132 Story of Bifbop Latimer's. gentle breeze into a brifk gale, which is bad for those who are fubject to diforders of the lungs.

The fame wind, which is hurtful by bringing noxious vapours into one country, may be useful to another, from whence they are carried off. Thofe vapours, which produce epidemic or popular difeafes, either arife from putrid bodies, from standing waters, or from fome fpecies of minerals. The winds that come from a distance are more prejudicial than thofe that are local. The air is never more pure than after a tempeft, for, when it is over, objects may be perceived at a greater diftance than before, because the exha lations are removed which before obftructed the fight. Many, doubtless, have feen the undulations of the

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1 March,

Advantages of Scepticism. air, when full of vapours, by the affiftance of a good telescope; thefe are not fo vifible after a ftorm of wind. Nothing can be worse than a ftagnation of the air, and therefore thofe who inhabit plains, where it is leaft in motion, are generally lefs healthy than those whofe habitations are on higher grounds, which are often fanned by a brifk gale of wind. An atmosphere loaded with animal fteams is likewife very bad, and would become exceeding unhealthy, and even peftilential, if not renewed. This ftate of it has been called the rd Slov, or feat of epidemical diforders, and has produced the fmallpox, malignant fevers, and peftilential difeafes. The last have also been frequently preceded by a long continuance of calm weather.

in a Sermon against CORRUPTION.

what his Mafter faid. Then (quoth came to the Prieft again, and told him the Prieft) defire him to prove one of them for my fake, he fhall find them better than they look for.' He cut one of them, and found ten pieces of gold in it. Marry (quoth he) this is a good apple.' The Priett ftanding not far off, hearing what the Gentleman faid, cried out and anfwered, They are all one apple, I affure you, Sir; they all grew on one tree, and have all one tafte.'

Well, he is a good fellow, let him have it (quoth the Patron) and get you a graft of this tree, and I'll warrant it will stand you in better stead than all St. Paul's learning.'

writer, I enquired of a Philofopher, by what means he had gained fo much wifdom? I gained it, replied he, by imitating the blind, who never move a fep till they have founded with their flick the ground on which they are to trust themselves.

The

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HE prodigious majority that attended the continued victaries which adminiftration gained in the last feffion, particularly towards the close of it, as it feemed to render every idea of an oppofition to their measures futile, fo it also feemed to promife them a fecurity and permanence in their places, which nothing but fome unforeseen, or unknown cause could interrupt. This appearance of things was not delufive; and no change took place in the public departments during the recefs, except thofe that proceeded from the death of the Earl of Hallifax, and of Lord Strange, both of which happened nearly at the fame time, and not long after the rifing of parliament. In confequence of the former of these events, the Earl of Suffolk was appointed fecretary of ftate for the northern department, in the room of the Earl of Hallifax, and the Duke of Grafton fucceeded Lord Suffolk in the Privy Seal. Lord Hyde was appointed a few days after, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster, in the room of Lord Strange.

June 12th.

1771.

With refpect to foreign affairs peace feemed now to wear as permanent an afped, as was confiftent with the prefent critical state of Europe in general. Spain, during the recefs, fulfilled her Sept. 16th. engagment in the convention, by the restoration of Port Egmont. which was delivered up to Capt. Stott, who was fent this March, 1774.

ther with a small squadron for that purpose.

As to domeftic matters, a fullen langour, (perhaps in fuch a government as this not the most desitable of events) began in general to prevail with those who had hitherto oppofed, and ftill disapproved, of the general measures of adminiftration. They faid that in the prefent ftate of affairs, all other applications for a redress of grievances, would be ridiculous in themselves, and difgraceful to thofe that made them; that though no hopes remained in that quarter, there were as few to be placed in any other; and that it was as futile to perfevere in an oppofition to power, which every day's experience fhewed to be irresistible, as it would be fhameful and degrading to make fupplications, when it was known beforehand, that they would at least be difregarded. That in fuch a fituation, public matters must be left to run their own course, until they were productive of fuch events, as muft from their nature work a reformation; and that in the intermediate time, it was not the part of a wife man, either to difturb his mind about the evils which could not be remedied, or to make a tiresome and fruitless oppofition, to measures which he could not prevent.

In the mean time, we are forry to acknowledge, that the popular part of the legiflature, had from various caufes, loft much of that influence with the people, and of that refpect

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and reverence, with which it was usually regarded; and which it is not more effential to its dignity, than even to its power and independence, at all times to preserve. Much of this may be attributed to the late ill-judged conteft with the printers, and the ridiculous iffue of that affair. Every circumftance of that tranfaction, was productive of effects directly contrary to thofe that were wished or intended; and inftead of fupporting dignity, or eftablishing privilege, were equally fubverfive of both. Many of the addreffes, which had been prefented to the city magiftrates during their confinement in the Tower, were direct libels upon that affembly, and in other times would have been feverely punished as fuch. Even the public rejoicings which were made upon the enlargement of thofe magiftrates, and the public marks of approbation, and honour, which they received from other cities and corporations, as well as their own, were all fo many tacit but severe reflections, upon the conduct of that body under whofe power they had fuffered

Its effects were fimilar in refpect to the licentioufnefs of the prefs. The printers, now that the impotency of the house was discovered, laughed at an authority, which had been to much dreaded, before it was wantonly brought to a teft that expofed its weaknets. This difcovery being made, the effect naturally followed and in the fucceeding feffion, the votes of the houfe, a thing before unknown, and contrary to its orders, were printed in the public news papers, without notice or enquiry; and thus the point in contest was apparently given up by the house.

That apathy, (it it may be considered as fuch,) which seemed to extend its influence through a confiderable part of the nation, had not yet in any confiderable degree

pervaded the capital. On the contrary many late proceedings had much increased the difcontent in that great metropolis, and the citi zens were not at all backward in fhewing it. They faid that government had fet its face particularly againft the city of London, in a manner that had been unknown fince the Revolution; that this was evidently in return for the public fpirited difapprobation he had fhewn of oppreffive and pernicious measures, and the conftitutional methods he had tried to obtain a redress of grievances, which affected the nation in general, as much as they did her in particular; that adminiftration had for fome time acted, as if they were in an actual state of warfare with her, and were determined to make her feel the worst confequences that could attend an oppofition to power; that to this only was to be attributed, the late difgrace which he met with in the perlons of her magiftrates; and that from this alfo proceeded that extraordinary measure of the Durhamyard embankment, by which, as they faid, injury and injuftice were added to infult, and a stranger, who had not the smallest claim, nor did not even pretend to any right, was invefted in an eftate worth 40,000l. which was torn out of her property in the bed of the river.

In such a state of temper and opinion, nothing was left undone to manifeft relentment, nor untried, to give it effect. A committee was even appointed, to carry on a profecution against the fpeaker of the Houte of Commons, for the commitment of the magiftrates, and the moft eminent counsel were confulted upon that occafron. As this defign failed of effect, and it was found that no action could be brought upon the subject, and that the courts would not admit it if there could, recourfe was again had to the hope

lefs refort, of an addrefs, remonArance, and petition to the throne.

The day before the delivery of this addrels, a letter was received by the lord mayor, from the lord chamberlain, taking notice, that as the papers had mentioned the time of his fetting out for St. James's, and the livery might be induced to attend him, he had his majefty's commands to acquaint him, that it being unprecedented to admit the livery upon fuch occafions, as well as impractable to introduce fo numerous a body, no perfon beyond the number allowed by law to prefent petitions to the throne, would be admitted, except his lordship, the aldermen, common council, and city officers. Copies of this letter were immediately pofted up in the moft public parts of the city, to fave the livery the trouble of af fembling at Guild-hall, as they intended; and a committee of ten perfons, the number allowed by law to prefent a petition, was appointed from that body to attend the lord mayor into the King's prefence.

In this remonstrance they declare, that befides a continuance of thofe unparalleled grievances, which they had already fubmitted to his majefty, the fame arbitrary power, which had violated the facred right of election, had in the last feffion, proceeded to the most extravagant outrages against the conftitution of the kingdom, and the liberty of the fubject. That they had ventured to imprison their chief magiftrate and one of their aldermen, for difobeying their illegal orders, and for not violating the holy fanction of their oaths to that great city, as well as their duty to their country; that they had prevailed on his majefty to fuffer his royal name to give a pretended authority to an illegal proclamation; and that at length they proceeded to the enor

mous wickedness of erafing a judicial record, in order to top the course of justice, and to fruftrate all polibility of relief by an appeal to the laws. They then reprefent the advantage that had been taken, of paffing the embankment bil during the unjust confinement of their re prefentatives; whereby, without the pretence of an abuse, they had fuperfeded the confervancy of the river Thames, in the liberty which the city had enjoyed fince the conqueft, and deprived the citizens of a property which had been granted by divers charters, and confirmed by the authority of Parliaments They conclude with a prayer, that his majefty would restore their rights, and give peace to this dif tracted nation, by a speedy diffolution of parliament, and by removing for ever from his prefence and councils the prefent wicked and detpotic minifters.

The king's anfwer, confidering the extraordinary terms of the remontrance, did not feem to convey all the afperity which might have been expected from some late inttances. His majesty declared his readinefs to redrels any real grievances, and that the city of London would always find him difpofed to liften to any of their well founded complaints; but expreffes a concern, to fee a part of his fubjects still so far milled and deluded, as to renew in fuch reprehenfible terms, a request, with which, he had repeatedly declared he could not comply.

With respect to the ftate of parties, nothing very extraordinary had taken place. The defertion to the miniftry of feveral of the late Mr. Grenville's friends, together with thofe droppings off from the other parties, which muft naturally enfue in a long courfe of oppofition, where all honours and rewards are held on one fide, had confiderably weakened the ftate of oppofition in general. $ 2

Many

Many gentlemen alfo, who had neither departed from their principles, nor abandoned their friends, feeing every thing carried by fo great and decifive a majority, grew lack and remifs, in a tedious and wearifome attendance, which they deemed to be useless; and thought it was of very little confequence to the public, whether the numbers were inore or lefs on a minority lift, when every one could have told beforehand, that there would be at any rate a majority of not much lets than two to one.

One event that took place during the recefs, and probably another, that was fufpected, and has fince been acknowledged, were the apparent causes of the most important and extraordinary bufinefs that came on in the course of the enfuing feffion. The event which we allude to, was the marriage of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, with Mrs. Horton, a widow lady, and daughter to lord Irnham. As this tranfaction gave great offence at court, the celebrated royal mar riage act, which excited fo much difcuffion both within doors and without, is fuppofed in a great measure to have originated from it. The marriage of his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Gloucefter, with the Countess Dowager of Waldegrave, was not then acknowledged; but it is fuppofed had been long understood. This affair indeed for a time revived the fpirits and forces of oppofition.

As there feemed to be no urgent business that demanded an early attendance, the parliament did not meet till after the holi Jan. 21ft. days. In the fpeech from the throne, much fatistaction is expreffed, that neither the foreign nor domeftic fituation of affairs, required their earlier attendance; and that now they would be at liberty to give their whole attention,

to the establishment of wife and useful regulations of law, and to the extenfion of our commercial advan¬ tages. They were informed, that the performance of the King of Spain's engagement, in the reftitution of Port Egmont and Falkland's Iland, and the repeated affurances that had been received of the pacific difpofition of that court, as well as of other powers, promised the continuance of peace; which was with the greater confidence to be hoped for, as there was no reason to apprehend that we fhould become involved in the troubles, which still unhappily prevailed in one part of Europe.

No doubt was (notwithstanding) made, that they would fee the propriety, of maintaining a respectable establishment of the naval forces they were, however, informed, that no extraordinary aid would be required at this time. It concluded by obferving, that the concerns of this country are so various and extenfive, as to require the most vigilant and active attention; and that fome of them from remoteness of place, and other circumstances, are fo peculiarly liable to abuses, and expofed to danger, that the interpofition of the legiflature, for their protection, might become neceffary. That if in any fuch instances, either for supplying defects, or remedying abufes, they fhould find it neceffary to provide any new laws, they might depend upon the readieft concurrence of the crown, in whatever might beft contribute to the attainment of thofe falutary ends.

The addreffes were paffed in the ufual form. The fpeech was very cautiously worded in what related to domeftic matters, and as peace was announced from abroad, there was no great room for debate. As the latter part of it evidently alluded to the affairs of the East India company, though they were not mentioned, it

was