decided approbation of the Parliament feemed to enfure the permanency of the Minister's power; and the real intrinfic merits of the treaty, with the Court, to use the expreffion of the Royal Historian, “plein d'indignation," the Minifter Bute not only refused to renew the subfidy, but actually made propofitions to the Emperor Peter the Third, through the medium of Prince Gallitzin, to prevent his concluding a separate peace with Pruffia. The Emperor fent a copy of Prince Gallitzin's dispatch to the King of Pruffia, in order that he might be apprized of the treachery of the English Court. Lord Bute alfo made fecret advances to the Court of Vienna, offering very liberally the spoils of Pruffia to the Emprefs Queen, in cafe fhe was disposed to come to an accommodation; but Prince Kaunitz, in the name of the Emprefs, declared, "that she would accept of no peace of which England was the mediatrix." The English Minister had, as the King of Pruffia affirms, no fcruple to permit France to keep poffeffion of the countries of Cleves, Wefel, and Gueldres, though it was at length agreed that they should be evacuated; after which, as Lord Bute hefitated not to express himself in the House of Peers, "they were to be fcrambled for." And on the figning of the preliminaries, large bodies of Auftrians and Pruffians were actually beginning their march to the Weftphalian frontier, in order to difpute the poffeffion. But France, alarmed at the idea of a war in the Low Countries, thought proper to affent to the refloration of these territories, on condition that Pruffia fhould agree to fign a treaty of neutrality for the Netherlands. But, before this neutrality could take effect, the treaty of Hubertsburg was concluded. The change of Ministers and Counfels which took place at the acceffion of the prefent King, excited scarcely lefs aftonishment abroad than the difmiffion of the famous Whig Adminiftration of Queen Anne half a century before. Vide Œuvres du Roi de Pruffe. beneficial beneficial confequences neceffarily refulting from the restoration of peace, might reasonably be fuppofed gradually to conciliate the minds of the public. But other caufes of diffatisfaction foon arose, which heightened almoft to phrenfy the popular odium against the Minifter and the Court, and converted the national ebullitions of difcontent into a tempeft of faction, which most alarmingly agitated, and in the progress of its fury seemed at one period to threaten fcarcely lefs than the abfolute wreck and deftruction of the political veffel*. In the course of the Seffion it was found neceffary, the increasing expence of the war having left an immense arrear of debt, to negotiate a new loan In comparing the brilliant and aufpicious commencement of the reign of the prefent Monarch with the dark and dreadful scenes which enfued (and, it is painful to add, with those which at a much more advanced period feem yet impending), the imagination is led forcibly to advert to the fublime fymbolical representations introduced by a poet of the highest order, Mr. Gray, into his celebrated Ode of The BARD, in allufion to the cataftrophe terminating the reign of Richard II. ; in the splendor of its opening dawn, and its fubfequent fatal indifcretions, bearing no very diftant analogy to the prefent. Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows; In gallant trim the gilded veffel goes; Youth at the prow, and Pleasure at the helm; Regardless of the fweeping whirlwind's fway, That hufh'd in grim repofe expects his evening prey. to to a very large amount; for discharging the intereft of which, amongst other taxes a duty was moved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of four fhillings upon every hogfhead of cider, to be paid by the maker, and with certain qualifications fubjected to all the laws of excife. No fooner was this moft unpopular, and therefore most imprudent, propo fition brought forward, than the Oppofition, eager and joyful to embrace fo inviting an opportunity of attack, opened all their batteries against it. Certain of the support and concurrence of the nation at large, they inveighed with great plaufibility and vehemence against this extenfion of a system reprobated as oppreffive, arbitrary, and odious. The arguments by which the nation had been fo much inflamed thirty years before, at the period when Sir Robert Walpole attempted to carry into effect his famous project, were now revived, and anew enforced. The clamor against the Cider Bill became loud and general; and the City of London presented, at the bar of the Houfe of Commons, a petition against it. The bill, nevertheless, paffed both Houses by confiderable majorities, though in the House of Lords 43 Peers divided, and two protests were figned against it. When it lay ready for the Royal fanction, the City of London, rather to express its deteftation of the bill than from any hope of fuccefs, petitioned the Crown to refufe its affent. In VOL. I. G the the cider counties the abhorrence of the measure was fo general, that it was found very difficult to carry the act into execution; and it appears indeed to have been confidered by impartial perfons as liable to objections not applicable to other branches of the excife revenue. Still, however, it cannot be justly doubted, that the duties of excife, levied on the proper objects, and guarded from abuse by juft and equitable regulations, conftitute incomparably the faireft, the eafieft, the moft productive of all the various modes of national taxation. But a wife Government will and ought to confult the general temper and difpofition of the people in all the measures of Government, and more efpecially in the manner of raising the national fupplies. For when a specific revenue is to be exacted by the fupreme authority of the State, it is furely no exceffive indulgence to permit them to pay it in the manner most agreeable, though in reality leaft advantageous to themselves. All that the wisdom and beneficence of Government united can do in fuch a cafe, is to introduce by gradual and infenfible fteps the amelioration of any actually exifting fyftem, however clearly perceived to be abfurd and pernicious. In the prefent inftance, though the object was comparatively trivial, though the arguments urged againft it were forcible, and the oppofition general, the Minifter, who entertained doubtless very different ideas of political wifdom from his predeceffor Sir Robert Walpole, refolved, with that obftinate inflexibility which is fo often mistaken for dignity and firmnefs, to perfevere; and the bill finally passed into a law. But fcarcely was this favorite measure carried into execution, when the kingdom was astonished with the intelligence of the refignation of the Minifter, who having, as he boafted, reftored peace to the world, forfeited no engagement, abandoned no friend, and formed a minifterial connection fo powerful as no longer to need his affiftance, was now determined, by retiring" to the bleffings of the life he loved," to demonftrate that minifterial greatness had for him no charms. All his political purposes he had completely attained; and, by voluntarily divesting himself of his public authority, he was folicitous to fhow, that in his private capacity he dared the utmost malice and vengeance of his enemies. These motives were however of a nature by which men, even the most virtuous, and particularly statesmen, are fo rarely actuated, that little credit was given by the public at large to profeffions of moderation and difintereftedness fo inconfiftent with thofe meafures of alternate artifice and violence, by which the late Minister had attained to the fummit of that power and greatnefs to which he now pretended a frigid and philofophical indifference. It was affirmed with boldness by his enemies, and faintly controverted by his G 2 friends, |