt refolution never to employ him for the future, perhaps a regard to public peace and harmony, might have induced many people to ac- quiefce tacitly in the meafure ; though even that is a flretch of complaifance, which the nation has not been always difpofed to fliew, and which, particu- larly, it did not fliew, when the fame right honourable gentleman was, fome years ago, turned out of office. In this cafe, an attempt to reconcile the minds of the people to the meafures of the govern^ f ^1 ^ 3 ( ( Ai, in the ing can 3ly find najefly) implicit s were I trufl, ^ to any emoved S — te, pever to haps a irmony, 3 to ac- though aifance, always •articu- e fame , feme In this minds of the overn- ?ii (t > f [ 5 ] government, by depreciating the merit of the difplaced minifler, might be deemed the more excufable : the unjufl:- nefs of the means, according: to the old jefuitical maxim, might be fuppofed to be juftified, or, at Icall, palliated by the goodncfs of the end. But as that is not the cafe ; as the right honourable gentleman refigncd vo- luntarily, and as we have reafon to think that his majefly received his re- fignation, rather with reluctance than otherwife, and with fuch a mark of his royal favour, as contains a ftrong approbation of his part condu(ft, an^i makes it prefumable that he has no ob- jedlion againft employing his ferviccs on future occafions ; an endeavour to lefTen his charadcr, by deflroying that well-founded popularity, which he has hitherto maintained with the nation, and that truft and confidence, which he has always polTcfled with his fovereign, is not only an injury done to Mr. P. it .■^il I' r [ 6 ] it is an injury to the public in general ; and, as fuch, deferves the animadverfion of every lincere lover of his country. It is owing to this conlideration, and this alone, that the public are troubled with the following reflexions, which are humbly fubmitted to their candid and impartial judgment. The author of the letter to the right honourable the earl of B***, not con- tent with employing the body of his work in vilifying the condudl of Mr. P. beg. .. 10 throw his iquibs even in his title-piige. He fays in his motto ; *' Such flames as high in patriots burn, «* Yet floop to bkfs a child or wife i" Pope. What does the author mean by this couplet ? does he mean to infmuate that Mr. P. has been actuated, during the courfe of his adminiflration, not by the princ'ples of public fpirit and patriot- ifwij I iral j Tion '*'i .**• m [ 7 ] ifm, which he profefied, by the low motives of lelf-intcrert: and advantage ? if he does, the united voice of the whole nation, (a (ew fnarling cynics ex- cepted, whofe narrow and contratfted fouls are not fufceptible of any generous and noble fcntiments) will give him the lie. Or does he mean, that no maa can be a patriot without laying afidc all regard to his wife, and children, and o- ther relations ? if he does, he advances an opinion, than which, however gene- rally received, nothing can be more ri- diculous and abfurd, as will plainly ap- pear by attending a little to the nature of true patriotifm. If* J # The firll exercife of the focial princi- ple, is that {tnfc of duty and obedience wlilch a cluld feels towards his parent?. As he advances in years, and extends his connexions, the circle of his focial afledllon;' begins to vviden apace : at iiril, it takes iii liis friends, relations, and ac- quaiutanccSj t'icn the nciehbourhood in ■hlch it J A [ 8 ] which he 11\'qs, after that, his native country, and lafl of all, the whole hu- man kind vvithout exception. This prin- ciple, as it includes the love of our country, is called patriotifm ; as it com- prehends the whole human race, it is termed philanthropy, or univerfal love and benevolence. But will this author, or will any man pretend to fay, that this fpirit of patri- otifm may not be felt and exercifed, without deflroying thofe original aifec- tlons, from which it fprung, and upon which it is built? he y, with the fame propriety, affirm, at an edifice is not compleatly iiniflied, till once the foundation upon which it refts is entire- ly ruined and deflroyed. A true patriot will never prefer his own intereft to that of his country ; but when he can confult the former without injuring the latter, and much more, when by con- fulting the former he can even promote the latter ; he would not aft like a pa- triot. I i t i [ 9 ] triot, he would not adi like a man of fenfe, he would adt like a fool and a madman, iliould he negled the favour- able opportunity. But Mr. P. has accepted of a peer- age for his family, and a penfioii for himfelf and family. He has : and what then ? did not he defcr'/e it ? does not his fovereign fay he deferved it? and does not the united voice of the nation applaud this inilance of the roy- al favour ? has he, in confideration of thofe rewards, betrayed his country, or engaged to betray it for the future ? on the contrary, has he not refigned one of the moll lucrative and honourable em- ployments in the kingdom, becaufe he could not be allowed to purfae fuch mcafures as he judged moft conducive to the glory and interell of his country ? i: m in ^i But Mi Mr. P. has accepted of a peerage and a penfion : he has j and, by that means, he has given his mrjcfty the pleafing fr.tisfadion of thinking, that C hr. 1^ 4 I *L [ " ] he fhall not be reckoned an ungrateful niafter ; for, had that right honoura- ble gentleman retired from office with- out any marks of the royal approbation., fuch a refledion would have arifen in the bread of every Britilh fubjedt, not- withftanding his loyalty and attachment to the bed of fovereigns. By the fame means too, inftead of diminifliing, he has greatly encreafed his power of ferving his country ; for, though his incorruptible integrity, and diftinguifhed abilities, would have al- ways procured him the fame influence with men of fenfe and probity, yet the late addition to his fortune will give him greater intereft with thofe, who regulate their opinions of men by their external circumflances ; and under this category, perhaps, may be comprehended nine hundred and ninety- nine parts in a thoufand of the human kind. I ^spc But I [ " ] But let us now proceed to confidcr the body of the work, to which we ihall find the motto, invidious and malignant as it is, to be a very proper introduc- tion. He begins by laying down four pro- portion s, which we fhall beg leave to tranfcribe, that the reader may be the better enabled to judge how far he has fucceeded in proving them. Hisiirftis, " that a folid, honourable ** and advantageous peace, in the pre- *« fent circumltancis of Great Britain, exhaulled as her people, and multiply- ing as her debts are, is preferable to the moft fplendid fuccefles of war.'* 1 [ i6 ] of our con quells : and in the third, what he urges in favour of a peace with France, and upon what terms he would have that peace concluded. < In pr.ge 7, he fays, " No minifter, " perliaps, ever entered into power with * with gi eater advantages on his fide, than Mr. P. His perfonal and family * connexions, the good opinion his fo- * vereign had of him, with the homage " the people paid to his integrity and ** abilities, left him nothing to wiih for. ** All the departments in government ** were filled up by his nomination, and << every fcheme he laid down was adopt- ** ed, even before it was examined." — - *' His popularity," adds he, " received a " vad acceiiion by the mifcarriage of *' our ilect in the Mediterranean, and " that unaccountably ridiculous meafure ** of fending for Flefiians and Hanove- <*■ rians to prote6t Great Britain, with *' many other favourable acciucaits of V *' the (anic kind.' Wiih la [ '7 ] With regard to Mr. P.'s family con- nexions, though honourable and power- ful, feveral other miniflcrs have entered into office with as great advantages of the like nature, nor does it appear that Mr. P. was ever obliged to have re- courfe to the interefl of his relations, J!! order to fupport himfelf in any of his meafurcs ; depending chiefly, if not wholly, upon his own reputation, po- pularity, and influence. As to his per- fonal connexions, the good opinion of his fovereign, and the homage paid him by the people, thefe were entirely owing to his incorruptible integrity and diflin- guifhed abilities 3 and if a man ought to be blamed for thcfe endowments, the author {hould have taken the trouble to point out the qualities that merit ap- plaufe. That all the departments in govern- ment were filled up by his nomination/ is certainly more than the author is able to prove. It was, no doubt, Mr. P.'& D in* 1 1 1 11 § lil I [ ,S ] intereft, and he was in the right to make it his hufinefs, that no perfon fliould be in office, who would oppofe his meafures from a fpirit of party and contradidtion. " Every fcheme he laid down was ** adopted, even before it was examin- «* ed" : if, by this, he means, that all his fchemes were fo rational, and fo evidently calculated for the public good, that they gained the approbation of the other members of the council at firfl fight, and without the labour of a ftridt fcrutiny, he pays him the higheft com- pliment that can poflibly be paid to any minifter ; but if he means that the members approved of them without underftanding them, he throws a re- flection upon their charaders, which perhaps he did not mean to throw. With regard to the encreafe of popu- larity which Mr. P. acquired by his warm and fpirited declamations againft the ■'>■ [ '9 ] the mircarriage of our fleet In the Me- diterranean, the condu<5l of the mini- flry at that time, and the unaccountable meafure of fending for Hcflians and Hanoverians to defend Great Britain, the author furely cannot mean this as any diminution of Mr. P.'s merit. Did he not dckrve the popularity he acquir- ed ? Did not all the other m-mb-rs of p-rl— m-nt enjoy the fame means of en- rreafing their popularity ? And did not fuch of them as underftood, and regard- ed, the intereft of their country, gree- dily embrace the opportunity ? They did : and they obtained degrees of po- pularity, proportionable to their merit ; but Mr. P. inferior to none in the vir- tues of the heart, and fuperior to all others in the abilities of head, flionc forth unrivalled and alone, and difUn- guiihed himielf above all his com- patriots. i\ Ill 1^1 He fays, that many other favourable accidents of the fame kind, contributed D 2 to 1^1 ■1 y. » [ 2° ] to encreafe Mr. P.'s popularity. If, by thefe favourable accidents, he means (and he can hardly mean any thing elfe) the^ deplorable ftate in which the nation was at the time of Mr. P.'s re- ceiving the feals ; this, I apprehend, is fo far from diminifliing, that it greatly contributes to enhance his merit. In- deed it mud be allowed^ that the more wretched our fituation then was, the greater mull have been his glory in re- floring us to our former flate of power and grandeur. . But does not this fup- pofe, that he had the virtue to plan, the courage to attempt, and the capa- city to execute fuch an arduous under- taking ? > • ■fW ■tv Before Mr. P.'s advancement to the office of S--- < of S— te, difcord and ir- refolution prevailed in our c— nc-ls, de- jedion and defpair overwhelmed the na- tion, and our fleets and armies were funk into a (late of the mod lazy in- adlivity, if not of abfolute cov/ardice and ♦ ' [ 21 ] and pufillanimity. But no fooner was that gentleman entrufled with the man- agement of public affairs, than he feem- ed, by a kind of magical influence, as it were, to infufc his own virtuous, prudent, and heroic fpirit, into every Britifli fubjedt. He reftored unanimity and vigour to our c— nc-ls, filled the minds of the people with truft and confidence, and infpired our foldiers and failors with fuch a fpirit of courage and intrepidity, as has raifed the Britifh name to a degree of military glory, which few nations have equalled, and none have exceeded. In page 9, he acknowledges that the conqueft of Cai?ada was a plan laid down by Mr. P. and that it has redound- ed greatly to his honour. ** But," adds he, ** will the moft idolatrous admirer ** of that gentleman deny, that, had *' not providence, for I (hall not call it '* chance, co-operated with the incredi- '' ble refoluuon of tlie Britifh troops, ** and ..." } -h m [ " ] ** and the Britifh general, it muft have *' been Jelt as the mofl fota/, and con^ ** Jidered 2.% the mofl: extravagant fcheme •* that ever was attempted to be put in ** execution by this country :" the plain meaning of which is, that we ought never to attempt any bold and hazardous en- terprize, however necefTary for our fafe- ty and prefervation ; but that we fl:iould fit quietly and tamely down, and allow our infolent and rapacious enemies to trample on our necks, and rob us of our property : an advice wl\ich a Britifh ipirit rejeds with contempt and indig- nation. Britons ever have, and ever will attempt any enterprize, however difficult and dangerous, whenever their interefl or their honour»require it, and, by their fuccefs, will confound the gloomy piedi^lions of all thofe grave politicians, who, with a folemn iliake of the head, foretel the mifcarriage of all our fchemes, and the certainty of our ap- proaching ruin. There is fomething plea- fant enough in feeing this author afcribc all our w < t [ 23 ] our fuccefles, during Mr. P.'s admini- ftration, to Providence, and all our lofTes to mifmanagement : but we are bound in charity to believe, that he is aduated rather by a principle of religi- on than a fpirit of dctradtion ! In page lo, he makes it a difputable point whether thcreduaionof Louilbourg was planned by Mr. P. or not. But he infinuates, that even admitting it was, he canot poflibly claim any merit from that conqueft, becaufe, forfooth, the fame place was once conquered under a for- mer adminiftration. By the fame way of reafoning, we may prove that admi- ral Hawke deferves no praife for beat- ing the French fleet during the prefent war, becaufe admiral Blake did the fame in the time of Oliver Cromwel. But, perhaps, we have miilaken the fenfe of our author ; perhaps he meant to pay a compliment to Mr. P. Cer- tain it is, whether he meant it or not. he i I m i :. ? il -•ti [ 24 ] he has paid him one of the higheft compliments that one man can pay to another; for is it poflible to pay a greater compHment to any man, than by confefUng that nothing material can be urged againft his character ? and this confclHon the author has made with re- gard to Mr. P. by having recourfe to fuch pitiful fhifts, in order to leflen his merit. What could induce him to em- ploy this kind of panegyric, it is hard to determine, unlefs perhaps he confidered Mr. P. as one, who, in the words of the poet, — could not beai too modeftly refined, A panegyric of a groiTer kind. All that he further advances in diminu- tion of Mr. P.'s merit, is exadtly in the fame ftrain ; either impotent fatire, or concealed panegyric, according as the reader is pleafed to underftand it. Let us next confider what he alledges to depreciate the value of our conquefts, in <» « ' ' I [ 25 ] in order to make us rcfign them, or> at leaft part of them, with lefs reluc- tance. i, ^ 1 ** LouilLourg, he obfervcs, p. 20, is " but a ?2eo-ativc advantacre, and 1:0 ac- ** quifition to Great Britain." Louif- bourg has always been confidcred as the key to North-America, and, as fuch^ is of infinite confequence to us. No private man thinks his property fccurc, while the key of his warehcufe is in the hands of his enemy; and the au- thor fliould have taken the trouble of fl:iewing that the fame maxim will not hold in a national fenfe, before he ven- tured to undervalue tlie redudion of Louifbourg. He fays, in page 10, *' I fliall readily ** admit that the conquefl: of Senega! ** and Goree was entirely owing to Mr. <* P. but the queftion with me is, '* whedier v/e have hitherto found thofe " acquifitioiis to be of ih (rrcat advan- R Mil if . .JJraCtT"'-- dSessN^^ETtSL*. '*»^-^.^ti£^j [ 26 ] «' tage as they were given out to be to ** our interefl: and commerce." Hitherto, perhaps, we have not ; but is that a proof that we never lliall do fo ? is it to he cxpcdled, that, amidft the hurry and tumults of war, we fliould find Icifure to improve our conquefls to the utmoft advantage ? the leail: reflexion, one fhould think, would have prevent- ed any fenfible man from putting fuch a queflion. ■ ■•¥?■;. M-:.' t t I- 1 't He affeds to undervalue our con- quefls in the Eaft-Indies, becaufe he fays it is a difputable point whether the advantages refulting from thofe con- quefts are national or partial. The wealth of a ftate has always been con- fidered as confifting in the wealth of its members, and whether the advan- tages refulting from thefe conqueils accrue to the public or private perfons, it is ftill an advantage to Great Britain, The i'.i^mi _--.^3;: ■■^■^■iiii rui be to therto, that a ? is it hurry i find to the iexion, event- l fuch • con- ife he er the con- The ; con- th of idvan- quefls rfons, tain. The ) f m i V ] The conqueft of Belleifle he is pleafed to term a flower in the Britifli Gar- land. ** I call that conquefl a flower," lays he, page 12, ** becaufe I think no " reafcnable man, either at home or a- " broad, can imagine that it will be ** permanent ; or if permanent, that it *' will not coll: us fifty times more than it «' is worth." And, in a ftill higher flrain, in page 17, he affirms, " that «* all the emoluments, that pofiibly can ** accrue 1:0 us from our conquefls, are " inialHcicnt to indemnify us for the <« lixth part of the annual intcrefl of the <* money they cofl us." This is certain- ly a very bold aflertion, and much more than the author is able to prove. What emoluments may fojjioly accrue to Great Britain from her late conquefls, it is neiihtr in his power, nor the power of any otiier man abiblutely to foretell ; trade (and tlicfe conquefls are chiefly valuable as tlicy are fubfcrvient to trade) being of fuch a very abfl:rufe and intricate nature that no man can E 2 fix ^al hi ^' v } L* i [ 28 ] fix tlie precife limits beyond which It cannot be carried. But if all the emo- luments tliat can polFibly accrue to us from our conquers, are infutlicient to indemnify us for the fixth part of the annual intcrell of tlie money they coil us ; then (we fuppofe the author means) as a nccllary confcquence, that we had better rcflorc thefe conquefts to the French, upon their paying us a third part of that intcrefl, becaufe, by fuch a bargain, we fliall fave one half of the fum we muft other wife lofe ; a very advantageous kind of traffic, to be fure, as it is trading at the rate of Cent, per Cent, profit, though, we believe, it is a kind of traffic in which the Englifli w^ill not chufe to engage, until they have feme other proof of its real utility, than this author's affertion. it .<•■; In the fame page, the author affeds to laugh at the common cant of thofe /liallow politicians, as he calls them, Vv'ho eiideav'our to apologize for the greatnefa :k > In ' / li > ) ^ [ 29 ] greatncfs of our national expences, by alleging that the money is all fpent amongft ourfelves -, and wc, in our turn, cannot help laughing at the no lefs ri- diculous cant of thofc more fhallow po- liticians, who make money the meafure of every thing, and gravely tell us that becaufe our conquefts cofl us more money than they are worth (according to their computation) they are there- fore rather a detriment than an advan-^ tage to the nation. Every fmatterer in politics knows, that the value of money is merely ideal and imaginary^ that the ufe of it was, at firft, invented, and is dill continued, for no other purpofe than that of faci- litating the courfe of trade and com- merce ', for could trade be carried on as eafily, and as expeditioufly, without as with money, a pound of gold would be of no more value than a pound of iron, .and hardly even of fo much, as it is utterly n n 4 : 11 . I I 30 I utterly unfit for a thoufand purpofes to which the other may be apphed. For inflance, could the farmer give as much grain to the clothier as would be exadtly equal, in value, to the quantity of cloth he receives from him, the bar- gain would be as fairly and as effedlually made, as if it had been tranf idled by the grcatcft banker in Europe -, and fuch, undoubtedly, was the manner of traffic among the original inhabitants of the earth, r.nd fuch, even at this day, is the manner of traffic among thofe nations, that are llill uncivilized and unculti- vated. IS But as it was found difficult to afcer- tain the exad: proportion between diiTer- ent kinds of commodities, or to determine precifely how much grain, for example, was equal in value to a certain quantity of cloth, the ufe of money was invent- ed to remove this difficulty, and to re- duce thefe commodities to the fame fland-» ?.• I b^^^^a>«K^itv\j , ( m \ \ w. I I [ 31 I ftandavd ; and, for this purpofe, gold and filver were employed, as being the moffc hard and durable metals. Thus fo much grain was fuppofed equal to a piece of money, and fo much cloth equal to the fame piece, and, by tranf- ferring this piece from one perfon to an- other, the property of thefe commodi- ties, or of any other commodities that were to be exchanged, was as fully transferred as if the goods had been delivered into the hands of the refpec- tive merchants. Hence it appears, that the value of money is merely arbitrary, and depends upon the mutual confent of mankind, who have agreed to con- fider it as the common meafure of every other commodity. But if a perfon be fo fituatcd that he cannot purchafe the commodities he wants, or if thefe commodities are of fuch a nature that they cannot be pur- chafcd, all the money in the world will fignify nothing. The firfl: Spaniards who -T m : tl in fr [ 32 ] who took pofTefrion of South-America, had gold-hilts to their fwords ; but un- luckily they had neither a fliirt to put on their back, nor meat to put in their belly; and yet they hud great plenty of money : hut with all their money, \\ ere they really rich ? if tliey were, I give them joy of their unfubUantial riches, and would rather chufe to re- main in Old En'^land, where, without a gold-hilted fword, or even without a fword at all, I caa have a clean Ibirt and a good dinner. The cafe is th':^ fame, if the commo- dities v.'e want be luch vs- cannot be purchafed with monry. By ^hHv, 1 do jiot mean health, llrcn!.;th, hei.uty, fenfe, or any other qualities., whether of body or mind (if indeed thcfe may be called commodities) which it is neither in our power to procure, nor in the power of any human creature to bnlow , but I mean empires, kingdoms, v.nd all in- dependent itates of what dcnomiiiation foever^ I- i i''. '*■* .*L> ■ »i* -, l» [ 33 ] ibever, the impolTibility of purcharing which does not aiile from the nature of the thing itfclf, but from the high opi- nion which the pofleiTors of tlicl'e coun- tries entertain of their value, or rather from their thinking, and juftly tliink- ihg, that they are abfolutely invalu- able. I p i "i I ii . iil II The value of all the land in Great Britain (I mean the imaginary vahie, for the real value cannot be eflimated) at the rate of twenty, of thirty, of forty years purchafe, or at any rate you pleafe, may be eafily computed ; but fhould the proprietor of the mines of Chili and Peru, offer us a fum of money equal to that value, and demand, in confideration of that fum, to be put in poiTefiion of all the lands in the iiland,- how lliould we receive the propofal ? Why, to be fure, we fliould, at firfl,- confider the man as a lunatic, and treat him accordingly; but Ihould he ftilt perfift in his demand, vre iliould, v/ith- I. ■'4 F out- k^- ' !\ [ 34 ] out any ceremony, tofs him over the rocks of Dover, and fend him and his money to the bottom together. In a word, it is abfolutely impollible to efli- mate the value of any commodity, up- lefs the money arifing from the fale of it, will be fufficient to purchafe fome other commodity of equal value -, but if no fuch commodity is to be had, then it is really invaluable. Now if this reafoning be jufl: with re- gard to Great Britain, it will hold, in iome meafure, with regard to all the do- minions of Great Britain. I have not time to purfue the argument to its ut- moft extent, nor to trace it through all its confequenccs ; and I have only made thefe curfory reflexions to expofe tho fallacious reafoning of thofe, who al- ledge, that our late conquefts are ra- ther a detriment than an advantage to the nation, becaufe they have coH: us more money than they are worth, ne- ver refledling that their real worth can- not pofiibly be known. The wealth of a coun- ,1' i- k ' ;r the d his In a UP- [ 35 ] a country docs not confifl in the quantity of gold and filver it con- tains, but in the number and induflry of its inhabitants ; and a fingle pro- vince that maintains ten thoufand in- duftrious and dutiful fubjeds, is of more confequence to the government, to which it belongs, than all the money in the world together. "f;l It is not to be fuppofed, that our au- thor, after having been at fo much pains to depreciate our conquefts, will have any great difficulty in concluding a peace with France, which he feems inclined to make almoft upon any terms. He would have us to reftore but does not chufe to defcend to particulars ; though he feems ftrongly to inlinuate, that we ought to reftore Senegal and Goree, becaufe, " he doubts whether " Great Britain hitherto has found thofe " acquifitions to be of fo great advantage ** as they were given out to be to our ** intereft and commerce; whether they F Z '* are Ml H^>^- m m it (C tc I 36 ] ' are not the grave of Englifli fubjeds, or whether they can compenfate for that immenfe mortality that is entail- ed upon our polTcfling them ;" Belle- ifle, " becaufe, if it is retained, it will " cofl us fifty times more than it is " worth '," Guadaloupe, ** becaufe it is " extraneous to the original necelTary ** principle upon which the war began, ** and becaufe he thinks fuch a cefTion *' preferable to the continuance of this <' devouring and expenfive war,'* which he would make us believe can be no o- therwife prevented j nor would he even have us to retain Quebec and Canada, unlefs they can be proved to be condu- cive to the fecurity of our American co- lonies, which he alledges they are only /aid to be : but if they real/y are fo, he has the -romplaifance to allow us to keep them. In a word, he feems to hint that we fliould retain nothing but what evidently contributes to obtain the end, for which the war was originally under- taken, ^•i \ V* [ 37 ] taken, namely, the protedion of our trade and commerce. But doe^ not he know, that when a perfon is caft in a fuit, he is obliged to pay, not only the fum for which he was fued, but likewife the cofts and da- with the And not we. mages. fame equity, compel tne French to in- demnify us for the expences of the war, by retaining all our conquefls ? Thefe, indeed, according to his own calcula- tion, are not fufficient to indemnify us for a fixth part of the annual intereft of the money they cofl us -, and this, it muft be owned, is but a poor indemni- fication ; but better this than nothing. But does not he further know, that na- tions are to each other what men are in a ftate of nature ? and that, in that flate, if one man invades the property of another, the injured party may not only endeavour to recover what he has Jofl, but may likewife deprive the ag- grelTor -t i : II ■tk\ &■ #; ■I li .1 'I! '', I i'< :■ I I' h y ' I [ 38 ] grefTor of all power of hurting him for the future ? but fuppofe we were to rcllore all our conquefts to the French, what have they to give us in return ? for our author tell us that foinething mufl be given up on both fides : why, they are to give us their mod gracious acquicfcence in what Ihall be agreed upon at the congrefs, and their good faith in performing it, which he hum- bly apprehends muft be purchafed by foms conccllions on the part of '^ Jreat Britain. But what is this good faith of the French ? take our author's own words for it , ** they arc a people that ** meafure n'g/jf by pouter." *'* It is a ca- ** pital maxim of the French monarchy, ** that all renunciations are, of them- ** felves, void and of no efFcd:, if they ** tend to the prejudice of the crown ; <« and the mofl exprefs ftipulations " made by France will lafl no longer ** than her inability to bre?k them." So that the good faith of the French in performing If w [ 39 ] performing their treaties is no more thaa their inability to break them : and yet we muft purchafe this good faith of the French by fuch conceflions as will both enable and tempt them to break it : we muft, by the very fame adl, at once pro- cure and deftroy their inabilily to hurt us. Excellent logic, truly ! furely our author cannot be in earneft -, he certainly means one thing, and pre- tends another : and while he profefTes to defend the meafure of refloring our conquefts, he, doubtlefs, intended to betray it : at leaft, he has fliewn the badnefs of the caufe by the weaknefs the arguments, though, it mud be owned, they are the beft that could be advanced on the fubjedt; for indeed, had the caufe been defenfiblc, no man appears to be better qualified for defend- ing it than our author, as may be eafi- ly gathered from the many llirevvd and fenfible remarks to be found in other parts of his work. Our ^1 r I M ! 'I , .1 4 II f '■ 1 ii i I; U if (■; II in. V- [ 40 ] Our author, after having expatiated largely on the greatnefs of our national debt, and the dangerous confequences of over-flraining our public credit, fub- joins, page 23. "I am, however, ** fomewhat concerned to refledt, it is ** poiTible fome well - meaning people *' may think I ought not to tell thofe ** matters in Gat/j, or to publifli them *' in Askcilon, Alas ! my lord, they are " truths that are already but too well " known to the Philiftines, and even to " the daughters of the Philiftines ; they *' are the truths that make them re- "joice." Why, truly, the Philillines, if they compare thtir own fituation with ours, have no great caufe to rejoice. The Philiftines, after fuffcring a national bankruptcy, have already been obliged to contribute their plate to fupply the exioencies of the ftate, and the dauf^h- tcrs of the Pliiliftincs will probably be foon obliged to contribute their jewels, and ear-rings, to anfwer tlie fame falu- tary i\ f 1 Kh\\ ^ i ^ [ 41 ] tary purpofej but, thank heaven ! net* ther the Ifraelites, nor the daughters of the Ifraelites, have yet been driven to fuch extremities. We have nothing to add to vtrhat we have already faid on our author's three laft proportions, except that he em- braces every opportunity of detra^fting from the merit of Mr. P. with an ea- gernefs that betrays him into the moll glaring contradidions. After afcribing, in his ufual pious f.rain, our fuccefs in the battle of Minden, to the miracu- lous interpolation of providence, he adds, •* had matters fillen out othcr- ** wife, in what a lituation here muft '* the minifter have been, who advifed, and even haftened, the fending over a body of troops, that, to all appear- " ance, were too few for vidlory, but " too numerous for butchery." But can any thing be more abfurd, than to argue againfi: the utility of a fcheme, G from (( €C f ■ ! i : I ^ I! t.f.1 m '4 I 42 ] from the dangerous confcquenccs that might have enfued from its mifcarriagc. On the contrary, we (hould imagine, that in proportion to inconveniences at- tending the failure of any fcheme, mud ever be the advantages accruing from its fuccefs. A fcheme of fuch an indiffer- ent nature as to produce no good by its fuccefs, or no evil by its milcarriage, is hardly vi^orth the carrying into exccu-" tion. v V I ri it ( 1 ^ I I < 1-^ In order to reconcile us to the rc^ fignation of Mr. P. he gravely afks ; " v^^hat has this nation to apprehend ** from fuch a refignation ? will France," fays he, ** will the emprefs queen, take ** it amifs ?" No : they will not take it amifs ; they will take it extremely well ; they will triumph and rejoice : but is that a reafon why we, likewife, ought to rejoice ? Our author, furely, will not pretend to fay that it is, unlefs he either fakes us for fools, or enemies to car country. \ i mf % [ 43 ] country. But we fuppofc, that, with his ufual delicacy, he meant to pay Mr. P. a compliment j for a greater compliment he could not poflibly have paid him, than by acknowledging, that his refignation affords matter of joy and triumph to all the enemies of Great Britain. fm\ FINIS. 1 rt' ,'^A u 'it ?i ml ^i: y 91 ,Af^" ■'^*>*54ii^«*!«^^. ijrfcfcOiW*.