MEMOIRS 
 
 OF 
 
 JOHN HORNE TOOKE, 
 
 INTERSPEnSED WITH 
 
 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. 
 
 BY ALEXANDER STEPHENS, ESQ. 
 
 OF THE HONOURABLE SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 — — " Nam diviiiarum et foroiJE gloria fluxa 
 
 Atque fragilis est: virtus clara 
 
 ^ternaqiie habetur." 
 
 Sall. Bel. Catalinar. cap. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON AND CO., 
 
 ST. 1'aul's church-yard. 
 1813.
 
 Printed by C. Wood, 
 Poppin's Court, Fleet Street.
 
 V.I 
 
 TO THE 
 
 EARL OF MOIRA, K. G. 
 
 GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA, 
 
 4t. c)'f. c^T. 
 
 MY LORD, 
 
 I dedicate this work to you, merely 
 because 1 know not of any other public 
 man so worthy of my esteem. 
 
 Had your lordship, in conformity with 
 the general wish, been occupied at this 
 moment in directing tlie councils of that 
 country, which your life, character, and 
 talents have adorned, this address would 
 have been withheld; for it might then 
 liave a])peared to spring from tbe sordid 
 calculations of interest, or the still meaner 
 suggestions of adulation. 
 
 It is now only, when you are hastening, 
 1 trust, to confer blessings on millions, 
 
 (;27S(}2
 
 iv DEDICATION. 
 
 and about to vindicate the honour of the 
 British name in the East, that I presume 
 to inscribe this work to you, and beg 
 leave to acknowledge myself, 
 
 My Lord, 
 Your Lordship's most obedient 
 
 and very humble servant, 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 TO write the life of a person, against 
 Avhom violent prejudices have long existed, 
 and treat freely of one, as yet scarcely cold 
 in his grave, is a task equally ditiicult and 
 delicate. Yet memoirs, such as these, if 
 composed with talents and fidelity, would 
 contribute to rescue English biography from 
 the charge of penury and partiality, on one 
 hand, while, by laying open the secret 
 springs of human action, on the other, they 
 could not fail both to gratify and instruct 
 n)anklnd. 
 
 But if, unfortunately, the author does 
 not possess such high pretensions to pub- 
 lic attention, he, at least, hopes to be 
 entitled to the humbler claims of candour 
 and ingenuousness. It is his chief aim, 
 on the present occasion, to rescue the 
 name and ciiaracter of a celebrated man 
 from unmerited ol)loquy, and prove, not-
 
 vi PREFACE. 
 
 withstanding some apparent political ec- 
 centricities, that he was a true, able, and 
 lirm friend to the laws and liberties of his 
 native country. But it is not intended to 
 describe him as a " faultless monster," en- 
 tirely exempt from all the passions, the 
 frailties, and the failings, incident to hu- 
 manity. He has not drawn an imaginary 
 picture, but painted a portrait from the 
 living subject. The ends of legitimate bio- 
 graphy are best fulfilled, by avoiding un- 
 merited censure on one hand, and unjust 
 panegyric on the other. 
 
 The materials of this work consist of 
 original letters and papers, some of which 
 have been communicated by the family of 
 the deceased, and others by his friends. 
 A variety of incidents have been supplied 
 in consequence of an acquaintance of seve- 
 ral years duration ; and of the various con- 
 versations, some were penned soon after 
 they occurred, and others supplied from 
 memory. 
 
 It cannot be denied, that the corres- 
 pondence with Mr. Wilkes has, in some 
 measure, become obsolete, by the lapse of
 
 PREFACE. vli 
 
 time ; it was absolutely necessary, liow- 
 cver, to introduce it, for the purposes of 
 elucidation; but the speeches from the 
 Hustings, ought assuredly to have been 
 consigned to the Appendix. The letters 
 between Mr. Home Tooke and Junius 
 require no aj)ology, as they reflect equal 
 honour on the head and heart of the 
 former. 
 
 Those who may expect a work favour- 
 able either to the views or wishes of any 
 religious sect, or political party, must be 
 greatly disappointed ; and it is to be hoped, 
 that the most fastidious critic will be un- 
 able to discover any thing in these pages 
 in the smallest degree hostile to religion, 
 public morals, or the happy genius and 
 peculiar nature of our free and admirable 
 constitution.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 (1736 TO 1765.) 
 
 Of the Birth and Family of Mr. Home — Hia 
 Education and early Vieics — He obtains the 
 Living of New Brentford — First Jonrney to 
 France ' 
 
 C H A P. 11. 
 
 (1765 TO 1767.) 
 Short Retrospect of Public Affairs 07i the Acces- 
 sion of George HI. — Characters of the Lords 
 Chatham and Bute. — The Subject of this Me- 
 moir determines to take an active Part in the 
 Disputes of that Day. — Revisits France; where 
 he meets with Mr. JVilkes. — Copy of a singular 
 Letter transmitted from Montpelier. — He re- 
 pairs to haly '14 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 (1768 TO 1769 ) 
 Mr. Home becomes a popular Preacher — a new 
 Direction suddenly given to his Habits of Life^
 
 X CONTENTS. 
 
 by the Middlesex Election — His successful E:V' 
 ertions in hclialf of Mr. Wilkes and Serjeant 
 Glynne — an Anecdote 84 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 (1769 TO 1770, 
 
 Account of Mr. Home's jJ^'i'il^d Sermon. — 3Ir. 
 Onslow commences an Action fur a Libel. — 
 The different Verdicts in that Cause. — Reflec- 
 tions 116 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 (1771.) 
 
 3Ir. Home suggests the Idea of a Reply to the 
 Ki?ig, and obtains a Statue for the Lord Mayor. 
 • — Founds the " Society for Siqyporting the Bill 
 of Rights." — Countenances Bingley in his Re- 
 fusal to answer Interrogatories 1 15 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 (1770 TO 1771.) 
 
 Dispute and Correspondence ivith Mr. TVilkes . . 1 76 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 (1771.) 
 
 3Ir. Home takes a Degree at Camhridge — . On his 
 return, he advocates the Cause of the Printers. 
 —-Result 320
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 (1771.) 
 
 Cout rovers 1/ wit It ,/u)nus 352 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 (1772 TO 1777.) 
 
 3fr. Hoime resigns his Goicu, and retires to a Cot- 
 toice — His Studies — Contests with the House of 
 Commons — Tried for a Libel. — Characters of 
 3fr. Thurlow and Lord Mdns/ield. — Sentence 
 of the Court of King's Bench i 1 G
 
 J. I F E 
 
 OF 
 
 JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 
 
 C HAPTER I. 
 
 FROM 1736 TO I7G5. 
 
 Of the Birth and Famili/ of Mr. Home — Hk 
 Education and earljj flews — He ohtulns the. 
 Living of New Brentford — First Journcif to 
 France. 
 
 BOSSUET remarks, ia the most useful but 
 least ])oj)ular of his works *, tliat the study of 
 fiistory appertains, in a peculiar manner, to 
 princes. Plutarcli, on the other liand, has de- 
 monstrated, by his own example, that biography 
 is adapted to all ranks and conditions of life ; 
 and this position has been amply confirmed by 
 the testimony of our own Bacon lord Verulam, 
 than whom, a greater authority cannot be quoted, 
 by a reference to any age or country. 
 
 * Di«co(:rs P'.ir I'Hlstoire Univcrsellc, p. 1, 
 VOL. I B
 
 '2 LIFE Ot' JOHN HORNE TOOKE. IJSG. 
 
 It is no niiproraising symptom of the present 
 times, that the hitter still continues to be a po- 
 ])u]ar pursuit, and forms, at this day, a favourite 
 amusement with ahnost every description of 
 readers : for we are tohl, by a writer whose very 
 name is always pronounced with respect, that it 
 was cultivated with zeal and diligence in the 
 virtuous times of the Roman republic ; but under 
 the emperors first declined, and then fell into 
 disuse *. 
 
 Dift'erent periods exhibit different models for 
 this species of composition. As we approach 
 the heroic ages, great, useful, and generous 
 actions, constitute the chief features ; while, in 
 latter times, t!ie S])lendour of birth and the 
 pomp of fortune are generally invoked to give 
 grace and dignity to the portrait. The ancients, 
 as usual, seem to have been far more simple, 
 chaste, and correct, in these particulars, than 
 ourselves. The great biographer of Cliaeronea 
 candidly confesses, that even Hercules himself 
 was not altogether of divine extraction ; he al- 
 lows that the family of Themistocles was too 
 obscure to confer distinction -f ; he admits, that 
 Camillus, denominated " the second founder of 
 Home," was the first who brought the Furii into 
 
 * Tacit, Ann;il. \ Pint, in VIl. Themis.
 
 1736. J,IFE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKK. 3 
 
 notice ; while lie iVaiikly avows, that Cains 
 Mariiis was the sou of a ])easaiit, and Phocion, 
 the ot!"s])rin2: of a tnrner. Of tlie tuo jjreatest 
 orators that (neeee and Rome ever Avltnessed, il 
 lias never been denied, tliat the fatlierof the one. 
 was a sword-rntler at Atliens, Avhile tliat oftlie 
 otiier i'i generally .snj)])osed to have been a fuller 
 at Arpinnin. 
 
 The moderns, on the contrary, evince a fever- 
 ish sensihility in lespect to hirth and family: on 
 this snhject, the? have generally sacrificed lide- 
 iity to vanity, and attributed a portion of that 
 merit to genealogy, which strictly appertains to 
 virtue alone. J'his bad taste appears to liavu 
 !<een oriainailv imbibed durinir the middle atres, 
 \vhen the small })ortion of wealth, talents, and 
 knowledge, then called into existence, was con- 
 fined to one small, privileged cla'^s. Accordinc^- 
 1v, the heroes of chivalrv and ronjance were 
 always sure to da/zle by the lustre of their de- 
 scent, which a])peared siill nu)re brilliant, when 
 sujieradded to the '-plendid achievements of re- 
 mote progenitors. To a])j)roach nearer to our 
 own days, their biographers, with some hesita- 
 tion, and not until alter having invoked the aid 
 of collateral ii^cnf Hit y, reluctantly acknowledee, 
 that the tujieful Poju- was the son of an obscure 
 linen-draper; and that the father of the illiis- 
 
 1; iJ
 
 4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I'J'SG. 
 
 trious Milton had earned his hread as a humble 
 money-scrivener. Even Benjamin Franklin 
 himself, although in dress a Quaker, and in 
 politics a republican, seems not a little solicit- 
 ous about his descent, and is eager to deduce 
 some trifling consequence from the original sig- 
 nitication of his very name. It is only of late, 
 and after the lapse of more than a century, we 
 have been permitted to learn, that the mother of 
 the Protector had been a brewer, at Hunting- 
 don ; and the grandmother of queen Anne a 
 fub-jvoman, who carried beer about in the me- 
 tropolis, before the introduction of drays ! 
 
 The various orders of knighthood established 
 throughout Europe, have also contributed not a 
 little to encourage this propensity ; while a col- 
 lege of arms has been erected in every polished 
 state for the avowed purpose of perpetuating it. 
 In this country, now that our heralds no longer 
 make their periodical visitations, much, of 
 course, is left to speculation ; and the quarter- 
 ings of a new family, are supposed to be to the 
 full as vendible, as the carriage on which they 
 are emblazoned. 
 
 But, notwithstanding the ominous aspect of 
 public affairs, and the querulous disposition 
 ])roduced by the portentous times in which we   
 Jive, it is not to be denied, that the situation of
 
 l/'.SG. LIFE OF JOHN HOllNE TOOKK. 5 
 
 luankiud has, yn the whole, been considerably 
 meliorated ; Avhile new, as well as more liberal 
 modes of thinkiner. have, of late, been gradually 
 introduced. Riches and instruction arc now 
 more generally diffused ; excellence, of every 
 kind, entitles the fortunate possessor to the 
 esteem of his contemporaries; while education, 
 when extended to the hiirher branches of learn- 
 ing and science, seems actually to confer a species 
 of no!)ilitv, which is onlv another term for dis- 
 tinction. Thanks, then, to the more generous 
 notions of the present times ! the adventitious 
 aids of birth and fortune are no lonirer absolute- 
 ly neces«;arv to obtain res]>ect. And a man of 
 talents, like him, of whom we are about to 
 treat, may contemplate the humble station of 
 his forefathers, with the saine noble contempt 
 that Cicero did the vetch on the nose of his 
 ancestor *, whence his family was ever after de- 
 signated. 
 
 After these jireliniinary observations, I hasten, 
 without hesitation, to relate, that John Home, 
 better known of late years by the appellation of 
 
 * Pliny supposes, tliat tlie person wlio first Ixjre this 
 name, originally derived it from a species of pulse {^ciccr) 
 in til" cullivHlion of whicli lie had been enipluyed. 'I'he 
 I.d)ii, Lentuli, and Pisoues, so illustrious in ;inci(:ril history, 
 aU<i oblained their resprclive appeliulions IVoin the hunibic 
 esculents, beans, tafci, and peas.
 
 6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/Sb. 
 
 John Home Tooke, was the son of a poulterer 
 in Newport Market. He was born in Newport 
 Street, Westminster, on the 25th of June, l/oo, 
 as appears from the register of the paii^'h ol 
 St. Anne, Soho, and cliristened on the succeed- 
 ing day ; a circunistance which seems to indi- 
 cate, cither that his life had been in innnediatc, 
 jeopardy, or tliat lie was of so puny and deli- 
 cate a frame^ as to render a speedy dis'-olutiou 
 probable. 
 
 Mr. Horne, the father, whose name also was 
 John, had a h\rge family; and the following 
 authentic account of his children, by Elizal)eth 
 his wife, has been communicated to me, by one 
 of his descendants ; — 
 
 1. Benjamin, the eldest son, settled at Brent- 
 ford, in the county of Middlesex, where lie ac- 
 ([uired considerable wealth and eminence as a 
 market-gardener, in what is technically termed 
 ihe Jridi-lhic. It was he v\lio tirst introduced 
 the pine-straAvberry, trom Saratoga, in North 
 America, through the kind intervention of the 
 earl of Shelburne, afterwards created marquis 
 of Lansdowne, That nol)leman, being greatly 
 addicted to horticulture before he entered on 
 the career of politics, and finding him an inge- 
 nious man, delighted in Itis conversation, and 
 .slept frequently at his hou.se. On these occa-
 
 1736. LIFE OF JOHN HORNETOOKE. / 
 
 sions, Mr. Benjumin Ilonie not onlv dccincd 
 liimselt liii;hly honoured by tlie notice of a per- 
 son of such distinction, but was also considera- 
 bly benefited in conse(juencc of the present just 
 alluded to, and niiiiht have obtained a very 
 larije fortune from the exclusive monopoly of u 
 Iruit possessing- such exquisite fiavcmr and per- 
 fection, had not his grounds been repeatedly 
 j)lundered by some of his neighbours, who lljns 
 risked all the rigours of the law, to pracuie a 
 few nniners of the new sort, and lival, as well 
 as undersell him, at Covent (iarden market. He 
 died in the prime of life, after having acquired 
 a very considerable pro])erty; and, leaving no 
 children behind him, bequeathed his estate, 
 both real and personal, to his immediate rela- 
 tives. 
 
 2. Thomas, the second son, originally bred a 
 fishmonger, afterwards followed his father's 
 trade, as a poulterer, and succeeded him in the 
 >ame shoj) and business. He is represented as 
 a strong-minded man, but entirely reirardless of 
 his j)e( uniary concerns. Accordingly, he either 
 lost (u- scjuandered the w hole of his j)atrinionv, 
 and at length retired on an atmuity of seventy 
 Ijounds left him by his cldtr i)rother ; but, as 
 this proved IiiswffKient to su|)j)ort his extrava- 
 puit course of life, he was admitted, and died
 
 8 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 173^. 
 
 in the almshouses provided by the libeialityof 
 the company of fishmongers, for their decayed 
 brethren. 
 
 ■S. John, the subject of these, memoirs. 
 
 4. Mary, the eklest daughter, who was con- 
 sidered a beauty, married a wine-merchant in 
 Argyle Street, famiUarly known among his ac- 
 quaintance by the appellation of '^ honest Tom 
 Wildman ;" he is frequently noticed in Mr. 
 Wilkes's letters. His son, a very respectable 
 and intelligent man, after occupying a place in 
 the Custom House, during a period of more 
 than thirty years, is now a brewer at Chelsea. 
 
 5. Sarah, who is still alive, married the late 
 Dr. Demainbray, who formerly occupied an ho- 
 nourable and confidential situation about the 
 person of the present king ; assisted in his raa- 
 •jesty's education, and was always treated with 
 particular attention. He enjoyed a place in the 
 Custom House of 1,500/. per annum; and his 
 son, the rev. Stephen Demainbray, has, for many 
 years, superintended the Royal Observatory at 
 Kew. 
 
 6i Elizabeth, a woman of considerable wit 
 and vivacity, became the wife of Mr. Clarke, u 
 haberdasher, in Leicester Fields; 
 
 And, 7- Anne, the fourth daughter, who still 
 ,<urvives3 married Mr. Dicker, a colournuiu,
 
 I'JSb. LIFE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. J) 
 
 whose fatlier was the tenant of" the elder Mr. 
 Home, and lives on her fortune, which is said 
 to he pretty considerahle. 
 
 A tradition still exists in the family, that their 
 ancestors possessed great wealtli, and were set- 
 tled on their own lands, at no great distance from 
 the metropolis. A more ingenions hiographer, 
 by a ])lau«iihle reference to county histories, 
 might have been able, })erhaps, to have traced 
 their origin to a pretty remote period, and, with 
 the aid of a little seasonable conjecture, it 
 would have been easy to have ascertained the 
 loss of the patrimonial estates dnrins: the wars 
 between the rival Roses. Or the industry of a 
 modern genealogist might have contrived, from 
 the identity of names, in addition to some tri- 
 vial and incidental circumstances, to have shed 
 the lustre of episcopacy on their race, and, by 
 means of Dr. George Home, bishop of Nor- 
 wich, reflected a borrowed lenown on his new 
 relatives. But such aits, even if allowable, are 
 unnecessary here, for the (irainniarian, who 
 forms the snbject of the present volumes, is 
 fairly entitled to be considered as a noun siihsfnu- 
 the, wiiose character and consequence might be 
 impaired, rather than increased, by the addition 
 of any unnecessary adjunct. 
 
 I am enabled, however, without any viola-
 
 10 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1736. 
 
 tlon of truth, to assert, that, notwithstancHug the 
 cltlcr Mr. Home reared and educated a family 
 of seven children, he found means to acquire a 
 considerable fortune, at the same time that he 
 obtained a fair and honourable character for 
 himself. At the solicitation of his wife, who 
 is said to have been an amiable and benevolent 
 woman, he became a liberal subscriber to the 
 Middlesex Hospital ; and such was his re])uta- 
 tion for Avealth and integrity, that he was elect- 
 ed the lirst treasurer of that excellent insti- 
 tution. 
 
 It will perhaps create a smile, when I add, 
 that this worthy tradesman Avas not only a mi- 
 litary man, but an officer; for his son once as- 
 sured me, that he was honoured with a com- 
 mission in the Trained Bands, and that he him- 
 self recollected to have accompanied his father 
 part of the Avay to oppose the grandson of 
 James H, who had then invaded Scotland. 
 This, perhaps, is the identical " March to 
 Finchley," ridiculed by a comic painter* of 
 that day with more graphic wit than sterling 
 patriotism. Tlie event took place in 1/46, when 
 the subject of this memoir was only nine years 
 old. 
 
 * The cckbialed William Ilogartli.
 
 1736\ LIFE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 11 
 
 Nor ouq;ht another anecdote to be oniUtcd in 
 this place, as it exhibits a noble instance of 
 Eni^li>^h intrepidity ; and it is not refining too 
 iiiHch, perhaps, to suggest, th;it the spirited 
 conduct of the father, in this particukir in- 
 •?tance, n)ii::ht have made an early and lastinj; 
 ini})ression on the nihid of the son. 
 
 As Mr. Home lived in NeAvport Street, he 
 was of course a near neighbour to his royal 
 highness Frederick prince of Wales, father to 
 Jiis present majesty, who then kept his court at 
 Leicester House. Some of the othcers of tlic 
 household imagining that an outlet towards tlic 
 market would be extremely conveniejit to them, 
 as well as the inferior domestics, orders were 
 immediately issued for this jmrpose. Accord- 
 ingly, an adjoining wall was cut through, and 
 a door j)laced in the opening, without any '"ere- 
 mony whatsoever, notwithstanding it was a pal- 
 pable encroachment on, and violation of, the j)ro- 
 perty of a jirivate individual. In the nn'dst of 
 this operation, Mr. Home aj)peared, and calndy 
 rcmon^t^•.ted against so glaring an act of injus- 
 tice, a?, the brick ])artition actually appertained 
 to him, and the intended thoroughfare would 
 It ad through, and coii^cijuently dej)reciate the 
 \alue ol his jircmiscs. 
 
 It soon aj>jteared, however, that the represen- 
 tations of a d«*aler in geese and turkics, althotigh
 
 12 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/SG. 
 
 backed by law and reason, had but little effect 
 ou those, who acted in the name, and, in this 
 instance, abused the authority of a prince, who 
 was probably unacquainted with the circum- 
 stances of the transaction. 
 
 On this, he appealed from " the insolence of 
 office" to the justice of his country ; and, to the 
 honour of our municipal jurisprudence, the 
 event proved different from what it would have 
 been, perhaps, in any other kingdom of Eu- 
 rope : for a tradesman of Westminster triumph- 
 ed over the heir-apparent of the English crown, 
 and orders were soon after issued for the re- 
 moval of the obnoxious door. 
 
 On this the plaintiff', who was greatly at- 
 tached to the house of Hanover, and had been 
 only anxious to vindicate his own insulted rights, 
 immediately addressed a most respectful letter 
 to the illustrious defendant in the late action, 
 in which, after briefly recapitulating the facts, 
 he stated that he had been actually forced into 
 the suit by the im])roper conduct of his royal 
 highness's servants, and that, having now 
 taught them to respect private property, he 
 was only solicitous, that no inconvenience 
 might ari^ic to the son of his sovereign ; and 
 therefore ijranted his leave for re-openini:: the 
 disputed passage. 
 
 The prince was so much pleased with Mr.
 
 1713. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 13 
 
 Home's conduct on this occasion, that a war- 
 rant was immediately issned, cmj)Ovvenng hini 
 to supply his royal highness with poultry, 
 and he accordingly acted lor many years as 
 j)urveyor to the hou'iehold. It is extremely 
 paintul to add, that this did not prove 
 a j)rotitahIe adventure, for, by the sudden de- 
 mise of the heir-ap])arent, and the disorder ot 
 his finances, in consequence of that melancholy 
 event, a considerable arrear of debt accrued, 
 which, at this day, amounts, including the in- 
 terest, to several thousand pounds. 
 
 Meanwhile, John, the youngest and dar- 
 ling son, became the chief object of atten- 
 tion in the family. It appears from a paper*, 
 originally written by himself, and now in my 
 possession, that in l/'43, being then in the se- 
 venth year of his age, he was sent to an aca- 
 demy in Soho Square. To this early removal, 
 his ])arents were perhaps chiefly induced by the 
 jiroximity of the school, which was a very re- 
 sj)ectable one ; and it appears, froni a variety of 
 circumstances, that no reasonable expense was 
 ever sparetl, in respect to education, by his fa- 
 ther ; while his mother, whose memory he ten- 
 derly cherished to the latest mojnent of his ex- 
 
 * See the Appendix,
 
 14 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l'/44, 
 
 isteiice, always treated liim with unvarying kind- 
 ness and affection. 
 
 Ill I7"i4, he was removed to Westminster 
 School, bnt remained too short a time there to 
 distinguish himself; for after the lapse of tAvo 
 years, he repaired to Eton. It is unnecessary 
 here either to mention or particularize the 
 many celebrated men educated at an institu- 
 tion, for which we are indebted to the munifi- 
 cence of a prince, termed, by the courtesy of 
 modern poetry, " the holy Henry." It is sufli- 
 cient to observe, that the names of George lord 
 Lyttleton, and- William Pitt, first earl of Chat- 
 ham, had been inscribed but a few years be- 
 fore on the registers of this college ; and that 
 lord North, as yet unconscious of ambition, was 
 harmlessly occupied, about this period, inpraising 
 the beauties of Laura and Lydia ; in describing 
 the golden locks of Clarissa, and comparing the 
 graceful jierson of Phyllis with the mountain 
 pine*. Among his immediate contemporaries, 
 were sir James J\Iacdonald, rendered remark- 
 able by early talents and aspiring hopes, which 
 were suddenly consigned to an mitimelv grave ; 
 
 * Undique purpureis rctlolcntes floribas hortos 
 Ut trepidans primo vere perenat apis ; 
 Heec vioiaiii jactant, &c. (A. I). 174S.) 
 
 3Iu!-. Eton., 1795, vol. j.. p.:.
 
 ]/'-lC« LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 16 
 
 with 'I'ighe, Pepvs, &c., wliose verses are still 
 praised and remeiiiliered. 
 
 Soon after his (lc])aitnre, we find Fox, who 
 seems to have comnienced the career ot life 
 and of fame together, describint^ the charming 
 scenery, with which he was surrounded *, and 
 scatterimr classic a^arlands on the l)anks of 
 the Thames ; while the eleiiant Storer, and the 
 correct Hare, were successfully supporting the 
 liigh rejmtation of their Alma Mater. These 
 were succeeded bv a new race, all of whom have 
 s«ince occupied distinguished situations either in 
 Europe or in Asia : a Canning, a Frcre, a Wei- 
 leslev, and a Wellinirton. 
 
 At this institution, young Home appears to 
 have sj)ent five or six vears of his life ; but I 
 have in vain searched the Mtiscv Etonenses, and 
 taxed the memory r)f his (ddok^t friends, for 
 ])ro<ifs ol his proficiency, either in Greek or 
 Latin versification, althongh the celebrated Dr. 
 Sumner was head master from 17-^5 to \~b4. 
 This also ap])Ciirs to be jn'ecisely the case with 
 
 * Gentis amorc; Maro I.alium canit: o mihi tali« 
 Spiritus accodai ; noii minor urget amor: 
 Ut patriae, (neque eiiim ingrains naulia rura 
 Praiposui campis, maltr Klnjia, Uli^) 
 Ul patriai carisque '*o(lalibu«, ut tiLi dicam 
 Anglice suprfnuun Qninctilianc vale. 
 
 Mis. r.tnn , ed. 1795, vol. i, p. 8(1.
 
 iB LIFE CF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/46. 
 
 Mr. Whitbread and lord Grey, who have since 
 distinguished themselves in parliament; — the 
 truth is, that talents are frequently elicited by 
 fortunate circumstances, and the buds of genius, 
 like those of the spring, are either disclosed or 
 retarded, by the ap})roach or the absence of a 
 genial and benignant snn. 
 
 Failing in this attempt, another was made, 
 to discover the early assiduity or precocious ta- 
 lents of the pupil, in any other branch of clas- 
 sical learning ; so as, if possible, to point out, 
 by anticipation in the boy, the favourite pur- 
 suits of the future man. From intelligence, 
 however, that will not admit of contradiction, 
 it appears evident, that the subject of this me- 
 jnoir was not much famed for industry at this 
 period of his life; for although his capacity was 
 even then discovered to be of a superior cast, yet 
 he disliked labour ; and it is a well known and 
 well authenticated fact, that he was accustomed 
 to employ boys of inferior talentsto prepare his 
 tasks for him. He has since frequently acknow- 
 ledged this, and was pleased, at a latter period 
 of his life, to describe liimself, in the langujige 
 pf his favourite Shakspeare, as 
 
 ♦' the whining school-boy with his satchel. 
 
 And shining morning-face, creeping like snail 
 Unwillinsjlv to school."
 
 17'l6. I^IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I7 
 
 Indeed, he has often iiigcnnoiisly confessed, 
 tliat he Mas but little addicted to study while 
 a youth, and I have heard him, iu his old age, 
 take delight in narrating some of the ])leasLir- 
 able excursions of this period. lie was accus- 
 tomed to dwell with rapture on a visit made 
 during the holidays to a French protestant fa- 
 mily at Canterbury, on which occasion, he used 
 to run along the walls of that ancient city, and 
 play on the Dane, at that time a heaj) of rub- 
 bish, bnt since converted, by the munificence of 
 one of the inhabitants, into a most delightful 
 and charming retreat, coveixnl with turf, and 
 studded with trees of various hues. Even then, 
 however, he appears to have been decorous in 
 his behaviour, and to have entertained but little 
 relish for the amusements incident to children, 
 of the same age. 
 
 It was about tliis time that he lost the sight 
 of his right eye, a defect, which although vi- 
 sible for some years after, yet became wholly im- 
 perceptible after he had attained the age of man- 
 liood. This accident occtiiTed during a struggle 
 with some unlucky hoy, who happened to have a 
 kniie in his hand, tlie ])oint of which unhappily 
 entered and lacerated that fine and delicate 
 organ. 
 
 It was either during liis convalescence, or iu 
 VOL. I. t
 
 18 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1^46. 
 
 the interval of a vacation, that a little adventure, 
 coniniiinicated to me by his nephew, occurred, 
 which appeared to evince, that the future Gram- 
 marian was developed at an early epoch. Hav- 
 ing been sent, when no more than ten years of 
 age, for a ^e\v weeks, to school, at a village in 
 Kent, the boy was so much displeased at his 
 reception, entertainment, or pursuits, that he 
 determined to return home, as soon as possible, 
 notwithstanding the distance was at least twen- 
 ty-five miles. To prevent suspicion, he left the 
 house without his hat, and took the road lead- 
 ing to the capital. On finding himself closely 
 pursued by the pedagogue, and all his scholars, 
 the truant took refuge in a summer-house, be- 
 longing to some gentleman in the neighbour- 
 hood, and, notwithstanding an early and un- 
 conquerable aversion] to spiders, such was his 
 resolution even at this period of his life, that 
 he actually clambered up the chimney, where he 
 concealed himself for some time, notwithstand- 
 ing the strictest search on the part of the mas- 
 ter ; for his companions, who knew where he 
 lurked, were determined, from a point of honour, 
 not to discover liim. 
 
 Having thus baffled his pursuer, the young 
 adventurer once more reached the highway, and, 
 without either covering to his head, or money
 
 )'^a6. life of johnmiorke tooke. 19 
 
 in his pocket, made directly for London, amidst 
 a severe shower of rain. 
 
 Towards the eveniiii^, while crossing" a com- 
 mon, he was overtaken by a peasant, who, com- 
 passionating his forlorn situation, immediately 
 carried him home, and gave him shelter in his 
 cottage ; while his wife, perceiving his clothes 
 drenched with wet, lent him a clean shirt be- 
 longing to 04ie of her children, and placed his 
 own to dry, by the tire. 
 
 After receiving some homely hut wholesome 
 fare, he was put to bed ; early next morning, 
 this kind hearted female prepared a breakfast 
 for him ; and a neighbouring gardener was easilv 
 prevailed upon, by the joint entreaties of this 
 worthy pair, to carry him on the top of his wag- 
 gon to town. While stop})ing to refresh the 
 horses at a little hedge-alehouse, he heard some 
 j»assengers describing '• a little wicked boy, with 
 a cast, of his eye, who had run away during the 
 preceding day from the boarding school of the 
 worthy Mr. ***♦." No sooner did this very 
 accurate description of himself reach his ear, 
 ihan he immediately slunk into his straw, and 
 siever once held nj) his head, until he found 
 liimself in Covent Garden nuirket ! 
 
 Perceiving he was so near home, he imme- 
 diately repaired thither, and presented himself 
 
 C 2
 
 20 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 174^. 
 
 before his astonished parents, who had been 
 given to understand, but a few days before, that 
 he was making the most rapid improvement in 
 his education; and of course fancied that he was 
 both content and comfortable. On being 
 sternly interrogated by his oflfended father, as to 
 the cause of his plopement, he archly observed, 
 ^' that his master Avas utterly unfit to instruct 
 Jihn; for although he might perhaps know 
 what a noun or a verb was, vet he understood 
 nothing about a preposition or conjunction ; and 
 so, finding him an ignorant fellow, he had con- 
 trived to leave him ! " 
 
 \t may not be unpleasant for the reader here 
 to learn, that, a few years after, wlien this run- 
 away had become a man, he unexpectedly re- 
 ceived a visit from the poor woman who had 
 administered to his coinforts in his way to town, 
 and, finding her situation far from being com- 
 fortable, he presented her with a sum of money, 
 to relieve her immediate necessities, promising at 
 the same time to make a more j)ermanent pro- 
 vision. It will be seen, in the sequel, that he 
 faithfully fulfilled this pledge, and that too at a 
 period when his mind was distracted with care, 
 and his finances not in the most flourishing con- 
 dition. 
 
 While at Westminster and Eton, he was of
 
 I74G. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 21 
 
 course accustomed to associate occasionally with 
 the sons of people of distinction ; and heinij; aware 
 of tli€ ridicule too i^enerally attached to a 
 hnnible origin, he found means to spare him- 
 self from all mortifications of this kind, l)y 
 calling in either his wit or invention to his aid. 
 Once, while a few idle hoys, who had formed 
 themselves into a circle, were interrogating each 
 other about the rank and condition of their re- 
 spective parents; one said he was the son of 
 Sir Robert A — ; the next, that his father was 
 the earl of B — ; and the third, that his grand- 
 mother was the duchess of C — -y when it came 
 to young Home's turn, he observed, " that he 
 could not boast of any titles in his family;" and 
 on being more closely pressed, added, with a 
 well-affected reluctance, " that his father was an 
 eminent Turkey merchant!^' This reply was 
 both conclusive and satisfactory, for, at the 
 period alluded to, England enjoyed a large 
 share of the Levant trade, and a Turkey mer- 
 chant was but another name for credit and 
 ojiulence. 
 
 And here let me add the unequivocal testi- 
 mony of a conteiHj)orary to his early promise. 
 On interrogating an old lady, with a view of 
 discovering if any thing remarkable had occurred 
 during his chihlhood, I liaj)pened to ask,
 
 22 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1755. 
 
 ^' whether she remembered Mr. Home Tooke 
 while a bovr" 
 
 *' No!" was the reply, " he never was a boy; 
 with him there was no interval between child- 
 hood and age; he became a man all at once 
 upon us!" 
 
 Some little difficulties occur about this period, 
 and materials are wanting to fill up the chasm 
 of two or three years. In the brief manuscript 
 memoir of his own life, alluded to before, under 
 the date of "1753," is to be found, "Seven 
 
 Oakes, Kent, a private tutor;" and in 1754 
 
 we discover the following entry, immediately 
 subsequent, " Ravenstone, Northamptonshire, 
 
 do." which seems to imply, not only that 
 
 great and unusual care was taken with his edu- 
 cation, but that no expense was spared in ren- 
 dering him duly qualified for any profession 
 whatsoever. 
 
 At the age of nineteen, it w^as determined to 
 send him to one of the universities, and accord- 
 ingly, in 1755, he was entered of St. John's 
 college, Cambridge. It would appear that he 
 now applied sedulously to business, for he com- 
 menced bachelor of arts three years after, and 
 was one of those who obtained the honours 
 of the day; his name being included among 
 tlie Triposes of the year 1/58. The other
 
 1756. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 23 
 
 JoIniiiinSy who ulso di!>tiiiguishcd tliciiiselves 
 upon this occasion, wtMc Messrs. Innian, fiing- 
 iiam, Currey, Bronie, Williams, and Bcadon. 
 With the last oi these he liad formed a parti- 
 cular intimacy, and lived to see his friend, who, 
 like himself, wiis destined for the church, first 
 advanced to the mastership of Jesus college, 
 and afterwards to the bishopric of Bath and 
 Wells. 
 
 At leni;th, Mr. John Home, wlio had hitherto 
 hcen studying under the insj)ection of others, 
 became a teacher himself; although it is dif- 
 ficult to conceive by what sudden caprice of 
 fortune, a cantah, who had- been placed under 
 two private tutors in succession, and had dis- 
 tinguished Ij^nself among the worthies of his 
 college, should all of a sudden have become an 
 usher at a boarding-schooK Unhappilv, I am 
 not enabled, bv means of anv written document 
 or contemporary testimony, either to explain or 
 dilate on these events. Certain it i^, however, 
 that he acted for some time In this hnmble ca- 
 pacity at Blackheath, first with a Mr. Jennings, 
 and afterwards, on his retreat, with his son-in- 
 law, Mr. Williams. 
 
 It may be readily sup])oscd, that this period of 
 young Home's life proved uiiseraljU- in the e\* 
 tfeme. Instead of the charms attendant on
 
 24 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I'J'oG, 
 
 eleojant, or the improveinents resulting from 
 learned society; in place of the amusements and 
 variety of a public, or the happiness and repose 
 usually incident to a domestic life; here vviis 
 now only heard the unwearied note of the cuckoo, 
 and the eternal gabble, added to the tormenting 
 tiick-i, of threescore mischievous boys. He 
 might, with Dr. Johnson, when exposed to 
 similar misfortunes, have fairly exclaimed, that 
 *' one single day Avas tlie faithful copy of a whole 
 existence * ;" and it must be allowed, that the ill- 
 recjuited fatigue, and unrewarded industry, of 
 this laborious but useful class of men, could 
 not fail to be odious to a liberal and ingenuous 
 mind. 
 
 Yet, on the other hand, from early life, he 
 appears to have been very fond of instructing 
 others, and to have paid particular attention 
 to children, whom he always viewed with a 
 species of paternal regard. In respect to his 
 management of these, he either was gifted by 
 nature, or had obtained from practice, a certain 
 degree of authority not easily to be conceived. 
 His influence in this respect has come to my 
 knowledge on more than one occasion, and I 
 have lately seen a gentleman, who assured me, 
 
 * " CoMtinet vilam, una <i\es."'~ BosiveWs Life of Johnson.
 
 lybG. LIFE OF JOHN IIOR^E TOOKE. 35 
 
 that when a boy, lie never stood so nnich in awe 
 ot" any person in the world, as the subject ot* 
 the^e memoirs. He added^ there was something 
 inexpressibly significant in his voice, manner, 
 and gestures, that rendered it impossible to 
 approach him with the same .ease as an ordinary 
 mortal! 
 
 This may not, perhaps, be deemed an unfit 
 place to make some observations on a subject so 
 intimately connected both with private and public 
 ha})piness. Mr. Home was a great advocate 
 tor a public education; but not in the ancient 
 Spartan style attempted to be revived by lord 
 Monboddo, who considers that as the most 
 j)erfect state of civil society, in which govern- 
 ment undertakes *' the care pf the education of 
 the youth, and of the private lives of the citi- 
 zens, neither of which is left to the will and 
 pleasure of each individual; but both are reffu- 
 lated by public wisdom." He, on the contrary, 
 was for leaving much, in both cases, to the un- 
 restricted agency of those most interested. He 
 inclined, indeed, towards the discipline of our 
 public schooN; but thought tliat parents were 
 the be^L guardians of the morals of their chil- 
 dren. 
 
 In respect to the ancients, the stoics were the 
 mo<t severe oi' all the philoso])hical sects; but
 
 26 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/56^ 
 
 among the academicians, the fathers only were 
 entrusted Avith the power of inflicting corporal 
 punishment : for the ferula of the pedagogue was 
 thought to render the spirit dastardly. And here 
 it may be doubted, whether the mode of castiga- 
 tion still retained in our national seminaries, benot 
 a remnant of ancient barbarism, which, like the 
 Russian knout, will be gradually left oif and 
 disowned in the progress of civilization. Both 
 are calculated to destroy that sensibility, which 
 might be incited to the noblest purposes, were it 
 not both unusual and perplexing to substitute 
 the fear of shame, for the fear of punishment. 
 
 Mr. Home was accustomed to contemplate a 
 great school as a microcosm, or little world, in 
 which each boy performed that part in minia- 
 ture, which he was to act hereafter in real life. 
 On entering into society their maimers were in 
 some measure formed. Those brought up at 
 home, on the contrary, become giddy at the 
 sight of so much seeming delight, and like the 
 savages described by Tacitus, were attached to 
 pleasure^ in exact proportion to their ignorance 
 of it*. 
 
 On the wliole, he doubtless thought, with 
 Milton, " that a complete and generous educa- 
 
 * " Quanto ferocius ante «e egerint, tanto cupidius inso- 
 lilas volupiates hausisse."
 
 l/'56. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 27 
 
 lion, which tits a nrin lo perform jiistlv, skil- 
 i'lilly, and iiiagiianiiiKmsly, all tlie otHces^ hoth 
 jmhlic and private, ot" peace and war," was the 
 best. XothinE: excited his indisrnation so mnch, 
 as the recent attempts that have been made to 
 discountenance the classical lan2:aages of anti- 
 quity, under pretence of inutility. He consi- 
 dered this as a conspiracy, on the ])ait of pre- 
 sum})tuous ignorance, to cut oil' all the inlets to 
 knowledge, and cut down the human under- 
 standing, precisely to its own level. On that 
 subject, he generally became warm, and was ac- 
 customed to observe, " that he had heard men 
 give infetructions in respect to education, nil of 
 whose know ledge on that subject had been ob- 
 tained at a charity-school ; while others bad 
 pretended, in his hearing, to mend the constitu- 
 tion, that ablest eftbrt of practical ingenuity, 
 who were by nature so stupid, that, had they 
 been put ap])rentice5 to a taylor, they would ne- 
 ver have been able to mend a hole in their own 
 coats !" 
 
 The noble spirit of emulation that has ^^onc 
 forth among us, will d()ul)tless C()ntril)ute not a 
 little to throw new lights on this most interest- 
 ing subject. 
 
 In common with Dr. Swift, he was a great 
 advocate for learning, and not only "teemed to
 
 28 LIFE OF JOHN HORKE TOOKE. l/SG. 
 
 think, but to feel, that literature sootlies calami- 
 ties, both private and public, exhilarates the hu- 
 man mind, and constitutes the chief consola- 
 tion of every man worthy to be called a philo- 
 sopher. 
 
 While at Blackheath, young Home appears? 
 to have formed an attachment to a young lady, 
 then residing in the same house ; a circumstance 
 which, perhaps, might have sweetened his toils, 
 and rendered his bondage less irksome. But it 
 proved transient ; the connexion having been 
 broken off, in consequence of some formidable, 
 yet unexpected obstacle ; " and thus," he was 
 accustomed sarcastically to remark, in his old age, 
 " I luckily escaped from two evils — matrimony 
 and misery at the same time." 
 
 At the earnest request of his father, who was 
 a zealous member of the church of England, he 
 now^ entered into holy orders, and was, accord- 
 ingly, ordained a deacon ; but it was not until a 
 subsequent period, that he qualified himself 
 for holding preferment, by passing through the 
 usual ceremonies incident to the priesthood. 
 Previously to this, he obtained a curacy in 
 Kent, where he W'as afflicted with the ague, and 
 obliged to retire from his charge on that account. 
 On his recovery, other prospects opened, far 
 more conircnial both to his sentiments and
 
 1756. LIFE OF JOHN HORSE TOOKE. 29 
 
 pursuits, which he now fully determined to 
 irratifv. 
 
 Tlielaw had ever been the favourite profession of 
 the subject of these memoir?, and that, on which 
 he occasionally descanted with complacency, 
 and even with rapture, until the latest hour of 
 his existence. He early perceived that the 
 career of the bar included the senate, the bench, 
 the woolsack, and all the patrician honours. 
 Even during the feudal times, when birth seemed 
 indispensably necessary for the attainment of 
 most other civil distinctions, it was never deemed 
 a disqualification in respect to this, which was 
 tbcn usually connected with the clerical func- 
 tions. On looking- over the list of lord high 
 chancellors of England, he would find, among 
 other instances, that Wolsey, the son of a 
 butcher at Ipswich, obtained the seals in 1516; 
 that Egerton, created in succession baron 
 Ellesmere and viscount Brackley, occupied 
 the same dignified situation, under James J, 
 although a natural son; that the father of sir 
 Peter, afterwards lord King, had been a gi'ocer 
 at Exeter; while Philip lord Hardwicke, u 
 man eijnally venerated by his contcm])orariei 
 and posterity, and who had just retired, after a 
 splendid and honourable career, with the appro-
 
 so LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 175^. 
 
 bation of all worthy men, was the son of an at- 
 torney at Dover. 
 
 A good education, a liberal share of the gifts 
 of nature, a consciousness of his own powers, 
 superadded to a bold and daring character, 
 seemed at once to urge and to qualify Mr. 
 Home for the profession of an advocate. In 
 addition to all this, he doubtless recollected that 
 a degree at Cambridge would facilitate his claims 
 and his labours. He had accordingly entered 
 himself a member of the society of the Inner 
 Tem])le, in 17^6, four years before he was ad- 
 mitted mto full orders ; little dreaming that, in 
 consequence of the latter event, a precedent 
 should be hereafter made, in his case, for the 
 express purpose of his exclusion ; and that this 
 too, should be founded on the identical reason, 
 that, in all former times, had rendered those of 
 his cloth peculiarly eligible. 
 
 Our young lawyer, for so he may be noW 
 termed, partook of comnwns regularly, during 
 term time; or, in other words, sat down to his 
 beef or mutton daily, in the hall of his inn of 
 court, with a view of enabling him, in his own 
 phrase, *' to eat his way to the bar." At this 
 period be got acquainted with two singular men, 
 (each famous in this profession, and with both of
 
 1756. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOORE, 31 
 
 "whom he was connected in future life: for the 
 one became his defender, and the other his judge. 
 Jolin Dunning, afterwardslord AshburtoUjana- 
 tiveof Devonshire, and the son of aaobscuretrades> 
 man, Avas about lour years older tlian himself. 
 Being destitute of patrimony, he repaired to the 
 Mietropoliswith a view of courting the smiles of the 
 fickle goddess ; and at length completely suc- 
 ceeded in his views. Notwithstanding his person 
 was unj)ropitious, and there was a certain hush't- 
 ness in his speech, yet he became the most success- 
 ful practitioner of his day. Unwearied research 
 obtained for him the character of a sound 
 lawyer; while his known zeal for the interests 
 of a client, rendered every one eager to retain 
 him. He was the only barrister in the Court of 
 King's Bench capable of arguing a constitu- 
 tional question with the able and eloquent chief 
 justice who then presided there; and, on more 
 than one occasion, the earl of Mansfield him- 
 self was obliged to yield to the superior force of 
 his arguments. This celebrated pleader was 
 at length brought into j)arliament, under the 
 auspices of lord Shelburnc; and, after distin- 
 gui^^hing him-^elf in the house of commons, on 
 many ti-)ing occasions, finally ol;tained a peer- 
 age, together with the chancellorship of th« 
 ducby of Lancaijter.
 
 32 LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE, l^SS. 
 
 Lloyd Kenyon was a native of Wales^ who, 
 after having been brought np at the desk of an 
 attorney, practised in Chancery with consider- 
 able reputation. It was late in life before he 
 attained the dignities of his profession; and he, 
 who fiom habits, and custom, and congeniality 
 of studies, was enabled to become a most excel- 
 lent master of the rolls, occasionally found 
 his seat uneasy as chief justice of the King's 
 Bench, in consequence of being unacquainted 
 with the practice of the common law. 
 
 These three, while students, and little dream- 
 ing as yet of their future fortunes, were accus- 
 tomed to spend much of their time together. 
 Two of them, as has been hinted, afterwards at- 
 tained patrician honours; but, at the period now 
 alluded to, the prospects of the third were to the 
 full as promising, as those of either of his fellow- 
 students. He, indeed, must have been looked 
 up to as a superior character: for, in addition to 
 his natural talents, he had been educated at two 
 public schools, and finished his studies at h 
 celebrated university; while they were brought 
 np at little provincial seminaries, and could not 
 boast of any classical attainments whatever. It 
 would appear, however, that none of the j)arties 
 were very rich at this period, for they lived with a 
 degree of frugality, that will be deemed rather
 
 1760. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 33 
 
 singular, wlien contrasted with their fortune, 
 nealth, and celehiity. I have been repeatedly 
 assured, by Mr. Ilorne Tooke, that they were 
 accustomed to dine together, during the vaca- 
 tion, at a little eating-house, in the neiglibour- 
 hood of Chancery Lane, for the sum of seven, 
 pence halfpenny each! "As to Dunning and 
 myself," added he, " we were generous, for we 
 gave the girl who waited on us a penny a piece; 
 i)ut Kenyon, who always knew the vahie of 
 •money, sometimes rewarded her with a half- 
 penny, and sometimes with a promise!" 
 
 It would aj)pear, however, that the partiality 
 of Mr. Home for the bar was not destined to be 
 gratified. His family, who had never sanctioned 
 this attachment, deemed the church far more 
 eligible as a profession, and he was at length 
 obliged to yield, notwithstanding his reluctance, 
 to the admonitions, the entreaties, and the per- 
 suasions of his parents. It seems not at all im- 
 pro!)al;le, that a friendly compromise took place 
 on this occasion; and that an assurance was 
 given, of some permanent provision, in case he 
 consented to relinc^uish his legal pursuits. 
 
 Accordingly, in 1760, Mr. Home was ad- 
 mitted a priest of the church of England, by Dr. 
 John Thomas, bishoj) of Sarum; and in the 
 course lA the same year he obtained the living of 
 
 vol.. /. D
 
 34 LIVE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/GO. 
 
 New Brentford, in thecounty of Middlesex, which 
 was purchased for him by his father. This, for 
 npwards of a century, has been a chapel of' ease 
 to Hanwell, a village two miles distant; and 
 the endowment, of coinse, was originally very 
 trifling. But a few years since, the spot, which 
 at present contains a very pojmlous hamlet, 
 forming collateral inflections with the current of 
 the noble river which runs in a serpentine direc- 
 tion along its margin, contained only a few 
 scattered cottages, inhabited chiefly by labourers. 
 The piety of the more opulent neighbours was 
 at length happily exerted to obtain for these 
 poor people the consolations of religion, and 
 about a century ago, this preferment, if prefer- 
 ment it might he then called, was valued at only 
 iG/. a year. An inn, however, having been after- 
 wards bequeathed, for the purpose of augmen- 
 tation, and ({ueen Anne's bounty twice obtained ; 
 these accessions, together with the small and 
 hay tithes, are said to have produced the sum of 
 between two and three hundred pounds per an. 
 This income was enjoyed by the subject of this 
 memoir during the term of eleven years, and in 
 the course of that period he not only did duty at 
 Brentford, but also preaclied in many of the 
 churches of the metropolis. 
 
 In 17G3, it appears, that Mr. Ilorne had been
 
 l^OO. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 35 
 
 prcrailcdupon to Ijecome what he ])iinself was ar- 
 cu-stoined to term a bear-leader, ami one of the 
 soTiji of a neiglibouring gentleman was the cuh 
 whom he took under his j)rotection. The life and 
 character of Mr. Elwes, afterwards kniglit of the 
 ^hire for the county of Berks, has been rendered 
 laniiliar to tlie public, by means of the pen ot 
 Mr. Tophanu who, with ec|ual truth and felicity, 
 has depicted the eccentricities of this opulent 
 commoner, and, by describing the keen, although 
 imaginary distresses, of a man worth half a 
 million, in consefjucnce of the loss of a few 
 guineas, contributed not a little to strengthen 
 the generous precepts of virtue, as well as 
 to afford some little consolation to those who 
 labour under the real pressure of unmerited 
 ])overty. 
 
 Young Elwes, hi<? son, being now entrusted to 
 the chargo of the minister of New Brentford, 
 they repaired to France together, where they 
 ap])ear to have remained consideral)ly more than 
 a year, contemplating wliatever was worthy of 
 notice in that kingdom. This journey occurred 
 immediately after the conclusion of the peace of 
 Paris, when tbc name of an I^iglishman had 
 become respectable in every corner of Europe, 
 in conie(juejjce of a brilliant and successful war, 
 during which it was proved to demonstration, that. 
 
 JD 2
 
 3d LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 176'4. 
 
 the French monarchy, great, populous, and opu- 
 lent, as it certainly then was, had been unable to 
 contend with the high-spirited and free-born in- 
 habitants of the British isles, although, in respect 
 to wealth, extension, and numbers, in every 
 point of view, inferior. 
 
 Towards the end of the year 1 7^4, the tutor, 
 who was delighted with this tour, returned with 
 his pupil to England; and had he been heartily 
 attached to his profession, there can be but little 
 doubt that he might have enjoyed a fair share 
 of its advantages. While a boy, he had been 
 introduced at Leicester House, l)y means of Dr. 
 de Mainbray, who was still caressed by the young 
 monarch, and was accustomed to play with his 
 present majesty, who was exactly two years 
 younger than himself, once or twice a week. 
 He enjoyed the friendship of Mr. Elvves, wlio 
 possessed considerable influence; and he was 
 also patronised by Mr. Levintz, the receiver 
 general of the customs. By the kind interven- 
 tion of the latter, apparently exerted through 
 the channel of a nobleman in high favour at 
 court, he was promised to be a]>pointed one of 
 the king's chaplains ; and had a prospect of such 
 other preferment as was sufficient to satisfy his 
 wishes. In tine, a man so gifted and so favoured, 
 might have aspired to all the honours of his
 
 17^4. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 3/ 
 
 profession; and if lie had not reposed, like his 
 friend Dr. Beadon, beneath the shadow of a 
 cathedral, or erected his mitred front in com- 
 pany uith the Horsleys, and the Douglases, and 
 the Watsons of his day; yet, like Paley and 
 many other of the inferior dij^nitaries of the 
 church, he miirlit have enioycd wealth, and 
 respect, and that learned case so dear to a man 
 of letters. 
 
 But we shall soon discover that these flat- 
 tering and seductive prospects did not prove 
 sufficient to counteract certain impressions, 
 which had been indelibly engraved on a mind, 
 at once bold and original ; avaricious of fame, 
 and disdainful alike of riches and preferment, 
 when these ap]>eiired to be in oj>j>osition to his 
 principles. 
 
 During his residence at Brentford, however, 
 he seems to have laboured to prove useful to his 
 parishioners and all around him. His sermons 
 were pluiu, ])erspi<:uous, and ])ractical dis- 
 courses, tending to remind his audience of their 
 duties to God, their neighbours, and themselves. 
 While he explained the tenets of Christianity, 
 and in-^isted (m their decisive superiority over those 
 of all otiicr religions, he is said to have carefully 
 al)stained from controversial jioint*;. Cliiefly 
 jjjtent on j)roducing beneficiy.1 result"-;, he never
 
 38 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1764. 
 
 extended his researches beyond the truths con- 
 tained in the Scri})tures, and the received 
 opinions of the Anglican church. Like the 
 learned and pious Dr. Jortin, he perhaps thought 
 " that where mystery begins, religion ends;" and 
 in this point of view he always bore ample tes- 
 timony to the excellence of that faith in which 
 he had been educated. No one, however, was ever 
 more ready or more eager in private to oppugn 
 and refute the doctrines of the catholic church. 
 These he eagerly opposed, both then and 
 throughout the whole of a long and active life, 
 from a variety of causes. First, he deemed 
 many of its observances superstitious; secondly, 
 he abhorred the idea of a connexion wuth, and 
 a reliance on, a foreign jurisdiction, as this 
 Seemed to trench on the independence of his 
 native country; and thirdly, in consequence of 
 auricular confession, and the powers assumed as 
 well as exercised by the priesthood of that per- 
 suasion, he considered this system as highlv un- 
 friendly to human freedom. 
 
 It may be imagined by some, on account of the 
 equality of pastors and their uniform bias towards 
 a moderate and w^ell regulated liberty, that he 
 might be inclined to lean to the dissenters. But 
 this was not the case. On the contrary, he 
 admired a hierarchy consisting of an ascending
 
 I'^Gi. LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 30 
 
 scale of diguitarics, from a j)ari!sli priest to a 
 jnetro])olitaii, which lie deemed hest calculated 
 hoth to incite to, and reward merit and virtue. 
 Xotwithstaudinsz: the charijes afterwards adduced 
 against him, on the score of orthodoxy, no one 
 was more violent against schismatics of all de 
 scrij)tions; and, whatever may he thought, cer- 
 tain it is, that even his very prejudices were on 
 the side of the church of England; for out of 
 the ])ale of its faith he never was very ready to 
 admit of anv ecclesiastical desert whatsoever! 
 
 Mr. Horne had no sooner ohtained his living:, 
 than he determined to administer every possihle 
 comfort to the poor of the populous neighhour- 
 liood, hy which he was surrounded. He was 
 reg;ular in his attention to the sick, a circum- 
 stance accomj)anied with a douhle portion of con- 
 solation. Not content with ])raying with those 
 that desired it, he actually studied the healing 
 art, for the express purpose of relieving the 
 comj)laints of such as were unable to j)ay for 
 the a*^>istance of an apothecary. 'l"o attain this 
 end, he carefully studied tlie works oi' lioer- 
 liaave, and the hest practical jdiysicians ot that 
 dav; and liaving learned to compt)nnd a few 
 medicines, he formed a little dispensary at the 
 parsonage-house, whcfice he suj)plie(l the wants 
 of his numerous and grateiul j)atienti. He was
 
 40 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/'64. 
 
 accustomed, at times, to plume himself on the 
 cures he had performed, and often ohserved, 
 " that, although ;)liysic was said to be a proble- 
 matical art, he believed that his medical, were 
 far more efficacious than his spiritual labours." 
 
 On the other hand, he mixed with genteel 
 societj^, enjoyed all its pleasures and advan- 
 tages, and indeed always entertained a high 
 relish for company and conversation. As he 
 was fond of associating with the fair sex, he en- 
 deavoured to render himself agreeable, by com- 
 ply ing with the fashion of the times; and it is 
 not to be denied, that he was, at one period, 
 accused of being too fond of cards, and of 
 spending too much of his time at ombre, quad- 
 rille, and whist. But it does not appear that he 
 was thereby induced to neglect any of his duties; 
 and although he was sometimes attempted to be 
 stigmatised with the appellation of " the carr 
 dinal priest," yet he has never been accused of 
 indulging in games of chance, or playing for 
 any sum, that might impair his fortune, or en- 
 gender the remotest sus])iciDn of avarice. 
 
 As he advanced in years, pursuits of a far dif- 
 ferent kind engrossed his attention. He had 
 ceased indeed to be a lawyer, but he had become 
 a politician. His vicinity to tow'n enabled him 
 to be speedily acquainted with all the events of
 
 17b4. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^11 
 
 the time!', and there is soiiietliing; in the very 
 atnjosphere of a great metroj)oli.s, tlmt connnu- 
 nicatcs its inflaence, to a wide circle aronnd it. 
 
 Mr. Home appears, in early life, to have im- 
 bibed iiii;h and exalted notions of publicliberty; 
 and these, operating on a sanguine temperament, 
 produced a degree of zeal, which, before it was 
 corrected by experience, must at times have 
 apj)roximated to political fanaticism. It would 
 be truly curious to trace the origin of those 
 ideas, and thus, connecting cause with effect, 
 make a liberal estimate of the result; but, in the 
 absence of facts, it is only permitted to guess at 
 first causes, by a recurrence to contemporary 
 history. 
 
 When he was a bov, the immediate effects of 
 the revolution had not yet ceased to operate; 
 while the new dynasty introduced by it, was still 
 alarmed Ijy the' claims of a pretender to the 
 throne. AH })arties ultimately appealed to the 
 nation, and they who hailed the name of Wil- 
 liam III as tlie "great deliverer," or su])ported 
 the legitimate claims of the house of Brunswick 
 to the crown, alike founded their pretensions on 
 popular rights. It was thus decidedly the in- 
 terest even of the court, to countenance those 
 principles, whence it derived its strength and 
 stability; and an unhappy breach, which at this
 
 42 LIFK OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/6i. 
 
 period took place in the royal family, was at 
 least accompanied with this advantage, tliat it 
 contributed not a little to produce a competi- 
 tion lor public favour and ajiprobation. 
 
 Pitt and Lyttleton, fostered by the patronage 
 of Frederick prince of Wales, now thundered 
 in the senate in behalf of freedom ; and exhibited 
 specimens of eloquence v/ortliy of the classical 
 ages. Bolingbroke, too, under the same aus- 
 pices, in his animated attacks on the adminis- 
 tration of a great but odious statesman*, ex- 
 hibited the first fine models of ])olitical contro- 
 versy, which were afterwards copied and im- 
 proved by Burke, and imitated, but not excelled, 
 hy Junius. The Bangorian controversy, too, 
 during which a celebrated prelate -i" denied the 
 pretentions of his own order to temporal juris- 
 diction, had enlightened the minds and sharp- 
 ened the wits of the nation: in short, liberal in- 
 vestigation, as connected with the pretensions of 
 the reigning sovereign, had become the genius 
 of the aire, and could not fail to have influenced 
 both the njind and the conduct of the subject of 
 this memoir. 
 
 A variety of concurring cause? might aho be 
 adduced, and a multitude of sup])ositions sug- 
 
 * Sir Robert Walpole, al'ierwanls created earl of Orford, 
 f Dr. Hoadly, bishop of Winciiesler.
 
 17^4. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 43 
 
 gci^ted; but there are no limits to conjecture, 
 and perluips it might be carrying the spirit of 
 specnhition too far, to snpi)ose that young 
 Home had been inocukited by approximation 
 to royalty, and 6rst caught the holy flame of 
 freedom, at Leicester House; the altars of which 
 then smoked continually with popular incense, 
 while strains were there chaunted to liberty, by 
 the best poets of the age, A\orthy of the days of 
 Harniodius and Aristogitou.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FROM 1765 TO 17^7- 
 
 Short Retrospect of Public Affairs on the Acces- 
 sion of George III. — Characters of the Lords 
 Chatham and Bute. — The Subject of this 
 Memoir determines to take an active Part in 
 the Disputes of that Day. — Revisits France; 
 where he meets with Mr. PFilkes. — Copy of a 
 singular Letter transmitted from MontpeU 
 Her. — He repairs to Italy. 
 
 IT may be here necessary to interrupt the 
 course of this narrative, in order to take a survey 
 of the political hemisphere, at this period, with 
 a view to discover those motives which gave a 
 new as well as a peculiar direction to Mr. Home's 
 career, and influenced the whole tenor of his 
 future life. 
 
 The latter part of the reign of George II was 
 both happy and fortunate; for the nation, firmly 
 imited at home, appeared, at the same time, to
 
 IjSb. LIFE OF JOHN HOUNE TOOKE. 45 
 
 be forinidiible and triumphant abroad. While 
 a new empire was founded in the east, our colo- 
 nies in the western hemisphere seemed to be 
 connected to the mother country less by the ties 
 of allegiance, which are often feeble and pre- 
 carious, than by a reciprocity of interests and 
 good offices, producing protection and kindness 
 on one side, followed by love, veneration, and 
 voluntary obedience, on the other. 
 
 The youthful monarch, wlio now succeeded 
 to the crown, commenced his reign under the 
 most propitious auspices, by providing for the 
 tafuic independenceof the judges, and endeavour- 
 ing to gratify all the partialities of a loyal and 
 aflectionate people. In his first speech from 
 the throne, he gloried in being *' born a Briton," 
 and asserted, at the same time, " that the civil 
 and leligious rights of his loving subjects, were 
 equally dear with the most valuable prerogatives 
 of Ilia crown." 
 
 The country, indeed, was still at war; but 
 tliat war was just, popular, and successful. 
 'I'he finances were regulated with a considerable 
 degree of prudence; and the resources of the 
 state, instead of being exhausted, seemed nml- 
 tiplicd by dlilinion. Fleets were manned, 
 e(jni[)pfd, and sent out, wiih an exj)c(lition never 
 before wiliiessed; and Kngland, us heretofore.
 
 46 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE tOOKE. 1765. 
 
 did not alone bleed in the contest ; for, notwith- 
 standing the joint operation of civil and reli- 
 gions antipatliies, Ireland poured forth her gal- 
 lant sons, and the brave and hardy peasantry 
 of the north, for the first time, were called into 
 action in the common cause. 
 
 All this was effected by the talents, the vigour, 
 and the virtues of one man, whose portrait re- 
 quires the pencil of a master: I shall, therefore, 
 merely attempt to sketch the outline, and that, 
 too, w ith a feeble and a trembling hand. 
 
 The first William Pitt, a great and accom- 
 plished statesman, at the period alluded to, still 
 remained at the head of the administration * ; and 
 
 * This was termed ihe Pitt and Newcastle ministry, the 
 former conducting the aflairs of the stale, while to the latter 
 was entrusted the management of the house of commons. The 
 following was the arrangement in 17(30, at the accession of 
 George III. 
 
 1. Duke of Newcastle, first lord of the treasury. 
 
 2. Mr. Leggc, chancellor of the exchequer. 
 
 3. Lord Henley, chancellor, 
 
 4. Duke of Bedford, lord-Heutenant of Ireland. 
 
 5. Earl of Holderness, secretary of state for the foreigK 
 department. 
 
 6. Mr. Pitt, secretary of state for the home department. 
 
 7. Earl Granville, president of the council. 
 
 8. Earl Temple, lord privy seal. 
 
 9. Lord Anson, first commissioner of the admiraliy. 
 10. Lord Ligonier, commander-in-chief. 
 
 H. Viscoutit Bariington, secretary at war.
 
 I7C5. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 47 
 
 conducted the affairs of that nation, which ho. 
 had raised from a state of abasement, to an un- 
 exampled j)itch of glory. Victorious in both 
 hemispheres, and on cither clement; while he 
 enlarged the acquisition;* of Britain bv land, the 
 flag of the United Kingdom'> tiinm])hed on every 
 sea; commerce and n»anufactnres flourished, as 
 in times of j)rofound peace; and tlie miseries of 
 Mar were for the flrst time unknown. Detestiuii 
 corruption, he left the management of parties 
 to others, and, trusting to his own master- 
 genius alone for success, bokly ])ointed the 
 British thunder at the heads of the enemies of 
 his country; and taught France to acknowledge 
 the suj)eriority of a small but free nation over 
 a great and despotic empire. It might be 
 likened to the contest of (ireece, in her best 
 days, against Persia; it was Thcmistocles, with a 
 handful of Athenians, ovcrcomini; the fleets and 
 the armies of the Great King! 
 
 Without ])atrimonv, without fanjily con- 
 nexion<i, without titles, this wonderful man, 
 after being de])rlved of his commission as a 
 
 12. Mr. (leorge Grcnville, lieiisurer of the uavv. 
 
 IJ. Sir Cliarle-j Prait, afierwiirJ lord Catitdtn> attorney 
 general. 
 
 'I'liis proved not only iHe most sncces-^fiil, bill also the nvost 
 [)'>j)ular Hiifiistry, tver witnessed in fircal Uiiuiu.
 
 48 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1765. 
 
 cornet in the Blues, by the jealousy of Walpole, 
 suddenly attained the first offices in a free state, by 
 the power of eloquence alone*. Nature ap- 
 pears to have been prodigal of her favours at his 
 birth. He possessed a prominent figure, and 
 the features of his face were admirably ex- 
 pressive of the ardor of his mind. His nose is 
 said to have resembled the beak of an eagle; 
 his look was fascination; his eye, suddenly 
 transfixing with its lightning, seemed to destroy 
 the victim before his lips had pronounced its final 
 doom. 
 
 His dress, if we are to credit tradition, was in 
 exact unison with his person ; and the tie wig 
 and rolled stockings, still to be seen on the can- 
 vas, were no less picturesque than appropriate. 
 Add to all this a certain theatrical attitude and 
 manner; gesticulations scrupulously adapted to 
 the subject; a tongue, that could by turns drop 
 honey or distil venom; words at once expressive, 
 glowing, ardent; a voice, the varying cones of 
 which seemed equally calculated to communicate 
 delight by their music, or apjial, terrify, and 
 overawe, with their mimic tlmnders. Such a 
 man could not be deemed a servile copy even 
 from the ancients; like them, he was an original. 
 
 * Oninis vi$ virtusque in linguu sita est. — Ad. C. CcBs. de 
 Repiib. Ordinand.
 
 17<)5. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNK TOOKE. 49 
 
 But, if Ijis oratory formed the lever by which 
 he moved the house ot commons, the British 
 empire, and all Enro])e, let it he recollected, 
 that he superadded the far rarer gift of a talent 
 and ca})acity for command. Tiiis enabled him to 
 conduct the affairs of his native country with 
 an unexampled degree of vigour and ability: 
 for, while eloquence issued from his lips, wisdom 
 and success seemed to preside at his counsels. 
 He Avas the first man who discovered the 
 strength, and knew how to wield the combined 
 energies of this nation. Equally great in the 
 senate and the cabinet, Pitt stands unrivalled 
 among our British statesmen, and even Cecil 
 himself might have turned pale at his name. 
 
 Yet, unhajjpily, this great minister did not 
 long possess the confidence of the young mo- 
 narch; and as he could not be answerable for 
 the effect of those measures which were not ex- 
 pressly dictated by himself, he suddenly with- 
 drew. This sinistrous event seemed for a 
 while to ])alsy the whole body- politic. The 
 parliament, hitherto unanimous in his support, 
 was suddenly split into factions; but the pcoj)le, 
 more constant, as well as more pure* in their 
 attachment, with one voice declared in behalf of 
 their chanijiion. 
 
 Meanwbilc, it was decreed that {i favourite —   
 VOL. J. i:
 
 50 LIFE Of JOHN HORNE TOOKE. IjGo. 
 
 a term always peculiarly odious and ungrateful 
 in a free country — should succeed him, on 
 whom had been conferred the flattering appel- 
 lations of the " Great Commoner" and the 
 " Heaven-born Minister." 
 
 This favourite was John earl of Bute, a 
 nobleman, to whom sufficient justice has not 
 been done, amidst the bitterness and malevo- 
 lence of party rage. Illustrious in respect to 
 family, being lineally descended from sir John 
 Stuart, son of Robert II, king of Scotland, he 
 was lofty in his manners, and at no period of 
 his life either affected or acquired popularity. 
 But he was a generous patron of the arts and 
 sciences, and proved one of the first and most 
 liberal protectors of botany and engraving in 
 this country. His person was handsome, and 
 to this circumstance, rather than to any extra- 
 ordinary degree of talents, he is supposed to 
 have been indebted for his power and riches. 
 While still young, he married the daughter of 
 the celebrated lady Mary Wortley Montague, 
 with whom he obtained an immense fortune; 
 and having occupied for some years an honour- 
 aide situation in the household of the prince of 
 Wales, father to his present majesty, at length 
 became the governor of the reigning monarch ; 
 whose confidence he acquired early in life, and
 
 \J6d. life of JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 51 
 
 retained tor niaiiv years. Within two davs 
 after the accoNsion of ihe yonna; king", he was 
 accord int^lv sworn a member of tlie privy council, 
 and obtained the rangership of Kiclmioiid Park, 
 while his influence in tiie cabinet soon became 
 ])aramount. 
 
 Such a sudden ekn'ation exposed this noblcrnan 
 to jealousy and suspicion. Unendowed with the 
 elo(|uence of the senate, un})rotectcd bv c:reat 
 ianiily connexions, and upheld I)y the partiality 
 of the prince alone, he soon became hateful to the 
 people. The victories obtained under his ad- 
 ministration were either deprecated as of no 
 avail, or attributed to the antecedent plans of 
 his more fortunate rival: and when he wished 
 to ])Ut an end to the horrors of wai-, even the 
 olive-branch itself ceased to he a boon, when it 
 was to be received at his hands. Xotwithstand- 
 in<; this, the peace of Paris must now be ac- 
 knowledtred to have been alike politic and li- 
 beral, althouah it was then oiiions in the extreme. 
 Kvi'ii the s'ndden and voluntary retreat of its 
 aullior horn j)()\\er coulil not secure impunity; 
 for a torrent of in\ective still contiimed to be 
 poiuvd out anain^t him, while his vnccessovs 
 were denor.;inateti his creatures, and his iVieuds 
 con<;ideied us the encnnes of the tuition. 
 
 But worse con'«e(juences ensued. 'J'he rival- 
 
 i; 2
 
 32 LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 176*5- 
 
 ship of these two statesmen, which was coin* 
 pared to the contest between Narses and Beli- 
 s u'ias, seemed not only to menace tlie prosperity 
 of the empire, but actually engendered a contest 
 between the court and the people. In the 
 course of this dispute, a young and beloved 
 monarch beheld himself for a while bereaved of 
 popular favour; and that enthusiasm, with 
 Avhich he was wont to be received, was suddenly 
 transferred to a patriot in disgrace. 
 
 The succeeding administration, too, instead of 
 soothing the public mind, inflamed it almost to 
 madness by the most impolitic measures. A 
 gentleman, who commenced his career as a par- 
 tisan of the ex-minister, was treated with a de- 
 gree of rancour unsanctioned by sound policy, 
 and prosecuted with a rigour unjustified by the 
 hnvs. Arrested and sent to the Tower by ap 
 illegal process, the sympathy of the nation was 
 aroused in his behalf, and he was soon after 
 liberated, in consequence of a solemn decision 
 of a court of law, amidst the acclamations of 
 the people. As the rights of all were supposed to 
 have been violated, so the franchises of the whole 
 body ofthenation were soon after said tobe grossly 
 infringed in his person ; and the unceasing enmity 
 of the ministers of that day never abated for a 
 single moment, until, by a long series of perse-
 
 1/65. LIFE OK JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 5li 
 
 ciition, Mr. Wilkes becaiTie the most popnhir 
 man in the kingdom. 
 
 'J his conduct, -which savoured of imbecility 
 and iniu'>tice, was ascribed by some to treaclicrv 
 and treason. I'hc most sinistrous intentions 
 were attributed to those in power; and supj)0- 
 sitions were entertained bv many, ol" a settled 
 design to enslave the people. Even the prince 
 himself, who, by a wise policy, is sheltered from 
 all pcv^onal responsibility, did not escape ani- 
 madversion, and was no longer sainted by those 
 loyal irratulations with which he had hccu re- 
 cently hailed. 
 
 Such was the situation of pul)lic affair?, and 
 so feverish and irritable the minds of the nation, 
 when the subject of these memoirs first appeared 
 on tlie scene. It has become the pi^udent ])rac- 
 tice of domestic life, during tiiese latter times, 
 to contemplate the dis])utes of o])posing ])ai ties, 
 merely v.lth a view to individual interest; and 
 either remain inditi'erent spectators, or to declare 
 for t])e victors, wlio are alone able to reward 
 their adherents. But it apjjears to have been 
 otherwise, half a century ago; and Mr. Home, 
 whose minil was formed on the ancient models, 
 alike despised a neutrality, which he deemed (ri- 
 niinal, and an accpiiescence, which would have 
 been consider* d hv him as decjradim:-. Accord-
 
 54 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/So. 
 
 ingly, rJthoiigh the star of tlie Iiouse of Bute 
 v/as now in the ascendant^ yet being considered 
 by him as a malignarit planet, that portended 
 r.o 2:ood to his native country, ^vith all th.e 
 generous impetuosity of youth, he instantly de- 
 cided against his own immediate interests. 
 Warmly attached to the constitution, both from 
 education and reflection, he burned with im- 
 patience to support its tottering fabric. Bold, 
 ardent, enthusiastic, he suspected that a regular 
 jdotwas actually formed for its destruction, and 
 already anticipated the tin)e, when, like Den- 
 mark about a century before*, and Sweden at 
 a subsequent period-l", the libei'ties of Great 
 Britain were to be laid prostrate at the fe<?t of 
 a young, artful, and ambitious monarch ! 
 
 This suspicion, however strange and unac- 
 countable it may appear to some, he cherished 
 until the day of his death, and this ought to be 
 considered as one of the secret, but ])owerful 
 springs, by which all the actions of his future 
 life were actuated. Let it be recollected, how- 
 ever, that he had been brought up in the prin- 
 ciples so warmly advocated by the whigs, at 
 the time of the Revolution, and which still 
 continued to operate towards the middle of the 
 
 * In 1601, tUiring the reign of FiT'leric III. 
 t August \9, 1772, by Guslavus III.
 
 I'J'Gd. life of JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 55 
 
 last century. Those ideas, too, were fortified by 
 an acquaintance with tlie history ot the ancient 
 commonwealths, and seconded by an ardent 
 temperament, Avhich pointed out the present as 
 a favourable opportunity to acquire renown and 
 distinction. 
 
 It oui^ht also to be added, that he i2:loried in 
 the name of E/iglis/unaii, and justly considered 
 the constitution of his native country as sur- 
 passing:, in point of real efficacy and practical 
 excellence, not only all contemporary, but all 
 antecedent governments, whether republican or 
 monarchical. His judi^ment, lately refreshed, 
 as well as invigorated by foreign travel, had 
 enalded him to make a comj)arative estimate 
 between what he had seen at home and abroad; 
 and it was with jjride he beheld the balance in 
 favour of human happiness, to be on the side of 
 the land which had given liim birth. 
 
 It will, therefore, appear less surprising, j)er- 
 haps, that a man, who considered every infringe- 
 ment of the British constitution as a sacrilege, 
 should, on such an occasion, l)e ready to dash the 
 untastcdcupof j)refermcnt from his lips, and begin 
 his career, by offering uj) the greatest of all sacri- 
 fices, at the altar of public frecdojn. From this 
 moment, therefore, he devoted himself to what 
 he considered the public cause j and, laving aside
 
 56 LIFE GF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1^65, 
 
 all thoughts of ecclesiastical preferment, he 
 seemed to have determined early in life, either 
 to vindicate the liherties of his country, or suffer 
 as a martyr in their defence. 
 
 Meanwhile, the name of Mr. Pitt operated 
 like magic on the great hody of the people. 
 The whigfT of that day always heheld France 
 with an invidious eye, and rejoiced at her humi- 
 liation and disgrace. Considering the example 
 of successful tyranny as contagious, they vowed 
 eternal enmity and everlasting hatred against a 
 king, who kept more than twenty-five millions of 
 his suhjects in slavery; and they would willingly 
 have waged perpetual war witli a nation, hase 
 and abject enough to hug their chains, and 
 sacrifice themselves at the bidding of an unfeel- 
 ing despot. ^ 
 
 While such sentiments as these prevailed 
 generally throughout the kingdom, it is not at all 
 surprising, that the man, who had so nobly 
 avenged the cause of his country, should he an 
 object of general love and esteem. His patriot- 
 ism, his downfall, his disinterestedness, his 
 poverty, all endeared him to his compatriots; 
 while the names of his rivals and his opponents- 
 were doomed to execration. 
 
 Mr. Home partook of the general enthusiasm, 
 and made a common cause with the people, both
 
 \'j6b. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 5^ 
 
 in respect to tlieir love and their aversion. It 
 was in vain that liis hrother-in-law* renion- 
 i'trated ai^ainst his imprudent conduct, and thai 
 all his fVicnds Avhispcred in liis ear, that he was 
 about to put an eternal bar to his future prefer- 
 ment. The image of Mr. Pitt seemed to have 
 haunted his dreams ; the wrongs of Mr. Wilkes, 
 to have broken his slumbers; the fame acquired 
 by both, to have either awakened, or at least 
 given a new direction to, his youtliful aml)ition. 
 In short, he resembled Themistocles, when he de- 
 clared, " tliat the trophies of Miltiades would 
 not allow him to sleep." 
 
 Listening to nothing but the voice of pa- 
 triotism, he now took the field against corrup- 
 tion, and boldly assailed all those whom he con- 
 sidered as enemies to his country. Of his first 
 literary efforts, it is difficult, at this period, to 
 give any account. A song, to celebrate the 
 liberation of Wilkes from the Tower, has 
 been preserved in the memory of a surviving 
 friend; but it appears evident, from a variety 
 of circumstances, that his labours were chielly 
 directed against the favourite. Squibs, puns, pa- 
 ragra])hs, letters, and essays, were all employed 
 in their turn, on this occasion, liy degrees, he 
 
 * Dr. I)cm;iiiil)ray.
 
 58 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l^Sb. 
 
 extended his plan, and on finding that the chief 
 justice of the King's Bench* had pronounced 
 some severe and unpopular sentences against 
 those who espoused the same cause with him- 
 self, he attacked him with an unexampled degree 
 of severity: in respect to this nohleman, indeed, 
 lie appears, like Hannihal with the Romans, to 
 have sworn an eternal enmity. The cahinet, 
 too, was hy turns assailed, with all the united 
 eflbrts of sarcasm, ridicule, and argument ; and 
 his own, in conjunction with a thousand pens 
 hrandished on this occasion, in one common 
 cause, soon rendered that one of the most un- 
 popular administrations, which England had 
 witnessed for a century. 
 
 But his chief effort, consisted of an anonymous 
 pam})hlet, which a])pears to have been so replete 
 with zeal, that, for a long while, no one could 
 be found, who was daring enough to usher it 
 into the world. At length, how^ever, a bold 
 puhUsher Avas discovered, and the work in ques- 
 tion printed, and prepared for circulation, on 
 the express condition, that the author's name 
 should remain a secret, until a prosecution was 
 threatened. 
 
 This publication, which has now become ex- 
 
 • Lord Mansfield.
 
 I'J'Gb. LIFE OF JOHN !IORNE TOOKE. f).0 
 
 tremelv scarce, was chicflv directed aijaiu^t the 
 earls of Bute and Manstield; and is entitled: 
 
 " The Petition of an Englishman ; with which 
 are given a Copper-plate of the Croix de St. 
 Pillorv, and a tnic and accurate Plan of some 
 Part of Kew (iardens*." The foUowiriir motto 
 is pretlvcd: "Honour is worth ambition in a 
 Pillory;" and Dryden's apology for this species 
 of composition is quoted by way of j)reface: 
 " There are two reasons," observes that great 
 poet, *' for which we may be permitted to write 
 lampoons. The first is, when we have been 
 iinforiousli/ abused, and can make ourselves no 
 other reparation. 
 
 '* The second reason which may instlfy an 
 author, when he writes against a particular 
 person, is, when that person is become a public 
 nuisance. 'Tis an action of virtue to make ex- 
 anij)lcs of bad men. i hey may, and ought to 
 be ujthraided with their crimes and follies, both 
 for their own amendment, if they are not incor- 
 rigible, and for the terror of others, to hinder 
 them fiom falling into those enormities, which 
 they see are severely jmnished in the persons of 
 others. 'I'he first rea«;on is only an excuse for 
 revenge; hut this second is absolutely of an 
 author's office to j>erform." 
 
 * I'riuted for E. Suiripttr, l7'i.->, 25 pagrs 4to.
 
 €0 LIFE OF JOHN HOUNE TOOKE. 1/65, 
 
 In the tract itself, wliich is addressed " to 
 the right honourable, truly noble, and truly 
 Scottish lords, Mortimer and Jefreries," there 
 are many offensive passages.' These exhibit a 
 complete specimen of that personal and national 
 satire, so common during the early period of 
 the present reign ; and which, in consequence 
 of the lapse of half a century, and the change 
 that has taken place in our manners, would now 
 be considered as highly indecorous. It may be 
 permitted, however, to observe, that the two 
 noblemen mentioned above, are told that they 
 have created a new institution in this kingdom, 
 
 called " the order of merit or of the pillory. 
 
 The boon I beg of you," continues the author, 
 " is to be admitted a knight companion of this 
 honourable order; and. that you would, in con- 
 sequence of this my request, speedily issue forth 
 a PARTICULAR WARRANT, for me to be invested 
 with this noble Croix de St. Pillory. Some 
 such institution as the above-mentioned has 
 long been wanting in this kingdom. Give me 
 leave to assure your lordships, it is with no 
 small mortification, that my countrymen appear 
 in foreign courts and nations, where they find 
 themselves surrounded by many acknowledged 
 rnen of merit — the chevaliers of different orders 
 —themselves undignified with any title, but that
 
 1^65. LIFE OF JOHN HOR>E TOOKE. Gl 
 
 of Englishman: their noble bosoins decorated 
 witli MO jewel, but — precious libeitv! 
 
 " And siuce, by you, the English name, is 
 now melted down to Bkiton*; and Liberty, 
 wrested from our hands, is, with great j)roprietv, 
 trusted to the keeping of Scotch justices and 
 court l)oroughs: — leave us n«jt naked of everv 
 lionourable distinction. Give us this badiie in 
 lieu of what vou have taken from us: that we 
 inay afford a striking proof to sonje future Mon- 
 tesquieu, how tiiie it is, that the spirit of 
 libei-ty may survive the constitution; and that, 
 though it is possible for an infamous, royal 
 
 FAVOURITE, by corruption of and with the 
 
 assistance of an iniquitous prerogative judge, to 
 harass and drive insulted Liberty from our arms, 
 yet still she finds a refuge, from which she can 
 never be expelled — a freeman's breast." 
 
 From this new order, the author digresses to 
 a poj)ular subject, and exclaims: '^No! Wilkes, 
 thou art not alone — we are ail ouT-lawed. 
 
 ■* This allude* lo the king's fiisl speech from the throne. 
 in which his majesty glories in bein^ born a " Briton/' ]\lr. 
 Wilkes, and most, if not all the writers of that day, who at- 
 tacked the court party, maJe this very appropriate epithet a sub- 
 ject of censure. But in the first place, it was correct in point 
 of Jact; and, in the second, prudent in point of pnlicy ; for 
 the battle of Cullodi-n had been fought but fourteen years 
 belure, a pretender to the throne still existed, and the Seotcli 
 had not then reaped those advantages from the union, which 
 they have since happily experienced.
 
 62 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/05. 
 
 Sentence is passed ou all. The only difference 
 is, that they have Jhnnalli/ driven thee from the 
 protection of the laws, and they have virtualh/ 
 taken the protection of the laws from ns." The 
 reader is at the same time informed, that as no 
 one can dwell in safety, free from the violence 
 of secretaries, warrants, &c., he craves from 
 their lordships the fivoiir of the pillory, as a 
 matter of honour for the author; while, by way 
 of obliging the publisher, it is recommended, at 
 the same time, to order this petition to be burnt 
 by the hands of the common executioner : " for 
 the formal burning of a woik at Tyburn will 
 shortly become the only received imprimatur; 
 and, in order to stamp and establish the merit of 
 any ])iece, and to make it acceptable to the 
 public, it will soon be as necessary that it pass 
 through the hands of the hangman, as it was 
 formerly that it should pass through those of a 
 licenser. 
 
 *' The affair of imprisonment," it is added, 
 " he leaves entirely to your wisdom and discre- 
 tion : thouii'li indeed he rather considers that as 
 a thing of course. For your lordships, no doubt, 
 have somewhere read, that tiuth (if it is a virtue) 
 is a virtue like the plague — (having too often 
 the same quality of making us generally shuimed 
 and avoided.) 
 
 " Wisely, therefore, do your lordships, to pre-
 
 I'i'Gb. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 63 
 
 vent spreading the liifectioii, send it to perform 
 (|u;iraiitine in the Kini^'s Bench. ]Mltilation, 
 too, he has forhorne to mention, tlionp:h entirely 
 «>t' vonr sentiments — that from tlie natural hodv, 
 as well as from the hody ])olitie, should he lo])ped, 
 without niercv, the niemhers that offend. 
 
 " Scjuccze out, therefore, the eyes that pre- 
 sume to ])rv into your mvsteries and intri^-ucs 
 
 of STATE or LUST. 
 
 " Slit the nose that dares ' to smell a 
 
 RAT. 
 
 *' ^^ rlnc off the ears and root out the tonsrue?, 
 that listen to, or wiiisper the words — liberty' 
 and LAWS. 
 
 And for the sake of ronirruitv, for vonr 
 own satisfaction and certainty of a punctual per- 
 formance — he yourselves the executioners of the 
 sentences you pass. — And let Fulvia, with her 
 hodkin, pierce throui:l» aii-ain the tongue of 
 Cicero. 
 
 " liut you may go farther than this scheme 
 of jjartial jtwni^hment. — Nav, you must. For 
 chopping off the hands of authors would he 
 d(Mng worse than nothing. They spring uj) like 
 Hydra's heads. And it Is to he appreliended. 
 lest tiie remaining ^tump (»f some poor, rnanghd 
 carcase, instead of ink, -hould write his j)uj~ 
 poses in KLOoi).
 
 64 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^5. 
 
 (C 
 
 Hang up at once^ then, all who can read or 
 write. 
 
 " You haA'c a precedent in Cade*. And for 
 the justification of any infamous and dirty busi- 
 ness, it is at present sufficient that there is a 
 precedent." 
 
 After this, the author returns to his favourite 
 subject, the violation of public justice, in the 
 person of a popular commoner: 
 
 " Your lordship's firm and persevering con- 
 duct has effected what our laws never could. 
 And an Englishman is under a necessity of being 
 either absolutely free from faults and indiscre- 
 tions— ?r^ic/i is difficult — or your friend — ivhich 
 is impossible. For \V« have seen, by Mr. Wilkes's 
 treatment, that no man who is not, and who 
 has not always been, absolutely perfect him- 
 self, nmst dare to arraign the measures of a 
 minister. 
 
 *^ It is not sufficient that he pay an inviolable 
 regard to the laws; that he be a man of the 
 strictest and most unimpeached honour; that he 
 
 * (Enter a Clerk.) 
 
 iVeaver. The clerk of Cliatham. lie can white and read* 
 and cast accoinpts. 
 
 Jack Cade. O, Monstrous! 
 
 IVeuver. We took him setting copies. 
 
 Cade. Here's a \-illaiu!
 
 1765. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 65 
 
 be endowed with superior abilities and qualifi- 
 cations; that he be blessed with a benevolent, 
 generous, noble, free soul; that he be inflexible, 
 incorrn])tiblc, and brave; that he prefer infinitely 
 the public welfare to his own interest, peace, 
 and safety.; that his life be ever in his hand, 
 ready to be paid dow^n cheerfully for the liberty 
 of his country; and that he be dauntless and 
 unwearied in her service — all this avails him 
 nothinir. 
 
 " If it can be proved (though by the base 
 means of treachery and theft) that in some un- 
 guarded, wanton hour, he has uttered an in- 
 decent word, or j)enned a loose expression — 
 away with such a fellow from the earth — it is 
 not fit that he should live." 
 
 The following passages are too singular to 
 be omitted, as they seem to savour of prophecy, 
 exhibit the same indications of spirit with which 
 the author was animated; and at the same time 
 j)rove that he was ready to devote himself, to 
 what he doubtless considered the cause of the 
 nation : 
 
 " Even I, niv countrymen, who now address 
 myself to you — I, wlio am at present blessed 
 with j)cace, witli happiness, and independence, 
 a fair character, and an easy fortune, am at this 
 moment forfeiting them all. 
 
 vol.. I. y
 
 66 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^5. 
 
 " Soon must I be beggared, vilifiedj impri- 
 soned. The hounds of power will be unken- 
 neled and laid upon the scent. They will track 
 out diligently my footsteps, from my very cradle. 
 And if I should be found once to have set my 
 foot aviTy — it is enough. — Instant they open 
 on me. — My private faults shall justify tbeir 
 public infamy, and the follies of my youth be 
 pleaded in defence of their riper villainy. 
 
 " Spirit of Hampden, Russel, Sidney! ani- 
 mate my countrymen! I invoke not your assist- 
 ance for myself; for I was born indeed a free- 
 man. 
 
 *' My heart in its first pantings beat to liberty. 
 She is twisted with my heart-strings, and can- 
 not be torn from thence. They have formed 
 together a gordian knot, which cannot be nn- 
 twisted by the subtle fingers of corruption, nor 
 loosened by the touch of fear. Nothing can 
 separate us. No! not the cruel and bloody 
 sword of tyranny. Her union with me is lovely 
 and honourable through life; and even in death 
 I will not be divided from hev." 
 
 Mr. Home was very fortunate to escape from 
 that prosecution, which he seemed so anxious 
 to court. For this impunity, he was perhaps 
 indebted to his seeming indiscretion, as he had 
 made some gross allusions to the honour of a
 
 17^5. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. G/ 
 
 irreat ladv, wliich iiiiiz'ht have rendered a trial 
 in a court of justice both iiijndicions and inde- 
 licate; while it would have added not a little to 
 the ])ublic odium against this personage, relative 
 to whom, too many prejudices unhappily sul>- 
 sisted at that moment. 
 
 But it is not a little creditable to the subject 
 of these memoirs, that, whatever his political 
 opinions might be, and however far his zeal 
 might have carried him beyond the customary 
 bounds of discretion, his character and integrity 
 were alike unimpeachable. That he was re- 
 spected not only by his own parishioners, but 
 tilso by tlie families of the neighbouring gentry, 
 there cannot be a better proof, than the fact, 
 that he was repeatedly selected to superintend 
 the morals, and regulate the conduct of young 
 men of fortune. 
 
 Of this, a new Instance occured in 1765, when 
 he was aj)])lied to by Mr. Taylor, a gentleman 
 residing within a few miles of Brentford, to ac- 
 company his son, during an excursion to Italy. 
 Having been always fond of travelling, and par- 
 ticularly delighted with the prospect that now 
 occurred, of tieading on classic ground, he 
 readily accepted the ofi'cr; and towards the 
 autumn of the same year, set forward with his 
 usual zeal and alacrity. 
 
 F a
 
 68 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/'S^. 
 
 Perhaps it may be here necessary to observe, 
 that, at Dover, Mr. Home constantly changed 
 his clerical dress; and, on crossing that narrow 
 strait, which, by separating us, from " that pale, 
 that white-faced shore*" of France, has happily 
 ensured our independence, assumed the habit, 
 appearance, and manners of a private gentle- 
 man. Nor ought it to be omitted, that, on both 
 this and tlie former occasion, the young gen- 
 tleman entrusted to his care, never once dreamed, 
 that he was under his inspection; but deemed 
 himself highly honoured, as well as obliged, by 
 the permission to accompany him in the capacity 
 of a friend, during this journey. 
 
 Soon afterhis arrival at Calais, our traveller saw 
 and conversed with the father of the present Mr, 
 Sheridan, then employed on ascheme of perfecting 
 and extending^ the English language. He also 
 became acquainted with his lady, who chiefly 
 addicted herself to the lighter pursuits of litera- 
 ture; and in addition to two comedies, had pro- 
 duced a couple of novels, entitled " Sydney 
 Biddulph," and '' Nourjahad," in which a strict 
 adherence to morals was happily united with a 
 fine and creative ima.frination. 
 -;,Gn his arrival in the capital, he visited several 
 of his countrymen, and, by means of a letter of 
 
 "" King John, act ii, «cene; I.
 
 1760. LIFE OF JOHN HORSE TOOKE. 6^ 
 
 introduction from Mr. Hiiinplirey Cotes, a cele- 
 brated politician and wine merchant of the city 
 of Westminster, who had recently become a 
 bankrupt by steadily sup])orting the cause of 
 patriotism, he enjoyed an -opportunity of being 
 introduced to Mr. Wilkes, who was then in exile. 
 Accordingly, he immediately waited on that gen- 
 tleman, who received him with distinguished 
 politeness. He was already known to the " pa- 
 triot" by reputation, and the handsome manner 
 ill which he had mentioned this popular cha- 
 racter, while labouring undef the penalties of 
 prosrrij)tion, could not fail to excite his giati- 
 tude and esteem. 
 
 I'll at celebrated commoner, who, with a cor- 
 rect and elegant taste, united all the vices of a 
 tine geTitleman, and all the discernment of a 
 man of the world, soon discovered that his new 
 acquaintance was no ordinary man. He in- 
 stantly perceived, that he was not only a scholar, 
 but a person of conspicuous talents. One so 
 richly gifted, and so replete Mith zeal and 
 disinterestedness, was likely to prove serviceable 
 both to Ills present and future views; he there- 
 ibrc solicited his friendship, and, after nuicli 
 entreaty, exacted a j)romisc of corresj)ondence. 
 Ibis was acceded to in an evil hour, by our 
 f-rav/idler, as will be seen hereafter; while the
 
 70 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE- 17^5- 
 
 gay colonel of the Buckingham militia, plung- 
 ing into the dissipation of a luxurious metropolis, 
 soon forgot to cultivate that acquaintance, which 
 he had heen so desirous to form and to improve. 
 Mr. Home, after a short residence there, pro- 
 ceeded to Geneva, in the vicinity of which he 
 visited Voltaire; and in the south of France 
 associated with the author of the " Sentimental 
 Journey." He then crossed the Alps, and at 
 Genoa remained for some time in tlie same house 
 with Mr. Rosenhagen, a man v^liose abilities 
 w^ere once considered of so high an order, as to 
 entitle him to the suspicion of being " Junius.'* 
 After this, he viewed all the great cities of Italy, 
 and spent the festive season of the Carnival at 
 Venice. 
 
 It is singularly unfortunate, that but few 
 traces of this journey, and none of the former 
 now remain. Had Mr. Home committed his ob- 
 servations to paper, there can be but little doubt, 
 that he would have produced an instructive 
 work, replete with information and research. 
 Since the time of Addison, we have had but few 
 learned travellers, and, with only one or two soli- 
 tary exceptions^ no political ones. Amidst this 
 penury of information, it is perhaps more 
 curious than useful, to speculate on what would 
 have been the opinions and the remarks of a
 
 IJ'GS. LIFE OF JOHN HOHNE TOOKE. 7I 
 
 man, who united all the fervor of etithujiliism 
 with ci talent for discernment; and to a hearl 
 burning with the love for liberty, joined acool and 
 calculating head. In France, he had an oppor- 
 tunity of contemplating a people humbled bv a 
 foreign foe, and subdued by the ministers of a 
 feeble domestic despot*^, who, reclining in the 
 arms of indolence, luxury, and volnj)tuousness, 
 was wholly inattentive to his own glory, the 
 happiness of his subjects, or the fate reserved 
 for his unfortunate successor. In the parlia- 
 ments, however, he must have beheld a faint, 
 but yet a seductive image of the ancient states- 
 general, which had been occasionally convoked 
 during a period of three hundred and fifteen 
 vears, and included the representatives of the 
 commons, ever since the reign of Philip le Bely 
 at which period a middle class of men had arisen, 
 between a powerful body of nobles, and an op- 
 pressed peasantry. To a mind so instructed, it 
 would have been easy to have pointed out the 
 original causes that led, first to the disuse, and 
 next to the annihilation of this great assembly, 
 which, like our own parliaments, contained a 
 haj)})y mixture of the dignitaries of the church, 
 the great proj)rietors of land, and the dcjmties 
 of the cities and towns. 
 
 * Louis XV.
 
 72 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKK. 1765. 
 
 This signal triumph over popular liberty was 
 achieved by the princes of the Valois branch; 
 yet it could not have proved lasting, but for the 
 regular army, first introduced during the reign 
 of Charles VII, and rendered necessarily per- 
 manent^ in consequence of the invasion and 
 successes of the English. The tyranny of Rich- 
 lieu completed what a succession of kings had 
 nothitherto been able wholly to effect; and at the 
 period when our traveller visited that country, 
 political liberty had long ceased to exist, while 
 personal freedom was of course illusory and 
 insecure. 
 
 Attached, from a thorough conviction of its 
 excellence, to the municipal institutions of Eng- 
 land, he would have eaniestly deprecated a form 
 of government, which rendered the monarch un- 
 safe, and the people wretched; like Hume, Du 
 Clos, and Chesterfield, he might have foretold 
 that a national struggle would some day take 
 place; while, from the manner in which the 
 writings of Montesquieu, Mably, Raynal, Rous- 
 seau, and Voltaire were received, he could have 
 easily predicted that this epoch was actually at 
 hand. But,alas! nothingshort of inspiration could 
 have enabled him to prognosticate that a sudden 
 and portentous revolution was to he speedily 
 followed by a military tyranny, and a govern-
 
 1^65. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. '^3 
 
 merit exhibiting all the most odious features ot" 
 oriental despotism established in the midst of 
 Euro])e, at the commencement of the nineteenth 
 
 century. 
 
 In Italy, he beheld a country which had 
 given laws to the world in ancient times, and, 
 by a strange concurrence of events, proved 
 alike the cradle of science and superstition 
 during the middle ages. Amidst scenes ren- 
 dered fiimous, and in some measure sacred, by 
 the poets, historians, warriors, legislators, and 
 patriots of ages past, he might have either calmly 
 contemplated the classic page of antiquity, or 
 have solved the modern paradox, res])ecting the 
 sudden declension of its cities, and the corre- 
 s])ondent degeneracy of its inhabitants. He 
 could easily have told us, by what magic the 
 external greatness of Lucca, of Pisa, and of 
 Florence was produced. In Genoa, where he 
 resided luany months, he must have contem- 
 plated, with a philosophic eye, the remains of a 
 state, or rather of a single town, which had en- 
 grossed the lucrative trade of the Black Sea; 
 awed the Mediterranean with its armed gallies; 
 with its caravals, rendered tlie north of Va\- 
 rope tributary to its commerce ; by means of 
 a podcsta^ governed Pera, the key to tiie im- 
 perial city of Constantine; and set the whole 
 power of the Byzantine cni])irc at defiance.
 
 74 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I765. 
 
 A mind so gifted, could have accurately traced 
 the history of Venice^ from its hum])le origin in 
 the island of Rialto, until the time, when, like 
 Britain, it claimed the sea for its patrimony; first 
 shared, and then engrossed the commerce of Egypt 
 and of the East, and, finally, wafting the heroes 
 of the cnisade to the shores of Syria, besieged 
 ConBtantinople, and divided the remains of the 
 Greek empire with the Turks. Instead of agree- 
 ing with an elegant, but too pliant historian*, 
 " that the twelfth century produced the first 
 rudiments of the wise and jealous aristocracy, 
 which has reduced the doge to a pageant, and 
 the people to a cypher;" his ardent and inqui- 
 sitive spirit, would have at once revolted at, and 
 detected a sophism, contradicted by the testi- 
 mony of history; for he well knew, it was not 
 until the great council, or popular assembly, had 
 been shut up, and the legitimate prerogatives 
 of the first magistrate violated, by a jealous oli- 
 garchy, consisting of a few patrician families, 
 that this powerful commupity began to decline; 
 At length, bereaved of its wealth, its commerce» 
 its power, its libertj-, and tottering to its des- 
 truction for want of a due balance, after ex- 
 periencing several centuries of happiness, and 
 even of glory, it lately fell a ready sacrifice to 
 French perfidy and Austrian rapaciousness. 
 
 * Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. viii.
 
 l^Gb. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. fb 
 
 But it is full time to terminfitc this digression, 
 and return froni speculation to facts. 
 
 On his arrival at Montpelier, Mr. Home and 
 his young friend visited all the genteel com- 
 pany in that place, both French and English. 
 Among the latter was the late duke of Bnc- 
 cleugh, accompanied by the celebrated Dr. Adam 
 Smith, author of the " Wealth of Nations," as a 
 travelling tutor; and Mr., now sir Thomas 
 Hussey Apreece, who has lately exhibited some 
 claims to the barony of Latimer. 
 
 It was during his residence in a city, which, 
 by the caprice of fashion, was then deemed emi- 
 nently salubrious, and is now carefully avoided 
 during a large ])ortion of the year, on account 
 of the deleterious effluvia of the neighbouring 
 marshes, that Mr. Home seems to have first re- 
 collected his pledge to the famous patriot whom 
 he hud left in exile at Paris. He now commenced 
 un epistolary corresj)ondence, by means of a letter 
 equally singular and indiscreet. The following 
 is the only conect and authentic copy which has 
 ever appeiu'ed; and no attempt shall l)e here 
 made to palliate, far less to justify, certain pas- 
 sages, Mhich cannot be excused in any point of 
 >ie\v, ui under anv circumstances whatever.
 
 76' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/66. 
 
 "TO JOHN WILKES, ESQ. — PARIS. 
 
 " Montpelier, Jan. 3, 1706. 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I well recollect our mutual engagement at 
 " parting, and most willingly proceed to fulfil 
 *' my part of the agreement. 
 
 " You are now entering into a correspondence 
 '' with a parson, and I am greatly apprehensive 
 *' lest that titk should disgust; but give me 
 " leave to assure you, I am not ordained a hypo- 
 '' crite. It is true I have suffered the infectious 
 "^ hand of a bishop to be waved over me; whose 
 *^ imposition, like the sop given to JudaSj is only 
 
 a signal for the devil to enter. 
 
 *' I allow, that usually at that touch — ' fu- 
 
 giunt pudor verumque, fidesque. In quorum 
 *' subeunt locum fraudes, dolique, insidiseque,' 
 ** &c^ &c. but I hope I have escaped the con- 
 *' tagion; and, if I have not, if you should at 
 *' any time discover the black spot under the 
 *' tongue, pray kindly assist me to conquer the 
 " prejudices of education and profession. 
 
 " I have not received as yet any letters from 
 *' England. I believe there are a iew left for 
 " me at the Post-house, at Marseilles; but I do 
 *' not expect any intelligence in them: I hoj)e for 
 
 a 
 
 «
 
 I7()t). LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 7/ 
 
 *' some from you, relative to yourself, that may 
 •' jrive me j)leasure, tliongli I am half afraid the 
 " hopes of the present ministry have miscarried; 
 " for lord St. John, of Bletso, not long since 
 ** showed me a letter from the duke of Grafton, 
 *' excusing himself for not appointing his lord- 
 *' ship to the embassy of Constantinople, and 
 "mentioning the nomination of Mr. Murray; 
 *' at tjie same time, his lordbhip told me, that he, 
 ** too, had long been soliciting that employ- 
 *'ment: I wish there hud been no greater ob- 
 *' stacle in your way than his lordship's interest 
 " and merit. 
 
 " I passed a week with Sterne, at Lyons, 
 *' and am to meet him again, at Sienna, in tlie 
 *' summer. — Forgive my question, and do not 
 " answer it, if it is impertinent. Is there any 
 " cause of coldness between you and Sterne? 
 
 " He speaks very handsomely of you, when it 
 *' is absolutely necessary to speak at all; but 
 " not with that warmth and enthusiasm, that I 
 " expect from every one that knows you. Do 
 " not let me cause a coldness between von, if 
 *' there is none. I am sensible my question is 
 " at least imprudent, and my jealousy blame- 
 " able. 
 
 " Sheridan is at Blois, hi/ unlet of his majesti/, 
 *' and with a ])ensiun; inventing the method to 
 *' give a proper pronunciation of the Knglish
 
 a 
 (( 
 a 
 
 78 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l^^G, 
 
 " language, to strangers, by means of sounds 
 " borrowed from their own. And he begins 
 " with the French. 
 
 I remember, a iew years ago, when an at- 
 tempt was made to prove lord Harborongh an 
 idiot^ the council on both sides produced the 
 " same instance ; one of his wit, the other of his 
 *^ folly. His servants were puzzled once to un- 
 '' pack a large box, and his lordship advised them 
 " to do with it_, as they did with an oyster, put 
 *' it in the fire, and it would gape! 
 
 *' This commission of Sheridan appears to me 
 *^ equally equivocal. And should a similar sta- 
 '•^ tute be at any time attempted against his ma- 
 " jesty, they who do not know him may be apt 
 " to suspect that he employed Sheridan in this 
 " manner, not so much for the sake of fo- 
 " reigners as his own subjects; and had per- 
 *' mittedhim to amuse himself abroad, to prevent 
 " his spoiling our pronunciation at home. 
 
 " 1 have this moment seen a letter from Eng- 
 land, that tells me that Fitzherbert has sent 
 you a p,ower to draw on him to the amount of 
 " 1000/. a year: 
 
 " Eutrapelus, cuicunque nocere volebat 
 " Vestimenta dabat pretiosa* : 
 
 * As this well quoted passage afterwards became 3 sub- 
 ject of contention, the whole of it is here subjoined: 

 
 I76C. LIFE OF JOHN IIORVE TOOKE. 79 
 
 '' I am afraid this is Eutrapellan generosity; 
 " and that, by furnishing' you u ith the means of 
 " pleasure, they intend to consign you over to 
 *' dissipation, and the grand points of national 
 " liberty and your glory to oblivion. I am sure 
 *' thcv will be mistaken; nothing little or com- 
 *' m4>n is for the future to be pardoned you. 
 
 *' The public have done you the justice to 
 " form extravagant notions of yow; and though 
 " they would be very sorry to see you neglect 
 " any opportunity of sening your })rivate in- 
 *^ terest; yet they hope never to have cau«e to 
 " reproach you as Brutus did Cicero. — ' Tliat it 
 '* was not so much a master that he feared, as 
 ** Anthony for that master.' 
 
 You perceive how freely I deliver my sen- 
 timents; but all this is uttered in the openness 
 '■' of my heart, and ought not to oifcnd you, as 
 '' it proceeds from a man who has always both 
 
 " Eutrajjelus, cuicumque nocere volebat, 
 " Veslinjcnta cJabat prttiosa. Beatus eiiim j.ijn 
 " Cum piilrris tunitis sumet nuva consilia et. .s|)es : 
 " Doranct in njceni; scorio posipoiiel hjiieslurn 
 " Olficiuni; nuinmos alienos pascel: ad imutn 
 " Thrax crit, aut oliUris agci niercecJe caballutn." 
 
 Epiit. ad Lollium, 812, Ilor. Lib. I. 
 
 Volgninius Eutrapelus was a companion of the projlipatp 
 Anthony, and is mciuioned by Cicero, both in his lipistlo^ 
 and Philippics 
 
 (I
 
 80 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l'/66. 
 
 " felt for your sufferings, and spoken highly of 
 " your conduct in the public cause. In the 
 •^ meantime, 
 
 " I am, dear sir, 
 
 " Your most obedient, 
 
 *^ and very humble servant, 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 Of the first portion of this letter, enough has 
 been already said, and it is to be hoped, that 
 the writer, on this occasion, rather flattered the 
 supposed opinions of his new acquaintance, than 
 exhibited his own. The remainder is equally 
 curious and interesting; for it proves that Mr. 
 Hornehad already detected the secret views of Mr. 
 Wilkes, who had long wished to repair to a 
 distant part of the world, in some honourable 
 and lucrative employment, and that of minister 
 to the Ottoman Porte had been actually selected 
 by himself. It appears evident, too, that his 
 intelligence was so excellent, that he had be- 
 come acquainted with the negociation with the 
 Rockingham administration, in consequence of 
 which, a considerable annuity was to be paid this 
 gentleman, while he remained in exile, with a 
 view of keeping him quiet. The sum in ques- 
 tion, however, was not to be taken out of the
 
 \7^^' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. SI 
 
 ))ublic money, Ijiit levied l^y a voluntary suh- 
 Ncription iVoni the salaries of tliove in place. 
 
 Whether it was, that Mr. Wilkes was picjued 
 at the disfovery, or mortified at the disclosure 
 of this transaction, is uncertain; hut trne it is, 
 that no answer was ever returned to this sin- 
 gular epistle. Whatever may be its faults, no 
 one can deny, that the sentiments disclosed in 
 the latter part of it, are as just and connnend- 
 able, as those in the former are oftensive and 
 indi.^crcet; and it will readily occur, that therein 
 is develoj)ed, even at this early period, not only 
 that warmth of sentiment, but the same noble 
 scorn of corruption, which the writer steadily 
 evinced throngh life. 
 
 Meanwhile, the neglect with which he was 
 treated, could not but prove trying in the 
 extreme, to a man eager to cultivate an in- 
 timacy with Mr. Wilkes; who had been j)re- 
 vailed upon to accept an invitation to a lite- 
 rary intercoui"se, and had committed himself, 
 in a manner, and to an exent, whence it was 
 impossible to recede. Notwithstanding all this, 
 on his return to Pari-^, in the course of the en- 
 suing «i)ring, Mr. Jlorne loimd means to see tht; 
 exiled patriot, without undergoing either the 
 torujality or humiliation of a visit. This o})por- 
 tunity of tkinundiug- an exjilanation was not snf 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/6(7. 
 
 fered to escape; but every attempt to gratify his 
 coriosity v. as skilfully parried for a time by the 
 gallant colonel, who, over a bottle of burgundy, 
 in a jocular manner, and with his usual flow of 
 wit and vivacity, endeavoured to convert the 
 whole into a joke. Finding, hoAvever, that his 
 correspondent was too serious to participate in 
 his witticisms, he concluded by denying the 
 receipt of the fatal epistle! 
 
 But notwithstanding our traveller had reason 
 to suspect his veracity, even at that period, yet 
 a reconciliation actually took place; and al- 
 though he soon after learned, that the letter in 
 question had been actually shown to numbers, 
 accompanied with a menace of publication, yet 
 this instance of treachery, superadded to untruth, 
 was freely forgiven. 
 
 Being now about to repair to England, where 
 it was necessary that he should resume his cle- 
 rical dress and functions, Mr. Home deter- 
 mined to leave his fashionable clothes at Paris, 
 whither he had determined to return in tlie 
 course of a few months. He accordingly con- 
 fided his wardrobe to the care of Mr. Wilkes, 
 as may be seen from the folloAving curious note, 
 transmitted to that gentleman ou the morning 
 of his departure.
 
 17^/. klFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 83 
 
 " Paris, May 25, 1767. 
 *' DEAR SIR, 
 
 " According to your permission, I leave "vvitli 
 '• you: 
 
 1 suit of scarlet and gold, cloth. 
 1 suit of white and silver, cloth. 
 1 suit of blue and silver, caniblet. 
 1 suit of flowered silk. 
 1 suit of black silk. 
 1 black velvet surtout. 
 
 If you have any fellow feeling, you cannot 
 '^ but be kind to them; since they too, as well 
 " as yourself, are outlawed in England; and on 
 '' the same account — their superior worth. 
 
 " I am, dear sir, 
 
 *'' Your very affectionate, 
 " humble servant, 
 '' John Horne." 
 
 G 2
 
 CHAPTER Ilf. 
 
 FROM 1768 TO 1769. 
 
 Mr. Home hecoynes a papular Preacher — a new 
 Direction suddenly given to his Habits of Life, 
 hi/ the JVIiddlesex Election — his successful 
 Exertions in behalf of Mr. fJ^llkes and Ser- 
 jeant Glynne — an Anecdote, 
 
 MR. HORNE returned to England during 
 the summer of 17^7; ^nd leaving the young 
 gentleman committed to his care at the paternal 
 mansion, he repaired to his vicarage, and re- 
 sumed his former course of life. Having pre- 
 viously resumed his hlack coat, he proceeded as 
 hefore to discharge the various functions attached 
 to his office; which, during his absence, had 
 been ably supjdied by a curate. He had now 
 held the cha])elry of Brentford during a period 
 of seven years, and was greatly respected by all 
 around him, not only on account of his moral, 
 but his companionable qualities.of both which, all
 
 1/08. LIFE OV JOHN HORNE TOOKK. ^5 
 
 men cither are, or pretend to be ju(lt::es, wliile 
 his singular talents, hitherto undeveloped to the 
 public at hirge, were only nnveiled to a few who 
 knew how to admire and appreciate them. 
 
 I am in possession ot two anecdotes, con- 
 nected with the present portion of his life^ one 
 of which I learned from one of his relatives, and 
 the other from himself. Having aspired about 
 this time to become a pojmlar divine, he Avas 
 often solicited to preach in Jseveral churches of 
 the metropolis, and frequently officiated at St. 
 Paul's, Covent Garden. On one of these oc- 
 casions, after having recapitulated, with his 
 accustomed ability, the leading princi])les of 
 the Christian religion, in a short, but argumen- 
 tative discourse, he was followed into the vestry 
 by two well-dressed females. The elder of 
 these informed him, that her niece, miss ****j 
 had l)een greatly affected with his sermon, and 
 havitig had many strange doubts, for a long 
 time, ])reying on her mind, relative to certain 
 points of doctrine, the young lady was extremely 
 desirous to have her scruples removed bv a person 
 of his high character and talents. This of course 
 led to an acquaintance, and Mr. Home Avas 
 ever after accustomed to boast, " that he had 
 h)ui)d the young lady an iiitidcl, and left her a 
 good meird)er of the •hurcli of iMiglaiid/'
 
 86 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/68. 
 
 The other is of a different kind. Having been 
 requested to preach a charity sermon, at St. 
 John's church, he prepared himself accordingly; 
 and, not knowing that there were two parishes of 
 this name, the one in the city, the other in its im- 
 mediate vicinity, he happened to repair to the 
 wrong one. Qn discovering the mistake, he 
 immediately hurried away to St. John's, Shad- 
 well; and on his arrival was told, ''that the 
 congregation had been singing psalms for half 
 an hour, in expectation of the famous Mr. 
 Home." Upon this, he hurried on his gown, 
 and prepared to ascend the pulpit, Avlien, lo! he 
 discovered that he had forgotten his manuscript. 
 In this new dilemma, a clergyman, who happened 
 to be present, offered to supply him with a dis- 
 course, " on the dignified conduct of St. Paul 
 before Agrippa." This, although little to the 
 present purpose, was readily accepted, and as 
 he luckily recollected his own text, Mr. Home 
 at length resolved to gratify an impatient au- 
 dience. He accordingly commenced, with a 
 suitable introduction, conceived and pronounced 
 extemporaneously ; he then proceeded to the 
 argumentative part, which he borrowed chiefly 
 from the sermon before him, supplying the de- 
 clamatory portion by tiie usual alluring and 
 persuasive doctrines in favour of public charities.
 
 
 1763. LIFE or JOHN HORNK TOOKE. S 
 
 After this, in a sliort but ))Ithy peroration, lie 
 smiimcd 11]), and !:trengtliciiod all the former 
 reasons and inducements for alms-^iviiiii;; and, 
 finally, concluded with a most pathetic address 
 to the feelings of his heaix^rs. On his descend- 
 iuir, he was complimented hy the rector afid 
 churchwardens, for his very able discourse, 
 which was attended with such a beneficial effect, 
 that the coiiii^rcgation proved unusually lil)eral; 
 so that the sum obtained far exceeded any thing 
 of the kind hitherto received at any antecedent 
 })eriod. 
 
 There is abundance of proof, indeed, that 
 Mr. Home was now considered an a<lniiral)le 
 ])reacher, and that his eloquence only wanted 
 cultivation, to place him among the most suc- 
 cessful of our English divines. But it w'as in 
 orthodox and doctrinal discourses, that he chiefly 
 excelled, and he i^ accordingly reported to have 
 distinguished himself greatly by his exhortations 
 before confirmation, on which occasion, by 
 mingling sound argument with kind and affec- 
 lionate persuasion, he never failed to make a 
 >uitable impression on all who heard him. In 
 j»hort, he might not only have been greatly re- 
 •"pccted, as a jiopular ])nstor, hut was still in a 
 iair way to become one of tlie ])illars of the An- 
 glican church, when a njemorable event occurrefl
 
 88 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I'/GS. 
 
 in the political worlrj, and proved an iinsui'- 
 nmuntuble, although not, perlietps, an unexpected 
 obstacle to his fatnre jjreferment. 
 
 The well-known politician, with whom he 
 had became acquainted at Paris, in 1/^8, most 
 unexpectedly offered himself, about this period, 
 as a candidate for the county of Middlesex. 
 Although the minister of New Brentford was 
 not ignorant of the vices of that celebrated cha- 
 racter, yet he well knew how to distinguish 
 between him and his cause: against the former, 
 he was constantly on his guard; while, in respect 
 to the latter, he had always been favourable to 
 it, and that too, in no ordinary degree. Of his 
 talents and intrepidity, he was well assured, and 
 by this time, he was not so ignorant of the 
 world, as either to hope or expect, that no one 
 except a man of an immaculate character, should 
 enter the forum, as an advocate for popular 
 rights. — But it may be here necessary to 
 pouitray this singular person, as- he was not 
 only intimately connected with the history of 
 that day, but also with the future fortunes of 
 the subject of these memoirs; who evinced him- 
 self by turns, his kindest friend, as well as bit- 
 terest foe. 
 
 John Wilkes, the son of an eminent distiller, 
 was a native of London, a circumstance of
 
 1"6S. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 89 
 
 which he seems to have frequently boasted. His 
 mother appears to have been a dissenter, while 
 his father was so innch attached to revolution- 
 principles, that, in order to escape from the pos- 
 sible contagion of a political stain, the son was 
 not allowed to conij)letc his education at either 
 oftheEniilish universities. He was, therefore, 
 sent to Leyden, to finish his studies in the coun- 
 try which had p:ivcn ])irth to William HI; and 
 while in that city, formed an acquaintance with 
 Mr. Baxter, who first made him known to the 
 world by the dedication of a work * of some ce- 
 lebrity. 
 
 HavinjT been su])plied Avith a liberal allow- 
 ance, he was enabled, during his travels, to 
 form an acquaintance w'ith the dnkc of Grafton, 
 and several of the English nobility, together 
 with many commoners of distinction. Soon 
 after his return from abroad, he paid his ad- 
 dresses to fin heiress -}- ; and, on his marriagxi 
 with that ladv, settled at Aylesbury. On the 
 introd\iction of a national militia, he distin- 
 guished him««elf as a warm advocate for a mea- 
 sure, intended jiartly to counterbalance the sup- 
 ])osed dangers of a standing army, and partly 
 
 * Mallio, sivc Cosmolhoriii piicrilis Dialogus ; in quo 
 prima ricmcnla tie muiidi ordiiie, cl ornatu propunuiilur. 
 t Mis^ M'.'adc.
 
 90 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l'/6S. 
 
 to render the introduction of foreign troops un- 
 necessary; but which, strange as it may appear, 
 was neither relished by the government nor the 
 people. 
 
 At its first institution, he accepted of a com- 
 pany in the battalion raised in the county of 
 Buckingham ; and, on the retreat of his friend, 
 sir Francis Dashwood, afterwards lord Le De- 
 spencer, earl Temple, with whom he lived in 
 great intimacy, in his capacity of lord-lieute- 
 nant, conferred on him the command of the 
 regiment. 
 
 Colonel Wilkes commenced his political ca- 
 reer in 17^4, as a candidate for the city of Ber- 
 wick, and published an address, on that occa- 
 sion, fraught with ample professions of purity 
 and patriotism. Proving unsuccessful there, he 
 afterwards represented the place of his residence 
 in two successive parliaments, having acquired 
 the good will of the inhabitants, as well as of 
 the neighbouring gentry, by the fascinations of 
 a polite address, and the hospitalities of a plen- 
 teous and elegant table. Attached to the elder 
 Mr. Pitt, whom he had constantly supported, 
 from a conviction of the great talents and capa- 
 city of that celebrated statesman, he contem- 
 plated his removal from the helm with equal re- 
 gret and indignation ; and strove, by all possible
 
 \j6S. LIFE OF JOHN HORNi: TOOKE. gi 
 
 means, to render his successor odious to tlic 
 people. This was eftected without any great 
 dilhcuhy. The marked esteem of the kiui^ and 
 the princess dowaij:er, the ieahjusy muieralJv al- 
 tendant on power, even the very country of the 
 new premier, contributed to render him suspect- 
 ed ; and he became eminently un])oj)ular, when 
 contrasted with his illustrious rival. 
 
 Mr. Wilkes, at th6 age of thirty-four, first 
 displayed his talents, as a party-writer, by a 
 pamphlet severely animadverting on the public 
 documents relative to a rupture with Sj)ain ; an 
 event which had been foreseen, and was intend- 
 ed to have been anticipated by the ex-minister. 
 — In 17G2, in conjunction with Lloyd and 
 Chnrchlll, he jniblished the first number of the 
 " North Britain," a pa])er unexampled, in point 
 of circulation, since the time when sir Robert 
 Walpole was attacked in the " Craftsman." Isi 
 this periodical work, at once saliiical, popular, 
 and vituperative, the delicacies of ])rivate life, 
 the feelings of the second lady in the kingdom, 
 and the majesty of the throne itself, Mere not 
 deemed sacred. One duel with lord Talbot, tlic 
 steward of the king's household, in which the 
 colonel conducted hiniself with great gallantrv; 
 another with Mr. Martin, treasurer to the prin- 
 cess dowager of \Vales, in conscfiuence of w hich
 
 93 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l^GS. 
 
 he was rlangeronsly wounded ; added to several 
 attempts at assassination, at once endanG:eied 
 the life, and endeared the person of Mr. Wilkes, 
 to the public. 
 
 In addition to this, happily for him ! the 
 laws themselves were violated in his person ; 
 as he was arrested, by a general warrant, for 
 a libel, on the 29th of April, 1763 ; in conse- 
 quence of which all his papers were seized, and 
 he himself made a close prisoner. This pro- 
 ceeding', by connecting his cause with a grand 
 constitutional question, added to the number of 
 his adherents ; while his dismission, bv a roval 
 order, from the command of his regiment ; a 
 prosecution by the king's attorney-general ; the 
 dereliction of one of its choicest privileges on 
 the part of the house of commons, in order 
 that he might find no protection from his qua- 
 lity of a representative ; all these tended to ex- 
 cite the indignation of the people. 
 
 After obtaining a verdict, with large damages 
 and costs of suit, against the two secretaries of 
 state *, who had authorised his arrest, the 
 member for Aylesbury found it necessary to re^ 
 tire to the continent, and was, soon after, ex- 
 pelled from one house; while another addressed 
 
 * The earls of Egromont and Halifax^
 
 I7C8. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 93 
 
 the kiiip: to prosecute him a-ncw, in conse- 
 quence of an " Essay on Woman," a p,ross, in- 
 ilelicate, and flai^itious })ul)]ication ; of which 
 however, only t'.vc4ve copies apj)ear to liave 
 been printed ; a\ liile tlie one now produced (tlie 
 only one ever })ublished) hud been obtained by 
 the bribery and subornation of a domestic. Tlie 
 intrepidity of Mr. Wilkes did not succumb un- 
 der the greatest misfortunes that can attend a 
 man ; on the contrary, he boldly returned to his 
 native country ; and this exile, and outhnv, 
 nho had spent his own patrimonv, dissipated 
 his wife's fortune, and was accused of cheatinir 
 an hospital, now offered himself as a candidate 
 for the first city in the empire. Nothing daunt- 
 ed by a repulse there, he next determined to re- 
 present that county which was the seat of the 
 laws he had violated ; of the parliament hv 
 which he had been expelled and prosecuted i 
 and of the prince to whom he had rendered him- 
 self ])erionallv obnoxious. 
 
 Such was the devperate ^tate of Mr. Wilkes's 
 affairs, when his cause was advocated by ihu 
 niini-iter of New Brentford. That "-entleman 
 soon proved, that he enjoyed considerable ui- 
 ihience, not only in his own inunediate neigh- 
 bourhood, but, also, ihroujihout the whole 
 county; and, as he jmssessed but little proj)c2ty,
 
 94 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I'/GS. 
 
 and few connexions there, it is but fair to attri- 
 bute his unexampled success to zeal, character, 
 and talents alone. 
 
 Accordingly, while Dr. Demainbray, who had 
 married his own sister, and all those attached 
 to the court, wfere busily employed on the other 
 side, he was active, laborious, and indefatigable. 
 Scarcely allowing himself time for the usual re- 
 freshments which nature requires, he was em- 
 ployed, sometimes on foot, and sometimes on 
 horseback, in canvassing the county, enume- 
 rating the merits and the sufferings of Mr. 
 Wilkes, palliating his errors, and a})ologising 
 for his follies. Such animated and unceasing 
 exertions were attended with correspondent ef- 
 fects ; but so notorious was the poverty of the 
 candidate, who had been lately repulsed in his 
 attempt to represent the metropolis, that he did 
 not possess either money oi credit sufficient to 
 open a single house at the usual place of elec- 
 tion. This deficiency was instantly supplied by 
 the enthusiasm of Mr. Home, who pledged him- 
 self, on that occasion, to the amount of all that 
 he was then worth in the world, and thus ob- 
 tained the two best inns at Brentford. 
 
 It Avas he who infused a portion of his own 
 gpirit and ability into the committees for ma- 
 r.aging the contest ; it was he who, sometimes
 
 17^8. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 93 
 
 in company with the popular candidate, and 
 sometimes bv himself, addressed large bo- 
 dies of the electors, who had been collected in 
 diflercnt places for that purpose. In short, in 
 oj)j)osition to calculation, and as if to set expe- 
 rience and precedent at defiance, Mr. Wiikes, 
 whose fortune was desperate, and whose person 
 was liable every moment to be seized by a tip- 
 staff, proved finally successful. In consequence 
 of a generous burst of indignation, excited bv a 
 clergyman of the church of England, whose 
 whole income arose out of a small benefice, 
 the latter thus suddenly, as if by magic, found 
 means to return an outlaw, a^ kniglit of the 
 shire for the county of Middlesex, by the votes 
 of a great majority of freeholders. 
 
 On this, as on all future occasions, he care- 
 fully avoided every appearance of force, con- 
 straint, and violence. Although the populace 
 w^re decidedly on the side of Mr. Wilkes, yet 
 no encouragement whatsoever was given to tu- 
 mult. A similar moderation, however, was uot 
 displayed on the part of those w ho managed the 
 election of the unfortunate candidate i for ruf- 
 fians, designated from their arms by the ap- 
 pnjj)riute name of bludgeuu-men, were hired 
 and embodied ; and these were ItL loose on the 
 unoffending multitude, several of whom were
 
 0^ LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/b'S, 
 
 desperately wounded, while a person of the 
 name of Clarke perished on the occasion. 
 
 On the other hand, Mr. Home, who, as may 
 he easily supposed, was a man of strong pas- 
 sions, being now in the full possession of youth, 
 health, and animal spirits, like many others of 
 the sairie age and temperament, doubtless both 
 did and said what would not have obtained the 
 sanction of his maturer iudo-mcnt. Accustomed 
 to feel acutely, and express himself energeti- 
 cally, he was not altogether calculated either to 
 forget or forgive with so much promptitude as 
 M. de Chauvelin, a counsellor of the parliament 
 of Paris, who, about this time, established a 
 perpetual mass, to return God thanks for pre- 
 serving the life of Louis XV, who had banished 
 him from his native country for his attachment 
 to the laws. 
 
 On the contrary, he went somewhat into the 
 opposite extreme on one memorable occasion, 
 and ap])eared nearly as violent as the cure of 
 Rosainvillicrs, who, during the disputes about 
 the bull Un/genittis, exclaimed, from the pulpit, 
 " that he himself would be the first to dip his 
 hands in the blood of the Jansenists *." In 
 ^hort, during the Middlesex election, au expres- 
 
 * Le Sicclede Louis XV.
 
 l^OS. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 97 
 
 >ion tlroj)t hastily tVoiii his mouth, ^\hi(.•h had 
 never seriously entered his lieiirt, '' tliat, in a 
 cause so iust anil so holv, he would dye his 
 hhick coat red '." This, coming iVoui a clergy- 
 man in full orders, and within hearing: of hij^ 
 own ])ari'ihioners, ])roduced a considerable 
 sensation, was carefullv recorded hv his euc- 
 mies, and aiterwards repeatedly quoted by his. 
 tjiioudam friends, when they wished to lessen his 
 influence witli the public. 
 
 The two ministerial candidates, ujion this oc- 
 casion, Mere !*ir William Boauchamp Proctor, 
 and Mr. Cooke ; the former of whom scen)s 
 to have rendered himself the most odious. To 
 that gentleman, Mr. Home addressed a series of 
 letters, which a])pear to have been of a very 
 warm complexion, as may be gathered from the 
 lollowing quotation : — • 
 
 " Were I to adopt the coarsest language 
 which is used by hone^t indignation to the most 
 ])ro>titute and abandoned characters, I think I 
 should be justilied in tliis address to you." — The 
 author, who, as usual, aflixed his signature, 
 added: "I have yet a character to lose ; for 1 
 liave never siirned mv name to a lie." 
 
 On thi-., as on manv <jther occasions, he ap- 
 pears to have been incited chiefly by his attach- 
 ujent to the knight of the bhirc for Middlesex,, 
 
 vol.. 1. H
 
 ^b LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/'66. 
 
 or, more })roperly speaking, to the cause in 
 v/bich he had embarked. 
 
 " Mr. Wilkes's crime," observes he, " is well 
 known to have been, his opposing and exposing 
 the measures of lord Bute. The two Humes, 
 Johnson, Murphy, Ralph, Smollett, Shebbeare, 
 &c. &c., all authors, pensioned or promised, had 
 been let loose on him in vain. The lord stew- 
 ard of his majesty's household * (who has, 
 therefore, continued in that post through every 
 revolution of ministry), and the treasurer to the 
 princess dowager of Wales -^ (who, together 
 with that office, has a pension for himself and 
 a reversion for his son), had separately endea- 
 voured to commit a murder on his body, with as 
 little success as others had attempted his repu- 
 tation : for they found him — tarn Marte quam 
 Merciuio. 
 
 *' The intended assassination of him by Forbes 
 and Dnnn, had miscarried. 
 
 " The secretaries of state had seized his pa- 
 pers, and confined his person to close imprison- 
 ment. They had trifled with, and eluded the 
 Habeas Corpus. But still he rose superior to 
 them all, and baflled, alone, the insatiable ma- 
 lice of his persecutors ; for though they had, in 
 a manner, ruined his private fortune, his publiw 
 ^ I.or.i Talbot. t Mr. Martin.
 
 1768. LIFL OF JOHN' llORNE TOOK£. 99 
 
 character remains entire. They had spilt his 
 blood, indeed; but they had nor taken his life ; 
 and, with it, still were left — 
 
 " • The uncoiujuerable miml, and Freedom's holy flame.' 
 
 " It remained, then, to make one general at- 
 tack upon him at once, by every power of the 
 state, even in its se])aratp capacity. The re- 
 vered name of majesty itself was misapplied 
 to this business. The house of lords, the 
 house of conmions, and the court of 
 King's Bench, through the little agency of Car- 
 lingtoii *, Curry '{-, Webb :[:, Faden§, Kedgell |!, 
 
 * A king's messenger. 
 
 t A journeyman printer, who had been suborned to pur- 
 loin Mr. Wilkes's proof-sheets. 
 
 t Under secretary of state. 
 
 § A printer in the City. 
 
 li The rev. J. Kedgell, without wliose aid, Mr. Wilkes 
 would never have incurred the odiuin of writing " An Essay 
 on Woman;*' twelve copies of which work only were 
 printed, at a private pres.s, but never published. As the mi- 
 ni»ters of that day seemed determined to ruin that gentle- 
 man, and were not very scrupulous as to the means, a jour- 
 neyman printer, of the name of Curry, was seduced, by pro- 
 mises, to purloin a proof-sheet, containing some manuscript 
 corrections in the Imnd-writinir of the author. This had 
 been eflected through the intervention of this clergyman, 
 ihen rector of Ilornc, in Surrey, and chaplain to the duke of 
 Quecnsberry, who, soon after, published a dissertation on 
 the original work, written after the tnannerof Suetonius, the 
 latter of whom is said to have exposed the brutal appetites of 
 
 II 2
 
 100 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I'jGS. 
 
 and Sandwich * , made one general as- 
 sault." 
 
 But although these letters contained many 
 bitter and sarcastic expressions, no prosecution 
 ensued ; the person to whom they were addressed 
 contentiniT himself with the riband of the Or- 
 der of the Bath, just bestowed upon him, as a 
 recompense for his services on this occasion ; 
 while the other candidate, who had before en- 
 joyed tlie office of chief prothonotary of the 
 Common Pleas, was still farther rewarded with 
 the lucrative apj)ointment of joint-paymaster- 
 general. 
 
 Meanwhile, the new knight of the shire did not 
 enjoy his triumph unalloyed with pain. In the 
 course of a few days, he was arrested by a war- 
 
 the Caesars, with all the licentiousness and extravagance in 
 \vhich they lived. The text must be bad indeed, if it ex- 
 ceeds the prurient commentary of this reverend divine ! 
 
 After obtaining the living of Godslone, in Surrey, Mr. 
 Kedgell repaired to the Coiitinenl^ — apostatized — was eni- 
 pU)yed as tutor in the family of an electoral prince — and, 
 finally, became a priest of the church of Rome. For these 
 particulars, I am indebted to his worthy successor, the rev. 
 Charles de Coetlegon, M. A., who has re-edified the church, 
 and erected a very excellent parsonage- house, out of part of 
 the revenues of the vicarage, which had been suflered to 
 /apse during a series of fourteen out of thirty years, that Mr. 
 K. resided in (lermany. 
 
 * The late carl of Sandwich, first lord of the Admiralty, 
 &c.
 
 1/68. LIFE OF JOHN HORNK TOOKE. 101 
 
 rant from lord M;lI)'^Held, clilcf justice of tlie 
 King's Bench, and, on being rescued l)y tlie po- 
 pulace, in his Avay to the prison of that court, 
 he ])rn(lentlv seized an opportunity, in the course 
 of the same niuht, to surrender lilniself to tlie 
 marshal. A majoiity of tlie house of com- 
 mons, too, having declared, " John Wilkes, 
 esq., unduly elected," the speaker issued a new 
 MTit, February .3, I76.9. On tliis, the same 
 party wlio brought him in, ropaiicd to Brent- 
 ford, and he was once more returned, witliout 
 any opposition. This election, also, being de- 
 clared void, another writ was ordered, Feb. 1 " ; 
 ar.d Mr. Wilkes, l)v this time elected an alder- 
 man of London, was chosen as before. A fourth 
 election, being attended with similar results, Mr. 
 Luttrell, now lord Irnham, vacated his seat, 
 and became a candidate for the county. On 
 this occa'-ion, although he only ])olled 2()i) free- 
 holders in oppositi<jn to 1.14.'>, on the part of 
 the popular candidate, yet the house of com- 
 mons negatived the return of the sheriffs ; and, 
 by a new vote, i\.j)ril \i, not only ivsohed as 
 before, " that the election ol John Wilkes, es(j,, 
 was void," Ijut added, " that the honourable 
 ITenrv Lewes Luttiell, ()u;:Iit to liave been I'c- 
 turned, and now is (hdy elected a knight ol' the 
 shire ior the count v of .Middlesex."
 
 102 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. If 68. 
 
 On this, the mob became furious against 
 colonel Luttrell, who soon after obtained the 
 office of adjutant-general in Ireland ; and had 
 it not been for the personal interposition of Mr. 
 Home, that officer would have fallen a victim 
 to their resentment; for it was he who rescued 
 him from their clutches, and conducted him to 
 a place of safety. This generous conduct must 
 surely be allowed to have been worthy of ap- 
 plause; but, such is the deadly enmity of politi- 
 cal contests, that it rendered him, ever after, 
 suspected by many of that party, and, on a future 
 occasion, was frequently quoted against him, as 
 an indelible offence. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, he proceeded in his ca- 
 reer; and, on the death of Mr. Cooke, which 
 occurred soon after, he pointed out one of his 
 own friends as a proper person to represent the 
 county in his place. 
 
 On this occasion was selected a learned Ser- 
 jeant, who had rendered himself dear to the 
 minister of New Brentford, by his upright and 
 independent professional conduct. He had ex- 
 erted himself with equal energy and ability 
 against lord Mansfield's doctrine of attachment 
 for a supposed contempt in case of libel, and 
 w'as the first practitioner who had dared to con- 
 trovert the legal opinion? of the chief justice.
 
 V*6S. LlPE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. lOo 
 
 Jle had also given his gratuitous assistance, 
 during the late contests, and was in general 
 looked up to as one of the most sturdy, as \vell 
 as conscientious lawyers of his day. The fol- 
 lowing are the precise words in Avhich he a\ as 
 reconnncuded to the county by the subject of 
 these memoirs :— " I beg leave to present Mr. 
 Glynn to your choice. I know his principles to 
 be as firm, and his heart as incorru])tible, as his 
 conduct is modest and moderate, and his abilities 
 uncontradicted. Complete your work, and 
 place by the side of your jiersecuted patriot, 
 Wilkes, his strenuous and disinterested defender, 
 ^ilynnl" 
 
 About this period, a riot took place in St. 
 lieorge's Fields, and the mditary being called in, 
 -a young man of the name of Allen, who was 
 ;dterwai*ds proved to be an innocent and distant 
 spectator, was unhappily ])ut to death. Mr. 
 (lillani, a magistrate, who had given the ordtMs 
 to fire, was afterwards tried for his life, and on 
 hi^ acquittal, a co])y of the indictment was 
 granted liim by the court, iu express opposition, 
 however, to the; opinion of Mr. justice (ionld, 
 one of the judges who p^e^ided. 
 
 On these, ason all similar occasions, Mr. Tlornc 
 rejjeatedly exposed his life, to collect the wit- 
 nesses, secure the supposed nmrderers, and bring
 
 104 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 17^5. 
 
 the authors and actors to justice. He -was at first 
 promised, hy the party in op])osition, that a 
 parliamentary inquiry should take place in re- 
 spect to that transaction ; and, in consequence of 
 their intended intervention, forhore to publish 
 the particulars, contenting- himself with merely 
 stating a fcxv facts to the freeholders of the 
 county, assembled at the Mile-End assembly- 
 room. It was be, also, who sup])ortcdthc wi- 
 dow Bigby, in " the appeal of blood," against 
 the murderers of her husband. Being aware, 
 from his kno^vledge of the ancient laws, that, 
 in a case of this kind, the king's pardon, which 
 had been lately pleaded, could be of no avail, 
 he retained Mr. Dunning, at his own expense ; 
 hut, so novel was the practice, and so many the 
 obstacles thrown in tlie way of that great advo- 
 cate by the lord chief justice of the King's 
 Bench, that it was fouiul almost impossible to 
 proceed *. 
 
 He also, nearly at the same time, inter j)osed, to 
 
 * Two broUiers, of ihe name of KtMinedy, had been con- 
 victed of the murder of John Bigby, a walchmaii, oji West- 
 minster Bridge, As this event was accompanied with many 
 atrocious circumstances, and notiiing could be advanced in 
 extenuation of such a wanton and l)arbarous deed, it was, of 
 course, expected, that they were to expiate their crimes by 
 a shameful death, 'iliis would, accordingly, have occurred, 
 but for the charms of their sister, the I'amous Poll Kennedy,
 
 I'j'Gs. Lii E or .mux iiouNi: TOOKE. 105 
 
 briny; Edward M*(.)iriik, a chairman of notorious 
 Lad character, (who had been hired (hirini;' the 
 election at Brentford,) to justice, for the innrder 
 of George Chirke: but, altliou^li lie was con- 
 victed of tlic criine, bv the verdict of a jnrv. yet 
 the mini'sters were j)revailed upon to grant a 
 free pardon to the offender. On tills occasion, 
 Mr. John Foot^ a surgeon, dej^osed, that the 
 blow given had proved fatal to the deceased; and 
 afterwards ])ub]ished an able j)an)ph]et on this 
 subject, which obtained liini great credit; but I 
 liave since di>covercd, 1)V an oriiiinal document, 
 that, although the chirargical facts proceeded 
 from h\< ])en, vet iliat, with this e.\ce])Lion alone, 
 the whole of that very })Oj)uIar production was 
 written bv this zealous partisan of ])opular 
 rights. 
 
 Nor did hi-; intrej)idity, on this occasion, prove 
 jess cou'^jjicuous than his talents. Thinking 
 
 who pos*e*;sctl suiTicient influence, first to obtain a reprieve, 
 and next a p;ir(loii. 
 
 I'.veri tliis niiglil have proved iiK-nectuai, liowevtM", liad 
 it nut hceii for the avarice of the \vi(h)\v, who was guined 
 over hv the sinn of :{jO guineas, advanced by a nobleman 
 nilh whom nii^s K. tlieii lived. ^Ir. Home Toolifc hitely a-i- 
 b'jred me, ihu the lale Mr. Arth'ir IMuridiy was the |)ersoti 
 who paid the money; and that .Mrs. nigl)y, alur hairi;liiii; 
 for a lonti time as to the amount, Onally insislc<l on the u liole 
 brin^ puid in i.'>>ld '.
 
 106 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/^g. 
 
 there might be some difficulty in obtaining a 
 warrant from the magistrates to apprehend the 
 rioters during the election at Brentford, he de- 
 termined to effect his purpose by means of the 
 constable of the night alone. Accordingly, ac- 
 companied only by that officer, he actually 
 seized those who had participated in the murder 
 of Clarke, while they were assembled at an ale- 
 house in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden, 
 although one of them, on account of his gigantic 
 figure, had been ironically denominated " the 
 infant," and, notwithstanding liquor had been 
 freely distributed, made them prisoners. 
 
 It was about this time, that Mr. Home ob- 
 tained som€ influence in the town of Bedford, 
 and, in consequence of this, soon became an elec- 
 tor. The duke of Bedford, the patron of that 
 corporation, had rendered himself extremely un- 
 popular, partly by having ncgociated the peace 
 of Paris, and partly by a political alliance with 
 the duke of Grafton, who had lately deserted 
 from the party of the earl of Chatham, and, 
 erecting his own standard, became prime mi- 
 nister. 
 
 By way of retaliation on the former, it was 
 determined to attack him in what was deemed 
 a vital part. Accordingly, on discovering that 
 he was extremely obnoxious in his own borough.
 
 1J*G9. LIFE OF JOHN' HORNE TOOKE. 107" 
 
 a successful attempt was made to liberate it from 
 his influence. In this political struggle, the 
 subject ol the present memoir most heartily con- 
 curred; and, as he never did any thing by halves, 
 became one of tlie most active of the insurjrents. 
 The contest took place Sej)tenibcr 4, 17^9, on 
 the elcctio!!. of mayor and bailiffs. Tbe duke, 
 who was present, tinding himself unable to pre- 
 vail in his wish, not to add to the number of 
 freemen, requested of the corporation to nominate 
 tAventy of his own friends. When the names of 
 those on the popular side were read, he re- 
 strained his indignation, until that of "John 
 Home" was j)ronounced, when his grace was 
 pleased to express himself with great bitterness. 
 On a division, this candidate was however 
 elected, by a majority of six, there being seven- 
 teen votes in his favour, and eleven against 
 him. 
 
 Junius, with his accustomed bitterness, was 
 pleased, on this occasion, to denominate tlie 
 nobleman in question, " the little tyrant of a 
 little corporation," and observed, " that, to make 
 liis late defeat more ridiculous, he had tried his 
 whole strength against Mr. Home, and was 
 beaten on his own ground*." 
 
 • Letter XXIII, p. 237, vol. i, ed. IdlJ.
 
 lOS LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 17^9' 
 
 An event occiirred about this period, -uhich 
 serves to show, that the subject of" tliesc memoirs, 
 had ah'eady turned his attention to some of the 
 most abstruse and difficult questions connected 
 M'ith the theory and practice of English juris- 
 prudence. 
 
 In 17^9, when his friends, the aldermen 
 Townsliend and Sawbridge, hap})ened to be 
 sheriffs of London and Middlesex, sentence 
 was passed at tlie Old Bailey, on John Doyle 
 and John Valline, two Spital Fields weavers, 
 who had been ca]ntally convicted, in the follow- 
 ing words: " You, the prisoners at the bar, 
 shall be taken from hence to the place from 
 whence you came, and from thence to the usual 
 place of execution ; where you are to be severally 
 liangcd by the neck till you are dead, and may 
 <n;d Almighty be merciful to your souls." On 
 Thursday the 9th of November, Mr,, afterwards 
 sir James Eyre, the lecorder, issued an order 
 for their execution, in wdiich he departed from 
 the tetjonr of his former judgment, by means of 
 the follov.ing additional clause, tending to ag- 
 gravate the punishment: 
 
 " 7\.nd whereas it hath been dulv sijjrnified to 
 me, that it is his majestifs pleasure, that the 
 said sentence be executed in the most convenient 
 place, near Bethnal C»reen Clmrch, in the county
 
 17t)<). LirL OF JOHN HOKNE TOdKE. 1 0.9 
 
 of ^ruUlltv^ex: now it is lieiebv ordered tliat the 
 exeeiitiun of the said sentence be made and done 
 upon them, t/ie siiid John Doijle and John fal- 
 line, on U'ednesdaj/, the li)th dot/ of this instant 
 j\<n'e)nln'r ; at the 7nost eonrenienf phice near 
 Bethtnd Green (.'hareh, in the said eoanti/ of 
 Middlesexr 
 
 Xo sooner was Mr. Ilorne acijuuintccl witli 
 this cirrnm^tance, than lie condcnnietl the ahc- 
 ration as a palpaljle deviation from the sentence, 
 and not only denounced every variance, on the 
 part of the executive, as illegal; but actually 
 maintained that a literal obedience to tlie warrant 
 would incur the guilt of nuirder*. 
 
 The sheriff's, startled at an assertion of so sui- 
 gular an iinj)ort, proceeding from the lips of a 
 man, already considered as a great constitu- 
 tional authority, determined to take the be^t 
 possible advice on this subject; and a case 
 was accordingly stated, for the o])inion of Mr. 
 Serjeant Glynn. This, \\hich i'^ sliort and 
 simj)le, aj)pears to have been either drawn up 
 with the privity or peinied by Mr. Home him- 
 self. 
 
 • Tliis was probably ftjuinJcil on the fipiiiion ol' lord Cokr, 
 who observes, " the juJunient doih btltnip to the judge, ami 
 he cannot alter it; and ihu execution belongs to the bhtritl^ 
 and he cannot alter it."
 
 110 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/S^, 
 
 The learned counsel confessed a very greatdiifi- 
 cnlty in answering the question. " If" the place 
 is a material part of the sentence," observed he, 
 '" the omission of which wonid vitiate the judg- 
 ment, the execution must be conformable to it, 
 and I know no authority that can justify a de- 
 viation from it. The king may pardon all or 
 part of the sentence, but cannot alter it; the 
 sheriff's authority is the sentence, he is bound 
 to look to it, and see it rightly executed. If the 
 place is not 7naterial, then I should conceive it 
 to be in the sheriff's discretion, he being respon- 
 sible for the fitness and propriety of the place. 
 There are certain cases in which the sheriffs 
 must disobev such commands, viz. if the crown 
 commanded an execution in a private room, or 
 church, &c." 
 
 In this dilemma, he recommended to the 
 sheriffs to petition his majesty; they accordingly 
 applied to lord Weymouth, and obtained a 
 respite for the convicts; they, at the same time, 
 stated to the king, " their doubts, whether they 
 could lawfully comply v.ith his majesty's plea- 
 sure;" and begged that the late order for the 
 execution mi2;ht be " reconsidered." 
 
 In a second letter from the sheriffs to the 
 same secretary of state, dated Nov. 15, 1/6.9, 
 they communicated the opinion of their counsel.
 
 17^9. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. HI 
 
 and, from the writings of Cok*e, Hale, and Foster, 
 advance additional reasons for their conduct. 
 They contend, 1 . " That the jndirmentpronounced 
 was their warrant for execution; and maintain every 
 execution not pursuant to the judgment to he 
 unwarrantable; the sheriff is to pursue the sen- 
 tence of the court; if he varies it has heen held 
 highly criminal; and the judgment pronounced 
 on Doyle and Valline is, that they be carried to 
 the USUAL place of execution. 
 
 2. " The king cannot by his prerogative vary 
 the execution, so as to aggravate the punishment 
 beyond the intention of the law; the mercy of 
 the crown is not bounded, but it cannot go be- 
 yond the letter of the law, in point of rigour. 
 Now, the present alteration is not intended to be 
 a mitigation, but an aggravation of the sentence. 
 Neither innnemorial usage nor custom can be 
 urged in behalf of this alteration; or if they 
 could, would they make it justifiable; because 
 it would not be a ])ractice founded in mercy; 
 and, undoubtedly, wlierc that is not the case, 
 (perliaps even \\hcre it is,) judicandum cat legi-- 
 bus 110)1 exempUs. 
 
 3. '' Our doubts are still farther increased, 
 and Ijeeoinc more important, when the conse- 
 (|uences of such an admission are considered. 
 If tlic crown can act contrarv to the sentence
 
 11'2 LIVE OF JOilN HORNE TOOKE. 17^9' 
 
 in one instance, it may in all; if it can change the 
 usual place of execution to Bethnal Green^ it 
 may to Newgate Street, and even to Newgate 
 itself; and thus our boasted usage of puldic ex- 
 ecution, (not less necessary to tlie satisfaction 
 and security of the subject than public trial,) 
 may make way for private execution, and for all 
 tliose dreadful consequences with which private 
 executions are attended in every country where 
 they have been introduced. 
 
 4. " Had the power of alteration been 
 
 I 
 
 in the cro^vn, (which is humbly conceived not 
 to be the case,) his majesty's pleasure has 
 not been properly notified, and the recorder's 
 authority alone would not be sufficient to jus- 
 tify the sheriffs for departing from the sentence 
 pronounced by the court." The whole con- 
 cludes with a prayer, that his majesty would 
 either suffer the sentence of the court to be ex- 
 ecuted at tlie usual place, or permit them to 
 have the sanction of the judge's opinion on a 
 matter of so great importance to themselves and 
 the whole nation. 
 
 A few diiys after this, lord Camden, tlien 
 chancellor, stated, in a note to these magistrates, 
 that the case and question, enclosed by him, 
 had been referred to the twelve iud^es. Next 
 morning, the sheriffs returned for answer, " that
 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 113 
 
 the case alluded to, is so far from being full 
 and complete, that it is not the same case. 
 
 " The case of which your lordship has fa- 
 voured us with a copy, consi!>ts of four parts: 
 
 '•' The sentence of the court. 
 
 '• The recorder's warrant. 
 
 *' A stating of a sign manual; which is not 
 our case. 
 
 " A conclusion, which is not our question. 
 
 " The case and the question, therefore," add 
 they, " referred by his majesty's command to 
 the twelve judges, is neither our case nor our 
 question. 
 
 '^ For these and many other reasons, my lord, 
 we wish humbly to entreat his majesty, that the 
 same method may be followed with us as was 
 practised in sir Edward Coke's case; who, after 
 having been chief justice, was appointed sheriff 
 of the county of Buckingham, and, taking four 
 exceptions to the oath proposed to him, both his 
 exceptions and his reasons were, by the lord 
 kee])er, laid before all the judges, and received 
 each u separate answei', with their reasons." 
 
 On November 30, it was notified in an official 
 letter, that the judges were of opinion, " that 
 tlie time and place of execution are in law no 
 PART of the ju<lgment; and that the recorder's 
 
 \OL. I. I
 
 114 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/^*9- 
 
 warrant was a lawful authorit)'' to the sheriffs, 
 as to the time and place of execution." 
 
 On this the sheriffs complained to the lord 
 chancellor, of a " naked opinion," on the part 
 of the judges; and lament, " that their doubts 
 are overruled without being satisfied." They, 
 however, at length complied, and the two pri- 
 soners were accordingly executed, at Bethnal 
 Green, Dec. 6, 1/^.9? by the civil power alone, 
 as the sheriffs refused to accept of any military 
 assistance whatsoever. From this moment, 
 liowever, the mode of passing sentence has been 
 altered, so as to accord with the objections he- 
 fore stated, and prevent any variation between 
 the judgment and the order for execution. 
 
 Mr. Home afterwards published the parti- 
 culars of this transaction, under the title of 
 " Genuine Copies of all the Letters which passed 
 between the Lord Chancellor and the Sheriffs of 
 London and Middlesex, &c. relative to the Ex- 
 ecution of Doyle and Valline*." 
 
 * Printed for R.Davis,' in Piccadily, 1770, with the fol- 
 lowing motlo: 
 
 " In rebus novis constituendisj 
 " Aut urgens necessitas aut evidens utilitas : " 
 We feel not the one, we see not the other. 
 
 Sir F. Bacon's Quotation and Comment,
 
 17^9- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 115 
 
 Such of these pa])ers, as were Avritten l)y Mr. 
 Home, (and there is reason to suj)pose that lie 
 either penned or dictated all such as were suh- 
 scrihed with the names of the two city magis- 
 trates,) ahound with able, leaincd, and senten- 
 tious remarks. The notes, too, are at once re- 
 condite and curious. Both will he ])rized hy 
 those whose studies have been directed to con- 
 stitutional inv(\«tiii:ations, on account of their 
 respective merits ; and while the lawyer may be 
 inclined to praise them for their research, the 
 logician must at the same time be ])lcased with 
 the order, skilL and ingenuity of the ariruments. 
 
 I 2
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FROM 1769 TO 1770. 
 
 Account of Mr. Homes printed Sermon. — Mr. 
 Onslow commences an Action for a Libel. — 
 The different Verdicts in that Cause. — JRe- 
 flections. 
 
 IT has already been remarked, that Mr. Home, 
 at this period of his life, had distinguished him- 
 self as a preacher; and, notwithstanding the 
 tumult of election contests and the continual 
 bustle and confusion incident to so many political 
 struggles, he now actually found time to compose 
 and publish a sermon. This seems evidently to 
 have been written in the bitterness of disappoint- 
 ment; and, as it is supposed to be the only reli- 
 gious tract ever printed by him, a copious ana- 
 lysis shall be inserted in^^this place. 
 
 Tlie text is taken from Psalm h% verses 12, 13. 
 
 *' It was not an open enemy that hath done
 
 17^9' LIFE OK JOHN HORNE TOOKE. llj 
 
 mc this dishonour; for then I could have 
 l)orne it. 
 
 " But it was even thou, my companion, my 
 guide, and my own familiar friend." 
 
 The divine hegins hy acknowledging himself 
 to be sensibly affected with the pathetic impa- 
 tience of David, who in all his other trials 
 ap])ear- jjatient and resigned; but this he owns 
 he could not bear. Few, it is observed, but 
 have experienced a similar sensation. " And 
 because a disappointment in friendship is the 
 most common, and, at the same time, the most 
 stinging of all others — Listen to me, while I pro- 
 pose to you a method how you may escape this 
 anguish, and never know, ' how sharpei* than a 
 serpent's tooth it is to have a faithless friend.* 
 
 " Forgive me, O my God, that I am forced 
 from this place to offer thee this public dishonour, 
 by putting thy friendship in competition with 
 that of man! Thou, () (iod, best knowest how 
 iittle trust there is reposed in thee^ and how 
 necessary is this exhortation, to jiersuade thy 
 infatuated creature — man — to witlidraw his 
 confidence froui his fellow worm, and rej)ose it 
 wholly upon thee, his creator, wlio alone art 
 mighty, both to save and destrov." 
 
 We arc next tohl, that the distrust of Cod's 
 iriendship, and want of reliance u])ou him,
 
 115 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^7^9- 
 
 springs from nothing else but infidelity, and this 
 universal infidelity is so great, that our Saviour 
 himself always expressed the greatest surprise, 
 when he met with any person who believed his 
 word. Every one is then desired to examine 
 his own heart, aiid see whom he desires to mako 
 his friend. 
 
 " Tell me," adds the preacher, " which is 
 most frequented amongst us, the temple of the 
 Lord, or the levees of the great? the courts of 
 princes, or the house of God? In our sickness 
 we call not on the Lord, but on the physician; 
 as if God could not heal. We put our trust in 
 man; as if God was not the Lord^ faithful and 
 true. And we labour for wealth, as if the Lord 
 was not all-sufficient. In our physician, we can 
 see health; in our friends, a sure refuge; and 
 in our wealth, security. It is natural to suppose, 
 that this general practice proceeds from its gene- 
 ral success. Let us examine, therefore, whether 
 such a supposition is Avell founded. And by 
 this inquiry we shall easily be able to determine 
 which is most desirable, tbe friendship of man, 
 which you so ardently solicit, or the friendship 
 of God, who so ardently solicits you. Children 
 of worldly wisdom! keep your eyes upon tbe 
 balance; it is in your scales that we now weigh 
 the friendship of man against the friendship of
 
 17^5. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. II9 
 
 (lod. — Reason and rcliiiion forbid anv com- 
 parison." 
 
 The reader is next reminded, by a reference 
 to holy writ, that the completion of God's pro- 
 jnises constantly exceeds the terms in which tliev 
 are made, vvliile with man the direct contrary 
 always takes place. Obseqniousness, flattery, 
 and zeal, proceed from those who arc desirons 
 of sharing our riches and onr power; of the em- 
 ployments we have to dispose of; of the favonrs 
 we can bestow: these are "just such friends as 
 the bees are to the flowers — to suck from them 
 their sweetest jnice: such friends as the ivy is 
 to the oak — tliat creeping up its sides it may 
 exalt itself to a higher station. And that this 
 is really the case, 1 will ap|)eid to your own ex- 
 perience. Do you not always see that the rich 
 have many friends, the -poor not one? No! 
 (rod only is the friend who seeks you for yonr 
 sake: he seeks you — not yours. None ever 
 ])roved this trnth more ])lain]v than the Israel- 
 ites; to whom, if ever, (iod showed himself 
 |)artial; for whom, if ever, (iod wrought any 
 Avondrous \vork'»; — it was when he saw them 
 reduced by the Egy|)tians to such a state of 
 wretchedness, that ' their life was S|)ent with grief, 
 and their years with sighing.* Then it was tliat, 
 with a mighty hand, and with an out-stretched arm.
 
 120 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^9- 
 
 lie freed them from their cruel oppressors. Then 
 it was that, for their sake, the earth, the air, 
 the fire, and the water, became the instruments 
 of vengeance; and those elements were made to 
 serve for the destruction of that very mankind, 
 for whose benefit and advantage alone, they are 
 and were created." 
 
 This pious, and very orthodox sermon, con- 
 cludes with a recommendation to place our con- 
 fidence in God, " as, although, by the condition 
 of our nature, we must find our companions 
 amongst men, he alone ought to be followed 
 as our guide, and trusted as our familiar 
 friend!'''' 
 
 Soon after this, we find Mr. Home engaged 
 in an unpleasant dispute with Mr. Onslow. 
 That gentleman, while in opposition, had 
 proved a warm and strenuous supporter of Mr. 
 Wilkes; but, having been afterwards admitted 
 into favour by the court, he obtained an office 
 under the Grafton administration ; and was now, 
 as usual, both considered and treated as a de- 
 serter from the popular cause. 
 
 The vicar of New Brentford was not slow in 
 exhibiting his resentments; for, at a public 
 meeting of the freeholders of Surrey, assembled 
 at Epsom, he attacked this gentleman, who 
 then happened to be one of the knights of the
 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1121 
 
 shire, oncl a member of the privy council, " as a 
 man who would promise fair, but was incapable 
 of keeping his word ;" and he unadvisedly- 
 added, ' that if Mr. Onslow would lay aside 
 his privilege, he would lay aside his gown.'* 
 Soon after this, he entered into a controversy of 
 a very disagreeable nature with that gentleman : 
 in the course of wliich, a charge of the most 
 flagrant corruption was openly made by the one 
 party, while it was repelled by the other, with 
 the most pointed disavowal ; as may be seen, 
 from the following corres])ondence, wliich first 
 appeared in tlie Public Advertiser, and was soon 
 after circulated in the form of a pamphlet. 
 
 " TO THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ONSLOW, ESQ. 
 
 " Ash Court, llth Julj/, 1769. 
 '•' SIR, 
 
 " 1 HAVE heard from very good authority 
 
 " that one of the lords of the treasury has lately 
 
 " gained a thousand pounds in a very common 
 
 " and usuid manner, which is yet likely to be at- 
 
 '' tended with a very uncommon and unusual 
 
 *' conscfjuence. Mr. applied to the righl 
 
 " hon. Mr. , ior his interest for a certain 
 
 ** lucrative post in America. I'lie gentleman was 
 
 ** informed that a thousand pounds placed in the
 
 122 LIFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I/69. 
 
 " hands of Mrs. would insure liim the 
 
 '' place. Mr. not having the money, pre- 
 
 " vailed on col.   to join with him in a hond 
 
 '^ for that sum to the lady to whom he was di- 
 *' rected. So far, sir, all is in the common 
 "^ track : what follows is the wonderful part of 
 *' the transaction. This lord of the treasury 
 " kept his word, and the gentleman was ap- 
 " pointed to the office he had paid for! and 
 
 " stranger still, lord , who discovered this 
 
 " bargain and sale, is offended at it, and insists 
 " on the dismission of this lord of the treasury. 
 " Now, sir, I must entreat you to favour one of 
 your constituents with the name of this lord 
 of the treasury; for you, no doubt, who sit 
 *' at that board yourself, must be acquainted 
 " with him. 
 
 '' A Freeholder of Surrey." 
 
 To this insinuation, which doubtless must have 
 been equally abhorrent to his station and his na- 
 ture, the following answer was given, a few days 
 after, by the representative for Surrey. 

 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 12J 
 
 » TO THE PRINTER OF THE PUBLIC ADVERTISER. 
 
 '* Juh/ 10. 
 " SIR, 
 
 " HAVING just now read a letter containinjr, 
 by evident insinuation, a most audacious at- 
 tack upon my character, printed by you, in 
 your paper of Friday last, asserting- a gross 
 and infamous lie from beainnins; to end; I do 
 hereby pul)licly call upon you to name the 
 person from Avhom you received the account 
 vou have presumed to puljli.>li. If you are 
 either unable or unwilling to do tliis, I shall 
 most certainly treat you as the author, and, 
 in justice both to myself and others, who are 
 every day thus malignantly and Avickedly vili- 
 fied, shall take the best advice in the law, if 
 an action will not lie for such atrocious defa- 
 mation, and if I may not hope to make an 
 example of the author of it. 
 " The scurrility in general which has been of 
 bite so heaped upon me in the public papers, 
 I have hitlierto treated with the contempt my 
 friends and my-df thought it deserved, and 
 suffered it to pass with impunity; but tliis last 
 is so outrageous, and tends so much to wound 
 my character and honour in the tendcrest part,
 
 124 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^7^9' 
 
 
 that I am determined, if practicable, to see if a 
 jury will not do me and the public justice 
 " against such a libeller; and whether they will 
 " not think the robbing an innocent man of his 
 " character is a robbery of the most dangerous 
 *' kind, and that the perpetrators of it will stick 
 " at nothine;. 
 
 *' For the present, I must content myself with 
 " only laying before the public the two following 
 *• letters, which will explain to them all the 
 *' knowledge I had of the detestable fraud, which 
 *^ has been taken advantage of to cliarge me 
 " with corruption; a crime, which, of all others, 
 ** I hold the most in abhorrence. I defy the 
 whole world to prove a single word in your 
 libellous letter to be true, or that the whole is 
 " not a barefaced, positive, and entire lie. — 
 " That it is so, I do assert, and I call upon any 
 " body, if they can, to disprove what I say. 
 
 " George Onslow." 
 
 " COPY OF A LETTER TO MR. ONSLOW. 
 
 " Neiv Bond Street, June 25, 1769. 
 
 
 '* SIR, 
 
 " I BEG you will pardon my thus addressing 
 *' you, a liberty I could not think of, was any 
 " thing less than my family's bread at stake. —
 
 l/Sp- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 125 
 
 '^' Some weeks past, my husband paid a large sum 
 *' of money, whicli gave us inex])rcssible sorrow 
 *' to raise, to a party, %\ho protest they are em- 
 " powered by you to insure him, in return, the 
 " collectorsliip of Piscataway in New Hamp- 
 " shire. I have been told this day one Hughes 
 *' is in possession of the same, and the treasury 
 " books confirm the news. I beg leave most 
 " earnestly to entreat you will inform me whether 
 " Mr. Hughes is under any engagement to re- 
 *^ sign, or whether we are duped by those who 
 " have taken our money. 
 
 " Mr. Burns has had the strongest recom- 
 " mendations from persons of undoubted vera- 
 " city, and I believe, on all accounts, will be 
 *' found to be perfectly capable and worthy of 
 " the employment. 
 
 '^ Once more I entreat, good sir, you will ex- 
 " cuse this trouI)le, which is caused by a heiut 
 '' almost broken with the fear and terror of a 
 ** disappointment. 
 
 " With the profoundest respect, 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 ** Your most obedient 
 " Imrable servant, 
 '« Mary Burns."
 
 126' tIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ITtJj). 
 
 " MR. ONSLOW'S ANSWER. 
 
 " Ember Court, June 27, 17G9. 
 ^' MADAM, 
 
 " YOUR letter was brought down to mc 
 *' hitber only to-day, or I should have answered 
 ^' it sooner. Without having the honour of 
 " being known to you or Mr. Burns, it gives me 
 " much concern that any body should be so im- 
 " posed upon as you have been, and as much 
 ••' indignation, that my name should be made so 
 " infamous a use of. I should have been under 
 *^ an equal degree of surprise, had I not this 
 " morniniif had some intimation of the matter 
 " from Mr. Pownall and Mr. Bradshaw, and 
 " made some inquiry into it of Mr. Watkins at 
 " Charing Cross, with a determination to sift 
 " this shocking scene of villainy to the bottom; 
 *^ and which I shall now be encouraged in by 
 the hopes of getting your money restored to 
 you, as well as the earnest desire I have to 
 " bring the perpetrators of tliis roguery to the 
 *' punishment and shame they deserve. 
 
 " For this purj^ose, might I beg the favour of 
 *' Mr. Bums to meet me at mv house in Curzon 
 *' Street about ten o'clock on Friday morning, I 
 *' will go with him to Mr. Pownall's^^ of which I 

 
 176'9. iiFE or JOHN iiorxe tooke. 12* 
 
 ** have given him notice; and I wish Mr. Burns 
 " would bring with him Mr. Watkins, or any 
 '' body else that can give light into this unhappy 
 '^ and wicked affair. 
 
 " Till this morning I never in my life heard a 
 *' single word of either the office itself, nor of 
 " anv of the parties concerned : you will judge 
 " then of my astonishment, and indeed horror, 
 " at hearing of it to-day from Mr. Bradshaw, 
 
 " I am, njadam^ &,c. 
 
 " George Onslow. 
 
 " P. S. Since the writing of the above letters, 
 '• more of this fraud has been detected, and far- 
 " ther inquiry is making, in order to bring the 
 *' actors in it to justice. A woman of the name 
 ' of Smith, who lives near Broad Street, is the 
 
 person who appears to be principally concerned 
 " in the fraud, the money being, it seems, for 
 " her use." 
 
 The following bitter and sarcastic rejoinder 
 appeared immediately after, in the same paper, 
 and contributed not a little to draw the atten- 
 tion of the public to a correspondence so new 
 and singular in every point of view. 

 
 128 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^9' 
 
 " TO THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ONSLOW. 
 " GOOD SIR;, 
 
 *' IF with another innocent man, lord Hol- 
 *' land, yon, too, were ambitious to add to the 
 " list of Mr. Walpole's right honourable authors, 
 " you might, like him, have exposed yourself with 
 *' more temper, and have called names in better 
 " English. 
 
 " I should be sorry to libel you by mistaking 
 *• your meaning, but the strange manner of word- 
 •^^ ing your first sentence leaves me at a loss to 
 " know whether you intend that my letter, or 
 
 " your o\^'n character ' is a gross and infa- 
 
 •'* mous lie from beginning to end.' 
 
 *' You may save yourself the expense of 
 *' taking ^ the best advice in the law.' Depend 
 *^ upon it you can never ' hope to make an ex- 
 " ample of the author, when the publisher is 
 '' unable or unwilling to give up his name." 
 " And you need not wait for a jury to determine, 
 "that S'obbing a man is certainly a robbery.' 
 " But you should have considered, some months 
 " since, that it is the same thing whether the 
 *' man be guilty or innocent; and whether he be 
 
 " robbed of his reputation or of his seat 
 
 *' in parliament.
 
 1769. I'IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 12^ 
 
 "111 the Public Advertiser of Friday, July 14, 
 *•' tliere is a letter from you as well as to you. 
 " It' that is the scurrilitif you sj)eiU< of, I agTee 
 " with you, that it 1ms been treated ivith the con- 
 " tempt it deserves by all the world ; but how you 
 '' can say that it has passed with bnpiuiity I own 
 " 1 cannot conceive, unless, indeed, you are of 
 '' opinion with those hardened criminals who 
 •■' think that, because there is no cor])oral suffer- 
 " ance in it, the beint; giljbetted in chains, and 
 " exposed as a spectacle, makes no part of their 
 " jmnishnient. 
 
 " The letter written by you to Mr. Wilkes^ 
 " tends more ' to wound your character and 
 *' honour' than any other, and yet you pass it 
 " over in silence. But you shall, if you please, 
 " prove to the world, that those who have neither 
 *' character nor honour, may still be wounded in. 
 
 *' a very tender part their interest. And I 
 
 " believe lord Hillsborough is too noble to suffer 
 *' any lord of the treasury to prostitute his name 
 '' and commission to bargains like that I have 
 '* exj)Osed ; but vill, if he continues to preside 
 " at the board of trade, resolutely insist either 
 " on such lord's full justification or dismission. 
 " Il'inc illcL' Laehvyma\ 
 
 '^ You * defy the whole world to prove a single 
 " word in my letter to be true ; or that the whole 
 
 \oi.. I. K
 
 
 130 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^9- 
 
 " is not a barefaced, positive, and entire lie.' 
 " The language of the last part of this sentence 
 *' is such as I can make no use of, and therefore 
 " I return it back on you to whom it belongs : 
 
 the defiance in the first part I accept, and will 
 
 disprove what yon say. 
 
 " My ktter can only be false in one particular. 
 " for it contains only one aflfirmation, namely, 
 *' that I heard the story I relate from very good 
 " authority. It then concludes with a question 
 " to you of — ^who is this lord of the treasury that 
 *•' so abhors corruption ? Which question since 
 *' you have answereil, I too will gratify you, 
 *' and, in return for yours, do hereby direct the 
 *" printer to give you my name ; which, humble 
 ** as it is, I should not consent to exchange with 
 ** you in any other manner. 
 
 *' Now, sir, I do again affirm, that I lieard the 
 " story from the best authority : and that it is 
 '^ not my invention your own letter is a proof, 
 " for I might have heard it either from Mrs. 
 " Burns, or from Mr. Pownall, or Mr. Bradshaw, 
 " but I heard it from better authority. I go 
 ^' farther, I do still believe the story, as I related 
 " it, to be true; nor has any thing you ha4*e said 
 '' convinced me to the contrary. I do not 
 ** mean 'to charge you or anyone; but since 
 *' you have condescended to answer my former
 
 \jG[). LIFE OF JOHN HOHNE TOOKE. 131 
 
 " question, be kind enough to explain what fbl- 
 " lo\v<;. 
 
 " Mr. Pownall is secretary to the board of 
 ^' trade. Mr. Bradshaw is secretiiry to the 
 ** treasury. Why did the?e secretaries come 
 " tosrether to vou ? Were they sent by their 
 "' ])rincij)als or not? Who first detected this very 
 *• scandalous, though very ronimon tratHc? Ha-^ 
 "not lord Hillsborough that honour? And iS 
 ^' not your exaggerated * abhorrence of corrup- 
 " tion, vour astonij^hnient, and indeed iiorrou 
 *' at this shocking scene of villainy,' vastly 
 '•' heightened by the calm, and therefore un- 
 '* suspected disapprobation of his lordsliip; who 
 "' does not seem to think witli you, that every 
 *' whore should be hanged alive; but only that 
 ' they should be turned out of honest com- 
 pany. 
 
 *' How came you so instantly to entertain hopes 
 *' of getting the money restored to Mrs. Burns ? 
 "when you declared, that 'till that morning, 
 " vou never in vour life heard a single word of 
 " either the office itself, nor of any of the parties 
 **' concerned.' Jonathan W'ihl used to return 
 *' such answers, because he knew the theft was 
 " cpmmitttd by some of his own gang. 
 
 " You pretend to have given to the public ' all 
 " the knowledge you have of this detestable 
 
 K 'J 
 
 I
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 132 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17%- 
 
 " fraud.' I cannot believe it, because I find 
 '" nothing in your letter on which to ground your 
 " hopes of restoring the money to Mrs. Burns ; 
 *' and, especially, because in tliree weeks after 
 " this letter, /. e. from June 27, to July 18, yoit 
 " have only discovered, that 'Mrs. Smith ap- 
 " pears to be principally concerned in this de- 
 " testable fraud, the money being it seems for 
 ^' her use.' Sir, do you not know whose Mrs. 
 
 Smith is ? And are you not acquainted witli 
 "^ that gentleman? Have you caused Mrs. Smith, 
 
 or any one else, to be taken into custody? 
 " Have you taken ' the best advice in the law, 
 " and are you determined to see if a jury will 
 '^ not do you and the public justice' for this dc- 
 *' testable fraud ? Or is there yet left'one crime 
 ^' which you abhor more than corruption ; and 
 '^ for which you reserve all your indignation ? 
 '^ But why this anger ? He that is innocent can 
 '• easily prove himself to be. so ; and should be 
 "^ thankful to those who give him the opportu- 
 "■ nity l)y making a story public. Malicious and 
 " false slander never a,cts in this open manner ; 
 '• but seeks the covert, and cautiously conceals 
 " itself from the party maligned, in order to 
 '^^ prevent a justification. 
 
 " U any persons have done your character an 
 f' injury by a charge of corruption, ihet^ are most
 
 i 
 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 133 
 
 " guilty who so tlioroui^lilv l)clievcd you capable 
 " of that crime, as to pay a huge sum of money 
 " on tlie snjiposition : (an indignity Avhiclj 1 
 '' protest I uouhl not have offered to yoii, though 
 " yon liad negotiated tlie matter, and given the 
 promise yoursclt.) And yet I do not iind yon 
 
 ' at all angry with them when they tell you their 
 opinion of you without scruple. On the con- 
 " trary, you pity Mrs. Burns in the kindest 
 *' manner, which shows plainly that your honour 
 " is not like Caesar's wife. Nay, you seem almost 
 " to doubt, whether you ' might beg the favour 
 '^ of Mr. Burns to meet you at your house in 
 *'* Curzon Street;' that is, you humbly solicit 
 *' Mr. Burns to do you the favour of accepting 
 " your assistance in the recovery of his money. 
 
 " Archbishop Laud tliought to clear himself 
 '^ to posterity from all as])ersious relative to 
 '' popery, by inserting in his Diary his refusal 
 " of a cardinal's hat, not perceiving the disgrace 
 
 ' indelibly fixed on him by tlie ofler. ' Mr. 
 '* Burns has had tbe strouircst recommendations 
 ** from persons ot undoul)ted veracity, and I 
 " believe on all accounts will be found to be 
 " perfectly capable and wortJiy of the emjjloy- 
 *' ment." The letter from Mrs. Jiurns to yon 
 " does, by no means, declare her to be an idiot. 
 '* Colonel >3^-i (wiion) von l(>rl)(ar to lucntion,)
 
 134 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/%- 
 
 " is a man of sense, and well acquainted with 
 " the world. It is stranae thev should all three 
 '• believe you capable of this crime, which, ' of 
 ^' all others, you most hold in abhorrence.' 
 
 *' Mr. Pownall, Mr.Bradsbaw, and their prin- 
 ^'' cipals, are supposed to know something of 
 *' men and things, and therefore I conclude they 
 *^ did not believe you concerned in this business: 
 " though I wonder much, that, not believing it, 
 " both the secretaries should wait on you so 
 " seriously about it; but perhaps they may think 
 *' that Yvhen honour and justice are not the rules 
 " of men's actions, tliere is nothing incredible 
 " that may be for their advantage. 
 
 " But, sir, whatever may be their sentiments 
 " of you, I must entreat you to entertain 
 " no resentment to me. My opinion of your 
 ** character would never sufter me to doubt your 
 *' innocence. If, indeed, the charge of corrup- 
 " tion had been brought against a low and 
 ^'' ignorant debauchee, who, without the gratifi- 
 '' cations and enjoyments of a gentleman, had 
 '•' wasted a noble patrimony amongst the lowest 
 '* ];rostitutes ; vvhose necessities had driven him 
 '*^ to hawk about a reversion on the moderate 
 *• terms of one thousand for two hundred; whose 
 " desperate situation had made him renounce his 
 ^* princi})lcs Eind desert his friends, those princi-
 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. \3b 
 
 " pies and those friends to which lie stood in* 
 ** debted for his chief support ; who, for a paltry 
 "" couiidcratioii, had stabbed a dear old friend, 
 *' and violated the sacred rights of that g-ratefiil 
 "' country that continued to the sou the rewanl 
 " of his father's services. If the charge had 
 *' been brought against such an one, more fit to 
 " receive the public charity than to be trusted 
 "' with the DISPOSAL and management of the 
 ^' public money, small proof would have been 
 *' sufficient; and, instead of considering it as a 
 '' crime the most to be abhorred, we might have 
 " suffered corruption to pass amongst the virtues 
 " of such a man. 
 
 *' But yours, sir, is a very diflercut character 
 " and situation, in the clear and unincumbered 
 *' possession of that paternal estate with which 
 *' your ancestors have long been respectable ; 
 *" with a pension of three thousand, and a place 
 "■ of one thousand a year ; with the certain 
 
 " pro«5jx?ct of lord O 's large fortune, which 
 
 " your prudence will not anticipate ; grateful to 
 " your country, faithful to your connexions, and 
 " tirm to your principles, it ought to be as diffi- 
 *' cult to convict you of corruption as a cardinal 
 " uf fornication ; for which last purpose, by the 
 " canon law, no less than seventy-two eve-wit-* 
 *' nesses are necessary.
 
 (( 
 
 a 
 a 
 
 
 136 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 17^9' 
 
 " Thus, sir, you see how far I am from cast- 
 ing any reflection on your integrity : however, 
 if, notwithstanding all I have said, you are 
 still resolved to try the determination of a 
 jury, take one piece of advice from me : do not 
 " think of prosecuting me for an insinuation : 
 alter your charge before it comes upon record, 
 to prevent its being done afterwards ; for 
 '^ though lord Mansfield did not know the dif- 
 *• ference between the words when he substi- 
 " tuted the one for the other, we all knoAv very 
 " well now that it is the tenor, and not the 
 " PURPORT, that must convict for a libel, which, 
 ^' indeed, almost every student in the law knew 
 '' before, 
 
 *^ A Freeholder of Surrey." 
 
 As this letter was obviously an aggravation of 
 the original attack, Mr. Onslow, who had by 
 this time, perhaps, discovered himself unequal 
 to a literary controversy with his unknown an- 
 tagonist, determined to appeal to the laws for 
 protection. Accordingly, on a])plication to Mr. 
 Henry Sampson Woodfall, the j)rinter, for the 
 name of the author, the reply was: "^ The rev. 
 Mr. Home, and he has authorised me to tell 
 you so." Immediately on this, instructions were 
 given to commence an action against that gen-
 
 1769. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 13/ 
 
 tleman. and, creatly to the credit of tlie plaintift', 
 mIio had his choice ot proceedings, this did not 
 prove a prosecution at the suit of the king, on 
 >vhi( h occasion, the criniinaHty and tendency of 
 the supposed libel to disturb the public peace, 
 ivould have been the only subjects for considera- 
 tion : but a civil juit, in which the accusation 
 jnust ap])ear to be false as well as scandalous, in 
 order to entitle the plaintiff to compensation. 
 The damages were laid at ten thousand pounds. 
 The trial took place at Kingston, on Friday, 
 April 6, 1770? before sir William Blackstonc, 
 and a common jury of the county of Surrey, 
 when Mr. serjeant Leigh opened the case in he- 
 half of the ])laintiff. After briefly and ably 
 stating the high rank anil dignified situation of 
 his client, he insisted, that the publication in 
 cjuestion, was a cruel and unjust attack on the 
 character of that gentleman, not by a " common 
 scribbler," but a man of al)ilities, " surrounded 
 by friends, well known to the world, and con- 
 siderable enough to be taken notice of." He 
 added, " that it became Mr. Onslow, either to 
 feink under this imputation, gross and false as it 
 is, or to vindicate himself to a jury of his 
 country ; and as lor damages, lie ho])ed they 
 would be sucii as shall convince men Jor the 
 future, that, let their wit, ca])acity, or connex-
 
 i3S LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/^p. 
 
 ions be M'hat they may, they shall not dare to 
 prostitute them to so bad a purpose, as to attack 
 wantonly, and without foundation, their neigh- 
 bour's reputation." 
 
 On the examination of Mr. Woodfall, it ap- 
 peared that \hii first letter, printed in No. 10,913, 
 of the Public Advertiser, was the only one he 
 was authorized by the defendant to acknowledge, 
 and the only one, concerning Avhich the plain- 
 tiff had incjuired. The second appeared in 
 another paper, and the printer had been in- 
 duced to publish it, in consequence of a note 
 written, as he believes, by Mr. Home, which 
 could not now be produced. 
 
 On this, Mr. Serjeant Glynn objected to any 
 verbal account being given of a written paper 
 not produced in court, not destroyed by inevi- 
 table accident, or suppressed by the fraud of the 
 defendant, the only two cases wherein a person 
 is permitted to give parole evidence. He added, 
 *' that the witness rested upon the testimony he 
 was then giving, and of the conviction he hoped 
 to obtain, to sci'cen himself from prosecution ; 
 and this was not surely a case, when the com- 
 mon, ordinary, established principle of law is to 
 be departed from." 
 
 jVIr. justice Blackstone declared his opi- 
 nion, "^ that evidence should not be given upon
 
 17^9' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 139 
 
 ?uemon/ of tbe lumd-writlng of a letter tliat is 
 not produced, merely upon the coinparL?on and 
 similitude of hands ; and, if it rested on that 
 evidence, he could not permit the printed letter 
 to be read as Mr. Home's;, without produciuij 
 the written one." 
 
 Mr. Woodfall being again called, observed, 
 that, in general, he never kept letters, as it would 
 require a room as big as the largest barn in the 
 county to hold them — that he had lately moved 
 from one house to another, on which occasion, 
 he supposes, the letter in question had been 
 destroyed — and that he had searched for but 
 could not iinil it. — On his cross-examination, he 
 acknowledged, that even the j^"/.s^ letter was not 
 pul)lished according to Mr. Home's direction — 
 and that there was a material variation, consist- 
 ing of tlie addition of esq. in tbe first line. 
 
 Mr. Messsing, who was also of counsel for Mr. 
 Home, remarked, that Mr. Onslow had under- 
 taken to prove the tenor, and in this case, if 
 tliere is any variation, however small, it would 
 set aside this action : " There is a case*, wliere 
 the word was nor, for not, the sense not being 
 in the lea>t altered, and the determination of the 
 court wa'', iliat this variation was fatal. In the 
 
 * Qncen and Drake, reported in Salkcit?, (jOO.
 
 140 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I76g. 
 
 present instance there was also a A-ariatlon, for 
 it is written ' Ash Court, 11 July' in the paper 
 just read, whereas it is the ' 11th' in the record, 
 which comes Avithin tlie objection cited." 
 
 On an appeal to the court, it was decided, 
 *' that they ought to prove the alledged libel 
 mentioned in the declaration Uteratim in the 
 w^ords, letters, and figures ; if I admit the varia- 
 tion of a single letter," adds the judge, " I do 
 not know where to stop: if it is undertaken to 
 prove the tenor of a libel, it must appear to be 
 literally and numerically the same. Here, the 
 party has not declared on the purport, which 
 would have altered the matter. I cannot make 
 a case of it, as desired, for then there must be a 
 verdict for the plaintiflj which my brother Glynn 
 will not consent to ; but a motion may be made 
 to set aside the nonsuit and obtain a new trial, 
 upon the ground of my being mistaken in point 
 of law," 
 
 In consequence of this decision, Mr. Home 
 escaped with impunity for the present; but a 
 new trial was soon after moved for in the court 
 of King's Bench, on the ground of " misdirec- 
 tion on the part of the judge." After hearing 
 counsel on both sides, this Avas granted ; the 
 usual preliminary steps Avere taken ; and, issue 
 being once more joined by the parties, the cause
 
 I'by. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 141 
 
 Avas set down for heiiring', at the ensuing Surrey 
 assizes, before a special jury. On that occasion, 
 a new count was added to the former dechira- 
 tion, for " defamatory words" spoken before the 
 freeholders of the county against one of tlieir 
 representatives. 
 
 Although the defendant did not plead his own 
 cause, yet he interested himself greatly in all 
 the proceedings; and, notwithstanding his high 
 opinion of the abilities of his advocates, he 
 differed with them about the mode of conducting 
 the suit. It finally appeared, indeed, that he 
 was right as to an essential point of practice, for 
 they were overruled, as he had foreseen^ by the 
 chief justice. 
 
 The earl of Mansfield, who presided on this 
 occasion, was accused by Mr. Home of hurrying 
 on tlie cause a considerable time before the hour 
 at which the jurv had been summoned to attend, 
 and ill consecjuence of this talesmen were re- 
 curred to, for the purpose of tilling up the places 
 of five special jurors, who had not yet arrived. 
 Be this as it may, Serjeant Cilynn and Mr- 
 Messing, both of whom liad been again retained, 
 insisted on the impropriety of prosecuting a con- 
 stituent for making a charge openly, and in the 
 face of his representative who had thereby an 
 o])portunity of clearing him-clf, if innocent.
 
 1-12 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1 / 69. 
 
 Thev also contended, that no action for words 
 will lie unless specific damages were proved ; 
 andj above all, it was strongly and repeatedly 
 asserted by them, that the evidence respecting 
 the letters was insufficient and directly in oppo- 
 sition to all the received maxims of lav/. Not- 
 withstanding this, the chief justice, in his charge, 
 sti'ongly urged the great impropriety, scandal, 
 &c., of the various accusations made, and the 
 defamatory libel uttered by the defendant, after 
 which the jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff, 
 with four hundred pounds damages. 
 
 Undaunted at the result, and doubtless re- 
 joicing at an opportunity of contending with, 
 and perhaps foiling this learned and eloquent 
 judge at his own weapons, Mr. Home deter- 
 mined to appeal to a superior tribunal. Accord- 
 ingly, on November 8, 177^, a rule was moved 
 for in the court of Common Pleas, to show 
 cause, why the second verdict should not be set 
 aside, and the 26th of the same month was the 
 day appointed for an argument on the question, 
 before the twelve judges. Mr. serjeant Glynn,, 
 on this occasion, re-stated his former reasons 
 with his usual ability, and insisted, that the last 
 jury had acted not only under misdirection on 
 the part of the judge, but that the latter had 
 delivered a charge to them, in express violation
 
 l/Cy. I'IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 143 
 
 of the received principles of law. As this was 
 deemed a point of great importance, to prevent 
 a hasty decision, and give ample time for deli- 
 beration, final judgment was adjourned until 
 next term. On the recurrence of that period, 
 the judges, on April 17, 177I5 finally and una- 
 nimously declared in favour of the defendant, in 
 consequence of which the second verdict was set 
 aside. 
 
 This, of course, aftbrded no small exultation 
 to Mr. Home, who had directed and superin- 
 tended the proceedings: as he had thus publicly 
 proved, in the face of the whole nation, that the 
 lord chief justice, great and able as he assuredly 
 was, could not now be considered as infallible : and 
 from this day forward, he took every opportu- 
 nity to arraign the <;:onduct, underrate the talents, 
 and oppose the opinions of that celebrated man. 
 Nor did his resentment against Mr. Onslow end 
 here ; for he opposed him at the next general 
 election, and, being indefatigable in his canvass of 
 the county, and a man of no common intluence, 
 contributed not a little to prevent his return. 
 Perceiving the hon. William Norton, now lord 
 GrantJey, and who had just returned from his 
 travels, to be a young man of great hopes and 
 promising talents, he warmly seconded his pre- 
 tentions, which appear to have obtained general
 
 144 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. !/%• 
 
 approbation, and that gentleman being accord* 
 ingly elected, conducted himself so, as to give 
 entire satisfaction to all parties, until, by the 
 .demise of his father, he became a peer of the 
 realm. 
 
 Junius, who was afterwards one of the 
 bitterest of Mr. Home's antagonists, at an early 
 period predicted the fate of the controversy. In 
 a private letter* addressed to Mr. Woodfall, 
 dated "Wednesday night, August 1 6, 1769,'* 
 he affects to express great contempt for Mr. 
 Onslow ; and presumes to add, " depend upon 
 it, he will get nothing but shame by contending 
 with Mr. Home." 
 
 Itls but justice, however, to observe, that both 
 lord Hillsborough and Mr. Pownall publicly 
 disavowed all knowledge of this transaction, the 
 suit relative to which is said to have been 
 attended with an expense estimated at not less 
 than one thousand five hundred pounds to the 
 plaintiff', while it cost no more than two hundred 
 pounds to the defendant. 
 
 * No. 7, p. 197, vol. i, of the new edit. There also will 
 be found the two letters afterwards alluded to, vindicating the 
 character of Mr. Onslow.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 FROM 1770 TO 1771. 
 
 Mr. Ilorue suggests the Idea of a. Replt/ to the 
 King, and obtains a Statue for tJie Lord Mayor. 
 — Founds the " Society for Supporting the 
 Bill of Rights." — Countenances Bingley in 
 his Refusal to answer Interrogatories, 
 
 MEANWHILE, the ministers still remained 
 unpopular, and the county of Middlesex, whicli 
 was deprived of the services of its favourite 
 representative, was eager, on all occasions, to 
 attack their principles and impeach their con- 
 duct. On turning to the proceedings of this 
 period, it will he found, that the vicar of New 
 Brentford was not idle. Incited by his usual 
 entljusiasm, he not only acted a conspicuous 
 part on every public occasion, but for a time 
 exercised a kind of paramount jurisdiction over 
 all the political })roceediiigs of that day. A 
 variety of pnjofs of his influence might be here 
 readily adduced; and the following extract from. 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 LIFE OF JOHN HOIINE TOOKE. 1770' 
 
 an address of the freeholders to the king, moved 
 and carried by him, April 30, 1770, at the Mile 
 End Assembly Room, will at least tend to show, 
 that the language of those times was not deficient 
 in energy. 
 
 " Your majesty^s servants have attacked our 
 liberties in the most vital part ; they have torn away 
 the very heart-strings of the constitution, and have 
 made those very men the instruments of our de- 
 straction, whom the laws have appointed as the im- 
 mediate guardians of our freedom. Yet, although 
 we feel the utmost indignation against thefactions, 
 the honest defenders of our lights, and constitu- 
 tion, will ever claim our praise : but that the 
 liberties of the people have been most grossly 
 violated by the corrupt influence of ministers, 
 since the days of sir Koliert Walpole, is too 
 notorious to require either illustration or com- 
 ment." 
 
 Not only petitions, but remonstrances to the 
 throne, were at this moment meditated in various 
 places. The counties of Middlesex and Surrey 
 had requested his majesty to dissolve the parlia- 
 ment, in consequence of the illegal rejection of 
 Mr. Wilkes by the house of commons, after 
 having been returned for the fourth time, as 
 knight of the shire. On March 28, 17/0, the 
 city of Westminster also voted a remonstrance, 
 in which an allusion was made *' to the same
 
 17rO. I^IF*- OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 14/ 
 
 sccrcf and unlmppi/ influence to whicli all their 
 jjrievanccs luivc l)een oriirinallv owins;." 
 
 Nearly at the same time the lord mayor, 
 aldermen, and livery of the city oi" London, in 
 common hall assemhled, resolved on " an hum- 
 hie addre<«. remimstrance, and ])etition." Bat 
 on the sheriffs repairing as nsual to St. James's, 
 to know his majesty's pleasure, as to the day 
 when tliev should attend to ])resent the same, 
 some diih (III ties were started on the part of the 
 mini-sters; however, in consequence of th.e spirited 
 conduct of Mr. Town^hend, the senior slierift", 
 who declined the intervention of the two secre- 
 taries of state, and refused to communicate to 
 any other person than the king the su.hject ot 
 their message, an audience was at length oh- 
 tained. On this occasion the citizens, as nsual, 
 complain to the sovereign : " that, under the 
 same secret and malign influence, which, through 
 every succes-jive administration, has defeated 
 every good, and suggested every had intention, 
 the majority of the house of commons have 
 deprived vonr ])eople of their dearest rights. 
 I'hey have done a deed more ruinous in its con- 
 sequences," add they, " than the levying of 
 ship-monov hy Charles the First, or the dispen- 
 sing power assumed hy James the Second. A 
 deed which must vitiate all the futvne proceed* 
 
 L 2
 
 148 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE- ^77^- 
 
 ings of this parliament^ for the acts of the legis- 
 lature itself can no more he valid without a legal 
 house of commons, than without a legal prince 
 upon the throne. 
 
 " Representatives of the people are essential 
 to the making of laws, and there is a time when 
 it is morally demonstrable, that men cease to he 
 lepresentatives ; the time is now arrived : the 
 present house of commons do not represent the 
 people. 
 
 " We owe to your majesty an obedience under 
 the restrictions of the laws for the calling and 
 duration of parliament; and^'our majesty owes 
 to us that our representation, free from the 
 force of arms or corruption, should he preserved 
 to us in parliament. It was for this we success- 
 fully struggled under James the Second ; for 
 this we seated, and have faithfully supported, 
 your majesty's family on the throne: the people 
 have been invariably uniform in their object, 
 thoueh the different mode of attack has called 
 for a chfterent defence. 
 
 " Under James the Second they complained 
 that the sitting of parliament ivas interrupted, 
 because it was not corruptly subservient to his 
 designs : we complain now, that the sitting of 
 this parliament is not inteirupted, because it is 
 rorruptly snl)servLent to the designs of vour
 
 l/'70. T.IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 149 
 
 majesty's ministers. Had tlic parliament under 
 James the Second been as submissive to bis 
 commands as the ])arliamont is at this day tv 
 the dictates of a minister, instead of clamours 
 for its meeting:, the nation would have run"::, as 
 now, with outcries for its dissolution. 
 
 *' The forms of the constitution, like those of 
 religion, were not established for the form's 
 sake, but for the substance ; and we call (tod 
 and men to witness, that, as we do not owe our 
 liberty to those nice and subtle distinctions, 
 which places, and pensions, and lucrative em- 
 ployments, have invented ; so neither will we be 
 deprived of it by them; but as it was gained by 
 the stern virtue of our ancestors, by the virtue 
 of their descendant? it shall be preserved. 
 
 " Since, therefore, the misdeeds of your nia- 
 jesty'j) ministers, in violating the freedom of 
 tdection and de])raving the noble constitution 
 of parliament, are notorious, as well as subver- 
 sive of the fundamental laws and liberties of 
 this realm; and since vour maicstv, both in 
 honour and justice, is obliged inviolably to pre- 
 serve them, according to the oath made to (ioD 
 and your su')jects at your coronation : we, vour 
 majesty's remonstrants, assure ourselves, that 
 your majesty will restore the constitutional go- 
 vfrnmrnt and (jwitt of vonr pcujple, by dissolving
 
 150 LIFE OF JOHN HORN£ TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 this parliament, and removing these evil mini- 
 sters for ever from yom' councils." 
 
 His majesty, in his answer, was pleased to sig^- 
 nify his concern, that any of his subjects should 
 be so far misled, as to offer such an address and 
 remonstrance. He at the same time pronounced 
 the contents to be " disrespectful to him, inju- 
 rious to his parliament, and irreconcilable to 
 the principles of the constitution." 
 
 There can be but little doubt that Mr. Home 
 was minutely acquainted with every thing rela- 
 tive to this famous remonstrance, and it was 
 then supposed, that, if not the actual penman, 
 he at least inserted some of the most striking 
 passages, and corrected the whole. Indeed, it 
 is a well known fact, that he transmitted a copy 
 of it to the printer of the Public Advertiser, -ac- 
 companied with an account of the ungracious 
 reception experienced by the citizens. The fol- 
 lowing forms the concluding passage: 
 
 '' When his majesty had done reading his 
 speech, the lord mayor, aldermen, &c. had the 
 honour of kissing his hand; after which, as 
 they were withdrawing, his majesty instantly 
 turned round to his courtiers, and burst out q, 
 Im/ghlng. 
 
 " ' Nero fiddled whilst Rome was burning.' " 
 For this very imprutkmt publication, a prose-
 
 l/'O- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 151 
 
 cation was imiiiediiitely commenced on the part 
 of the crown ; but after tlie King's Bench liad 
 been moved on this subject, it was deemed 
 proper to drop all further proceeding:s. 
 
 A few davs after this transaction, a most loyal 
 address was presented by both houses of parlia- 
 ment to the king, in which the members, in the 
 name of themselves and the people, " reject 
 with disdain every insidious suggestion of those 
 ill-designing men, who are in reality under- 
 mining the public liberty, under the specious 
 ])retence of zeal for its preservation." 
 
 Notwithstanding this, the city, in its corpo- 
 rate capacity, nearly at the same time, resolved 
 to draw up and present a new address and re- 
 monstrance, which was accordingly effected on 
 the 23d of May, '^77% and read to the king, 
 seated on his throne, by the recorder. As this 
 is known to have been wholly written by Mr. 
 Home, a copy of it shall be inserted in this 
 place.
 
 152 Lll^E OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/T^- 
 
 " TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 
 
 " Th humble Address, Remonstrance, and Pe- 
 tition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and 
 Commons of the City of London, in Common 
 Council assembled. 
 
 *' May it please your majesty! - 
 
 " When your majesty's most faithful subjects, 
 the citizens of London, whose loyalty and af- 
 fection have been so often, and so eflectually 
 proved and experienced, by the illustrious house 
 of Brunswick, are labouring under the weight 
 of that displeasure, which your majesty has been 
 advised to lay upon them, in the answer given, 
 from the throne, to their late humble applica- 
 tion, we feel ourselves constrained, with all hu- 
 mility, to approach the royal father of his 
 people. 
 
 " Conscious, sire, of the purest sentiments 
 of veneration, which they entertain for your ma- 
 jesty's person, we are deeply concerned that 
 what the law allows, and the constitution teaches, 
 hath been misconstrued into disrespect to your 
 majesty, by the instruments of that influence 
 which shakes the realm. 
 
 " Pei'plexed and astonished as we are, by 
 tlie awful sentence of censure, lately passed upon
 
 17/0. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 15:i 
 
 tlie citizens of London, in vonr majesty's an- 
 SMer from i\\c throne, we cannot, without snr- 
 renderinu- all that is dear to Englishmen, forbear 
 most humbly to supplicate, that your majesty 
 "vvill dtign to grant a more favourable interpre- 
 tation oi this dutifnl, though persevering claim 
 to our invaded birth-rischts; nothin<? doubtin::, 
 that the benignity of your majesty's nature will, 
 to our ims})eiikable comfort, at length, break 
 throng'i nil the secret and visible machinations, 
 to which the city of London owes its late severe 
 rejMiNe, and that your kingly justice, and 
 fatherly tenderness, Avill disclaim the malignant 
 and jK'rnicious advice, which suggested the 
 answer we deplore, an advice of most dan- 
 gerous tendency, inasmuch as thereby the 
 exercise of the clearest right of the subject, 
 namely, to petition the king for redress of 
 grievances, to complain of the violation of the 
 freedom of election, to pray dissolution of 
 parliament, to point out mal-practices in admi- 
 nistration, and to urge the removal of evil mi- 
 nisters, hath, by the generality of one compen- 
 dious word, been indiscriminately checked with 
 reprimand; and your majesty's afflicted citizens 
 of London, have heard, from tiie throne itscli, 
 that the contents of their humble address, re- 
 monstrance, and petition, laying their com])laint?
 
 154 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1770- 
 
 and injuries at the feet of their sovereign, can- 
 not bnt be considered by your majesty, as dis- 
 respectful to yourself, injurious to your parlia- 
 ment, and irreconcilable to the principles of the 
 constitution. 
 
 " Your majesty cannot disapprove, that we 
 here assert the clearest principles of the consti- 
 tution, against the insidious attempt of evil 
 counsellors to perplex, confound, and shake 
 them. We are determined to abide by those 
 rights and liberties, which our forefathers bravely 
 •vindicated at the ever-memorable revolution, 
 and which their sons will always resolutely de- 
 fend: we therefore now renew, at the foot of 
 the throne, our claim to the indispensable right 
 of the subject, a full, free, and unmutilated par- 
 liament, legally chosen in all its members: a 
 right, which this house of commons have mani- 
 festly violated, depriving, at their will and 
 pleasure, the county of Middlesex of one of its 
 legal representatives, and arbitrarily nominating, 
 as a knight of the shire, a person not elected by 
 a majority of the freeholders. 
 
 " As the only constitutional means of repara- 
 tion now left for the injured electors of Great 
 Britain,weimplore,with most urgent supplication, 
 the dissolution of this j)resent parliament, the re- 
 moval of evil ministers, and the total extinction
 
 17/0. LIFE OF JOHN HORKE TOOKE. 155 
 
 of that fatal influence, which lias caused such a 
 national discontent. In the mean time, sire, 
 we offer our constant prayers to Heaven, that 
 your majest}- may reig:n, as kings can only reign, 
 in and by the hearts of a loyal, dutiful, and free 
 people." 
 
 His majesty, who was surrounded by his 
 secretaries of state, the lords of the hedchamber, 
 and a numerous court, immediately delivered 
 the following answer: 
 
 *' I should have been wanting to the public, 
 as well as to myself, if 1 had not expressed my 
 dissatisfaction at the late address. 
 
 " My sentiments on that subject continue the 
 same; and I should ill deserve to be considered 
 as the father of my people, if I should suffer 
 myself to be prevailed upon to make such an 
 use of my prerogative, as I cannot but think in- 
 consistent with the interest, and dangerous to 
 the constitution of the kingdom." 
 
 This answer had been, of course, anticipated, 
 and Mr. Home, who was determined to give 
 celebrity to the mayoralty of his friend, Mr. 
 Bccklord, at the same time that he supported 
 the common cause, had suggested the idea of 
 a reply to the sovereign: a measure hitherto 
 unexampled iti our history. Accc»rdinglv, the 
 momeut the king had concluded, the first ma-
 
 156 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177<^' 
 
 gistrate of the first city of the eiispire, who was 
 dressed in the robes, and decorated Avith the in- 
 signia of office, instead of kissing hands, as 
 usual, and then withdrawing, immediately ap- 
 proached the throne, and expressed himself 
 nearly as follows, to the great surprise of his 
 majesty, and the utter astonishment of the 
 courtiers who surrounded him: 
 *' Most gracious Sovereign! 
 
 " Will your majesty be pleased so far to con- 
 descend, as to permit the mayor of your loyal 
 city of London, to declare, in your royal pre- 
 sence, on behalf of his fellow- citizens, how 
 much the bare apprehension of your majesty's 
 displeasure would at all times affbct their minds! 
 The declaration of that displeasure has already 
 filled them with inexpressible anxiety and with 
 the deepest affliction. 
 
 *' Permit me, sire, to assure your majesty, 
 that your majesty has not, in all your dominions, 
 any subjects more faithful, more dutiful, or 
 more ready to sacrifice their lives and fortunes 
 in the maintenance of the true honour and dig- 
 nity of your crown. 
 
 " We do, therefore, with the greatest humi- 
 lity and submission, most earnestly supplicate 
 your majesty, that you will not dismiss us from 
 your presence without expressing a more favour-
 
 17rO. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 157 
 
 able o])iiiioii of yonr faithful citizens, and with- 
 out some comfort, without bome prospect at least 
 of redress. 
 
 " Permit me, sire, to observe, that whoever 
 lias already dared, or shall hereafter endeavoni-, 
 by false insinuations and suggestions, to alienate 
 your majesty's afl'ections from your loyal subjects 
 in general, and from the city of London in par- 
 ticular, is an enemy to your majesty's person and 
 family, a violator of tlie public peace, and a be- 
 trayer of our happy constitution, as it was esta- 
 blished at the glorious revolution."' 
 
 Immediately on his return, Mr. Beckford 
 communicated this novel circumstance to the 
 inemljers of the corporation, and dying soon 
 after, by an unaninious vote of the city, a 
 statue of their chief magistrate was erected 
 on purpose to commemorate the event. The 
 lord mayor, adorned with his robes of of- 
 fice, is represented in the attitude in which 
 he addressed the throne ; while the speech in 
 rc'j)lv, delivered by him on this singular occasion, 
 is engraved in golden characters ou the pedestal. 
 This, as Mr. Home lately acknowledged to me, 
 was Jus composition, and in consequence of that 
 circumstance he was accustomed toexclaim,"that 
 he could not be deemed a vain man, as he had ob- 
 tained statues lor others, but never for himsqlf !"
 
 158 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKfe. 177<5' 
 
 On this, as on the former occasion, he inserted 
 a description of the procession, the speech of 
 the recorder, and the rejoinder of the lord 
 mayor, in the newspaj:)ers. No one was better cal- 
 culated to give copies of those harangues than the 
 person who had furnished the originals ; and as 
 to the occurrences at St. James's, he w^as enabled 
 to detail the particulars from the lips of the 
 members of the deputation. He concluded with 
 the following satirical passage, conveyed under 
 the form of a N. B. 
 
 '^' The writer of the above account having 
 given great offence to some persons, by insert- 
 ing, in a former paper, that Nero Jiddled ivhilst 
 Rome ivas burning — and an information having 
 been filed by the attorney-general against the 
 printer in consequence, he takes this opportu- 
 nity to declare, that it was not his intention to 
 falsify an historical fact, or to give offence to bet- 
 ter memories ; he hopes, therefore, that it will be 
 admitted as a recompence, if he now declares, 
 that Nero did not fiddle whilst Rome was 
 burning." 
 
 Soon after this, the Cirafton administration 
 evinced symptoms of a speedy dissolution ; and 
 the j:;oliticians and men of letters, who had so long 
 and so inefficaciously waged war against the mea- 
 sures of the duke, attributed, perhaps, more than
 
 l^O. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 159 
 
 a due share of the victory to their lou^, violent, 
 and incessant attacks. Their triumph, however, 
 proved but of short duration ; for neither the 
 Rockingluim nor Shelhurne parties were admitted 
 to the confidence of their sovereign. The great 
 seal, which iiad been confided for a few days to 
 the hands of Mr, Yorke, who died suddenly, was 
 next entrusted to lortl Apsley, while the earls 
 of Sandwich and Rochford became secretaries of 
 state. Lord TSorth, at the same time, seized the 
 helm, which he retained for a succession of 
 years ; and at last, when surrounded by shoals 
 and quicksands, not only contrived to esca])e, 
 but, by admitting a partner in command, wa* 
 lucky enough to resume, for a timc^ his wonted 
 ascendancy. 
 
 At this ])eriod, the subject of these memoirs 
 appears to have supported that party which con- 
 sisted of his friends Dunning and Townshend, 
 colonel Barr^, and a few others, less conspicuous 
 for their numbers than tiieir zeal and talents. 
 V\ ith the nobleman at the head of it, he had been 
 long connected, and at this period entertained 
 the hijrhest esteem for hirn. The eaj'l of Shol- 
 burne had lately evinced equal dignity and disin- 
 terestedness by retiring from olHce, when he 
 thought tliat he could no longer act either with 
 honour to himself or advantage to his country;
 
 l60 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE* ^77^' 
 
 and his lordship was now once more a candidate 
 for public favour, which, at that day, was con- 
 sidered the readiest avenue to public employ- 
 ment. But he was a cautious politician, fearful of 
 giving offence, and shy of personal responsibility, 
 even in respect to those measures connected with 
 his future views. Although the popular arsenal 
 had furnished him with arms wherewith to annoy 
 his enemies, and he himself, on great occasions, 
 brought forth the whole opposition park of 
 heavy artillery against the treasury bench ; yet 
 he would not fetter his future conduct, or im- 
 pede his present views, by means of promises 
 implying amendment : and it was in vain that 
 Mr. Home, taught distrust by experience, de-. 
 manded pledges of fidelity in behalf of the 
 commonwealth. 
 
 It was about this time that the zeal of this 
 industrious politician contrived a new mode of 
 attack on an administration, which was pecu- 
 liarly odious to him, and, it must be fairly con- 
 fessed, not a little obnoxious to the nation at 
 large. Tacitus has observed, with his usual 
 penetration, that the spirit of resistance first 
 displays itself in great cities, as in these, men 
 possess frequent opportunities of comparing 
 grievances and forming plans for the redress of 
 their real wrongs . And this effect was now
 
 ir~0. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l6l 
 
 actually produced ia the British capital hy the 
 ministers themselves, who had driven the earl 
 of Chatham into retirement, and given to their 
 disputes with Mr. Wilkes the air of a personal 
 contest between the king and a subject. In ad- 
 dition to this, they had made use of their influ- 
 ence in the house of commons, not only to set 
 that l)odv at variance with its constituents, but 
 even to commit an act of such flagrant injus- 
 tice, that it was afterwards rescinded from the 
 records of parliament. 
 
 The decision concerning the illegality of 
 general warrants, and the frequent but unavail- 
 ing petitions and remonstrances from a number 
 of counties, cities, and boroughs, respecting the 
 Middlesex election, trifling as the object may 
 now apj)ear, tended not a little both to raise and 
 toaggrtvate the j)ublic clamours. The minority, 
 too, partly from principle, and partly also, per- 
 haps, from the hope of supplanting its more 
 Ibrtimate rivals, joined in the general outcry; 
 while the name of Pitt, although now on the 
 decline, still continued to gi\e dignity to the 
 common cause, and Wilkes, become more daring, 
 as well as more dangerous by persecution, had 
 attained the zenith of his ])opularity. 
 
 i'his was deemed a favourable conjuncture, 
 therefore, to organize a new, as well as formi- 
 
 vo L. I. M
 
 ]6'2 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE, 177^- 
 
 liable species of opposition, and, by means of 
 political associations, to concentrate tbe hitherto 
 unheeded resentments and influence of a num- 
 ber of scattered individuals into one formidable 
 mass, whicli, without either the forms or re- 
 straints of a body politic, should produce all the 
 spirit, zeal, and effect of a great corporation. 
 Clubsj such as these alluded to, seem to have 
 been unknown to the free states of antiquity, 
 the inhabitants of which usually recurred to arms 
 in the first instance, and fought rather than de- 
 liberated. Like the press, they constitute a 
 modern and formidable engine, and have accord- 
 ingly been viewed with a certain degree of jea- 
 lousy by every goverument. These institutions, 
 which may be traced to Italy during the middle 
 ages, appear to have originated in this country 
 about the time of the civil wars, and the first one, 
 perhaps, mentioned in our history, is the "Rota," 
 in which questions were finally decided by means 
 *>f a ballot *. 
 
 A multitudeof associations of thiskind had been 
 suddenly created, and were either denominated 
 ufter the places in which they assembled, such 
 us, '' Appleby's" and the " Standard Tavern," 
 or designated by the views of the leading mem- 
 bers, like the " Antigallicans," the " Retrospec- 
 
 * See the Life of Hurrrngton^ prefixed to the " Oceana.''
 
 1770. iU-£ OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. iGS 
 
 lion," ^kc. These beini;" goneriilly more nu- 
 merous than respectable, it was at leni^th deter- 
 mined, in I'^Jf). to form one, ^^hich ^lu)uld have 
 for its main oljject the jireservation of the con- 
 stitution, as it had been established at the Revo- 
 lution, and lit the suij:i^estlon ot Mr. llorne, who 
 may ])e eonsiderod as the founder, it assumed 
 the denomination of the "^Societv for snj)|)orting 
 the Bill of Hiijlits." 'I'his met at stated times, 
 at the London Tavern, and the following appear 
 to have been the original members : 
 Sir John KiMMiard, hart. 
 Sir Francis Blake Dclaval, K. B 
 Sir Joseph Mawbey, bart. 
 Mr. Serjeant Glynn, M. P. for the county of 
 
 Mi(hllcsex. 
 Lord Monntmprris. 
 
 Bev.l )r. Wilson, rector of St. StepiieUjWalbroke. 
 Hov. John Ilorne. 
 Air. Serjeant Adair, afterwards recorder of 
 
 London. 
 Die alderman Wilkes, MP. for Middlesex. 
 
 Sawbridge, M.P. for London. 
 
 Oliver, M. P. lor London. 
 
 I'ownsiiend, M. P. for Calne. 
 
 J{obcrt Morris, exj. a barrister, was chosen 
 
 houorarv secretary; and 
 W iliiain 'J'ooke, cs(|. treasurer. 
 
 M 2
 
 l64 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^^' 
 
 This society was originally instituted for the 
 express purpose of su])porting all those whose 
 rights had heen violated, whose fortunes had 
 been injured, or whose persons had heen seized 
 and imprisoned, in opposition to the laws of the 
 land. The members were few at first, but re- 
 spectable both for wealth and talents. Their 
 meetings, their speeches, their resolutions, and, 
 above all, their subscriptions, were attended 
 with powerful effects. They inflamed the zeal of 
 each other ; they inspired the public mind with 
 energy, vigour, and resentment ; they supported 
 those who were doomed to expiate their political 
 offences by a rigorous imprisonment; and they 
 found means to agitate some critical questions iu 
 the courts of justice, tlie decision of which was 
 attended with wonderful effect. Mr. Home, a^^ 
 has already been intimated, was a leading man in 
 this society ; and there h reason to suppose, thar 
 he either drew up the whole or part of the fol- 
 lowing instructions, intended to be presented by 
 way of test, to all candidates, before their elec- 
 tion to serve in parliament. 
 
 Resolves of the supporters of the Bill of 
 liights, on the 2.3d of July, 1/71, at the Lon- 
 don Tavern : 
 
 1. You shall consent to no supplies, without 
 a previous redress of grievances.
 
 1770- i-^fE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l65 
 
 2. You .shiill projnote a law, subjecting; each 
 candidate to an oalli jii^ainst liaviujz^ used hri- 
 }>ery, or any other illegal means oi" conijjasi,ing 
 his election. 
 
 3. You shall j)roniotc, to the utmost of your 
 j)o\ver, a lull and etjual representation of the 
 ])eoj)le in parliament. 
 
 4. You shall endeavour to restore annual par- 
 liaments. 
 
 5. You shall promote a pension and place 
 hill, enacting, that any member who receives 
 a j)lace, pension, contract, lottery-ticket, or any 
 other emolument whatsoever from the crown, or 
 onjoys profit from any such place, pension, &c. 
 shall not only vacate his seat, but be absolutely 
 ineligible during his continuance under such un- 
 due influence. 
 
 6. You shall impeach the ministers who ad- 
 vised the violating the right of the freeholders in 
 the Middlesex election, and the njilitary mur- 
 ders in St. (jeoriie's Fields. 
 
 7. You shall njiike strict inquiry into the con- 
 <hict of judges, touching juries. 
 
 8. You shall make strict inquiry into the 
 .q)}ili( ation of the ])ubiic money. 
 
 i). You shall use your utmost cndea\i)urs to 
 have the resolution of tlu; house of commons 
 • xjjtingcfl, by which the mugi-trates of the city
 
 \G6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 of London were arbitrarily imprisoned, for 
 strictly adhering to their charter and their oaths; 
 and also that resolution, by which a judicial re- 
 cord was erased to stop the course of justice. 
 
 10. You shall attend to the grievances of our 
 fellow-subjects in Ireland, and second the com- 
 plaints they may bring to the tlirone. 
 
 11. You shall endeavour to restore to Ame- 
 rica the essential right of taxation, by represen- 
 tatives of their own free election ; re})ealing the 
 acts passed in violation of that right since the 
 year 1 7^3 ; and the universal excise, so notori- 
 ously incompatible with every principle of British 
 liberty, which has been lately substituted in the 
 colonies, for the laws of customs. 
 
 Junius, who, about this time, not only enjoyed 
 a high degree of celebrity, but also of estimation, 
 praises this institution; affirms it already had 
 heen of signal service to the public, and wishes 
 to promote a similar plan, for the formation of 
 constitutional clubs throughout the kingdom. 
 
 The publications and donations of this society, 
 upjiear, indeed, to have produced a Avonderful 
 effect on the public mind. It was in this, and 
 similar assemblies, that the question relative to 
 the Middlesex election, by being frequently de- 
 bated, still continued to harass ministers, and 
 irritate the people against them. It was there.
 
 17/0. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I67 
 
 also, tliat the doctrine ot interrogatories was 
 Hrst ])robe{l to the (|uick; that the right of coiii- 
 mitincnt on the part of the house of commons 
 was originally agitated, and rendered doubtful ; 
 Mhile, by the spirited intervention of the mem- 
 bers, a hnndjle mechanic, with right on his side, 
 was enabled to foil the lord chief justice of 
 Eiiirland. 
 
 By means of this association, the press was 
 enabled to contend on more equal terms against 
 the current of power. The printers of three 
 popular newspapers* were encouraged and 
 supported by its votes and its bounty; and it not 
 unfrecpiently happened, that a sentence of the 
 court of King's Bench, instead of overwhelming 
 with poverty, contributed not a little to the 
 ])rosj)erity of the delincpient. In consequence 
 of its unabating exertions^ too, the debts of Mr. 
 W ilkes, to a very large amount, were cither 
 paid or compounded; and it soems to have been 
 the ijeneral intention, not only to have cleared 
 him from all incumbrances, but to have crowned 
 
 * 1. The Lon»lon Evfcning PoA, printed for I\liller, who 
 was repeatedly prosecute*!, fined, and iiM|)rUoned, without 
 producing any other etiert wtiaiever, but an increase of 
 zeal. 
 
 2. The Public Adverliser, p'ihli>,he(l by Honrv Sanip'?on 
 Wood fall. 
 
 3. The Middlesex Journal.
 
 l68 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 the whole, by purchasing a htrge annuity, which, 
 together with the remainder of his fortune, would 
 have placed him equally above wiuit and 
 meanness. 
 
 But this society, oriijinaliv intended for ffe- 
 neral purposes, was at length narrowed, by the 
 arts of a few interested persons, into a committee, 
 for the exclusive benefit of a single individual. 
 Mr. Home, although he had taken an active 
 part to promote the success and relieve the dis- 
 tresses of Mr. Wilkes, was of course indignant 
 at the idea. In addition to this, at that very 
 moment, he had two favourite plans in view, 
 connected with each other and with the com- 
 mon cause; both of which he wished to be 
 powerfully supported by the influence, the re- 
 putation, and the treasury of the Bill of Rights. 
 One of these respected a point of law inti- 
 mately connected with the liberty of the subject; 
 the other had for its object the freedom of the 
 press, and the right of the constituents to be- 
 come acquainted with the deliberations of their 
 representatives on public affairs. Of these two 
 questions, he wished to agitate the former im- 
 mediately. 
 
 A printer, of the name of Bingley, had been 
 prosecuted for publishing a letter, from Mr. 
 Wilkes, reflecting on the administration and
 
 177<^- I-IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l6<) 
 
 the court« vf justioe. On this occasion, the evi- 
 dence heiu": too defective for conviction, lord 
 Man^Kekl adopted a novel, and, as it finally 
 proved, an illegal mode of ]noceeding, never 
 before practised since the abolition of the star 
 chan»ber: for, in ex])ress defiance of that noble 
 ])rinciple of English jnrisprndence, which wisely 
 and humanely precludes a party from crimi- 
 nating himself, this great man, had been in- 
 duced from his hatred to libels, by which his 
 own character was now almost daily assailed, to 
 examine this ])erson, and, if possible, extract a 
 confession, of guilt from his own mouth. He 
 accordingly made a rule of court, for this ex- 
 press j)urpose, and ajipointed a day to answer 
 certain questions, on failure of which, he was to 
 be committed for contempt. 
 
 The doctrine of conviction, bv means of in- 
 terrogatories, here alluded to, is familiar to the 
 imperial law, in which, the intervention of a 
 jury, that noble bulwark of gothic liberty, is 
 unknown, an arbitrary power of decision Ixnng 
 placed in the bieast of a single man. This mode 
 of j)r()ceeding was at length adoj)ted in the ec- 
 clesiastical courts of this country, and continued 
 for ages, until it was enacted by statute*, that 
 it shall not be lawful for any bishop or ecclesi- 
 * 1 3 Car. I r, c. 1 2.
 
 1/0 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1770. 
 
 astical judge, to tender, or administer to any 
 person whatsoever, any oath, whereby he may 
 be compelled to confess, accuse, or purge him- 
 self of any criminal matter, by which he might 
 be liable to punishment. Our municipal tri- 
 bunals, indeed, never once entertained the idea 
 of obliging a man to disclose his own guilt j 
 but the learned jndge, just alluded to, chose 
 to consider this particular case, as a flagrant 
 contempt of courts on which occasion, an attach- 
 ment usually issues, and the party must either 
 stand committed, or put in bail, in order to answer 
 upon oath to such interrogatories as shall be 
 administered to him, for the better information 
 of the judges presiding. 
 
 Such was precisely the case of Bingley, and 
 a man less resolute would have sunk under the 
 pressure of authority. Even he, perhaps, might 
 either have been terrified, or persuaded to yield, 
 but for the sulyect of this memoir, who held 
 out the prospect of fame and of advantage; and, 
 at length, succeeded in giving the ap])earance 
 of a public, and even a national cause, to what 
 at first had been a mere act of self defence, on 
 the part of an obscure mechanic. The vicar of 
 New Brentford rejoiced at i\\\ opportunity of 
 once more entering the lists with this eminent 
 judge; and, by long study and painful research, 
 
 /
 
 1770* LIFE OF JOHN IIOUNE TOOKE. IfX 
 
 liad cndeiivourcd to qualify himself for the ar- 
 tlaous contest. After tniring the stream of our 
 laws to tlieir fountaiii-hcad, and drinking at the 
 source, he conceived that they had heen ren- 
 dered obscure and sophisticated in their descent. 
 He had long viewed the conduct of the earl of 
 INIanslield with a suspicious eye, and, on com- 
 ])aring- his doctrines with those of lord Coke 
 and the celebrated men of former times, he 
 thought he had discovered certain assumptions 
 of power, neither justified by the text nor the 
 practice of our ancient institutions. He rejoiced, 
 therefore, at the happy occasion, now presented 
 by fortune, to vindicate the principles of our 
 mnnici])al code, and, if possible, to humble a 
 nobkiiian, whom he was pleased afterward to 
 compare, not only to the Tresylians, the Key- 
 lings, and the Scroggs, but even to the Jefferies 
 of former days. 
 
 Nor was he on this occasion wholly disap- 
 pointed. Having called on the object of 
 prosecution, he communicated his oj)inion of 
 the injustice connnitted in respect to him, and 
 found means to inspire this man with a stubborn 
 deterndnation to resist. Proud of the protec- 
 tion and encouragement he now received, fnllv 
 convinced that he was correct in point of law, 
 and holding iiim^t If lortli as a martyr lor liberty,
 
 7 7- LIFE OF JOHN HORNK TOOKE. 1770. 
 
 at a time when all snch were sure of support, this 
 ])rinter, hardly serious at first, and Avho might 
 at any time have heen liberated on a slight 
 acknowledgment, now eA'inced all the courage of 
 a hero. Flaming with zeal, he not only l)raved 
 the rigours of a long confinement, but actually 
 found means to take a voluntary oath, before a 
 magistrate, in which he swore, *' sooner to perish 
 in a jail than violate the freedom of his native 
 country, by answering to interrogatories, uiiless 
 put to the torture:"' a resolution from which he 
 never once swerved. 
 
 This person was now in the third year of his 
 imprisonment, and the vicar of New Brentford, 
 who had occasionally supplied his necessities, 
 determined to obtain a large subscription for, 
 and thus fully indemnify him, for the losses he 
 bad sustained. Several opulent and respectable 
 men had come forward on this occasion, and 
 advanced sums to a considerable amount; but 
 the name and influence of the " Bill of Rights" 
 was still wanting. I'his, however, was supposed 
 to follow of course ; and no doubt, indeed, could 
 have been entertained of it, but for the interpo- 
 sition of that very person, for whose Avritings 
 the printer hnd already experienced a long and 
 unprecedented confinement, and who now af- 
 fected to think, and to declare, that the society
 
 17;0. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 173 
 
 was solelv devoted to liis support, ami pledged 
 for the relief of his necessities alone. Accord- 
 ingly, when it was moved, " that a sui)scription, 
 to the amount of Hve hundred })ounds, he opened 
 for Mr. Binglcv, for having refused to answer 
 interroa:atories, and suhmit to the illegal mode 
 of attachment," the patriotic alderman, hi^ 
 hrother, his attorney, and a great body of his 
 friends, found meiins to negative the proposition, 
 although it had been repeatedly urged, that it 
 was extremely politic at that moment, in order 
 to encourage the printers to resist the menaces of 
 the house of common-:, and that the abandonment 
 of this spirited individual to his fate, would in- 
 evitably produce doubt- distraction, and de- 
 ;spondency, 
 
 Ijinglev, however, was amjjly rewarded for 
 liis zeal and perseverance; ami, while he himgeU 
 thus acquired a certain degree of consequence, 
 he became, at the same time, the humble, but 
 meritorious instrument of great and lasting ad^- 
 vantai:es to the communitv at lariic. Before 
 such a cause, supported with such intrepidity 
 and resolution, even lord Mansfield himscli 
 was at length obliged to succumb. Tired with 
 a struggle, which, while it laid him open to the 
 most invidious accusations, on the part of his 
 jenemies, secmqd to tarnish the lustre of liia re-r
 
 1^4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/T^- 
 
 putation, in the eyes of his friends, and alarmed 
 also, perhaps, at the threats of parliamentary 
 investigation, he at length reluctantly consented 
 to yield. The attorney-general was, therefore, 
 instructed to move the court of King's Bench, 
 for the discharge of the prisoner; and the latter 
 was accordingly restored to his liberty, his 
 family, and society, neither ruined nor dismayed 
 by a personal contest with the greatest chief 
 justice which England had beheld since the 
 days of lord Coke *. Thus, to the pertinacity 
 of a petty artisan, aided, counselled, and sup- 
 ported by the minister of New Brentford, the 
 nation is indebted for the abolition of a prac- 
 tice, unsanctioned by our admirable nmnicipal 
 ■(•ode; and which, although it might have oc- 
 
 * On this occasion^ an appearance of much legal coquetry 
 was displayed, between the Court of King's Bench, and one 
 of the crown lawyers, about who should undergo the ridicule 
 of permitting the prisoner to escape. 
 
 The attorney -general, who had moved to bring up Bing- 
 • ley, observed, " that he had nothing to pray against 
 the defendant;" but lord Mansfield, after a solemn pause, 
 replied, " that if iie moved nothing, nothing could be done, 
 and every thing would remain as it was, in consequence of 
 which, the defendant would still be in custody, as the court 
 never acted but upon motion from without." 
 
 Mr. Attorney, at length took the whole business upon him- 
 
 vself, and moved in the regular manner for his discharge, 
 
 * which was immediately assented to by the lord chief justice.
 
 1/70. LIFE OF JOHN HORNF. TOOKE. 1/5 
 
 cusionally entra])po(l a criminal, would have 
 rendered the hiws imgatory, and innocence 
 itself insecure. 
 
 The dispute concerning this individual was 
 j)roductive of a variety of remarkable, al- 
 though far inferior events, particularly the dis- 
 solution of the club, known by the denomination 
 of the " Supporters of the Bill of Rights." This 
 was immediately followed by the institution of 
 the "Constitutional Society," consisting chiefly of 
 tlie most respectable of the old members, with 
 an exclusion, however, of the Wilkites; and 
 doubtless gave birth to the '' Whig Club," 
 the " Friends of the People," and the " London 
 Corresponding Society," in after times. Other 
 results, which followed this singular contest, 
 will be noticed hereafter; more esj)ecially the 
 paper-contest, between the two chiefs, which 
 occasioned a fatal schism among the friends t)f 
 the common cause ; and, while it disjdayed the 
 literary powers of the two ])nncipal combatants, 
 afl'orded aniple exultation to the enemies of both ; 
 and, like wars of another kind, finally proved 
 of but little service to either of the helligercntt.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FROM 1770 TO 1771 
 
 Dispute and Correspondence with Mr. Wilkes. 
 
 IT was almost impossible, from the nature of 
 human affairs, that two such men as Mr. Wilkes 
 and Mr. Home could agree during any long pe- 
 riod ; for their characters, dispositions, and ul- 
 timate aims, were entirely dissimilar. The one, 
 perpetually instigated by his necessities, endea- 
 voured to convert the current of public genero- 
 sity to his own private advantage ; while the 
 other, at once economical and disinterested, 
 wished to distribute it into different channels, for 
 the benefit and advantage of the community at 
 large. In addition to this, they were both gifted 
 with superior talents ; and both equally avari- 
 cious of fame, although they approached her 
 temple by different paths. Each, also, per- 
 haps, considered himself best calciTlated for 
 command, and most worthy of ])ublic esteem. 
 The one couh.l not bear a superior, the other
 
 177^^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I77 
 
 could not brook an equal : it was the rivalsliip 
 of Poinpey andCiesar, on a !>rnallcr scale — not, in- 
 deed, tor the enj])iro of'tlie world, hut the rule of a 
 numerous, ])oj)ular, and formidable party. Tbib 
 led, as in the former instance, to a civil war, and 
 ended in a contest, during which, happily, ink, 
 rather than blood, was most profusely shed on 
 both sides. 
 
 The minister of New Brentford was, indeed, 
 desinms of rendering the alderman of London 
 indej)endent, not out of any personal regard to 
 him, but merely with a view of proving to the 
 Avorld, that, in a free country, it h not in the 
 power of a ])rcmier to ruin and ovcrv/helm an 
 individual, whose cause was of a public nature. 
 lie was anxious, at the same time, however, that 
 the man menaced with ministerial vengeance 
 slnmld conduct himself with jnopriety. Ac- 
 cordingly, instead of flattering his follies, he 
 had loudlv T)rotested against his luxurious mode 
 tti' life, and expressed both his own and the 
 public dissatisfaction at the laced liveries and 
 French domestics of a j)er'>on supported by the 
 bounty of others. When a verdict of four 
 thousand ])ounds had been obtained against lord 
 Halifax, for his misconchict relative to general 
 warrant's, lie rcj)resente(l the ])r()j)riety of aj)pro- 
 priating tliat tum towards the payment of his 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 1/8 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/TO' 
 
 own debts : this proposition, however, was re- 
 jected ; and no motives of policy, honesty, or 
 shame, could induce him to debar himself of 
 a Single luxury, or advance a single shilling to 
 his creditors. 
 
 In addition to these original causes of estrange- 
 ^nent^ there existed others of a peculiar nature. 
 Mr. Wilkes always hated, or rather despised, 
 the Americans ; and, even during his confinement 
 in the King's Bencli, laughed at and ridiculed 
 their pretensions to an independent legislative 
 right of internal taxation. But no sooner did 
 he receive a flattering letter from the Bostonians. 
 accompanied by a valuable present, than the re- 
 presentative for Middlesex changed his mind, 
 and transmitted a flaming reply, in which h^ 
 maintained, " that the colonies were the jt>ro- 
 pugnacula imperii,'''' and himself a " friend to 
 universal liberty!" This glaring versatility, as 
 usual, produced repeated, but ineffectual remon- 
 strances on the part of his coadjutor, but with- 
 out any profitable effect. On the contrary, these 
 remonstrances were combated with the keen and 
 ready weapons of wit, irony, and sarcasm, until 
 a breach at length became inevitable ; and the 
 dispute relative to Bingley only contributed to 
 hasten those hostilities, which could not have 
 been much longer protracted.
 
 17ri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1 J'9 
 
 This meiiiorable contest took place in 1770, in 
 conse(|nence of an account that a})peared in one 
 of the newiipapers * of a meeting of the elec- 
 tors of Westminster, relative to an impeach- 
 ment of lord North. The writer appearing to 
 reflect on Mr. Wilkes, who had taken the chair 
 on this occasion, that g-entleman replied with 
 some asperity, under his own signature, in a 
 letter, dated " Prince's Court, near Storey's 
 Gate, Westminster, Nov. 15," beginning with 
 the following quotation from Churchill : — 
 
 " Ah me ! what mighty perils wait 
 The man who meddles with a state. 
 Whether to strengthen or oppose. 
 False are his friends, and firm his foes !" 
 
 He was, at the same time, seconded by two 
 anonymous writers, under the signatures of 
 " Scourge," and " Cat-o-nine Tails," who at- 
 tacked Mr. Home as the author. 
 
 This immediately produced the following re- 
 ply, in the Public Advertiser : — 
 
 " TO MR. WILKES. 
 
 " Monday, Jan. 14, 1771. 
 '* SIR, 
 
 '' An agent of yours declared, some time 
 •' ago, that it would be useful to you and your 
 
 * The Public Advertiser of Oct. 31. 
 N 2
 
 (C 
 
 180 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 " aflairs to come to an open rupture with me. — 
 " From this opinion has flowed all the ahuse 
 " which has lately been bestowed upon me in 
 '^ the public papers. I believe you have mis- 
 taken a strong inclination for policy, and have 
 " yielded to a natural bias, in opposition to ho- 
 " nesty and your interest. For near three 
 " weeks past, I have been pretty closely confined 
 '•' to my chamber by indisposition, and, except 
 '■ the ' Public Advertiser,' have only seen such 
 '^ papers as my friends have brought to me, 
 " whose kindness made them feel, more sensibly 
 '^ than myself, the injuries you have offered me. 
 " I have hitherto seen very little worthy of an 
 " answer, except the particular charges in the 
 ''•^Gazetteer' of last Tuesday. I think it due 
 " to the public, to my Iriends, and myself, to 
 " give to each as particular an answer; Sir, as I 
 " have never, either in public or private life, co- 
 " pied your example — I shall not do it in this my 
 " jnstiiication. Instead of a defence^ your me- 
 '■ thod has always been to recriminate. On the 
 " contrary, I shall, in this letter, confine myself 
 " to the (barges brought against me. In a fu- 
 " ture letter, I will explain the nature and causes 
 " of the diil'eiences between us : they ought to 
 " be made public, because the objects are not 
 " private.
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 181 
 
 " The U'estminster business I shall reserve For 
 '• my fiitnrc letter, because it is one of the pre- 
 " tended causes of ditference. The other 
 "■ charges, I think, are, — 1 . That * I subscribed 
 *' to the " Society of the Billof Kights," but never 
 " paid one shilling.' — 2. That ' 1 have received 
 " amazing suu)s tor Mr. serjeant Glynn's elec- 
 " tions, ten guineas each from most of his 
 '^ friends.'—^. That ' I have received subscrip- 
 " lions f(U" the widow Bigby's appeal.' — 4. That 
 '* ' I have received subscriptions for Mr. Gil- 
 " lam's trial." — 5. That 'I have received sub- 
 '' scriptions for the affair of the weavers in Spi- 
 •• tal Fields.' 
 
 " These live charges I understand to be of a 
 " public nature. After which, there is a charge 
 '• uj)on me of a private fraud, in a story about 
 '• Mr. Foote's pamphlet, and Messrs. Davis, the 
 •' l)ooksellers. 
 
 " These particular charges I undertake to aii- 
 •' swer, and if there is any other that I have 
 " omitted to take notice of, you will please to 
 '* remind me of it. If there is any other that 
 " yon have omitted, you have my free leave to 
 " bring it. 
 
 "First, I never did subscribe any thing to the 
 " ' Society of the Bill of llights.' It is true, that, 
 '' ill the accounts of that society, there \\\\\ be 
 " found five guineas of my nioney : but these
 
 1S2 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^» 
 
 " five guineas were paid by me at the moment 
 *' of subscribing them, at the last subscription 
 *' made at the King's Arms Tayern, in Cornhill, 
 *' some time i-efore the establishment of the so- 
 '' ciety at the London Tavern. Nor do I 
 '' recollect, at any time, to have subscribed any 
 '^ money without instantly paying down the 
 '' small, but numerous sums, I have contributed. 
 ^'^ These poor five guineas were received, and the 
 " account of them brought into the society by 
 
 "Mr.B . 
 
 " The SECOND charge is, * The amazing sums 
 '^ received by me for Mr. Glynn's election ; ten 
 "^ guineas each from most of his friends.' The 
 '' subject of this charge, no doubt, puts me in a 
 " delicate and difficult situation, because the 
 '^ particulars of it ouglit to be discussed only by 
 " Mr. Glynn and the subscribers ; and I am 
 " bound to be very careful, that, whilst I jus- 
 ^' tify myself, I do not say any thing which 
 ^' may give pain or displeasure to others. How- 
 " ever, 1 think I can say enough on this head 
 " to satisfy the most scrupulous, without hurt- 
 " ing the most tender. 1 must premise, that I 
 **^ have always carefully avoided three things; I 
 *' mean the being placed upon any public occa- 
 " s on in any situation of honour, trust, or pro- 
 *' fit, from which my name, and my station, and 
 " my inclination^ equally dissuaded me, I have
 
 1771- I.IFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKK. 1 SS 
 
 '•' been regiiliirly and inderatigably the dnuige of 
 *' almost every popnlar election, ])rosecution, 
 " and public business, — but never the object ot 
 *' any one. For three years past my time has 
 *' been entirely, and my income almost wholly, 
 *' ap])lied to public measures. But, though with 
 *' great caution, and sometimes obstinacy, 1 have 
 *' taken care never to be the chairman of any 
 " company, nor the ostensible manager or con- 
 " ductor of any matter; yet I have not been 
 " able to avoid being, on three occasions, the re- 
 *' ceiver of money. One of them was the elec- 
 *' tion of Mr. Cilynn. But there were no 
 '' amazing sums in the case. The ten guinea 
 " subscription amounted to two hundred and 
 ** sixty-two pounds ten shillings, of which, for 
 *' want of a more diliijent collector than myself, 
 *■ only two hundred and twenty pounds ten shil- 
 " lings have yet been received; and that sum. 
 " has been ])aid away long ago either by me or 
 
 *' by Mr. Ij , the trea>?urer of that subscrip- 
 
 *' liuu. Mr. (ilyun, and the subscribers, must 
 *• examine and settle that business ; and, if they 
 '•' have nO objection, I am sure I shall have noTie, 
 *' to lay each j)arii(:nlar article before the ]hiI>1ic. 
 '■ — And now, 1 have; answered this charge as 
 '' far as yon have Ijronght it, I desire to 
 *' strengthen the charge, liy informing you, sir.
 
 
 ti 
 a 
 i 
 
 184 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 " that there was another subscription for Mr. 
 Glynn's election. (Indeed the ten guineas were 
 not subscribed for the expenses of Mr. Glynn 
 " in his election, nor was any subscription for 
 that pur])ose intended; the ten guineas were 
 subscribed to pay the expenses of some dinners 
 ' which about twenty of us agreed to give to the 
 •' freeholders, in different parts of the county, in 
 '^' the summer, whilst Mr. Glynn was on the 
 '' circuit.) — The second subscription was made 
 " only after the riot on the first day of election, 
 " in order to pay the additional expenses in- 
 " curred by that most villainous action, it seem- 
 " ing very cruel and unjust that so barbarous 
 *' and wicked a contrivance should increase the 
 "expense to Mr. serjeant Glynn of a contest 
 " already sufficiently expensive, and which had 
 " been carried on about seven months against all 
 *' the powers and infineuce of government. 
 
 " This second subscription aujounted to 140l/., 
 '' 98 1/. of which have been paid; 420/. still re- 
 " main unpaid. Of this money, 400/. \tere paid 
 '* into tlie hands of Mr. Vaughan, the treasurer 
 •'• on this occasion; 340/. 10^. were paid into 
 " the hands of Messrs. Lowry and Co., bankers, 
 *' in Lombard Street: 240L IOa". were collected 
 " by me, from time to time, as the subscribers 
 *•' fell in my way, and were paid again by me as
 
 
 irri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1^5 
 
 " occasion and o])porUinity offered: I likewise 
 " drew on Messrs. Lowry and Co. for the money 
 " in ihcir hands, with which I paid the de- 
 " mands on Mr. Glynn, as far as the money 
 " wonld reach them. On this point I can only 
 ^' say, as before, that, if Mr. Glynn and the sub- 
 " scribei-s have no objection, I shall have none, 
 "to lay each particnlar article of receipt and 
 ])ayment before the pnblic. 
 
 riie THIRD charge is, 'That I have received 
 ^' snbscrij)tions for the widow Bigby's apjjeal.' 
 " The widfjw Bigljy's appeal was not brought 
 '' by my direction; I do not mean that I disap- 
 " prove it; I conunend the measure; and, if I 
 *' had been ajiplied to, should have advised it. 
 " I think the pardon granted to the murderers 
 '' of Bigby was a horrid one, I think the samt3 
 " of the iiardon granted to M'Ouirk, and I do 
 " not believe cither of them lawful. Mr. Stam- 
 ^\fo?(!, the attorney who was employed by the 
 " widow, aj)plied to a gentleman of character 
 " and fortune in the city for assistance; that 
 " gentleman l)rought Mr. Stamford to me, who 
 '' told mo what he had done, and what he in- 
 *• tended to do; but he declared himself unable 
 '' to bear the expense and go on with the apj)eal, 
   unless he was assisted immediately with money. 
 " I undertook the m"Uer, made myself answer^
 
 (C 
 
 (C 
 
 186 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 " able to him, and assisted liim ivith money; 
 *' and when I saw my friends, I applied to them 
 " for their help, because 1 was unequal to the bur- 
 *' den alone. I did not indeed foresee that any 
 " member of the house of commons would 
 " move for leave to bring in a bill to take away 
 ** the right of appeal from the people in cases 
 *' of murder; but I did foresee that lord Mans- 
 " field Avould make such a motion and such a 
 bill unnecessary ; and that he would, by studied 
 delays and difficulties, most effectually take 
 away the remedy of appeal, by showing us 
 " that the most eminent counsel at the bar are 
 '' not able to proceed in such a course as to 
 ^' bring it to a trial: and I supposed that lie 
 " would, as he has done, so protract the mat- 
 "^ ter, by shifting his difficulties and his doubts, 
 *' that either the proceedings on the ap])eal 
 *' should be dropped, from the enormity of the 
 *' expense, or the obstinate virtue of the poor 
 " appellant have time to be cooled and cor- 
 *' rupted. I expected onl} to show, what has 
 " been shown, that lord Mansfield, who is so 
 "^ dexterous at removing difficulties and short- 
 *' ening the way to a conviction for libel, ac- 
 *' cording to the modern method of prosecution, 
 " is as dexterous in findinir out or creating ob- 
 " stacles to a trial in the ancient mode of appeal
 
 
 1771. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 187 
 
 " for luurclerj which was formerly tlie subject's 
 " 07?/// remedy*. And for this purpose I was 
 " willing, and di'' declare my willingness, to 
 " bear, if it was necessary, the whole expense 
 *' of the prosecution. The few friends to whom 
 " I spoke on this occasion were of the same sen- 
 " timents; and they contributed towards the 
 appeal. I afterwards found that good man. 
 
 Sir , was as warm in this business as 
 
 " myself; at his desire I waited on him, and as 
 " he was anxious to be a sharer in the burden, I 
 ** some time after sent a jj-entleman to him with 
 " a list of the subscribers, and an account of the 
 *' money paid to the attorney, and solicited him 
 " earnestly to be the treasurer on this occasion. 
 
 " Sir , for many reasons, excused him- 
 
 " self. Very lately this othce has been kindly 
 '' acce})ted by Mr. Tookc. He has the list and 
 " the account, and the trouble of collecting the 
 " subscriptions. I do not desire any jiart of it 
 " to be kc])t secret. I have receiyed lio/. l6^., 
 
 * "Something more loo has hcen shown; i.e. that the 
 " suggestions on uhich the pardon for the Kennedies was 
 " procured ;iie false; and that those who procured it still 
 " know them to be cuilty, or they would not so obstinately 
 " and corruptly have opposed a fresh trial on the appeal, 
 " which was the only method to justify the pardon in an au- 
 " then'ic mnnner, by producing; tlie new <:ircumslanci.'S 
 " which nianiicstcd their innort nee.
 
 188 LIFE OF JOHN IIOHNE TOOKE. I77i^ 
 
 *^ and I have paid to the attorney 150/. ; and I 
 *' have never heen less in advance than I am -at 
 " present, which is 3^1. 4s, 
 
 " The FOURTH charge is, ' That I have re- 
 " ceived subscriptions for Mr. (jiliani's trial.' A 
 " copy of his indictment was ilkgalli/ granted 
 " to Mr. Gillam, in order to intimidate and dis- 
 " grace another gentleman and myself. When 
 " the request was made, the judges were at first 
 " divided: Mr. justice Aston and Mr. Recorder 
 '^ saw no objection to it, and they at last over- 
 -persuaded the lord chief baron Parker: Mr. 
 "justice Gould refused it to the last. Notwith- 
 " standing this co])y of the indictment, I have 
 '^ never hesitated to declare, that I did promote 
 '* and assist that prosecution to the utmost of 
 *" my power; hot I did not at any time receive 
 " a feithing from any person on the account of 
 "Mr Gillam's trial, or any thing relative to it, 
 " and I do assert that there was no subscription 
 *' for it. If yoy, sir, can discover a single per- 
 " son who paid any subscri])tion to me, or to 
 ** any other, on that account, it is your business 
 " to name him; otherwise we shall know how 
 " to name you. 
 
 " The FIFTH charge is, ' That I have received 
 " subscriptions for the affair of the weavers in 
 *' Spital Fields.' I never did receive any subscrip-
 
 1771« i-irE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. ISQ 
 
 "" tion for the affair of the weavers in Sjiital Fields ; 
 *"' there never was any snhscription on tliat ac- 
 '* connt, or on any other, relative to the weavers 
 " in S})ital Fields. I took no small ])ains, Avith 
 '• other ijentlemen, to save the lives of some 
 " innocent men; but though one was petitioned 
 '' for hv the lord mayor and all the aldermen 
 '' who sat on the l)ench at his trial, with the 
 *• strongest circumstances in his favour, and 
 '^ though another was unanimou>ly and strongly 
 '' recommended to mercy by the jurv, they 
 ** were both handed. — Their crime was not 
 " murder. — I believe we had better success in 
 '' our endeavours to stop the further merciless 
 '' persecution of that unhappy body of men; but 
 '* what we did was done without collecting 
 '* money or subscription; and I do not believe 
 *' that any money was paid, except twenty pounds, 
 *' which I gave, out of my own pocket, towards 
 " })rocuring counsel for one Baker, a journey- 
 '' man weaver, whom lord Mansfield had re- 
 " fused to admit to bail till term-time, and till 
 " after heariiic; comisel; altbouah the same lord 
 " Mansfuld confessed that he was committed 
 " on a charge for an offence bailabh^ at the very 
 " first view, and which did not admit even tho 
 " shadow of a (hjubt. If any ])erson did snb- 
 " scribe <m tiiis account to nie or to any other, 
 *' it is vour bu»^ine5!» to nani(: bim.
 
 
 (C 
 
 (C 
 
 190 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^^ 
 
 " Thus, sir, I have answered your five cliarges 
 " concerning subscriptions. Three <jf them (one 
 " said to be left unpaid by me, and two said to 
 have been received by me) are totally false ; 
 there never were any such subscriptions. The 
 " other two, I hope, I have likewise answered 
 *^ to your dissatisfaction. Though the -proof of 
 such charges ought to rest upon him who 
 brings them, yet I think I may venture safely 
 " to take even the opposite proof on myself; for I 
 " trust, however disagreeable it is to gentlemen 
 *' to put their names in the ])apers, I trust Mr. 
 Richard Oliver, who is treasurer to the ' So- 
 ciety of the Bill of Rights,' and Mr. serjeant 
 Glynn, and Mr. Tooke, will do me that justice 
 " which is due to me, and add the authority of 
 " their names to the truth of what 1 have re- 
 "' lated. 
 
 " But, sir, there is one subscription more that 
 " I have received, and with which you have not 
 " charged me; I mean a subscription of 94/. l^s. 
 '^ ^d. raised for you in my neighbourhood, which 
 " I have brought into the society very lately, 
 " at the last meeting but one at the London 
 "' Tavern. 
 
 " This subscription I did not collect; it was 
 " only conveyed by me to the society. It was 
 " collected publicly in an open book, by 
 *^Mr. B. H , Mr. B , Mr. 
 
 a 
 a 
 
 a
 
 l^ri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ipi 
 
 " D , Mr. H , of my parish, and 
 
 *' this book was brought back to me only the 
 " day before I delivered it in : however, before 
 *' tills subscription, I advanced, in the pavmeut 
 *' of demands upon you, 38/. Os. Sd., which I am 
 " still to receive, and, of the subscription itself, 
 " seven guineas still remain unpaid to me. 
 
 " Your LAST charge is, that I have received 
 **' money for diftorent publications, and you call 
 '• upon me to lay before the public \ an account 
 " of the profits on my vamped up sermon, Mr. 
 *' Foote's apology, Mr. Missing's letter, &c. as- 
 " selling, at tlie same time, that I defrauded Mr. 
 " Foote of forty or fifty pounds, which I took 
 " from Messrs. Davis the booksellers; and you 
 " bid me give you the evidence of Mr. Davis, 
 '^ both the father and the so/i^ and Mr. Foote's 
 "justification of my disinterested friendship to 
 " him.' 
 
 " Have you forgotten in bow unmanly a man- 
 " ner you lately received the very manly beha- 
 " viour of Mr. alderman Trecothick, when you 
 *' were charged with the * illibeial anonymous 
 *' abuse cast on tliat gentleman in ' the annah 
 " <)/' hh mayoralty ? * " — Annals of three or four 
 
 * Annuls of the AL/i/orully of the Right Hon. Barluv: 
 Trecothick, Ksq. 
 
 (liY J. WII.Kr.S, IMl) 
 
 June '2'Jj 1770, he was noniiiialecl by the livery, ajij
 
 1.93 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l^/I. 
 
 '^ months! — If you tliouglit yourself justified in 
 refusing to acknowledge to the injured person 
 an anonymous writing, hoAV can you expect 
 
 (J 
 
 elected by the court of aldermen, lord-mayor of this city. 
 While Guildhall still echoed with his iifime, his first act and 
 speech was to arraign the conduct of tiiat livery in the most 
 modest manner to their faces, for setting aside sii- Henry 
 Bankes. He declared sir Henry a good sort of man, although 
 the livery, by setting him aside, had, in effect, declared him 
 a bad sort of man to be their chief magistrate. C)u the true 
 levelling principle of his countrymen, the Bostonians, he like- 
 wise declared the late Mr. Beckford, that first of men, to whom 
 the grateful citizens have decreed a statue for a long life of 
 faithful services, only a good sort of man. He spoke little 
 of himself, finding, I suppose, the subject remarkably barren; 
 but, in the conclusion, he seemed to allude to the error com- 
 mitted by the livery in their choice of hifii for so short a 
 time — an error which will not be repeated, I believe, even 
 for so short a time. 
 
 June 30, he attended the lord-commissioner Smythe. The 
 recorder, in gratitude for his former personal favours to 
 
 Mrs. , a good sort of a woman, gave him a clear head, 
 
 great vi^o\it of mind, a love of — his country, an Attachment 
 to the welfare of — his fellow-citizens, and a veneration for 
 the laws. The lord-commissioner seemed to hold all these 
 fine things, said by Mr. Recorder, very cheap, or to think 
 them very ill applied; for he desired his new lordship not to 
 break the laws himself , and'io see them well observed in the city; 
 a proper and obliging compliment, but entirely useless; for, 
 October 24th, his lordship siirned the illegal jircss-xvarrants 
 himself, and ordered all the constables in the city to violate 
 the laws after his example. 
 
 Sept. 18, all the calls of an expensive nature being over 
 for the year, his lordship, from the greatness of his soul, in- 
 vited to the Mansion House the whole conmion-council, and 
 j)rovided an entertainnjent for half of thiin. Those who
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1.93 
 
 *' tliat I should give yon an answer about pain- 
 " phlet.s that bear other men's names? It is true, 
 *' I have always avowed \a hate\ er I have written 
 *' anonvmouslv, whenever any person has com- 
 " ])lained that he was injured; as in the case^ 
 " of sir John Gibbons, sir W. B. Proctor, Mr. 
 " Onslow. &,c.: it is my ijeneral rule when I am 
 " treated fairlv; luit the rule does not extend to 
 " vou; for, in those pamphlets, even if I had 
 ^' written them, there is no reflection upon you: 
 " when you attribute to me the pam])hlets that 
 '•' bear the names of other men, and call for an 
 " answer, you are impertinent to me and inju- 
 
 came first dined with his lordship, the rest with duke Humphry 
 — not Coates — they wished that they had. Of the fragments 
 were taken up and sent to the various prisons of this city, 
 baskets 000000000. 
 
 Oct. .5, issued from the Mansion House a manifesto of this 
 city king to the public. It declared tiiat Jie was a party man, 
 that he owned liimstlf linked with ;i luclion, and acted in 
 puhlic with a particular set of men; but did not mention a 
 syllable of soliciting the instructions, asking the opinion, or 
 promising to obey the commands of his consiitu^ts, the 
 citizens of the metropolis, who will, undoubtedly, at the next 
 general tlottion, add this tool once niorc to the liockinghaoi 
 faction. 
 
 On Oct. 24, he admitted into the city whole bands of 
 riinian<>, under the name of prcis-i^angs, caressed their chiefs, 
 gave the .sanction of his name and authority for all the con- 
 htables, and let them loose against the laws, the peace, th« 
 bbcrtic'S, and franthi<es of London. 
 
 Ciod be praised, this day is A'or. b. 
 
 VOL. I. U
 
 
 194 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 '' lions to them. Perhaps some other person 
 may think it as prohahle that you should have 
 written the sermon, as that I should have 
 " written on subjects of law and surgery. I 
 ^' know, indeed, how you will solve that diffi- 
 '^ culty, by declaring that there is as little divi- 
 " nity in tlie one, as L'uv and surgery in the 
 " others. Sir, I shall only answer you what you 
 *' must already suppose, viz. that, of all the 
 " pamphlets I ever Avrote in my life, I have 
 " regidarly received the profits; and of all the 
 " pamphlets vrhich I may hereafter wTite, I 
 *' shall, if I please, regularly receive the profits. 
 " Butjthatyoumay notenvy me the amazing sums 
 *' I have likewise received on that score, I will 
 '■' tell you exactly to what they amouut; and, 
 '• that I might be exact, I have settled accounts 
 *^ which were never before settled. Of all the 
 " things I ever wrote in my life the profits 
 " amount to a sum not sufficient to furnish you 
 '' Avith two month's claret. 
 
 " For the fraud with which you charge me on 
 " Mr. Foote, through Messrs. Davis, the book- 
 ^^ sellers, it is a falshood, and you ought to be 
 " told so in coarser language. You bid me give 
 "^ you the evidence of Mr. Davis, both the father 
 ^' and the son, and of Mr. Foote. You, who 
 *' bring the charge, should take the onus pro-
 
 1771- ^'If-E OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I*}*) 
 
 "' has suited your selfish politics to insinuate and 
 '* pretend some private ])i{pie between us, yet 
 *' you have not ventured, even anonymously, to 
 " .sugi:;est any particular cause ot my dibsatis- 
 *•' faction. 
 
 " That I may be well understood, it is neces- 
 *' sary to give a short history of the comnience- 
 *' ment, progress, and conclusion of the inter- 
 " course between us ; and this I will begin to do 
 " in my next; not for my own justitication, for 
 " I could be well contented to leave each man 
 " to his opinion concerning me; but that the 
 " people at large, to whose safety and happiness 
 " it is important, may be better able to form 
 " their judgment how far they ought, and how 
 " far they ought not, to support you; and that 
 *' they may perceive your general professions and 
 '^ protestations to be like those of last Wednes- 
 " day's speech, ctpially calculated to mislead 
 " and impose, and to wliich every particular act, 
 " as well o^ your opposition as of ///\y government, 
 " is a flat contradiction. 
 
 " John IIoiine."
 
 200 LUK OF JOHN HQRNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 TO THE REV. MR. HORNE. 
 
 •' Prince's Court, Blay 1.5. 
 
 *' SIR; 
 
 *' I HAVE waited with impatience, ever since 
 *' November, for the justification of your ac- 
 *^ count of the Westmimter business, in the 
 " very preface of which you advanced the false- 
 " hood, that you were ready to vouch the au- 
 " thenticity of it. I called upon you in print 
 " the chiy after its publication. In your letter 
 " of Jan. l6\ you declared, ' the Westminster 
 " business I shall reserve for my future letter.' 
 " Another letter now appears, which neither 
 " mentions nor promises any thing on that 
 '•' subject. Now, you trifle with the public; 
 " before, you dared to impose. 
 
 *' You say, ' it is not my intention here to 
 *' open any account with you on the score of 
 "private character: in that respect, the public 
 ^' have kindly passed an act of insolvency in 
 *^ your favour,' I believe^ indeed, you will not 
 '^ choose to open any account on the score of 
 " private character. A gentleman in holy 
 " orders, whose hand a])pears to testify his 
 " belief of the articles of the church of England, 
 '' the least moral, the least conscientious of men,
 
 ir?!- IIPE OK JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. I97 
 
 that period, vet, alter the lapse of more than forty 
 years, they will of course have lo^t much of their 
 zest as well as importance. Upon the whole, 
 liowever, they must he allowed to contain, not 
 oidy many interesting; passages, hut also to ex- 
 hihit a variety of curious information relative to 
 the history of that period. 
 
 "TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 (letter I.) 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " YOU have said, * The public liave a right 
 " to truth, and every imposition on mankind 
 " ouglit to be detected and exposed.' I am not 
 "entirely of that opinion: 1 think there are 
 " certain seasons Avhen some ])articular truths 
 " ought to be withheld ; and my lips should have 
 " been for ever closed on the subject of your real 
 "character and conduct, if you could by, any 
 *' motives have been persuaded, or bv any art or 
 " contrivance have been comj)elled, to continue 
 **' a voluntary or involuntary instrument of good 
 " to your country. I have long been, with 
 " others, strnggliiig to make it vour interest to 
 " be honest, and founded all my hopes, not on 
 " your princijtle, but common sense. At length
 
 198 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 " I despair of any good from you, and apprehend 
 " much mischief: I think it therefore my duty 
 " to he no longer silent; and I come to an ex- 
 *' planation without any apprehension of dis- 
 " grace; because I know, th<it,thous;hff likes and 
 " Libert?/ may for a while hear down every thing 
 '^ before them in the street, yet, as far as they 
 *' are not connected by public principles, they will 
 *' surely he separated in the closet. But, what- 
 " ever may be the oj>inions of any persons con- 
 "^ cerning my conduct, I shall not alter it : their 
 '' uninformed opinions affect me little: 1 know 
 " my own situation ; 1 must ever remain a poor 
 *' and a private man, and can never be a can- 
 " didate for the favour or confidence of the 
 *•' public. The voice of the people is not the 
 " voice of God to me, though (in the fair mean- 
 " ing of the word people) I have never thought 
 " it wrong; but it is the voice within me that 
 *' shall ever be the guide of my actions. 
 
 " It is not my intention here to open any ac- 
 '• count with you on the score of private cha- 
 " racter; in that respect, the public have kindly 
 " passed an act of insolvency in your favour: 
 " you have delivered up your all, and no man 
 '^ can fairly now make any demand. I blame 
 " your public conduct, and never had a differeuce 
 •* with you on any other subject; and though it
 
 \77^' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 195 
 
 *' hmidi! I can only ii:ive my own evidence. 
 *' They uiU'.t, if they ])leuse, give theirs for 
 *• themselves. But why tliis //<r////A7;/, sir? Why 
 *' will not Mr. ])avis the father satisfy vou? 
 *' Why visit the .sins of the fathers upon the 
 *• children? 
 
 ** Sir, 1 will be bold to say, the further and 
 *' the more ])articalarly you sift into every part 
 '* of my conduct, the more honourable it will 
 " apjiear; for very many circumstances will 
 '•' come out necessarily in my defence, which 
 *^ could not otherwise have been mentioned 
 '' without boasting; and I defy all your art and 
 " all your abilities to make me, whilst I am 
 *' honest, either detestable or ridiculous. Hovv- 
 " ever, vou must now do somethinii', for your 
 ^' credit's sake: at least be witty, at least enter- 
 '' tain the jml;lic: scraps of verses will not al- 
 " together answer the purpose. — ^Ih me! is no 
 "argument; cjuotations are not proofs. But if 
 *' you will (piote an incomparable poet , you should 
 " take some of his incomparable poetry. With 
 " such a choice of beauties before you, to select 
 " the passages with which you have lately 
 " patched your ])rose, convinces me that no 
 '' friend can esca})e you; and that, living or 
 " dead, it \-> your study and endeavour to show, 
 '' it )ou can, their weak sides to the j)ul)lic. 
 
 '* JoH> HoRNE."
 
 ig6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 The above contains an answer to all the 
 charges made agauist Mr. Home, amidst the 
 asperity of party hostility; and, as it was followed, 
 soon after, by letters from Mr. serjeant Glynn, 
 Mr. W. Tooke, Messrs. Davis, and Mr. alderman 
 Oliver^ testifying the disinterestedness of his 
 conduct, must be allowed to constitute an able, 
 as well as ample refutation of these calumnies. 
 Notwithstanding this, and although all the inde- 
 pendent and opulent men, belonging to the " So- 
 ciety of the Bill of Rights/' had taken the side 
 of Mr. Home in this dispute; yet the current of 
 popular opinion now set in strongly against him, 
 and he soon after became one of the most ob- 
 noxious men in the kingdom. At the very time 
 he was sacrificing all his prospects in life to 
 advance the cause he had adopted, his name was 
 execrated as a deserter from the side of liberty ; 
 and, more than once, he was actually burnt in 
 effigy in the metropolis. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, after a short pause, he 
 renewed the controversy, and proceeded, in the 
 month of May, 177^? to expose the character 
 and conduct of Mr. Wilkes, as may be seen from 
 their correspondence, which would nearly fill 
 a volume. Some of this series of letters are 
 therefore necessarily abridged ; without omitting, 
 however, a single passage of any importance; 
 for, although they wcreeagerly read by the nation at
 
 
 1771. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 205 
 
 " that culled itself a gentleman, at a time when 
 " verv honest men, who could distinmiish bc- 
 tween you and your cause, and who feared no 
 danger, yet feared the ridicule attending a pro- 
 " hable defeat. Happily, we succeeded, and I 
 " leave you, by rej)eated elections, the log;d re- 
 " presentative of Middlesex, an alderman of 
 *' London, and about thirty thousand pounds 
 ^' richer than when first I knew you; myself by 
 " many degrees poorer than I was before ; and I 
 '"' pretend to have been a little instrumental in all 
 " these changes of your situation. 
 
 " I make no other reflection on your behavi- 
 " our respecting my letter, than barely to sav, 
 " that those who shall attempt to palliate or jus- 
 *•' tify it, will want a justification themselves. 
 " Publish it, however, \\hen you will. I am con- 
 *' fident, as indeed I have likewise been assured 
 " by many to whom you have shown it, that 
 '' there is nothing in the letter of which I need 
 " to be ashamed, unless there are any comj)Ii- 
 '' ments t^ you ; of every thing of that kintl your 
 " snbsetjuent conduct has indeed made me most 
   lieartilv a-hamed. 
 
 "' John Horne."
 
 206* LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (letter III.) 
 
 « SIR, 
 
 a 
 
 MY first employincnt on my return to Eng- 
 *' land was to reconcile you with Mr. Cotes, 
 *' wiiom I thought you treated, in his misfor- 
 *' tunes, with a barharous ingratitude : and at Pa- 
 *' ris I exphiined to you my sentiments on the 
 " subject, as freely as a stranger could who 
 *' wished not to offend you. 
 
 " From this time, till your arrival in England, 
 *' I threw out' hints in the papers of your inten- 
 " tion to offer yourself a candidate at the ensu- 
 <f ing general election ; and I endeavoured, Avitli 
 " as much art as I was master of, to let them be 
 "just strong enough to make those who washed 
 *' you well suppose the event possible, without 
 " being so strong as to make those who feared 
 *' such an event suppose it probable. 
 
 " From the time I left you at Paris, in IfGf, 
 *' I held no communication with you of any kind 
 '^ whatever; nor did I, upon your arrival in Eng- 
 " land, in 17^8, even pay you a visit, till it was 
 " very evident you had lost your election in the 
 " city. Then indeed I went to you, because 1 
 "'.kijew J could be useful to vou in Middlesex;
 
 1771' l-ItE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 203 
 
 " in£:r tlirouah Paris, I rlelivered some letters to 
 " you ; amongst others, one of tliose letters from 
 *' Mr. Onslow, which you have since puhli>hed. 
 " Thouiih this was the first time we ever saw 
 ^' each other, you exacted from me, with very 
 " earnest entreaty, a promise of correspondence. 
 '•' I thouii;ht you at that time sincerely puhlic- 
 " spirited, and a man of honour; I mean tliat 
 *' soit of honour, wliich, though it docs not re- 
 *' strain from had, prevents men from heing 
 " guilty of mean actions. I wrote to you from 
 " AIont])elier ; and, lest from my appearance you 
 *' should mistake my situation, and expect con- 
 " siderable services from me, I thought it proper 
 *' to inform you, that I was only a poor couii- 
 ^* try clergyman, whose situation, notwithstand- 
 " ing his zeal, would never enable him to per- 
 *' form any considerable service either to you or 
 *' the public. Having told you my profession, 1 
 *' disclaimed, in a joking manner, those vices, 
 " which, from the dependent situation of its })ro- 
 *' fessors, are too frequently attendant on it — I 
 *' mean hypocrisy, servility, and an a])ject atten- 
 " ti(»n to ])rivate interest. Receiving no answer, 
 " I (hd not repeat my folly : and, upon a second 
 *' visit to yf)u at Paris, in my return from Italy 
 " to England, in the year 1767, 1 saw reasons 
 '* suflicient never more to ti list you with a single
 
 204 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 17/1. 
 
 " line; for I found that all tlie private letters of 
 '^ your friends were regularly pasted in a book, 
 " and read over indiscriminately, not only to 
 " your friends and acquaintance, but to every 
 " vifiitor. 
 
 "In this second visit at Paris you reproached 
 " me for not keeping my promise of corre- 
 *' spondence, and swore you had not received my 
 " letter. I was very well contented, though I 
 ^^ did not believe your excuse, and hugged my- 
 " self in the reflection, that I had furnished you 
 " with only one opportunity of treachery. This 
 " letter you copied some months, and showed it 
 *'^ about to numbers of people, with a menace of 
 " publication, if I dared to interrupt you. And 
 ^' yet you cannot pretend to justify yourself by 
 " saying, that it contains any promises which 
 *' have not been abundantly fulfilled. So far 
 *' from promising assistance, if 1 have any me- 
 " mory, it declares an inability to assist. You 
 " will not say that 1 courted you in your pros- 
 " perlty, and forsook you in adversity ; you will 
 " not say that I have been ungrateful, or that I 
 " ever received any favours at your hands. I 
 *' found you in the most hopeless state : an out- 
 " law ; plunged in the deepest distress ; over- 
 " whelmed with debt and disgrace ; forsaken by 
 *Vall your friends, and shunned by evei'y thing
 
 IJ'jri. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 201 
 
 " whose life has passed in a constant, direct op- 
 '■ position to the ])iiritv and precepts of the 
 " gos])el ; whose creed, from tlie first article in 
 " it to tlie last, is known to be non credo; sncli a 
 " person, with Avonderfnl j)rudence, chooses not 
 *' to open am/ account on the score of private 
 *' character. I do not mean, sir, to be imper- 
 *' tinent enough to a public, whom I respect, to 
 *•' descend to those particulars of private life, iu 
 '* which they are not interested, either to accuse 
 " you, or to defend myself. The frailties, of 
 " which I have repented, 1 will not justify. I 
 " will not even plead, with Horace, 
 
 '* ' Nee lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum ; ' 
 '•' but I hoj)e to redeem and bury in oblivion 
 *' every past folly, by great and virtuous actions, 
 '■' by real services to my country. 
 
 " Your letter of yesterday contains no charge, 
 '• altlioiigh it })romises many. Every one shall 
 ■" be fullv answered. I have only to desire, 
 *' that your future letter, or letters, may ajjpear 
 " before Midsummer day, because it is possible 
 '■ that, by tlie favour of the livery of London, I 
 " may, after that time, be wholly engaged in j)re- 
 '■ j)aring for the duties of a very imj)oitant oiHce, 
 ** and the faithful di^iciiarge of the sherij/'sou/hy 
 *' not that, which yon J a tsi/ied. 
 
 " I am, sir, your humble servant, 
 *' John \V'ilkes."
 
 
 202 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/71. 
 
 "TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 (letter II.) 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " THE motives of my conduct, and the na- 
 " ture of our intercourse, (for it cannot be called 
 " a connexion,) will best appear from the situ- 
 " ation of each of us at its commencement. 
 " Your motives will appear as plainly in its pro- 
 " gress and conclusion. 
 
 " When your troubles began, I was in France. 
 
 I returned to England towards the end of the 
 
 year 1/64. 
 
 " I was quickly informed of all the political 
 *^ transactions in England during my absence. 
 '' My expectations and opposite connexions 
 " were not so strong in me as those principles, 
 '^' which all Avho know me know I always pro- 
 *' fessed, long before there was a probability that 
 " the times would ever call them out into prac- 
 " tice. In this situation, I did not hesitate one 
 *' moment about my conduct, but instantly de- 
 '' clared my sentiments very freely ; and, during 
 " my short stay in England, contributed my mite 
 " to the public cause by publishing Avhatevcr 
 " essays, hints, or intelligence, I thought might 
 " be useful. 
 
 *' In the year 1765 I repaired to Italy. Pass-
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 20/ 
 
 *' and I (lid then, and do still think, that there 
 " was no method hv which I conld do tiieater 
 *' service to the puhlic, than hy esjiousing your 
 *' cause ; which the weakness and wickedness of 
 " onr court had made, to a certain degree, the 
 " canse of every Englishman. 
 
 '* Besides some credible information which I 
 
 " had received since I first saw you concerning 
 
 *' your character, and the danger which my se- 
 
 *' cond visit had shown me there was in your 
 
 '* correspondence, a j)articular transaction had 
 
 *• made me forbear any connnunication with 
 
 '^ you, though my sentiments of your cause re- 
 
 *' mained nnaltered. — In October, 17^^? you 
 
 *' came over to England ])rivately : my brother- 
 
 *' in-law, Mr. Wildman, accidentally met you in 
 
 •■^ the street, near his own house, in Argylc Build- 
 
 *' ings, in company with your brother, Mr. 
 
 " Heaton Wilkes: Mr. Wildman expressing his 
 
 " surprise to see you, you told him you were di- 
 
 *• stressed to find some place where you might 
 
 " safely lay hid from fear of the outhiwry : he 
 
 *' offered you his own house ; where you stayed 
 
 '•' till you went back again to France. You re- 
 
 *' ])rcsented to him your situation in France, 
 
 '•' which made it proper for you to endeavour, 
 
 '• by little jjresents, &c., to please your friends 
 
 '• there, to whom you had obligations ; and re-
 
 SOS LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^ 
 
 *' quested him to procure for you certain ar- 
 " tides *, to the value of forty pounds, and to 
 " send them directed for your friend Mons. 
 " Sainte Foy, at Paris ; to whose hands you said 
 *^ they woukl come without difficulty, examina- 
 '' tion, or interruption, he being secretary to the 
 *^ French minister, and great treasurer of the 
 " marine : and you promised, that Mr. Wild- 
 " man's bills for the money he should lay out 
 '' on these articles should be paid at sight. Mr. 
 *^ Wildman executed your commission with the 
 " zeal of a friend, and chose to delay receiving 
 " his money till some months after, when he was 
 " himself to pass through Paris. In September, 
 
 * " The following is a list of the articles which you com- 
 missioned Mr. Wildman to buy : 
 
 " Twenty-five bottles of the very best old Jamaica rum. 
 
 " Twenty-five arrack. 
 
 " Three gowns, chintz, one light-blue, one pink, and the 
 other fine yellow ground. 
 
 " Pamphlets. 
 
 " Oroonoko, as it is acted now. 
 
 " Romeo and Juliet. 
 
 " Churchill's works. 
 
 " Forty yards of fine flannel. 
 
 •* ITwo projiigale arlkles, wh/'cfi Mr. Wildynan 
 
 " 5 icould not funiish. / 
 
 " La Philosophic de V Histoire. 
 ** Le Philosophe Ignorant. 
 " Le Dernier Ouvrage de Boiil finger. 
 *' Every thing new from Voltaire."
 
 17ri- I'JFK OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 209 
 
 " 1767, he waited on you at Paris : he lioped he 
 " had executed your commission to your satis- 
 " faction : you denied that the articles Iiad ever 
 " heen received . He asked what he must do ; 
 " and whether, if any accident had happened, it 
 " nmst he his loss ? You replied, that he must 
 " call upon Mons. Sainte Foy. 
 
 " Mr. Wildinan then desired you to let him 
 " have my clothes, which I had loft with you at 
 '' Paris ; because I should not leave England so 
 '* sooii as I had before intended, and when I did 
 " go abroad, should not take the route of Paris : 
 *"' you endeavoured to dissuade him from charg- 
 " ing himself with the clothes, because of the 
 " great rigor of our custom-house ; and when 
 '^ you could not deter him, vou promised he 
 *' should liave them soon. Mr. Wildman went 
 " to Mons. Sainte Foy, was admitted, and told 
 *^ him the cause of his visit; Mons. Sainte Foy 
 " pretended that he could not understand either 
 *' his French or his Enijlish : Mr. Wildman went 
 " down stairs to call his valet-de-place, who uu- 
 " derstood both languages well : when he would 
 '' have gone into tlie room again to Mods. 
 " Sainte Foy, his valet-de-chambre said — ' Sir, 
 " my master is not at home.' In vain Mr. 
 " Wildiium insisted, he had (juitted his master 
 " l)ut tliat minute to call in his interpreter; the 
 
 VOL. L. I'
 
 
 210 LIFE df JOHN HORNE TOOKE. iff I- 
 
 " servant persisted that — Hiis master was not 
 " at home,' and Mr. Wildman could only procure 
 " a repetition of the same answer. Mr. Wild- 
 " man returned to Mr. Wilkes's house ; Mr. 
 Wilkes was ^ not at home.' He repeated his vi- 
 sits — ' Mr. Wilkes was not at home.' At length 
 " he was informed that Mr. Wilkes Wii» gone to 
 ^' his house in the country : Mr. Wildman went 
 " thither after you ; Jiud you ]nomised to come 
 " to Paris the next day and settle all matters , 
 '^ Mr. Wildman returned to Paris with a MonS. 
 " Goy, a name well known in England and in 
 " France, and a constant companion of Mr, 
 " Wilkes. Mons. Goy told Mr. Wildman, ' he 
 " might as vrell save himself the trouhle of his 
 *' visits, he v^ould get neither money nor clothes; 
 " for that Mr. Wilkes was exceedingly distressed^ 
 ''^ and had heen forced lately to pawn the 
 " clothes.' The next day a note was left at Mr. 
 *' Wiidinan's hotel with Mr. Wilkes's name, 
 " Mr. Wildman, immediately on the receipt of 
 *' it^ at noon, went to Mr. Wilkes's lodgings. The 
 " sen^ants said, Mr. Wilkes was in the country. 
 
 " Mr. Wildman then went to Messrs. Foley 
 " and Panchaud, the bankers, and not finding 
 *' any money left there for him, as you had by 
 *' letter promised him there sliould be, he per- 
 *' ceived that Mr. Gov had told him truths and
 
 irri- i-lTE OV JOttN nORNE TOOKE. 211 
 
 *' that be was tricked and langhrd at, and tbere- 
 *' fore instantly quitted Paris.— Such was the 
 *' return Avliicli yon, his ' afl'ectionatc friend,' 
 *' made to my brother, your bospita})le friend, 
 " for ' obhirations wbiili made it imj)ossible for 
 " yon to express the feelings of your gratitude,* 
 *' and for 'favours received under liis roof, of 
 " whicli yr,n ])romised an eternal remembrance. 
 
 " Mr, WiUiinan has since made the proper in- 
 " quiries, and finds^ that the goods he was commis- 
 *' sioned by you to procure were duly delivered. 
 *' For my own part I never mad^ the lea*it inquiry 
 "after my clothes, but have received a letter 
 *' within tlie last three months from Mr. Pan- 
 *' chaud, informinst nie that thev havd lonir been 
 " in his jHissession. 
 
 " Though the extreme njeantiess of thus filch- 
 *' ing what you miglit have receive<l freely aS a 
 " gift, in*.j)ired me with infinite contempt fol* the 
 " very nan»e of Mr. Wilkes, yet compassion for 
 '* the wretchedness of your situation took away 
 *' from nle all kind of icsentment ; and though I 
 ** was determined never to be connected with the 
 " man, I was ready to lay d6wn my life in the 
 
 " I have mentioned these circumstances not 
 '* iw any charges against you, though no doubt 
 " they will operate a«« such ; but merelv to prove 
 
 )' '2
 
 212 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771» 
 
 *' by facts what was from the beginning the na- 
 " ture of my intercourse with you, and what 
 " must have been my motives at the time of its 
 " Gommencement. 
 
 '^ John Horne." 
 
 *' TO THE REV. MR. HORNE. 
 
 " Princes Court, Saturday, May IS. 
 
 '^ SIR, 
 
 " YOUR^y*^ letter, of May 14, told me that 
 " you ' blamed my public conduct, and would 
 •^ not open any account with me on the score of 
 " private character.' A third letter is this day 
 " addressed to me. Not a word hitherto ' of 
 '•^ my public conduct,' but many false and ma- 
 " lignant attacks about Mr. Wildman, your bro- 
 " ther-in-law, and your old clothes. The public 
 " will impute the impertinence of such a dispute 
 " to its author, and pardon my calling their at- 
 *' tention for a few moments to scenes of so tri- 
 " fling a nature, because it is in justification of 
 *' an innocent man. 
 
 " When yon left Paris in May, I767, you de- 
 ^^ sired me to take care of your old clothes, for 
 " you meant to return in a few months, and they 
 " could be of no use to you in England. The
 
 1771* J-IFS <^F JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 213 
 
 *' iiiorniiig- of your dc])artiire you sent me a letter 
 " concernins: them, which 1 returned to vou at 
 *' the King's Bench ; and at tlie bottom of it the 
 *' following memorandum in my own liann- 
 '^ writing: ' Nov. 21, 1767, sent to Mr. Pan- 
 *' chaud's in the Rue St. Sauveur.' I left Paris 
 *' Nov. 22,1767, and therefore thought it proper, 
 " the day before, to send your clothes where I 
 " was sure they would be ]>erfectly safe, to Mr. 
 '•' Panchaud's, the great English banker's. They 
 " remained in my house. Rue de Saints Peres, 
 " only from May till the November following, 
 *' nor was any demand or request made to me 
 " about them by Mr. Wildman, or any one else. 
 " The story of Mons. Goy is, I am persuaded, an 
 " absolute falshood. You aixi forced to own, ^ I 
 *' have received a letter within the last three 
 '^ months from Mr. Panchaud, informing me 
 *• that they (the clothes) have long been in his 
 '' possession.' Examine the banker's books : 
 *' you will find the date is Nov. 21, 1767. You 
 " say, ' for my own ])art I never made the least 
 '' inquiry after my clothes.' I suppose for the 
 " plainest reason in tlie world : you knew where 
 ^^ they were, and that they could be no j)art of 
 '* a clergyman s die>s in England, but that you 
 '' were sure of so rich a wardrohe on vour next 
 ' tour to France or Italy, a^ Paris would pro-
 
 S14 LIFE OF JOHN HQRNE TOOKE. IfT^' 
 
 " bably he your route. This is all I know ofthe 
 •' vestimenfa pretiosa oi ^utrapelus. I hope, sir, 
 '' the putting them on will not Jiave the same 
 *' effect on you as formerly wi him™ 
 
 " Cum pulcr is tunicis sumet nova consilia et spes : 
 Dormiet in lucem ; scorto postponet honeslum 
 Officiuni; nummos alienos pasctt. 
 
 '' Your charge about your hrother-in-law, Mr. 
 " Wildman, is equally unjust. When I was in 
 " England, in Octoher, 17^S, I lodged at Mr; 
 *^ Wildman's house, in Argyle Buildings, on his 
 ** own most pressing invitation. I had long 
 " known him, aud for several years belonged 
 ^' to a club, wbicli met once a week at the Bed- 
 '* ford Head. Mr. Wildman desired to be con- 
 " sidered, at this time, as the warm partisan of 
 '^ Mr. Wilkes. He begged that he might he 
 " useful as far as he could to me and my friends. 
 *' I asked him to buy a little Welch horse for 
 " a la(;]y in France, to whom I was desirous of 
 " paying a compliment. I fixed the price, and 
 *' insisted on paying him at that very time, 
 •' which I did. About a year afterwards Mr. 
 " Wildman fuliilled my commission, purchased 
 *' me a Welch poney, and sent it to Calais. This 
 "^ was the single transaction of my own with 
 '' your brother-in-law at that time. I gave him
 
 1771- MFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 215 
 
 *■* tjv.o or three trifling conujius.sjons from Mons. 
 " Sainte Fay ior arrack, ,&c., w-bicb .were to be 
 " forwarded to Paris. 1 l)clieve thev were sent, 
 *' but tliey never passed throui;:]i my liands ; nor 
 *' do 1 know whether Mr. Wihhuiiu has yet 
 " been paid tor those triiles. tiie whole of which 
 " amounted only, as he told me, to aljout thirty 
 " pounds. 
 
 " Your endeavours to taeatc a coolness he- 
 " tween Mr. Cotes and ine are clearly seen 
 *' through, and will prov^ ineU'cctual. You 
 ** made the same attemj^t on the late Mr, Sterne 
 *' and me \\ ith the same success. 
 
 " In your second letter you say, ' The nature 
 " of xiur intercourse, for it cannot be called a cou- 
 *' nealon ; and afteiward'-, 'in oaiy return from 
 " Italy to England, in the year J^b", I saw r.ea- 
 *^ goiis sufhcient never more to trust you with a 
 '* single line ; and in your third letter' you pre- 
 *' (end that you had, eyen in 17^7? * Lufinite 
 " contempt for the very ruuiie of Mr. Wilkes.' 
 *• 1/lowever, on the 17th of last Mav, you wjote 
 " me another letter on my going to Fulliam, wbiic 
 " my house here was repaijing, to recomujend 
 " aid' tradesmen to rne, to tell me how most sitt- 
 " cerelif you were mine, &c. You add, ' I could 
 " not foriieur .showing luyJriendsJuj) to you by 
 " Jetting you know your iVieuds.' You will
 
 2l6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17^- 
 
 " find, sir, that it requires more memory, as well 
 ** as wit, than falls to one man's share, to support 
 *' a long chain of falshoods. You are lost and 
 *"' hewildered in the intricacies of error. The 
 *' path of truth you would find more easy and 
 *' honourable. 
 
 " You assert, ' I found that all the private let- 
 " ters of your friends were regularly pasted in a 
 ^' a book, and read over indiscriminately, not 
 *' only to your friends and acquaintance, but to 
 *' every visitor.' I glory, sir, in having four 
 ** large volumes of manuscript letters, many of 
 " them written by the first men of this age. I 
 ** esteem them my most valuable possession. 
 *' Why is the pleasure of an elegant and instruc- 
 " tive epistle to perish with the hour it is re- 
 *' ceived ? To the care and attention of Cicero's 
 *' friends in preserving that great Roman's let- 
 *' ters we owe the best history of Rome for a 
 " most interesting period of about forty years. 
 *' Yon mistake when you talk of all the private 
 '' letters of your friends. My care has extended 
 " only to letters of particular friends on particu- 
 ** lar occasions, or to letters of business, taste, or 
 " literature. The originals of such I have pre- 
 ** served ; never any copies of my own letters, 
 ^' unless when I wrote to a secretary of state, to 
 f^ a Talbot, a Martin, or a Home. When you
 
 1/71. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 21/ 
 
 " add, ^th;it they are read over Indiscriminately, 
 *' not only to your friends and acquaintance, 
 " but to every visitor,' you knowingly advance a 
 ** falshood. So iiinch of yonr time has passed 
 *' with me, that you are sensible very few of my 
 " friends have ever heard of the volumes I men- 
 ** tioned. The preservation of a letter is surely 
 *' compliment to the writer. But although I 
 *' approve the preservation, in general, I highly 
 '* disapprove the publication of any private letters. 
 ** However, there are cases which justly call 
 " them forth to light. Mr. Onslow's first letter 
 *' was, after great importunity from you, printed 
 " by me, to justify what you had said at Epsom. 
 •' The second you printed, without my consent, 
 " from a copy I suffered you to take. 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 *' Your humble servant, 
 
 " John Wilkes." 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 (letter IV.) 
 
 i( 
 
 
 SIR, 
 
 ** DURING the city election many worthy 
 merchants having generously come forward to 
 your assistance, and some of them being men
 
 218 LIFE OF JOHN HOR¥E TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 
 of the most rigid moicility, you thought it 
 proper to adopt the language of a penitent: 
 " to tlie one you talked oF ' Saul transformed 
 "into St. Paul;' to another you wejre iiiore 
 "poetical, and told him, that 'hitherto your 
 " life must be considered as only hearing the 
 " blossoms, and that the public might now ex- 
 " pect from you the fruits ;' and you talked of 
 *' the follies of your youth, as if you had not 
 " been at that time between yor/?/ andffti/, and 
 " as if folly was all that could be alledg;ed 
 " against you. I beUeve you did not impose 
 "upon many; the greater part despised the 
 " hypocrite, who before abhorred the rogue : 
 " but, however some might be deceived, your 
 ^^ conduct did not suffer me, .even for a Sq^ days, 
 *' to suppose you a changeling. 
 
 "On Tuesday morning, March 22, 17^^? I 
 "' paid you the first visit in London. On ffed- 
 " nesday I inserted two advertisements levelled 
 " at the old members for Middlesex: for one of 
 " which the imprudent hastiness of sir J. Gib- 
 " bons made that gentleman afterwards publish 
 " my name. On Thursday, you set out with me 
 " to canvass the western part of the county. 
 " Returning in the evening to Brentford, I found 
 
 '• there Mr. T -n, whose name I did not 
 
 "then know: he had been appoijite4 by your
 
 177^' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 219 
 
 *• coinujittee of the lity to secure some bouses 
 " atBreuttordtorthe dayof the election : hccould 
 *' get none, because be was totally unknown: be 
 " applied to me, and appointed me to meet bini, 
 ^' on Saturday evening-, at the King's Arms, 
 '• where the conunittee would settle every thing 
 " with me relative to the bouses. 
 
 " On Fridaij, I procured two inns for the 
 " purpose; and engaged myself to them to pay 
 '' tlie expenses which should be incurred; and 
 " this was necessary, because, if you had lost 
 *• your election, the peojde could eiisily foresee 
 " you would again have fled the country, and 
 ** tjbey would have lost their money. 
 
 " On Saturduij, iu the evening, I waited on 
 
 "the committee: Mr. T n .was absent: 1 
 
 '' told them my business, and desired oidv that 
 " the riskof theuticertain expenses at Brentford, 
 " on the day of election, might be understood 
 " to be cquid between us, because I was not sulli- 
 " cient to bear the whole, ajid such a loss might 
 ••' uodo me. They were j)erfect strangers tome; 
 •the committee was dit^racted with vaiiety of 
 •   bus-ine&s ; all was confusion ; and they treated me 
 *' very cavalierly, as ihey would have dcmtasharper 
 " who w axoiue to impose uj)on tlicm by false pre- 
 
 *' <;ences: the chairnuuj, Mr. .I.J , a gewtle- 
 
 *' /.nan ol character and a man ol' business, and
 
 220 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^* 
 
 not having (as lie has since informed me) been 
 acquainted with the circumstances, and know- 
 ing thatMr.T n had been appointed tolook 
 
 after the houses, very properly, though abruptly, 
 bade mequit the room; saying, 'Since houses are 
 procured, that is sufficient for us, and we have 
 nothing to do with you or your engagements.' 
 1 c[uitted the room ; first telling them, that 
 they were mistaken in supposing they had the 
 houses safe, and therefore might leave me 
 bear the burthen; that I was not quite so 
 foolish as they seemed to imagine; if they 
 would not make it a joint risk, I was still able 
 to save myself i for that I very well knew sir 
 William Beauchamp Proctor and Mr. Cooke 
 would be very glad to take the houses 
 off my handsj and to acknowledge the obli- 
 gation. 
 
 " You had hitherto sat silent ^ but being 
 alarmed at ray last words, which I threw out 
 to alarm them, and to make them join with 
 me in the risk, you followed me, and led me, 
 
 together with Mr. , into another room ; 
 
 you caught me by the hands, and supplicated 
 me most earnestly not to be offended at such 
 'creatures' as your committee; you swore I 
 should run no hazard; that you had more 
 than money enough at your banker's, antl
 
 17/1. LIFE OF JOHN IIOUNE TOOKE. 2'2l 
 
 " would that moment give me a draft for Jiff ee?? 
 " hundred pounds. 
 
 " I replied, ' Sir, 1 was not at all offended 
 " before, but I am now : I see you think me a 
 " dupe; because it is Saturday evening, and 
 " your election comes on Monday morning, you 
 " offer me a draft on your banker ior Jiffeen 
 " hundred pounds, when I know you have not 
 ''^ Jifteen pence in the world. It is you that treat 
 " me ill, not they. I am not duped, sir; and 
 *' I desire I may at least have the honour of 
 " doing what I do with my eyes open. Go back 
 " and look after them; give yourself no concern 
 " about me: I shall act in the same manner as 
 ^' if they had engaged with me. The die is 
 " cast: if I had not thouirht that all was at 
 " stake, on the success of your election, I should 
 " not have come forward at all; and, having 
 " once begun it, nothing shall stop me.' 
 
 " The success of the election is known: the 
 " gentlemen afterwards excused themselves to 
 *' me for a behaviour for which their good in- 
 " tention entirely justified them; and the com- 
 " mittee paid the expenses. 
 
 " John HauNE.'*
 
 122^ lAtt 6T JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 " TO THE REV. MR. HORNE. 
 
 " Prince's Court, Wedndsdai/, May 22, 
 " SIR, 
 
 *"' I AM persuaded there are very few parti- 
 *' ciilars in your fourth letter whieh the public 
 " wish that 1 should answer. You say, that on 
 ^' the Saturday before the first Middlesex election, 
 
 " * you led me, together with Mr. , into 
 
 " another room ; you caught me by the hands, 
 " and supplicated me most earnestly not to be 
 ** offended at such "creatures" as your committee; 
 " you swore I should run no hazard; that you 
 ** had more than money enough at your banker's 
 " and would that moment 2:ive me a draft fof 
 ^'Jifteen hundred pounds.'' I had been only a 
 *' few weeks in England, and most certainly 
 " had at that time no banker. If I had made 
 " such a speech to you, who knew the distress 
 " of ray private afikirs, instead of supporting 
 " me as candidate for the county of Middlesex, 
 " you ought to have applied to my friends for a 
 " commission of lunacy against me. That 
 ^^ single proof would have been sufficient. Will 
 " you please, sir, to tell me the banker s name, 
 
 " and the name of Mr. , of which you 
 
 *' do not even give the initials? I assert, that the 
 " whole of this talc is an absolute falshood.
 
 If 71. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 223 
 
 " When von mention tlie city election, you 
 " assert, ' Yon talked of the follies of your youth, 
 *' as if yon had not hecn at that time between 
 *' forfi/ and Ji ft I/, and as \i' J}} I li/ wi\h all that 
 *' could ])e alledged against you.' Whatever 
 " could i)e utlcdged against me would probably 
 *' come from others, rather than from myself. 
 " I am sure this could only pass in a private 
 " conversation. 1 was not auilty of that absnr- 
 *' dity to the respectable body of the livery. 
 *' You cannot produce any e:t])ression, in fny 
 *' various addresses to them, which has such a 
 *' tendency. As to my age at that time, you 
 ** have given the truth. I Avish you had in every 
 *' other part of your letters. The city election 
 *' wa^. in March I'J'GS; I was fort i/ the October 
 ** precediniT. Mr. Horiie has, therefore, infoio' 
 *' long letters, advanced one truth, that, at the 
 *' city election, in March, l/Cs, il/r. John lVdke<i 
 ** was between ybr^j/ and Jlf'tij. If any man 
 *' doubts -the fact, because Mr. Florne has as- 
 *' serted it, he may have full evidence^ althouj^h 
 *' its validity would be controverted by the mi- 
 " nister of New Brentford, as Bible evidence 
 •*' from a larji^e family hook, or the Bible oath of 
 *' a midwife, a nur«>e, and half a-dozen gossips. 
 *' 1 am, sir. your humble sorvaiit, 
 
 " J(JHN WiLKEsJ*
 
 2^4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^ 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 (letter v.) 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 " THOUGH I do not intend that you shall 
 " artfully draw me off from my course of a regu- 
 '' lar explanation, yet I think it proper to take' 
 " some notice of the two letters you have given 
 " hy way of reply. 
 
 " And, first, I must observe what you have 
 " 7iot done in your letters. Yon have not even 
 " pretended any reason for my dissatisfaction with 
 *' your conduct. You have not denied that oui' 
 *' acquaintance began in the manner and at tliel 
 •'time I have mentioned. ^ou ackno^vledge 
 " that you received my letter from Montpelier ; 
 " and yet you have not denied that you disowned 
 " to me the receipt of it. You have not denied 
 '^ the showing about this letter with an intention 
 " to intimidate and injure me; but as Caesar's 
 "•' and De Retz's examples are to justify your dis- 
 " honest debts, so Cicero's letters, it seems, are 
 " to justify your treachery. You have admitted, 
 " that I had no communication with you from 
 "May, l/^/j till March, 176*8, and that my 
 " first visit to you in London was when you had 
 *' evidently lost your city election ; and yet you
 
 i( 
 
 <i 
 
 i/Tl- LIFE 6f JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 225 
 
 *' Lave offered no reason \vhy our acquaintance 
 should be in thi-^ ujanner broken off as soon as 
 it was begun, and why, after that interrup- 
 tion, it should be resumed again just at that 
 critical time. You have not imputed to me 
 any motives of action, either when I com- 
 '' menced or when I ({uitted my intercourse with 
 " you, either when I have approved or when I 
 " have disapproved your conduct. 
 
 *' Instead of giving a consistent, probaljle ac- 
 • count of any thing, let us now see what you 
 " have done. 
 
 " In your first letter you have declared me to 
 " be 'the least moral and the least conscientious 
 " of men ; that my lite has passed in a constant 
 *' and direct opposition to tlie purity and pre- 
 '•' cepts of the gospel ; and that my creed, from 
 " the first article to the last of it, is known to 
 '' be, noji credo,'' &c. — Such charges as these from 
 " the mouth of Mr. Wilkes !— But I should be 
 '•' ridiculous if I ])ui(l Any regard to general 
 *'•' abuse : it is sufficient lor me to answer, that, 
 *' were my character so bad as you say, it nmst 
 " be very notorious indeed, and you would not be 
 '• forced to deal \u generals^ and, insteadofmy ac- 
 " tions, to accuse the secret thoughts of mylieart, 
 *' which noman can scrutinize; because,sincel was 
 " eight years old, my whole life has passed be- 
 \0h. I. m
 
 226 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l//!' 
 
 *' fore hundreds of witnesses, and you Avould 
 " easily be able to collect all the pm^ticulars of 
 '^ my misbehaviour from my infancy. Westmin- 
 " ster — Eton — Cambridge — the Temple — ray 
 " living at Brentford, which I have had np- 
 " wards of ten years — travelling with the sons 
 " of two gentlemen who live within a mile of my 
 ^' house, who applied to me, and to whom I had 
 ^* no recommendation but that notorious charac- 
 " ter you speak of — all these are not situations 
 " in which a man's very bad conduct is likely 
 " to be concealed. To general charges, such 
 " general answers only can be given. 
 
 *^ From my letter you evidently borrowed the 
 " thought and the quotation from Horace which 
 " you have used in your letter of last Monday; 
 " but, unfortunately, you do not understand the 
 " passage, an accident that hajipens very fre- 
 '^' quently to plagiaries : you say, ' this is all 
 " 1 know of the vesthnenta prctiosa of EtUra- 
 " pelus, I hope, sir, the putting them on Avill 
 '^ not have the sanieeifect on you as, formerly, on 
 " him.' — If they have no more effect on me, than 
 " Horace supposes them to have had formerly on 
 " Eutrapeliis, they will not do me much luis- 
 ^' chief:-— 
 
 " ' Eutrapelus, cuiciinque fiocere volebat 
 Vtsti/mnla dabat prctiosa/'
 
 ii 
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 22^ 
 
 " The fact isj sir, (as any scliool-boy can tell 
 " yon,) that Eufrapchis did not wear the clothes 
 *' himself, as you snpjmse, hut left them with a 
 profligate at Paris; and the bad effects enu- 
 merated by Horace, in the following lines, re- 
 '' late to the fellow who pawned them, and not 
 *' to Eutrapelus, who gave him the opportunity. 
 " A'^ou have made another extract from a let- 
 " fe}\ ijnu call it, which I sent to you at Ful- 
 *' ham. I desire you would give the whole of 
 *•' that letter, and the extract will, then, I be- 
 " licve, have a very different appearance. It is 
 " true, that note to you at Fulham had escaped 
 " my memory, but 1 now well recollect the oc- 
 
 *' casion of it. Mr. B , of Fulham, who 
 
 " had been exceedingly useful in your election, 
 ^* came to solicit me, last May, that 1 would 
 " write to you in behalf of jjome tradesmen 
 " there, who had voted for you, or otherwise 
 " served you in your election. It was much 
 " against my will to tell him my thoughts of his 
 " recjucst ; and yet I could not be so unjust as to 
 " conce:d my opinion, and do them an injury un- 
 " der the appearance of a favour. I asked him, 
 " smiling, — for you know I cannot laugh — if 
 " he really thought such a rcconmicndation of 
 " them would be rioing them a favour ? lie re- 
 *' plied, they would think it so. 
 
 tt 2
 
 2'2S LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I77i- 
 
 " I told him, I would not pretend to answer 
 " for their being paid ; and that I should be 
 " sorrv to make them such a return for their 
 " good public spirit, as to recommend them to* 
 " a bad private debt. He said, they would use 
 '' their prudence ; which I begged he would cau- 
 " tion them to do, that I might not hereafter be 
 "^ reproached. On this occasion, I recollect, I 
 *' did write you a short note, of which I have, 
 " likewise, a copy somewhere; and I remem- 
 *' her, too, the sidjstance of it — I expressed to 
 '' you my surprise, that your credit was so 
 *' good, and that there were still to be found 
 "^ any persons willing to trust you. The line of 
 " my note, which you have extracted, was in- 
 ^* serted by me to let you understand that you 
 *' were not conferring an obligation on me, 
 
 but that it was an act of friendship in me, 
 
 towards you, to let you know your friends. 
 
 " Sir, my surprise to tind any tradesmen willing 
 *' to trust you was the greater, because I knew 
 " several of the fraudulent pretences yon had 
 " used since your enlargement from the King's 
 *' Bench, to obtain goods from tradesmen. 
 
 " What you say concerning Mr. Onslow's let- 
 *' ters is not true; but it needs no refutation, 
 " being nothing to the present purpose, and 
 *' bearing evident marks of falshood on the 

 
 1/7* • *-lFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 229 
 
 " face of it ; for who can be so gross as to Ijclieve, 
 " that — ' It was printed without your consent 
 " from a copy you suiferccl ine to take/ and this, 
 " too, after acknowledging that you printed the 
 ** first letter yourself? 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 "TO THE REV. MR. HORNE. 
 
 " Prince's Court, Friday, May 2%. 
 
 *' SIR, 
 
 " IN tlie accuracy of quotation you have a 
 " formidable rival in Mr. Lauchlin Maclcane. 
 " You do not even publish your own letters 
 " correctly. I ought not, then, to be so unrea- 
 *' sonable as to expect yon should print mine 
 " more faithfully. The third letter you have 
 " quoted of mine to iMr. Wildman, has no 
 *' date. Is there none in the original ? I expect 
 " you to leave at Mr. WoodfalPs every letter 
 " of mine, which you have (pioted, and all those 
 " you print in future. Your letters to me 
 " shall accompany this, and be left for vour 
 ** perusal at the ])rintcr\s. The palm of ex- 
 *' actness and fidelity you should yield to tho 
 '* alderman of Farrinjrdon Without. 
 
 *^ As to your old clot lies, I have already said 
 <* that they continued in my house, thp Hue des
 
 230 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17/1- 
 
 a 
 
 
 Saints Peres, from May 2.5, till Nov. 1767, 
 " and were then sent to the great English 
 *' banker's, Mr. Panchaud's. Your assertion of 
 *' the pawning them is an impudent falshood, 
 *' and a rascally return for the care I took of 
 *' such trifles, at your desire, during the time 
 *' I staid at Paris, and even on my leaving 
 *' France. As to the vestimenta pretiosa of Eii- 
 trapelus, it ought, undoubtedly, to be ^ his 
 acquaintance,' not * him.' Whether the 
 ^' printer, or I, made the trifling mistake, I 
 ^' do not recollect. The first idea w^as yours. 
 "^ 1 turned your own cannon against you. Your 
 *' proof of my plagiarism of the Latin words is 
 " pleasant. Yon pretend, 1 take from you 
 '^ two lines and a half, not a word of which 
 ^' you cited ! I will only add, about the old 
 *' clothes, that, when you next wear 7^ed, I hope 
 " it M'ill be, 1 suit of scarlet and gold — cloth, 
 " not of hlack died red with the blood — of your 
 *' countrymen. 
 
 " The commissions of Mons. Sainte Foy, re^ 
 "^ spect that gentleman, not me. Mr. Wildman 
 " never made the claim of such a debt at the 
 " Bill of Rights. It is not to be found in the 
 " list, nor was any application made on that sub- 
 ^' ject by Mr. Reynolds, either at Bath or in 
 ^' London.
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 231 
 
 ** You declare, ' I knew several of the fraudii- 
 " lent ])retences you had used since i/our en- 
 " largement from the King's Bcncli, to ohtaiii 
 " goods from tradesmen.' I know Mr. Home 
 "to ])e the J'at/ier of fulshoock. I call upon 
 '^ him to produce one single instance, and I 
 " dare him to puhlish every thing he knows of 
 " jne of every kind, 
 
 " I shall now, sir, in answer to what has 
 *• heen reported, relative to nie and Mr. Fitz- 
 " herbert, give the following letter to Mr. 
 ^' Onslow; — 
 
 *' ' Rue d€ Saints Peres, Dec. 12, 1765. 
 
 <( ( 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 "'I REGRKT that I am obliged to send 
 ^ this by the post, but I do not hear of any 
 ' friend's going soon to England, and I think 
 ^ that it becomes the fairness of all my pro- 
 
 * ceedings, with respect to the gentlemen, with 
 
 * whom I have been concerned, to state two or 
 
 * three facts to you, and immediately after I 
 ' had taken my resolution. Mr. Fitzherbert 
 
 * has offered me, in the name of some of the 
 
 * ministry, the annual sum of one thousand 
 
 * pounds, to l)e paid out of the income of their 
 ' respective places. 1 have rejectcfl this propt)-
 
 233 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/7 *•. 
 
 ' sal as clandestinej eleemosynary, and preca- 
 
 * rioiis. I demand, from the justice of my friends, 
 ' a full pardon, under the great seal, for having 
 ' successfully served my coantry. I Avill wait 
 
 * here till tlie first day of t]ie new year. If I 
 ' should not then have received it, I shall have 
 '^ the strongest proof that the present ministry 
 ' are neither the friends of Mr. WiJkes nor of 
 ^justice, because the letter of Mr. Fitzherbert 
 ' tells me, " that there is perfect harmony 
 ' jamong them, and the perfect vonjidence and; 
 
 * support of their master.''' 
 
 " ' The frankness of my nature, and the open- 
 ' ness of my conduct, oblige me to give you 
 ' this notice. I ask not the grace of a pension, 
 ' or of an employment. 1 ask justice, and from 
 
 * £:entlemen who declare that I have been "ex- 
 ^ tremely useful, and ill-used^" and that '^ they 
 ' are my friends." 
 
 " ' I beg the sincerest compliments of respect 
 
 * to the good old speaker, and to Mrs. Onslow. 
 
 " ' I am ever, dear sir, 
 ^' 'Your most affectionate, and 
 " ' obedient, humble servant, 
 
 " ' George Onslow, Esq.' " ' JoiIN WiLKES.' 
 
 " I shall conclude with observing, that the, 
 " above letter was written in consequence of Mr.
 
 177^- I^IFE OF JOHN irORNE TOOKE. 233 
 
 " Fitzhei])ert's mlstaJiCri Information to me, at a 
 " time when the men * you most hate ivere in 
 ^'^ power, durino; the shortest, I)ecansc tiie ino:it 
 " virtuous of all the late administrations, to 
 " whom we owe the parliament;iry resolutions 
 " against general warrants and the seizure of 
 " papers, the rej)eal of the late excise on cyder 
 ^' and perry, and of the American stamp-tax ; 
 *' by ^\ hich fonr j^lorious acts, the suLjects, both 
 " at home and in the colonies, have been re- 
 *' stored to their personal liberty, as well as thoir 
 '' invaluable and unalienable rights and privi- 
 '' leges. Such a conduct secured to them the 
 " confidence of the people, and of course the 
 " liatred of our sovereign, with their own speedy 
 '• dissolution. 
 
 *' I am, sir, 
 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 " John Wilkes." 
 
 **' The Rorlvingham adni'mistrafion.
 
 234 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. IfT^' 
 
 « TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (lE'ITER VI.) 
 
 ** SIR 
 
 ) 
 
 I HAVE been asked^, by some very well- 
 
 '' meamng men. 
 
 fi 
 
 " 1. Whether I did not^ in my first letter, say, 
 '^^ that I would open no account with you on the 
 " score o^ private character ? 
 
 2. And yet whether I have hitherto charged 
 
 you with any thing but bad actions of a pri- 
 *' vate nature ? 
 
 " 3. Whether your private character is worse 
 " now than it was when I went such lengths in 
 *' your support? 
 
 " 4. Whether I did not at that time know 
 your private character ? 
 
 *' 5. How then could I be a friend to sucli a 
 " man ? 
 
 " 6. If I was your friend only for the sake of 
 '^ the public cause, whether the same reason does 
 " not remain r 
 
 " 7- Whether your cause is not still the same? 
 '' And, 
 
 ** 8. Why I will suffer any private pique or 
 " quarrel between us to come before the publiq 
 " and injure that cause }
 
 1771- I-IFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 235 
 
 " To which I answer, 
 
 ^' 1. 12. I have hitherto coriiined myself, ac- 
 "' cording to the phm Liid down in my first let- 
 " ter, to show, from facts, what ninst have heen 
 ^' the motives of rnv conduct and the nature of 
 ** the intercourse hetwecn us. For tliat purpose 
 *' it was necessary for me to mention such parts 
 " of your ill hehaviour as fell within my oivn 
 *' knowledge and related to jm/selfnt the time of 
 *' its commencement ; that it miglit from thence 
 " plainly appear to every one, that I could have 
 *' no private attachment to Mr. Wilkes, though 
 ** I was determined, to tlie utmost of my poor 
 " ahilities, to assist him and his cause as Jar as 
 " it was a public cause *, and might tend to 
 " public henefit. Had it been my intention to 
 *' attack your private character, (which I under- 
 " stand to be on all sides g:ivcn up,) I should 
 " have ])ursued a very different method : the 
 ** transactions 1 have mentioned are mere pec- 
 ** cadillos compared to the black catalogue which 
 " would then have appeared. 
 
 " 3. Your private character is not worse now 
 " than it was when I went such lengths in your 
 ** support ; except that l)y continuing your for- 
 
 * "The declaration of the society of supporters of the Bill 
 " of Rights, when it was first formed."
 
 236 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 mer bad practices in every respect^ notwith- 
 standing every reason, public and })rivate, to 
 restrain yon, all hopes of your amendment are 
 vanished; for the ingenuity of man cannot 
 find out an additional motive of restraint. 
 " 4. 6. I knew enough of your private cha- 
 racter at the time of the Middlesex election not 
 to enter into any private connexion with you ; 
 and to have no motives hut what were public 
 for the sacrifices I made and the hazards I 
 ran. But I did not know^ your private cha- 
 racter as I have known it since. When I first 
 went abroad, early in the year 17^3, I knew 
 no more of you than what the papers told me, 
 that you, in conjunction with Churchill an4 
 Lloyd, were one of the authors of the North 
 Briton. What I afterwards heard against you, 
 on my return, in 1 7^4, 1 imputed, for the greater 
 part, to the rage of party and the malice of 
 your enemies : I supposed you liberal in spe- 
 culation, and not a very rigid moralist in 
 action : I have not to this moment read the 
 Essay on Woman ; and, whatever it may con- 
 tain, I should have felt more indignation 
 against those who bribed the printer to betray 
 you. than against you who were betrayed; be- 
 cause it was a mean villainy, almost equal to 
 the treacherous publication of a privat^^
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 237 
 
 *'J'rien(Ili/, confidential letter ; but a villainy of 
 ** which you can now complain no more. 
 
 " inikes, with the education of a gentleman, 
 " has exceeded in meanness and want of senti- 
 " ment \\\s servant Curry. In the year 176*7, I 
 '* first h)iew some part of your private character, 
 " and no sooner hucw than avoided you. Since 
 *' that time, in the progress of my excessive in- 
 *' dustry to extricate you from your difficultie*^, 
 " I have, to my astonishment, found to be tnie, 
 " not only all that has been alledged against you, 
 *' but much more. However, were it possil)lc 
 *' to add to the measure of your private turpi- 
 " tude, it would not prevent me from acting over 
 " again in the same manner I have done; and 
 *' was there an election for Middlesex to-inor- 
 " row, (the right of the electors being left un- 
 " vindicated,) or any other point of public con- 
 *' cern, the benefit which you might receive 
 *' from jny labour or my sufferings should not 
 " make me in the least relax the one or decline 
 *' the other. 
 
 *' G. 7. I was your friend only for the sake of 
 *''the ])ublic cause: that reason does, in ccr- 
 •' tain matters, remain; as far as it remains, so 
 *' far 1 am still your friend; and therefore I said, 
 " in mv first letter, ' the public sho.ild know 
 " liow far they owj-Jit, and how far thcv uuulti 
 *' notf to support you.*
 
 238 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771' 
 
 " Tobring to punishment the great deHnqnents 
 " who have corrupted the parliament and the 
 " seats of justice; who have encouraged, par- 
 " doned, and rewarded murder: to heal the 
 *' breaclies made in the constitution, and, by 
 " salutary provisions, to prevent them for the 
 " future: to replace, once more, not the admi- 
 " nistration and execution, for which they are 
 " very unfit, but the checks of government 
 *' really in the hands of the governed ; 
 
 " For these purposes, if it were possible to 
 *' suppose that the great enemy of mankind 
 " could be rendered instrumental to their hap- 
 " piness, so far the devil himself should be sup- 
 *' ported by the people. For a human instru- 
 *' ment they should go further; he should not 
 *' only be supported, but thanked and rewarded, 
 *' for the good which perhaps he did not intend, 
 " as an encouragement to others to follow his 
 •' example. But if the foul fiend, having gained 
 " their support, should endeavour to delude the 
 '^ vi^eaker part, and entice them to an idolatrous 
 '* worship of himself, by persuading them that 
 *' what he suggested was their voice, and their 
 " voice the voice of God: if he should attempt 
 *' to obstruct every thing that leads to their se~ 
 ** curity and happiness, and to promote every 
 *' wickedness that tends only to his own emolu- 
 ** ment: If when — the cause — the cause — rever-
 
 irri' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 239 
 
 " berates on tlieir ears, he should divert them 
 " from the original sound, and direct them to- 
 " wards the op}}osite unfaithful echo: if confu- 
 *' sion should be all his aim, and mischief his 
 *' sole enjoyment, would not he act the part of 
 " a faithful monitor to the people, who should 
 " save them from their snares, by remindinc: 
 *' them of the true object of their constituthmal 
 *' worship, expressed in those words of holi/ wrif, 
 *' (for to me it is so,) Rex, lex loqiiens; lex, rex 
 *' mutus. This is — the cause — the cause. — To 
 *' make this union indissoluble is the only cause 
 " I acknowledge. As far as the support of Mr. 
 *' Wilkes tends to this point, I am as warm as 
 *' the warmest; but all the lines of your projects 
 *' are drawn towards a diflcrcnt center — yonr- 
 " sell; and if, with a good intention, 1 have been 
 *' diligent to gain you powers, which may be per- 
 " verted to mischief, I am bound to be doubly 
 " diligent to prevent their being so employed. 
 
 " 8. The diligence I have used for two years 
 •' j)ast, and the success I have had in defeating- 
 " all your shameful schemes, is tlie true cause 
 " of the distention between us. 1 have never 
 •' had any private pique or quarrel with you. 
 " It was your j)olicy, in paragraphs and anony- 
 " mous letters, to pretend it; but you cannot men- 
 *' tion any private cau^e of j^ique or quarrel.
 
 
 240 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 " To prevent the mischief of division to a po- 
 *' pular opposition, those who saw both your 
 *• bad intentions and your actions were silent; 
 " and, whilst they defeated all your projects, 
 
 thev w^ere cautions to conceal your defects. 
 
 They studied so much the more to satisfy your 
 *' voracious prodigality, and thought, as I should 
 *' have done if a minister, that, if feeding it 
 *' would keep you from mischief, a few thousands 
 *' would be well employed by the public for that 
 " purpose. But I can never, merely for the 
 ** sake ot strengthening opposition, join in those 
 " actions, which would prevent all the good 
 " effe( ts to be hoped for from opposition, and 
 *' for the sake of which alone any opposition to 
 " government can be justifiable. Such a prac- 
 *' tice would very well suit those who wish a 
 *' change of ministers. For my part, I wish no 
 ** such thing; bad as the present are, I am afraid 
 *• the next Avill not be better, though I am sure 
 *' they cannot be worse. 1 care not under whose 
 *' administration good comes. 
 
 *' But the people must owe it to themselves, 
 " nor ouirht thev to receive the restoration of 
 " their rights as a favour from any set of men. 
 *' minister, or king. The moment they accept 
 ** it as a grant, a favour, an act of grace, the 
 " people have not the prospect of a right left.
 
 1/'71- ^^^'^ OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 241 
 
 ** Thcv will from lliat time become like the mere 
 '* possessors of an estate without a title, and of 
 ** which thev may he dispossessed at ])leasnre. 
 *' If the peo])le are not powerful enough to make 
 *' a bad administration, or a had king, do them 
 *' iu«;tice, they will not often have a good one. 
 " Would to Ciod, the time were come, which 
 " I am afraid is very distant, beyond the period 
 " of inv life, when an honest man could not be 
 " in oj)position! I declare I shonld rejoice to 
 *' find the ])atronage of a minister in the smallest 
 *' degree my honour and interest. I never have 
 *' ])retended to any more than to prefer the 
 *' former to the latter. But it is not upon me 
 ** alone that you have poured forth your abuse, 
 " but upon every man of honour, who has dc- 
 *' served well of the public; and if you were 
 ** permitted to proceed, without interruption, 
 " there would shortly not be found one honest 
 ** man who would not shudder to deserve well 
 " of the pcoj)le. 
 
 *' 'J'he true reason of our dissension being made 
 *' public, is, that you could not get on a step 
 " without it; and you trust that the ])opularity of 
 " your name, and your diligence in paragraphing* 
 *' the paper'5, ^\ ill outweigh with the people the 
 *' most essential services of others; and that you 
 '* shall get rid of all control, by taking away 
 
 VOL. I. R
 
 242 LIIE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ITJli' 
 
 " from those who mean well the confidence of 
 *' the people. If you can once get them af- 
 *' fronted hy the public, whom they have faith- 
 *' fully served, you flatter yourself that disgust 
 ** will make them letiie from a scene where such 
 " a iiian as you are, covered with infamy like 
 " yours, has the disposal of honour and disgrace, 
 " and the characters of honest men at his mercy. 
 " I mean to prove what 1 have said by facts; 
 '■' and though it does notcomein the regular order 
 " of time, which I meant to observe, nor with that 
 " strength, with which a number of preceding 
 " transactions made it aifect mv mind, I will 
 " now mention one, which, with two or three 
 *' others, made you despair of using me in your 
 plans, and made you hasten the rupture. 
 
 Some time in last July, when 1 was upon a . 
 *' visit to Mr. alderman Oliver, at Putney, yon 
 *' came there,' and persuaded me to go with you 
 " to your house at Fulliam, where I had never 
 " before been, that we might the next morning 
 " go together by water to London. In the boat, 
 " you began with me a conversation about the 
 ** city, as exactly as I can recollect, to the fol- 
 *' lowing effect: 
 
 " //'. ' I think I ought to consider s.onicthing 
 •^^ about providing for my friends, and being 
 '' pn'])arod with candidates Uyv the city officei?. 

 
 1"71- LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 243 
 
 " Give me your opinion: who tlo you think 
 ** shoukl ])e town-clerk?' 
 
 *' //. ' Why, is sir James Ilodges dead?' 
 ** //'. * No; hnt he is not very young, nor in 
 " very j^ood health; and one ought to he pre- 
 ** pared against accidents. There should al- 
 '* ways he a candidate fixed upon ready.' 
 
 " //. ' Since you have asked my opinion 
 " ahont it, I will give it yon very freely : I think 
 " directly the contrary. Consider vour situa- 
 '* tion; your influence is not personal, hut de- 
 *' pends entirely upon the propriety of your 
 *' measures. Tliongh you may consider of the 
 *' thing in your mind, you should never fix 
 " upon a candidate till the very time of election, 
 " nor talk ahout it to any one. The man that 
 *' miglit he most proper this year may be very 
 " impro])er the next. It is your business, when 
 *' the time comes, to consider who is the most 
 ** fit for the ofiice, and has the best claim to the 
 " favour of the citizen ; and if those circum- 
 *' stances are nearly equal in diflerent candidates, 
 " then to adopt him who is most likely to succeed : 
 *' by which means the party you espouse will 
 ** generally be victorious; and you will have the 
 ** credit of having carried many a candidate by 
 " your interest, wlien indeed he will be carried 
 "by the merits of his own jjrcteubions: and 
 *' should you at any time miscarry, your dcfgut 
 
 R 2
 
 i^44 LtTE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 " will do yoii no harm; for every one will ac- 
 *' knowledge that your man ought to have suc- 
 *' ceeded ; and, by seeing you always espouse the 
 *' most worthy, the public will in time have a 
 " strong inducement to sup})ort your candidates, 
 *' and will reasonably conclude that he is probably 
 " the most worthy whom you espouse : whereas, 
 *' by following a different course, though yoii 
 " may succeed once or twice, your very successes 
 *' will disgrace and ensure you a future defeat.' 
 
 *' f/'. * All this mav do very well in theory » 
 *' but Reynolds has done so much, and is every 
 *' day doing so much for me, that I think he 
 *' ought to be fixed upon as town-clerk.' 
 
 •' If. * In my opinion you have fixed upon 
 *' the last man in the city that should be thought 
 " of for that office; and I may speak it the 
 *' more freely, because Reynolds has experienced 
 " that 1 do not want an inclination to serve 
 
 *' him. When he sent Mr. Tr n to desire 
 
 *' me to ask Mr. Sawbridge to appoint him his 
 '' under-sheriff, he knows that there was not a 
 
 ^' minute between Tr n's apj)lication to me and 
 
 " Mr.Sawbridge's granting my request: heknows, 
 *• too, the steps 1 have since taken to serve him 
 " in that line. There is nothing improper in 
 " his being under-sheriff, because that is a pri- 
 ** t^aie favour granted by the sheriff, who serves 
 *' the oflice at a very great expense. But the
 
 irri- l-IFE OT JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 215 
 
 ** Incnitive city-oftices arc very (liftoreiit things: 
 " they ought always to be disposed of to the old 
 *' citizens of long standing, not those ubo make 
 " themselves free for the purpose; to men of re- 
 *• sj)ectal)le characters, who can })lead services 
 *' to the city; or at least to those, who, with 
 " equal merit, have not perhaps been so success- 
 " ful as their neighbours, and are not so easy 
 *' in their fortunes as their fellow-citizens think 
 *' they deserve. Reynolds has not the least claim: 
 *' he is a freeman only of yesterday ; and you will 
 " certainly forfeit the esteem and support of the 
 ** citizens, and narrow yourself to a very small 
 " circle indeed, if they see you endeavo\iring to 
 '* confine all the emoluments of the city to your 
 *' attornics, agents, and particular ndherents, to 
 '* the exclusion of those mIio have long borne the 
 " burden of the city, and whose right those 
 *' offices are. You ought, on the contrarv, on 
 "' these occasicms, to assist worth and merit 
 '* wherever you find it, whether amongst your 
 *' own party or out of it, or even amongst your 
 ** adversaries; and, by so doing, your eifbjiiies 
 " will be less jealous of your power and less bitter, 
 " and the muubcr of your friends will increase 
 *' as the a])prol)ation of your conduct increases.* 
 " Air. Wilkes seemed much chagrined, and 
 *' did not at all relish my argnujent'^, but turned 
 ^* the conversation to other subjects. About
 
 246 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l??^' 
 
 " ten days afterwards, Mr. Reynolds came to me, 
 " and told me he desired my advice and assist- 
 *'^ ance : that Mr. Wilkes had been talking to 
 '' him about being town-clerk. — I repeated to 
 *' Mr. Reynolds the arguments I had used to Mr. 
 *' Wilkes, with many others particularly affect- 
 *' ing Mr. Reynolds; and Mr. Reynolds told me 
 ** he was convinced, by what I had said, and 
 *' should think no more of it. 
 
 *' On the j^r^'^ of August, I went to Guilford, 
 " on account of the trial on my cause Avith Mr. 
 *^ Onslow. After the trial, about twenty of us 
 *' dined together; and after dinner Mr. Heaton 
 '' Wilkes took me out into another room, and 
 " solicited my influence, in his behalf, for the 
 ** chamberlainship. Relative to this subject, I 
 *' fully expressed njy dissatisfaction by means 
 " of a written communication. 
 
 *' Upon this business I had afterwards some 
 '' very unpleasant conversation with Mr. Heatori 
 " Wilkes, and not much better with Mr. John 
 ** Wilkes, who denied that he had ever approved 
 " the measure; but insisted upon it, that his 
 " brother had as good a right to be a candidate 
 " as any other person. Mr. Heaton Wilkes has 
 *' continued his canvass, which he began many 
 *' months before he was a freeman, down to this 
 " time, and was made free of the city of London 
 ^* on the 27th of last September. " J. Horne."
 
 177^' I-HE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 24! 
 
 "TO MR JOHN WlLIvF.S. 
 
 (lKTTER VII.) 
 
 '^'THE palm of lidclity iukI exactness,' I 
 ^' think you say, 'shall be yielded to the alder- 
 *' man of Farriiii;dou Without.' Do voii mean 
 '•' the JiihUty you exemplify by publishing ])ri- 
 " vate letters ? or the exactness with which 
 " you discharge your obligations? Is there 
 " either Jideliti/ or exactness in what you say 
 " a icw lines afterwards? ' As to the vesti- 
 " inenta pretiasa of Eutrapelus, it ought un- 
 " doubtedly to be — his acquaintance — not — him 
 " — ff'hefher the printer or I made the trijiing 
 " mistake, / do imt recollect.'' Not recollect a 
 *' circumstance of this kind at the distance of 
 *' two days ? you are very exacts truly ! The mis- 
 '• take itself is but a trijiing oue, and such as 
 " you have always been very apt to make, only 
 " a difference of meuni and tiiuni ; and whether 
 "* the bad character, given by Horace, rehites to 
 ** you or to me. 
 
 " And here, sir, I will take the liberty to give 
 '* you some advice, whicli may be useful to \ on ; 
 " and, to reconimend if, 1 will convey it in the 
 " form most pleasing to yon — a (|notation. —
 
 ii 
 
 248 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/fli 
 
 " Hom'uiem in<i:emosiim Marcum Anton'mm aiunt 
 " solltum esse dlcere, idoirco se nullam unquam 
 *' orationem scripsisse ; ut si quid aliquando 
 '' non optcs esset ah se esse dictum^ posse se ne- 
 " gave dixisse. 
 
 " I perceive you do not clioose to confess having 
 "' received the pension from some part of the 
 " Rockingham administration ; but instead of it^ 
 '^ give us a letter to Mr. Onslow on the 12th of 
 " December, 17^)5. The word precarious^ in 
 " that letter, is a very ngly reason for a patriot 
 
 to give against accejjting a pension^ which AVas 
 *' offered to him in order to keep him quiet 
 '• abroad : but what shall we say if he afterwards 
 " received the money ? I expect yon to give a 
 ^^ clear, unequivocal ansAver on the subject ; re- 
 " raembering always the above quotation. Why 
 " do you say nothing of the other extract from 
 " my letter about the e?:pectations you had 
 " formed of being sent ambassador to Constan- 
 " tinople, a short time before your letter against 
 " the duhe of Grafton was published r 
 
 " The extracts you haA^e meanly made from 
 *' my letter, had not the least relation to any 
 '^ thing in discussion ; you gave them merely to 
 " injure me in my j)rofession : it was needless. 
 " I gaA'e up all hopes of preferment from the 
 '^ moment I first embarked in the public cause.
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKK. i4^ 
 
 ■' I did then determine to be as prudent as I 
 *' could ; but, it" it was necessary, to sacrifice all 
 *' that I could call ///// uwn : 1 continue in the 
 " same resolution ; and when I >hall have s])cnt 
 " the last farthing, I will retire and earn my 
 " bread before I eat it : and, carrying with me my 
 " own approbation, I shall not bhisli when my 
 '' elbow comes through my coat; nay, should I 
 " even be reduced to the state of our first pa- 
 " rents, I should, like them, be nalxed witliout 
 *' being ashamed. 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 " TO THE REV. IVIR. IIORNE. 
 
 " Prince's Court, Tuesday, May 23. 
 •• SIR, 
 
 '' 1 THANK you for the entertainment of 
 *' your sixth letter. The idea of an luij'althfid 
 " echo, although not quite new and original, is 
 " perfectly amusing ; but, like Bayes, you love 
 " to elevate and surprise. I wish you would 
 " give the list oi' echoes of this kind, Avhich yon 
 '' liave heard in your travels through France and 
 " Italy. 1 have read of only one sucli in a 
 " iieiglihonring kingdom. If you ask, how do 
 " you do ? \t answeis, prettif well I thank you. 
 ** The iound oS. your vnfaithj'ul echo can only be
 
 250 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 " paralleled by Jack Home's silence with a 
 ** stilli/ sound, in the tragedy of Douglas : 
 
 " ' The torrent, rushing o'er its pebbly banks. 
 Infuses silence with a sti/lj/ sound.' 
 
 '^ I have heard of the babbling, tlie mimic, the 
 *^ shrill echo. The discovery of an unfaithful 
 *' echo was reserved for Mr. Home. Really, sir, 
 " I should have thought, notwithstanding all 
 " your rage, you might have suffered an echo to 
 *' he faithful. I did not expect noveltif, or va- 
 " riety, much less infideUtij, from an echo. 
 
 " Every thing you have advanced relative to 
 *' the town-clerkship and Mr. Reynolds, you well 
 *^ know to be wholly a lying imposture of your 
 " own. I never had a moment's conversation 
 " with you on the subject, nor have I at any 
 *' time in my life mentioned to Mr. Reynolds his 
 *' beinc: town-clerk. I declare the whole of this 
 '' accusation against me is one entire falshood. 
 *' No courtier seems to me to enjoy the luxury 
 " of lying equal to the minister of New Prent^- 
 " ford. 
 
 " As to the cliamberlainship, you, and many 
 " others, have warmly and frequently pressed 
 " me to offer my services in case of a vacancy. 
 '^ My answer has regularly been, ^ I never will 
 " accept it. I know it, indeed, to be the most
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHX HORNE TOOKE. 251 
 
 *' lucrative otJicc in the ^ift of the city, hut I can 
 ^' I)c more U!>eiiil in my present station. I am 
 " not avaricious. My wishes are now few, and 
 *• easily gratified.' All my friends knoAV tliis 
 " has been my constant ans\fer. Early in the 
 " last summer my brother started to me the 
 *' idea of his oflbrinsr his services for the cham- 
 " bcrldin.>>hip on the first vacancy, and said, that 
 *' he hoped he sliould succeed both from his near 
 ^' relationship to me, and the interest of his 
 " private friends. I endeavoured to dissuade 
 " him from the ]>roject, which I thought ivould 
 *' be hurtful to himself as well as to me. 
 
 Your shuffling answer will not impose. I 
 again insist, that the original of every letter 
 you have C|Uotcd, or shall quote, ])e left at 
 Mr. Woodfall's, in his custody, for my peru- 
 '* sal. As to your brother-in-law, Mr. Wild- 
 " man, let him deliver his account on oath. I 
 " will follow him into Westminster Hall. 
 
 " When you mention the injuring you in your 
 ^' profession^ recollect the unfair and un])ro- 
 " voked treatment of j\Ir. Adair in his profes- 
 " sion. He surely has his profession at heart as 
 " much as the Rev. !VIr. Home. The injury of 
 *' which vou com])lain, is received from yourself, 
 *' from a letter of your own, of which you ke])t 
 ** a copy, p»d)lislR'd in consequence c»f tlie 
 
 i(
 
 252 LIFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^ 
 
 " treachery of your own conduct. Scorpion- 
 " like, you bave stung yourself to death. 
 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 " John Wilkes." 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (lETIER VIII.) 
 
 "MR. COTES and Mr. Reynolds seem to 
 " declare upor^ their honour with as little 
 " scruple as Jews swear on the New Testa- 
 "ment*. Alas! tbe policies will enrich the 
 " one no more than tbe town-clerhship the other. 
 " And Mr. Wilkes, whose ' heart is at present 
 " too full to say one word except his feelings of 
 " gratitude,* will some time hence say to them, 
 " as he does now to Mr. Wildman — ' Deliver in 
 " your account on oath: I vAW follow you into 
 " Westminster Hall.' — Mr. Wildman, sir, will 
 ^'Jind you there. 
 
 *' You say (as you did before) that you did 
 not approve your brother's attempt ; although, 
 not approving it, he shall have your vote. 
 
 
 * T!)is is in allusion to two letters by these gentlemtp, 
 which it was detmeci unnecessary to reprint.
 
 1771' ^IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2o3 
 
 " You said so, it is true ; but I did not believe 
 '• the truth of what you said. Your brother 
 " used the argument of your approbation very 
 '*' strongly to nie as well as to others. I know 
 " that, like you, he has since chosen to deny it. 
 *' Unfortunately for you both, sir, he has made a 
 *• written application. He applied to me on the 
 '' Jirst of August. On the foitrfh, I wrote In'm 
 *' an auswgr. On the sixth, he wrote to Mr. 
 " Bellas, addressed to him at Farnham, in Sur- 
 " rey, testifying his brother's assent. 
 
 " Now, sir, what subterfuge r Did you ap- 
 
 '^ prove, or did you not ? If you did not ap- 
 
 " prove, what credit can for the future be given 
 
 " to your brother ? And whose testimony will 
 
 " you employ to prove that you were not to 
 
 " have a share in the office ? You are very dis- 
 
 " creet when you refuse to ' accept any place in 
 
 *' the city.* The disj)osal of all would be 
 
 *' nmch more lucrative to you than the ])osses- 
 
 " sion of 07ie ; and if, instead of a share, vour 
 
 " candidates were all able, like Mr. Reynolds, to 
 
 " alliance the price of the othce, your gain would 
 
 *' be less precarious. 
 
 *' Will you content yourself, as you have 
 *' hitherto done, to deny all, and leave it on your 
 *' own bare authority? I believe you will; for \ 
 '' know that you caunot defend yourself a mo-
 
 254 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 ** ment, without being driven to an impudent, 
 *' manifest contradiction of the most consistent 
 *' circumstances; the best attested truths; the 
 " most notorious facts ; and the clear testimony 
 " of some of the most respectable pul^lic men in 
 ** the Avorld ; I mean Mr. Oliver, Mr. Towns- 
 " end, Mr. Sawbridge, Mr. Glynn, sir Robert 
 " Bernard, Mr. Bellas, Mr. Lovell, &c. &c. 
 *' These, with a great number of o^her gentle- 
 " men of considerable character in private sta- 
 " tions, have been witnesses to the whole of my 
 *' conduct; to them I shall be forced frequently 
 *' to appeal, and, with the most perfect confi- 
 *' dence, I trust my character to their affirma- 
 •' tions; against the declarations, upon honour^ 
 "of such men as ^Ir. Reynolds and Mr. Hum- 
 " phry Cotes. 
 
 ' " John Horne." 
 
 ♦' TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (letter IX.) 
 
 " IT is easy to perceive, ])y your letters, that 
 *'• you are of opinion with the countryman, who, 
 *' being asked what he was sowing, replied, I 
 *' am sowing fools. — Why don't you rather sow 
 *' wbe rnen? — Because they don't grow here. — •
 
 177^' ^^f^ OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 255 
 
 " 1 believe, sir, you may perhaps for one season 
 *' more have a pretty plentit'ul crop; but, depend 
 " upoiiit,t]iere are speedily cominii upon voulong; 
 ** years of famine. For my own part, 1 have not 
 " the least desire to convince those who are not 
 *' convinced by your own letters, especially by 
 ** that letter, which your brother has signed, in 
 " last Friday's paper. 
 
 " It consists of accusations against mc, and 
 " recommendations of Mr. llcaton Wilkes. 
 
 ^' The accusations are, 
 
 " 1. That I have drawn out Heaton Wilkes's 
 ^' name unfairly. 
 
 " 2. That I have wuntonli/ brought JuLse and 
 " malicious charges against him, to prejudice 
 **' him in a fair and honourable pursuit. 
 
 " 3. That I am intimate (in italics) with Mr. 
 " Townsend. 
 
 " 4. That I have changed my opinion. 
 
 " 5. That I have acted a part of which Mr. 
 *' Heaton Wilkes would be ashamed. 
 
 ** 6. That I have uttered a shameful J aishood 
 " in declaring, that he canvassed some months 
 " before he was a freeman, and has continued 
 •' it to this time. 
 
 " ". Tiiat I have made lying accusations. 
 
 "1. It caniiQt be unfair for me, when diiven 
 ♦* to it, to loll the can^c of all the abuse wljich yau
 
 :256 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 ** have poured upon me and others. I could 
 *' not join with you in any impositions upon 
 " the public — (your attempt upon the chamher- 
 " laiuship was of that number:) if I could not 
 " silently prevent, it was my duty to oppose 
 *' them : my repeated and obstinate refusals 
 "raised your resentment and apprehensions: 
 " what I would not assist, you feared I should 
 "obstruct: your revenge and policy, therefore, 
 *' urged you to an attack; and, had I been in a 
 ** situation like Mr. Garrick's, at the mercy of 
 *' a momentaiy delusion of the public, I might, 
 " perhaps, like him *, have yielded to yourunrea- 
 *' sonable displeasure, though I think, that, with 
 " half his merit, I should have had tw^ice his 
 " courage. But mine is a very different situa- 
 " tion : I have no more to expect from the 
 " public than from any minister present or 
 
 * Whilst Mr. Wilkes was in the King's Bench, he sent a 
 threatening message to Mr. Garrick-to forbid his playing the 
 part of Hastings in the tragedy of Jane Shore; on account of 
 some lines in that play which Mr. Wilkes thought applicable 
 to his own situation. Mr. Garrick complained exceedingly 
 of the cruelly of such an interdict, and wished to be per- 
 mitted to proceed in his endeavours to please the public in the 
 common course of his profession. The patriot was inex- 
 orable ; and Mr. Garrick has not appeared in that character 
 since. The lord-charaberlain's control, by act of parlia- 
 ment, over the pleasures of the public, is exercised only ovev 
 new plays.
 
 177^- LUE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 25^ 
 
 " future; and if I i.houkl ever solicit either, I 
 " do now bcspeuk their refusal: ministerial and 
 " court favour I know I can never have, and 
 " for |)ul)lic favour I will never he a candidate: 
 " I choose to tell tlicm, that, as fdr as it affects my- 
 " self, I laui^h at tiie displeasure of both. Though 
 " I knew not the person of any one man in op- 
 " position, I quitted all my friends and con- 
 " nexions, when I joined the jmblic cause; and, 
 " with my eyes open, exchanged ease and fair 
 " fame for labour and reproach : however, I was 
 " always determined not to be engaged, by party, 
 " in any thing my mind did not approve; and, 
 "it I could not do good, to retire as I came — 
 ** ' alone, but not dishonour td,^ 
 
 *' 2. Thev who are not satisfied, tilth the 
 '• proof* i have given, that the charges con- 
 " cerninL' thechamberlainship are true, and who 
 " think the joint attempt of John and Heaton 
 '•' IVdkes upon that office to be a fair and ho- 
 "^ vourahle pursuit, arc welcome to believe me 
 '* wantonli/ false and malicious. 
 
 "3. '1 have reason to be well persuaded, that 
 " no part of IVJr.Townsend's conduct will ever 
 " set my jjrinciple at variunce with my private 
 " friendship.' I am justly j)roud of that inti- 
 " mnci/ which you wou]<l inuls.*^ niv reproach; 
 " and, fur his sake^ will be the more careful of 
 
 \'0L. 1. S
 
 ^5$ I.nE OF JOHN HORNETOOKE. iTf • 
 
 " my actions, that he may never be reproached 
 *' for me. 
 
 " 4. I have not changed my opinion of yon, 
 " since I knew yon at all, except in degree: in 
 " that, 1 think, I am excusable : my small expe- 
 " rience of mankind, and my reading even the 
 " exaggerated bad characters of plays and ro- 
 " mances, had never furnished me with any ex- 
 ''^ ample of a character so hideous as yours: 
 " should I ever find a second John IVilhes, my 
 " whole system of philosophy would be altered. 
 
 ^' 5. Of what will Mr. Heaton Wilkes hence- 
 " forward be ashamed ? — In his letter to Mr. 
 *^ Bellas^ inserted in last Tfmrsdm/s paper, he 
 " says, ' My brother has kindly assured me he 
 " should APPROVE of my offering my services to 
 *' the city.' In his letter of Friday, (the very 
 *' next day after the appearance of the first,) he 
 *' says, ' The only reason why my })rotlier disap- 
 *^ PROVES of my intention,' &c. — In his letter to 
 " Mr. Bellas, he says, * My brother kindly 
 '' assured me he would do me all the service i)i 
 *' hispmver." 
 
 " 6. To prove the shameful falshood of my 
 f' declaration, that Heaton Wilkes canvassed 
 *•' some months before he was a freeman, and 
 " has continued it to this time, what does he 
 *' say?—' I declare, on my honoitr, (a third ho-
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKL. 259 
 
 " JiouraJjle man,) I have not, to this hour, asked 
 " any one livf rymun tor his vote.' — * I aji])Hed to 
 " Mr. Home and Mr. Bel his for tlieir assistance. 
 " — I added, I shall he much ohliged to you, 
 " (Mr. Home,) if you will speak to Mr/I'o\vns- 
 " end. — After I mentioned it to my hrother, 1 
 *' told my intentions to numy of my friends: I 
 " met with a general approbation ; (this, too, I 
 '■• snp])ose, on his honour;) I can claim many 
 '• unasked promises.' — Unasked! In the name 
 " of — (what shall 1 say? By what can the 
 " Wilkeses he conjured?) — In the name of your 
 " interest, tell us, of what kind were the appli- 
 " cations your brother made? and what is to be 
 *' understood by the concludinii' lines of his 
 ^' public address to the livery of London, who 
 " *lie under those vert/ great obligations to 
 " vour' What is the meaning of these words — 
 " ' Give me leuve to declare, with all due re- 
 " spcct, that, whenever a vacancy shall happen, 
 " I shall take the earliest o})portunity of offering 
 " my services.' — How can a canvass, before a 
 *' vacancy, be declared more publicly? 
 
 " To the seventh charge I make no further 
 *' reply. 
 
 " la your brother's address to the livery, 1 can 
 " find but two articles of recommendation on 
 *' whi<h to ground his pretensions: 
 
 s '2
 
 20'O LIFE OF JOHN KORNE TOOKE. iJT^' 
 
 
 IS 
 
 1. His near relationship to John Wilkes, 
 EsauiRE, as he terms his brother; and, 
 '^ 2. That the chamberlainship will enable 
 " him to assist tlie said John Wilkes, EsauiRE, 
 '^ more liberally. 
 
 " This near relatioii to John Wilkes, EsauiRE, 
 " (who is noAV desirons to assist him more libe- 
 '^' rally,) Avas pressed very earnestly by Mr. T. 
 
 " B , a stranger to them both, to join with 
 
 " him in bailing a debt for the EsauiRE, when 
 *' he was arrested during the city election; but 
 " not having then a chamberlainship in view, 
 he obstinately refused, and the very bailiff, 
 who arrested his brother, joined, through in- 
 
 " dignation, mth Mr. T. B — , in bail for 
 
 " tbis 7iear relation. 
 
 " \i ' Mr. Reynolds's honour will, (as you say,) 
 " remain unspotted till the Jews are sworn (by 
 " direction of court I suppose you mean) on 
 ''^ the New Testament,' his testimony must then 
 '^ be admitted by you to prove that your near re- 
 " lation, being himself out of the scrape, advised 
 " John Wilkes, EsauiRE, to run away from hi-^ 
 "bail. Par nohilefratruml 
 
 " Upon the whole, I allow there could lie no 
 *'^ objection of incoimsiency in their choice, if 
 " the livery should choose to return vou both as 
 '•' iiJicriffli together, or to the court of aldermen
 
 17/1- I'lFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 26l 
 
 *' for the oiUce oi' hrd-mai/or ; but, unfortunately 
 " for vour scheme in question, the election for 
 *' the chamberliumli'q) is not used to bring fortii 
 
 *^ TWINS. 
 
 " John IIorne." 
 
 "TO THE REV. MR. IIORNE. 
 
 " Princess Court, T/iursday, June 6. 
 
 " SIR, 
 
 *' YOUR vtnfli letter has relieved me not a 
 *' little, by taking me to the theatre, and re- 
 " calling to my delighted remembrance the 
 '* amazing powers both of nature and art in the 
 *' most wonderful genius that ever trod the 
 " English, or, perliaj)s, any stage. You say, 
 '• ' Whilst Mr. Wilkes was in the King's Bench, 
 •' he sent a threateninir messajje to Mr. Garrkk, 
 '■ to forbid his jihiying tlie part of Hastings in 
   the tragedy of Jane Shore; on account of 
 " some lines in that ])lay which Mr. W^ilkes 
 " thought ap])licaljle to his own situation, Mr. 
 •' Garrick complained exceedingly of the cruelty 
 '• of such an interdict,' &c. The whole of this 
 "^ p()in})ous tale i'-, that some warm friends of 
 " Mr. \V ilkes iuiagined tliut Mr. (iarrick acted 
 '• the j)art of Ilastii/gs at that time in a manner 
 ^' very difterent from what he Inul usually done,
 
 262 £lFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17T^- 
 
 *' and marked too strongly some particular pas- 
 ^^ sages, unfavourable to the generous principles, 
 " and to the friends of freedom. They talked 
 *^ of expressing their disapprobation in the 
 " theatre, at the next representation of Jane 
 " Shore, and likewise in the public prints. Mr. 
 '^ Wilkes, therefore, thought it prudent to state 
 " the case, by two or three gentlemen, to Mr, 
 " Gan'ick himself, and said h^ feared the part of 
 '^ Hastings might bring on many disagreeahle 
 *' consequences to the great actor himself, as 
 " well as to Mr. Wilkes and his connexions, if 
 *^ continued in the manner then stated, Mr, 
 " Garrick received the friendly admonition in 
 *' the most friendly way; but declared that the 
 ^' gentlemen w'ho had given Mr. Wilkes the ac- 
 " count of his acting Hastings, had greatly 
 *' mistaken; that he had not made the least 
 " alteration in the usual manner of acting that 
 *^ part on account of the political disputes of the 
 *' times, but been solely guided by his own fecl- 
 *' ings; that he always had acted that part, and 
 " always should play it in the same maimer, not. 
 *' however, slavishly copying himself, but with 
 " all the variety, which, from time to time, his 
 *' genius might dictate, preserving still the cast 
 *^ and spirit of the original character. Nothing 
 *' more passed on this subject between Mr. Gar-
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 26.3 
 
 " rick and me, nor has that gentleman ever ex- 
 *' pressed the slightest ^i>})leasure against Mr. 
 *' Wilkes or his triends ; so far has he been iVoni 
 " comjjlainitjg c.iceedingh/ of the cntelt// of an 
 "" interdict, wiiich never existed. 
 
 '' Did it escape your meniorVj sir, that one 
 *^ of the objections made at that time by my 
 '* friends, was tiie peculiar em])hasis Mr. Garrick 
 " was said to g-ive to the followinc; lines of 
 ^' Hastings, which some thougJit appLicuhle to 
 *' your situation ? — 
 
 '• ' III befal 
 Such meddling priests, who kindle up confusion. 
 And vex the quiet world with their vain scrupleft; 
 By Heaven 'tis done in perfect spite to peace! * 
 
 *' You say, * 1 think with half his (Mr. Gar- 
 " rick's) merit, I should have had twice his 
 " courage.' If you mean theatrical merit, I can 
 '' tell you of some j)arts in which you would in- 
 '• finitely exceed our great English actor. I 
 "mean all those parts from which — fugiiint 
 *' pudur, veriunqi(e,Jidesquc. In quorum subeunt 
 *' locum J'raudes, (hliquc, insidicvque, 8^c. ^c. 
 *' } ou would act, and be, lugo with success. 
 *' Mr. Garrick has that in lum, which must ever 
 " j)revent his acting well in that character. You 
 " have that in you, which would ni;ikc it easy
 
 264 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177 h 
 
 " and natural. Shi/locl, too, our Roscius must 
 " never attempt. The Christian priest of Brent- 
 " ford has no vain scruples to prevent his under- 
 " taking and being applauded in that part. He 
 " might then talk of dying his black coat red 
 '* ivifh blood in an innocent way on the stage, 
 '' which at Brentford inspired a savage horror. 
 
 " The pleasing hours which Mr. Garrick gave 
 ^^ me at the King's Bench, I have deducted from 
 ^' the injury of a long and cruel imprisonment, 
 *' and I think of him as Cicero did of the great 
 ^' Roman actor, Cwji artifex ejusmodi sit, id 
 " solus diguus videatur esse, qui in scena spec- 
 " tetur: turn vir ejusmodi est, ut solus dignu^ 
 '' videaturt qui eo non accedat. 
 
 " You assert, ^ Though l knew not the person 
 ''^ of any one man in opposition, I cjuitted all 
 *' my friends and connexions when I joined the 
 *^^ public cause; and, with my eyes open, ex- 
 " changed ease and fair fame for labour and re- 
 ^' proach.' I desire to know what one friend, 
 " and what single comiexion, you have quitted 
 " for the public cause? Your fair fame at Eton 
 *^ and Cambridge survived a very short time your 
 '' abode at eitlier of those places. Will you 
 " call an Italian gentleman now in towUj your 
 " coniidant during your whole residence at 
 " Genoa, to testify the morality of your con-
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOflS HORNE TOOKE. 255 
 
 " duct in Italy? — But I will not write the life of 
 *' Jonathan Wild, nor of orator Henley. 
 
 " You declare, ' MiHisterlal and court Jifrour 
 " I know 1 can never have, and for puhUcJavour 
 '' I will never be a candidate: I choose to tell 
 *•' them that, as far as it affects myself, I laugh 
 " at the displeasure of both' You well know 
 " that no minister will ever dare openly to give 
 " yon any mark oi court favour , at least in the 
 *' church: many secret favours you may, you do, 
 "'^ expect, and some I believe actually receive. 
 " The public vou have abandoned in despair, 
 " after an assiduous courtship of near four years; 
 '"' but remember, sir, when you say, that you. 
 '"' laugh at their displeasure, the force of truth 
 " has extorted even from lord Mansfield the 
 " following declaration : ' The people are almost 
 *' always in the right: the great may sometimes 
 *■' be in the wrong, but the body of the people 
 *• are always in the right.' 
 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 " Your Imniblc servant, 
 " John Wilkes."
 
 266 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771' 
 
 " TO MR. WILKES. 
 (letter X.) 
 
 " INJURIES for benefits is the ancient com- 
 merce of mankind. It is not a new branch 
 discovered by Mr. Wilkes, though he cer- 
 tainly carries it on in a manner much more 
 extensive than usual. After signing your 
 name to a declaration, that Mr. Oliver (your 
 generous benefactor) refused to do you justice, 
 I cannot wonder you should make your at- 
 torney say, that the balance of private favours 
 between him and me is on his side. I never 
 received any one favour, either from you or 
 Mr. Reynolds in my life. You formerly ac- 
 cused me anonymonsly of having collected 
 various su])scriptions, and converted them to 
 my own purposes ; amongst others, you men- 
 tioned the subscription for the appeal of the 
 widow Bigby. You did not do this with any 
 hopes of fixing such an imputation upon me; 
 you had a more malevolent design; and with 
 the same view you now make Mr. Reynolds 
 say, (without the least relation to any thing in 
 question, and in contradiction to your former 
 charge of concealment.) that he, this man of
 
 177^' J'If£ or JOIIS IIOUNE TOOKE. 2D7 
 
 ^* spotless Jionour, accompanied nic to several 
 ^' gentlemen's houses in Westminster, for sub- 
 " scriptions for the widow Bighy. No doubt, 
 '^ sir, there is a fine set of murderers let loose, 
 " whom I have endeavoured to bring to jus- 
 " tice, — lo Mio and ylrio ;— and you, like the in- 
 ^' fernal magician, by pointing out their prosecu- 
 " tor, have tacked them to my tail, and bid tlieni 
 " — sficlc close, hoi/s. 
 
 " But neither this nor the other gross abuse, 
 ^' with wliich you daily fill tlie papers, shall take 
 *• from me my temper, nor divert me from my 
 *' pur])osc. I do not desire to make myself 
 " greater or you less, I desire only to prevent 
 ** mischief. I ask not the confidence of the 
 " public, nor am I in a situation to abuse it: 
 ■* piy good or bad character, (though it is far 
 *' out of your reach,) can only benefit or hurt 
 " myself; to them it is a matter perfectly indif- 
 ♦^ ferenl. Not so with you. You are ix public 
 " man ; and it is necessary for their safety, that 
 '•' they should be told, since nothing can restrain 
 '' you, to Avhat precipices you would lead them, 
 " and into what destruction, disgrace, and ridi- 
 '* cule, you would plunge them. 
 
 *' It is not by recrimination, but b) defence, 
 " that you can ever be able to gain their itn- 
 '• piicit confi<lcnce : it is not by telling them,
 
 26'8 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l77l« 
 
 *' that I am an atheist, but by justifying the aim 
 ^* and o])ject of your political pursuits, that you 
 ■^ must expect their support. The utmost you 
 '^ can obtain f)y your method of recrimination is, 
 " to have the public say, Wilhes and Home are 
 '' both rogues alike, and it is difficult to deter- 
 " mine which is the greater. The idle, the 
 '^ careless, and the incapable, are sure to make 
 " this decision ; because it saves the two first 
 " from the trouble of inquiry, and the last can- 
 *' not form a judgment: to these are joined the 
 '' whole ministerial and selfish tribe, whose fa- 
 " vourite maxim, and whose real belief it has 
 " always been, that all men are rogues alike, 
 
 and that patriots of all professions are the 
 
 same. 
 
 These general decisions are very convenient 
 *' to cover ignorance and palliate knavery. Ho.v 
 " absurd! that, whilst they allow a difference in 
 " degree of all other virtues and vices ; whilst 
 *' they are forced to acknowledge that all men 
 '' and women are not equally chaste or lustful, 
 *' sober or drunken, ])rudent or prodigal, &c., 
 *' they should yet contend that all are equally 
 *' mercenary! Though these men do not compose 
 " the whole of mankind, they make up a very 
   ' considerable part ; and your metliod of con- 
 " trqversy has entirely forfeited their assistance, 

 
 
 1"71. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2(3f? 
 
 " Men of reflection, intcgnty, and discernment, 
 " are disgusted at the grossncss of your abuse, 
 " and perceive guilt to be the cause of your 
 *' shuffiing evasions : not that I believe vou 
 *•' would be sorry at flicir removal from vou, if 
 " it were not that you are sensible — ' the 
 Jleece accompanies the Jiock." The natural 
 
 consetpience of your behaviour is, that you are 
 " at this moment reduced to a little faction of 
 " ahoutjorh/ very inconsiderable names; many 
 " oi^ them honest, mistaken, or uninformed 
 " simpletons; some of them jovial fellows, who 
 " look no further tlian the laugh and merriment 
 " of the table, and some of them disa])})ointcd 
 '•' or interested knaves. To each of these, in bis 
 " turn, you coiiJidentiuUif declare how much you 
 '^ despise the rest ; and should every man to 
 
 Avhom you have made such a declaration, (juit 
 
 your acquaintance, you would not have one 
 " fool left whom y(m could flatter with the abuse 
 " of another; and if your present adherents will 
 *' only compare notes together, they will easily 
 '' learn your ojjinion of them all. 
 
 " But to proceed — Having now established 
 " Mr. Ihiiiton IV'ilhts the <lec]ared, adveriisif/g 
 *' candidate for the chanibeilainship of the city 
 " of London ; and secured to hiui your piibl'iL- 
 *' spirited vote, though you (nsaj)prove his at- 

 
 27<i tiFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 *' tempt ; I will, in my next, begin to show youf 
 " conduct to the public society at the London 
 " Tavern. 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 (lettek XI.) 
 
 " WHILST you were candidate for the city 
 *^ of London, a subscription was opened on the 
 19th of March, 1768, at Lee and Ayton's, the 
 bankers, for the payment of your debts: the 
 " trustees for which were Messrs. John Mills, 
 Samuel Vaughan, Richard Oliver, Lewis 
 Mendez, George Hayley. These and a hw 
 " other gentlemen subscribed vei-y liberally, and 
 *' great expectations were formed of its probable 
 " produce ; but the public cannot be said to 
 " have contributed. This backwardness was 
 " supposed to proceed from an apprehension 
 *' that the subscription would not be applied to 
 *' the payment of your debts, but to support 
 " your election ; the usefulness of which was 
 not at that time generally understood. To 
 obviate this objection, a promise was made by 
 *' the trustees, that no part of this subscription 
 " should be applied to election purj)oses ; the 
 
 

 
 1771' ^IFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 27 I 
 
 '' public were still backward to bubscribe ; and the 
 *' whole amount of tbe subscription from March 
 " 19, 1768, to February 20, I769, Mas 1,11 6/. 
 " 7*' 7^^- — Your debts were at this time sup- 
 " posed to amount to about b'OOO/. — Two shil- 
 " lln^is ami aiipemt in the pound were therefore 
 " offered to such as Avould accept a comj)osition ; 
 " with a promise, that, if the dividend should be 
 ** greater, they who accepted the tivo shiU'nis;:<; 
 *' and sixpence should receive their proportion. 
 *' As fast as something was paid, ;!;omething was 
 *' likewise a(hled daily to the list of vour debts : 
 *' and, instead of increasing the dividend, it was 
 " discovered that fivo s/iil/'mgs and sixpence was 
 *•' more than could be paid. Your best friends, 
 *' even those who wcie most able and generous 
 *' des])aired of the possibility of extricating you. 
 *' Another subscription w^as, however, opened 
 *' by a few gentlemen, (almost all the same,) for 
 " your election expenses : this latter subscrin- 
 
 " tion am(-'unted to 1,227/. -is. You were 
 
 " chosen for the county of Middlesex ; and soon 
 " after, in this desperate situati»)n of vour pri- 
 " rate affairs, were sentenced to two years im- 
 *' prisonmcnt, and two fines ot one tlumsund 
 " jtounds. Privilege gave some respite from 
 *' your debts; Imt, notwithstanding this and the 
 *' generosity of individuals, Cmany of whom
 
 272 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177 i' 
 
 *' exerted themselves in presents to you mucli 
 *' beyond their stations in Hfe,) it was toimd ex- 
 " ceedingly difficult to furnish you even a daily 
 " support. Most of those who were so generous 
 '*' to you at that time, have since been the ob- 
 ^^ jects of your bitterest resentment. The best 
 " method then found for a little knot of public- 
 " spirited men, (who bore the whole bprden with 
 " very unequal force, drained as they were by 
 " subscriptions and expenses,) to procure you 
 " a necessary subsistence, was, to have very fre- 
 " quent meetings at the King's Arms Tavern, in 
 " Cornhiii ; where each paid a little more than 
 " his share of the reckoning, and, when the over- 
 •' plus amounted to about teti pounds, it wa$ 
 *' regularly sent to you. 
 
 " Never, surely was a great public cause ?6 
 '' overlaid with the wickedness and folly of an 
 *' individual as the present ! Every day brought 
 *' fresh difficulties and diss:race on Mr. Wilkes ; 
 ** and yet he was the only ])erson who, all the 
 '' while, felt no distress, denied himself no ex- 
 " pense, was neither sensible nor apprehensive 
 *' of any disgrace. The just abhorrence of Mr. 
 *' Wilkes, as a private man, kept many good men 
 '^ at a distance from the cause of the people, 
 " which was unhappily blended with his per- 
 '•' sonal persecution: the friends of that cause.
 
 l^r^- LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. S^o 
 
 *•' were therefore anxious to cover, if possible, 
 " or to lessen the infamy, of w liicli lie was care- 
 " less. The breach of trnst committed by him 
 '"' towards tlie FowuUing: Hasptfal began to make 
 '•' a noise ; l)einc: fonnd, npon inquiry, to be too 
 " true, it demanded their earliest attention. Two 
 " gentlemen immediately advanced three hun- 
 '• dred pounds to the hospital, and engaged 
 '• themselves to pay the remainder. The whole 
 *' sum due from Mr. Wilkes to the Foundling 
 " Hosj)ital amounted to 9fjO/. Is. 3d. 
 
 " Whilst matters were in this situation, and 
 " every day erowine worse, you were uniustly 
 *' expelled from the house of commons ; and 
 " that expulsion was the cause of the society at 
 " the Londcm Tavern. 
 
 " Many gentlemen, unconnected with each 
 " other, had long been wishing for some asso- 
 " ciation to be set on foot for public purposes, 
 " and it had been much talked of as a measure 
 '^ cajiable of producing great benefit to the pub- 
 " lie : the yirescnt seemed a proper moment for 
 " it, and it was ])roposed by Mr. Townsend in- 
 " stantlv to bci^rin. 
 
 " When first I know that gentleman, he was 
 " determined (though warm in the })ublic cause) 
 ^' never to have any connexion or intercourse 
 " with xMr. Wdkcs, whose character he knew 
 
 VOL. I. t
 
 2/4 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. ITT^^ 
 
 "' too well not to detest. But when the house 
 •^^ of commons rejected the material part of your 
 " petition, and were determined unjustly to ex- 
 " pel you, in order hy stripping you of privilege 
 " to leave you a perpetual prisoner in the King's 
 '^ Bench for debt, (since lord Mansfield had not 
 " dared, as he endeavoured, to imprison you for 
 " life, by means of the outlawry,) Mr. Townsend 
 " then consented that I should introduce him 
 *' to you ; and he spoke to you for the first time 
 " in the committee-room of the house of com- 
 *' mens, when they voted your petition to be 
 ^' false, groundless, ^t. And Mr. Townsend did 
 " this to let the ministry understand that they 
 " would gain nothing by injustice ; but would 
 '^ so far attach to the cause even those who most 
 *' heartily despised the man, as to rescue you 
 *' even from the legal consequences of an illegal 
 * persecution. 
 
 " You were expelled on the 3d of Pebruari/, 
 *' 1769, and rechosen on the l6th of the same 
 *"' month : your election was declared void on 
 " the 17th, and yourself voted incapable of be- 
 '' ing elected into the present parliament. 
 
 " The ministry had now every reason to bc- 
 
 '' licve, that, by keeping you out of the house, 
 
 '^ they should for ever confine you in a jail : they 
 
 *'^ knew that a subscription bad been opened for
 
 1771- LJ^E OF JOHN HOUNE TOOKE. 2)^5 
 
 '^ you on the l<)t1i of March, 17^8, when your 
 " debts Avere said to amount only to 6oOO/. ; 
 " and tliev could not be ignorant, that this sub- 
 '^ scri])tion produced only lll6/. 'J's. "jd. The 
 '•' amount of your debts was now increased, and 
 " said to be about 14,000/. Add to this, that 
 " there were two fines of lOOO/. to be paid ; 
 " and, besides the expenses of repeated elec- 
 *' tions, suj)port was to be provided for you during 
 " two years in prison. To extricate you from such 
 " difficullies seemed impossible, not only to nii- 
 " nistry, but even to those who were most able 
 *' and Avilling to contribute. In this situation 
 the estfiblishment of a society was proposed : 
 the plan was formed and executed in great 
 " haste : Mr. Sawbridge and Mr. Tow'nsend la- 
 *•' boured at one end of the town, whilst some 
 " persons were employed at the other, xto give 
 *' a general .notice of the design, and to collect 
 " as many respectable persons as possible, whose 
 " sentiments and wishes were known to be pub- 
 " lie. On the 20th of February, 1769, only 
 " three days after the vote of incapacitation, the 
 *^ first meeting of the society was held at the 
 " London Tavern : a subscription was immcdi- 
 " ately made by the gentlemen present, which 
 *' amounted to .'3023/. — A second meeting was 
 *' haXA Jive days afterwards, on the 25th of the 
 
 T 2 

 
 It 
 
 ^f6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 same month, when thev assumed the name of 
 Supporters of the Bill of Rights. A very 
 worthy member of the house of commons 
 *' proposed that name as most expressive of the 
 *' public intentions of the society, which dis- 
 " dained the notion of being merely a chib for 
 *' Mr. HUkes, of whom the greater part had a 
 ^'^ very bad opinion. Still further to avoid any 
 " such imputation, it Avas at this second meeting 
 " resolved, that Mr. IPllkes's health should never 
 " be given in that society as a public toast ; 
 " and this resolution has been uniformly ob- 
 " iserved : still further to avoid misaj)prehension. 
 " the society desired me to draw up an adver- 
 " tisement, which should declare their purposes 
 " to the public. 
 
 " At the third meeting of the society, 
 ** March 7? (only three weeks after the first) ^ 
 " three hundred pounds were gfx^en to Mr. 
 *' Wilkes, and a committee was appointed with 
 " the treasurers to inquire into the several de- 
 " inands upon Mr. Wilkes. 
 
 " At the ninth meeting of the society, June 6, 
 *^ (only Jifteen weeks fiom its first establish- 
 " ment,) it appeared that 4553/. had been ex- 
 " pended in the composition of debts, &c. for 
 ^* Mr. Wilkes ; and a further sum of 2500/. was 
 '' ordered to be issued by the treasurers for the
 
 !7ri» LIFE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 27" 
 
 " further dischargeof Mr. Wilkcs':s cle])ts during 
 *' the summer. After Avhich, and a vote of 
 " 300/. more to Mr. Wilkes, the i,ociety ud- 
 *' iourued to the 10th of October following:. 
 
 " Any man, who reads this account, will na- 
 *' turally suppose, that Mr. Wilkes must have 
 " felt and expressed the warmest gratitude to a 
 *•' society like this, which, in so short a time, 
 *' had ])crformed such wonders in his favour. 
 ^' Whoever shall suppose so, will be much mis- 
 " taken: he abhorred the society and its mem- 
 *' hers. The declarations of the most re- 
 *' spectable part, iUaclaimhig a personul aftach- 
 *' mcnt to Mr. Wilkes, and professing only a 
 ^' regard to the public, disgusted him extremely; 
 *' the REsoLrnoN that his health should never 
 *' be given as a public toast in that society, and 
 *' the ADVERTISEMENT of su])porting him and 
 *' his cause only as Jar as if was a public cause, 
 *' were never forgiven. Besides, he entertained 
 " a false notion, that, had not this society l)eeri 
 ^' instituted, he should himself have received all 
 *^ the rcafli/ maneif subscribed by the society into 
 "• his own hands; what they applied to the dis- 
 ■" charge of his debts, he considered as a kind of 
 *' robbery; and hated them for their care of 
 '* him, as j)rofl)gate young beirs do the guardians 
 ** who endeavour to save them from dettrnctior^
 
 ii 
 ce 
 
 278 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I77l« 
 
 *' Add to this an apprehension lest the society 
 '' should gain the public confidence; and^ not 
 ^' being his creatures, should hereafter be strong 
 "^ enough to oppose effectually the extravagant 
 '^ foolish notions he had formed of his own 
 ** greatness; merely to be protected does not 
 *' answer his expectations ; improbable as it may 
 '' appear^ he dreams of nothing less than of 
 " being himself protector. He therefore, 
 from its very institution, determined the de- 
 struction of the society; because he knew they 
 '' meant not only the king ^nd the laws, — but the 
 *' king according to the laws. IMy industry and 
 ^' zeal for a society capable of so much future 
 *^ good, as well as the sincerity with Avhich I 
 *' always spoke disagreeable truths to Mr. 
 *^ Wilkes, entitled me to a considerable share 
 *' of his resentment. I had not only drawn u]) 
 the offensive advei^tisement, but at all times 
 warmly combated those few of his inconsi- 
 "^ derate partisans who were constantly endea- 
 vouring to narrow the society, and convert us 
 only to a sponge, which would suck up the 
 *' generosity of the public, to be squeezed into 
 " his pocket. The lack-laughter sangfroid of 
 *•' the parson was the constant topic of his ridi- 
 " cule, and he complained, that, whenever I ap- 
 ^^ peared, I cast a gloom over the mirth of his 
 
 
 (I
 
 \J7^' LITE OT JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. '279 
 
 company. His disposition towards tlie so- 
 ciety was not altered for the better by the fre- 
 quent remonstrances I made to liini, -it tlic 
 re})cated request of many of his most generous 
 subscribers, who were mndi dissatisfied at liis 
 hiced liveries and his French servants in his 
 situation; -whom no motives of j)olicy, or 
 honesty, or shame, have hitherto made him 
 discard. 
 
 " To cover the real causes of his dissatisfac- 
 tion, Mr. Wilkes pretended to take it much 
 amiss tliat the society should mention his 
 DEBTS in their advertisement; as if there was 
 any secret in the matter; and he seized the 
 fir'<t opportunity to complain of it as an iudig- 
 nitif offered to him; forgetting that he had 
 himself long before |mblished a very al)jcct ad- 
 vertisement, pretending to return thanks to 
 his generous benefactor for the kind donation 
 of an hundred pounds; but really to excite 
 the con)passion of the chantable. 
 *' The society continued to make great pro- 
 gress in the afl'airs of Mr. Wilkes; though, it 
 must be confessed, with very little assistance 
 from tlie public at large, out of the society. 
 Tliey had ])aid all his election expenses, and 
 one of hi'" fines of 500/. ; they had conqiounded 
 a very considerable portion of his debts ; m hen.
 
 280 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^ 
 
 ^' on the 24th of October, they voted him SOO/. 
 " more, making in the whole lOOO/. for his 
 " pocket. 
 
 ^' A i'ew weeks after tliis vote, Mr. Wilkes ob- 
 " tained a verdict against lord Halifax, with 
 " 4000/. damages: I waited on Mr. Wiikes, and 
 ** endeavoured to persuade him that he was 
 ^' bound in honour, in honesty, and policy, to 
 '^ send these 4000/. to the London Tavern, in 
 "^ aid towards the payment of his debts : I re- 
 " presented to him the poverty of onr bank, 
 " which had, indeed, advanced too far, and was 
 '' in debt; I endeavoured to make him sensible 
 *' that 4000/., at that time, would go further in 
 " compounding his debts, than 10,000/. would 
 '^ some time afterwards: I showed him the re- 
 *' putation he Avould gain, by this act of com- 
 ^' mon honesty and ])olicy, and that he would 
 " encourage the public to subscribe towards 
 *' him, and bind the gentlemen of tlie society in 
 '' honour never to quit him till they had at least 
 ■* returned him his 4000/., though it Avas em- 
 *' ployed in the discharge of his oAvn debts. I 
 " laboured in vain: rea</j/ cwaA made Mr. Wilkes 
 '• deaf to my arguments. He would not send a 
 *• penny to the society, for the discharge of his 
 ^* oum debts, thougli it was not many weeks 
 - since the society had, in one year, voted
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 281 
 
 *" him the last part of a thousand i)oiinds for his 
 " support. 
 
 " Whiht tliese tliintr*^ were in agitation, tlic 
 " society, on the 8th ot Fchruary, 177^» ^'c^cj^'^'<^^ 
 *^ a letter from the Coinmons House of Assemhly 
 " of South Carolina, with a suhscription of 
 '' lOOO/. 
 
 '■' In this situation were the aft'airs of the 
 *• societv, when vou came out of^ the Kine's 
 *' Bench, on the 17th of April, 1770, o\\\y four- 
 " teen mouths since its first establishment. Your 
 " election expenses of 297''^' were paid; — your 
 '• two fines of lOOO/. were discharged; — 12,000A 
 "of vour debts were compounded; — you had 
 " a thousand pounds from the society, besides 
 " all the private presents you received; — you 
 '' reserved to yourself the /w//' thousand pounds 
 *' recovered from lord Halifax; — and there re- 
 *' mained only 6',82l/. \3s. to he compounded of 
 ^' vour debts. 
 
 '* In my next, I will jn'oceed to show the r»- 
 •' turn you made to the society and the public 
 *' for these oljlijjations; from ^hich may easily 
 " be collected your ijratitude to the one, and 
 '* your regard for the othej*. 
 
 " John Horne."
 
 282 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (letter. XII.) 
 
 "ON the 17th of April, 1770, Mr. Wilkes 
 " was released from the King's Bench prison; 
 " and at the next meeting of the society, April 
 *' 24, he was proposed to be ballotted for as a 
 " member; and, at the following meeting, May 
 ^' 8, was unanimoush/ chosen. 
 
 " In my last, I showed what was the situa- 
 *^ tion of the society's accounts at this time, and 
 *^ stated both what had been done^ and what re- 
 " mained to do ; viz. 
 
 " Debts of Mr. Wilkes, discharged £. 
 
 *' above 12,000 
 
 " To Mr. Wilkes, for his support . 1,000 
 '' To his election expenses . . . 2,973 
 
 " To his two fines 1,000 
 
 " And by all the lists of claims on Mr. Wilkes 
 he remained inde])ted 6,821/. 135. 
 
 It is proper I should now mention what was 
 " Mr. Wilkes's visible situation. He had an 
 " estate of 700/. a year, out of which 200/. a 
 " year was payable to Mrs. Wilkes, and an an- 
 " nuity of 150/. was due to Mr. Reynolds, he 
 having purchased the same for lOOO/. ; so that 
 
 
 li
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 283 
 
 " there remained to Mr. Wilkes a nomintil 350/. 
 *' a vear. Hcsides this income, Mr. Wilkes had 
 *' 2000/. in ready money; the other 2000/. of 
 *' the sum recovered from lord Halifax, were 
 ** said to he paid to Mr. Reynolds, /. e. 1,200/. 
 ^' for Mr. Kevnolds's law-charaes, dkc, and 800/. 
 " to (lischariie some dehts contracted by another 
 '' l.ireach of trust towards the Buckini:rhamshirc 
 " militia, when Mr. W^ilkes was their colonel, 
 *' On this foundation, that is, with a nominal 
 " 350/. a year, and 2000/. ready money, hut 
 *' with a drawback of 0,821/. declared debts, 
 *' Mr. Wilkes (whilst he was still in the King'.s 
 " Bench, Mith many d^etainers lodged against 
 " him, and before he could tell whether the 
 " society, notwithstanding all their zeal, would 
 " be able to compass his enlargement) entered 
 " into treaty with sir Edward Astley for his 
 ^* dwelliner-house in Great George Street. The 
 ^^ terms were easily agreed to, and nothing stood 
 " in the way but secukity; sir Edward desired 
 "security. Mr. Wilkes, who 'had as lief he 
 " had put ratsbane in his mouth,' and who knew 
 " that, though I could not laugh at his jest, I 
 ** could .sometimes do his business, was desirous 
 " to turn over to me the em[)loyment of pro- 
 ^' curing security, such gloomy matters being, 
 '* as he had experienced, perfectly suited to my
 
 284 LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 '' disposition. I was too dull to taste the plea- 
 *^ santrv of such an arrangement. Mr. Ueynolds 
 " had boiig]it in the annuity of 150/. merely to 
 " give Mr. Wilkes an opportunity to repur- 
 *' chase it ; and I thought one of liis thousands, 
 " if he would not lend them for the discharge 
 " of his debts, would be more usefully employed 
 *' that way than in furniture: I represented to 
 " him that, having a thousand pounds, and not 
 *^ repurchasing the annuity, he did, in fact, at 
 *' that moment, sell 150/. a year for a thousand 
 *^ pounds ready money. I bestowed the freest 
 terms on the dishonesty, ingratitude, and 
 folly, of thus laying a plan to replunge hini- 
 ^' self in debt, after all the hard struggles 
 ^' which had been made to rescue him. I re- 
 *• fused sharply to be instrumental in a measure, 
 *' which must necessarily have one of these two 
 '' consequences; either that Mr. Wilkes must 
 " soon return to prison a beggar, and so defeat, in 
 " some measure, all that had been done for him ; 
 '' or that all the money which the public spirit 
 " of individuals could supply, must, to the ex- 
 *' elusion of all public purposes, be confined to 
 '" the support of his private extravagance. The 
 " former of these consequences would be very 
 " detrimental to the public cause, the latter 
 •'^ would he fatal. J vvas not singidar in ;ny 

 
 1/71. LITE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 283 
 
 *' opinion on this snhject: all the gentleinen to 
 '^ nliom Mr. Wilkes applied, even the hiture 
 " chamhcrltmi and foivji-clcrk, refiised to be se- 
 " curity. Tlionirh Mr. Wilkes was disa])])ointed 
 *' of a large honse, he was determined not to 
 " lose the opportunity of a large expense. On 
 *' quitting the King's Bench prison he took a 
 " house on a lea^e at ^J'ti/ pounds a year, that 
 *" he might layout some hundreds on its repairs: 
 *' at the same time he took a country house at 
 ** sixtij guineas for the season; and, to complete 
 " his plan of economy, he sent his daughter 
 ** to Paris, to see the Dauphin s wedding, Avhilst 
 *' himself was all the summer making the tour 
 " of the watering places. That his generous 
 " SUPPORTERS might not he too much ridiculed, 
 " he kept no more than six domestics; and that 
 '' his politeness and gratitude to his country 
 *' might keep pace with his economy, only 
 *^ three of them were French.. 
 
 " Such wore the situations of Mr. Wilkes 
 " and of the society when he was released froni 
 " prison. 
 
 " Those who had hitherto laboured so indefa- 
 *' tiirablv did not remit their diliirence. In or- 
 " der to keep the promises of the society, and. 
 '' do good to the j)ublic, it was necessary that 
 '* they should at length come to some conclusion of
 
 286 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^* 
 
 " Mr. Wilkes's private affairs. They could easily 
 " see, that, if they did not make haste, Mr. 
 " Wilkes would incur fresh debts faster than 
 " they could discharge the old : it was proper 
 " that he should know what he had to expect 
 " from the society ; and they could not begin 
 *' to procure for him a reasonable annuity till 
 " they had first cleared his incumbrances. It 
 " was the wish of all those with whom I ever 
 "^ conversed to set him free, and afterwards to 
 " procure for him a clear annuity of six hun- 
 '^^ dred pounds. Having done so, to cease sub- 
 '' scriptions for the further support of Mr. 
 " Wilkes, nnless some new public reason should 
 " make it justifiable^ and to apply the whole 
 " collected strength of the public to the most 
 " important public measures that should need 
 " pecuniary assistance. Whatever difhcul- 
 " ties the future private extravagance of Mr. 
 *' Wilkes might bring upon him, the society 
 " did not consider as any object of their con- 
 " cern. The public spirit of the nation would 
 " be justified by what they had done for him ; 
 " and sufficient encouragement would thereby 
 " be 2:iven to all other private men to do their 
 " duty, and a sufiicient lesson to kings and 
 *^ ministers to abstain from violence and injus- 
 *' tice. These purposes I did not doubt to see fnl~
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2Sf 
 
 '•' filled before the month of Miirch, 177^- 
 " And I was foolish enough to suppose, that Mr. 
 *' Wilkes would not dare to appear discontented, 
 " if (after three whole years of such success- 
 " ful labour applied to his private affairs, 
 *' himself freed from his debts, and with clear 
 '* six hundred pounds a year, tlie society still 
 " supporting the expense of all public measures) 
 " we employed our strength at last on other im- 
 " portant objects of public advantage. With 
 " these aims, and a corresponding conduct, 
 *' without ever havinii received the sliii:hte.st: fa- 
 
 c c 
 
 " vour from any party or great man in adminl- 
 " stration or opposition, I could not foresee that, 
 **' by all my labour, hazard, and exj)ense, I 
 " should gain the contradictory imputation of 
 " being, at the same time^ the hireliug of the 
 " one, and the tool of the other : and that 
 " Mr. Wilkes, the only private gainer in the 
 " struggle, should, of all men in the woild, be 
 " the jjerson to bring the charge against me. 
 " Mr. Wilkes, in perfect idleness and security, 
 ^^ Jour times elected member for Middlesex, 
 " and ticice alderman of London, a gainer of 
 *' thirty thousand j)ound-, is the person to iin- 
 " pute to me an interested design! to me, who 
 " liave Irequcntly risked the whole, and ac- 
 " tnalJy spent a great part of my little fortune
 
 28S LIFE 6F J6«N HORNE TOOKE. 1/7'^' 
 
 *' in the contest, often exposed to a prison, and 
 "sometimes to death! an interested design! 
 " Stwio superbiajn. I know there is not one 
 " even of his phalanx that helieves it. 
 
 " After the summer recess, the society was 
 •' to meet again Nov. 21, 177^- 
 
 *' On Monday, Octoher 22, 177^? ^ received a 
 *' note from Mr. Wilkes, to inform me that he 
 *' wonid call the next day to talk with me on 
 " some hiisiness of consequence. I was at that 
 *' moment going into the country for a week, the 
 " post-chaise was at the door, and my company 
 *' waiting : I desired a gentleman who was in 
 " my room to answer the note, and to tell him I 
 *' would visit him as soon as I returned. Ac- 
 " cording to my promise, on Sunday, October 
 " 28, I went to Mr. Wilkes, at Fnlham. Our 
 conversation turned chiefly on three things : 
 
 His brother's pretensions to the cham- 
 
 berlain.ship ; his expectations from the Lon- 
 *' don Tavern ; and his intended proceedings at 
 "^ Westminster on the Wednesday following. 
 " It was my misfortune to be of a diffbrent opi- 
 " nion from Mr. Wilkes on all three : indeed 
 *'^ we seldom did concur in any measure, except 
 *' in those which tended to his private advan- 
 " tage; as far as I thought it just and honour- 
 " able to pursue his private interest, I met with 
 
 a 
 a
 
 177^- J-Ufi: OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 289 
 
 " his hearty concurrence ; for hc^ found my en- 
 " deavours effectual, and he reaped the instant 
 " benefit. In all public measures our ojjinions 
 '' have been unifornilv as different as our aims. 
 •' However, when I look back on what is past, I 
 "' find the voice of the people (which Mr. 
 '' Wilkes calls the voice of God) in my favour t 
 " and, if the public are not to be condemned, 
 " Mr. M'ilkes cannot have been very right, nor 
 " ] very wrong : for, however new and extra- 
 " ordlnan/ it may i^eem to those who are unac- 
 " quainted with the particulars of what has 
 '• passed, it is nevertheless most certain, that 
 " Mr. \\ ilkes has strenuously opposed almost 
 *' every measure which the public has adopted. 
 " But, as I mean hereafter to explain the whole 
 " of his conduct in those matters, I shall confine 
 " myself at present to what relates to the So- 
 " ciety at the London Tavern. Mr. Wilkes de- 
 ^' sired read// money. I thought it a shameful 
 " request : I repeated to him the situation of 
 " the society, which was in arrears ; and showed 
 *• him, that, in order to discharge liis remaining 
 " debts, we nuist borrow from some of the 
 *' members on the credit of the society. His 
 *' debts being once discharged, I told him, I 
 " would venture to answer for it, that he would 
 "■ have a clear annuity of Goo/. ; that if it 
 
 VOL. I U
 
 290 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/T^' 
 
 " amounted to lOOO/. 1 sliould be better pleased, 
 *' bnt would not press the thing beyond 600L j 
 *' that this annuity, with what he had and what 
 " his relations conld do for him, ought to con- 
 *' tent him ; but, whether he was contented or 
 " not, that 1 should trouble myself on that 
 " score no farther. That we had already dwelt 
 " too long and exhausted ourselves too much 
 " On his private affairs, and shoidd deservedly 
 " meet with tbe scorn and derision of the pub- 
 " lie, if we did not proceed to matters of greater 
 ^' public importance. Mt. Wilkes still pressed 
 *' for ready money ^ and said it would be doing 
 " him more kindness to give him the money, 
 ^^ and tru=it for the remainder of his debts to the 
 " chapter of accidents. He urged to me his 
 *^ old argument, which he has often rej)eated to 
 " many people, that — ^ those who do pay make 
 *' amends for those w ho do not ; and that 
 " tradesmen always charge accordingly.' I re- 
 *' plied, that the same pretence would e€|ually 
 *' justify him for robbing them on the highwavy 
 *' or burning their houses down ; because no 
 *' doubt their gain in trade, if they are not un- 
 " done, must su})ply all their losses. As I con- 
 " tinned obstiiiate, Mr. Wilkes grew angry : he 
 " said, if he was to be treated so, it was plain 
 ^ the society had oidy made a devoy-ducJc of his
 
 l^ri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2.91 
 
 *•' name, and that he was used only as an histru- 
 " menf. I e,Te\v warm in my tnrn, I reproached 
 ** him tor his nnrcasonr.bleness, seliishness, and 
 " ingratitude ; I asked him what merit he pre- 
 " tended to with the public, and what claim he 
 " had to their support, but as an instrument of 
 " public iiood ; and I assured him I would take 
 " care he shonhl not be .able to cast that re- 
 " proach on the society ; for that as soon as Ave 
 " had completed the provision for him I had 
 " mentioned, I would make a motion to give 
 '' him all llie money that should remain over in 
 " in the bankers hand ; and to advertise that, 
 '* for the future, no more subscriptions would be 
 " receive<l by the society, unless some great pub- 
 " lie occasion should arise, which exceeded the 
 ** abilities of that society alone to suj)i)ort. 
 
 " What passed between us concerning the 
 " cJunnberlahtsJup and the f feat minster instruc- 
 " lions, did not tend to restore his good humour 
 " towards me. He found it in vain to use any 
 " further endeavours to bend me to his pur- 
 " poses ; and, from that day forwards, has em- 
 '* ployed every means, by paragraphs and other- 
 " wise, to destroy the eflectof any opposition I 
 " mi^ht make to his scandalous attempts. 
 
 " On the 21th of Xorcmhcr, the society njet ; 
 '' and a tonimittie of accounts \\ as appointed
 
 2g2 LIfE OF JOHN HORNE TOOK]?. 1/^' 
 
 " for the 7tli of December following. At the 
 " next meeting of the society, December 11, a 
 " report was made from the committee, * That 
 " there appeared to be 'J43l. ISs. 5d., still mi~ 
 " discharged of the list of Mr. Wilkes's debts 
 *• admitted by the society on the l/th of April, 
 " 1770.' 
 
 '• On the 22d of January, 17/1, the society met 
 '•' again, according to their last adjournment. 
 '^' Great industry had been used by Mr. Wilkes 
 *■' io pack a majority, many meetings had been 
 '^ held, and dinners given at the prime mini- 
 '' ster's (Mr. Reynolds) for the purpose. Six-' 
 ^'^ teen members, who had never paid the least 
 " attention to any part of the transactions, and 
 " had scarcely ever attended before, came merely 
 " to vote as Mr. Wilkes should please to direct: 
 ''^ on the other hand, many geiitlemen, who dis- 
 " liked the attempts on the society, now staved 
 '' away, disgusted at altercation and the inde- 
 " cent behaviour of some of Mr. Wilkes's 
 '' agents ; it is not wonderful, for in all large 
 '' companies it is found that public wishes are 
 '' not so sharp a spur as private interest. The 
 " same conduct which is pursued by the mi- 
 ^' nister in packing a majority in another assem- 
 ^" hlj/ naturally produced the same measures at 
 *' tlii'i meeting. Like the house of commom,
 
 177^' I-^f*^ OF JOHN HOllNE TOOKIT. 593 
 
 *' they voted their king monei/ ivlfhout an ac- 
 
 • count, and an approhafion of his conduct 
 " without an inqulrt/. It was by a small ma- 
 '• jority of H meeeting, which consisted ofjorfi/- 
 *' seven, 'Resolved, 1. Th.it aj'ter the debts 
 -' due by this societi/ are dtschaiged, there be 
 " paid out of the first unap])lied monies whicli 
 *' shall come into the hands of the trea- 
 " surers of this society the sum of GooL to pay 
 " Mr. L. Macleane in full satisfaction for all 
 " debts due from John Wilkes, esq. to the said 
 ^' L. Mack'ane. 
 
 " ' 2. Resolved, That a further subsciiption ])e 
 *' now opened for the purpose of discharging 
 
 • all the outstanding debts of John Wilkes, 
 '' esq., which appear to have been bona fide 
 
 ' due at the time of the formation of this 
 ** society. 
 
 *' '3. Resolved, That the public conduct of 
 " John Wilkes, esq., since his enlargement from 
 '' the Ring's Bench prison hath been such as 
 " merits the aj»probation of this society. 
 
 *' ' 4. Resolved, That the public be informed 
 '' that there are some old debts of John Wilkes, 
 " es(j., which still remain unj)ai(l, iind that their v 
 •* further contrilmtions are necessary to dis- 
 
 • charge them.' 
 
 " It was vain to re])resent to them, that they
 
 39* l-IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1^7*' 
 
 " were imposing upon the public: that the so- 
 " ciety, when they solicited their subscriptions 
 *^' in April, 17/0, had published an account oF 
 *^^ what debts of Mr. Wilkes still remained due, 
 " in order to induce them to subscrii)e: that 
 " after this certain account given, and after 
 '• three years search, they were now talking to 
 "•the public, in vague and uncertain expressions, 
 ^^ of ' All the outstanding debts boxa fide due,'' 
 *' and of * SOME old debts of John Wilkes, esq.^ 
 " That the restriction of bona fids was sup- 
 *' posing in Mr. Wilkes the extremity of ingra- 
 '^ titude and mala fides: that on the 24th of 
 *^ July, 1770, eight gentlemen had lent to the 
 *' society seven hundred y*onnds, on the foUow- 
 " ing condition — '^ As the sum wanting to com- 
 *' promise Mr. Wilkes's debts does not exceed one 
 *^ thousand pounds, we, the underwritten, Avill 
 ** advance to the treasurers of this society, the 
 " sums annexed to our respective names, on the 
 " credit of the Society of the Bill of Rights:' 
 "^ that they Mere now violating that conditior>, 
 *' and making it impossible to believe any ac- 
 *•' count the society might hereafter give to the 
 " public; and that since that loan near j^re 
 " thousand pounds had been discharged for 
 "Mr. Wilkes: these and all other arguments 
 -'•' were in vain; they did not want to examine
 
 iT/l- UFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2v)5 
 
 
 accounts, or to consider \v!i at was past; they 
 came to vote for Mr. Wilkes., and the pro- 
 priety of the measures was left for hiin to re- 
 *' concile. 
 
 " Finding all arguments in vain, and knowing 
 *' very well by what sort of a majority the ques- 
 " tions had heen cairied, 1 was desirous to put 
 *' to the test the extravagant zeal and prodigious 
 ^' personal disinterested friendship which had 
 " been expressed for Mi". Wilkes. I rmi-ed that 
 " the subscription might imtctuth/ begin, and 
 " called upon them, at this time of their cxces- 
 " sive professions, when so many zealons members 
 " were present together, to show their sincerity 
 " by their subscriptions. My motion was by no 
 " means relished, the gentlemen felt the dif- 
 *• terence between voting away other men's 
 *' money and giving their oivn. There was 
 *' much struggle to avoid the cjuestion; but the 
 *' ridicule was too strong even for them; they 
 '• were ashamed, immediately after voting the 
 " subs(rij)tion, to vote against its beginning, 
 *' The ([uestion, therefore, was carried unani- 
 " MOi'SLY. The book was instantly opened and 
 " })rcscnti'd to the gentlemen; and, when the 
 " secretary, next morning, came to ca^t up the 
 " total oi the subscriptions, he found it amounted 
 ♦* t«) the exact sum of ... £q o a
 
 296 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/7^- 
 
 iC 
 
 After this meeting, iiuiiiy of the most re- 
 " spectable members talked of quitting the so- 
 " ciety, which they thought much better than 
 " staying there to wrangle, or to be made a 
 " mere club for Mr. Wilkes to impose upon the 
 " public by general professions, and to receive 
 ** subscriptions solely for the support of his ex- 
 *' travagance. It would not have been at all 
 '" diiiicult to have persuaded a large majority to 
 *' attend for once, and re-establish tlic public 
 *' principles on which the society first began; 
 " but once, or many times, would not have suf- 
 *' ficed. Mr. Wilkes is too artful and indus- 
 *' trious in mischief, and the tools he w^orks 
 " with too stupid and obedient not to have made 
 *' a periietual attendance necessary. Such an 
 " attendance itw men can, and still fewer will 
 *' give, when they have no private purpose to 
 *' answer; especially where they are to be liable 
 *' to the ignorance and brutality of such men as 
 *' Mr. Reynolds, w hilst Mr. Wilkes is dexterous 
 *' enough to avail himself of the former quality 
 " in his agents, to turn the latter upon his oppo- 
 " nents. Besides, it is alwavs much easier to 
 *' produce confusion than to preserve order; and, 
 " if Mr. Wilkes could every now^ and then pro- 
 " cure a majority to adopt and publish some im- 
 f prudent measure, the society would be sure to
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 2<)7 
 
 " lose their character, and with it their import- 
 " aiice; and we V;new, for he had dechircd long 
 *' before, that he was determined to destroy it. 
 " Still we were willing to try every measure to 
 *' preserve the society, whose dissolution, as 
 *' to every ])ublic purpose, we foresaw with inii- 
 
 " nite regret. 
 
 " At the next meeting-, therefore, of the so- 
 " ciety, on February 12, 1771, one of the mem- 
 "bers*Vose and desired to be indulged with 
 " some conversation, thoui'h he was not lioincr 
 *' to make a motion: he desired only to explain 
 " his own sentiments and nndcrstand theirs: he 
 " repeated his own public motives, and showed 
 " they were originally the declared motives of 
 " the society: much dispute, he said, had, how- 
 " ever, been lately held, whether these were ori- 
 " ginally the avowed intentions of the society, 
 " or whether it had been instituted mcrelv for 
 *' the support and emolument of Mr. Wilkes, to 
 *' the exclusion of all other jiublic measures; 
 " lie tlierefore, for his part, wav^d entirely that 
 ** dispute: he desired only to know what were 
 *' the sentiments the society would declare now, 
 *' and whether they would determine to act for 
 •* the future as a public society, giving sup])oit 
 ** and effectual assistance to every tbin;r which 
 
 * Mr Home.
 
 *2()S LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. ^771-' 
 
 *' vras importantly useful to the riglits of the 
 *' nation and mankind, or coniine themselves 
 " singly to Mr. Wilkes ? He said he did not 
 " mean to make a motion of this, or put it to 
 " the vote : if there were Jive, or even three 
 " memhers of that society present, who would 
 " acknowledge themselves to be confined merely 
 " to the raising of money for Mr. Wilkes, he 
 '* would quit the society at once without 
 ** troubling them with any reasoning* on the 
 *' subject. — Se\^ral other gentlemen declared 
 " the same sentiments. — This conversation was 
 *' entirely unforeseen; Mr. Wilkes himself was 
 not present; his leading partisans were Avith- 
 out instructions on the subject; the profes- 
 sions were only in general of public motives ; 
 " and general professions are safely made by 
 " the most interested men, who never mean to 
 *' come to particulars. Much conversation how- 
 *' ever passed of a different tendency, yet no 
 *' one member would acknowledge a private 
 ** principle of action. 
 
 '^ The member who spoke first then rose again, 
 *' and said, since he found they were all agreed 
 *' \n^\\Qiv general motives, he woidd now make 
 *' a particular niotion in consecjuence; and he 
 *' moved — * That an immediate subscription (in 
 *' order to raise^Ve hundred pounds) be open€c| 
 
 it
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TDOKE. 2|J9 
 
 *' for Mr. Bhig/ei/, for having refused to answer 
 " interrogatories, and to snbaiit to the illegal 
 *' mode of attachment.' He represented to them 
 *' that it was now near three years since ]Mr. 
 '' Bingley was first sent to priion; that he hadsuf- 
 " fered almost as miicli imprisonment as Mr. 
 *■ Wilkes, and had hitherto received no reward 
 *' for resisting attachment and interrogatories^ 
 " which were much more dangerous and dread- 
 "^ ful than general icarrants; that besides, he 
 " Avas in a station Avhere sentiment and public 
 ■' principle were not so much to be expected as 
 *"' in Mr. Wilkes's, and therefore required the 
 " greater encouragement. He said, he did not 
 '* desire any gentleman ])rcsent to subscribe to 
 *' this; that he knew the money would be 
 '' raised; the only question for them to con- 
 '' sider was, whether the society should have tha 
 ^' honour of the gift, or whether it should be 
 *' given out of the society, by those gentlemen 
 '■ who had already determined on the measure 
 " and were desirous to contribute? 
 
 " This motion seemed too reasona!)le to admit 
 
 • of debate, and yet it met with great oj)])ositiou 
 
 " from Mr. Wilkes's hiends. It was, however, 
 
 ** canicd by a majority; and near half tlie money 
 
 ** was instantlif su])sciibed. 
 
 "■ At the next meeting of the society, Febru-
 
 300 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I77l« 
 
 " ary 26, 1771, Mr. Wilkes attended. He had 
 " collected his forces, and was shameless enough 
 ^' to cause them to come to the following reso- 
 *' lution: ' 
 
 ''^ 'That the first object of this society, in order 
 " to promote the public purposes of its institu- 
 " tion, was to support John Wilkes, esq. against 
 " ministerial oppression, by discharging his 
 " debts and rendering him independent. That 
 ^' this society having resolved that the public 
 " conduct of John Wilkes, esq. has continued 
 *' such as merited their approbation ; and not 
 *' having as yet fully accomplished their declared 
 " purpose of discharging his debts, no new sub- 
 *' SCRIPTIONS shall for the future be opened in 
 '* this society, for any other purpose whatso- 
 *' EVER, until ALL the debts of John Wilkes, esq. 
 *' which shall appear to have been honajide due 
 *' at the time of the formation of this societyj 
 " and have already been given in to any committee 
 *' or general meeting thereof, shall be fully dis- 
 *' charged or compromised.' 
 
 '* Before this resolution was passed, every 
 " possible method Avas tried for an accommo- 
 " dation : it was pioposed that every person 
 *' might be permitted in that society to subscribe 
 *'' for whatever good purpose he should adopt: 
 " it was shown plainly, that, by this vote, they
 
 1771- ^-If'E OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. oOI 
 
 " would exclude from tlie society every one 
 " who wished to do puhlic i^ood, and wlio vet 
 " might not choose to subscribe to Mr. Wilkes, 
 " or, hiivinjr aiven somethinir, miuht not con- 
 *' sent to subscribe any more. Mr. Wilkes 
 " would listen to no terms ; he was now sure 
 " to accomplish his wishes, and saw, that from 
 *' this day, the society would either exist no 
 " longer, or would exist for him only. 
 
 "^ John Horne." 
 
 ♦• TO THE REV. MR. HORNE. 
 
 " Princes Court, Tiiursday, June 20. " 
 " SIR, 
 
 " I NOW proceed to examine your ftvci/th 
 " letter, and, according to the notice I gave 
 " you, to close a correspondence which the 
 *•' public have love ago called upon me to con- 
 '"' elude. I shall, therefore, necessarily, in takiuir 
 " leave of you, consider a few other particulars, 
 " which, from hurry or inadvertency^ I have 
 
 (( 
 
 omitted. 
 
 " The account you have published of tlie so- 
 " ciety, called the Supporters of the Bill of 
 *' JiightSf and their proceedings, is equally pro- 
 " lix and fallacious. In the state of the pecu- 
 " niary transactions of the society, you give
 
 
 0O2 LIVE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 ** SO perplexed a detail of my affairs, that 
 " I am totally at a loss to comprehend your 
 " accounts. You pretended, in a former letter, 
 *' that at the institution of that society I was 
 scarcely thought of, and you endeavoured to 
 prove that paradox by a single advertisement 
 ** after the second meeting, omitting all the re- 
 " solutions of the Jirst at the very formation 
 " of the society, which I have already quoted. 
 " Will you, sir, allow the society themselves 
 *' to determine what their own intentions were ? 
 " Feb. 26, 1771, it was resolved, 'That the 
 ^^ Jirst object of this society, in order to pro- 
 *'' mote the purposes of its intentions, was to 
 " support John If likes, esq. against ministe- 
 *' rial oppression, by discharging his debts and 
 *' rendering him independent.' In your ac- 
 '•^ count of Mr. Wilkes's debts, you studiously 
 " omit a remarkable part of an advertisement 
 *' repeatedly published by the Society of the Bill 
 " of Rights in all the papers. 'N.B. 71 49/. 6s. 
 *' of Mr. Wilkes's debts appear to have been 
 *' incurred by his having been security lor 
 " other persons.' Did you fear that this 
 ** might be brought to confute your charge of 
 '^ his indifference for the interest of his 
 " friends, when it a})peavs that he subjected 
 " himself to the payment of so large a sum
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORSE TOOKE. 303 
 
 '* on their account? You v. Ill please to recol- 
 " lectj that, by an early resolution of the society, 
 ** on May i), 17^9- J)iinte(i in the pa|>er$, ' All 
 ** commiftccs ot" the society are to meet on 
 " every first and third Tnesday in the n^onth, 
 *' at the London Tavern, at one in the after- 
 " noon,' and that the committee of accounts ^h\ tlie 
 *'^ advertisement of Nov. 20, 1770, ' was always 
 *• open to all members of the society.' If, 
 *' therefore, vou suspected the least fraud 
 *' from any (juarter, it was your duty to have 
 ^ attended to detect it. Althoui;h yon have 
 " deserted the society, it is still incumbent on 
 *' you to accpiaint them of any fraud or col- 
 ** lusion you have discovered. I call upon yoa 
 '* to Avrite a letter, stating the particulars, to 
 " the chairman of the next meeting, and to 
 *' give your proofs of the smallest intended 
 " i.'U])osition of any kind, or you will j)ass for 
 *' an infamons calumniator of your b^nefac/vr, 
 " Mr. l^eynolds, and other men of honour, 
 *' \vhom you have wickedly traduced. When 
 *' you mention that ' The other 2,0()0/. of the 
 " sum recovered from lord Halifax were said to 
 *M)e paid to Mr. Reynolds i.e. 1,20*0/. f(jr 
 " Mr. Reynolds's law-clia!^es, &.C., and 800/. to 
 " discharge some debts contracted by another 
 *' breach of trust towards the Backlnglnmshiio
 
 5,0/4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 ^ militia, when Mr. Wilkes was their colonel/ 
 *' you Avell know that you are deceiving the 
 " public, for I have frequently told you I paid 
 " Mr.Keynolds 2000/. o?i account for law-charges 
 " and debt, which he paid for me. The breach 
 " of trust you talk of, is among your many 
 "barefaced falshoods, which will cover you tvith 
 " infamy. Your characteristic is the evil spirit 
 " of lying. 
 
 "^ Sir Edward Astley^ when I was abroad, 
 " had purchased the lease of my house in 
 " Great George Street. When he removed to 
 " Downing Street, he mentioned his intention to 
 " dispose of the remainder of that lease. I was 
 " then in the King's Bench prison. Many of 
 " my friendjs wished me again in my old. house. 
 " It was talked of with sir Edward, but no- 
 " thing concluded, nor did I ever ask any man 
 " to be my security on the occasion. You de- 
 *' clare, ' All the gentlemen to whom Mr. Wilkes 
 ^"^ applied, even the future chamberlain ^xiA tozvU' 
 " clerk refused to be security.'* I never applied 
 " to any one person, on this occasion, to be 
 *' my security. Name the man. The conver- 
 " sation you have given, as what passed between 
 " us, is an absolute fiction of vour own fertile 
 " brain. 
 
 "' I had no dispute with the treasurers of the
 
 IJ'J'l. LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOGKE. 303 
 
 '* Bill of Rights about the generous beiieiaction 
 " from Neivcaslle. 
 
 " You say, * He took a country house at 
 *' sixfi/ guineas for the season; and, to com])letc 
 " his phiu of economji/, he sent his daughter to 
 *' Paris to sec the Dauphins weddings whilst 
 " himself was (dl the summer niakiner the tour of 
 '' the watering places.' I rented a ready- 
 " furnished house at sixti/ guineas for the year, 
 '• Avhile njy small house here was repairing. 
 •' When it was completed, I let the house at 
 *' Fulham for the remainder of the year. You 
 " assert, ' On quitting the King's Bench prison, 
 *' he took a house on a lease at Jif'ty pounds a 
 " year.' Is it not possible, sir, for you once to 
 " tell the ichole trutlir The rent h foj'ty guineas 
 " a year. My dauiihter went to Paris at the 
 " time of the Dauphins ivedding, on the invita- 
 " tion of a lady of fashion to her own house. I 
 " met her at Dover on her return from France, 
 " and, duriug the month of August, we made 
 *' a tour together. When you say, that I was 
 " ' all the summer making the tour of the wa- 
 " tering places,' it is a malicious falshood you 
 *' designedly utter, for I was only absent wiiilu 
 " the Dog star raged, when there is a vacation 
 " from all city business. You me:wi to insi- 
 " nuate a U>X:\\ want of rconumij. I know the 
 
 VOL. I. X
 
 30G LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKL. 177^' 
 
 *' sin that tnost easily besets me, and I know, too, 
 " Avhere you and the ministry expect to surprise 
 *' me. You will both be disappointed. My 
 " friends have with pleasure remarked my re- 
 " formation. 
 
 *' As to the letter from Montpelier, you de- 
 *' clare, in your second letter to me, before its 
 ** publication, ' Publish it, however, when you 
 " will; I am conjident, as indeed I have likewise 
 *' been assured by many to whom you have 
 *' shown it, that there is nothing in the letter of 
 *' which I need to be ashamed.'' You kept a copy, 
 *' as you have acknowledged, of this very letter. 
 ** Will you indulge us with the names of some 
 *' of the 7nany, who approve so singular a per- 
 ** formance ? We shall then know qfivhom we 
 " ought to be ashamed. Will you reconcile the 
 *' above passage with what you say in your sijcth 
 " letter, ' It Avas a mean villany, almost equal 
 ** to the treacherous publication of a private^ 
 "friendly, corfidential letter;^ and, * Wilkes, 
 *' with the education of a gentleman, has ex- 
 " ceeded in meanness and want of sentiment his 
 ** servant Cany,'' ivho robbed his master, and 
 " then sold the goods to ruin him ? Your repeated 
 *' treacheries forced the publication of your 
 " letter. On what provocation was Mr. Hea- 
 " ton Wilkes's private, friendly, confidential 
 
 tt^
 
 1*71- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 30/ 
 
 (C 
 
 « 
 
 
 letter to Mr. George Bellas given by him to 
 
 you, and by you publis^hed ? 
 
 " You have frequently accused me of neglect- 
 ** ing the tvorf/ii/ freeholders of Middlesex, to 
 " whom 1 am under the most j)eculiar obliga* 
 *' tions, altbough you know I have not omitted 
 " any mark of regard or gratitude to them. I 
 *' have the happiness of living among them, and 
 
 am continually paying my personal respects 
 
 where they arc so greatly due. 
 
 " All these attempts to embroil me with the 
 *' freeholders of Middlesex, the supporters of the 
 " Bill of Rights, the livery of London, the Ame- 
 " ricans, &c., you will find ineffectual. My 
 " public conduct shall always be clear and unex- 
 " ceptionable. As to the connexions in private 
 " lite, I will ende3.\ OUT mart ales ini?niclt las, sem~ 
 " pitcrnas amlcltlas habere, preserving^ still my 
 " strong, , natural, irreconcilable hatred to all 
 " of the serpent and viper kind. 
 
 '•Am I to answer your impertinence about 
 " claret and French servants? It shall be in one 
 " word. I have not purchased a bottle of claret 
 " .since I left the King s Bencli. Only two 
 " French servants are in my family. An old 
 
 woman, who has many years attended my 
 
 daughter, and a footman, whom 1 esteem, as 
 
 I have often told yoii, not as a Frenchman, 
 
 X J 

 
 308 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 " but for his singular JideUt If to an Englishman 
 " during a course of several years, when I had 
 '"'^ the honour of being exiled. I have reason 
 " to believe, that from hence originated your 
 " hatred to him. 
 
 " As to the Rockingham administration, my 
 '^ regard to them arises solely from their ser- 
 *' vices to this country and the colonies, not 
 " from any personal favours. I do not owe a 
 *^ pardon to ihem, although I warmly solicited 
 *' it during the whole time of their power. Soo7i 
 " after thet/ came into e?nploi/ment, I wished to 
 '■' have gone in a pul)lic character to Constanti- 
 " nople ; but I very soon dropped that idea. I 
 ^' never did receive from them either pension^ 
 «i gratidtj/, or reward. When I said precarious, 
 " I used the word as synonymous with depen- 
 *' dent. That upright administration was re- 
 *^ moved in July, I7b'6'. My declaration, ' never 
 *' to accept from the crown either place, pen- 
 *^ sion, gratuity, or emolument of any kind,' 
 *' was not made to my most meritorious con- 
 *' stituents, the freeholders of Middlesex, tilJ 
 " June 18, 176'S. I then pledged myself to 
 '' them, and added, that ' I would live and die 
 *'^ in their service, a private gentleman, perfectly 
 *' free, under no control but the laws, under no 
 ^' influence but theirs,' (S-:c.
 
 IJTl- LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 309 
 
 '' Whether you proceed, sir, to a fhirtceni/t, 
 " or a t/tirtiet/i, letter, is to me a matter of the 
 *' most entire iiulitiorence. You will no longer 
 " have me yonr correspondent. All the efforts 
 ** of your malice and rancour cannot irive me a 
 " moment's dixjuietude. They ivill only tor- 
 "' ment your own breast. I am wholly indif- 
 *' ferent about your sentiments of me, happy in 
 '' the favourable opinion of many valuable 
 " friends, in the most honourable connexions, 
 *^ both public and private, and in the ])rosj)ect 
 of rendering myself eminently useful to my 
 country. Formerly, in exile, when I was urbe 
 patriaqtie eitorris, and torn from every sa- 
 '^ crcd tie of friendship, I have moistened my 
 *' bread with my tears. The rest of my life I 
 *^ hope to enjoy my morsel at home in peace 
 " and cheerfulness, among those I love and 
 " honour ; far from the malignant eye of the 
 *' false friend and the insidious hypocrite. 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 *' John Wilkes." 
 
 (I
 
 310 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17?!' 
 
 " TO MR. JOHN WILKES. 
 
 (letter XIII.) 
 
 " GIVE you joy, sir. The parson of Brent- 
 " ford is at length defeated *. He no longer 
 " rules with an absolute sway over the city of 
 " London. Yon have detected his Jesuitical 
 *^ deep-laid schemes of running away with the 
 *^ monument on his back. You have rescued 
 *' the prostrate livery from his dictatorial au- 
 ^'^ thority ; have congratulated them on their 
 '^ victory ; and restored to them a perfect li- 
 ^' berty — of doing whatever t/ou please. The 
 '^ poor parson has been buffeted on the hustings 
 " where he did not appear, and hissed out of 
 " playhouses which he never entered ; he has 
 " been sung down in the streets, and exalted to 
 *^ a conspicuous corner with the pope and the de- 
 "^ vil in the print shops ; and, finally, to com- 
 *^' plete the triumph over this mighty adversary, 
 ^' you have caused him to be burnt in effigy. 
 
 * This alludes to the city elections, which turned out, in 
 exact conformity to the wishes, and the interest of Mr. 
 
 Wilkes.
 
 2771' I'lFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 311 
 
 ■'^ After all this outcry, no doubt, you imagine 
 
 there is 
 
 *' No pott acquainted with more shakings and quakings 
 
 *' Towards the latter end of his new play 
 
 " (When he's in that case, that he stands peeping 'twixt 
 
 " Curtains so fearfully, that a bottle of ale 
 
 " Cannot be open'd but he thinks somebody hisses) 
 
 " Than I am at this instant. 
 
 *' Formerly, these arts used to he practised 
 " against a minister of state, or at least against 
 *' souie person whose wealth and ])o\vcr might 
 " afford a pretence for suspicion of undue in- 
 " fluence ; but if so insigniiicant a name as mine 
 " can, by ])aragraj)hsj &c., be made important 
 " enough to scare them with apprehensions for 
 " their independence, you will never want a 
 " bugl)car for the livery. You are heartily wel- 
 *' come to the use you have made of it, and I 
 '' shall freely forgive you a repetition of the same 
 '• indignities, as long as you coniino them to tlie 
 '• iie\vs])apers and cHigy : but, alas! all the 
 ""' honours and j)referments you have heaped 
 • upon iiie have likewi^-e l)i'cn only in cihgy: 
 *■ hi> tjrace of Grafton invites me to no con- 
 *• ference ; lord North admits me to no levee ; 
   the Kx{ hecjucr withholds my pension ; and 
 *' llie bishop of l)uih;iiii u III not let mc touch 
 " one hiithing of my (iiiarterage. So that I
 
 312 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^^ 
 
 *' have nothing left to console me hut the 
 " support of the Shelburne faction, the re- 
 *' covery of my old clothes, the subscriptions 
 " I have pocketed, and sir Joseph's three bank- 
 '^ notes. 
 
 '* When first I began my public correspond- 
 " ence with you, I engaged to give an account 
 " of the commencement, progress, and conclu- 
 *' sion of the intercourse between us ; because, 
 *' from the circumstances of the relation, honest 
 " men of any tolerable discernment will be able 
 *' to form a judgment how far they ought, and how 
 " far they ought not, to support you. You en- 
 " gfiged, on your part, to give a full answer to 
 *' every charge I should bring. / mean to keep 
 *' mi/ promise; and, though I thought it proper 
 *' to forbear the prosecution of it during the 
 " city election, I shall now proceed : the deep 
 " researches, laborious study, and prodigious 
 *' science necessarv to qualify you for the office 
 *'' of sheriif, will excuse voh from giving any 
 ^' answer ; and leave yon at liberty to lye 
 *•' anonymously in the newspapers without de- 
 " tection. 
 
 " When the motion was made at the London 
 *' Tavern of ' No new subscriptions for the 
 " future for any other purpose whatsoever, 
 ** until ALL the debts of John Wilkes, esq. should
 
 I7ri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOORE. 313 
 
 *' be fully lUscharo^ecl/ after a pause of some nii- 
 
 " nutes Mr. Home rose, and said he bad waited 
 
 " in momentary expectation, that Mr. Wilkes 
 
 " would have taken the opportunity to entreat 
 
 *' his friend to withdraw a motion so fatal to the 
 
 '' reputation both of Mr. Wilkes and the society: 
 
 *' he expressed his amazement that Mr. Wilkes 
 
 " could silently hear a measure proposed, which 
 
 ** could produce nothing but disgrace to both ; 
 
 " but he said it was impossible Mr. Wilkes could 
 
 " continue silent upon the sulijcct, unless he 
 
 " was willing it should be understood, that this 
 
 " attempt to impose upon the public and the so- 
 
 '^ cietyproceeded from himself. Mr.Horne added, 
 
 " that, since the subscription for Mr. Bingley 
 
 " had very much offended Mr. Wilkes, and was 
 
 " the avowed reason of this motion to prevent 
 
 " any ' new subscriptions for the future for any 
 
 *' other purp()"?e whatsoever,' he would eiidea- 
 
 " vour to satisfy them of the propriety of that 
 
 '• subscription, and the improjiriety of the pre- 
 
 " sent motion. Mr. Bingley had above a year 
 
 " before repeatedly sent petitions to the society, 
 
 " which Mr. * had as often deferred, 
 
 'Mn ex])ertati<)n of finishing Mr. Wilkes's af- 
 •' fair*;, and fjom a desire that nothing might 
 
 * Mr. Reynolds.
 
 314 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l77^' 
 
 '^' interfere to prevent it ; but when it was evl- 
 " dent that a party was formed to avoid coming 
 *' to any conclusion, even after three years' at- 
 *' tention to that single object, it would have 
 *' been cruel to the poor man to have deferred 
 " any longer the generous intentions of several 
 " gentlemen towards him. But there was a 
 " much stronger reason than private compassion 
 '' against any further delay ; the freedom of the 
 " press M^as materially concerned in moving the 
 " subscription for Bingley at the last meeting. 
 " Mr. Home said, he was sorry to be forced to 
 mention transactions which ought to be kept 
 secret, and to explain motives which ought to 
 "^ be understood but not expressed in large com- 
 " panics; however, that rather than see his in- 
 " tentions of public good defeated by this re- 
 " strictive resolution, he would tell them his 
 chief motive for moving the sub.scription at the 
 last meeting. Mr. Home observed, that he had 
 " some small time since received information 
 " from an authority which he could not doubt, 
 *' that a certain great personage had conversed 
 " with the elder Onslow at St. James's near half 
 " an hour; that in that conversation it was men- 
 " tioned to Mr, Onslow as matter of surprise, 
 *' that the house of commons permitted their 
 " debates to be published; and it was asked, if it 
 
 « 

 
 1771- ^IFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. v3l5 
 
 '^ was ever suffered before, and wliy something 
 *' was not done to prevent it? This (juestioii 
 '^ ironi sucli a person was well understood to be 
 *' an order; and after the repeated failures of 
 *' lord Manslield in the courts of law, both by 
 " information and attachment, it was easy to 
 " sec wliither they would next have recourse to 
 " destrov the freedom of the ])ress. It was 
 *' plain Mr. Onslow understood it ; for soon 
 *'^ after, on the ^ fifth of February, his relation, 
 " the i/ounger Onslow, made a motion in the 
 " house of commons, that an order of that 
 '^ house against printing any part of the debates 
 '' should be read and entered amongst the mi- 
 ^' nutes of that day. Mr. Home said^ this was 
 '^ a confirmation to him of his intelligence, and 
 " increased his suspicions of what was to 
 '"^ follow; he had therefore himself purposelif 
 *' caused to be inserted in the Middlesex Jonrnal 
 *' of Fehruary "J, an innocent paragraph about 
 ** Mr. Onflow's motion; exjiecting that tJic 
 *' Onsbnrs would bring it before the house; 
 "which happened as it was foreseen; for the 
 *' printers, PFhehle, who first inserted, and 
 *' Thompson, who copied that paragraph, were 
 " ordered to attend the house of commons. In 
 *'■ this interval the society met, (on tlie 12th of 
 " Fcbniary,) before the order of attendance to
 
 
 • 3l6 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 " the printers was expired; and Mr. Home 
 " chose that particular moment to move the siib- 
 " scription for Bingley, on purpose to encourage 
 *^ the printers, (whom it was necessary to use on 
 this occasion against the usurped power of the 
 house,) and to show them, by this example, 
 " that they too would be eifectually supported, 
 " and rewarded for resisting an illegal and scan- 
 *' dalous attempt upon the freedom of the press. 
 *' Mr. Home declared, that this subscription for 
 " Bingley did instantly produce the desired eft'ect, 
 and both the printers refused to obey ; and there 
 was no doubt, (the law being clear in the 
 case, that a power of punishment cannot be- 
 " long to the house of commons,) that other 
 printers would likewise depend upon the laws 
 of their country and the support of that society, 
 and refuse obedience to any similar usurpation 
 *^ of the house over them. But, said Mr. Home, 
 *' should you now, gentlemen, come to a resolu- 
 '-' of NO NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS ' for the future for 
 
 *' ANY OTHER PURPOSE WHATSOEVER Until ALL 
 
 " Mr. Wilkes's debts shall be fully discharged,* 
 " you will undo all that has been done; the 
 " puhiic good effect of Bingley's subscription 
 " will be lost; the printers will despair of sup- 
 " port; and you cannot expect that they should 
 *' be able alone and unsup])oitcd to oppose, hovv- 
 
 a 
 
 (( 
 t:
 
 \''l. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 31/ 
 
 " ever leirally, the poAvers of government, whiili 
 *' are now united against the rights of the peo- 
 " pie ; even if they should, the contest would 
 " be too unequal, the printers would be undone, 
 '' and the press ruined. He therefore entreated 
 *' them to lay aside all little, factions, private 
 " views, and forbear a resolution which would 
 " certainly be productive of such bad conse- 
 " qnences to the public, and such dishonour 
 *' to the society. 
 
 ^' He concluded with addressing himself 
 *' again to Mr. Wilkes ; he called upon his 
 *♦ policy, his public spirit, his graliluclc, his mu- 
 *^ desti/ ; all which should strongly ])ersuade 
 *' him to show his disapprobation of a motion 
 *' whidi was to restrain gentlemen, who had 
 *' done so much for him, from putting their 
 *' hands in their ])ockets to relieve any other ob- 
 *' ject of compassion, or to promote any pub- 
 *' lie measure. 
 
 " To all these arguments, Mr. Wilkes was 
 " abs<jhitely dumb; no sense of shame could 
 " force a single word from him ; and the re- 
 *' solution of no ?icrc subscriptions for the 
 " futiur but for Mr. Wilkes, was carried, him- 
 ** self being present, by the same gentlemen 
 *' who had before voted' against liingley's sub- 
 *' scri])tioii, and some other personal friends
 
 v'518 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 (C 
 
 of Mr. Wilkes, who had been brought thither 
 for the purpose, amongst whom were his Izvo 
 " brothers, his attorney, &c. 
 
 " John Horke." 
 
 "July 10." 
 
 This literary contest, as has been already 
 hinted, rendered Mr, Home one of the most odi - 
 ous men in the kingdom. Respecting the justice 
 of the dispute, there can be little hesitation ; 
 but, in regard to its impolicy, no doubt what- 
 ever can be now entertained. It is but candid 
 to confess, that Mr. Home did not succeed in his 
 attempt to expose Mr. Wilkes to the multi- 
 tude, for he became more popular than ever, 
 and that, too, in consequence of the opposition 
 to his career. 
 
 That gentleman, indeed, although his ta- 
 lents and learning were far inferior, yet, by 
 means of superior skill, and a more intimate 
 knowledge of mankind, appears, on the whole, 
 to have foiled his adversary. By stoutly denying 
 iiome, and artfully parrying other charges 
 against his character, he continued to confuse 
 and perplex the whole business ; and although 
 Mr. Home had most, if not all the resj)ectable 
 men on his side, yet the public at large, which 
 is seldom capable <?f entering into a minute
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 31^ 
 
 and hiborious investigation, after being some 
 time bewildered in the maze of a prolonged 
 periodical correspondence, at length declared, 
 fnlly and unequivocally, in behalf of Mr. Wilkes. 
 On the whole, it may be questioned whether 
 this contention did not rather tend to hurt 
 than to serve the public cause ; while their 
 common enemies rejoiced at a quarrel, which, 
 by dividing, weakened their party, and, for a 
 time at least, subjected both oi the cham- 
 pions to the animadversions, and even to the 
 ridicule of the public.
 
 320 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/7^' 
 
 CHAPTER Vir 
 
 1771. 
 
 Mr. Home takes a Degree at Cambridge — o?i 
 his return, he advocates the Cause of the 
 Printers. — Result. 
 
 BUT notwithstanding the frequent public 
 contests of the subject of these memoirs had 
 engrossed much of his time, and nearly ruined 
 his fortune, they did not render him unmind- 
 ful of academical honours. He accordingly 
 repaired to Cambridge, in 177I5 ^^^1 became a 
 candidate for the de£;ree of master of arts. 
 
 On this, as on all similar occasions, his poli- 
 tical creed proved highly injurious to his pre- 
 tensions ; for Mr. Paley opposed the very mo- 
 derate claims, now urged, in consequence of 
 his disapprobation of some violent passages in 
 the recent correspondence with Mr. Wilkes. — 
 This gentleman, afterwards so eminent in the lite-
 
 \77^' '-IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 321 
 
 rary world, was supported by Mr. Hubbard, of 
 Emanuel Collci^e ; but, on tbe otber hand, 
 tlie doctors Beadon and Jebb, both men of con- 
 siderable influence, stoutly contended, that Mr. 
 Home, while resident at St. John's College, 
 had conducted himself with o^rcat propriety, 
 and was distinguished alike by the ardour of his 
 genius and the purity of his morals. He was 
 accordingly admitted master of arts, notwith- 
 standing Mr. Bromley, afterwards lord Mum- 
 ford, had joined the two former in their dissent. 
 
 It was thus that he was obliged to flght every 
 incli of his way through the whole course of a 
 long and busy life, which, indeed, had become 
 almost one continual series of agitation and in- 
 quietude. But, on the other hand, it must 
 be allowed, that he acquired an accession of 
 strength by constantly contending against the 
 stream. Continual opposition sharpened his wit 
 and talents, gave him at once a taste for, and 
 an ascendancy in business ; nay, if we are to 
 believe some, his disappointments were at length 
 rendered so frecjuent, as never to be unexpected, 
 and not always displeasing. 
 
 In the spring of the same year, Mr. Home 
 was enabled to complete a project already al- 
 luded to, which Ik; had for some time formed, 
 and always contcmjihited, as intimatclv connect- 
 
 VOL. I. Y
 
 522 LllE or JOHls MORNE tOOKE. l//^- 
 
 ed with the safety of the constitution, and the 
 liberty of the press. Of all modern inventions, 
 that of Printing confers the greatest honour 
 on human ingennity ; and Jiad either Guttem- 
 bnrgh or Fanstus been natives of ancient 
 Greece, her cities might have once more con- 
 tended, as in the case of Homer, for the honour 
 of producing these eminent benefactors of man- 
 kind. One of the chief efforts of this art, 
 perhaps, consists of a newspaper, composed, 
 j)rinted, and circulated with such celerity, tliat 
 a complete historical register of all the oc- 
 currences of one day is regularly exhibited on 
 the breakfast-table of the succeeding one. 
 
 These periodical productions seem to have 
 originated with modern liberty and commerce, 
 on tlie shores of the Mediterranean, and to 
 have been introduced into this part of Eu- 
 rope in consequence of the desultory inroads 
 of the French into Italy. All the neighbouring 
 states appear to have been enlightened, and every 
 government occasionally alarmed, by such a novel 
 species of communication. As much, however, 
 depends on the genius of the nation and the 
 character of the reigning prince, the indiscri- 
 minate publication of a loose sheet, under the 
 house of Tudor, would have been considered as 
 something apj>roaching to treason — for that
 
 irri- LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 323 
 
 was the term then affixed to every tiling ob- 
 noxious. During the reign of Henry VII, it 
 might have occasionally interfered Avith his riglit 
 to the crown; in that of HenrvV^III, with 
 liis disputes with the pope ; while, in the times 
 of Mary and Elizabeth, both of whom had 
 been declared bastards by act of parliament, 
 not only the legitimacy of their own birth, 
 but the alternate preponderance of the Catholic 
 and Protestant religion*, might have been deeply 
 affected by the j)cri()dical press. 
 
 The accession of the house of Stev.art pr.'- 
 sented a new and a memorable epoch. The suc- 
 cession to the throne was incontestible; while the 
 church of England was decidedly predominant. 
 The j)eople, too, had become opiilcnt and in- 
 telligent; and knowledge of all kinds was culti- 
 vated and diflhsed with equal assiduity and suc- 
 cess. It was precisely at this period that 
 newspapers began to be circulated; in the suc- 
 ceeding rcigu their ascendancy was indeed felt, 
 but it was not until the Revolution, that they 
 may be said to have tanght the ))eople both to 
 think and to act rationallv. The iirst paj)er, 
 perhaps, printed in England, made its appear- 
 ance in 1588: the (lisj)utes between Charles I 
 and the connnon*', produced the " Dimnal Oc- 
 currences of Parliament," the "Mercuries," and 
 
 V 2
 
 324 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 a variety of similar works, which were usually 
 published twice a week. In I696, uo fewer 
 than nine weekly newspapers made their ap- 
 pearance; and the '^Orange Intelligencer," so 
 called otit of compliment to king William, is 
 supposed to have been the first daily paper cir- 
 culated subsequently to his election to the 
 throne. The men of letters, who at once 
 adorned and enlightened the Augustan age of 
 queen Anne, diffused a taste for learning of all 
 kinds; and, during the sulisecjuent disputes, re- 
 lative to the claims of the Stuart race, the house 
 of Brunswick undoubtedly derived great and me- 
 morable advantages from a free press. It was 
 not, however, until the time of the second George, 
 that periodical works began to produce a deci- 
 sive effect on domestic politics, when the " Dra- 
 pier's Letters," written by Swift, liberated Ire- 
 land from the imposition of patent money, tJien 
 frequently denominated her "copper chains;'" 
 while lord Bolingbroke, Caleb D'Anvers, and a 
 few eminent writers, by means of the " Crafts- 
 man," gave a mortal stab to the administration 
 of sir Robert Walpole, and prevented the com> 
 pletion of a general excise. 
 
 But it was not until the commencement of the 
 present reign, that the ephemeral species of com- 
 position, now alluded to, became a general,
 
 1/71' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNK TOOKE. 325 
 
 speedy, and j)()j)ular mode of coiiiiniimcatiou. 
 The power and influence of this important 
 branch of a free ])ress was then consjiicuous to 
 all; lor tlie (jiisstion of general warrants, the 
 various prosecutions directed against Mr. 
 Wilkes, and the grand contest relative to the 
 Middlesex election, tended not a little to raise 
 the importance of a newspaper, and soon len- 
 dered it a most formidable weapon, when wielded 
 by skilful hands. At that period, however, 
 there were not, as now, near a dozen of mornine: 
 prints, which settle tbe political faith of the 
 day, and teach their readers how to walk, both 
 safe and steady, by means of " paper leading- 
 strings." Tbe Public Advertiser, because it was 
 supposed to be perused daily at court, consti- 
 tuted the arena in which the literary combatants, 
 usually encountered each other, under the im- 
 mediate eye of majesty; and the correspondence 
 <jf such men as sir William Draper, Junius, 
 Wilkes, Churchill, Lloyd, and Home, tended 
 not a little to confer celebrity on this species of 
 composition. 
 
 One grand feature of our modern periodical 
 press, was, however, still wanting. Tbis was 
 the publication of tbe debates in ]»arliamont, in 
 an authentic lorm, ;incl wilh the names oi" tbe 
 respective speakers aune^cd. '1 bat, incked, had
 
 326 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1 //"!•. 
 
 been frequently attempted, but under a variety 
 of great and obvious disadvantages: for, to en- 
 sure the safety of the editors, the parliament of 
 Great Britain was supposed to be an ancient 
 senate, and the great men of that day were de- 
 signated by the Roman names of Brutus, Cassius, 
 Cicero, Crassus, &c. Mr. Guthrie, a laborious, 
 rather than an able writer, together with Dr. Sa- 
 muel Johnson, a name scarcely second to any 
 in English literature, endeavoured to improve 
 ou this plan. Accordingly, in 1740, the latter 
 began to communicate the debates in the " se- 
 nate of Lilliput," by means of the Gentleman's 
 Magazine; but his materials were scanty; and, 
 being seldom present himself, he trusted to the 
 memory of others, who sometimes brought him 
 the leading points of the discussion, together 
 with the substance of the speeches of the most 
 eminent statesmen of that day. Fearful of 
 bringing down parliamentary vengeance on his 
 own head, and that of the publisher, he seldom 
 or never assigned an oration to any particular 
 individual, but contented himself with giving a 
 catalogue of names at the end of the debate, 
 arranged so as to discover those who advocated 
 either side of the question. An accurate ac- 
 count of the divisions, the numbers of those who 
 voted, the lists of proxies, and the copies of the
 
 l/p. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 32/ 
 
 protests ill the house of lor(l<, now conimuni- 
 cated with such extraonlinirv accuracy, were 
 seldom, if ever, atteMij)ted at that j)eriod. 
 
 When materials were wanting, the doctor 
 himself acknowledires that he was accustomed 
 to supply the deficiency from the store-house of 
 his own imagination; and as he hccame " first 
 regular, and then pious," towiuds the latter end 
 of his life^ this political fraud occasioned a great 
 deal of uneasiness; for, as he ingenuously con- 
 fessed, he was accustomed to incline the halancc 
 of argument, so as to lean in favour of the tonj 
 parfi/, v.hich he himself constantly espoused. 
 
 In the j)rogress of tinie, however, i^rcater 
 lihcrties appear to have been taken with the 
 privileges of the house of commons at least; for, 
 at the commencement of the present reii^n, it 
 ■was not unusual to publish the speeches of its 
 iiiemhers occasionally; hut the same precaution 
 was then used, as with the lists of bankrupts of 
 that day, it bt^ing customary to give only the 
 
 initial and final letters of the name, with a 
 
 between. 
 
 At length, on the struggle that took jdace, 
 relative to the Middlesex election, which soon 
 swelled into such importance as to assun)e tiie 
 air of a national (ontest, tlie cnriositv of the 
 public was Hrst gratified I)y a series of regular
 
 328 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17/1 
 
 debates; doubtless inferior, both in point of 
 length and accuracy, to those of the present 
 day, although, at that period, they were con- 
 sidered to be a wonderful effort of human inge- 
 nuity. Nor ought it to be here omitted, that all 
 such publications were expressly prohibited by 
 a standing order of the house of commons; and, 
 although this was sometimes infringed with im- 
 punity, far greater delicacy continued to be ob- 
 served, in respect to another branch of the legis- 
 lature; where the occasional presence of the 
 king ; the constant view of tlie throne ; the full 
 dresses of the lords of parliament, who then 
 made their appearance in roiled stockings, 
 swords, and tie-wigs ; together with the me- 
 nacing attitude of the usher of the black rod; 
 seemed but too well calculated to deter from a 
 practice, which has since obtained^ with so 
 much advantage to the public, and so little de- 
 trnnent to the honour and dignity of either 
 house. 
 
 Such appears to have been the exact state of 
 the periodical press, when the publication of 
 the controversy relative toMr.Wilkes, by exciting- 
 general resentment against, gave umbrage to the 
 ministers; and produced arj important event, 
 some of the particulars of which, I am now en- 
 abled to detail, in an authentic manner, by
 
 17/ I' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 32^ 
 
 Jiieans of a note, penned soon after a conversa-r 
 tion with the subject of the ])resent memoirs. 
 
 The venerahle Mr. Onslow, who had for many 
 years filled the sj^eaker's chair, and was still 
 alive, being consulted on this subject, declared 
 the publication of the debates, " to be a modern 
 practice, com})letely unjn'ecedcnted, and in di- 
 rect violation of the jirivileges of the house of 
 commons." Wholly unmindful of the j^rowing 
 wealth, as well as the increasing knowledge and 
 curiosity of the people, he considered this to be 
 an express inroad on the constitution itself, that 
 had never been heard of in Ids better days; and, 
 as he was a great stickler for order, decorum, and 
 all that oflicial regularity, which he had been so 
 long acccustomed to, he gave it as bis decided 
 opinion, that this flagrant infringement of the 
 orders of the house ought instantly to draw 
 down the vengeance of the commons of Eng- 
 land. Accordingly, in the course of a v.eek, 
 his own nephew, the knight of the shire for the 
 rountv of Surrey, moved a series of resoluticrns*. 
 
 * Resolved, " That it h an intlignity to, and a breach of, 
 the privileges of this house, for any person to prcsuine to 
 give, ill written or printed newspapers, any accounts, or 
 minuter of the debates, or other proceedings of the liouse, or 
 t)f ail)' committee thereof; 
 
 " That, upon discovery of the authors, printers, or
 
 330 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 declaratory of tbese principles, which were iina- 
 iiiinou*^ly assented to. 
 
 This instantly o])erated as an electric shock, 
 not only to the members of the op])osition, who 
 dill not like to oppugn regulations, Avhich were 
 merely an echo of former orders, but also to all 
 such as had asserted the freedom of election and 
 the cause of Mr. Wilkes : at this period, a nume- 
 rous, turbulent, and powerful body. 
 
 While some were alarmed and others ap- 
 palled, Mr. Home, as usual, was roused into 
 energy and action. He thought, that the pub- 
 licity of the debates operated as a j)owerful 
 and salutary check on persons and parties; and 
 he was also of opinion, that the p/Cople at large 
 
 publishers, of any such vvrit'en or printed newspapers, the 
 house will proceed acrainst the cftenders with the utmost seve-^ 
 rity." 
 
 The following resolution of the house of commons was 
 tlien, and still continues, on their journals: 
 
 •« April, 13, 173S, vol. xxiii, p. 148. 
 Resolved, " That it is an high indignity to, and a noto- 
 rious violation of, the privileges of this house, for any news- 
 writer, in letters, or other papers, (as minutes, or under any 
 other deRomination,) or f<jr any printer or publisher of any 
 printed newspaper, of any denomination, to presume to in- 
 sert in said letters or papers, or to give therein, any ac- 
 count of the (/eiw^^ or other proceedings of this house, or 
 any committees thereof, as well during the recess, as the 
 sitting of parliament ; and that this house will proceed with 
 the utmost severity against such oftenders.'^
 
 l/Tl- LIFK or JOHN IIOKNE TOOKE. 331 
 
 had a rl^bt to be acquaiuteJ witli tlie coiuliirt 
 and opinions oi their representatives. In ad- 
 dition to tliis, he conceived that a fair oppor- 
 tunity was now aft'orded, not only of vindicatiiiij^, 
 but extendinii- the liberty of the press; and 
 took his measures accordingly for this purpose. 
 
 Having consulted with the heads of the Sliel- 
 burne and Rockingham parties, then out of 
 place, he readily obtained the jiroujise of assist- 
 ance and support. On this, he searched for, and 
 discovered a printer, resolute enough to act in de- 
 fiance of the late resolutions of one liouse of 
 ])arlianient, and determined, by his means, to 
 carry his plan into imnjediate execution. IJut 
 the opposition, after more mature deliberation, 
 retracted, being: afraid of a defeat on the one 
 hand, and .alarmed, perhaps, on the other, at 
 the introduction of an engine, which mijiht here- 
 utter prove dangerous to themselves when mi- 
 nisters. 
 
 Not in the least dismayed ])v this desertion, 
 whieh was olHcially counnunicatcd by colonel 
 liarie and Mr. Townscnd, the author of the 
 project determined to })ersevere. Accordini^^ly, 
 contidiiig solely to the intrej)idity of some of 
 the city magistI•ate^, whom he had sounded on 
 the occasion, Mr. Ilonie jirevailed on the 
 j)roprietors ol the two new^pajjcrs, calletl the
 
 332 LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 *' Gazetteer," and the " Middlesex Journal," to 
 violate the resolutions of the hou'se, at the be- 
 ginning of the year 1771^ ^J gi^'i"b ^^^^ debates 
 as usual. 
 
 On this, as had been foreseen, the commons, 
 in support of their own dignity, commenced a 
 series of proceedings, which shall be here given, 
 in an authentic form, from their own journals. 
 
 " February 8, 1771- — Complaint being made 
 to the house, of the printed newspaper, in- 
 tituled, ^ The Gazetteer and New Daily Ad- 
 vertiser,' Friday, Feb. 8, 1771j l)rinted for R. 
 Thompson, and also of the printed newspaper, 
 intituled, ' The Middlesex Journal, or Chroni- 
 cle of Liberty,' from Tuesday, February 5, to 
 Thursday, February 7? ^77^} printed for J. 
 Wheble, as misrepresenting the speeches, and 
 reflecting on several of the members of this 
 house, in contempt of the order, and in breach 
 of the privilege of this house : 
 
 " Ordered, That the said R. Thompson do 
 attend this house upon Monday morning next ; 
 
 " Ordered, That the said J. Wheble do at-r 
 tend this house upon Monday morning next." 
 
 As the printers did not obey this summons, 
 a second was issued on the 1 1 th of February, a 
 third on the 14th, and a fourth on the 21st; 
 it being at the same time resolved, " That
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 333 
 
 the sen^ice of the said order, by leaving a 
 copy of the same at tlie usual place of abode 
 of the above-named printers, be deemed equal to 
 personal service, and be good service/' As they 
 still proved contumacious, the messenijcr 
 was called in, and, on his examination, re- 
 ported, that being informed repeatedly by 
 their servants thev were not at home, he had 
 showed the original orders for the attendance 
 of their respective masters, and left copies of 
 the same with them. On this, it was resolved^ 
 "That the said John Wheble and R. Thomp- 
 son be, for this contempt, in not obeying the 
 orders of this house, for their attendance on 
 the house this day, taken into custody of 
 the Serjeant at arms, or his deputy, attending 
 this house." 
 
 On the 4th of March, the deputy seijeant 
 at arms l)eing called in to give an account of the 
 service of the orders of tlie house of Tuesday 
 last, stated, that, altbongh he had been several 
 times at the respective places of abode of 
 John Wheble and R. Thompson, and hr^d made 
 diligent search after them, in order to take them 
 into custody, he had not been able to meet with 
 either of them. On this, it was 
 
 " Resolved, That an humble address be pre- 
 sented to his majesty, tliat he will be graciously
 
 334 LIFE OF JOHN HORKE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 pleased to issue his royal proclamation for ap- 
 preheriding J. Wlieble and R. Thompson, with a 
 promise of reward for the same." And on the 
 7th, Mr. Onslow reported, that their address of 
 Monday last had been presented to his majesty^ 
 and that his majesty had been graciously 
 pleased to give directions accordingly. 
 
 This proceeding, as had been anticipated, occa- 
 sioned many severe animadversions, it being cla- 
 morously maintained, on the one hand, that the 
 constituents possess the right of being fully in- 
 formed of the conduct of their representatives in 
 parliament ; while, on the other, it was asked,whe- 
 ther the privileges of the commons extended so 
 far as to trench on the personal freedom of 
 such of the subjects at large as did not apper- 
 tain to their house, or come under their im- 
 mediate jurisdiction ? Even some of those at- 
 tached to the ministry blamed their conduct 
 upon this occasion ; Mr. Moreton, chief justice 
 of Chester, and attorney-general to the queen, 
 having loudly protested against it ; while lord 
 Mansfield is said to have doubted of its va- 
 lidity. 
 
 Meanwhile^ it Avas not only deemed illegal 
 by Mr. Home, but he found means to convince 
 others that these measures ought not to be car- 
 ried into execution. Ha^ing applied to the
 
 ir'I- LIFE OF JOHN nORKK TOOKE. .333 
 
 city magistrates to protect tlie j)rinter?, who 
 resided Mithiii their jurisdiction, the aldermen 
 Sawbrid^e and Townscnd, both members of 
 the house, declined their intervention. Even 
 Mr. Wilkes himself was at first appalled at 
 the idea of opposing the resolutions of the 
 commons, aided by the proclamation of the 
 crown : and would not promise his sujiporL. 
 No sooner, however, did he learn that Brass 
 Crosby, then lord mayor, and Mr. ahlerman 
 Oliver, had solemnly engaged, to the vicar of 
 Brentford, to vindicate the liberty of the press, 
 than he volunteered his services, and acted 
 throughout with etjual spirit and ability. 
 
 In the course of a few days, a person was 
 procured to arrest Mr. Wheble, in compliance 
 with the royal proclamation, and the proceed- 
 ings, on this occa«'ioii, are here detailed from 
 the rota-book of the corj)oration. 
 
 " GuiUliall, March I J , 1771. 
 '• John Wheble, the publisher of the ' Mid- 
 dlesex J(jurnal,' was this day brought liefore 
 Mr. aldirman Wilkes, at Guildhall, by Ed- 
 ward Twine Carpenter, a printer, being appre- 
 hended by him in conse(juence of a proclama- 
 tion in the London Ciazette of Saturday, the ^\\i 
 e>f March insiunt ; but the said ]i). Twine Car-
 
 SSG LIFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^'* 
 
 pentei' not having any other reason for appre-^ 
 tending the said Mr. Wheble, than what ap- 
 peared in that proclamation, the said Mr. 
 Wheble was discharged ; and then the said 
 Mr. Wheble charged Carpenter for assaulting 
 and unlawfully imprisoning him ; and on his 
 making oath of the offence, and entering into 
 a recognizance to prosecute Carpenter, at the 
 next sessions in London, Carpenter was order- 
 ed to find sureties to answer for this offence, 
 which he did, himself being bound in forty 
 pounds, and his two sureties in twenty pounds 
 each, and was thereupon discharged." 
 
 As Carpenter requested a certificate of his 
 liaving apprehended Mr. Wheble, the same was 
 immediately granted by the same magistrate ; 
 but, on application to the treasury, for the reward 
 of fifty pounds, a direct negative was immediately 
 given. Mr. R. Thompson, on being also appre- 
 hended, was carried before Mr. alderman Oli- 
 ver, the same day, and discharged. 
 
 Thus far, two magistrates had acted with 
 impunity, when an attempt was made to arrest 
 two of their fellow-citizens, in conformity to 
 the royal mandate ; but the authority of the 
 house of commons had not hitherto been direct- 
 ly 'questioned. This, however, became a sub- 
 ject of discussion, before three magistrates, in the
 
 IT/I' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 337 
 
 course of tlie same day ; a warrant having 
 been issucil, under the speaker's liand, and an 
 attcni])t made to execute it, within the juris- 
 diction of tlie city, on a third printer. 
 
 On comphiint being made at the mansion 
 house, that endeavours had ])een used to seize 
 and detain Mr. John Miller, a freeman of Lon- 
 don, by a warrant under the authority of the 
 house of commons, and that, in consecpience 
 of resistance, violence had ensued, the lord 
 mayor, and two aldermen, immediately ordered 
 the otiicer before them. After an examination, 
 in the usual manner, the assault being fully 
 proved, by competent witnesses, the lord mayor 
 Crosby, who presided, insisted on committing 
 the messenger of the house of commons to 
 one of the jails for the same ; and the follow- 
 ing mittimus was accordingly made out for this 
 puqwse, which was afterwards signed by the 
 three magistrates. 
 *' To all and every the constables and other 
 
 olhcers of tbe ])eace for the city of London, 
 
 and the liberties tbereof, whom these may 
 
 concern, and to the keej)er of Wood Street 
 
 Compter. 
 '• London to wit, 
 
 " These are, in his majesty's name, to com- 
 inand you, and even of you, forthwith, safely 
 
 VOL. I. z
 
 338 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/7^- 
 
 to convey and deliver into the custody of the 
 said keeper, the body of William Whitham, be- 
 ing charged before iis, three of his majesty's 
 justices of the peace in and for the said city 
 and liberties, by the oathsof John Miller, Henry 
 Page, John Topping, and Robert Page, for as- 
 saulting and unlawfully imprisoning him the 
 said John Miller, in breach of his said ma- 
 jesty's peace ; whom yon, the said keeper, are 
 hereby required to receive, and him in your cus- 
 tody safely keep, for want of sureties, until he 
 shall he discharged by due course of law ; and 
 for your so doing, this shall be to you, and to each 
 of vou, a sufficient warrant. 
 
 *^ Given under our hands and seals this 
 15th day of March, 1771, 
 
 " Brass Crosby, Mayor, l, s. 
 
 " John Wilkes, l. s. 
 
 ** Richard Oliver, l. s." 
 
 On perceiving the magistrates determined to 
 commit the messenger of the house of commons, 
 Mr. Clementson, deputy Serjeant at arms now 
 interposed, and offered bail for the future ap- 
 pearance of the supposed culprit, which was ac- 
 cepted with seeming reluctance on the part of 
 the lord mayor. After this, he immediately 
 ttiude an official report of what had occurred ;
 
 1/ T'' MFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 33C^ 
 
 and sir Fletcher Norton, who filled the chair at 
 that period, w ith great dignity, soon after coui- 
 municated the j)articulars. The house was of 
 course astonislied at this most unexpected oj)- 
 position to its orders. I'he manner in which 
 the warrant of tlieir speaker had heen treated, 
 filled the members with indignation : the threat 
 to commit one of their officers, apj)eared hi^lily 
 offensive; and the humiliation of heina^ obliged 
 to give bail, to prevent him from being im- 
 prisoned in Newgate, or the Poultry Compter, 
 proved mortifying in the extreme. 
 
 It was an astonishing circumstance in- 
 deed, that the commons of England, who had 
 so often punished the ministers of the crown, 
 and but a little more than a century before, had 
 contended with, and overcome, a king of Eng- 
 hmd, should now be braved by three justices of 
 tlie metropolis! and it would have been still 
 more humiliating, liad they known what was 
 really the fiict, that the Avhole liad been planned 
 and contrived by a country parson, who had left 
 the mere execution alone to the lord mayor and 
 
 m 
 
 two aldermen of the city of London. 
 
 The following authentic account, extracted 
 frou) the jcjurnaN, will convey the best idea of
 
 S40 LIFE OF JOHN irOil-SE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 the proceedings of this branch of the legislature, 
 i]](on the present occasion. 
 
 " House of Commons, 19" die Mariii, 1771. 
 
 " The house of commons having yesterday 
 received information, that one of the messen- 
 gers of this house, after he had arrested John 
 Miller, by virtue of the warrant of the speaker 
 of the house of commons, to answer for a con- 
 tempt of the said house, was carried by a con- 
 stable, upon a charge made by the said messen- 
 sjer, by the said John Miller, for an assault and 
 false imprisonment made upon the said John 
 Miller, in the said warrant, before Brass Cros- 
 by, esq,, lord mayor of the city of London, 
 where John Wilkes, es(j. and alderman, and Ri- 
 chard Oliver, esq. and alderman, Avcre present. 
 
 " When the deputy serjeant at arms, attend- 
 ing this house, acquainted the said magistrates, 
 that the s>aid arrest of the said John Miller 
 Avas made by the said messenger, under a war- 
 rant signed by the speaker of the house of com- 
 mons ; which warrant was then produced, and 
 shown to the said magistrates, and it was demanded 
 of them, that the said messenger should be dis- 
 charged, and the said John Miller be delivered 
 up to the custody of the said messenger ; and 
 that the said lord mayor, John Wilkes, esq.,
 
 1771 • I-IFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 341 
 
 and Ricbiird Oliver, esq., after such information 
 and demand as aforesaid, signed a warrant for 
 the commitment of the said ines-cnirer to the 
 Compter, for the said supposed assault and false 
 imj)risonmeut of the said John Miller, and 
 obliged the said messenger to enter into a re- 
 cognizance for his a])pearance at the next 
 quarter sessions of the peace to be held for the 
 city of London, to answer to such indictments 
 as should then he found airainst him for the 
 said supposed assault and false imprisonment. 
 • '•' Ordered, That Brass Crosby esq., lord 
 mayor, do attend in his place to-mo -row morn- 
 ing- 
 
 " Ordered, That John Wilkes, esq., an al- 
 derman of the city of London, do attend this 
 house to-morrow morning, 
 
 " Ordered, That Ricliard Oliver, alderman, 
 4o attend in his place to-morrow morning. 
 " (Signed) 
 
 " J. Hatsell, CI. Dom. Com." 
 
 The lord mayor and Mr. alderman Oliver 
 iiaving obeyed this summons, frankly acknow- 
 ledged the accusation against them, but evinced 
 no signs of fear, repentance, or contrition. On 
 thi«, they were committed by the speaker's war- 
 runt, to the Tower ot London, the house being
 
 342 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 apprehensive lest the other magistrates of the 
 corporation should either liberate or refuse to 
 receive them, had they been sent to Newgate. 
 As to Mr. Wilkes, instead of complying v/ith 
 the summons, he transmitted the following letter. 
 
 " TO THE RIGFir HON. SIR FLETCHER NORTON, 
 
 ^' SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. 
 
 ^' SIR, 
 
 ec 
 
 I this morninsr received an order command- 
 ing my attendance this day in the house of 
 " commons. I observe, that no notice is taken 
 ^' of me, in your order, as a member of the 
 " house, and that I am not required to attend in 
 " my place. Both these circumstances, accord- 
 *' ing to the settled form, ought to have been 
 *' mentioned in my case ; and I hold them ab- 
 *^ solutely indispensable, 
 
 ^^ In the name of the freeholders of Middle- 
 ** sex, I again demand my seat in parliament, 
 '^ having the honour of being freely chosen, by 
 *' a very great majority, one of the representatives 
 *' of the said county. I am ready to take the 
 ** oaths prescribed by law, and to give in my 
 '• qualification as knight of the shire. 
 
 •■ When I have been admitted to my scat^ I
 
 (I 
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOGKE. 3i3 
 
 *' ^vill iuimediattily give tlie house the mobt 
 " exact detail, which will necessarily coinjjre- 
 *' heiid a full justification of iiiv conduct rela- 
 *' tive to the late illef]:al proclamation, equally 
 *' injurious to the honour of the crown and the 
 " rights of the subject, and likewise the whole 
 business of the printers. 
 
 I have Jicted entirely from a sewse of duty 
 " to this great city, whose franchises I am sworn 
 " to maintain, and to my country, whose noble 
 " constitution I reverence, and whose liberties, 
 " at the price of my l)lood, to the last moment 
 *' of my life, 1 will defend and su])port. 
 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 " John Wilkes." 
 
 This spirited conduct, on the part of Mr. 
 Wilkes, enabled him to foil and elude all the 
 power, talents, and wisdom of that house, of 
 which he claimed to be a member. On receiv- 
 ing the above letter, which was imjuediately 
 read from the chair, a new order was jnade out 
 for his attendance on the ensuing Monday : on 
 the cxjuration ot tliut period, without any 
 symj)tom of compliance on his part, the sum- 
 iBOJis was renewed for " the 8th day of April 
 next :" and, as it wa^ veil known, that he would
 
 344 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771- 
 
 not appear in any other capacity than that of 
 knight of the shire for the connty of Middlesex, 
 the house, to prevent its authority from being 
 thus outraged any longer, deemed it prudent, 
 on the 30th of March, to " adjourn to Tues- 
 day sevennight, the 9th day of April next," 
 partly to conceal his disobedience from the pub- 
 lic, and prevent such a humiliating example 
 of contumacy from a})pearing on their own 
 journals. 
 
 At this period, several members of the oppo- 
 sition questioned the jurisdiction of one branch 
 of the legislature. But, both on this occasion 
 and in the proceedings relative to the Middle- 
 sex election, Mr. Fox, who had just entered into 
 public life, and then held a place as commis- 
 sioner of the treasury, stoutly contended for the 
 privileges of the commons ; and, alluding to 
 the numerous petitions on the table, rashly as- 
 serted, " that he knew nothing of the people, 
 but through the medium of their representatives 
 there assembled." This position, which his 
 riper judgment afterwards disavowed, rankled 
 for years in the breast of Mr. Home, and con- 
 tinued to operate with effect through a large 
 portion of his life. Mr. Wilkes, too, was actu- 
 ated by a similar resentment, and neither of 
 fhem could ever be prevailed upon to unite
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 345 
 
 cordially with this celebrated statesman, even 
 after he had abjured all the political prejudices 
 of his early life. 
 
 Meanwhile the house, incensed at the violation 
 of its dignity, l»y two of its own acknowledged 
 members, at the instigation of the ministry, de- 
 termined to proceed to extremities. Accordingly, 
 after the ujinutes had been expunged from the 
 city register*, the lord mayor Crosby, and 
 Mr. alderman Oliver, who had attended in their 
 j)laces, were committed to theTower, where they 
 were kej)t prisoners during the remainder of that 
 session of parliament, and at the end of that 
 period liberated, amidst the applauses and ho- 
 nours conferred on them by their fellow citizens, 
 the coi-poration having voted their thanks at 
 the same time, and presented them with gold 
 boxes, as memorials of their esteem. A larixe 
 portion of the nation, also, testified their a]>pro- 
 batiou: and so strongly did the current of popu- 
 larity then run, that they were hailed as men 
 who liad at once ylndicat'-d the privileges of the 
 city and the freedom of the ])ress. 
 
 * " By mere violence, and wiiimut I lie shadow of ri^lit, 
 they have extlngeu the record of a judicial fnoceediii'^. 
 Nothing remained but to attribute to their own vote a poutr 
 of stopping the whole distribution of criminal and civil justice. 
 IjOrd Chatham very properly called this the act of a mou, 
 pot of a senate." JtMUs, vol. ii, p. IGO.
 
 346 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TGOKE. 1771- 
 
 As for Mr. Wilkes, it has been already seen, 
 how the house had been reduced to the necessity 
 of a subterfuge, in order to allow him to escape 
 with impunity*. He thus obtained fresh ac- 
 cessions of applause, and, towards the conclusion 
 of 1775? on resigning the office of lord mayor, 
 he not only mentioned his own conduct on this oc- 
 casion with exultation, but boasted, that he had, 
 in the course of that very year, threatened to 
 commit a messenger of the house of lords to 
 Newgate, for similar illegal proceedings -|~. 
 
 Nor ought it to be forgotten, that Messrs. 
 Wheble, Thompson, and Miller, were never then 
 or afterwards seized, prosecuted, or punished, 
 for their conduct upon this occasion; while the 
 sheriffs of London, in 177^, stated, in an address 
 
 * " Upon their own principles they should have committed 
 Mr. Wilkes, who had been guilty of a greater offence tlian 
 even the lord mayor or alderman Oliver. But, after re- 
 peatedly ordering him to attend, they at last adjourned be- 
 yond the day appointed for his attendance; and, by this mean, 
 pitiful evasion, gave up the point, isuch is the force of con- 
 scious guilt." Junius. 
 
 f The house, in consequence of a complaint on the part of 
 lord Lyttleton, against Mr. Kendall, a citizen of London, for 
 disrespectful words, ordered the latter, unheard, to be taken 
 into custody. 
 
 The gentleman usher of the black rod (sir F. Molyneux), 
 repaired to the city, but finding the lord mayor Wilkes was 
 prepared to commit him for a breach of the peace, he though*, 
 proper to retreat.
 
 l/'J'l. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 347 
 
 to the livery, " that the house of commons had 
 tacitly acquiesced in the claim made l)y many of 
 our worthy fellow citizens for the pnhlic at large, 
 that the constituents have a riijht to be informed 
 of the proceedings of their servants in parlia- 
 ment. Several honest printers," they are pleased 
 to add, " in defiance of their illegal orders, gave 
 the public all the particulars of their ])roceedings 
 during the last session, proceedings which the 
 lionse prudently endeavoured to hide in a dark- 
 ness snited to their deeds. 
 
 " The same persons who asserted onr rights 
 during the last, have, through the present session, 
 continued the exercise of it in its fullest extent. 
 Notwithstanding the report of the committee 
 was in cx])ress terms, that the house should 
 order, that J. Miller be taken into custody of the 
 Serjeant at arms, the said Miller is still at largv, 
 and still continues the severest attacks upon 
 them by faithfully ])ubli«;hing their proceedings j 
 fitill braves their indignation, and slee])s secure 
 in the citv." 
 
 Nor was this all; for, notwithstandinir the 
 house Iiad expres<>ly ordered, " that no prose- 
 cution, suit, or proceeding, be commenced or 
 carried on, for or on account of the said pre- 
 tended assault or false itn])ris()nment ; " vet the 
 recognizances were delivered lo the quarter
 
 348 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I77l« 
 
 sessions at Guildhall, and the grand jury actually- 
 found bills of indictment against William Whi- 
 tham, the messenger, who had endeavoured to 
 enforce the speaker's warrant, and Edward Twine 
 Carpenter, a printer, who tried to carry the 
 proclamation into effect. On this, it was 
 deemed proper, on the part of the officers of the 
 crown, to remove these two causes, by cerii^ 
 orari, into the court of King's Bench. 
 
 AH legal proceedings were soon after sus- 
 pended, however, by a rule to show cause, why 
 a noli pj^oseqid, on the part of the attorney-ge- 
 neral, should not be entered up ? On this, the 
 printers, at the instigation of Mr. Home, em- 
 ployed Mr., afterwards §erjeant Adair, as their 
 counsel on the occasion. This gentleman, ac- 
 cordingly, in pursuance of notice, attended Mr. 
 attorney-general Delgey, May 17, 1771? to show 
 cause; and after the indictment, and an affidavit 
 on the part of the defendant had been read, deli- 
 vered along and learned argument on this subject. 
 
 Mr. Adair, who, for his conduct on this and 
 similar occasions, soon after obtained the office 
 of recorder of London, concluded by questioning 
 the power of the commons to issue such a war- 
 rant as that under colour of which Mr. 
 Miller had been apprehended; and quoted the 
 11th of Henry VI, c. 11, to prove that the au^
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN HOKNE TOOKE. 349 
 
 tliorlty of an act of parliament was deemed ne- 
 cessary to punish an assault on the person of a 
 ruember. He added, that the warrant, signed 
 " Fletcher Norton, speaker," under colour of 
 Tvhich Mr. Whitham acted, was for takinsr Mr. 
 ^Miller into the cu'^tody of the Serjeant at artus, 
 or his depufif ; and Mr.Whitham is described, iu 
 the direction of the very same Avarrant, to be 
 neither the one nor tjjc other of these. 
 
 The attorney-general, however, proved inex- 
 orable, resting the defence of his conduct solely 
 on the question: how far it is fit the king 
 jshould be a prosecutor of a servant of the house 
 of connnons, in the exertion of a privilege which 
 they now claim, which they have claimed, and 
 have been actually in possession of for ages? 
 " The ?)()li prosefjiii" he observed, '' is called a 
 prerogative right of the crown; it amounts to 
 no more than this, that the king makes his elec- 
 tion, whether he will continue or not to be the 
 prosecutor on an indictment, and the noil pro- 
 sequi is entered in the same words in case of 
 the crown as of a private person. The entry 
 upon the record is exactly the same by the at- 
 torney-general as by a plaintifl', upon record, in 
 any civil suit." 
 
 Mr. Adair, in lii>, rejoinder, observed, that, in 
 a prosecution by indictment^ the crown was not
 
 350 LIIS OF JOHN HORKK TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 solely concerned ; I'.nd, in order to make the 
 case exactly similar with that of a private per- 
 son, it should be an information, ex-off,cio, or 
 any other prosecution at the suit of the crown. 
 In the present instance, it was the same in ef- 
 fect, though not in form, as if the king sent 
 his mandate, and said the prosecution should 
 not go on: it was tantamount to the granting of 
 a pardon. 
 
 Thus, by the manly efforts of a bold and 
 blaring individual, neither clothed in the garb of 
 justice nor the senatorial robe, destitute of all 
 the influence usually derived from a large for- 
 tune, and supported by nothing but talents 
 and perseverance alone, was this great question 
 decided in favour of popular rights. The mere 
 nominal triumph, indeed, Mas apparently on the 
 side of the house of commons; but the result 
 proved entirely in favour of the liberty of the 
 press: for, from that moment, the debates have 
 been published without interruption, and now 
 afford a constant, innocent, and edifying amuse- 
 ment to the nation at large, as well as a great 
 increase to its revenues. In process of time, 
 the house of lords, also, silently conceded the 
 point, and the late Mr. William Woodfall in.- 
 formed me, that he first published its debates 
 on the aj)pearance of the bill for embanking the
 
 17"! • i-IFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 351 
 
 river, and erecting; tlie noble terrace now culled 
 the Adelpbi; at which period his slumbers were 
 discomposed by nightly visions of Newgate, veo- 
 men-iishers, and Serjeants at arms. Escaping 
 as it" by miracle, he persevered, and finally at- 
 tained considerable reputation. This eminent 
 reporter was succeeded, in both houses, by gen- 
 tlemen, not only possessing more retentive me- 
 mories, but also better cultivated minds, who 
 usually clothe the ideas of the members in ele- 
 gant language, and insert all the learned c] no- 
 tations with classical fidelity aiid critical cor- 
 rectness.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1771, 
 
 Controversy ivith Junius. 
 
 MR. HORNE, as we have already seen, wa^ 
 scarcely allowed time to breathe after his dis* 
 ]mte with Wilkes, when he was forced to struggle' 
 for a degree, which would assuredly have been 
 conferred on a man of inferior talents and less 
 celebrity, without any opposition whatsoever. 
 On his return, in triumph from the university, 
 the liberty of the press, for a time, occupied his 
 attention; and he was now assailed anew, by 
 an arrow, shot from an unknown hand, which 
 was intended for his destruction; but it sud- 
 denly glanced from his buckler, and that assault, 
 originally calculated for his humiliation and de- 
 feat, finally added not a little to his character 
 and reputation as a literary combatant. 
 
 Perhaps, this is the proper place, for a short 
 account of some of the men of letters of that
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 353 
 
 duy, Avlu) eiigniied in jiolitical controversy, and 
 employed their ])ens eillier for or against the 
 administration. On the side of llicopposition, \vi\< 
 Robert Lloyd, a man of genins, who died early 
 in life, but not until he had distinguished him- 
 self by a taste for poetry. He attacked the ml- 
 nibters, however, by means of prose, in which 
 he was less skilled: bnt the deadly enmities 
 arising Qut of domestic feuds were but little 
 suitable to a mind j>osscssed of great Sensibility, 
 and addicted to the cultivation of the muses. 
 He accordingly perished, amidst the conflicts of 
 political hostility, after having engaged for some 
 time as a writer against the court, and that, too, 
 at a period, and in a cause, when even the ne- 
 cessaries of life were not always secured by his 
 literary labodrs. 
 
 Charles Churchill, had already rendered him- 
 self celebrated as a satirist, by the publication 
 of the " Rosciad," in w liich he lashed many of 
 the heroes of the green rt)om, with far better 
 .success, than those lie was afterwards pleased to 
 denominate the enemies of the state. He also 
 ilerived more popularity from the " Prophecy of 
 Famine," which gratified the ruling j)r(>j)ensity 
 of the English of that day, towards national 
 y)reju(lice, than by any of his j)olitical papers. 
 
 Mr. Churchill heartily joined in depreciating 
 \(>L. I. 2 A
 
 Sot LtFE OF JOHW HORNE TOOKE. ^77^' 
 
 the peace of Paiis; and, under the names of 
 the " Thane/' and '^ Mortimer," was equally 
 eager in his abuse of the earl of Bute, both in 
 prose ami rhime. 
 
 Mr. Wilkes may be considered one of the 
 most successful Avriters of those times, on the 
 popular side of the question. The well meriteci 
 applause of the iirst Mr. Pitt had taught him, in 
 early life, to set a high value on his own talents. 
 A good education inspired him with a classical 
 taste, whife an association with the best com- 
 pany gave a polish to his wit, which, in its 
 turn, transferred an edge and keenness to his 
 writings, that none of his antagonists could cope 
 AA ith, and but few, for any length of time,withstand. 
 
 Philip I'hicknesse, so famous afterwards for 
 his travels and his eccentricities, had been an 
 officer in liis youth, and afterwards obtained the 
 appointment of lieutenant-governor of Land- 
 guard Fort. He wrote on the same side, under 
 the patronage of that great and good man, the 
 first lord Camden, and, with several others^ 
 became proprietors of the Mi(kllesex Journal, 
 for the ex])i"€ss purpose of using it as a vehicle 
 of attack against the administration of that day. 
 
 While these^ and a host of anonymous writers^, 
 abused every measure of the court with indiscrimi- 
 nate severity, they themselves were occasionally
 
 iiiU 
 
 f*/ 1. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 355 
 
 nssailcd by the attorncy-gviicral, who, ])y means 
 of ex-offich) in/nrnidfio/is, Avhich ])roclncIe.(l the 
 intervention ol a srand inrv, hroimlit clown 
 nun and misery on their devoted heads. In acKli- 
 tion to this, their position-; were combated, their 
 facts qtiestioned, and their conehisions denied, 
 by a number of al)le anil c.\j)erieneeil writers; 
 and it is no small ])roof of tlie ntility, as well 
 as exei'llence of our constitntion, that both 
 ])arties, on tliis, as on all similar oeca'sions, af- 
 fected to ajjpeal to the juduinent and deci>ion 
 of the j)eo|)le — thus renderinir ])nblic liberty 
 more secure by their very contentions *. 
 
 Of the latter, Dr. Tobias Smollel, a Scotch- 
 man of some eminence, and ]K)Sse?sed of various 
 attainments, had acquired considerable celebrity 
 by hi-5 novels, in which the scenes were some- 
 times iudelicatc, and the aim not always libe- 
 ral. The reputation thus obtained by liction 
 was, in son^e measure, destroyed when he at- 
 tempted to delineate facts; for lie wrote a 
 history of I'^ngland, without studiously investi- 
 gatiui^ ancient authorities, or carefully ana- 
 lysing the motives of human action. JJut he 
 was a man, who, to a hi^h sense of lionom*, 
 IS said to Inivc added cousidorable talents, and 
 only wanted that leisure and opj)ortunitv, whieli 
 * Ex pognn monsirorum, libcrtas. 
 2 A 2
 
 3rr6 LfFE OI JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177"!- 
 
 wealtli alone affords, to excel in every branclt 
 of science. Having-, unhappily, relinquished 
 the profession of medicine, he dipped his pen 
 in the gall of party-politics, and died in Italy, 
 at the age of fifty, after experiencing all the 
 infelicity but too frequently attendant on men of 
 genius. 
 
 Dr. Francis, the translator of Horace and 
 I3emosthenes, who embarked in the same cause,, 
 proved more fortunate. He was patronised by 
 lord Holland, who obtained for him a credit- 
 able rather than profitable appointment in 
 Chelsea Hospital : but he was enabled to make 
 a splendid provision for his son Philip, now 
 a knight of the batii, who, after distinguish- 
 ing himself during Mr. Hastings's administration 
 in the East, adopted a different side in poli- 
 tics, and whose talents, great, various^ and 
 commanding, have been of late unfortunately 
 lost to his native country in tiie obscurity of 
 private life. 
 
 Mr. Malloch, who, for the sake of musical 
 cadence, had changed his name to Mallet, was 
 a native of the north. He had w-ritteu a life 
 of Bacon, in which he is accused of haying for- 
 gotten that his author was a philosopher ; but 
 he obtained some celebrity by being associated 
 with his countryman, Thomson, in composing 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 177^' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. S:)/ 
 
 the " Ma'^fjue of Alfred," for the cntortainiiiciit 
 of the little court at Leicester Hoii'=ie, dnriuir a 
 period when it aflbctcd poj)ularity. He was also 
 honoured with the frieud•^hip of Po])c, Swift, 
 and Bolinghroke, the last of whom he(jueath- 
 cd to him his posthumous works — a circum- 
 stance that produced the bitter and sarcastic re- 
 mark, from the j)en of the orthodox Dr. Jolm- 
 son, " that a late nobleman had charL'^ed a 
 blunderbuss, with all manner of combustil)les, 
 ap:ainst the human race, and that he (hired 
 not let it off himself, but had hired a rascal to 
 ])ull the trig-gcr." 
 
 Arthur Murphy, like Dr. Francis, was from 
 Irelan-d ; and, like Smollet, was generally em- 
 barrassed in respect to his finances. By twrns, 
 an actor, a liarrister, a dramatic writer, and a 
 translator, he conducted a periodical work, in 
 opposition to the " North 15riton," with but 
 ecpiivocal success. He, too, was jjatroni^ed 
 bv lord Holland, and occasionally paid for his 
 labours bv means of a commission *. 
 
 * The autliDf learned this circumstance frnra Mr. Murphy 
 himselt', who, at the same time, tujil him, iliai having sctM, to 
 the sun of a pawnhroUer, an ensignry in the late duke o( 
 Richmond's regiment, that nobleman atfcn)pti'd to trice 
 H»o fact home to bis iMOlher-in-Uw, with whom he was then 
 •on bud terms; ami adlcd, lhi>t this event gave ri^c to tht
 
 358 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/fl. 
 
 It was confidently asserted, by tlieir oppo- 
 nentSj tliat both lie and bis coadjutors received 
 immense sums of money from the tieasury, and 
 tliat the largesses conferred on them at least 
 equalled a German subsidy; but their lives and 
 their deaths equally confute this assertion, for 
 although they were conq)aratively economical 
 in their expenses, they left little or nothing to 
 their heirs. Indeed, but for the kindness of 
 the Thrale family, to Avhich he had originally 
 introduced his friend Dr. Johnson, and one or 
 tAvo well-timed donations, from the discrimi- 
 nating liberality of the Literary Fund, the lat- 
 ter days of this gentleman would have been em- 
 bittered Ijy the extremes of poverty and dis- 
 tress. 
 
 But tlie ministers found, perhaps, their most 
 useful ally in Hogarth, an artist of acknowledged 
 humour, and original genius. Forgetting all the 
 ties of friendship, and true to interest alone, 
 by caricaturing the persons, and distorting the 
 actions of their antagonists, he often exposed 
 them to contempt ; and, if his art did not extend 
 to the vindication of their own conduct, vet he 
 contrived to blunt the shafts of tlieir opjw- 
 
 insertion of all nfllccrs names in the srazelte — a reeulation 
 jiever before practised. ^
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN ilORNE TOOKE. 35p 
 
 neiit-*, by means oF the most exquisite ridicule. 
 The iesj)ectul)le ])rores-5i()n ot Cliiircljill, and the 
 unh.ij)})y phy>?ioij:iiomy ot" Mr. \\ilkL"«, alike ex- 
 posed themtothekeenne»)Sof Jiis iiTa])hic wit; and 
 even the talents and the virtues of the first \\ il- 
 liani Pitt did not always shield this great man 
 horn the puny but successfid vengeance exer- 
 cised bv the palaver ot the king's serjeant- 
 painter. 
 
 ^\ hile the ])artv-wiiteis, on both sides^ c(>ni- 
 bated each other with various success, and, by 
 turns, assailed, detended, ridiculed, and pane- 
 j;vn"5ed all the ^reat men of the dav, a v.arrior, 
 \vith hi'< visor up, suddenlv entered the lists, 
 without disclosing either his name, or rank, 
 and wiLs fortuiuite enough to iind a cavalier, 
 decked with a red ribaiul, ready to break a 
 lance with him. Having unhorsed tliis knight of 
 the bath in the vcrv first encounter, he bv turns 
 attacked all the champions in the Held, and the 
 carls of Bute and Mansfield, together with the 
 duke of (irafton, by turns felt the effects of his 
 skill and intrepiditv. lOven majesty itself was 
 not sacred from his attacks ; for he rudely 
 aj)|)roached the throne, and brandished liis 
 weapons, in the face of the soNcreign. "^Fhe 
 eve* of all were in>»tantlv fixed upon him, and, 
 with loud shouts, dtiiiai)dcd who he v\;is? but
 
 360 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^77^- 
 
 he fought in a mask, under the feigned appel- 
 lation of Junius, which was proudly embla- 
 zoned on his banner, and, as he did not openly 
 wear the colours of any party, it is difficult 
 to trace either his person or his motives. Al- 
 though he levelled the most deadly blows with 
 impunity, and at times recurred to weapons 
 not always warranted by the courtesy of modern 
 warfare, yet his doom was already sealed, for 
 he was now stopped, in mid- career, and van- 
 quished by the arm of a ])riest ! 
 
 The first letter, published by this celelnated 
 writer, was addressed to the printer of the 
 *^' Public Advertiser," and is dated January 21, 
 1769. After depicting the situation of the 
 country in the most gloomy colours, and 
 condoling with the people on their fate, in ele- 
 gant and polished periods, which seemed to 
 give additional energy to his attack, he con- 
 cludes thus : — " If, by the immediate interposi- 
 tion of Providence, it were possible for us to es- 
 cape a crisis so full of terror and despair, pos- 
 terity will not believe the history of the pre- 
 sent times. They will either conclude, that 
 our distresses were imaginary, or that we had 
 the good fortune to be governed by men of 
 acknowledged integrity and wisdom : they will 
 iiot believe it possible, that their ancestors
 
 1771- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKt. 'SGi 
 
 could have survived or lecovcred from so des- 
 perate a coudition, wliile a duke of Gral'ion was 
 prime minister, and lord North chancellor of 
 the exchequer i a Weymouth, and a Ilillsho- 
 rough, secretaries of state ; a Ciranbv, con)- 
 mander-in-chief ; and a Manstiehl, chief criminal 
 judi^e of the kingdom." The replies of sir Wil- 
 liam Dra]>er attracted fresh abuse on his own 
 friends, and acquired additional celebrity to this 
 writer, who Avas now complete master of the 
 field, when, in a rash moment, he u antonly se- 
 lected from the throng, and attacked the sui)ject 
 of these memoirs with an unusual deirree of 
 rancour, malignity, and inju^-tice. It was not 
 until his lifteenth letter *, however, dated 
 July .0, 1771> that he mentioned this gentleman 
 with asperity; and it is no small proof of the 
 estimation in which his influence was then held, 
 that Mr. Home's supposed defection from the 
 public cause, and his allcdged misconduct in the 
 city, in opposition to Mr. Wilkes, constituted 
 
 * This is addressed to the duke of C.'rafton; and, beiuf 
 wrilii.u during the tlcciiun for sIierifFs of London, contains 
 many |)<;in!ed allusions to city politics. On that occasion. 
 Mr. alderman Oliver havinj^ rtlti^ed to st-rvr; ihe ofllct; uilli 
 VVdkcs, the latter iinn»ediat(dy united with IMr. alderman 
 Hull, and obtained a large majMiity for himself and his col- 
 leagues. Mciiirs. Plumbc and Kirkmau were the minisleiial 
 candidates.
 
 362 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 tlie basis of the accusation. After mentioning 
 his " new zeal," in support of administration, lie 
 proceeds as follows : 
 
 *' The unfortunate success of the rev. Mr. 
 Home's endeavours in support of the ministerial 
 nomination of sheriffs, will, 1 fear, obstruct his 
 preferment. Permit me to recommend him to 
 your grace's protection. You will find him co- 
 piously gifted with those qualities of the heart, 
 which usually direct you in the choice of your 
 friendships. He, too, was Mr. Wilkes's friend, 
 and as incapable as you are of the liberal resent- 
 ment of a gentleman. No, my lord — it Avas 
 the solitary, vindictive malice of a monk, brood- 
 ing over the infirmities of his friend, until he 
 thought they quickened into public life, and 
 feasting with a rancorous rapture upon the sordid 
 catalogue of his distresses. Now, let him go 
 back to his cloister. The church is a proper 
 retreat for him. In his principles, he is already 
 a bishop. The mention of this man has moved 
 me from my natural moderation : let me return 
 to your grace ; you are the pillow on which I 
 am determined to rest all my resentments." 
 
 An attack, at once so scandalous and so false, 
 on the ])erson, principles, and profession of Mr. 
 Home, M as not to be endured ; and, although 
 he was assailed from scAcral quarters^, and even
 
 Ifji. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. .'jG.l 
 
 brought ujjoii the stage by Mr. Foote, yet he ini- 
 jiiediiitely resumed his pen, and rej)hcd in the 
 following letter, which attracted general notice, 
 
 « THE ULV. J. IIORiNE TO JUNIUS. 
 
 July 13, 1771. 
 ^* SIR, 
 
 "FARCE, comedy, and tragedy — Wilkes, 
 •' Foote, and Junius, united at the same time 
 *' against one poor parson, are feaiful odds. The 
 •^ two former are onlv lahourini;- in tlieir voca- 
 '' tion, and may ccjually plead in excuse, that 
 •' their aim is a livelihood. 1 admit the ])lea for 
 " the second ; his is an honest calling, and my 
 ^' clothes were lawful game ; hut 1 cannot so 
 " readily a))prove Mr. Wilkes, or commend him 
 ** for making patriotism a trade, and a frandu- 
 " lent trade. But what shall I say to JuuIks, 
 " the grave, the solemn, the didactic ! Ridi- 
 '•' cnle, indeed, has been ridiculously called the 
 " test (jT truth ; hut surely, to confess that vou 
 '^ lose your nufiiial nioderution w hen mention is 
 '■ made ol the man, does not ])romise much 
 * truth or justice when you sj)eak of him 
 " yourself. 
 
 " You charge me with ' a new zeal in sup- 
 '■ port ol administration,' and with ' emleavours
 
 364 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 " in support of the ministerial nomination of 
 *' sheriffs.' Tiie reputation which your talents 
 " have deservedly gained to the signature of 
 *^ Junius, draws from me a reply, which I dis- 
 " dained to give to the anonymous lies of Mr. 
 ^' Wilkes. You make frequent use of the word 
 "gentle-man; I only call myself a man, and 
 " desire no other distinction: if you are either, 
 " you are hound to make good your charges^ or 
 " to confess tliat you have done me a hasty in- 
 " justice upon no authority. 
 
 " I put the matter fairly to issue.— I say that, 
 " so far from any ' new zeal in support of admi- 
 " nistration,' I am possessed with the utmost 
 " ahhorrence of their measures ; and that I 
 " have ever shown myself, and am still ready, in 
 ^ any rational manner, to lay down all I have 
 •my life — in op])08ition to those measures. 
 " I say, that i have not, and never have had, any 
 *' communication or connexion of any kind, 
 " directly or indirectly, with any courtier or 
 " ministerial man, or any of their adherents ; that 
 " I never have received, or solicited, or expected, 
 *' or desired, or do now hope for, any reward of 
 " any sort, from any party or set of men in ad- 
 " ministration or opposition : I say, that 1 never 
 " used any ' endeavours in support of the mi- 
 " nisterial nomination of sheriffs ;' that I did 

 
 1771* LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ohj 
 
 *' not solicit any one liveryman for his vote for 
 " any one of the candidates ; nor employ any 
 '^ other })erson to solicit : and that I did not 
 '* write one sinsrle line or word in favour of 
 " Messrs. Plnmhe and Kirkman, whom 1 nn- 
 " derstand to have heen sujiported hy the mi- 
 *' nistrv. 
 
 " You are bound to refute what I here ad- 
 " vance, or to lose your credit for veracity ; you 
 *' must produce facts ; surmise and general abuse, 
 *• in however elegant language, ought not to pass 
 *' for proofs. You have every advantage, and 
 '* I have every disadvantage: you are unknown, 
 " I give my name : all parties, both in and out 
 " of administration^ have their reasons (whicli 
 •' 1 shall relate hereafter) for uniting in their 
 " wishes against me : and the popular prejudice 
 '• is as strongly in your favour, as it is violent 
 '' against the ])arson. 
 
 *' Singular as my present situation is, it is 
 *' neither painful, nor was it uuloreseen. He 
 " is not fit for })ublic business who does not 
 *' even at his entrance ])rej)are his mind for 
 *' such an event. IIe;dth, fortune, tranquil- 
 *' litv, and private connexion"^, 1 have sacrificed 
 *' upon the altar of the j)ublic ; and the oidy 
 ** return I receive, because I will not concur to 
 " dupe and mislead a senseless multitude, is
 
 S6G LIFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. iTfl* 
 
 ^' barely, that they liave not yet torn me iil 
 " pieces. That this has been the only re- 
 turn, is my pride ; and a source of more real 
 satisfaction than honours or prosperity. I 
 ^ can practise, before I am old, the lessons I 
 '' learned in my youth ; nor shall I ever forget 
 " the words of my ancient monitor : 
 
 
 "   'Tis the last key-stone 
 
 That makes the arch : the rest that there were put 
 Are nothing, till that comes to bind and shut. 
 Then stands it a triumphal mark ! then men 
 Ohserve the strength, the height, the why and when 
 It was erected; and still walking under. 
 Meet some new matter to look up and wonder ! ' 
 
 " I am, sir, 
 
 " Your humble servant, 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 Soon after the appearance of this letter, Mr„ 
 Woodfall received the following private note, in 
 the hand-writing of Junius, accompanying the 
 reply, which the latter had determined, if pos- 
 sible, to keep secret. 
 
 " Jnfj/ 10, 1771. 
 
 " To prevent any unfair use being made of 
 '' the enclosed, I entreat you to keep a copy of 
 *^ it; then seal, and deliver it to Mr. Home. I 
 " presume you know Avhere he is to be found. 
 
 * New edition of Junius, vol. i. No. 56, p. *22Q.
 
 17ri' ^IfE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. SG^ 
 
 It was evidently tlio wish, pcvliaps, of this 
 celchrated writer, not to he interriijited in his 
 attack on the duke ot'Cirafton, &c. ; hut he was 
 disappointed; for Mr. Home, with his usual 
 manliness, returned the letter to the printer, witli 
 instructions to puhlish it immediately. 
 
 •• JUNIUS TO THE REV. J. HORNE. 
 
 " Juli/2h 177 i. 
 
 ** SIR, 
 
 " I CANNOT descend to an altercation with 
 " von in the news])apers. But since I have at- 
 ** tached vour character, and you complain ot" 
 *' injustice, 1 think you have some right to au 
 *' exphmation. You defy me to ])rove that you 
 " ever solicited a vote, or wrote a word in suji- 
 *' port of the ministeriiil aldermen. Sir, I did 
 " never ^usJ)ect you of such j^ross folly. It would 
 " have Ik'CH impossihle for Mr. Home to have 
 " solicited votes, and very dilhcnlt to liave 
 " written for the ncw'«paper3 in defence of that 
 " cause, without heini; detected and brouiiht to 
 *' shame. Neither do I pretend to any intelli- 
 ** gence conterning you, or to know more of 
 *' vour conduct, than you yonr^-elf have thought 
 " proper to communicate to the puhlic. It is
 
 3()8 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/f 1. 
 
 " from yonr own letters I conclude that yoit 
 " have sold yourself to the ministry: or, if that 
 " charge be too severe, and supposing it possible 
 " to be deceived by appearances so very strongly 
 *' against you, what are your friends to say in your 
 " defence ? Must they not confess that, to gra- 
 " tify your personal hatred of Mr. Wilkes, yon 
 *• sacrificed, as far as depended upon your in- 
 " terest and abilities, the cause of the coun- 
 " try ? I can make allowance for the violence 
 " of the passions ; and, if ever I should be con- 
 *' vinced that you had no motive but to de-« 
 " stroy Wilkes, I shall then be ready to do jus- 
 *^ tic© to 3^our character, and to declare to the 
 " world, that I despise you somewhat less than 
 '' I do at present. — But as a public man, I must 
 " for ever condemn you. You cannot but know 
 "   — Uriy you dare not pretend to be ignorant — 
 " that the highest gratification of which the most 
 
 *' detestable in this nation is capable, 
 
 " would have been the defeat of Wilkes. I know 
 *' that man much better than any of you. Na- 
 " ture intended him only for a good-humoured 
 " fool. A systematical education, with long 
 " practice, has made him a consummate hy- 
 " pocrite. Yet this man, to say nothing of 
 " his worthy ministers, you have most assidu- 
 ^' ously laboured to gratify. To exclude Wilkes,
 
 iyi"^. LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 3G[} 
 
 '•' it was not necessary yon shonld solicit votes for 
 *• his opponents. We incline the balance as 
 " effectually by lessening; the weii^ht in one 
 '' scale, as bv iiicrcasinj^ it in the other. 
 
 *' The mode ot your attack upon Wilkes, 
 *' (tlion^jh I am far thinkin£r meanly of your abi- 
 " lities,) convinces nic, that you eitjier want 
 '•judgment extremely, or that you are blinded 
 "• bv your resentment. You oufflit to have fore- 
 " seen, that the charges you urged against 
 " Wilkes could never do him any nuschief. 
 " After all, when we expected discoveries highly 
 " interesting to the community, what a pitiful 
 '^ detail did it end in! Some old clothes — a 
 "Welch pouey — a French footman — and a 
 *' hamper of claret. Indeed, Mr. Home, the 
 " puldic should, and ivUl, forgive him his claret 
 ^' and his footmen, and even the ambition of 
 " making his brother chand)erlaiii of London, 
 " as long as he stands forth against a ministry 
 " and parliament, who are doing every thing 
 " they can to enslave the country, and as long 
 " as he is a thorn in the kinir's side. You will 
 " not suspect me of setting u]) Wilkes for a per- 
 " feet character. The question to the public is, 
 *' where shall we find a man, who, with purer 
 " j)rincij)les, will go the lengths and run the ha- 
 '' zards that he has done? The season calls for 
 
 \o\.. I. 2 n
 
 :\'/0 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE tOORE. l/?!- 
 
 " such a man, and lie ought to he supported, 
 " What wonki have heen the triumph of that 
 * odious hypocrite and his minions, i^Wdkes had 
 " heen defeated ! It was wot ijour fault, reve- 
 *• rend sir, that he did not enjoy it completely. 
 " — But now I promise you, you have so little 
 ^'^ power to do mischief, that I much questiou 
 *' whether the ministry will adhere to the pro- 
 '* mises they have made yon. It will be in vaiir 
 '^ to say that I am a partisan of Mr. Wilkes, or 
 " personally your enemy. You will convince 
 '• no man, for you do not believe it yourself. Yet, 
 " I confess, I am a little offended at the low rate 
 ** at which you seem to value my understand- 
 '• ing. I beg, Mr. Home, you will hereafter be- 
 " lieve that I measure the integrity of men by 
 " their conduct, not by their professions. Sucb 
 " tales may entertiiin Mr. Oliver,^ or your grand 
 " mother, br»t, trust me, they are thrown aAvay 
 '^ u])on Junius. 
 
 " You sav YOU are a man. \Yas it seuerous; 
 *' was it manly, repeatedly to introduce into 
 a newspaper the name of a young lady, witli 
 whom you must heretofore have lived on term& 
 of politeness and good humour? — But I have 
 "done Avith you. In nuf opinion your credit 
 ^^ is irrecoverably ruined. Mr. Townsend, I 
 '-^ think, is nearly in the same predicament.— 
 
 it
 
 17ri- LIFE OF JOIIS HORNE TOOKE. 3/1 
 
 *' Poor Oliver has been sliamefullv clii])cd by 
 " von. You liavc made him sacrifice all tlic 
 " honour he got h\ his imprisonnient. — As for 
 '• ^Jr. Smchridgc, >vhose character I really rc- 
 *' sj)ect, I am astonished he does not see through 
 " your duj)Ucity. Never was so base a design so 
 "' poorly conducted. — This letter, you see, is 
 ^' not intended for the public; but, if you think 
 ^* it will do von any service^ you are at liberty 
 *' to publish it. 
 
 " THE REV. J. HOllNE TO JL'xXIUS. 
 
 " July 31, 177 i. 
 *• SIR, 
 
 " YOU have disappointed me. When I told 
 *' you that snrnjise and general aljusc, in how- 
 " ever elegant language, ought not to pass for 
 " proofs, 1 evidently hinted at the reply which 
 '"' I expected: but you have drop])ed your usual 
 *'' elegance, and seem willing to try what will 
 " be the effect of surmise and general abuse in 
 '* very coarse language. Your answer to my 
 
 letter (which i hope was cool, and temperate, 
 " and modest) has convinced me that my idea 
 " of a m(tn i> nmch superior to yours o^ 'a gcn- 
 " tleman. (Jf your former letters I have alwavs 
 *' said tiuitt'riam siipcralHtf opus: 1 do not think 
 
 2 h '2 
 
 ti
 
 3/2 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ITTl' 
 
 " SO of the present; the principles are more 
 " detestable than the expressions are mean and 
 " illiberal. I am contented that all those who 
 " adopt the one should for ever load me with tbe 
 " other. 
 
 " I appeal to the common sense of the public, 
 *' to which I have ever directed myself: I be- 
 '' lieve they have it, though I am sometimes 
 •• half inclined to suspect that Mr. Wilkes has 
 *' formed a truer judgment of mankind than I 
 " have. However, of this I am sure, that there 
 *• is nothing else upon which to place a steady 
 " reliance. Trick, atjd low cunning, and ad- 
 " dressing their prejudices and passions, may 
 *' be the fittest means to carry a particular 
 "point; but, if they have not common sense, 
 '^^ there is no prospect of gaining for them any 
 " real permanent good. The same passions 
 " which have been artfully used by an honest 
 " man for their advantage, may be more artfully 
 " employed by a dishonest man for their de- 
 *' struction. I desire them to a])ply their com- 
 *' mon sense to this letter of Junius, not i'or mv 
 *' sake, but their own ; it concerns them most 
 ^' nearly, for the principles it contains lead to 
 " disgrace and ruin, and are inconsistent with 
 *■ every notion of civil society. 
 
 " The charges vvlilch J/niius has brought
 
 l/ri- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 3'3 
 
 against me are made ridiculous by his own 
 inconsistency and self-contradiction. He 
 cluui^es mc ])Ositively with ' a new zeal in sup- 
 ])ort of administration ;' and with ' endeavours 
 in support of the ministerial nomination of shc- 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 n 
 
 wC 
 
 *' riffs.' And he assigns two inconsistent motives 
 " for my conduct : either that I have 'sold myself 
 " to the ministry ;' or am instigated ' l)y tlie so- 
 **' litary, vindictive malice of a moidv-.' cither 
 *' that I am influenced by a sordid desire of 
 "' gain ; or am hurried on by ' j^ersonal hatred, 
 '* and blinded by resentment.'' 
 
 *' In his letter to the duke of Grafton \w 
 *' supposes me actuated by both : in his letter 
 " to me he at first doubts which of the two, 
 " whether interest or revenge, is my motive : 
 " however, at last he determines for the former, 
 ** and again positively asserts, that ^ the mi- 
 '• nistry have made me promises;' yet he pro- 
 " duces no instance o^ corruption, nor pretends 
 " to have any intelligence of a ministerial con- 
 •' nexion : he mentions no cause of personal 
 " hatred to Mr. Wilkes, nor any reason for my 
 '* resentment or revenge; nor has Mr. Wilkes 
 *' himself ever liinted any, though re])eatedly 
 " presseii. \\ hen Junius is called u])on to jus- 
 '* tify his accusation, lie answers, ' jje cannot 
 *' descend tu an altercation with me in the
 
 Sf4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l^/'t 
 
 
 newspapers.' Junius, who exists only in tho 
 newspapers, who ackuowledges ' he has at- 
 '• tacked my character' there, and thinks I ha^e 
 '* some I'ight to an explanation ; yet this Junius 
 "^ ' cannot descend to an altercation in the news- 
 '' papers !' and because he cannot descend to an 
 '' altercation with me in the newspapers, he 
 ^' sends a letter of abuse by the printer, which 
 " he finishes with telling me — ' I am at liberty 
 " to publish it.' This, to be sure, is a most ex- 
 " cellent method to avoid an altercation in the 
 *' newspapers ! 
 
 " The proofs of his positive chtirges are as ex- 
 • ^ traordinary : ' he does not })retend to any in- 
 " telligrence concernins: me, or to knoAV more of 
 *' my conduct than I myself have thought pro- 
 " per to communicate to the public' He does 
 " not suspect me of such gross folly as to have 
 *' solicited votes, or to have written anony- 
 " mously in the newspapers, because it is ini- 
 " possible to do either of these without being 
 '' detected and brought to shame. Junius says 
 '' this ! who yet imagines that he has himself 
 " written two years under that signature, (and 
 " more under others,) without being detected ! 
 " — his Avarmest admirers will not hereafter 
 " add, without being brought to shame. But 
 *' though he did never suspect me of such gross
 
 1/ P- I'IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. Sfb 
 
 '* folly as to run the hazard of licing (ktected 
 " and broviglit to shiune by anouifmous writiiii^, 
 " he ins'usts thiit I have been guilty of a iiiuch 
 '^ grosser follv of iiicnning tiie fcitauitv of 
 " shame and detection bv vvritina-s signed with 
 ** niv name ! But this is a small fliiiht for the 
 " towerinir «/«w/«A' : 'lie is far from thiukinsr 
 " meanly of my abilities,' though he ' is con- 
 " vinced that I want judgment extremely/ and 
 ^' can REALLY RESPECT Ml'. Suivbridgts cha- 
 *' racfer,'' though he declares him to he so 
 
 '• POOR A CREATURE QS HOt tO ' SeC tllfOWJ^h tkc 
 
 *' basest design conducted in the poorest man- 
 " iier /' And this most base design is conducted 
 '• in the ponres^t manner, ]jy a man whom he 
 " does not sii«;pect of gross folly, and of whose 
 '' abilities he is far from thinking meanly ! 
 
 " Should we ask Junius to reconcile these 
 *' contradictions, and exjdain this non^^ense, the 
 " answer is ready ; ' he cannot descend to an al- 
 *' tercation in the newsjia])ers.' lie feels no re- 
 •' Inctancc to attack the character of anv man : 
 " the throne is not too higli, nor the cottage too 
 *' low : his miuhtv malice can arasn Ijoth ex- 
 " tremes : he liints not his accusations as opi- 
 '' nion, conjecfnre, or inference ; but delivers 
 " them a< positive assertions. I).) tlie accused 
 • fomjtl'iiu of injn«;lire ^ lie acknowledges they
 
 376 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^771'. 
 
 " have some sort of right to an explanation ; 
 " but if they ask for proofs and facts, he begs to 
 " to be excused ; and though he is no where 
 " else to be encountered — ' he cannot descend 
 " to an altercation in the newspapers.' 
 
 " And this, perhaps, Jumus may think ' the 
 '' liberal resentment of a gentleman ;' this skulk- 
 " ing assassination he may call courage. In all 
 '* things, as in this^ I hope w'e differ : 
 
 " ' I thouf^ht that fortitude had been a mean 
 'Twixt fear and rashness; not a lust obscene 
 Or appetite of offending ; but a skill 
 And nice discernment between good and ill. 
 Her ends are honesty and public good. 
 And without these she is not understood.' 
 
 " Of two things, however, he has conde- 
 " scended to give proof. He very properly pro- 
 ^' duces a young lady to prove that I am not 
 ^^ a man ; and a good old ivoman, my grandmo- 
 *' ther, to prove Mr. Oliver a fool. Poor old 
 ^'^ soul ! she read her bible far otherwise than 
 " Junius ! she often found there, that the sins 
 " of the fathers had been visited on the chil- 
 " dren ; and therefore was cautious that herself 
 ^^ and her immediate descendants should leave 
 " no reproach on her posterity ; and they left 
 " none : how little could she foresee this reverse 
 ■' of Junius, who visits my political sins upon
 
 i7ri- LIFE OF JOHN riORNE TOOKE. .377 
 
 *' my grandmother I I do not c]iuri::e this to the 
 " score of malice in him, it proceeded entu'ely 
 ^•' from his pro})ensity to bhnulcr ; that wliilst 
 " he was reproaching me for introduciiijr, in the 
 " mo-^t harudess manner, the name of one fe- 
 '"' male, he might himself, at the same instant, 
 *' introduce two. 
 
 *' I am represented alternately as it snits Ju~ 
 " niuss pnrpose, nnder the opposite characters 
 ^' of a g/oomi/ moul'y and a man ot politeness 
 " and liood liurjiour. I am called ' a soUtarif 
 " monk,' in order to confirm the notion i^iven of me 
 '' in Mr. Wilkes's anonymous ])araiiraphs, that I 
 '' never laugh : and the terms oijwiifeness and 
 ^' good humour, on which I am said to have lived 
 ^* heretofore with the young lady, are intended 
 *^ to confirm other paragraphs of Mr. Wilkes, 
 " in which he is supposed to have ollendcd me 
 *' by refusing his daughter. Iiidicnlons ! Yet 
 " I cannot deny but that Junius has i)roved me 
 *' unmanly and ungenerous as clearly as he has 
 " shown me corrupt and vindictive : and I Avill 
 *' tell him more ; 1 have paid the ])resent mi- 
 " nistry as manv visits and cowpliments as ever 
 ." I ])aid to the young ladi/, and ><liail all my lilc 
 *' treat them \\\[\\ ihc same politeness and good 
 *' hurijour. 
 
 *: But Junius ' hc^s me to believe that he
 
 v3/'S LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l??^^ 
 
 c 
 
 a 
 
 Si 
 
 i 
 
 il 
 
 (C 
 
 measures the integrity of men by their con- 
 duct, not hy their professions.'' Sure this Ju- 
 ^ 7nus must imagine his readers as void of un- 
 " derstanding:, as he is of modesty ! Where 
 " shall we find the standard of his integrity ? 
 " By what are we to measure the conduct of 
 this lurking assassin ? — And he says this to 
 me, whose conduct, wherever I could per-, 
 * sonally appear, has been as direct, and open, 
 '' and public as my words ; 1 have not, like 
 " him, concealed myself in a chamber to shoot 
 ■' my arrows out of the window ; nor con- 
 tented myself to view the battle from afar ; 
 but publicly mixed in the engagement, and 
 " shared the danger. To whom have I, like him, 
 *^ refused my name upon complaint of injury ? 
 what printer have I desired to conceal me ? 
 in the infinite variety of business I have been 
 " concerned, where it is not so easy to be fault- 
 *' less, which of my actions can he arraign ? to 
 " what danger has any man been exposed, which 
 " I have not faced ? hijormation, imprisonment, 
 " or death? what labour have 1 refused? what 
 " expense have I declined ? what pleasure have 
 " I not renounced ? — But Junius, to ivhoni no 
 " conduct belongs, ' measures the inteerity of 
 '^ men by their conduct, not by their jirofes- 
 " .sions ;' himself all the \^ bile being nothiiig 

 
 17/1. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 3fQ 
 
 " but prnfcssiojis, and those, too, unoiu/moius ! 
 *' The political iijnorance or wiltul iabhood ot 
 " this dec/aimer is extreme : his own J or me r let- 
 " ters justify botli my conduct and those whom 
 " liis last letter abuses : lor tlie })ublic measures, 
 '• Avhich Junius has been all along defending, 
 " uere ours, Avhom he attacks ; and the uniform 
 '• opposer of those measures has been Mr. 
 '' Wilkes, Avhose bad actions and inteiitions he 
 " endeavours to screen. 
 
 " Let Junius now, if he pleases, change liis 
 " abuse ; and, quitting his loose hold of interest 
 " and revenge, accuse me of rtf;?/7//, and call this 
 " defence boasting. I own I have a pride to see 
 " statutes decreed, and the higlicst honours con- 
 '* ferred on measures and actions which all men 
 " have approved : w hilst those who counselled 
 " and caused them arc execrated and insulted. 
 ■' The darkness in which Junius thinks himself 
 '' shrouded, has not concealed him ; nor the ar- 
 " tifice of only attacking under that signature 
 " those he would j)ull down, (whilst he reenni- 
 " mends hy other ivui/s those he would have pro- 
 *■ motcd,) disguised from me whose p-arlisan he 
 " is. When lord Chatham (an iorgive tiu; 
 " av\kward situation in which for the sake of 
 ^' the ]iublic he was dciigtiedlv jilaccd by the 
 "thanks to him from the citv; and when
 
 3S0 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 ^' mikes s name ceases to be necessary to lord 
 " Rockingham to keep up a clamour against the 
 " persons of the ministry, without obliging the 
 " different factions now in opposition to bind 
 '^ themselves beforehand to some certain points, 
 " and to stipulate some precise advantages to 
 *^ the public; then, and not till then, may those 
 *' whom he now abuses expect the approbation 
 " of Junius. The approbation of the public for 
 " our faithful attention to their interest by en- 
 '^ deavours for those stipulations, which have 
 " made us as obnoxious to the factions in op- 
 ^' position as to those in administration, is not 
 " perhaps to be expected till some years hence; 
 *' when the public will look back and see how 
 " shamefully they have been deluded; and by 
 *^ what arts they were made to lose the golden 
 " opportunity of preventing what they will surely 
 " experience — a change of ministers without a 
 *' jnaterial change of measures, and without any 
 *' security for a tottering constitution. 
 
 " But what cares Junius for the security of 
 " the constitution? He has now unfolded to us 
 " his diabolical principles. As a public man he 
 ^^ must ever condemn any measures ivhich may 
 " tend accidentally to gratify the sovereign: 
 " and Ml'. Wilkes is to be supported and as-^ 
 '.' sisted in all his attempts (no matter, how ridi-
 
 \77^' JHE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKC. 3Sl 
 
 '• fiilous and mischievous his projects) as lung as 
 " he confinues to be a tliuni in the kimis side ! — 
 " The C((use of the toiaitn/, it seems, in the 
 " opinion of Junius, is merely to vex the king; 
 " and anyrascnl is to he snp])orted in anv roi^uei-y, 
 "•provided lie can only therehv plant a thorn in 
 "■ the kings side. — This is the very extremity 
 " of faction, and the la^t degree of political 
 " wickedness, 
 
 " Because lord Chatham has heen ill-treated 
 " by tlie kini:, and treacherously betrayed by 
 *• the duke of Grafton, the latter is to be * the 
 " pillow on which Junius will rest his resent- 
 " ment;' and the public are to oppose the mea- 
 *' sures of government from mere motives of 
 " personal enmity to the sovereign! — These are 
 *' the avowed jirinciplcs of the man who in the 
 " same letter says, ' If ever he should be con- 
 *• vinced that I had no motive but to destroy 
 " ^\'ilkes, he shall then be ready to do justice 
 *' to my character, and to declare to the world 
 *' that he despises me somewhat less than he 
 "does at ])rcscnt!' 
 
 " Had I ever acted from personal affection or 
 " enmity to Mr. ff'ilhes, 1 should Justly be 
 '•' dcsj)ised: lint what doci he deserve whose 
 " avowed motive is personal enmity to the so- 
 *^ vereign? J be contempt which 1 should
 
 »^ 
 
 ^2 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/T^. 
 
 otherwise feel for the absurdity and glaring 
 inconsistency of Junius, is here swallowed up 
 in my abhorrence of his principle* The rlgJit 
 divine and sacredness of kings is to ine a sense- 
 less jargon. It was thought a daring expres- 
 sion of Oliver Cromwell, in the time of Charles 
 the First, that, if he found himself placed op- 
 posite to the king in battle, he would dis- 
 charge his piece into his bosom as soon as 
 into any other man's. I go farther : had I lived 
 in those davs, I would not have waited for 
 chance to give me an opportunity of doing 
 my duty; I would have sought him througli 
 the ranks, and, without the least personal en- 
 mity, have discharged my piece into his 
 bosom rather than into any other man's. The 
 king, whose actions justify rebellion to his 
 government, deserves death from the hand of 
 every subject. And should such a time ar- 
 rive, I shall be as free to act as to say. Butj 
 till then, my attachment to the person and 
 family of the sovereign shall ever be found 
 more zealous and sincere than that of his flat- 
 terers. I would offend the sovereign with as much 
 reluctance as the parent; but if the haj^pincss 
 and security of the whole family made it ne- 
 cessary, so far, and no farther, I would offend 
 him without remorse,
 
 177^' LIFE OF JOHN HORN£ TOOKE. 383 
 
 " But let US coubidur a little whither these 
 '^ principles of Junius would lead us. Should 
 " Mr. Wilkes once more couiuiissiou Mr. Tho- 
 " luas Walpole to ])rocure for him a pension of 
 ** one i/iousund pounds upon the Irish estahlish- 
 *' nient for thirty years ; he must he supported 
 *' in the demand hy the public — hecau*>e it 
 *' would mortify the king ! 
 
 *' Should he wish to see lord Rockingham and 
 '* his friends once more in administration, un~ 
 " clogged hj/ anif stipulations jar the people^ 
 " that he might again enjoy a pension of one thou- 
 ** sand and forty pounds a }jeai\ viz., from the 
 "first lord of tlie treasury oOOL, from tlie lords 
 *' of the treasurij 6ol. each ; from the lords of 
 *' trade 4oL each, &c,, the public nuist give up 
 " their attention to jjoints of national benefit, 
 *' and assist Mr. Wilkes in his attem])t — bc- 
 "*' cause it would mortify the king! 
 
 " Should he demand the goverimient of Ca- 
 " nada, or q( Jamaica, or the embassy to Coji- 
 " stantinople ; and in case of refusal threaten to 
 ** write them down, as he iiad before served 
 *' another a<lniir)istration, in a year and a half; 
 *' Ije must be suj)])orted in his pretensions, and 
 *' upheld in lii-^ insolence — because it would 
 *' mortify tlie king ! 
 
 " Junius may choose to suppose that these
 
 384 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOIiE. 177**- 
 
 things cannot happen ! But that they have 
 happened, notwithstanding Mr. Wilkes's de- 
 nial, I do aver. I maintain that Mr. Wilke^ 
 did commission Mr. Thomas Walpole to so- 
 licit for him a pension of one thousand jiouncU 
 on the Irkh establish mcnt for thirty years; 
 with which, and a pardon, he declared he 
 wonld be satisfied : and that, notwithstanding 
 his letter to Mr. Onslow, he did accept a clan- 
 destine, precarious, and eleemosynary pension 
 from the Rockingham administration ; which 
 they paid in proportion to, and out of their 
 salaries ; and so entirely w^as it ministerial, 
 that as any of them went out of the ministry, 
 their names \^ere scratched out of the list, 
 and they contributed no longer. I say, he 
 did solicit the governments and the embassy, 
 and threatened their refusal nearly in these 
 words: — 'It cost me a year and a half to 
 write dqwn the last administration ; should I 
 employ as much time upon you, very lew of you 
 would be in at the death.' Wlien these 
 threats did not prevail, he came over to Eng- 
 land to embarrass them by his presence ; and 
 when he found that lord Rockingham was 
 something firmer and more manly than he ex- 
 pected, and refused to be bullied — into what 
 he coukl not perform, JMr. Wilkes declared
 
 1771- LIFE Ot JOHN IIORNL TOOKE. 3ii:i 
 
 '* tlidt he could not leave England without 
 *•' juoney ; and the duke of Portland and lord 
 " Ro(kingliani purchased his absence with one 
 '•' hundred pounds apiece ; \\ it!i w hieh he re- 
 " turned to Paris. And for the truth of what 
 '^ I here advance, I appeal to the duke of Port- 
 *' land, to lord Rockingham, to lord John Ca- 
 *• veudish, to Mr. Walpole, &c. — I appeal to 
 '• the hand-Avriting of Mr. Wilkes, which is still 
 '' extant. 
 
 " Should Mr. Wilkes afterward*^ (iailing ii> 
 " this wholesale trade) choose to dole out his 
 *■• popularity hy the })ouud, and expose the city 
 *• ofHces to sale to his brother, liis attorney, &c., 
 *•' Junius will tell us, it is only an umhition that 
 '• he has to make them chamberlain, town-clerh, 
 " &c. ; and he mnst not be opposed in tlnis roh- 
 '■' bing the ancient citizens of their birth-right — 
 '^ because any defeat of Mr. Wilkes would gra- 
 *• tify the king! 
 
 *' Should lie, after consuming the whole of his 
 '' own fortune and tliat of liis wife, and incur- 
 " ring a debt of twcntij thousand pomuU merely 
 '"' bv his own ])rivate extravagance, without a 
 " single service or exertion all this time for the 
 '^ public, whilst his estate renuiined ; should he 
 *' at length, being undone, commence patriot, 
 *' have the good fortune to be illegally perse- 
 
 voi,. I. '2 t"
 
 (C 
 
 SB6 life of JOHN HORNE TOOKE. JT^^ ' 
 
 *' secuted, and in consideration of that illega- 
 lity, be espoused by a few gentlemen of tlic 
 purest pu])lic principles ; should his debts, 
 " (though none of them were contracted for the 
 " ^public,) and all his other incumbrances, be 
 '^ discharged ; should he be offered 6oo/. or 
 '• lOOO/. a year to make him independent for 
 '' the future ; and should he, after all, instead 
 " of gratitude for these services, insolently for- 
 '' bid his benefactors to l}estow their own monev 
 " upon any other object but himself, and revile 
 " them for setting any bounds to their supplies ; 
 " Junius, (who any more than lord Chatham, 
 '^ never contributed one farthing to these enor- 
 '•' mous expenses,) will tell them, that, if they 
 ^ think of converting the supplies of Mr. 
 " Wilkes's private extravagance to the su])port 
 "' of public measures — they are as great fools 
 " as my grandmother ; and that Mr. Wilkes 
 " ought to hold the strings of their purses-^ — as 
 " Ions as he continues to he a thorn in the hinii:\^ 
 
 " side 
 
 " Upon these principles I never have acted, 
 "^ and I never will act. In my opinion, it is 
 " less dishonourable to be the creature of a court 
 " than the tool of a faction. I will not !)e 
 '• either. I understand the two great leaders ol 
 '• opposition to be lord Rockingham and lor:«l.
 
 l/jrl- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 387 
 
 '' Chatham ; under one of whose banners all 
 ** the opposing members of both houses, who 
 '" desire to g:et ])laccs, enlist. I can j)]ace no 
 " confidence in either of them, or in any others, 
 " unless thev will now eniraiz:e, whilst thev are 
 " OUT, to grant certain essential advantages 
 " for the security of the public when they shall 
 " be IN administration. These points they re- 
 " fuse to stipnlatc, because they are fearful lest 
 '^ they should prevent any future overtures from 
 " the court. 
 
 *' 'Jo force them to these stipulations has 
 '*' been the uniform endeavour of Mr. Sawbridsre, 
 " Mr. Townsend, Mr. Oliver, &.C., and theiie- 
 " FORE they are abused by Junius. I know no 
 •' reason but my zeal and industry in the same 
 " cause, that should entitle me to the honour of 
 " being ranked by his abuse with persons of 
 " their fortune and station. It is a duty I owe 
 " to the memory of the late Mr. Beckford to 
 ** say, that he had no other aim than this 
 ** v,hen he ])rovided that sumptuous entertain- 
 " ment at the mansion-house, for the members 
 " of both houses in opposition. At that time 
 " he drew nji the heads of an engagement, 
 " wliich he gave to me with a request that I 
 *' would couch it in terms so cautious and prc- 
 " cise, as to leave no room for future quibble 
 
 'J. c -J
 
 388 tlFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 '* and evasion ; but to oblige them either to ful- 
 " fil the intent of the obligation, or to sign their 
 '^ own infamy, and leave it on record ; and this; 
 '^ engagement he was determined to propose to 
 " them at the mansion-house, that either by 
 " their refusal they might forfeit the confidence 
 " of the public, or by the engagement lay a 
 *' foundation for confidence. When they were 
 " informed of the intention, lord Rockingham 
 " and his friends flatly refused any engagement ; 
 *' and Mr. Beckford as flatly swore, they should 
 " then — ' eat none of his broth ;' and he was 
 *' determined to put off the entertainment : but 
 
 •' Mr. Beckford was prevailed upon by to 
 
 " indulge them in the ridiculous parade of a 
 •"' popular procession through the city, and to 
 " give them the foolish pleasure of an imaginary 
 " consequence, for the real benefit only of the 
 " cooks and purveyors. 
 
 " It was the same motive which dictated the 
 " thanks of the city to lord Chatham ; which 
 *' were expressed to be given for his declaration 
 '' in favour of short parliaments : in order there- 
 " by to fix lord Chatham at least to that 
 " one constitutional remedy, without which all 
 '^ others can afford no security. The embar- 
 " rassment no doubt was cruel. He had his 
 *^ choice either to offend the Rockingham party.
 
 ^77^' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 38.9 
 
 ** v.ho declared forma/li/ agiilnst short p.irlia- 
 ^' iiients ; and with the u-jsistaiice of whose 
 " luiinhers in hoth houses he must expect again 
 " to be minister ; or to give up the confidence 
 *' of the public, from whom finally all real con- 
 " sequence must proceed. Lord Chatham chose 
 ** the latter; and I will venture to say, that, bv 
 " his answer to those thanks, he has given up 
 *' the people without gaining the friendship or 
 " cordial assistance of the Rockiuirham faction : 
 '' whose little politics are confined to the mak- 
 " ing of matches, and extending their familv 
 " connexions, and who think they gain more by 
 *' procuring one additional vote to their party in 
 " the house of commons, than by adding their 
 *' landed ])roperty and feelde character to the 
 '' abilities of a Chatham, or the confidence of a 
 *' jnd)lic. 
 
 •' Whatever may he the event of the present 
 *' wretched state of ])olitics in this country, the 
 " principles of t///«/w* will suit no form of go- 
 *' vernment. They are not to be tolerated ini- 
 " der any constitution. Personal enmity is a 
 " motive fit only for the devil. Whoever or 
 *' whatever i^ sovereign, demands the resj)cct 
 " and support of the j)cople. The union is 
 '' formed ior ibcir haj)piuess, A\hi(h cannot l>e 
 *' had without mutual re'-])ect : and he counsels
 
 390 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/'J'K 
 
 " maliciously, wlio would persuade either to a 
 " wanton breach of it. When it is banished 
 *^ by either party, and when every method has 
 '* been tried in vain to restore it, there is no re- 
 " medy but a divorce : but even then he must 
 " have a hard and a wicked heart indeed, who 
 " punishes the greatest criminal merely for the 
 " sake of the punishment ; and who does not let 
 " fall a tear for every drop of blood that is shed 
 '^ ma public struggle, however just the quarrei. 
 
 " John Horne." 
 
 After a long pause, the following reply at 
 length made its appearance, 
 
 *' JUNIUS TO THE PRINTER OF THE PUBLIC 
 
 " ADVERTISER. 
 
 August 15, 1771. 
 *^ SIR, 
 
 " I OUGHT to make an apology to the duke 
 *^ of Grafton, for suffering any part of my at- 
 " tention to be diverted from his grace to Mr. 
 "' Horne. I am not justified by the similarity 
 *^ of their dispositions. Private vices, however 
 " detestable, have not dignity sufficient to at- | 
 " tract the censure of the press, unless they are 
 '* united with the power of doing some signal 
 '^mischief to the community. — Mr. Home's 
 " situation does not correspond with his in-
 
 ITTI- LIFE OF JOHN HOUSE TOOKE. 3^ I 
 
 '' tentions. — In iny own opinion, (uliich I 
 " know, will he attrihnted to n\\ usuiil vanity 
 *' and |jre<^nniption,) his letter to nie docs not 
 *•' deserve an answer. 15 ut 1 understund tliat the 
 *•' puhlic are not satisfied with my silence ; — liiat 
 *' an answer is expected from me, and that if" I 
 *' persist in refnsinj;: to plead, it will he taken for 
 " conviction. 1 should he inconsistent with the 
 ^' principles I ])rofess, if 1 declined an ap])eal to 
 " the good sense of the j)cople, or did not wil- 
 " lini^ly suhnjit myself to the jndirnient of ciy 
 
 '• peers. 
 
 '*' If any coarse expressions have escaped me, 
 " 4 'Hn ready to agree that they are unfit for Ju- 
 '■ /lias to make use of; hut I see no reason to 
 *•' admit that they have lx?en ijnj)roperly ap- 
 " plied. 
 
 " Mr. Home, it seems, is unai)le to coinpre- 
 *' hend ho.v an extreme want of conduct and 
 " discretion can consist with the ahilitie-. I have 
 " allowed him ; nor can he conceive that a very 
 *•' honest man, with a verv good un(ier>ta!>ding, 
 *• may he deceived hy a knave. His knowledtie 
 *' of human nature must he limited indeed. Had 
 *' he never mixed with the world, one would 
 " think that even his hooks might have taught 
 *' hiiii hcttci'. Did he hear lord Mansfield, 
 '• ivhen lie defended hir- doctrine concerning
 
 393 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. I// i. 
 
 '■' libels ? Or when he stated the law in pro- 
 ^' secutions for criminal conversation ? Or 
 ^' when he delivered his reasons for calling 
 " the house of lords together to receive a 
 " copy of his charge to the jury in Woodfall's 
 " trial. 
 
 '' Had he heen present upon any of these oc- 
 *' casions, he would have seen how possible it 
 '• is for a man of the first talents to confound 
 " himself in absurdities, which would disgrace 
 " the lips of an idiot. Perhaps the example 
 " might have taught him not to value his own un- 
 " derstanding so highly. Lord Lyttelton's inte- 
 '•^ grity and judgment are unquestionable; — 
 ^' yet he is known to admire that cunning 
 " Scotchman, and verily believes him an honest 
 " man. — 1 speak to facts, with which all of us 
 "^ are conversant. — I speak to men and to their 
 *' experience, and will not descend to answer 
 *'^ the little sneering sophistries of a collegian. — 
 "'^ Distinguished talents are not necessarily con- 
 •^ nected with discretion. If there be any thing 
 *' remarkable in the character of Mr. Home, it 
 *■' is, that extreme want of judgment should be 
 " united with his very moderate capacity. Yet 
 " I have not forgotten the acknowledgment I 
 " made him. He owes it to my bounty : and 
 *' though his letter has lowered him in my
 
 ii 
 
 ii 
 
 1771- i-lFE or JOHN ilORNE TOOKE. 3C)3 
 
 o])inion, I scorn to retract tlic cliarita])le do- 
 nation. 
 
 " I said it woukl be ten/ liilficult for Mr. 
 Ilorne to write directly in defence of a niini- 
 '* sterial mcasnre, and not to be detected ; and 
 " even tbat difficulty I confined to Jus ])ar- 
 " ticnlar situation. He cbanges tbe terms of 
 " the proposition, and supposes nie to assert, 
 •^ that it would be impossible for any man to 
 " write for the newspapers^ and not be dis- 
 '•' covered. 
 
 " He repeatedly affirms, or intimates at least, 
 "■ that he knows the author of these letters. 
 *' With what colour of truth then can he pre- 
 " tend that I am no ivhere to be encountered but 
 " in a newspaper 9 I shall leave him to his 
 '' suspicion*. It is not necessary that I should 
 •' confide in the honour or discretion of a man, 
 •* who already seems to hate me with as much 
 '* rancour, as if 1 had formerly been his friend. 
 '^ Hut he asserts tbat lie has traced me throui;l| 
 '^ a variety of jsiii^natures. To make the dis- 
 " covery of any imjjortance to his purpose, he 
 " should have |)rove(l, either that the fictitious 
 " character of .///;///<.v has not bc(Mi consl^trntlv 
 " supported, or tbat the autiior has maintained 
   (iitlerent principles under different siirnatures. 
 •' I cannot recal to niv memorv the nund)crless
 
 
 5.94 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1^71- 
 
 " trifles I have written ; but 1 rely upon the 
 ^' consciousness of my own integrity, and defy 
 *' him to fix any colourable charge of incon- 
 " sistency upon me. 
 
 " I am not bound to assign the secret motives 
 of his apparent hatred of Mr. Wilkes : nor 
 does it follow that I may not judge fairly of 
 " his conduct, though it were true that I had no 
 " conduct of my oivn. Mr. Home enlarges, with 
 " rapture, upon the importance of his services ; 
 " the dreadful battles which he might have 
 " been engaged in, and the dangers he has 
 ** escaped. 
 
 " In support of the formidable description, 
 " he quotes verses without mercy. The gentle- 
 " man deals in fiction, and naturally appeals to 
 *' the evidence of the poets. Taking him at his 
 " word, he cannot but admit the superiority of 
 *^ Mr. Wilkes in this line of service. On one 
 " side, we see nothing but imaginary distresses. 
 *' On the other, we see real prosecutions ; real 
 " peinalties ; real imprisonment ; life repeatedly 
 " hazarded ; and, at one moment, almost the 
 *' certainty of death. Thanks are undoubtedly 
 " due to every man who does his duty in the 
 " engagement ; but it is the wounded soldier 
 " who deserves the reward. 
 
 " I did not mean to deny that Mr. Home hfid
 
 1771' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOJlvE. o95 
 
 *' been an aciive piirtisan. It would doleat my 
 " own pni])ose not to allow him a doirrcc of 
 *' merit, which aggravates his iruilt. I'he very 
 ^' charge of' contributing Jii^ iitmosl efforts to 
 " support a ministerial measure, implies an ae- 
 *^ knowledi^ment of his former services. If he 
 " liad not once been distintruishcd l)v his aj)pa- 
 " rent zeal in defence of the common cau!?e, he 
 " could not now be distinguished l)v dc^ertin^' it. 
 *' As for mvself, it is no lonuer a question iche- 
 " thcr I shall mix wilh the croud, and talie a 
 " simple share in the danger. \\ henever Junius 
 " a])pears, he must encounter an host of enemies. 
 ^' But is there no honourable way to serve the 
 " public, without engaging in personal (juarrels 
 " with insignificant individuals, or submitting 
 *' to the drudgery of canvassing votes f<»r an 
 " election? Is there no merit in dedicating njy 
 *' life to the information of mv follow-subiectsr — 
 " What ]ud)lic (juestion have I declined, what 
 *' villain have I spared: — Is there no laloiu' in 
 '' the coujjjosition of these letters? Mr. ilornc, 
 ** J fear, is partial to me, ami measures the 
 " facilify of m// writings by tliL- iltuiK y oi his 
 
 '' own, 
 
 «( 
 
 He talks to us, in high term^, ol" the gallant 
 " feats he would have* pi-rforriud, if ho bad lived 
 " in the last century. 'Hie nnhaj/py Charles
 
 
 3^Q LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1/71. 
 
 " could hardly have escaped him. But living 
 " princes have a claim to his attachment and 
 " respect. Upon these terms, there is no danger 
 '^' in being a patriot. If he means any thing 
 " more than pompous rliapsody, let us tiy how 
 *' well his argument holds together. — I presume 
 ^' he is not yet so much a courtier, as to 
 *' affirm that the constitution has not been 
 " grossly and daringly violated under the pre- 
 ^' sent reign. He will not say, that the laws 
 have not been shamefully broken or perverted; 
 that the rights of the subject have not been 
 invaded, or that redress has not been repeatedly 
 " solicited and refused. — Grievances like these 
 " were the foundation of the rebellion in the 
 '' last century; and, if I understand Mr. Home, 
 '^ they would, at that j)eriod, have justified him 
 " to his own mind, in deliberately attacking the 
 " life of his sovereign. I shall not ask him to 
 " what political constitution this doctrine can 
 " be reconciled. But, at least, it is incumbent 
 " upon him to show, that the present king haa^ 
 '^ better excuses, than Charles the First, for the 
 " errors of his government. He ought to de- 
 '' monstrate to us that the constitution was bet- 
 '^ ter understood a hundred years ago than it is 
 at present — that the legal rights of the sub- 
 ject, and the limits of the prerogative, were 
 
 IC
 
 i/Tl' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 3^7 
 
 '' more accurately defined, iiud more cle;\r]y 
 " comprehended. It pro])Oj>itioiis like these 
 '' cannot be fairly maintained, I do not see how 
 *• he can reconcile it to his conscience, and act 
 " immediately with the same freedom with which 
 *^ he speaks. I reverence the character of 
 " Charles the First as little as Mr. Home; hnt 
 *' 1 will not insnlt his misfortunes, by a compa- 
 *' rison tiiat would dciiradc him. 
 
 " It is worth observing, by what gentle de- 
 ** grees the furious, ])crsecnting zeal of Mr. 
 " Home has softened into moderation. Men 
 " and measures were yesterday his object. What 
 *' pains did he once take to bring that great 
 *' state criminal, Macquiih, to execution! — To 
 *' day he confines himself to measures only. — 
 *' No penal example is to be left to the succes- 
 *' sor.5 of the duke of Cirafton. — To-morrow, I 
 " presume, both men and measures will be for- 
 *' given. The flaming patriot, who so latelv 
 *' scorclied us in the merl(han, sinks temperately 
 *' ill the west, and is hardly felt as he descend'-. 
 
 " I comprehend the policy of endeavouring to 
 *^ communicate to Mr. Oliver and Mr. Sawbridge 
 *' a .share in the reproaches, with which he snp- 
 " poses me to have loaded him. My memory 
 *' .'ails me, if I have mentioned their names with 
 " disrespect; — unless it be rejiroachful to ac-
 
 SgS LlfE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKfi. I/JTI* 
 
 ' knowledge a sincere respect for the cliaracter 
 ' of Mr. Sawbridge, and not to have questioned 
 
 * the innocence of Mr. Oliver's intentions. 
 
 " It seems I am a partisan of the great leader 
 ' of the opposition. If the charge had been a 
 ' reproach, it should have been better supported. 
 ' I did not intend to make a ])nb]ic declaration 
 
 * of the respect I bear lord Chatham. I well 
 ■' knew what unworthy conclusions would be 
 
 * drawn from it. But I am called upon to de- 
 
 * liver my opinion, and surely it is not in the 
 ' little censure of Mr. Home to deter me from 
 ' doing signal justice to a man, who, I confess, 
 ' has grown upon my esteem. As for the com- 
 
 * mon, sordid views of avarice^ or any purpose 
 
 * of vulgar ambition, I question whether the 
 
 * applause of Junius would be of service to lord 
 ' Chatham. My vote Avill hardly recommend 
 ^ him to an increase of Ijis pension, or to a seat 
 
 * in the cabinet. But if his ambition be upon a 
 ' level with his understanding; — if he judges of 
 ' what is truly honourable for himself, with the 
 
 same superior genius which animates and di- 
 ' rects him to eloquence in debate, to wisdom in 
 ^ decision, even the pen of Junius shall contri- 
 ' bute to reward him. Recorded honours shnll 
 ' gather round his monument, and thicken over 
 ' him. It is a solid fabric, and will su]>port
 
 l^r^- i-irE OF JOHK IIORNE TOOKE. 3<)9 
 
 *^ the laurels that adorn it — I am not convcr- 
 *•' sant in the language of panegyric. — These 
 *'' praises are extorted from me; but tlicy will 
 " wear well, for thev have been dearly earned. 
 
 '' My detestation of the duke of Grafton is 
 *' not founded upon his treachery to any indivi- 
 '^ dual: though I am willing enough to suppose 
 " that, in pu!)lic affairs, it would be impo'-isible 
 *' to desert or betray lord Chatham, without 
 '• doing an essential injury to this country. My 
 " abhorrence of the duke arises from an intimate 
 *' knowledgeof his character^and from a thorougli 
 *' conviction, that his baseness has been the 
 " cau'->c of greater mischief to England, than 
 *' even the unfortunate ambition of lord Bute. 
 
 " I'he shortening the duration of parliaments 
 *' is a snl)iect on which Mr. Home cannot en- 
 " large too warmly; nor will I question liis sin- 
 " cerity. If I did not profess tlie same senti- 
 " ments, I should be shamefully inconsistent 
 " with myself. It is unnecessary to bind lord 
 " Chatham bv the written formality of an en- 
 " g^gement. He has publicly declared himself 
 *' a convert to triennial parliaments; and though 
 " 1 have hiug been conviiKcd that this is the 
 " onlv possii)le resource we have left to preserve 
 *' the substantial freedom of the constitution, I 
 *' do not think we have a right to dclermino
 
 400 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771. 
 
 a 
 
 
 against tlie integrity of lord Rockingham or 
 *■ his friends Other measures may undoubtedly 
 " be supported in argument, as better adapted 
 ^' to the disorder, or more likely to be obtained. 
 " Mr.Korne is well assured, that I never was 
 '' the champion of Mr. Wilkes. But though I 
 " am not obliged to answer for the firmness of 
 " his future adherence to the principles he pro- 
 *' fesses, I have no reason to presume that he 
 '• will hereafter disgrace them. As for all those 
 imaginary cases, which Mr. Home so petu- 
 lantly urges against me, I have one plain, 
 " honest answer to make to liim. — Whenever 
 " Mr. Wilkes shall be convicted of soliciting: a 
 "^ pension, an embassy, or a govermnent, he 
 " must depart IVom that situation, and renounce 
 " that character, which he assumes at present, 
 " and which, in mi/ opinion, entitle him to the 
 " support of the public. By the same act, and 
 *' at the same moment, he will forfeit his power 
 " of mortifying the king; and though he can 
 ^' never be a favourite at St. James's, his base- 
 " ness may administer a solid satisfaction to the 
 "^ royal mind. The man 1 speak of has not a 
 *' heart to feel for the frailties of his fellow- 
 *' creatures. It is their virtues that afflict, it [^ 
 *' their vices that console him. 
 
 I give every possible advantage to Mr^ 
 
 ii
 
 17/1. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE, 401 
 
 " Home, wIrmi I take the tacts lie refers to for 
 *' grunted. That they are the ])roduce ofhli in- 
 " vention, seems highly prohable; that they are 
 *^ exaggerated, 1 have no doubt. At the wori^t^ 
 *' what do they amount to, !)nt that Mr.Wilkes, 
 " who never was tliought oF as a perfect pattern 
 " of nu)rallty, has not been at all times proof 
 " against the extremity of distress? How shame- 
 " fnl is it, in a man who has lived in friendship 
 " with him, to reproach him with failings too 
 *' naturally connected with despair! Is no allow- 
 ^' ance to be made for banishment and iiiin? 
 " Does a two-years' imjuisonmeht make no 
 " atonement for his crimen? — The resentment of 
 a priest is implacable. No sufferings cau 
 soften, no penitence can a])pease him. — Yet 
 " he himself, I think, uj)on his own system, has 
 " a multitude of ])<)litical offences to atone for. 
 *' I will not insist uj)on the nauseous detail, 
 " with which he has so long disgusted the 
 *' public. He seems to be ashamed of it. But 
 " what excuse will he make to the friends of the 
 *' constitution for labouring to j)romote tJils con- 
 " summatelij hud man to a station of the highest 
 *' national trust and importance? Upon what 
 " honourable motives did he recommend him to 
 " the livery of London for their representative; — 
 *^ to the ward of Farringdon fur iheir aldcriuaui 
 VOL. 1. 2d 

 
 40'2 IJFE OF JOHN HORNE tOOKE. 1771- 
 
 '^ — to the county of Middlesex for their knight? 
 *' will he affirm that, at that time, he was igno- 
 '^ rant of Mr. Wilkes's solicitations to the mi- 
 '' nistry? — That he should say so, is indeed 
 '' very necessary for his own Justification; 
 " but where will he find credulity to believe 
 " him? 
 
 " In what school this gentleman leanied his 
 " ethics I know not. His logic seems to have 
 " been studied under Mr. Dyson. That mi- 
 " serable pamphleteer, by dividing the only pre- 
 *^ cedent in point, and taking as much of it as 
 " suited his purpose, had reduced his argument 
 " upon the Middlesex election to something 
 *' like the shape of a syllogism. Mr. Home has 
 •' conducted himself with the same ingenuity 
 " and candour. I have affirmed that Mr. Wilkes 
 '^ would preserve the public favour, ' as long as 
 *^ he stood forth against a ministry and parlia- 
 ^' ment, who were doing every thing they could 
 *' to enslave the country, and as long as he was 
 " a thorn in the king's side.' Yet, from the 
 *' exulting triimiph of Mr. Home's reply, one 
 '* would think that I had rested my expectation, 
 "^ that Mr. Wilkes Avould be supported by the 
 ^* public, upon the single condition of his mor- 
 " tifying the king. This may be logic at Cam- 
 ** bridge, or at the Treasury j but among men of
 
 i 
 
 irr^- I-IFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. -iOl 
 
 *' sense and hoiioui, it is follv or villanv in the 
 " extreme. 
 
 " I see the pitiful advantage lie has taken of 
 a single unguarded expression, in a letter not 
 ' intended tor the i)uhlic. Yet it is only the 
 " expression that is unguarded. I adhere to the 
 ''' true meaning of tliat meniher of the sentence, 
 " taken separately as //e takes it, and now, ni)on 
 " the coolest deliberation, re-assert that, for the 
 " purposes I referred to, it may be highly meri- 
 " torious to the public to wound the personal 
 '^ feelings of the sovereign. It is not a general 
 '• proposition, nor is it generally applied to the 
 " chief magistrate of this, or any other consti- 
 " tution. Mr. Home knows, as well as I do, 
 " that the best of princes is not displeased with 
 "' the abu^e which he sees thrown upon his 
 '' ostensible ministers. It makes them, I j)re- 
 " snme, more j)ro])erly the objects of his royal 
 " compassion; — neither does it escape his saga- 
 *•' city, that the lower they are degraded in the 
 " public esteem, the more submissively they 
 " must depend n])on his favour for protection. 
 " This, I artirm, ujjon the most solemn convic- 
 " tion, and tlic most certain knowledge, is a 
 *' leading maxim in the policy of the closet. 
 " It is unnecessary to pursue the argument any 
 *' farther. 
 
 '2 u '^
 
 ti 
 
 6i 
 ii 
 
 404 MFE Of JOHl^ HORNE T6OKE. 1 77 1. 
 
 " Mr. Home is now a very loyal subject. He 
 *' laments the wretched state of politics in this 
 country, and sees in a new light the weakness 
 * and folly of the opposition. Whoever or ivhaf- 
 ' ever is sovereign, demands the respect and sup- 
 port of the people: — it was not so, when Nero 
 Jiddled while Rome ivas burning. Our gracious 
 ** sovereign has had wonderful success, in creat- 
 " ing new attachments to his person and familif, 
 " He owes it, I presume, to the regular system 
 " he has pursued in the mystery of conversion. 
 " He began with an experiment upon the Scotch;, 
 " and concludes with converting Mr. Home. — 
 *'^ What a pity it is, that the Jews should be 
 " condemned by Providence to wait for a Mes- 
 " siah of their own. 
 
 *' The priesthood are accused of misinterpret- 
 *^ ing the scriptures. Mr. Home has improved 
 *' upon his profession. He alters the text, and 
 '^ creates a refutable doctrine of his own. Such 
 '^ artifices cannot long delude the understanding 
 "of the people; and, without meaning an in- 
 " decent comparison, I may venture to foretel, 
 *^ that the Bible and Junius will be read, when 
 ■^ the commentaries of the Jesuits are forgotten. 
 
 *' Junius*." 
 ■* This writer seems to have piqued himself not a little on
 
 irri' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 405 
 
 
 "THE REV. JOHN HORNE TO JUNIUS. 
 
 " August 17, 1771. 
 
 " I CONGRATULATE yon, sir, ou the re- 
 covery of vour wonted style, thoiieli it has 
 cost you a fortnight. I coni])assionate your 
 " labour in the composition of your letters, and 
 " will coinnninicate to you the secret of my 
 " fluency. Truth needs no ornament; and, in 
 *' my opinion, what she borrows of the pencil is 
 *' deformity. 
 
 " You brought a positive charge against me 
 " of corru])tion. I denied the charge, and 
 " called for your proofs. You replied with 
 '•' abuse, and re-asserted your charge. I called 
 " again for proofs. You rc])ly again with abuse 
 '' only, and drop your accusation. In your 
 " fortnight's letter there is not one word upon 
 " the subject of my corruption. 
 
 " I have no more to say, but to return thanks 
 
 this leUer, for in a private note to Mr. Woodfall, dated 
 August 13, 177 1, he observes, "If Mr. Home ansvveri 
 this letter handsomely and in point, he sliall be my great 
 Apollo." 
 
 Junius, indeed, alludes to Mr. Home, in the course of hi? 
 writings, but Lc nercr after this addressed any letter tu 
 Mm.
 
 40G LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771 
 
 
 " to you for yoHr condescension, and to a grateful 
 public and honest ministry for all the favours 
 they have conferred npon me. The two latter, 
 *' I am sure, will never refuse me any grace I 
 " shall solicit: and since you have been pleased 
 ^' to acknowledge that you told a deliberate lie 
 *' in my favour out of bounty, and as a chari- 
 ^' table donation, why may I not expect that 
 *' you will hereafter (if you do not forget you 
 *^ ever mentioned my name with disrespect) 
 ^^ make the same acknowledgment for what 
 '' you have said in my prejudice?— This second 
 *^ recantation will perhaps be more abhorrent 
 '- from your disposition ; but should you decline 
 " it, you will only afford one more instance 
 "^ how much easier it is to be generous than 
 *'just, and that men are sometimes bountiful 
 '' who are not honest. 
 
 *' At all events I am as well satisfied with 
 '^ your panegyric as lord Chatham can be. Mo- 
 " nument I shall have none ; but over my grave 
 '^ it will be said, in your own words, ' Home's 
 *^ situation did not correspond with his inteii- 
 
 " ^'''"'•' " John IIorne." 
 
 Whoever carefully and impartially peruses 
 the foregoing correspondence must acknowledge
 
 l/'7l. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 40/' 
 
 Mr. Home to l)e the victor. Imlced, Junius 
 was so conscious of his sii])erioritv, that in his 
 anxictv to quit the contest, he ad(hesscs hi^ hist 
 letter to the ]>rinter, and leaves liis adversary 
 whollv unanswered. Nay, sucli was the de- 
 t'erence he now paid, to a niau to whom he 
 scarce! V deigned at first to give a reply, that in 
 consequence of his ant;ii;onist " havinp; circu- 
 lated a report, that Junius had warndy declared 
 himself in favour of long ])arlian)ents and rotten 
 boroughs," he immediately ])ronounced an oj)i- 
 uiou in behalf of a triennial re])resenta!ion, 
 con])led witli the addition of a hundred knights 
 of the shire, as may be seen from the lolJowing 
 declaration, 
 
 " The reverend Mr. John Ilorne, having, with 
 his usual veracity and honest industry, circu- 
 lated a report that Junius, in a letter to the 
 'Sujiporters of the Bill of llights' had warmly 
 declared himself in favour of long ])arliaments 
 and rotten boroughs, it is thought necessary to 
 submit to tlie pul)lic the following extract from 
 his letter to Jnhn Wilkes, esq., dated the 7th 
 of Septenjl)er, 1771, and laid l>ef()re the society 
 on the 2 ah of the same month. 
 
 " With rei::ard to the several articles, taken 
 separately, I own 1 am concerncil to scl- iliat 
 the great condition, which ought lo be the :>inc
 
 408 LIFE OF JOHN HOUNE TOOKE. 1/71. 
 
 qud non of parliamentary qualification — which 
 ought to be the basis (as it assuredly will be the 
 only support) of every barrier raised in defence 
 of the constitution, I mean a declaration upon 
 oath to shorten the duration of parliaments, 
 is reduced to the fourth rank in the esteem of the 
 society; and, even in that place, far from being 
 insisted on v/ith firmness and vehemence, seems 
 to have been particularly slighted in the expres- 
 sion — ' You shall endeavour to restore annual 
 parliaments!' — Are these the terms, which men, 
 who are in earnest, make use of, when the salus 
 re'ipublicce is at stake ? 
 
 "I expectedotherlanguage from Mr. Wilkes. — 
 Besides my objection in point of form, I disap- 
 prove highly of the meaning of the fourth ar- 
 ticle as it stands. Whenever the question shall 
 he seriously agitated, I will endeavour (and if 
 I live will assuredly attempt it) to convince the 
 English nation, by arguments, to my under- 
 standing unanswerable, that they ought to insist 
 upon a triennial, and banish the idea of an an- 
 nual ])arliament I am convinced, 
 
 that, if shortening the duration of parliaments 
 (which in effect is keeping the representative 
 under the rod of the constituent) be not made 
 the basis of our new parliamentary jurisprudence, 
 other checks or improvements signify nothing.
 
 i771- LIFE OF JOHN HORNt TOOKE, ^lO^ 
 
 On the contrary, it thi^ be made the [onncUition, 
 other measures may come in aid, and, as auxili- 
 aries, be of considerable advantage. 
 
 *' Lord Chatham's project, for instance, of in- 
 creasing the number of knigiits of slnres, ap- 
 pears to mc admirable As to cutting 
 
 away the rotten boroughs, I am as much of- 
 fended as any man at seeing so many of them 
 imder the direct influence of the crown, or at the 
 disposalof private persons. Yet, 1 own, I haveboth 
 doubts and apprehensions, in regard to the remedy 
 you propose. I shall be charged, ])crhaps, with 
 an unusual want of jxditical intre])idity, when 
 I honestly confess to you tliat I am startled at 
 the idea of so extensive an amputation. — In the. 
 first place, I question the })ower, do jure, of tho 
 legislature to disfranchise a nmnber of !)oroughs, 
 upon the general ground of improving the con- 
 stitution. There cannot be a doctrine more 
 fatal to the liberty and property we are contend- 
 ific: for. than tliat which coiifounds the idea of 
 a supreme and an arl)itrary legislature. I need 
 not ])oint out to you the fatal ])urp<»ses to which 
 it has been and may be ap])lied. If we are sin- 
 cere in the political creed we profess, there are 
 many things which we ought to alhrm cannot 
 be <lone by king, lords, and <-omiiioiis. 
 
 " Among these I reckon the disfranchising of
 
 410 UFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1771' 
 
 boroughs with a general view of improveinent. 
 1 consider it as equivalent to rohbing the parties 
 concerned of their freehold, of their birthright. 
 I say that, althougli this birthright may be for- 
 feited, or the exercise of it suspended in parti- 
 cular cases, jt cannot be taken away, by a ge- 
 neral law for any real or pretended purpose of 
 improving the constitution. Supposing the 
 attempt made, 1 am persuaded you cannot mean 
 that either king or lords should take an active 
 part in it. A bill, which only touches the re- 
 presentation of the people must originate in the 
 house of commons. 
 
 " In the formation and mode of passing it, 
 the exclusive right of the commons must be as- 
 serted as scrupulously as in the case of a money- 
 bill. Now, sir, I should be glad to know by 
 what kind of reaspning it can be proved, that 
 there is a power vested in the representative to 
 destroy his immediate constituent. From whence 
 could he possibly derive it? A courtier, 1 know, 
 will be ready to niaintain the affirmative. The 
 doctrine suits him exactly, because it gives an 
 unlimited operation to the influence of the 
 crown. But we, Mr. Wilkes, ought to hold a dif- 
 ferent language. It is no answer to me to say, 
 that the bill, when it passes the house of com- 
 flions, is the act of the majority, and not the
 
 1771. UFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 411 
 
 representatives of the particular ])oroiiiili"> con- 
 Gerncd. If the majority can (.!!•> franchise ten 
 boroujihs, why not twenty, why not the Avhole 
 kingdom ? \Miy shouhl not tlicv n»ake tlicir 
 own seats in parlianLcnt for life? When the 
 septennial act passed, the letjislalnre did what, 
 apparently and ])alpahly, they had no ])ower to 
 do ; hut they did more than people in general 
 Avere aware of: they in eliect di>lrauchised liie 
 jvhole kin£:doin for four vears. 
 
 " For argument's sake, I will now suppose, 
 that the exjiediency of the measure and the 
 ])ower of j)arliament are unr|uestional)le. Still 
 you Mill tind an insnrmountahle diliicultv in 
 the execution. When all your instruments of 
 am})utation are pre])ared, Avhcn the nnha])py pa- 
 tient lies bound at your feet, without the ))ossi- 
 hility of resistance, hy what infallible rule will 
 you direct the operation ? AVhen von ])ropose 
 to cut away the rotten parts, can you tell u>> 
 what parts are perfectly sound r Are there anv 
 certain limits, in fact or theory, to inform you 
 ut what point von must stoj), at wh.il jjoiiit ijic 
 mortilication ends r To a man so cajialile of 
 observation and reflection as you aie, it is mme- 
 cessary to say all that miuht he said n])on ihe 
 fcuhjert. 
 
 " Jiesidcs, that 1 approve highly of lord Chat-
 
 413 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^' 
 
 ham's idea of infusing; a portion of new health 
 into the constitution, to enable it to bear its in- 
 firmities, (a brilliant expression, and full of in- 
 trinsic wisdom,) other reasons concur in per- 
 siiading me to adopt it. I have no objec^ 
 tion, &c 
 
 " The man who fairly and completely an- 
 swers this argument, shall have my thanks and 
 my applause. My heart is already with him^ 
 — I am ready to be converted. - — I admire his 
 morality, and would gladly subscribe to the ar- 
 ticles of his faith. — ^ Grateful, as I am, to the 
 Good Being, whose bounty has imparted to me 
 this reasoning intellect, whatever it is, I hold 
 myself proportionably indebted to him, from 
 whose enlightened understanding another ray 
 of knowledge communicates to mine. 
 
 " But neither should I think the most exalted 
 faculties of the human mind, a gift worthy of 
 divinity ; nor any assistance, in the improve- 
 mient of them, a subject of gratitude to my fel- 
 low-creature, if I w^ere not satisfied, that really 
 to inform the understanding, corrects and en- 
 larges the heart. 
 
 " Junius." 
 
 To this letter, Mr. Home shortly but forcibly 
 replied, by means of a speech pronounced be-
 
 1771« LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 413 
 
 fore the '• Society for supporting tlie Bill of 
 Rights," in Avhich he riclicaled the pretended 
 patriotism of this celebrated writer, and ques- 
 tioned the tendency of all his positions. He 
 endeavoured, at the same time, to expose him as 
 the '' pander of corruption ;" and " to deprecate 
 the malevolent effects of that eloquence, ihe 
 open and declared object of which seemed to 
 be confined to the support of ministerial abuses, 
 and an apology for rotten boronghs!" 
 
 But, notwithstanding Junius failed in this con- 
 troversy, yet the letters under this signature 
 are the composition of no vulgar hand. Al- 
 though apparently plain, easy, and perspicuous, 
 they are elaborate as to composition, and have 
 served as models, in point of elegance, to tlu5 
 present age. If not a j)ractical lawver, the 
 author was at least deeply versed in the prin- 
 ciples of our constitution : he must have fre- 
 quented the best company, as he was well ac- 
 quainted with all the occurrences of high life ; 
 and that he could be argumentative as well as 
 eloquent, is evident from his very able attacks 
 on sir William Blackstone and lord Mansfield. 
 In respect to the party espoused by him, he 
 appears occasionally to have supported the whole 
 body of the oj)position, although his praises ara 
 bestowed with cou'-Jderablc mude-jty and seeni-
 
 414 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOK;E^ 1/7^^ 
 
 ing reluctance. Yet, on one occasion *, lie 
 commends the earl of Shelburne, by im])lica- 
 tion, for liis spirited intervention in behalf of 
 Corsica ; and on another -i", he readily bears wit-* 
 ness to the "proud, imposing superiority of lord 
 Chatham's abilities ; the shrewd inflexible judg- 
 ment of Mr. Grenvillc, and the mild, but de- 
 termined integrity of lord Rockingham." 
 
 As to the precise person, it is far more easy to* 
 prove who was not, than to point out who was 
 the author. From his dedication, it would ap- 
 pear, that he was a native of Great Britain. 
 This, if meant to be taken literally, must re- 
 duce the candidates to a small number. I have 
 lately learned, however^ from a governor-gene- 
 ral of India, who is himself a scholar and a man 
 of letters, that the late Mr. Walter Boyd so- 
 lemnly asserted in his house, a little before his 
 death, that the correspondence, under the name 
 of Junius, was not the solitary effort of a single 
 individual, but of many men of talents, and tlmt 
 he himself acted as editor. I have good reason 
 to suppose, that the late duke of Grafton attri- 
 buted the whole to the pen of "single-speech 
 Ilamilton ;" and I have been assured, more than 
 
 * Letter xii, to his grace the duke of Grafton, May 30^ 
 17^9. 
 t .Letter XV, dated July 8, 1769. «^
 
 17ri- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 413 
 
 once, by the subject of tliis memoir, that be ab- 
 sohitely knciv the author. To another gentle- 
 man, lie lately added, '* that he w as stdl alive.'" 
 It nm^^t be owned, however, that this infor- 
 mation tends but little to gratify public curi- 
 osity; on the contrary, it only serves to puzzle 
 spccuhition and render conjecture more vague 
 and more ineft'ectiial.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FROM 1772 TO 1777. 
 
 3Ir. Home r^esigns his Goivn, and retires to a 
 
 Cottage — His Studies — Contests ivith the 
 
 House of Commons — Tried for a Libel. — • 
 
 Characters of 3Ir. Thurlow and Lord Mans- 
 
 field, — Sentence of the Court of King's Bench. 
 
 WE have thus heheld Mr. Home busily oc- 
 cupied in all the various political contests of this 
 period. There seemed to be no end to his la- 
 bours ; one controversy gave birth to another ; 
 and the triumph over a single foe, produced a 
 dozen of new combatants. 
 
 Meanwhile, the current of existence glided on 
 apace,varied from day to day, and from year to year, 
 by the professional duties attached tohis chapelry 
 and the occurrences of the times, in which he con- 
 tinued, as usual, to take an active and conspicu- 
 ous share. But he had now attained a period 
 of life, when prudent men are carrying their
 
 177 -• l^IfE or JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 41 7 
 
 theories into practice, and coiiij)lctii!i; tlio outline, 
 wliich they have sketched out for themselves at 
 an earlier period. The aije of thirtv-sevcn, if it 
 still possesses something of the hloom of voiith, 
 at the same time jrenerallv exhibits somewhat of 
 tlie sobriety of senility ; and yet, stranjje as it 
 may ap])ear, at that advanced j)eriod, Mr. Home 
 had actually a profession to look for. True, 
 he had been bred to the church, and btill j)os- 
 sessed a living ; but the duties were not suffi- 
 ciently numerous to occupy his attention, or the 
 revenues so extensive, as to prove fully ecjual 
 even to his very jnoderate habits of ex])euse. 
 By the publication of his letter from Mont- 
 pelier, all hopes of professional preferment were 
 cut off, while, at the same time, he had rendered 
 liimself one of the most marked men in the 
 kingdom, by his recent controversy witli Mr. 
 Wilkes. A consciousness of the injustice result- 
 ing from this latter circumstance, perhaps, might 
 in some measure have soured his temper, and 
 rendered him but little desirous of the applause 
 of the multitude during the renKtindcr of a long 
 life. 
 
 But, if Mr. Wilkes and his partisanf; had, at 
 this period, fairly cried h'lm down, by the syme 
 arts they had ]}ractised \\\\\\ c(jual success 
 Hgaiu'^t three successive administrations, there 
 
 vol.. 1. 2 E
 
 418 tiFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. t'^fT^ 
 
 were not wanting a number of friends, attached 
 to him from principle, zealous for his interests^ 
 and eaa:er to serve him. These, conscious of his 
 great and commanding talents, were of opinion, 
 that all Ti-ow wanting for complete success, was^ 
 a theatre in which they might be exhibited tc 
 advantage; and that this theatre, was the Fo- 
 mm, in which, like the great oratofs of ancient 
 Rome, and the great lawyers of modern Eng- 
 land, he might be able to advocate the cause ot 
 a numerous body of clients, and aspire to the. 
 first honours of the state. Accordingly, botlr 
 his father and mother being now dead, so that 
 he was no longer withheld by those filial ties, 
 to which every ingenuous mind will pay due at- 
 tention, he, at length, yielded to the whisper- 
 ings of ambition, and the solicitations of a num- 
 ber of respectable men. That he might not be 
 unprovided with the means of carrying his- 
 plans into efiecf, four of his friends, among 
 whom were two members of parliament *, agreed 
 to present him, until called to the bar, with 
 joint bonds for four hundred a year, which he 
 received most gratefully, but never asked for, 
 and never received a single shilling of this an- 
 miity during the whole course of his life. 
 
 * Mr. Sawbiidge and Mr. Townsend'.
 
 I/TS. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE; 41^ 
 
 Having- thus tinally made uj) his mind to be- 
 come a lawyer, he immediately determined to 
 rjuit the thnreh, lairly supposing, with the rest 
 ot mankind, that tliere was nothing indelihle in 
 this profession tliat could possibly prechide him 
 from becoming once more a layman, whenever 
 he was so disponed. Accordinglv, in 1/73, he 
 resigned his living of New Brentford with the 
 usual formalities, and wa** succeeded bv the re- 
 verend John Francis Randall, M. A. 
 
 Immediately after this, he hired a house in 
 the immediate vicinity, situate in Windmill 
 Lane. Here, at an age, that only wanted 
 thirteen years of completing half a century, he 
 commenced life anew, when others talk of retire- 
 ment ; and, having now abandoned one profes- 
 sion, he began, in good earnest, to qualify him- 
 self for another. Mr. Home carried with him 
 into jiis closet a variety of qualifications, which 
 few otlier men ever ])os!«!ess ; a thorough know- 
 ledge of the world and of mankind ; a compe-. 
 tent acquaintance with the classical languages ; 
 a bodv fitted \0\ nature for laborious study ; a 
 mind hii^hly glftctl, and enriched with various 
 uttainnjents. In addition to these, he always 
 evinced a wonderful degree of j)ersonal intre- 
 pidity, coupled with a consciousness of, and u 
 perfect reliance on his own talents. t(»gelher with 
 
 2 K 2
 
 420 LIFE OJ .rOIIN HORNE TOaKE. I^T^- 
 
 ail intimate acquaintance with the labours of 
 some of the greatest English lawyers. Of these, 
 he chiefly valued lord chief justice Coke^ the 
 learned expounder of the works of Lyttleton, 
 and himself an authority of tlie first magnitude: 
 a judge, the former part of whose life was in- 
 deed somewhat tarnished by servility ; hut let 
 it be recollected, that, in the same age, his rival, 
 the illustrious Bacon, condescended to act the 
 part of a sycophant ; and that, while the latter 
 slunk into the grave^ with his ermined robe 
 tarnished by corruption, the former, resuming 
 his natural independence, eminently distin- 
 guished himself as a jurist and a legislator. 
 
 It was here, too, that the ex-minister of New 
 Brentford instituted a strict inquiry into hU 
 own affairs, and determined to begin his new 
 career, where most men generally end. He 
 had often, like other reformers, preached up that 
 doctrine to the state,wdiich they themselves do not 
 i^always practise in respect to their own domestic 
 ** concerns ; to balance income by expenditure, and 
 thus husband their resources with a view of meet- 
 ing the pressure of future exigencies. He now 
 hecajiie a severe economist; paid all his bills 
 every Monday morning ; audited his accounts with 
 all the circumspection of a master in chancery; 
 Juul projected a variety of useful improvements
 
 177^- I'lVE OF JOHN IIOKNE TOOKE. -1^1 
 
 in the management of his little honsehold for the 
 cnMiing- week! On this suhject I have heen told 
 a little anecdote, I)y a near relation, which may 
 he deemed lar too minute I)v those who can 
 consider any occurrence trivial, that aj)|)ertains 
 to an oriiiinal character, or an\ thhiir mean 
 ynd pitiful, which is connected with ind9- 
 pendence. Perceiving, that in the charges 
 hrought against him hy his cook, who appears 
 to have heen, at the same time, his h(msekee])er, 
 he Avas continually puzzled with the articles of 
 '• greens," '' cahhagcs," " cauliflowers," and " sal- 
 lads," which had their usual accompaniments 
 of "oil," " vinegar," " njustard," " pepj)er," and 
 *' salt;" he determined to curtail these, partiv to 
 save himself the trouhle of summing up their 
 amount, and j)artly for the pnij)ose of living 
 within his means of suhsistence. lie accord- 
 ingly gave instiTJCtions to diminish the (piantiiy 
 ot garden stuff, uhich, according to apj)ear- 
 ances, wouki iiave j)roved sufficient to feed an 
 elephant. 'J'his injunction was olxvcd ujtii 
 seeming readiness for a few days ; hut, after the 
 lajj'se ot some time, Molly's former charges, iii 
 the shape and form of j)ot-hooks ai.d hanu:ers, 
 began to recur as usnak On tlijs, he restrained 
 these delicacies of the tahli- lo Sundavs ; hut, 
 tndinc; that otiier days also heiran to he con-
 
 422 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. IffS' 
 
 sidered as festivals, he called up this domestic, 
 and, with his usual gravity, assured her, " that he 
 had made a most sacy^ed vmv, neither to eat, 
 nor admit at his table, of any vegetables what- 
 soever, produced within five miles of Brentford." 
 On this, the most implicit submission was ever 
 after paid to his commands, as the servant, who 
 had been cheating him without remorse, became 
 immediately terrified at the idea of being impli- 
 cated in any thing seemingly connected with the 
 solemnities of religion. 
 
 It was in this peaceful retreat also, that Mr. 
 Home addicted himself to those studies, whence 
 he afterwards derived so much reputation. His 
 philological pursuits, indeed, commenced at the 
 university, but it was here, that he arranged his 
 papers, supplied chasms, enlarged his plan, and 
 laid the foundations of his future work on the 
 English language. 
 
 While Mr. Ilorne was thus occupied, he was 
 suddenly called from his literary and legal la- 
 bours, by the voice of friendship; and his assist- 
 ance was not invoked in vain; for we shall now 
 behold him, on a critical and delicate occasion, 
 acting on his own original plan, and effecting 
 his purpose, in a manner and by means pecnliar 
 to himself. 
 
 Mr. William Tookcj^ a man of considerable
 
 1774. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKli. ■\2ij 
 
 foitunej with whom lie had hcen hing imiiiiate, 
 and who, during his controversy with Mr. 
 Wilki's, liad borne ])ublic tc>^ti^^OJly to his ho- 
 nour and inti'grity, hard purchased tlie estate of 
 l*nrk'v, situate near (iodstone, in tijc county ot 
 Surrey. This circunistancxi had given hirtli to 
 many disputes with Mr. Do (irev, a neighbour- 
 ing gentleman, of great influence, who'-e lands 
 joined, and who, as lord of the manor, claimed 
 a ])aramount jurisdiction over certain parts of 
 his newlv acquired ])roperty. Tiiey iiad con- 
 tended, in the courts of law, about lish-rponds 
 and common-rights ; and an attemjit was now 
 made, by means of an act of parliament, to settle 
 the dispute for ever. Accordingly, on Tuesday 
 tlie 10th of February, 177 -^y '^ '^'^1 ^^''is brought 
 in l)v sir Edward Astley, to enable Tbomas 
 De (»rev, esq., to enclose several common lands 
 and fields, in the counties of Norfolk and Surrey. 
 Mr. alderman Sawbridge immediately l)resented 
 a ])etition from W. Tooke, es(j., recpiesting de- 
 lay, on the ground that the usual notice had 
 not been given to the inhabitants, and tbat the 
 inclosures in (juestion, so far as regarded the 
 county of Surrey, would j)rove hlglily j)rejuili(ial 
 both to them and himself. It was also added, 
 that to pass this l)ill, while the title to j»ait ol 
 the lands wa*^ still in litigation. \n f)uld be iude-
 
 424 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1 "re- 
 
 cent and unprecedented, being highly detrimen- 
 tal to the interests of the petitioner and others. 
 This request, however, was not complied with ; 
 for the bill was ordered td be read again, on an 
 early day; and an intention was plainly evinced 
 of precipitating it through its various stages. 
 
 It w^as in this dilemma, that Mr. Tooke ap- 
 plied to Mr. Home, and earnestly entreated him 
 to interj)ose. He stated " his character as well 
 as fortune to be at stake, and hoped, that, un- 
 der the colour of an inclosure bill, he would not 
 be deprived of a large ])ortion of his estate, 
 which was chiefly valuable on account of his 
 right to ffitten shee]) on the neighbouring downs." 
 Mr. Home, from whom I learned these par- 
 ticulars, immediately replied, " that the mode of 
 procedure was easy and expeditious ; for the 
 court of parliament, like all other courts, was 
 governed by certain known rules ; and that as 
 these rules, in both cases, were always obviously 
 beneficial to the su1)ject : — nothing could be 
 more easy than to proceed by Avay of petition, 
 stating certain facts, whence specific grievances 
 were to be inferred, and ending with a prayer, 
 to be heard by counsel against the bill." 
 
 " All this has been already done without ef- 
 fect : we have been accused of dilatoriness and 
 neglect ; our prayer is refused ; to-morrow is
 
 irr^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 405 
 
 assigned for the last reading of the hill, ^hieh 
 will be carried nem. con., as I have nohoilv to 
 support 111-; and I ^hall he still more luirt in 
 mind than in fortune ; for, in addition to the in- 
 justice of the measure^ my jiride is deejtlv in- 
 terested." 
 
 '" I understand you ; you have heen uantin^ 
 in regard to the furms of the house; your case 
 is desperate ; and, there lieing no hopes, you 
 prefer a quack to a regular physician, and so 
 liaA'e conic to me. As to the justice of vour 
 own cause, and the conse(|uent injustice of that 
 of your opponeiit, this is the usual language of 
 all litigants, on both sides of every (piestion, 
 both legal and ])olitical : it is hut fair, however, 
 that time should be given to inquire into jiarti- 
 culars, and see whether, in realitv, this roll of 
 ])arclnnent, of which you complain, and which 
 Mill be omnipotent in vom- case, when sanc- 
 tioned by the authority of king, lords, and com- 
 mons, will, in reality, rob von of the chief ad- 
 vantages y(JU hojie to derive Iroiii '.our posses- 
 sions at Parley. I have a jihui in my mind for 
 your relief, which, if it meets your ;!])prol)a- 
 tion, &c " 
 
 '* Any thing you may he pleased io suggest, 
 will most assuredly meet my entire ajtjirobation. 
   — You have a plan, you say r — 'I'his i^ snHi- 
 cient ; I already antici})atc my trimnjih ' "
 
 426 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1774. 
 
 Mr. Horiie, on this, communicated his project, 
 which he frankly confessed to be a desperate 
 one, yet it was the only feasible mode, he could 
 possibly recommend. " It is absolutely neces- 
 sary, in tliis case," he observed, " by some pub- 
 lic act, to excite the attention of the house to 
 the object, and of the public to the house ; and, 
 if the facts have been correctly stated to me, the 
 bill shall not pass. To accomplish this end, I 
 intend," added he, " to bej^in by writing a libel 
 on the speaker." 
 
 *' A libel on such a man as sir Fletcher 
 Norton ?" 
 
 " Yes, precisely on him ; for I well know, 
 that inquiry will tben be made, and tbat he will 
 not sanctify a dishonest act : as for the conse- 
 quences, I am well aware of, and take them all 
 upon myself." 
 
 Mr. Tooke having again signified his cordial ' 
 cooperation and assent, Mr. Home sat down, 
 and in an address, consisting of a i^w spirited 
 paragraphs, drawn up in the form of a letter, 
 signed '* Strike but Hear!" detailed the leading 
 facts. In the course of this composition, he 
 also endeavoured to render the whole as offen- 
 sive as possible. This was inserted, as had been 
 planned, in the Public Advertiser of next day ; 
 and, as that was a paper in the hands of all 
 parties, it occasioned no small degree of specu-
 
 l/T*- ' LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOO^E. A'l^ 
 
 iatioii. The boldness of the asseriions, the 
 terseness of the remarks, und the ability of the 
 general statement, attracted the notice of every 
 one, while the ontratred diernitv of the lionsc, 
 and the imj)ending- fate of the printer, served ta 
 excite general cnriosity. In tlie evening, both 
 the house and gallery were full ; and soon after 
 the sjieaker took the chair, the newsjjujier jnst 
 mentioned was handed uj) to him. Instead of 
 })roceeding, as usual, with the order of the day, 
 which comprehended the inclosure bill in (jueS' 
 tion, there was a general cry of privilege! pri- 
 vilege ! move ! move ! 
 
 On thi'i, a member arose, and, after descanting 
 in fluent language on the consequence of pre- 
 serving the rights and privileges of the commons* 
 house of j)arliament, read " the odious, (lelil)eri»tc, 
 false, scandalous, and malicious attack," which 
 had been made on their riiibts and juivilegcs. 
 Amidst loud and fre(juent clieering, he verv 
 properly stated, that a libel on the speaker was 
 a libel on the whole Ixjdy of the commons of 
 England; and concluded with a motion, in the 
 usual form, "that Henry Sampson Woodfall, 
 ))rintcr of the Public Advertiser, do attend at 
 the bar of that house on the .succeeding day." 
 Accordinalv, the order being served in due form, 
 \\^ apj)earcd, and was introduced with the \isua|
 
 428 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1774. 
 
 ceremonial ; when, being interrogated as to par- 
 ticulars, he allowed, '' that he had received and 
 printed the letter, concluding with the words, 
 'strike but hear;' and that he was then, and is 
 now, fully authorized by the author himself, to 
 give up his name and place of abode." The 
 speaker then having desired him to proceed, he 
 said " it was Mr. John Home, wlio was, at that 
 Tery moment in the gallery, ready to answer for 
 himself." 
 
 The name and talents of the offender, the 
 avowal of the act, his presence, and his known 
 intrepidity, were all calculated to produce a 
 certain degree of astonishment ; and sir Fletcher 
 Norton, who then so ably filled the chair, is 
 said to have observed to a member in a whisper, 
 *' that he was astonished what he could have 
 done to produce the enmity of a man of such 
 abilities !" 
 
 As the supposed culprit was hated by all 
 parties, it w^as matter of no small triumph, that 
 this literary Sampson had delivered himself up, 
 seemingly bound hand and foot, to the Philis- 
 tines ; moderate men were astonished at his 
 indiscretion, while others were anxious for his 
 immediate punishment ; but those, who had de- 
 termined to carry through the inclosure bill, al- 
 ready trembled for its fate : they knew that this
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. .i'2i^ 
 
 action, rash as it inii;lit seen), was connected 
 with that measure ; and they already anticij)atcd 
 that the issue woukl prove unfavourable. 
 
 Amidst this conflict of passions, Mr. Home 
 was ordered to tlie l)ar, where, in an able speech, 
 in the course of whicli. all disrespect, either 
 J)er^onal or olhcial, to the speaker, was depre- 
 cated, he fnlly declared Iiis motives ; and 
 franklv owned, tliat he had been urired beyond 
 the usual bounds of discretion by hatred to oji- 
 jnession, on one hand, and zeal for his friend ou 
 the other. 
 
 After a long debate, he was remanded from 
 the bar, in custody of the serjeant at arms, 
 and bronixht up aiiain on the 17th, by which 
 period some additional evidence had been ob- 
 tained. On this occasion. Ids friend Mr. Dun- 
 ning, together with Mr. Burke, made use oi 
 their good office-. ; and, as the ])roof was incoii- 
 ( Insive, he was discharged on ])aving his fees. 
 This, he was accustometl then, and ever after, to 
 term a great harcKhij), as it had long before 
 Ifeen enacted, that no jailor siiould demand 
 fees of a prisoner detained upon an accusation 
 wliich Ikk! not been fully substantiated bv con- 
 >i(tion. 
 
 I5e that as it may, he fully eftc'cted his ])nr- 
 posc. Time had been now given for the house
 
 4'oG LtFE OF JOHN llORNE tOOKE. l/T^^ 
 
 to pause. The necessary measures were adopted 
 to stop the further progress of the bill ; and the 
 advocates for it being; heartily ashamed, all 
 the obnoxious clauses were either omitted or with- 
 drawn. On this, as on most other occasions, the 
 nation at large profited by the exertions of 
 this spirited individual ; for Mr. Dodswell im- 
 mediately moved and carried several resolu- 
 tions, now on the journals, to prevent all such 
 precipitate proceedings for the future. 
 
 It was thus, by the exercise of his talents, the 
 sacrifice of his personal liberty, and at the risk 
 of the utmost vengeance a house of commons 
 could inflict, that the subject of this memoii"* 
 rendered himself eminently useful to Mr. Tooke ; 
 and that s:entleujan, not content with the 
 warmest expressions of gratitude and esteem, 
 appears from this moment to have singled 
 him out as the heir to the fortune, Avhicli 
 he had preserved entire by his skill and in- 
 trepidity. 
 
 Mr. Home now retired once more to his 
 peaceful retreat, in the vicinity of Old Brentford, 
 where he applied himself assiduously to the study 
 of the law, and had already qualified himself for 
 the bar, when the rumour of an approaching 
 contest with the colonies discomposed his slum- 
 bers, suspended his labours, and, by rendering
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 431 
 
 him once more a ])C)liiiciaH and a patriot, finally 
 precliuled all hopes ot advancement in his nc\T 
 career. 
 
 The year 177^ ^^'i^^* n'-hercd in with an event 
 big with the nio'^t niinous consecjuences ; lor the 
 black and portentons cloud, which had so long 
 hovered above the trans-atlantic horizon, sud- 
 denly burst, and sjiread death, desolation, and 
 dismay around. But little delicacy is now re- 
 quired, while treating of an incident attended 
 with such calamitous effects to the ])eacc and 
 prosperity of the empire, as the colonial war, in 
 the condemnation of which all parties seem at 
 length to have mo^t cordially concurred. While 
 some were still perplexed with don})ts, and 
 others bewildered in deliberation, Mr. Home, 
 in the boldest and most decisive manner, de- 
 clared bib hostility to those measures, which led 
 to the fatal contest with America, and, not con- 
 tent with enjoying his own opinions in secrecy 
 and in silence, he determined to try if it were 
 possible to arouse the nation at large to a signid 
 manifestation of its indignation and displeasure. 
 It was his decided opinion, that some public 
 mark of disapprobation, would either wholly 
 prevent the war, or at least shorten its duration; 
 and, in either case, great and lasting advantages 
 iiuist accrue to hi.s native country.
 
 432 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 This gentleman had ever maintained, that, 
 according to the acknowledged principles of the 
 English constitution, taxation and representa- 
 tion were terms relative and inseparable from 
 each other. This doctrine, which seems to be 
 closely interwoven with the texture of our an- 
 cient gothic polity, is fully substantiated by 
 facts, as well as by analogy. It has been acted 
 upon, in two memorable instances, both of 
 Avhich have proved highly salutary and bene- 
 licial to the empire: the union with Scotland 
 and Ireland. Soon after the annexation of 
 Wales, that country, also, was empowered to 
 send knights, citizens, and burgesses to par- 
 liament; and there is a remarkable document 
 still in existence, that serves to demonstrate the 
 universality of the position, even when applied 
 to transmarine dominions, recently obtained by 
 conquest: for a writ was issued during the first 
 year of the reign of Edward VI, enjoining the 
 inhabitants to return a member for the town of 
 Calais'*. 
 
 * " Edwardus Sextus Dei gratia, &c. dilectis et fidelibus 
 subjcclis deputato et consilio villae suae Calisias salu- 
 tem, &.C." 
 
 The return to the writ was: 
 
 " Per assensum et consensum tofius comitatis villce vestrae 
 Calisias predictae et Marehiarum ejusdem unum hominem de 
 nialioribus et di^cretioribus villie yestrae Calisiae predictte
 
 i/TJ- MFE OF JOHN HOUSE TOOKE. 43.') 
 
 Consideiiiii;: the ct)Ioiiie«; a>^ not only ag- 
 grieved, but outraired, Mr. Hunie was tin? first 
 to sound the trumpet of alarm; and, in this 
 respect, was but tlie precursor of many of our 
 )iiost celebrated patriots, orators, and statesmen ; 
 for he only anticipated the sentiments of a 
 Saville, respectable alike for his talents and 
 his virtues; of a Ivockiiiijliam, mild, but reso- 
 lute, surrounded with riches and honours, yet 
 firmly attached to the liberties of his country 
 and the interests of his fellow men; of a Hich- 
 inojul, bold, contentious, ])crseverinir, and as vet 
 unaltered by the possession of power; of a Shel- 
 burncj acute, subtle, ingenious, fraught with 
 the maxims of exj)erience, and re])lete with 
 political information. This powerful band was 
 rendered illnstriou^s l^y the still venerated name 
 of William Pitt, earl of Chatham, then fast de- 
 scending to his grave ; while it received new vigor, 
 from the accession of another William Pitt, 
 already exhibiting a precocious genius, and just 
 bloondng into manhood; of a Fox, suddenly 
 rising above the prejudices of family, as well as 
 of education; and, lastly, of a Burke, eloquent, 
 inetaphy»>ical, didactic; but lately rescued from 
 
 elegi fecimiis, vidclicil Tliomam Fo\vl«»r dtcne villac vestrsp, 
 generuruii) ad asscnJcii({iiin burgensein ad parliamentum vcs* 
 trum," &c. 
 
 VOL. r. 2 r
 
 434 LIFE OF JOHTS HTORISE TGOKE. 177 J ^ 
 
 Hnineiited obscurit)' by tbe head of the house of 
 Wentworthj and who, even now, began, in bold 
 and energetic htnguage, to invoke, not only the 
 curses of tlie nation, but the vengeance of tbe 
 Deity, on the authors, advisers, and instigators 
 of this impolitic contest. 
 
 Such were the men with whom the subject of 
 these memoirs united in opinion, on the present 
 occasion, and might have acted without a blush ; 
 but he had for some time kept aloof from all 
 parliamentary connexions, and he was now fated 
 to prove by example how difficult it is for a 
 single individual, to maintain a solitary inde- 
 pendence, even in a free country. Singular 
 on all occasions, he appear?* to have been the 
 only public man of that day, who was ])unished 
 for opposition to the war with America; and, 
 what can only arise from the genius and nature 
 of our government, he was crusi4ed between two 
 contending parties, by one of which he hap- 
 pened to be hated, and by the other disowned. 
 
 Jt has already been observed that, on the disso- 
 lution of the association for maintaining the 
 *' Bill of Rights," in consequence of the dispute 
 about Mr. Wilkes, another was soon after 
 formed, under the denomination of the " So- 
 ciety for Constitutional Information;" and it 
 was determined by Mr. Home, that this should
 
 ^775. LIFE 0¥ JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 436 
 
 serve as an eiiijine, to express fully, loiullv, and 
 energetirally, the detestation of liiinself, his 
 friends, and, if possible, the nliolc nation, at the 
 measures then adopted, for subjugating the re- 
 fractory colonics. 
 
 Accordingly, as a skirnnsh had occurred, 
 during which several Americans werc killed, he 
 proposed, at the next meeting, that a subscrip- 
 tion should l)c raised " for the relief of the 
 widows, and orphans, and aged parents, of our 
 American fellow-subjects, murdered by the king's 
 troops at Lexington and Concord*, doubtless 
 
 * " King's Arms Tavern, Coniliill, June 7,1775. 
 " At a special meeting, this day, of several members of the 
 " Constitutional Society, during an adjournment, a gentle- 
 " man proposed that a subscription should be immediately 
 " entered into (by such of the members present who might 
 " approve the purpose) for raising the sum of one hundred 
 " pounds, to be applied to the relief of the widows, orphans, 
 •' and aged parents, of our beloved American fellow-sub- 
 " jects, who, faithful to the character of Englishmen, pre- 
 " ferring death to slavery, were, for that reason only, inhu- 
 " manly inurdtred by the king's troops at or near Lexington 
 " and Concord, in the province of MassachAsets, on the 
 " 19th of last April; which sum being immediately col- 
 " lected, it was thereupon resoUed, 'That Mr. Home do 
 " pay lo-inorrow, into the hands of Messrs. Brownes and 
 " Collinson, on account of Dr. Franklin, the said sum of one 
 " hundred pounds ; and that Dr. Franklin be requested to 
 " ''PP'y ^^^ same to the above-mentioned purpose.' 
 
 " JOH.V IIoUNE." 
 
 A stranger, who \\:\< afterwards discovered to be sir Stc» 
 
 2 F 2
 
 4^6^ LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17T^' 
 
 lloping"j that if this measure should become ge- 
 neral, the ministers would be rendered unable 
 to proceed in their impolitic, and, as it after- 
 wards proA'ed, fatal career. The motion being 
 put and carried, and the sum of one hundred 
 pounds agreed to be advanced ovit of the stock- 
 purse; nothing no-w remained but the usual 
 ceremonial of affixing the name of the chairman 
 to the advertisement; but this was declined by 
 the jjentleman who then officiated in that ca- 
 pacity, and, although most, if not all, approved 
 the proposal, no one present seemed desirous to 
 take upon himself the^ responsibility annexed to 
 such a strong measure. On this, Mr. Home, 
 ever foremost in the hour of danger, immedi- 
 
 phcn Theodore Jarrsen, having, soan after, trjmsmittecl a 
 sum of money, by way of subscfiplion, in aid of this object, 
 Mr. Home published the following note, in the " Public Ad- 
 vertiser," on the 8th of July: — 
 
 " I think proper to give the unknown contributor this no- 
 *• tice, that I did, yesterday, pay to Messrs. Brownes an*! 
 " Collii^son, on the account of Dr. Franklin, the sum of 
 ♦^ fifty pounds, and that I will write to Dr. F'raiiklin, re- 
 " questing him to apply the same to the 'relief of the wi- 
 " dows, orphans, anfi aged parents, of our beloved American 
 *' felIow-subject>s, who, faithful to the character of Euglish- 
 " men, preferring death to slavery, were, for that reason 
 " only, inhumanly murdered, by the king's troops, at or near 
 ** Lexington aiut Concord, in the province of INIassachussets, 
 
 " on the 19th of last April.' 
 
 " John Horne.'*
 
 177^- LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 437 
 
 ately snatched up a pen, and coinjdcted the act, 
 by adcHiii: liis own slii:nature; after which the 
 re-sohition was immediately transmitted to seve- 
 ral newspapers for insertion. 
 
 The a])])earance of such a docninient of course; 
 excited considerable surprise and astoniiihment, 
 and it is reallyamazini; howanygovernment could 
 have remained quiet, even for a single dav, after 
 such an oti'ensive publication. However, it was 
 deemed more eligible, at ])rosent, to overlook 
 tlie transgression, and suffer this measure to 
 fall into oblivion: for, as yet, the Americans 
 could not be said, with any degree of pro- 
 priety, to have rehelkd against the authority 
 of the mother country. IVne it is, that both 
 houses of parliament had addressed liis majesty, 
 on the present state of tiie British colonies in 
 America, and the commons had stated, Feb. 6, 
 1/75: '* that a part of his majesty's subjects, in 
 the province of the Massachusset's Bay, have 
 proceeded so far as to lesist the authority of th.e 
 sujireme legislature, and that a rebeliiun at this 
 time actually exists within the province;" but this 
 was merely declaratory, and, in j)oint of law, 
 did not constitute them rebels. No proclama- 
 tion, on the part of the executive, had as yet 
 been is-^ued, to ibis purpose; and the com- 
 mander-in-chic 1' in Ameiica, instead oi" bo de- 
 nominatiuL'" the actor^ on that occasion, had as-
 
 438 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 17/5. 
 
 signed a distant day for their submission, be- 
 yond which the gnilt of treason was supposed 
 to be incurred. This, therefore, might be con- 
 sidered by many, and even construed by a jury 
 into an ordinary riot, in consequence of an 
 affray between a detachment of soldiers and a 
 body of the populace: even prudence, perhaps, in 
 a case such as this, would preclude an appeal to 
 a court of justice, as a verdict against the crown 
 might have been accompanied with the most 
 fatal effects. 
 
 However, in the course of time, the premier 
 of that day exhibited greater boldness. No 
 sooner did the majorities in parliament increase, 
 by the aid of the country gentlemen, some of 
 whom were seduced by the selfish hope of a re- 
 duction of the land-tax, and the then popular 
 notion, that America was to contribute towards 
 the burthens of the mother country, than stouter 
 measures were recurred to. The Americans 
 were then openly denounced as guilty of trea- 
 son, and proclaimed rebels; while a severe re- 
 trospect was taken in regard to domestic of- 
 fenders. On this occasion, no man appeared 
 fitter to become a sacrifice, than one who had 
 by turns opposed, and was discountenanced by 
 all parties; and in whose fate, therefore, no 
 public body could possibly be interested. 
 
 Having, accordingly, selected the victim,
 
 17r5- IIFE OF JOHN HORSE TOOKE. 43[) 
 
 the necessary measures for a prosecution were 
 at length adopted, and the supposed delin([nent, 
 wlio was then peaceably eatin«^ his coffujwn.s in 
 the liall of the Inner Temple, and imairined 
 that his misdeeds had hy this time been forgotten, 
 suddenly found himself within the iron i;Tasp of 
 tlie attorney-general. 
 
 This honoural)le, imjwrtant, and nngracions 
 otHce was then occupied by a singular character, 
 Edward, soon after ennobled by the title of 
 IoitI Tlmrlow. Although negligent of his stu- 
 dies during his youth, yet he was fortunate enough 
 to acquire the reputation of considerable talent*. 
 Allured at length from indolence, by the Siren- 
 voice of ambition, he suddenly attained profes- 
 j^ional and parliamentary eloquence, and liis 
 talents, ])roy"ing fully commensurate with Ids 
 station, soon justiiied all the hopes that had 
 been formed of him. Bold, stern, inflexible, 
 his sombre countenance was generally clothed 
 in terrors. His look was calcidated to aj)pal 
 the guilty, while, from his bnshy eyebrows, he 
 seemed to scowl dismay even on innocence. 
 Yet, underneath this forbidding guise, he is said 
 to have occasionally entertained sentiments of 
 compassion; to have discerned and respected 
 genius; and to have sometimes rescued obscure 
 nterit from the pressure of poverty and coutenipt,
 
 44a LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l//^. 
 
 He was at this moment placed on a professional 
 eminence, whence he already discerned the seals, 
 the ermined robe of authority, and the future 
 honours that awaited him. 
 
 Become at length chancellor, he seemed to bo 
 clothed with frowns rather than with dignity; but 
 in that character he is still remembered for the 
 deterndned stand made in behalf of a king, 
 while visited by the severest of all human 
 afflictions; and the spirited assertion of tlie 
 merits of his own order, in opposition to the 
 spurious pretences of an equivocal ancestry, half 
 royal and half meretricious. 
 
 Yet, on the other hand, he never distinguished 
 himself either as a great lawyer or a great states- 
 man. In the former capacity, he has not left 
 any professional Avoik, by which his name will 
 he known hereafter; and in respect to the latter, 
 it can never be said of him^ as of one of his pre- 
 decessors, that he was the author of a bill, every 
 line of which was worth a subsidy; nor can it 
 he affirmed, in the language applied to another, 
 that he dispensed blessings by his life, and 
 planned them for posterity. 
 
 Such was the man — such the great officer of 
 the crown, with whom Mr. Home was now 
 destined to contend, and at a time too, when^ 
 replete with health and vigor, the former was
 
 17r3« LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 441 
 
 liastenlnL;' lor tlie goal, jiauting; with expecta- 
 tion, and already anticipating those honours, 
 ivhich were now thickening- around hiui*. It 
 will be seen hereafter, that, when all the dreams 
 of ambition had been gratified, and all political 
 enmities had ceased, these two great men min- 
 gled in the pleasures of social life, and well knew 
 how to appreciate the virtues and the talents of 
 each other. 
 
 His judge proved to be William Murray, earl 
 ot Mansfield. This nobleman was now in the 
 decline of life, for more than sixty winters had 
 shed their snows upon his head ; but the roses and 
 lilies had not yet forsook his cheeks ; and the 
 lustre of his complexion was augmented by 
 means of eyes that seemed to sparkle with ge- 
 nius. His person, if somewhat below the exact 
 standard of beauty, was yet exquisitely formed; 
 his motions were graceful ; his dress neat, be- 
 coming, and approj)riate. He also possessed a 
 voice rejdete with music in all its various mo- 
 
 * A learned doctor of the church of England, happcninfr 
 to sketch his portrait, during a period of political intrigues, 
 has perhaps undesignedly distorted the features. " Corpore 
 ipse uigens, aniini iuin)o<licus, verbis njagnifitus, et specie 
 in aniuu) magis (juani sapieiitia validus, .studia ad se opt!n)a- 
 tiuin illexit, earnque adcptus est aiictoritatcni, quie hoiiiiui 
 jiovo profacundia esse posset," &,c.— /V(/a/. ad Bcllcnd.
 
 443 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^- 
 
 dulationSj and was environed with a certain ap- 
 pearance of dignity, that struck all heholders 
 with awe and veneration. 
 
 Born in Scothmd, and educated at Oxford, 
 he was indebted to a variety of fortunate cir- 
 cumstances for his rise; and to the munificent 
 friendship of an English nobleman *, for the 
 means of pursuing and adorning his profession. 
 
 Certain incidental circumstances, early in life, 
 led to attachments of an equivocal and danger- 
 ous kind : an elder branch of the family -j-, acted 
 as the confidential secretary of the grandson of 
 James II ; and he himself was accused, in full 
 parliament, by a peer J of the realm, of having 
 drank success to the pretender, on his bare 
 knees. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, by the chance-medley 
 of fortune, while the one brother was proclaimed 
 a rebel, for his attachment to the pretender, the 
 other became solicitor-general to the legitimate 
 prince ; and, in that capacity, after an eloquent 
 philippic against treason, readily obtained the 
 
 * LorJ Foley. 
 
 f Mr. Murray, of Browjhton, the titular lord Dunbar, 
 whose talents are said to have been superior to those of the 
 earl of Mansfield. He is reported Jo have retained his 
 estates, by making certain disclosures sometime after the sup- 
 pression of the rebellion. 
 
 X Lord Ravensworth.
 
 177^' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4 13 
 
 condemnation of his cousin, lord Lovat, who, 
 by turns, and as it suited his interests, had 
 fought either for or against the reigning sovereign. 
 
 Praised and flattered by one of the greatest 
 poets * of the age, he was ushered into tlie world, 
 under the most auspicious circumstances ; 
 while an alliance with a powerful family f, gave 
 liim i'll that remained wanting to complete his 
 career — influence, opportunity, and connexions. 
 Accordingly, his rise was rapid ; so that, having 
 early in life attained the highest honours of his 
 profession, he soon became the patron of those 
 to whom he had been originally a client. 
 
 As a politician, notwithstanding the sup- 
 posed bias of early habits, he at first adhered 
 to Pelham and the whigs. On the accession 
 of his present majestv, he joined a party of a 
 different description \, : but, ou several occa- 
 sions, both sjioke and voted against the mini- 
 sters. Once, and once only, his conduct as a 
 peer attained a high degree of poj)ularity, and 
 was justly entitled to the claim of ])atriotism ; 
 for he opposed the two most shining characters ^ 
 t>f that dav, in their unconstitutional attempt to 
 
 * Pope. 
 
 f That of llie earl of W'inchelseii. 
 
 I The " kin'^'s frieiitls." 
 
 ^ Lords Ch.itham and Caaidcu.
 
 444 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE, ^77 O. 
 
 support the suspending and dispensing prero- 
 gative of the crown, in resjiect to the corn laws, 
 when they themselves Avere in power. 
 
 As a judge, his singular abilities, his almost un- 
 bounded knowledge, his sudden and seemingly 
 intuitive anticipations, added a kind of prescience 
 to his character, that astonished all beholders, 
 rendered him conspicuously eminent, and distin- 
 guished him from every great magistrate of that 
 day. On the other hand, those very qualities, 
 which constituted his chief excellence, were not 
 unaccompanied with others of a different kind ; 
 and even seemed necessarily to arise out of them. 
 His talent for discernment, occasionally ren- 
 dered him too quick in his conclusions ; that 
 genius, which atone time enabled him to unravel 
 error, and detect falshood, at another, made 
 him rather hasty in his decisions ; while a cer- 
 tain peremptory manner, acquired by the ascen- 
 dency of his character, seemed to constitute him 
 a dictator on that bench, where he ought only 
 to have exercised a limited and concurrent ju- 
 risdiction. 
 
 The lord chief justice was accused of leaning 
 towards those in authoritv. It was not a Home, 
 and a Junius alone, who propagated these opi- 
 nions. Sir John Willes, who afterwards pre- 
 sided in the court of Common Pleas, nrany year^-.
 
 irr^- I-IFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4-i.7 
 
 1)cf"ore, branded Iiiin .is a tory, a jacol)ite, and a 
 stickler [or arbitrary power. Alr.jiisticcYateSjOne 
 oF the ablest and most ii)corm})tible men of that 
 (lav, not onlv dissented from his notions of law, 
 but volnntarilv left the court of Kind's Bench on 
 
 a 
 
 that very account. 
 
 In respect to the doctrine of libels, which 
 may be fairly considered as the pnitfical part of 
 jurisprudence, he must be allowed to have fnisdi- 
 7'ec fed juries, as the law now stands, and as it 
 actually stood at that time, accordint!; to a great 
 and distinf^uished authority *. 'I'lie late decla- 
 ratory act on that .<5ul)ject, introduced by Mr. 
 Fox, was drawn up for the express purpose of 
 overturning his doctrines. Some other parts of 
 his conduct were said to be ccjuivncal in the ex- 
 treme. It was he, who afforded the first ex- 
 ample of a judge altering a recoid at his own 
 chainl)ers f ; at another time, he objected to, 
 and removed a juror :j:, by a sudden and hithert*) 
 unprecedented act of authority; and, on a third 
 occasion, he refused to execute the comnjon lav/ 
 against the secretary of a foreign minister^, until 
 forced by the s])irited intervention of Mr. attor- 
 ney-general Norton, and left in a minority on 
 his own bench. 
 
 * I/ord ranjden. -j In »lie case of iMr. Wilkes. 
 
 X Mr. Benson, in 1771. § Count Bruhl, in 1708.
 
 446 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l/f5- 
 
 His decisions, which are allowed to have not 
 only been in general able, bnt uniformly just, 
 when private individuals were the suitors, was 
 once set aside for misdirection in point of law*". 
 On another occasion, when the king's brother'l' 
 was a party, he appeared to lean towards the 
 cro^'VTi ; and, on a third — that of literary pro- 
 ])erty — he seemed to shrink from the contest^ 
 for he did not rise in the honse of lords to defend 
 his own j'ndgment against the reiterated at- 
 tacks of lord Camden. 
 
 On the otlier hand, his character, in many 
 particulars, stood deservedly high in the estima- 
 tion of the public. While attorney-general, he 
 gave up every douhtful point, because he would 
 not compromise the honour of the crown. As 
 a judge, he extended the operation of the com- 
 mon law, so as to obtain relief for the subject, 
 in a variety of instances, without recurring to the 
 ruinous expedient of an application to a court 
 of equity ; and, as a commissioner of the great 
 seal, he heard the appeals in the house of 
 lords with unexampled assiduity and dispatch ; 
 thus rendering justice, as it ought to be, 
 
 * In the action of Meares and Shipley, against Ansell, 
 during the summer assizes for Surrey, in 1774, when his 
 lordship admitted parole against written evidence. 
 
 t Duke of Cumberland.
 
 1*75. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 44f 
 
 both speedy and effectual, and preventing that 
 misery, beggary, and disgrace, attendant on ac- 
 cumulated causes and protracted litigation. Nor 
 ou^ht it to be forgotten, that to him we are in- 
 debted tor a new and important code *, ably 
 conceived, methodized, and digested, whicli, on 
 account of its wisdom and utility, entitles him 
 to the gratitude of a commercial nation. 
 
 This nobleman, who had been rendered, in 
 some measure, oilious, by re])eated attacks 
 on the part of lord Chatham, and two pam- 
 ])]ilcts, by lord Camden and Mr. Dunning, all 
 accusatory, as to a political bias, at length be- 
 came irritated, and proceeded further in vindi- 
 cation of the su})posed outrages against his 
 character, than any of his predecessors had 
 ventured, subsequently to the revolution. Ac- 
 cordinglv, in the case of '' A Letter on Libels 
 and Warrants," in which his own conduct, as a 
 judge, was impeached, he revived an obsolete 
 mode of construiig this into a contempt of 
 court, so as to enable him to decide in his 
 own case without the intervention of a jury. 
 In this, however, he was foiled ; and thus, for 
 a time, laid himself open to the im])Utation of 
 inclining to restore the practice of the star- 
 
 * Ttie Lex Mercatorla.
 
 44S LIFE or JOHN HORKE TOOKE. ^77^* 
 
 chamber, without either power or resolution 
 sufficient to enforce it. 
 
 Previously to the contest with Mr, Home, a 
 prosecution was commenced against the printers 
 of the several newspapers who had inserted the 
 obnoxious advertisement ; and as they had de- 
 termined not to appear contumacious, they, for 
 the most part, threw tlieraselves on the mercy 
 of the court. No sooner, however, did this 
 gentleman learn, that three of them were fined 
 one hundred pounds each, and that an informa- 
 tion had been filed against himself, as the au- 
 thor, on June 27, '^77^ y than he immediately 
 waited on i\Ir. attorney-general Thurlow, to 
 whom he observed, " that, as he did not mean 
 to pay for a copy of the proceedings, he insist- 
 ed on their being read to him." No sooner 
 w^as this complied with, than he retired, after 
 signifying his intention to plead his own cause 
 in person. 
 
 The trial of Mr. Home* took place at Guild- 
 
 * This was afterwards printed, with the following title : — 
 " The Trial at large of John Home, Esq. npon an Informa- 
 tion, filed ex-cjicio, by his Majesty's Attorney-General, for 
 a Libel, before the Right Hon. William Earl of Mansfield, 
 in the Court of King's Bench; published by the Defendant 
 from Mr. Gurhey's short-hand Notes. 
 
 " ' Nee bellua tetrior ulla est, 
 
 Quam servi rabies in libera colla? furentis.'"
 
 i'i77' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE; 449 
 
 hall, before the lord chief justice Mansfield, 
 July 4th, 1777. Ou the names of the special 
 jury being called over, it was found, that eleven 
 onU were present ; Mr. attorney-general there- 
 fore prayed a talcs. On this, the associate, 
 taking out a paper from a box containing the 
 names of the common jury, asked the defend- 
 ant if he had any objection to that man's being 
 sworn on the jury r Mr. Home immediately re- 
 plied : " I object to that name — and for this 
 reason : I desire that the box may be shut, 
 and shaken, and when that is done, I shall 
 have no objection to any name." This 
 j)ropo^ition, which is strictly consonant with 
 ancient practice, was immediately complied 
 M'hh. 
 
 After the jury had been sworn, the defendant 
 rose to request the decision of the court con- 
 cerning a point of ])ractice, and, on being per 
 niitted, bespoke the attention of " the gentle- 
 men ol" the jury ;" on which, lord Mansfield 
 observed, that '• if he bad any thing to say as to 
 the irregularity of the proceedings, he must ad- 
 dress himself to him ;"' but Mr. Horne perse- 
 vered, and eventually overruled the objection, 
 by exjilaining, that be meant not to appeal to 
 tlie jury in bcli::!! oi bi>5 arguments, but that^ 
 
 VOL. I. 2 <;
 
 450 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l777' 
 
 as he conld never, like some, suppose tliem to 
 ])e out of court, it was necessary to request their 
 observance. 
 
 He then stated it "to he the usual practice 
 and wholesome custom of the bench, in trials of 
 this kiad, that, unless the defendant examines 
 witnesses in his defence, his answer closes the 
 pleading ; and it is not usual in that case, that 
 the counsel for the prosecution should reply. 
 But, my lord," added he, " in the late trials of 
 the printers, for printing and publishing the 
 advertisement now in question, I observed that 
 Air. attcHHiey-general claimed and exercised the 
 peculiar privilege of replying, notwithstanding 
 that no witnesses^ had bceu called for the de- 
 fendant." 
 
 On this, be was told, by tlie judge, " that if 
 the suffering the attorney-general to reply is 
 against law, it is an irregularity in the trial, 
 for which the verdict will be set aside. You 
 will have a remedv." 
 
 Mr. Home. — " O, my lord I I have already 
 suffered under your lordship's directing me to 
 remedies. The most cruel of all poisoners, are 
 those who poison our remedies. Has your lord- 
 ship forgotten r I am sure you have ijot 
 
 forii:;ottcn, that 1 have once before in my life had
 
 1777- LIFE OF JOHN HORSE TOOKE. 451 
 
 tlie honour to be tried before your lordship for a 
 ])retended libel. My lord, this matter of reply 
 ] know full well to be the practice, not only 
 from tlie intelligence 1 have had upon that 
 sul)ject, but from that very trial at Guildford, 
 on the action brought against me by the pre- 
 sent lord Onslow. My lord, I could then have 
 contradicted his evidence. I will just mention 
 two or three particulars in this case. It was 
 the most scandalous one that ever came before 
 a court. Your lordship cannot forget the par- 
 ticulars in that trial. I was prosecuted by him 
 for a libel. On the first action which he 
 lirought, I obtained a nonsuit. U])on that, a 
 fresh action was brought. To that fresh action 
 (in order to try it in Surrey, where the plain- 
 tiff had his influence), in that fresh action, 
 words spoken a year or two before -were added 
 — words of a different nature, and upon a dif- 
 ferent subject. We came to trial before your 
 lord^liip ; and I do remember some very strong 
 cases (which, indeed, I intended to have pub- 
 li-^hed) of your lordship's practice in that trial. 
 But, my lord, however impatient I may be 
 thought to be, I am very patient under pei- 
 sonal injiirics. I have never complained of the 
 practices used against me on tliat trial, nor of 
 the mi'-takcs (to speak gently) which your 
 
 2 G 2
 
 4bl2 LIFE OF JOHN HOIINE TOOKE. ^777' 
 
 lordship made. Your lordship then told mc^ 
 
 as now, tliat I should have a rewier/// " 
 
 Lord Mansfield. — " If I remember right, you 
 had a remedy there, for it was determined not 
 to be actionable." 
 
 Mr\ Home. — " True, my lord ; but the re- 
 medy was almost as bad as the verdict would 
 have been." 
   Lord Mansfield. — " There must be an end." 
 Mr. Home. — " Not of this objection." 
 On this, the presiding judge declared it, — 
 *' not to be in his ])ower to de])rive the prosecu- 
 tor of his right to reply, if he sees cause to de- 
 sire it ;" and the attorney-general immediately 
 addressed the jury, in a long and elaborate 
 speech. He stated the present to be an infor- 
 mation brought against Mr. Home, for being 
 tfie original puhUsher of this libel. " The cir- 
 cumstance of his name being printed at the bot- 
 tom of the advertisement," added he, " is an 
 additional aggravation in this respect, because 
 it seemed to imply a bolder insult upon man- 
 ners and decency, and the laws of the country, 
 than the simple publication of that libel with- 
 out a name, would have been. I do not mean 
 to speak of it by way of derogation from the 
 parts and talents of the ingenious gentleinan — 
 no dou])t but he could have writ a better thine;;
 
 ^777- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 453 
 
 h«t his nnclerst'.inding was industriously let 
 down, and suppressed: and tlie very purpose of 
 this writing was, to make it ribuldrv^nd trash. 
 For tlie intention of it was (as it appe^irs to me) 
 Rothiug: more tlian to defy the laws and justice 
 ot the country, juochiiining:, ash were, thus: 
 either ])uni>li this libel, or confess that there 
 are no laws in a country hy wliich a lil^el can 
 be punished. Others have entertained sulfi- 
 cient malice aijainst this country. (Others have 
 been anxious enough to excite sedition ; hut 
 this is written chiefly for the purjiose of telling.' 
 mankind, 'tliusi dare do; I dare iuMilt the 
 laws, without havino- any earthly thinir to state 
 to the public, except an insult on the laws!' 
 
 Is it to be laid down tor law, or a thing to 
 be tolerated iu a ciyilized country, that crimes of 
 a most heinous sort shall l)c im])uted to men bv 
 a public reviler in a Mews])aper, who vet dares 
 not -stand forth as an accuser ? Is it to be to- 
 lerated in a country where an orderly <rovorn- 
 ment prevails, and wbile the form of ^oycrn- 
 mcnt subsists, to wilte airainst the transactions 
 of that moverniijcnt, as if stained witli all tlie 
 crimes under heaven, and calculated for no 
 earthly })nr])ose, but tliat of committijii^ those 
 crimes r To sup]>ress liberty (the only object 
 h;r \vhi( h L'overnment is, or ouuht to !)e erects
 
 454 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1777- 
 
 ed), to suppress that liberty by the means ot 
 murder_, is imputed to the transactions of the 
 government of the freest country now under 
 heaven! and it is called liberty to do that! 
 whereas men must be short-sighted indeed — a 
 man must be drivelling like an idiot, who does 
 not see that the maintaining of regular go- 
 vernment is the tme, the only means of main- 
 taining liberty." 
 
 On the examination of evidence, on the part 
 of the crown, the fact of publication was prov- 
 ed, and it appeared, that the defendant, on the 
 present, as on all former cases, had left his 
 name with the printer, in order that no innocent 
 man might suffer on his account. 
 
 After this, Mr. Hprne rose, and spoke as 
 follows : — 
 
 " I am much happier, gentlemen, in address- 
 ing myself to you ; and, I hope and believe, I 
 shall be much more fortunate as well as happy, 
 than in addressing myself to the judge. I have 
 been betrayed, I hope, into no unseemly warmth, 
 but yet into some warmth. I have felt myself 
 like a man first put into hot Avater, but I have 
 been long enough in it to be perfectly cool. 
 
 " I have listened to Mr. attorney-general's de- 
 clamation with as much patience, and, I be- 
 lieve, with much more pleasure, than any one
 
 1777- LIFE OF JOHN HORNK TOOKE. 45* 
 
 in court. That pleasure I do acknowledge 
 was personal, arising from the f utility of the 
 support wfiich Mr, attorney-general has nttenipt- 
 <?d to give to the serious charge which he has 
 brought against me — a pleasur-c, however, mix- 
 ed i^ith some pain, when we consider the wretch- 
 ed times at which we are arrived — when a 
 gentleman of his natural sagacity, is, I own, 
 justified by recent experience for sup])osing it 
 possible to obtain from a London jury, a ver- 
 dict for the crown, upon a mere common-place 
 declamation against scandal and indecency in 
 general, without one single syllable of reason or 
 iaw, or aigume«t, applicable to tin? partrcular 
 charge which he has brought agaiw-st mc, and 
 which yoQ are now u])on your oaths to decide. 
 
 "As for the charge itself, you cannot be ig- 
 norant that I am accused of the only unpardon- 
 able crime which can, at this time, be conimited, 
 I am accused of a Iil)e1. Mmdcr and sodomy, 
 you know, gentlemen, have, in these our <lays, 
 often found successful solicitors, a«d the laws 
 against popery (though unrepealed, and iii full 
 legal force) are, when resorted to, thought, by 
 the magistrate who ])residos here, too rigorous 
 to be sulfeied to have their free course atiainst 
 a religion so destnictive to the civil rights of 
 mankind, and ^^o favourable tr> absolute ^^nd
 
 456 LIFE OF JOHN HORKE TOOKE. 1777- 
 
 arbitrary power. But whilst that has been fa- 
 voured beyond the lavvs, nothing beyond the 
 laws has been thought rigorous and severe 
 enough against the charge of libel. Murder, 
 attended with the most aggravating circum- 
 stances, has been repeatedly pardoned ; and 
 treason, the blackest treason, against the family 
 on the throne, and, what is of more consequence 
 to us than any family, against the free consti- 
 tution of this country, has been not only pardon- 
 ed, but taken into favour ; and the estates of 
 convict traitors have been restored to them and 
 to their families. 
 
 " Whilst mercy and forgiveness, gentlemen, 
 have been thus flowing unnaturally, in a full 
 stream, over the highest mountains of iniquity, 
 lias any one of you ever spied the smallest 
 rivulet descending towards the valley of the 
 libeller? Has any man so charged, ever yet 
 met with mercy ? 
 
 " If the nature of the crime, and the rancour 
 with which it is pursued, afford a strong 
 reason for yo)ir particular caution, and care, and 
 attention, a much stronger reason indeed will 
 be afforded you by the nature of the prosecu- 
 tion. It is called an information ex-ojfficio — a 
 very gentle expression for a harsh thing; for, if 
 you examine the real force and consequence of
 
 1777^- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 4bJ 
 
 the term, as here applied, you will tind it to 
 contain every thiiiii- that run be iniai;ined iU 
 legal, unjust, wieked, and oppressive. For 
 my own part, I am astonished that any man, 
 at tliis time of day, exercising such ])o\vers as 
 are not according to law, and are much less 
 according to reason, shonhl talk to yon with 
 an open face, of integrity, of liononr, of duty, 
 of conscience ; and that, instead of aggravat- 
 ing and showing you in what my crime consists, 
 lie has employed half his harangue in boasting 
 of his own character. — Ex-officio, gentlemen, 
 means, a power to dispense with all the forms 
 and proceedings of the courts of justice, with 
 all those wise provisions which our laws have 
 taken to ju'event the innocent from being op- 
 pressed by exorhitatit and unjust power. 
 
 " An information means no more than an ac- 
 cusation, and hv this means the attorney-gene- 
 ral is enabled, contrary to the laws of the land, 
 to accuse whom he pleases, and what he pleases, 
 and when he ])leases. And (if he pleases) he 
 only accuses then), and never brings it to trial; 
 lie goes on harassing the subject witli informa 
 lion upon information, if he j)leases, and never 
 brings tliat man to trial. If, however, out of 
 his mercy, or out of his resentment, he does 
 thoosc at last to bring liim to trial, why, uvu-
 
 458 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1777' 
 
 tlemen, he in general tries it by whom he 
 pleases ; nay, if he sees some reason to suspect 
 that the verdict is likely to go against him, he 
 claims a right to stop it if he pleases, Avithout 
 any decision, by withdrawing a juror. And if 
 he loses the verdict, he pays no costs ! But 
 that is not all ; for, if he has convicted six, 
 seven, or eight men, for the same offence, he 
 exercises the sovereign power of pardon ; he 
 calls to judgment which of them he pleases, 
 and lets go such as he pleases. 
 
 " In the very first instance, contrary to express 
 law, and, what is much stronger, contrary to 
 the reason of that law, he has no recourse to a 
 grand jury, although sir John Hawles says, 
 * the true reason of a grand jury is, the vast 
 inequality of the plaintiff and defendant, and 
 therefore the law has given this privilege to 
 the defendant on purpose to make them equal 
 in the prosecution and defence, that equal just- 
 ice may be done between them. It considers 
 that the judges, the witnesses, and the jury, 
 are more likely to be influenced by the king 
 than the defendant, and therefore it is that the 
 law has ordered, that, at the king's prosecution, 
 no man shall be criminally questioned (this is a 
 criminal question), unless a grand jury, upon 
 their own knowledge, or upon the evidence
 
 1777- LI^E OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 45.9 
 
 given them, sluill give a verdict that they really 
 believe their accusation is true. 
 
 '*' I shall desire, by-and-bye, gentlemen, ibr 
 your satisfaction and mine, to endeavour to find 
 out, whether there is one num in the country 
 who believes me gnilty of the crime laid to 
 my charge — a crime of that nature, that is to 
 have a punishment, Avhich is called, by the law, 
 a temporarv death, an exclusion from society. 
 The apparent object of the prosecution is, to 
 t.ike V, hat little money out of my pocket I may 
 have there, and to imprison me, and to exclude 
 me from the society of which 1 have rendered 
 myself unworthy. However, I have the plea- 
 sure to see, that there sits a gentleman * by the 
 judge who is now trying me, who, as well as 
 myself, has charged the king's troops with mur- 
 der. The judge and that gentleman have 
 been laughing all tlie time of this trial ; they 
 have enjoyed each other's company exceedingly. 
 — [^ ^re^/^ laugh, for some minutes, of the whole 
 audience^ 
 
 *' But to return to my subject. If the ground 
 of the charge happens to be, as this is, * of all 
 plain and simple niatters that ever were laid 
 before a court, the most simple,' it is a very 
 strange circumsiance that the attorney-general 
 
 * Mr. Wilkes.
 
 460 LIFE OF JOHIs HORNE TOOKE. li^77. 
 
 should choose to have a special jury to try 
 a thing in which there is nothing special. 
 Special juries were never intended for that pur- 
 pose^ but to examine into merchants' accounts, 
 or any critical and nice matter ; and yet they 
 are always made use of in matters of libel. But 
 special juries are not fairly stnick ; they are 
 not taken indifferently from a book ; in my 
 case^ it might be called plcMng, rather than 
 striking a jury. A sheriflTs officer stands by 
 the solicitor of the treasurv, and if a name 
 which they do not like turns up, this ofBcer 
 says, 'O, sir, he is dead — he is too old — he has 
 become a bankrupt.' — 1 was told, in this man- 
 ner, that Mr. Sainsbury, my tobacconist, on Lud- 
 gate Hill, had been dead seven months, and it 
 Avas not until I observed that I Kad seen his 
 name, that verv dav, on a committee for the 
 Thames Navigation, that he was brought to life 
 again, and placed on the list. 
 
 ^' But if, after all, the attorney- general loses 
 the verdict, he pays no costs, while the misera- 
 ble, innocent man, thus harassed, must stand 
 by his costs, and they may be whatever the law 
 (Officers of the crown please to make them. But 
 this is not all ; for, in case of conviction, he 
 may aggravate the punishment. I was present 
 in court when the judge who now tries me, told
 
 IT77' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4b'l 
 
 tlie attorney-general, De Cirey, Avhen he moved 
 that Mr. ^^ ilkes niiizht he conunitted to the 
 King's Bench j)rison, ' the king';; attorney-gene- 
 ral may ehoose his prison : all the prisons are 
 the king's.' 
 
 •" But who is it that enjoys all these })Ower*> ? 
 It is the attorney-general ; now, who is the at- 
 torney-general r lie is said to he the king's of- 
 iicer ; l)nt he holds hisollice hy a very precarious 
 tenure : his future ]io])es are greater than those of 
 any man in this country ; his fears, therefore, 
 must he in ])roportion. But he is the officer of 
 the minister, not of the crown. There sits a 
 irentleman in this vcrv court who should now 
 have heen attorney-general *, (Ive lost not the 
 ]jlace for Avant of abilities,) who refused to take 
 a brief for the crown in this very cause, be- 
 cause he thought it scandalous, at the distance 
 of two vears and a quarter; he is an instance 
 of the doctrine, that if the minister goes out to- 
 morrow, out goes the attorney-general. 7'he 
 attorney and solicitor-general sit in the house 
 of commons, on each side of the premier — his 
 tw(j brazen ])illars, the Jachin and Boaz. 
 
 " (ientlemen, the particular unfairness oi' this 
 j)rosecution stionglv demands your attention. — 
 
 * Mr. Dunning, afierwarJs lord yVihburtuu.
 
 46*2 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1777' 
 
 The advertisement, now brought before you, 
 was published on the 19th of June, 177^* 
 Observe, too, the charge is not any harm 
 that it has done, but only a tendency. What! 
 come two years and a quarter afterwards to 
 prosecute for a tendency to mischief. Appeals 
 for felony, for rape, and for murder, must 
 be bronsht within a year and a day. Good 
 (xod ! if twenty years shall prescribe for trea- 
 son — if forty or sixty years for a landed es- 
 tate — if six, for a single contract debt ; if one 
 year for appeal in case of rape — shall not the 
 mere tendency of an insignificant libel in a 
 newspaper (if it was a libel, but it is not) — 
 shall not that be permitted a two years' pre- 
 scription ?" 
 
 After this, Mr. Home took occasion to notice 
 something that had dropped from the attorney- 
 general, about " not knoAving him ; " and re- 
 marked, tliat this very person had solicited his 
 acquaintance, through the medium of a common 
 friend*, then in court, and that they had sat 
 together from half past eight in the evening to 
 an hour considerably beyond midnight. He 
 added, that on a question -^ being asked, why 
 
 * Mr. Dunning. 
 
 f Most probably this relaUd to his advof ating the cause 
 of Mr. Wilkes.
 
 1777' i^IfE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4b'3 
 
 he had acted a certain ])art; "I told the gcn- 
 tkMiian, in the year 17^8, that there was a par- 
 ticular sect of rehgion, wliich of all others was 
 most ahhorrcTit from mv ])rincij)les and way of 
 thinking; hut, I ohservcd, persecute them to- 
 morrow, and I will declare mvself of that sect 
 the next day." This passed long hefore the 
 wicked advertisement alluded to; long before I 
 could foresee that the yVmericans were to he 
 treated as they have been. 
 
 " Every action in which I have been con- 
 cerned has steadilv been U])on one and the 
 same principle ; 1 have never had occasion to 
 uuppoit a friend or an acquaintance, to pro- 
 mote an election, or to vote, or to do any thing 
 for anv particular connexions; they have always 
 been absolute strangers to me, and men taken 
 
 up on the footing of oppression. Friends! 
 
 Yes, if friendship received from me could make 
 them my friends. But friends! No, if any 
 friend>hij) received from them was necessary to 
 make them so. My motive has been constantly 
 the same: I kuo>v no American. 
 
 " Gentlemen, I have been more concerned in 
 my library, than I have with the commerce of 
 men in the world; and I read there, when 1 was 
 very young, that when SoIoti was asked which 
 was the best government, he answered ' whevQ
 
 46'4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1777' 
 
 those who are not personally injiirtd resent and 
 pursue the injury or violence done to another^ 
 as he woukl do if done to himself.' — That he 
 said was the hest government; and he made a 
 law empowerins^ men to do so. Now, gentlemen, 
 we are happier, w^e are under a better govern- 
 ment; for our laws enjoined us to do wluit he 
 only empowered men to do. By our laws the whole 
 iieij^hbourhood is answerable for the conduct of 
 each : our lawsmakeiteach man's dutyand interest 
 to watch over the duty of all. This principle 
 and duty has been represented in me as a malice. 
 It is the only malice they will ever find about me. 
 They have in no part of my life found me in any 
 court of justice, upon any personal contest or 
 motive v.hatever, either for interest, or profit, 
 or injury. But to return, in this matter of 
 charging the king's troops with murder, there is 
 a very striking circumstance; and tliat, too, I 
 suppose the attorney-general will have forgotten* 
 It is well known, that, amongst other oppres- 
 sions and enormities that gave me pain, murders 
 (without any contest and dispute) conunitted 
 and pardoned gave me much. I caused the 
 .soldiers in St. George's Fields to be prosecuted — 
 the king's troops — for murder. I took them uj). 
 It was called no libel by the then attorney-ge- 
 jierali thev were tried for murder ; I did intend
 
 1777' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4^5 
 
 to have told you how they escaped — but they 
 were charged with luurder, and that, not only 
 in a court ot justice : 1 advertised it with my 
 sijjnature. 
 
 " It is notoriouslv known, that I chari:c<?d the 
 murder on the king's trooj)s by name. It was 
 not tliouglit a libel ; it was thought a very great 
 aHVoiit ; for these troops had been thanked, in 
 the king's name, tor their alacrity on the occa- 
 sion. What then, if the king's name had been 
 used to thank men for their alacrity, what then ? 
 There was murder committed ; I saw it Avitli 
 mv own eyes ; I saw many barbarities commit- 
 ted ; I might have been among the slain. Soon 
 after that, Mr. Stanley, a considerable officer in 
 the state, moved, in the house of commons, for 
 an act of parliament, to take away from the sub- 
 ject the right of ap])cal in the case of murder, 
 because I had caused a])peals to be brought ; 
 that is, I assisted the parties who brought them. 
 Tliis motion was supported by Mr. Selwyn. Mr. 
 Dyson, a lord of the treasury, declared himself 
 to be entirely of their opinion ; while the at- 
 torney-general, in his support of that motion, 
 had reviled the right of aj)j)eal in the subject 
 for ujurder, as a Got/tic custom! Why gentlc- 
 iiicn, so are all the rights and liberties, and va- 
 luable Jaws, which we have ; they are all Gothic ! 
 
 VOL. I. '2 H
 
 Abb LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^777- 
 
 But this was to be plucked out from amongst 
 the rest ; and because it is Gothic, that men 
 shall be punished for murder, because it is a 
 shackle on the king's mercy, murderers are not 
 to be punished ! 
 
 " Gentlemen, this attempt has a near affinity 
 with this prosecution of me, for a libel against 
 the government, for charging the king's troops 
 with murder. 1 beg your attention to the mat- 
 ter ; for you see they have got farther now in 
 their system and their doctrines ; and the mere 
 charging the king's troops with murder is to be 
 considered as a seditious libel against the king 
 and government ! The king's troops shall not 
 be charged with murder! Observe, then, what 
 follows: the king, perhaps, will not pursue; the 
 subject shall lose his right of appeal ; and you 
 shall not even dare to say, that the king's troops 
 have committed murder. 
 
 " I am told it is not for any of those charges 
 about subscription, payment, collection, &c. of a 
 sum of money, that I am prosecuted; but for 
 charging the king's troops with murder —there 
 the attorney-general said, ' he put his finger.' I 
 have not charged the king's troops with mur- 
 der : there is not any such assertion in the ad- 
 vertisement. Indeed, suppose the charge to be 
 tnie ; others had charged the king's troops with
 
 1777' LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 4Gj 
 
 this murder nine clays and more before my ad- 
 vertisement. The char2;e was authenticated in 
 the most formal manner : original affida\ its 
 taken on the spot, were lodged with the lord 
 mayor of London. The charge was not anony- 
 mous ; it was signed by the agent of the pro- 
 vince where the murders were committed : it 
 was signed by Mr. Arthur Lee ; he publicly 
 avowed it every where. 
 
 " But, gentlemen, although I did not make 
 the charge in the advertisement, to save trouble, 
 I am willing to have it so understood : 1 do 
 again make it now. Sup])ose then, if you please, 
 that I have charged the king's troops with mur- 
 der. Well ! what then : How follows the li- 
 bel against the king and the goverjiment 9 The 
 charge against me now is, that I have charged 
 the king and the government with murder. But 
 is that, which is meant to support the informa- 
 tion, to be found in the advertisement r Does 
 every man, that says a soldier has committed 
 jnurder, involve the king and government ? 
 
 " Gentlemen, 1 must entreat vou to recal to 
 your memory, in what light military execution 
 has alwavs hitherto been considered in this 
 country. — I refer you to the military execution 
 at Glenco ; and I jjublibhed the pamphlet on this 
 subject, that all the world might sec it, 
 
 2 II 2
 
 468 LIFE or JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 1777- 
 
 *^ On a commission of inquiry being instituted, 
 they reported, that the slaughter of the men at 
 Glenco, was a barbarous murder ; and, after 
 this, the parliament of Scotland voted it a bar- 
 barous murder! Now, then, gentlemen, I 
 irmst beg you to compare that doctrine concern- 
 ing Glenco, (which lias never been arraigned,) 
 with this doctrine of the attorney-general con- 
 cerning the soldiers at Lexington. But you 
 will be told, that it was no murder, because 
 
 there was a necessity for it Lord Stair said 
 
 the same for Glenco. But the king's troops are 
 now taken out of the equality with other sub- 
 jects ; and yet I have learned from Mr. justice 
 Atkins, ' that some judges are of opinion, that 
 before a trial or presentment, or acquittal, modo 
 legitimOj no action upon the case for slander 
 will lie ; it not being,' he says, * ripe for it till 
 an acquittal. By the same reason,' he says, * it 
 is not ready for an information, which is but 
 the king's suit — the reason being the same in 
 lioth.' So that if this be tnie, this prosecution, 
 gentlemen, is too soon as well as too late : too 
 st)on, because it precludes the inquiry into the 
 fact, ' whether murder or not, and too late, for 
 the reasons I have already given.'" 
 
 After the examination of some witnesses on 
 the part of Mr. Home, and the attorney-general
 
 I 777* ^I^E OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. AG^ 
 
 refusing: to be interrosrated bv bim as to matters 
 of evidence, tbe latter coininenced his reply, 
 wbitb was long:, laboured, and able. At the 
 conclusion, the jury withdrew about five o'clock 
 in the afternoon, and returned into court, halt 
 an hour after six, with a verdict, that the de- 
 fendant was " 2:uilty." 
 
 On Wetlnesday, Xovemlier 19, I777i the at- 
 tornev-ceneral moved for iudi^ment, on wliich 
 Air. Home arose and oifered his reasons against 
 it. 
 
 " My lords," said he, " 1 cannot mention 
 "what I have to say in arrest of judgment, with- 
 out first acknowlcda:ino- the obligations which I 
 have, and the thanks which I owe, to my prose- 
 cutor and to my judge ; for it is to them and to 
 the arguments whicli they used, in order to ob- 
 tain a verdict from the jury, that I am indebted 
 for the arguments which must prevent the judg- 
 ment. At tlie same time, it is but justice in me 
 to declare, that, whatever ill-founded doubts 
 might, at tbe beginning of the trial, have har- 
 l)oured in my mind concerning any personal en- 
 mity, hostility, or prejudice towards me, before 
 the close of tlie trial they were all entirely ef- 
 faced ; for enmity is not a supine and careless, 
 but an active and curious jninciph*, pro?n])ting 
 men to neglect notliing which may tend to pro-
 
 4*0 IIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177^. 
 
 duce the desired mischief. And your lordships, 
 I am persuaded, will see reason to believe with me, 
 that, so far from any common diligence having 
 been used against me, neither my prosecutor, nor 
 my judge, nor my jury, had ever so much as 
 pnce cast an eye over the information brought 
 against me ; for your lordships will instantly 
 perceive, by looking at the record, that I am not 
 therein charged with any crime* 
 
 '* After bespeaking the attention of the jury, 
 I, with a view to this, desired them to take the 
 information out of court with them. But, my 
 lords, when 1 heard the reply of Mr. attorney- 
 general, and the address of the judge to the 
 jury, I was no longer at a loss to understand how 
 it happened, that 1 could not see in the charge 
 against me, that criminal matter which they 
 imagined it to contain ; for 1 then heard, for the 
 first time, that there was an insurrection or re- 
 bellion in the colony of Massachuset's Bay ; that 
 certain persons — and those persons denomi- 
 nated king's troops — were employed by his ma- 
 jesty and by the government, for the purpose of 
 quelling that insurrection or rebellion ; that in 
 this their employment and service, an engage- 
 ment ensued between the said rebels or insur- 
 gents, and the king's troops so employed ; that 
 in this engagement certain of the said insurgent^
 
 1777- LIFE OF JOHN IIORNE TOOKE. 471 
 
 or rebels were blain Ijy the said king's troops ; and 
 tliat my advertisement, and the charge of niiir- 
 dcr, said to he contained in it, rehited to the said 
 insurgents or rebels so slain by the said king's 
 troops so employed. 
 
 " Now, my lords, though the Jury did, 
 tlirough want of attention, forget to consider, 
 that these circumstances were neither ])roved 
 nor charged, your lorcUhijJS, 1 am sure, who are. 
 to look to nothing but to the record itself, will 
 not I'ail to consider, that no indictment or in- 
 formation can be cured or made good by any 
 implication, argument, suj)j)osed notoriety, or 
 intendment whatever. 
 
 " NothiuiT can be assumed or intended against 
 me but what is expressed in the record itself. If, 
 therefore, in the w hole range of possible occur- 
 rences, there can any one be imagined, in which 
 it would not be criminal to say, that the king's 
 troops, (no technical term, my lords, troiipeaux 
 — flocks — companies — even deserters maybe 
 com))rehen(ied umler that term) — if, therefore, 
 any one possible occurrence can be imagined, (and 
 I suppose there are a great many ; the judge, who 
 tried me, helped me to some, above twenty) — if 
 any one can be imagined, in which it would not 
 be criminal to say, that the king's troops have 
 ^omnjitted murder, then your lordships cannot,
 
 472 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. l///. 
 
 upon this information, proceed to judgment, 
 because the information wants those necessary 
 averments, which cannot, by any means, be in- 
 tended ; for your lordships will find, by looking 
 at the record, that, in each of the various counts 
 which this information contains, it is simply 
 averred, that I did write, and print, and publish, 
 and cause and procure to be written, and printed, 
 and published, to the tenor and effect follow- 
 
 ing." 
 
 After a reply from the attorney-general, and 
 some observations from lord Mansfield, the 
 latter said, "let him (Mr. H.) be committed.'* 
 Mr. Home, who had before refused to nrge any 
 thing in extenuation, nntil the decision of the 
 court had told him something criminal existed, 
 immediately retorted " Vv^ill your lordship com- 
 mit me, before it appears whether I am even ac- 
 cused of any crime ?" 
 
 hard 31. " No ; then you may come up on 
 Mondai/. — You came voluntarily now?" 
 
 Mr. H. " I did." 
 
 Lord 31. " Then come up voluntarily again. 
 If you should find any precedents on either side, 
 I wish you would give them to us." 
 
 3fr. JFI. " I am not very likely to produce 
 precedents." 
 
 On Monday, November 24, lord Mansfield,
 
 1777- ^IFE or JOHN MORNE TOOKE. 4^3 
 
 after reading some evidence before omitted by 
 him, and (quoting two precedents, pronounced 
 the opinion of the court, "that the information 
 was sufficient." On this Mr. attorney-general 
 spoke in aggravation of the libel; he was replied 
 to by the defendant, who declared, *' that evi- 
 dence could not supply the defects of the infor- 
 mation," and avowed, that, though their lord- 
 ships' judgment was to be pronounced upon 
 himself, he should attend to hear it, with the 
 indifference and curiosity of a traveller;" and 
 he added, what he had before openly stated on 
 the trial, " that he had an employment, which 
 would confine him in his room, longer than 
 their lordships Avould dare to confine him!" 
 
 *' My lords," added he, *' the attorney-gene- 
 ral has talked to you of my patrons. I have 
 had in niy life, and very early in life, the greatest 
 of patrons; ay! with all their ])ower, «Teatcr 
 than any tliat now hear nie. My lords, I re- 
 nounced my patrons, because I would not re- 
 nounce my ]>rinciples; repeatedly, over and over 
 again, of different descriptions, and in different 
 situations. I am proud, because I am insulted; 
 or else I certainly should not have held any of 
 tills langnage. 
 
 " Tbe attorney-general, through a blamef'il 
 carelessness, has told you a story of a thcologi-
 
 4f4 LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. ^777- 
 
 cal, polemical dispute, between myself and a pa- 
 rishioner. I never had such a dispute — no theo- 
 logical disputes that ever I read of, and I have en- 
 deavoured to read ail that ever happened, ever 
 interested me in the manner that the present 
 disputes do interest me. I never was made to 
 be a martyr. I have opinions of my own, but I 
 neyer intended to suffer for them at the stake. 
 
 " My lords, he has endeavoured to insinuate 
 that all that | wrote, and all that I said, w^as for 
 the sake of a paradeful triumph over justice; 
 and he has talked again and again of the mob. 
 But the mob have conferred no greater favour 
 on me than the attorney-general. I have been 
 repeatedly followed by very numerous mobs 
 in order to destroy me, single and alon^, for a 
 great length of w'ay; not once, or twice, or three 
 times, but four or five times; two or three thou- 
 sand at my heels. I am sensible of the ridicule 
 of the situation, even when I mention it. These 
 are the only favours I have ever received from 
 the mob; these are the only favours that 1 have 
 ever solicited ; and I protest to your lordships I 
 would much rather hear the mob hiss than 
 halloo: for the latter would give me the head- 
 ache, the first gives me no pain. My lord," 
 addressing himself to the earl of Mansfield, " I 
 have heard of those who have exjiressed morq
 
 1777- LIFE OF JOHN nORNE TOOKE. 475 
 
 wishes for popularity tlian ever I felt. I have 
 heard it said, and I think it was in this conrt, 
 that they ' would have popularity; hut it should 
 he that popularity which follows, not that which 
 is sought after.' My lords, I am proud enough 
 to despise them hoth. If popularity would offer 
 itself to me, I would speedily take care to kick 
 it away. 
 
 " As for amhition and hodies of men, and 
 parties, and societies, there is nothing of it in 
 the case. There is no hody of men with whom 
 I can think, that I know of. There is no hody 
 of men with whom 1 am connected. There is 
 no hody of men from whom I expect help or 
 assistance. My lords, I have already appeared 
 in this situation often enough; and if I had, as 
 has hecn asserted, any luxury, or pleasure in 
 holding myself forth in public; it would long 
 before this have been satisfied. There are many 
 other things which I might say to your lord- 
 .ships; but as 1 trust, and fully trust, that I shall 
 find a remedy, my lords, against the present de- 
 cision, I must forbear saying one syllable in ex- 
 tenuation of what the attorney-general has been 
 pleased to charge me with ; and leave your lord- 
 slnj)s to pronounce your judgment without the 
 least consideration of me; without the smallest 
 desire that you should abate a hair from what you
 
 4lS LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. 177 S. 
 
 think necessary for the justice of the country. 
 I shall leave it entirely to- your lordship's dis- 
 cretion." 
 
 Immediately after this, Mr. justice Aston pro- 
 nonnced the sentence of the court, which Avas^ 
 that the defendant "' do pay a fine of two hun- 
 dred pounds, and he imprisoned for the space of 
 twelve months, and until that fine is paid, and 
 that he do find securities for his j^ood behaviour 
 for three years, himself in four hundred pounds, 
 and two sureties in two hundred pounds each." 
 
 From that sentence Mr. Home appealed by 
 means of a tv7^ii of error, in 1778, to the highest 
 tribunal known to the laws of this kingdom. 
 Mr. Dunning, who had refused on the former 
 occasion to accept of a retainer from the crown, 
 was now employed as counsel for the prisoner. 
 He had already giA^en it as his opinion, that the 
 objection suggested by Mr. Home, was insuper- 
 able and fatal, and, calculating too nicely on a 
 supposed defect of resolution on the part of the 
 presiding judge, he had declared in private, 
 " that, whatever might be lord Mansfield's 
 wishes on this occasion, he would not dare to 
 over-rule it." Finding himself mistaken, he 
 resolved to combat manfully for his client. Ac-^ 
 cordingly, in his argument at the bar of the 
 house of lords, he proved the non-existence of
 
 1/78. LIFE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. A'J'J 
 
 the most hostile of the two precedents relied on 
 by the lord chief justice; both of these, indeed, 
 appeared to have been abandoned there, and 
 the description and existence of the crime, ac- 
 tually turned, as will be seen hereafter, on a 
 nice grammatical question, relative to the precise 
 ineaniiiiT of two or three words in the text! 
 
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